ABC's "The Middle" follows the Heck family as they struggle to make ends meet, argue, and live in a perpetual state of disarray. They are a middle-class family from the middle-of-nowhere in Middle America, and they make up the most realistic family on TV.
The parents, Mike and Frankie, both work full time and often question their parenting tactics.
They have three kids—Axl, Sue, and Brick.
After watching every episode of "The Middle" with my parents since 2009, I can say that this sitcom has been spot-on in depicting certain aspects of my own life. So much so that my family jokes about the writers spying on us.
The writers have a strong sense of the types of issues families face. They can be bigger things, like stressing out about getting into college, or more subtle, like dealing with a broken dishwasher or being late to school.
Axl, the oldest of the three kids, is a cynical football player. In some ways, he is a stereotypical teenager who never does laundry, sleeps all day, and eats everything in the fridge.
Axl is simultaneously sure of his awesomeness while not being sure of anything else. While Axl is a popular high school football player, he's not pigeonholed into the role of a nonchalant jock.
How many times have you forced your parents to sit and watch a skit you and your friend put together? According to your parents, too many times to count.
When your mom finally figured out how to use Facebook, her whole world revolved around what to post online. Frankie can relate. When she was concerned with Sue's status on social media, she took matters into her own hands and became obsessed with helping Sue gain popularity online.
Sue is all of us. Her "Love, Actually"-inspired profession of love using a John Green quote from "The Fault in Our Stars" is perfection.
Some parents like to be a bit more realistic when it comes to praising their kids for a job well done.
Sue is uncoordinated and awkward, and has spent most of her life being rejected from everything she has tried out for. Her family tries to discourage her from trying out for more things because they know she won't make it, but Sue is a relentless optimist.
Mike's admiration is especially welcome because he's not known to sugar-coat anything.
Just like most dads, Mike doesn't understand the One Direction obsession. You can try explaining the allure of Harry Style's man-bun, and force him sit through endless quizzes of "Which boy is singing now? How about now?" but every time the boy band comes up in conversation, he does not want to hear about it.
Brick has trouble making friends. His quirks, like whispering to himself, or "whooping," isolate him from the rest of his peers. It doesn't help that he'd rather read alone than have a conversation with a classmate. Mike is a man of few words, and while he doesn't have much in common with his youngest son on the surface, they're much more similar than you would think.
Axl often picks on his dorky little sister, but when he wants to, he can be a good brother. Despite their differences, Sue and Axl sometimes surprise everyone by actually getting along.
The Hecks spend a lot of their family time in front of the TV. These scenes are almost like holding a mirror up to the audience, which I think is really the point of the show.
Their family is just like anyone else's family. They are flawed, but they try their best to make it work.
"The Middle" is written with heart and intelligence, and the actors are incredible. The show deserves much more recognition. With only one Emmy nomination for makeup, this sitcom has completely flown under the radar. But that is sort of the beauty of "The Middle"—it's not flashy, it's real.
It's also "Funny as Heck."
"The Middle" returns to ABC on September 23 for the seventh season.
