Malavika: To be honest, family-centric sitcoms always made me a bit uncomfortable. As much as I loved “The Cosby Show” and, yes, even “Growing Pains,” I grew out of that phase pretty quickly. If I wanted to laugh at someone’s family, well, I’d laugh at my own. So, I was pretty surprised at how much I liked “The Middle.” Patricia Heaton has always been good at playing the harried mom type and Neil Flynn pretty much shines in anything he does. But, truly, it’s their kooky kids — teenage son Axl, almost always wandering the house in nothing but boxers; the eager but perennial failure at whatever she does Susan; and the totally weird youngest child Brick — that pushes this past “Malcolm in the Middle” territory.

Adam: I totally agree. The Hecks are the most realistic, relatable family on TV right now; in fact, I’m having trouble thinking of any family in all of TV history that could give them a run for their money.

“The Middle” has obvious forebearers, like “Malcolm in the Middle,” as you mentioned (although it is thankfully far less wacky), but especially the mother of all blue-collar comedies, “Roseanne.” Whereas that undoubtedly classic sitcom served as a showcase for Roseanne Barr’s standup routines, with her children little more than window dressing, “The Middle” is much more of an ensemble effort. Heaton is obviously the main character, but unlike Roseanne, she doesn’t get the lion’s share of laughs. In other words, she doesn’t sit around the kitchen all day spitting wisecracks; on the contrary, Frankie Heck is almost constantly in motion, running from one family emergency to the next, and that’s where the humor is derived from. That’s what we can all relate to.

California Chronicle talks about three strong comedy series that debuted this year and one of them is The Middle.

‘The Middle’

There’s no question that “Modern Family” is quickly becoming the best comedy on TV, but “The Middle” (8:30 p.m. Wednesday, WTAE) needs more support.

“The Middle” is a loopy, single-camera comedy about a family in Middle America that’s scraping by on luck and love. What makes the show unique among prime-time series is not its style of humor, which bears some resemblance to “Malcolm in the Middle” told from a mom’s point of view. It’s the emphasis on the children in the family. Other than the half-man on CBS’s “Two and a Half Men,” kids have been largely AWOL from prime-time broadcast network comedies for about a decade and they haven’t been a focus since “Malcolm.”

As relatable as the travails of mom Frankie Heck (Patricia Heaton) may be, it’s the stories and characterizations of the Heck kids that make “The Middle” so much fun to watch. Has there ever been as wildly accurate a depiction of teenage boys as Axl (Charlie McDermott), who moves with the leisurely speed of an unmotivated turtle and complains with a mix of whine and gusto? And upbeat Sue (Eden Sher) has a wild-eyed optimism no matter how many times she’s failed before. Oddball Brick (Atticus Shaffer), who looks a lot like Dewey from “Malcolm,” takes weirdness to a new level with repeated, under-his-breath whispers of single words he just said aloud.

So far, ABC seems supportive of “The Middle” despite its low ratings, largely the result of having horrible “Hank” (now-canceled) as a lead-in. But more people need to find this hidden gem and help it escape middle-of-the-pack obscurity. “The Middle” deserves to be nearer the top of the ratings heap.

The Middle (ABC) – Forgive me if I’m forgetting one, but I don’t think there has been a genuinely funny, down-to-earth, timely broadcast sitcom that dared to focus on a cash-strapped working class American family since Roseanne at its peak. (No, I haven’t spaced on Malcolm in the Middle, a personal favorite of mine. Malcolm was a bit “out there” and made no claim to realism.) So here’s three cheers for the harried Hecks of small-town Indiana: Car-salesperson mom Frankie (Patricia Heaton), quarry manager dad Mike (Neil Flynn), dim teen jock and horn dog Axl (Charlie McDermott), socially awkward outcast Sue (Eden Sher) and bizarre little Brick (Atticus Shaffer, an instant scene-stealer). I hope they stay with us for years.

The next time someone suggests the half-hour sitcom is “dead,” tell them to check out ABC on Wednesday for a glimpse of Modern Family, which I think will give NBC’s overrated 30 Rock a run at the Emmys. Family love and dysfunction have never been this perfectly portrayed, including the comic high point of the series, gay couple Cameron and Mitchell.

As long as you’re watching Modern Family, make it a point to get to ABC at 8:30 p.m. for lead-in The Middle, which is happily reminiscent of recent classic Malcolm in the Middle. Although Patricia Heaton as frustrated mom Frankie is less cantankerous than Jane Kaczmarek as equally frazzled Mom Lois, 11-year-old Atticus Shaffer is the new Dewey. The resemblance is eerie.

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