I recently viewed an advance copy of The Middle, a new comedy premiering on ABC on Wednesday, September 30th at 8:30pm ET. Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond) plays Frankie, a middle-aged, midwestern mom of three kids, two of whom are teens, and a full time job. I could so easily relate to her world, and therefore knew how real it was, but laughed because it is funny when the craziness is happening to somebody else.

Neil Flynn (the janitor from Scrubs) is perfect as the husband and father that doesn't get too rattled by the kids, because, after all, its his wife's responsibility. Does that ring a bell to anyone?

The Middle is also made more interesting by the way they chose to portray the kids. Instead of the stereotypical portrayal of teens and kids we usually see on TV, all three of the kids on this show are uniquely quirky. The teens on The Middle seemed like real teens, not some writer's version of teens. The seven year old son is adorable, but mostly because of his problems.

I would love to hear what you think of The Middle. Please watch it next Wednesday night and come back and comment. Did you also relate to it? Do you agree that the casting for The Middle was perfect? Is your life as difficult as the life of Patricia Heaton's character?

See also: ABC The Middle website

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