Hitting a Series High Opposite “Idol,” ABC’s “Modern Family” is Wednesday’s No. 1 Scripted TV Show for its 11th Straight Original Telecast in Adults 18-49.

Growing Week to Week, “Cougar Town” Ranks as the No. 1 Scripted Show Against its Network Rivals in Adults 18-34 for its 6th Straight First-Run Airing.

Surging over its lead-in by 1.8 million viewers and by 50% with young adults at 8:30 p.m., self-starter “The Middle” was the No. 1 show its half-hour for its 4th straight original telecast in Total Viewers (7.5 million) and Adults 18-49 (2.4/7-tie). In fact among Adults 18-49, it finished as the highest-rated scripted show in its half-hour for the 6th time in its last 7 first-run airings. The ABC freshman comedy also delivered the No. 1 position in the half-hour with Adults 25-54, Men 18-49 and Men 25-54.

“The Middle” drew its biggest overall audience in 3 months and equaled its top Adult 18-49 number since March – since 2/10 and 3/24/10, respectively.

Source: RBR

“People just like Brick because he follows the beat of his own drummer,” Atticus said. “He’s different, and he’s quirky, and people seem to think that’s adorable. Trust me because I know. It’s my life.”

Brick, right down to the whisper, is based on the son of Eileen Heisler, who created “The Middle” with DeAnn Heline. (The two women, whose credits include “Murphy Brown” and “How I Met Your Mother,” have been writing partners since meeting in college.) “The funniest things come from reality,” Ms. Heisler said.

…

“All I know,” Atticus said, “is that I feel extremely blessed to be on TV. It’s a hard job, but real life is harder. Truth be told, playgrounds can be war zones.”

Read the full story on LA Times

How has your relationship with The Middle’s child actors changed over the course of the show’s first season?
It’s so interesting when you start a show. You’re supposed to be playing a family and nobody knows each other. Even hugging each other is weird! They’ve been terrific since the beginning, but it’s great to have gotten to know them over the course of 20-some episodes. And I’ve seen everybody grow as actors as their characters expand, [and] as the writers find more for them to do. They’re just so up-to-the-challenge, and it’s really fun for actors to see where characters go and what their relationships are. Because when you start something, you don’t know anything about them other than that one script you have.

What can we expect from upcoming seasons?
I’m not sure if this is going to happen, but at my house this year, we had a foreign exchange student stay with us for ten days, and I kept going into work and talking about it and how awkward it was. [laughs] And we were joking about what a foreigner would think of the Heck family. So there’s a good chance that the Heck family might be hosting a foreign exchange student next year.

That would be really fun, especially in a Midwestern setting.
It’s funny because my producer was saying, “Wait a minute, [your foreign exchange student] is going to think every American kid has a mom on television and a swimming pool and this glamorous life. He’s going to go back with a completely skewed view of America!”

Source: AOL TV.

Source: TV By The Numbers

Betty plays a librarian who threatens to keep little Atticus Shaffer from graduating to the third grade on the ABC comedy, airing Wednesdays.

Source: KGET

The TV legend, Betty White, has signed on to guest star in the season finale of ABC’s The Middle.

White will play a school librarian who confronts Brick (Atticus Shaffer) about his failure to return numerous overdue books.

Source: EW.

“The Middle” (8:30-9:00 p.m.)
Returning to original for the first time in 3 weeks, ABC’s “The Middle” ranked as the No. 1 scripted show at 8:30 p.m. in Adults 18-49 (2.1/6), defeating the second half-hour of NBC’s “Mercy” by 24% (1.7/5) and CBS’ “Gary Unmarried” by 5% (2.0/5).

Source: RBR

FRANKIE AND MIKE FOCUS ON TAKING THE FAMILY ON A ROAD TRIP TO CHICAGO FOR BRICK’S COMPETITION IN A REGIONAL SPELLING BEE, BUT ARE GOBSMACKED WHEN THEY REALIZE THEY FORGOT ABOUT SUE’S BIRTHDAY, ON ABC’S “THE MIDDLE”

“The Bee” When Mike discovers that Brick is a spelling wiz and won the school spelling bee, he puts all his efforts into training him to win the regional bee, which could ultimately lead to competing in the Scripps Spelling Bee. But as the family gets set for their road trip to Chicago for the regional bee, Frankie and Mike are horrified when they realize they forgot one thing — Sue’s birthday — on “The Middle,” WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3 (8:30-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.

“The Middle” stars Patricia Heaton as Frankie, Neil Flynn as Mike, Charlie McDermott as Axl, Eden Sher as Sue, Atticus Shaffer as Brick and Chris Kattan as Bob.

Guest starring are Brian Doyle-Murray as Mr. Ehlert, Kiva Jump as Mrs. Thomas, Duane Shepard, Sr. as judge, Keith Gerchak as announcer, Jill E. Alexander as Penny, Ryan Agahee as Sanjit, Noelani Bailey as girl contestant, Harrison Boxley as boy contestant, Gregory Kasyan as kid #1 and Aidan Miner as kid #2.

“The Bee” was written by Eileen Heisler & DeAnn Heline and directed by Ken Whittingham.

“The Middle” is broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC’s selected HDTV format with a 5.1 channel surround sound and Spanish subtitles via secondary closed captioning. A TV parental guideline will be assigned closer to the airdate.

Source: The Futon Critic