spin-offs

A Spinoff of The Middle Will Give Sue Heck the Spotlight She Deserves

Heck. Photo: Michael Ansell/ABC

When the Roseanne reboot came on the scene it knocked ABC stalwart The Middle out of its Tuesday time slot. Then The Middle came to an end after nine seasons and Roseanne became a ratings monster so it seemed like the network had a win-win. That is, until, the 1990s sitcom revival was scrapped after its first season due to a series of racist tweets by its eponymous star. But fortunately for ABC, they have a property on deck to fill that scheduling hole. According to The Hollywood Reporter, a Middle spinoff centering around the character of Sue Heck (Eden Sher) is on the way. The show doesn’t have a title yet, but it will reportedly focus on “the 20-something adventures of eternal optimist Sue Heck as she leaves the small town of Orson to navigate the ups and downs of a career and young adulthood in Chicago.”

Murmurs of a Sue-based spinoff started circulating in May, and the now-confirmed series will also come from Middle creators DeAnn Heline and Eileen Heisler, which means watching the character’s transition from her final year at college to the working world should move pretty seamlessly. Then it can join its parent program in becoming “one of TV’s most under-rated gems.”

A Spinoff of The Middle Will Fill the Hole Left by Roseanne