Update: Eden Sher's "The Middle" Spin-off Isn't Going Forward at ABC

[JamesG]

"The Middle" Spin-off Starring Eden Sher in the Works at ABC from Original Creators
by Nellie Andreeva
May 30, 2018


"The Middle‘s" Sue Heck may be coming back to ABC. I hear the network is in negotiations for a pilot production commitment to a spin-off from the middle-class family comedy toplined by series co-star Eden Sher.

The project, which could be for midseason consideration, comes from "The Middle" creators/executive producers Eileen Heisler and DeAnn Heline and studio Warner Bros. TV.

Deals with Sher, Heisler and Heline are still being finalized for the potential comedy series, which would be centered on Sher’s Sue character. I hear the new show will be set a few years in the future from "The Middle" finale, chronicling the next stage of Sue’s life as a young adult with a new cast of characters around her.





The concept for the series is still being honed in, with a couple of other writers from the original series expected to join Heline and Heisler. The project is still in development, with a pilot possibly filming in late October. If picked up to series right away, that would put it in contention for a midseason 2019 launch. ABC also could opt to consider it with the rest of its 2019 pilots for the 2019-20 season.

Talks about a Sue-centered "Middle" spin-off started several months ago; that is why Sher did not entertain any pilot offers this past season. While negotiations had been ongoing, there likely is some added urgency following ABC’s decision yesterday to abruptly cancel its hit blue-collar comedy "Roseanne".

http://deadline.com/2018/05/the-midd...bc-1202400167/

[stevea]

Didn't see this coming. Wonder if any of the regulars from TM would occasionally guest.

[AB]

Originally Posted by stevea

Didn't see this coming. Wonder if any of the regulars from TM would occasionally guest.

I thought they might offer Charlie McDermott a series but Eden would be funny in her own show too. I hope the other Hecks will show up from time to time on the show.

[MA]

Maybe the others will get future spinoffs.

[icecream]

I would watch, but would have preferred a spin-off featuring Brick and Cindy. Sue was great for several seasons but I was never one of the Sue and Sean shippers. Darren was perfect for her, it is sad how the show acted how he never existed after his marriage proposal. And the time Darren was on, nothing was even hinted about Sean being interested from when they were young, they tried to change that history in the last few seasons.The one episode from this season where they mentioned Darren was a very negative portrayal, although poor Carly was criticized even sharper. If the Sue and Sean spin-off does happen they should make his mother Nancy a regular, her appearances on The Middle were always good.

[Chocolate Moose]

News to me too. I'd watch!

[Edison]

Same here.

[Lorimar Television]

I'd love this

[LeeBlue]

I'd definitely watch this spin-off -- Eden was always sweet and funny. I'd like to see where her character would go in the workplace -- maybe some temp jobs??

Hope this show happens!

[JamesG]

[JamesG]

"The Middle" Spin-off Starring Eden Sher Gets Pilot Production Commitment at ABC
by Denise Petski
August 13, 2018


It’s official. More Sue Heck is on the way. ABC has given a pilot production commitment to a spin-off from the middle-class family comedy "The Middle" toplined by series co-star Eden Sher.

The half-hour single camera comedy follows the twentysomething adventures of eternal optimist Sue Heck (Sher) as she leaves the small town of Orson to navigate the ups and downs of a career and young adulthood in the big city of Chicago.

The spin-off comes from "The Middle" creators/executive producers Eileen Heisler and DeAnn Heline and studio Warner Bros. TV.

https://deadline.com/2018/08/the-mid...ff-1202444943/

[TMC]

The Middle alum Atticus Shaffer admits he was "hurt" by plans for a Sue Heck-centered spinoff
In a candid Facebook post, Shaffer said he was "really hurt" that he wasn't informed about the spinoff, learning about it through "publicity." Shaffer quoted co-creator Eileen Heisler as saying that in the media that Sue Heck was the best of the three kids for a spinoff. "It didn't hurt that Eden (Sher) got the spin-off from the show. Good for her. It does happen in this business," he wrote. "But, no one spoke and then a statement that basically says that Eden was the better of the three kids...that hurt."

[TV Guy]

The new show didn’t get a pilot commitment until the last few weeks, while the original show wrapped production five months ago. The new show isn’t “replacing” the original on the schedule. I’m sure they had thoughts of a spinoff when ending the original, but nothing was set in stone. The creators and Patricia Heaton chose to end the show - ABC was willing to go on for another year.

Not sure what his beef is. They’re not going to have the entire family in the spinoff - then it would just be another season of The Middle.

[Chocolate Moose]

It's going to be hard for Atticus to find work. He's a very specific type.

[icecream]

Originally Posted by TV Guy

The new show didn’t get a pilot commitment until the last few weeks, while the original show wrapped production five months ago. The new show isn’t “replacing” the original on the schedule. I’m sure they had thoughts of a spinoff when ending the original, but nothing was set in stone. The creators and Patricia Heaton chose to end the show - ABC was willing to go on for another year.

Not sure what his beef is. They’re not going to have the entire family in the spinoff - then it would just be another season of The Middle.

I would have preferred another season of The Middle, it did not have to end with season 9. Eden Sher stayed out of pilot season because she knew they were working on the spin-off for her. A Brick and Cindy spin-off would have been more interesting, Sue changed too much in college and I was never one of the Sue and Sean shippers. It is sad how they threw Darren under the bus and all acted how his proposal was so terrible.