Overview: Patricia Heaton stars as Frankie Heck in this warm and witty single-camera comedy about raising a family and lowering your expectations. Frankie Heck is a superhero. Well, no, not an actual superhero - but sometimes it seems to Frankie as though getting her kids out the door for school every morning is a superheroic act. Middle aged, middle class and living in the middle of the country, this harried wife and working mother of three uses her wry wit and sense of humor to try to get her family through each day intact!

DVD Verdict: You know all those over-hyped, supposedly 'edgy' and daring comedies the critics insist all discerning TV fans SHOULD love and appreciate? Well, The Middle isn't among them ;) But while critics have given the show a lukewarm reception, all of the actual TV viewers I know have been immediately charmed and delighted by this underrated gem of a show.

The Middle doesn't go out of its way to flaunt just how edgy and risque it can be. It doesn't, like so many other critically lauded shows, feature wholly unlikable people doing wholly unlikable things while half-winking at the camera over just how zany they are. It doesn't go for over-the-top wackiness or the kind of constant lowbrow sexual innuendo and fart jokes that you might unplesantly associate with high school locker rooms.

Instead, The Middle simply tells the story of a family that's likable and even admirable despite also being realistically, comically flawed. The humor stems from the strong characterizations, sharp dialogue and the clever insight peppered throughout. (You'll be thinking "that is SO true...it's scary how well I can relate to that!" at least a few times per episode). We get flashes heartwarming poignancy here too, but rest assured that it's never too sappy or forced.

This is one of those rare shows that successfully blends humor with heart, and I was pleasantly surprised to realize how much I've come to love spending time with this family. I used to have a weird visceral dislike for Patricia Heaton and, for reasons alluded to above, rarely like sitcoms...but this show immediately reversed my opinion of Patricia Heaton's acting abilities, and even gave me a renewed hope for the sitcom genre!

One major reason it's worth owning on DVD: The vast majority of the episodes not only hold up with multiple viewings, but actually improve, as you notice subtle moments of awesomeness that you were too busy laughing to pick up on the first time around. So many shows *claim* to have struck that balance between wit and poignancy; to have created lovable yet hilariously flawed characters; to have written dialogue that's sharp and memorable.

This is one of the few shows that, in my clearly Middle-loving opinion, has actually succeeded in all those areas and more. It's a show that provides mood-boosting humor with moments of sharp insight into what it means to be part of a family and a steady supply of heartwarming charm. I can't wait to get my fangirl hands on those DVDs, and look forward to rooting for and laughing with the Hecks for many years to come! [MS] This is a Widescreen Presentation (1.85:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs and comes with the Special Features of:

Raising a Sitcom Family: Series creators recount the history and development of this unique comedy about small-town life in the Midwest
Sue's Best Shots: Sue's school photos provide the springboard for cast and crew to recall their own school photo experiences
Unaired Scenes
Gag Reel

www.themiddledvd.com