"The Middle," which -- wink-wink -- is set in Indiana (middle America), and which airs in the middle of the week on Wednesday nights, is about an average American suburban family where the parents are -- surprise! -- level-headed, normal, rational, and politically moderate. The show certainly doesn't lack an identity crisis, yet it is hardly a work of genius, beyond the decision to cast Eden Sher as Sue Heck, the (of course) middle child, likely for whom the show is named. Without Heck, even the pilot doesn't get picked up; with it, you have one of the most enjoyable shows in the history of primetime.
ABC could easily have resurrected The Brady Bunch, casting Sher as Jan, and accomplished the same result, but the original character of Sue Heck is like Jan Brady without the confines of The Brady Bunch's rich history. Jan was a relatively normal middle child, yet her angst never rang true. As I said somewhere else, Sue Heck makes Jan Brady look like Marcia Brady. I have never seen an actor so totally take over a character the way Sher has done with Sue; she makes each new episode of this otherwise-mediocre show and makes it Emmy-worthy. Sher's next stop is the film world, if she wants it, where fans will directly pay her salary, a much higher bar to clear than that of the sponsors, and why so many television actors fail in film.
Sue's siblings, Brick and Axl, are typical television tripe, terribly predictable, and not very enjoyable to watch. The alleged leads, Neil Flynn and Patricia Heaton, will never rewrite any acting textbooks, but the same cannot be said of Eden Sher. Watching Sue Heck on screen each week is the highlight of my week, and to those who say I must have no life if that is the case, I would that anyone who doesn't mark their calendars to watch her is the one in need of better recreational activities.
Sue Heck is what you hope to find when a new series (or one you just started watching) debuts. I found "The Middle" because Hulu rotated it after the show I had intended to watch was finished. After a single episode, I was completely hooked on this incredibly deep, layered, nuanced character, played by an actress who leave writers wishing everyone could make them look so good. At some point, Sher will be called upon to prove that she didn't luck out with Sue, or just happen to be a perfect fit, but i suspect she'll be up to the task. She's truly brilliant.
ABC could easily have resurrected The Brady Bunch, casting Sher as Jan, and accomplished the same result, but the original character of Sue Heck is like Jan Brady without the confines of The Brady Bunch's rich history. Jan was a relatively normal middle child, yet her angst never rang true. As I said somewhere else, Sue Heck makes Jan Brady look like Marcia Brady. I have never seen an actor so totally take over a character the way Sher has done with Sue; she makes each new episode of this otherwise-mediocre show and makes it Emmy-worthy. Sher's next stop is the film world, if she wants it, where fans will directly pay her salary, a much higher bar to clear than that of the sponsors, and why so many television actors fail in film.
Sue's siblings, Brick and Axl, are typical television tripe, terribly predictable, and not very enjoyable to watch. The alleged leads, Neil Flynn and Patricia Heaton, will never rewrite any acting textbooks, but the same cannot be said of Eden Sher. Watching Sue Heck on screen each week is the highlight of my week, and to those who say I must have no life if that is the case, I would that anyone who doesn't mark their calendars to watch her is the one in need of better recreational activities.
Sue Heck is what you hope to find when a new series (or one you just started watching) debuts. I found "The Middle" because Hulu rotated it after the show I had intended to watch was finished. After a single episode, I was completely hooked on this incredibly deep, layered, nuanced character, played by an actress who leave writers wishing everyone could make them look so good. At some point, Sher will be called upon to prove that she didn't luck out with Sue, or just happen to be a perfect fit, but i suspect she'll be up to the task. She's truly brilliant.