Watch The Middle Online - Full Episodes

In 2009, the ABC network dedicated a two-hour block of its weekly prime time to sitcoms. Fortunately, for viewers, one of the network's new shows was The Middle. The sitcom features a working-class family. The mom's name is Frankie and she works for a car dealership while her husband Mike works at a quarry. The couple has three children named Axl, Sue and Brick.

Axl excels at sports, but struggles during school, while Sue is a loveable nerd who constantly attempts to fit in at school by trying out for every activity. She once made the cross-county team and later created a cheerleading squad for the wrestling team. Brick is the youngest son, and he prefers to read instead of socializing with children his age. He has a quirky habit of repeating his comments in a whisper.

The character of Frankie is portrayed by actress Patricia Heaton. She is the main character as the audience hears her personal narration. Frankie's devotion to her family is crucial to the show, and during most episodes, she is balancing her busy life. She worries about Brick fitting in at school and enrolls him into a social class, and she never misses an event in her children's lives such as Sue passing the finish line during a cross-country race or Axl winning a basketball game.

Actor Neil Flynn plays the character of Mike Heck. He is the calm parent of the family, although he has his moments of stress, such as when Frankie makes him sign up as a volunteer at Brick's school. Charlie McDermott portrays the character of Axl and Eden Sher depicts Sue. Actor Atticus Shaffer won the role of Brick.

The Heck family lives in a rundown single family home that retains numerous style elements from the 1960s and '70s. Frankie is often too busy to clean the home or cook for her family. In fact, Frankie typically brings dinner home from a fast food restaurant.

When Frankie decides that the family is going to enjoy a meal together, viewers discover that that Frankie and Mike never purchased a dining room chair for Brick to sit in at the kitchen table. Instead, he must use a lawn chair to participate in the family dinner.

Frankie and Mike face numerous financial problems, but somehow they manage to keep food on the table and a place for their family to live.

The Middle is a show that humorously depicts the struggles of today's middle-class families, and it allows viewers to laugh at the trials their own families face.