ABC Considering ‘The Middle’ Spinoff With Eden Sher
Now that the Roseanne reboot has been canceled, leaving an empty hole in ABC’s fall schedule, could the network make a spinoff of The Middle— starring Eden Sher — its next big hit?
Several reputable media outlets are reporting that ABC is seriously considering a spinoff of the series, which ran from 2009 to 2018, with Sue Heck (played by Sher) as the main character.
Even though nothing has been confirmed yet, Entertainment Weekly says that a Middle spinoff would not be ready in time for the start of the new TV season in the fall, but could possibly work for midseason.
Fans have been wishing for a spinoff ever since it was announced that The Middle would end this year after nine seasons. However, nothing official was ever stated by ABC. When Variety asked the network about these new rumors, ABC declined to comment.
What would the potential Sue series focus on? Well, when The Middle aired its final episode earlier this month, the awkward middle child of the Heck clan, a college student, finally professed her love to Sean Donahue (played by Beau Wirick). There was then a flash-forward to Sue and Sean’s wedding. However, it was stated that this was after the couple broke up and got back together several times.
Thank you to all the fans. Lots of love from #TheMiddle. pic.twitter.com/TXjbl1gJMk
— The Middle (@TheMiddle_TV) May 23, 2018
The spinoff could potentially explore this, ahem, middle stage from where the original series ended in the present and the wedding in the future.
Can Sher headline her own show though?
The 26-year-old actress has been acting since she was a child. Her first big television roles came in 2006 when she was cast as Gretchen on Showtime’s Weeds and as Carrie Fenton on ABC’s Sons and Daughters. She had smaller roles in other TV shows after that.
In 2009, Sher hilariously debuted as Sue Heck on The Middle. Her portrayal of the optimistic young woman earned her five nominations and one win (2013) for the Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.
Currently, Sher provides the voice for Star Butterfly on Disney XD’s Star vs. the Forces of Evil and various characters on Adult Swim’s Robot Chicken.
Sher is also the author of one book: The Emotionary — A Dictionary of Words That Don’t Exist for Feelings That Do. The young adult tome, which came out in October of 2017, is a collection of words the star made up to convey certain emotions.
While many hope a Middle spinoff will soon go into production, they will have to keep waiting until ABC and/or Sher make an official announcement.
