One of my favorite things about fall is looking forward to cozy evenings in on the couch, watching our favorite tv shows as a family! The ABC comedies we love are all premiering this month and the new Tuesday night lineup is going to make you laugh more than ever! Starting tonight, Tuesday October 11, The Middle kicks off the evening at 8/7c followed by the new show American Housewife at 8:30/7:30c, then catch Fresh Off the Boat at 9/8c, and The Real O’Neals at 9:30/8:30c! I’m looking forward to winding down with these great shows tonight and they mean a little more to me now because we had some fun opportunities with them while we were in Los Angeles last month! We got a chance to go on set and behind the scenes of ABC’s The Middle and the experience was unforgettable!
Behind the Scenes of ABC’s The Middle
Driving up to Warner Bros. Studios Ranch, I had butterflies in my stomach. I really love the chance to meet celebrities that I admire on television and in movies, even though they are everyday people, I still get really star-struck. It was no different this time as we were going to meet the cast of ABC’s The Middle, one of my families’ favorite comedies. As a middle-class family of five with a high school student, college student, and tween we’ve always been able to relate to this show in some aspect. Not to mention my husband and I grew up watching Patricia Heaton in “Everybody Loves Raymond” as well as Neil Flynn as the Janitor in “Scrubs,” this was going to be a cool day!
The first thing we were treated to was a warm and genuine welcome from Atticus Shaffer (Brick Heck)! I couldn’t get my camera out fast enough, but he literally went down the line of all 25 of us and shook our hands and said nice to meet you as we introduced ourselves. Brick plays a high school Freshman this season on the show, something my very own son went through this past school year. The set was busy as you can expect, we saw Patricia Heaton and Neil Flynn (Frankie Heck, Mike Heck) walk by a few times before we got a very cool chance to snap some photos with them. 
The shot they were currently filming has Patricia Heaton in her PJ’s and for a slight moment she realized this was going to be noticed in the photos! Hey, we’re all moms here, we loved it. I love the set itself too, it’s so real. I mean the bedroom, the bathroom (complete with laundry piled everywhere) made me feel at home, it’s no secret that we’re a little on the messy side in our house! Did you know that this show is shot with ONE camera and it uses film, no digital?! It sets the scene and really makes the show what it is, so cool! 
Atticus was back and he brought Charlie McDermott (Axl Heck) with him and we got a great group shot with the boys! We let the actors get back to business as we took a quick stroll around and found the famous living room. Again, the house is really something I can relate to with the kids’ things, magazines, food, drinks, and stuff everywhere, yet you feel that it’s all about family here with real photos on the wall of the kids growing up. 
Outside we were able to walk through the costume trailer for the show with costume designer Julia Caston. The trailer was packed with clothing all labeled for each character. Did you know that they average about 65 wardrobe changes per episode?! 
It was really neat to see all the clothes and even without looking at the labels you knew who they belonged to. Of course there’s Brick’s striped shirts and sweaters and Mike’s plaid shirts! Axl and his boxer short collection, Sue’s 80’s style, turtlenecks, and everything pink, and a section of Frankie’s dental assistant scrubs! 
On some pieces of clothing/jewelry you’ll catch the continuity photos that are labeled with the season, episode, scene, shoot, and day. In case they have to re-shoot a scene, these labels (that are all included in a software program) are available to recall what and how they were wearing a particular outfit.
The Middle Now on Tuesdays!
After that fun experience, we also got a chance to preview tonight’s new episode at home with our family. Of course we watched it two full times because the first time I was making comments like, “I met him,” or “I sat on that couch, ” and even, “I took a picture in front of that dresser!” But, you’re going to love the premiere, here’s the synopsis:
This year, the kids will find themselves breaking out of their comfort zones and navigating new situations than what they’re used to – which may or may not be very comforting to Frankie and Mike. On the season premiere episode, “The Core Group,” Frankie and Mike are excited to meet April (Greer Grammer) – the love of Axl’s life–but discover that love may indeed be blind when April reveals a quirky personality trait. Meanwhile, after getting bit by the acting bug while working at Dollywood over the summer, Sue wants to change her major to theater, and Brick is starting high school and making it his mission to try for a fresh start and not be considered one of the weird kids.
Now that I have a college student, I can relate to the show in a different way. I look at Sue and Axl and think of my daughter and the experiences and realizations she will be presented with. I see Brick starting high school and I remember that was my son to some extent last year. As a mother I also feel the dynamic of the family changing. Watch this clip of tonight’s episode, it really touched me:
This show will make you laugh and it’s even made me cry. Check out The Middle in it’s new day followed by the rest of the great Tuesday night lineup!
American Housewife at 8:30/7:30c
Fresh Off the Boat at 9/8c
The Real O’Neals at 9:30/8:30c
My trip that included the set visit of The Middle was hosted by Disney but every moment documented is 100% my own.
