The Middle (ABC)

The Axl character was miscast. That guy was nowhere near big enough to have been a "football star," even or a small Indiana school. And making a collegiate roster? Both he and the Sue character overacted a lot, but his could be a bit more annoying. His character worked better when they softened him a bit near the end of the show.

 

You don't think there was overacting on this show? All except for the Mike and Brick characters were pretty much defined by that. We still enjoyed the show in our house because of how they treated the characters' imperfections. The Brick character was really brilliant at times.

 

Very true about him being a football star who got a college scholarship, especially as a Running Back. At least he didn't stick with the team after his freshman year. I always rolled my eyes when an episode dealt with his football playing. Even when he was in high school, it was a stretch.

 

I wouldn't call East Indiana St, a fictional small college, necessarily out of reach of a fictional small town athlete. He's not B1G material, so East Indiana State wouldn't be out of his ability imo.

 

TV comedies are frequently not realistic, so I had no problem with Axl supposedly being a football star in his hometown even though he was fairly skinny. There was a lot else about The Middle that didn't make sense, but a TV comedy's principal job is to induce laughter. It's best not to over analyze shows like this.

 

She'd already stopped wearing braces in the show, and for some time. What I think the new show will do is to allow Eden to play a little closer to her real age (27), as the show will be set a few years in the future (from The Middle timeline).

 

I see. My wife watches the reruns that are in syndication, I don't even know where the current episodes were airing. I've never seen her without braces. Also, she got on my nerves big time, I'm not a fan.

 

Norm Macdonald appearances were always welcome!

 

That guy wouldn't have even been able to play well at a small town high school. WAY too small.

 

It's a TV show.

Edit: NFL's 10 Smallest Players with Greatest Talent: Size Isn't Everything

 

Of course, but: even the smallest of the guys in the list you linked have at least 30 lbs on the actor. You're telling me they couldn't cast someone who just a little bit more athletic?

 

I doubt the casting folks were even thinking about this, though I guess we would have to see how the character was described prior to the show being cast to know whether they "miscast" a skinny actor to be a football player or they simply had no idea that was going to be part of this character's development.

But, again, it's a TV comedy. So much of what's on TV is even more far fetched than a skinny guy playing football well.

 

I thought it was a good family show. Problem is as the kids age the show has to change. Thought Brick was a brilliant character. The girl that played the daughter should be on SNL. Lost interest after the first few seasons. But not many good family shows like that anymore.

 

Breaking: 'The Middle' spin-off about Sue Heck has been greenlit

 

"Silent but Frankie" (whoop)

 

Some big news on the spinoff...

'The Middle' Spinoff Gets Title, Adds Brock Ciarlelli (Brad) as Series Regular