The Middle season 1 facts for kids

The first season of the TV comedy show The Middle was shown on ABC. It ran from September 30, 2009, to May 19, 2010. This season was made by Blackie and Blondie Productions and Warner Bros. Television. The show's creators, DeAnn Heline and Eileen Heisler, were the main producers.

The story is about Frances "Frankie" Heck (Patricia Heaton). She is a working mom who lives in the Midwest. Frankie lives with her husband Mike (Neil Flynn) in a small town called Orson, Indiana. They have three kids: Axl (Charlie McDermott), Sue (Eden Sher), and Brick (Atticus Shaffer).

After only two episodes aired, ABC decided to order a full season of the show. The Middle was then renewed for a second season on January 12, 2010. The first episode was watched by over 8.7 million people. It was more popular than other shows airing at the same time.

Meet the Cast: Who Plays Who?

Main Characters

• Patricia Heaton plays Frankie Heck. She is the busy mom of the family.
• Neil Flynn plays Mike Heck. He is Frankie's husband and the dad.
• Charlie McDermott plays Axl Heck. He is the oldest child.
• Eden Sher plays Sue Heck. She is the middle child, always trying new things.
• Atticus Shaffer plays Brick Heck. He is the youngest and loves to read.
• Chris Kattan plays Bob. He is Frankie's co-worker.

Other Important Characters

• Brock Ciarlelli plays Brad. He is Sue's friend and former boyfriend. He appeared in several episodes.
• Blaine Saunders plays Carly. She is Sue's best friend. She was in a few episodes.
• Jen Ray plays Nancy Donahue. She is the Hecks' neighbor. She appeared in some episodes.
• Beau Wirick plays Sean Donahue. He is Axl's friend. He was in many episodes.
• Brian Doyle-Murray plays Don Elhert. He owns the car dealership where Frankie works. He appeared in many episodes throughout the season.

Special Guest Stars

• Patricia Belcher played Mrs. Rettig. She was Brick's teacher in the "Pilot" episode.
• Vicki Lewis played Mrs. Barry. She was a social worker in "The Scratch".
• Mary-Pat Green played Mrs. Larimer. She was the principal of Brick's school in "The Scratch".
• John Cullum played Big Mike. He was Mike's father in "Thanksgiving".
• Brooke Shields played Rita Glossner. She was the Hecks' tough neighbor in "The Neighbor".
• Amy Sedaris played Abby Michaels. She was a motivator at Frankie's job in "The Fun House".
• Alexa Vega played Morgan. She was Axl's girlfriend in "The Break-Up" and "Worry Duty".
• Marsha Mason played Pat Spence. She was Frankie's mother in "Mother's Day".
• Betty White played Mrs. Nethercott. She was Brick's school librarian in "Average Rules".

Episode Guide

The first season of The Middle had 24 episodes. Each episode showed the funny daily life of the Heck family. You can find a full list of all episodes on the main page for the show's episodes.