Middle, The: Season 2

Work. Kids. Bills. Comedy. It s how the middle half lives. The Heck family returns for Season Two, bringing with them 24 episodes of offbeat fun with one foot in reality and the other on a greasy wrapper from Burgerworld. Patricia Heaton and Neil Flynn star as Frankie and Mike Heck, frazzled parents trying to stretch their patience and paychecks around three brilliantly true-to-life kids: Axl, whose latest dream girl has tattoos, body piercings and pink hair; Sue, who s thrilled to come in eighth (out of eight) in Square Dancing with the Stars; and Brick, the only kid who has his birthday party at the public library. Watch it, people. You will laugh (Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times).