Product Details

• Actors: Patricia Heaton, Neil Flynn, Charlie McDermott, Eden Sher, Atticus Shaffer
• Format: AC-3, Box set, Color, Dolby, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Number of discs: 3
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Warner Home Video
• DVD Release Date: August 31, 2010
• Run Time: 528 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B002JVWQUU
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,885 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "The Middle: The Complete First Season" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Patricia Heaton stars as Frankie Heck in this warm and witty single-camera comedy about raising a family and lowering your expectations. Frankie Heck is a superhero. Well, no, not an actual superhero - but sometimes it seems to Frankie as though getting her kids out the door for school every morning is a superheroic act. Middle aged, middle class and living in the middle of the country, this harried wife and working mother of three uses her wry wit and sense of humor to try to get her family through each day intact.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You'll Love It Far More Than Critics Do...True 'Must See' TV!, May 23, 2010

By 

Marlaas "marlaas" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Middle: The Complete First Season (DVD)

You know all those over-hyped, supposedly 'edgy' and daring comedies the critics insist all discerning TV fans SHOULD love and appreciate? Well, The Middle isn't among them ;) But while critics have given the show a lukewarm reception, all of the actual TV viewers I know have been immediately charmed and delighted by this underrated gem of a show.

The Middle doesn't go out of its way to flaunt just how edgy and risque it can be. It doesn't, like so many other critically lauded shows, feature wholly unlikable people doing wholly unlikable things while half-winking at the camera over just how zany they are. It doesn't go for over-the-top wackiness or the kind of constant lowbrow sexual innuendo and fart jokes that you might unplesantly associate with high school locker rooms.

Instead, The Middle simply tells the story of a family that's likable and even admirable despite also being realistically, comically flawed. The humor stems from the strong characterizations, sharp dialogue and the clever insight peppered throughout. (You'll be thinking "that is SO true...it's scary how well I can relate to that!" at least a few times per episode). We get flashes heartwarming poignancy here too, but rest assured that it's never too sappy or forced.

This is one of those rare shows that successfully blends humor with heart, and I was pleasantly surprised to realize how much I've come to love spending time with this family. I used to have a weird visceral dislike for Patricia Heaton and, for reasons alluded to above, rarely like sitcoms...but this show immediately reversed my opinion of Patricia Heaton's acting abilities, and even gave me a renewed hope for the sitcom genre!

One major reason it's worth owning on DVD: The vast majority of the episodes not only hold up with multiple viewings, but actually improve, as you notice subtle moments of awesomeness that you were too busy laughing to pick up on the first time around. So many shows *claim* to have struck that balance between wit and poignancy; to have created lovable yet hilariously flawed characters; to have written dialogue that's sharp and memorable. This is one of the few shows that, in my clearly Middle-loving opinion, has actually succeeded in all those areas and more. It's a show that provides mood-boosting humor with moments of sharp insight into what it means to be part of a family and a steady supply of heartwarming charm. I can't wait to get my fangirl hands on those DVDs, and look forward to rooting for and laughing with the Hecks for many years to come!

56 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best show on television, April 16, 2010

By 

R. McCarty - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Middle: The Complete First Season (DVD)

I thought it would be impossible for another show to nail the family life experience the way "Everybody Loves Raymond" did previously. But after watching ABC's "The Middle" I realize how "sitcom" that earlier show was. My family shares the exact same dynamic of the Hecks; the same distribution of kids in the same ages and genders. More than that, "The Middle" portrays an honesty that a regular studio audience sitcom could never convey.

Unlike the over hyped "Modern Family," this show doesn't play to stereotypes, but has its finger on how children actually behave and the realities of middle class life without being sarcastic, mean, or condescending. It's as though real people sneaked into Hollywood and produced this show. The cast is spot on and Patricia Heaton shows she can easily lead a series all on her own.

My family never misses "The Middle" and are happy to see it doing well in the ratings. Let's hope it stays on the air for years to come; can't wait to own this series on DVD.

44 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite TV series since Friends, December 29, 2009

By 

K. Littlejohn (New Mexico) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Middle: The Complete First Season (DVD)

I've waited a long time to really love a television show since the greats; Friends and Frasier. ;o) Finally here comes The Middle. My husband and I have not missed an episode nor will we. The moment it's out on DVD we are buying it. It's uniquely funny and I think a lot of full time working Moms will really "get it". The youngest child, Brick is lovable and hilarious and Sue the daughter is so akward you could cry and laugh at the same time. Kudos to the writers of this great comedy.