It’s all over but the shouting, the hugging, and the “cooking.” Fans don’t have watch the ninth season of The Middle TV show, wondering whether it is cancelled or renewed for season 10. In early August, star Patricia Heaton announced season nine would be the comedy’s final installment. The good news is, a few days later, the creators confirmed this was their choice and that the Alphabet Network was giving them an entire season to craft a satisfying Middle TV series finale. So, why track the ratings? Well, we’re geeks like that, but also, it gives us a good benchmark by which to assess the success of other ABC TV shows, so stay tuned.
Set in Orson, Indiana, The Middle stars Heaton, Mike Flynn, Charlie McDermott, Eden Sher, and Atticus Shaffer. The ABC sitcom centers on the Heck family. Frankie (Heaton) and Mike (Flynn) are middle-aged, middle-class parents. They live in the middle of the country with their three children, easy going Axl (McDermott), a recent college graduate; enthusiastic Sue (Sher), a college junior; and bright, quirky Brick (Shaffer), who is now a high school sophomore.
The ninth and final season of The Middle kicks off as Axl returns home from his post-grad trip to Europe. His even more laid-back attitude drives Mike crazy. Axl has also gotten serious enough with Sue’s roommate, Lexie (Daniela Bobadilla), that it’s time for Mike and Frankie to meet her wealthy family. Speaking of Sue, she is still pining for Sean Donahue (Beau Wirick), who thanks to their penchant for crossing wires, has no idea she returns his feelings. Meanwhile, in an attempt to boost his popularity, Brick decides to dump Cindy (Casey Burke), which goes about as well as any Heck should expect.
The ratings are typically the best indication of a show’s likelihood of staying on the air. The higher the ratings (particularly in the 18-49 demo), the better the chances for survival. This chart will be updated as new ratings data becomes available — typically around 11:30am EST/8:30am PST. Refresh to see the latest.
5/23 update: You can see the rest of the latest night’s ratings.
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Last year comparison: The eighth season of The Middle averaged a 1.48 rating in the 18-49 demographic and 6.041 million total viewers (live + same day ratings).
Note: These are the Live + Same Day Ratings which include “live” viewing plus delayed DVR viewing, up until 3am local time that same night. Ratings marked with an “*” are the fast affiliate ratings and will be updated with the Live+SD numbers when they are made available. Typically, networks get paid for C+3 ratings which includes DVR viewing within three days of the original airing when commercials are watched. Those numbers are rarely released to the press.
What do you think? Do you still like The Middle TV series on ABC? Is it ending at the right time, or should it have been renewed for a 10th season?
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