(ABC/Michael Ansell)
What the heck? While The Middle TV show is not cancelled, it will end with its upcoming ninth season. Star Patricia Heaton announced on Twitter that season nine of The Middle will be its final season on ABC.
A family sitcom, The Middle also stars Neil Flynn, Charlie McDermott, Eden Sher, and Atticus Shaffer. The ABC comedy centers on the Hecks, a middle-class family, living in Orson, Indiana, headed by quarry manager Mike (Flynn) and Frankie (Heaton)
We love our fans and we're bringing you the most epic final season ever! @TheMiddle_ABC https://t.co/61Ur1bhGKI
— Patricia Heaton (@PatriciaHeaton) August 2, 2017
The Middle: A Look at the Ratings
The eighth season of The Middle averaged a 1.48 rating in the 18-49 demographic with about 6.04 million viewers. Compared to season seven, that’s down by 22% in the demo and down by 18% in terms of total viewers. However, when we compare The Middle’s season eight performance against the other ABC TV shows, it was still the network’s sixth best performing scripted TV series, in terms of its demo numbers, and fifth in terms of total viewers.
It seems likely that a combination of creative and financial factors influenced the decision, rather than the series’ solid ratings. The show hails from Warner Bros. Television, rather than ABC Studios, yet this far into a show’s life, the network typically funds the lion’s share of the production. Meanwhile, it is Warner Bros. which owns the syndication rights.
For its first seven seasons, The Middle was paired with Modern Family on Wednesdays, and many credited the latter sitcom for its ratings success. In season eight, though, ABC moved The Middle to Tuesdays, and this little-engine-that-could anchored the night.
At least the writing team has the opportunity to craft a satisfying series finale for loyal fans. Let’s hope they make the most of it. Deadline has confirmed that there will be no season 10 of The Middle.
What do you think? Are you still watching The Middle TV series? Is it ending at the right time, or do you wish there would be a tenth season on ABC?
We love the Middle. Great actors, casting and writing. We watch the retuns beginning at 9pm every night. Love every character and their quirkiness. My daughter was clipping her nails, and I said hey you need to do that into a chip bag. She laughed. This show will go down as a classic. Hope they bring back the Glousters for the final season.
Say it ain’t so! We love THE MIDDLE… it’s one of the only laugh out loud shows on tv. Hope, if it does end, that all the characters get other shows right away… They’re all wonderful!
Our family loves the Middle. Please leave it on the air or sell to Netflix. It is a wholesome program with no political views or social issues that cause division in the family while we watch. Why so mean to clean but love the grub of nastiness… come on abt give the viewing audience what they want. Love to see Frankie and Mike as grandparents…
Thst’s A great idea — sell to Netflix.
No!!!! Best comedy ever! Love the Heck family! Great acting, writing, etc.
I have truly loved an appreciated this show from the get go. It is the last clean, moral show for all ages, left in television. I will ever stop watching reruns. Please let Axl end up with weird Ashley. Please o please o please o please. I think he and Cassidy get engaged and when they go to book the venue she realizes it won’t work. Just then you see another wedding going on as he walks around sad that he was just dumped and then the bride, weird Ashly spots him. Rubs down her aisle toward axle and said… Read more »
Nnnnnoooooo! I have loved The Middle for so long. It is the only show that is close to the average family life. I am very sad that you people would take this wonderful show off tv. The actors and actresses are awesome. ABC reconsider.
I think The Middle is ending too soon. Sue needs to graduate college and be. Successful! Show everyone it pays to persevere!! Also Brick needs to graduate to college and have Frankie and Mile be true empty nesters!!! This is the best family show on television and it can just keep going!
We as a family love The Middle. I’m very sad to see it go. Another great show goes by the wayside.
This quality show should not end. It could go on as is and it also would have great story lines when Axl or Sue would have children. I truly love the comedy of this show!
Please don’t end The Middle show. I love this show a lot and I never got to see all the new episodes. Because I didn’t know what time and day they were playing it. Cause I couldn’t find it on tv all the time. So I didn’t get to see all the new episodes yet. Please don’t end this show yet. I like this show a lot. Please countinue this show for 2 more seasons please.
I’m not ready for it to end, they should at least let Brick graduate high school, I love the show and watch it every week, please reconsider!
So sorry to see The Middle ending. I love all the characters. It would be fun to see where Sue, Axl and Brick go in the future. Brick would be hilarious in college. Will miss the show, but wish all a happy future.
I wish it would’ve gone on for Axl and Sue to get jobs and Brick go on to college. Not many shows on the air about the Midwest and Altho it’s widely exaggerated coming from the Midwest it was nice to see and still VERY FUNNY to watch which I did every single week!!,!
I sort of expected this because I didn’t exactly know where the show was going to go moving forward but I still kind of wish I was wrong because I love this show so much. At least we’ll be able to get a proper resolution as opposed to it getting clipped like Last Man Standing did. The most underappreciated family show on television.
I was right on that, first it was Castle, next was LMS and now it is the Middle. ABC is always having budget problems at least that what we are told.
I NEVER get tired of The Middle, so this is sad news for me. This show has been underrated from the start, but IMO it never failed to deliver laughs alongside realistic and heartfelt “average American” situations and issues. If the cast is okay with no 10th season, then I’ll try to keep my chin up, too. The actors and writers have all done stellar work, and reruns will live on for many years without ever getting old.
I agree. I didn’t get into it right away, but I’ve been on board for a while now. It’s fantastic.