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The Middle season 8 facts for kids

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The Middle season 8
The Middle Season 8 DVD.jpg
Region 1 DVD cover art
Starring
No. of episodes 23
Release
Original network ABC
Original release October 11, 2016 (2016-10-11) – May 16, 2017 (2017-05-16)
List of The Middle episodes

The eighth season of the television comedy series The Middle began airing on October 11, 2016, on ABC in the United States. It is produced by Blackie and Blondie Productions and Warner Bros. Television with series creators DeAnn Heline and Eileen Heisler as executive producers. The season contains 23 episodes. The season concluded on May 16, 2017.

The show is about a working-class family, led by Frances "Frankie" Heck (Patricia Heaton), a middle-aged, Midwestern woman married to Michael "Mike" Heck (Neil Flynn), who reside in the small, fictional town of Orson, Indiana. They are the parents of three children, Axl (Charlie McDermott), Sue (Eden Sher) and Brick (Atticus Shaffer).

Cast

Main cast

Recurring

  • Daniela Bobadilla as Lexie Brooks, Sue's college roommate and best friend and Axl's new girlfriend as of "The Par-Tay."
  • Alphonso McAuley as Charles "Hutch" Hutchinson, Axl's teammate, best friend, and college roommate.
  • Tommy Bechtold as Kenny, Axl and Hutch's friend and roommate.
  • Greer Grammer as April, Axl's cute but very very dimwitted girlfriend whom he met over the summer. They briefly married before getting an annulment. They remain a couple until breaking up in the episode "Exes and Ohhhs".
  • Casey Burke as Cindy Hornberger, Brick's quirky girlfriend.
  • Jen Ray as Nancy Donahue, the Hecks' neighbor and Frankie's best friend.
  • Sean O'Bryan as Ron Donahue, Nancy's husband and a friend of the Hecks.
  • Beau Wirick as Sean Donahue, Axl's best friend from high school.
  • Pat Finn as Bill Norwood, a friend and neighbor of the Hecks.
  • Jovan Armand as Troy, Brick's classmate and friend.
  • Paul Hipp as Reverend Tim-Tom, a youth pastor at the Hecks' church

Guest

  • Dave Foley as Dr. Chuck Fulton, Brick's therapist.
  • Brooke Shields as Rita Glossner, the Hecks' uncouth and troubled neighbor.
  • Emily Rutherfurd as Dierdre Peterson, the Hecks' neighbor who has four children.
  • Norm Macdonald as Rusty Heck, Mike's brother.
  • John Cullum as "Big Mike" Heck, Mike's father.
  • Jack McBrayer as Dr. Ted Goodwin, Frankie's over-friendly boss who is oblivious to sarcasm.
  • Gia Mantegna as Devin Levin, Frankie's hairdresser's relative and Axl's college classmate/ex-girlfriend. They break up when Devin thinks they should see others.
  • Galadriel Stineman as Cassidy Finch, Axl's ex-girlfriend who broke up with him when they went to different colleges.
  • Katlin Mastandrea as "Weird Ashley" Wyman, Axl's weird classmate who has been his accidental date to prom.
  • Monica Horan as Anna Ferguson, the matriarch of the Fergusons who accidentally took Brick home when he was a baby (while the Hecks made off with the Ferguson kid).
  • Alan Rachins as Mort, a clothing store clerk where Frankie and Axl go to buy a suit.

Episodes

No.
overall
No. in
season
Title Directed by Written by Original air date Prod.
code
U.S. viewers
(millions)
169 1 "The Core Group" Lee Shallat Chemel Ilana Wernick October 11, 2016 (2016-10-11) T12.15251 6.78
170 2 "A Tough Pill to Swallow" Phil Traill Rich Dahm October 18, 2016 (2016-10-18) T12.15252 6.02
171 3 "Halloween VII: The Heckoning" Lee Shallat Chemel Tim Hobert October 25, 2016 (2016-10-25) T12.15253 5.72
172 4 "True Grit" Victor Nelli Jr. Jana Hunter & Mitch Hunter November 1, 2016 (2016-11-01) T12.15254 5.43
173 5 "Roadkill" Lee Shallat Chemel Roy Brown November 15, 2016 (2016-11-15) T12.15255 6.21
174 6 "Thanksgiving VIII" Elliot Hegarty Ilana Wernick November 22, 2016 (2016-11-22) T12.15256 6.88
175 7 "Look Who's Not Talking" Lee Shallat Chemel Tim Hobert November 29, 2016 (2016-11-29) T12.15257 6.62
176 8 "Trip and Fall" Elliot Hegarty Rich Dahm December 6, 2016 (2016-12-06) T12.15258 6.06
177 9 "A Very Marry Christmas" Lee Shallat Chemel Jana Hunter & Mitch Hunter December 13, 2016 (2016-12-13) T12.15259 6.39
178 10 "Escape Orson" Jaffar Mahmood Roy Brown January 3, 2017 (2017-01-03) T12.15260 6.62
179 11 "Hoosier Maid" Elliot Hegarty Bruce Rasmussen January 10, 2017 (2017-01-10) T12.15261 7.30
180 12 "Pitch Imperfect" Melissa Kosar Rich Dahm January 17, 2017 (2017-01-17) T12.15262 6.67
181 13 "Ovary and Out" Elliot Hegarty Ilana Wernick February 7, 2017 (2017-02-07) T12.15263 6.42
182 14 "Sorry Not Sorry" Phil Traill Tim Hobert February 14, 2017 (2017-02-14) T12.15264 6.32
183 15 "Dental Hijinks" Lee Shallat Chemel Jana Hunter & Mitch Hunter February 21, 2017 (2017-02-21) T12.15265 6.27
184 16 "Swing and a Miss" Danny Salles Roy Brown March 7, 2017 (2017-03-07) T12.15266 6.12
185 17 "Exes and Ohhhs" Lee Shallat Chemel Rich Dahm March 14, 2017 (2017-03-14) T12.15267 5.92
186 18 "The Par-tay" Jaffar Mahmood Ilana Wernick April 4, 2017 (2017-04-04) T12.15268 5.44
187 19 "The Confirmation" Charlie McDermott Tim Hobert April 11, 2017 (2017-04-11) T12.15269 5.29
188 20 "Adult Swim" Lee Shallat Chemel Jana Hunter & Mitch Hunter April 18, 2017 (2017-04-18) T12.15270 5.25
189 21 "Clear and Present Danger" Phil Traill Roy Brown May 2, 2017 (2017-05-02) T12.15271 5.07
190 22 "The Final Final" Lee Shallat Chemel Rich Dahm May 9, 2017 (2017-05-09) T12.15272 5.02
191 23 "Fight or Flight" Eileen Heisler Ilana Wernick May 16, 2017 (2017-05-16) T12.15273 5.27

Ratings

Viewership and ratings per episode of The Middle season 8
No. Title Air date Rating/share
(18–49)
Viewers
(millions)
DVR
(18–49)
Total
(18–49)
1 "The Core Group" October 11, 2016 1.8/7 6.78 N/A N/A
2 "A Tough Pill to Swallow" October 18, 2016 1.5/6 6.02 N/A N/A
3 "Halloween VIII: The Heckoning" October 25, 2016 1.5/6 5.72 0.7 2.2
4 "True Grit" November 1, 2016 1.4/5 5.43 0.6 2.0
5 "Roadkill" November 15, 2016 1.6/6 6.21 0.7 2.3
6 "Thanksgiving VIII" November 22, 2016 1.6/6 6.88 0.7 2.3
7 "Look Who's Not Talking" November 29, 2016 1.6/6 6.62 N/A N/A
8 "Trip and Fall" December 6, 2016 1.4/5 6.06 0.7 2.1
9 "A Very Marry Christmas" December 13, 2016 1.6/6 6.39 0.7 2.3
10 "Escape Orson" January 3, 2017 1.7/6 6.62 N/A N/A
11 "Hoosier Maid" January 10, 2017 1.7/6 7.30 0.7 2.4
12 "Pitch Imperfect" January 17, 2017 1.7/6 6.67 N/A N/A
13 "Ovary and Out" February 7, 2017 1.6/6 6.42 0.6 2.2
14 "Sorry Not Sorry" February 14, 2017 1.5/6 6.32 N/A N/A
15 "Dental Hijinks" February 21, 2017 1.5/6 6.27 N/A N/A
16 "Swing and a Miss" March 7, 2017 1.5/5 6.12 N/A N/A
17 "Exes and Ohhhs" March 14, 2017 1.6/6 5.92 N/A N/A
18 "The Par-tay" April 4, 2017 1.4/6 5.44 0.6 2.0
19 "The Confirmation" April 11, 2017 1.3/5 5.29 TBD TBD
20 "Adult Swim" April 18, 2017 1.3/5 5.25 TBD TBD
21 "Clear and Present Danger" May 2, 2017 1.2/5 5.07 0.6 1.8
22 "The Final Final" May 9, 2017 1.2/5 5.02 0.6 1.8
23 "Fight or Flight" May 16, 2017 1.2/5 5.27 TBD TBD
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