Spoiler: 2/17/16 episode FRANKIE AND MIKE TAKE BRICK TO HIS FIRST MOVIE IN AN ACTUAL THEATER; SUE THINKS SHE MAY HAVE A CHANCE AT BECOMING LOGAN'S GIRLFRIEND; AND MIKE EMBARRASSES FRANKIE WHEN HE PERCEIVES THAT SHE'S INTERRUPTING BILL – AND PUBLICLY SHUSHES HER, ON ABC'S "THE MIDDLE" "Hecks at a Movie" – After discovering that Brick has never seen a movie in a theater, Frankie and Mike take him to see a film with a small scene that was partially shot in Orson. But when Brick sees a trailer for an upcoming Planet Nowhere film that he completely disapproves of, he makes it his mission to ensure that it won't ever play in that theater – or anywhere else. Meanwhile, Frankie and Mike get into a major disagreement over how events really unfolded when Mike shushes Frankie after he perceives that she was constantly interrupting Bill while he was telling a story; Sue runs into Logan – the hunky Abercrombie guy – and thinks she has a real chance of becoming his girlfriend; and Axl and Sean discover that they have unexpected ties to an event that happened when they were young, on "The Middle," WEDNESDAY, February 17 (8:00-8:30 p.m. EST) on the ABC Television Network. "The Middle" stars Patricia Heaton as Frankie, Neil Flynn as Mike, Charlie McDermott as Axl, Eden Sher as Sue and Atticus Shaffer as Brick. Guest starring are Beau Wirick as Sean Donahue, David Hull as Logan, Jen Ray as Nancy Donahue, Julie Brown as Paula Norwood, Pat Finn as Bill Norwood, Sean O'Bryan as Ron Donahue, William Stanford Davis as Projectionist, Ian Abramson as Man #1 and Ervin Ross as Man #2. "Hecks at a Movie" was written by Ilana Wernick and directed by Lee Shallat Chemel.
Spoiler: 2/24/16 episode MIKE ATTEMPTS TO HELP BRICK BECOME MORE RESPONSIBLE IN HIS QUEST TO BECOMING A MAN; SUE TRIES TO FIND HERSELF A BOYFRIEND; AND AXL AND HUTCH FIND A NEW HOME IN THE FORM OF A WINNEBAGO, ON ABC'S "THE MIDDLE" "The Man Hunt" – After Brick attends a Bar Mitzvah and questions when he'll officially become a man, Mike attempts to help him become more responsible in his quest to manhood. Meanwhile, Sue exudes a little too much enthusiasm as she tries to flirt and find herself a boyfriend, and Axl and Hutch find themselves a new home in the form of a Winnebago, on "The Middle," WEDNESDAY, February 24 (8:00-8:30 p.m. EST) on the ABC Television Network. "The Middle" stars Patricia Heaton as Frankie, Neil Flynn as Mike, Charlie McDermott as Axl, Eden Sher as Sue and Atticus Shaffer as Brick. Guest starring are Alphonso McAuley as Hutch, Daniela Bobadilla as Lexie, Keaton Savage as Tyler, Malcolm Foster Smith as Dave, Troy Metcalf as Jim, Greg Cipes as Chuck, Tommy Bechtold as Kenny, Jeremy Denzlinger as Officer Bennett, Brett Johnson as Andy and Jake Allyn as Jason. "The Man Hunt" was written by Roy Brown and directed by Danny Salles.
Spoiler: 3/16/16 episode FRANKIE ATTEMPTS TO RE-BOND WITH SUE AND AXL WHEN SHE CARES FOR THEM AT HOME AFTER THEY BOTH GET THEIR WISDOM TEETH REMOVED, AND MIKE IS FURIOUS WHEN HE DISCOVERS THAT BROTHER RUSTY'S EX-WIFE CAME UP WITH THE DIAPER BUSINESS IDEA – AND MAY BE ENTITLED TO ALL PROFITS FROM IT, ON ABC'S "THE MIDDLE" Norm MacDonald Guest Stars as Mike's Brother, Rusty "The Wisdom Teeth" – Frankie is excited and looks forward to re-bonding and taking care of Sue and Axl, who both have to stay home during Spring Break to recuperate from having their wisdom teeth removed. And since he's the only Heck child still living at home full time, Brick tries to lay down some new house rules with his siblings during their stay. Meanwhile, Mike becomes furious with brother Rusty after discovering that his ex-wife Marlene came up with the diaper business idea and may be entitled to all profits made from the endeavor, on "The Middle," WEDNESDAY, March 16 (8:00-8:30 p.m. EDT) on the ABC Television Network. "The Middle" stars Patricia Heaton as Frankie, Neil Flynn as Mike, Charlie McDermott as Axl, Eden Sher as Sue and Atticus Shaffer as Brick. Guest starring are Norm MacDonald as Rusty, Brock Ciarlelli as Brad Bottig, Mary Birdsong as Marlene, E.G. Daily as Daphne and Judith Shelton as Janelle. "The Wisdom Teeth" was written by Stacey Pulwer and directed by Lee Shallat Chemel.
Spoiler: 3/23/16 episode THE DONAHUES JOIN THE HECKS ON A SPRING BREAK VACATION, WHICH DOESN'T GO AS SMOOTHLY AS PLANNED, ON ABC'S "THE MIDDLE" "A Very Donahue Vacation" – After making some extra money from the diaper business, Mike surprises a rather unenthusiastic Heck family with a spring break vacation at Mammoth Cave, Kentucky. In the hopes of livening up what is perceived to be a lame vacation, Frankie suggests that the Donahues join them. While Mike visits all of the attractions on his own, Nancy asks a not-so-thrilled Frankie to speak with Sean to try and talk him into taking his MCATs; Axl enlists Brick to help him pick up women by playing "Jerk/No Jerk" – with Brick in the role of the "Jerk"; and Mike is anything but excited when an exuberant Sue reveals some news to him about her upcoming summer plans, on "The Middle," WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23 (8:00-8:30 p.m. EDT) on the ABC Television Network. "The Middle" stars Patricia Heaton as Frankie, Neil Flynn as Mike, Charlie McDermott as Axl, Eden Sher as Sue and Atticus Shaffer as Brick. Guest starring are Jen Ray as Nancy Donahue, Beau Wirick as Sean Donahue, Sean O'Bryan as Ron Donahue, Brock Ciarlelli as Brad Bottig, Laura Ann Kesling as Dotty Donahue, Kayla Madison as Shelly Donahue, Paige Diaz as Sarah, Leigh Nieves as Jessica and Sigrid Owen as Zoe. "A Very Donahue Vacation" was written by Rich Dahm and directed by Jaffar Mahmood.
Spoiler: 4/06/16 episode SUE DEVELOPS A CRUSH ON ONE OF HER COLLEGE PROFESSORS, AND FRANKIE AND MIKE MEET BRICK'S GIRLFRIEND CINDY'S EQUALLY QUIRKY PARENTS, ON ABC'S "THE MIDDLE" "Crushed" – Sue develops a huge crush on one of her college professors and goes to extremes to get him to notice her, and Frankie and Mike agree to meet Brick's girlfriend Cindy's parents, who end up being just as quirky as their daughter, on "The Middle," WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6 (8:00-8:30 p.m. EDT) on the ABC Television Network. "The Middle" stars Patricia Heaton as Frankie, Neil Flynn as Mike, Charlie McDermott as Axl, Eden Sher as Sue and Atticus Shaffer as Brick. Guest starring are Josh Cooke as Professor Grant, Casey Burke as Cindy, Daniela Bobadilla as Lexie, Brian Stepanek as Merv, Lauren Drasler as LuEllen, Will Green as Jeremy, Amanda Conlon as Waitress and Jaret Martino as Craig. "Crushed" was written by Tim Hobert and directed by Lee Shallat Chemel.
Spoiler: 4/13/16 episode FRANKIE FINDS HERSELF ON THE DEFENSIVE WHEN SHE MEETS SUE AND NEW BOYFRIEND JEREMY – THE SCHOOL ACTIVIST – FOR LUNCH AND IS BOMBARDED WITH EVERYTHING SHE AND THE WORLD ARE DOING WRONG, AND AXL IS SERIOUSLY THINKING ABOUT QUITTING FOOTBALL, ON ABC'S "THE MIDDLE" "Survey Says..." – Frankie is thrilled when Sue invites her for lunch at the college. But lunch becomes awkward when Sue brings her new boyfriend along – Jeremy, the school activist – and the two of them begin bombarding Frankie with everything she and the world, in general, are doing wrong. Meanwhile, Axl informs a very disappointed Mike that he wants to quit football, and Brick overly obsesses over filling out a satisfaction survey after ordering some graph paper online, on "The Middle," WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13 (8:00–8:30 p.m. EDT) on the ABC Television Network. "The Middle" stars Patricia Heaton as Frankie, Neil Flynn as Mike, Charlie McDermott as Axl, Eden Sher as Sue and Atticus Shaffer as Brick. Guest starring are Jen Ray as Nancy Donahue, Alphonso McAuley as Hutch, Will Green as Jeremy, Tommy Bechtold as Kenny and Andrew Dits as Bartender. "Survey Says..." was written by Ilana Wernick and directed by Lee Shallat Chemel.
Spoiler: 4/27/16 episode FRANKIE FINDS IT HARD TO RELAX ON HER NEW BACKYARD LANAI WHEN NEW NEIGHBORS WITH SCREAMING KIDS MOVE IN NEXT DOOR, AND AXL AND HUTCH OPEN A GRILLED CHEESE FOOD TRUCK OUT OF THEIR WINNEBAGO, ON ABC'S "THE MIDDLE" "The Lanai" – Frankie is excited to lay out and relax on her new backyard lanai – aka patio – that Mike and his workmates built for her. But peace and serenity become hard to come by when new neighbors, with three screaming kids, move in next door and make it next to impossible for Frankie to find some quiet time. Meanwhile, Brick questions Mike as to whether his workmates helped build the lanai because they are his friends, or because he's their boss; Sue and Lexie draw a winning number in the dorm lottery and score the perfect room but find it difficult to kick out its current occupants; and Axl and Hutch open up a grilled cheese food truck out of their Winnebago, with a reluctant Kenny as their chef, on "The Middle," WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27 (8:00-8:30 p.m. EDT), on the ABC Television Network. "The Middle" stars Patricia Heaton as Frankie, Neil Flynn as Mike, Charlie McDermott as Axl, Eden Sher as Sue and Atticus Shaffer as Brick. Guest starring are Alphonso McAuley as Hutch, Daniela Bobadilla as Lexie, Malcolm Foster Smith as Dave, Troy Metcalf as Jim, Emily Rutherfurd as Dierdre Peterson, B. K. Cannon as Heather, Jacqueline Labadie as Amber, Elizabeth Labadie as Samantha, Tommy Bechtold as Kenny, Cosima Cabrera as Girl #1, Sandra Kate Burck as Girl #2, Alex Poncio as Student, Reagan Rundus as Lacey, Beau Hart as Riley and O'Neill Monahan as Lucas. "The Lanai" was written by Jana Hunter & Mitch Hunter and directed by Blake T. Evans.
Spoiler: 5/04/16 episode FRANKIE INFORMS THE FAMILY THAT THEY CAN TAKE A PASS ON MOTHER'S DAY THIS YEAR BUT MAKES EACH FAMILY MEMBER DO SOMETHING NICE FOR EACH OTHER AFTER SHE'S THE RECIPIENT OF A KINDLY GESTURE FROM A STRANGER AT THE MARKET, ON ABC'S "THE MIDDLE" Marsha Mason Guest Stars as Frankie's Mom, Pat "Not Mother's Day" – After enduring year after year of botched Mother's Days, Frankie declares that the family gets to take a pass on doing anything at all for her this year. But after a man offers to buy Frankie's groceries at the market when she discovers that she forgot her wallet – and tells her to pay the kindly gesture forward – she decides to have the family pull each other's names out of a hat and do something nice for that person, which doesn't go as smoothly as planned, on "The Middle," WEDNESDAY, MAY 4 (8:00–8:30 p.m. EST), on the ABC Television Network. "The Middle" stars Patricia Heaton as Frankie, Neil Flynn as Mike, Charlie McDermott as Axl, Eden Sher as Sue and Atticus Shaffer as Brick. Guest starring are Marsha Mason as Pat Spence, Dagney Kerr as Gloria, Robert Pine as Mr. Travers, Vernee Watson as Cashier and Shaughn Buchholz as Rodney. "Not Mother's Day" was written by Rich Dahm and directed by Lee Shallat Chemel.
Spoiler: 5/11/16 episode WITH AXL AND SUE HOME FOR SUMMER VACATION AND IGNORING FRANKIE AND MIKE'S HOUSE RULES BY COMING HOME FROM A PARTY AT 2 A.M., FRANKIE COMES UP WITH A PLAN THAT SECRETLY LETS HER KNOW WHERE THE KIDS ARE AT ALL TIMES, AND BRICK ATTEMPTS TO DISCOVER WHO HE'S UP AGAINST FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL VALEDICTORIAN, ON ABC'S "THE MIDDLE" "Find My Hecks" – Now that summer vacation has begun for Sue and Axl, and they are both back at home, Frankie and Mike attempt to set a curfew for them after they end up coming home from a party at 2 a.m. But after arguing that they don't have a curfew while away at college and won't abide by the rule, Frankie comes up with an idea that will clandestinely let her know where both of them are at all times. Meanwhile, as middle school graduation nears, Brick desperately tries to discover who he's up against for class valedictorian, on "The Middle," WEDNESDAY, MAY 11 (8:00-8:30 p.m. EST), on the ABC Television Network. "The Middle" stars Patricia Heaton as Frankie, Neil Flynn as Mike, Charlie McDermott as Axl, Eden Sher as Sue and Atticus Shaffer as Brick. Guest starring are Casey Burke as Cindy, Lauri Johnson as Mrs. Hilsabeck, Pam Trotter as Ms. Conrad, Ethan Lee as Sang-Woo, Katherine Landry as Sashi, Nick Alvarez as Head Bully and Brice Fisher as Underling Bully. "Find My Hecks" was written by Roy Brown and directed by Phil Traill.
Spoiler: 5/18/16 Season 7 Finale episode FRANKIE GOES ON A MISSION TO ENSURE THAT BRICK CAN SING A SONG AT HIS MIDDLE SCHOOL GRADUATION AFTER HIS PERFORMANCE IS CUT, AND AXL BECOMES A COUNTRY CLUB COUNSELOR AND IS MOCKED BY A 10-YEAR-OLD CARBON COPY OF HIMSELF, ON THE SEASON 7 FINALE OF ABC'S "THE MIDDLE" "The Show Must Go On" – After almost forgetting that Brick's middle school graduation is only days away, Frankie goes on a mission to right a wrong when Brick discovers that the song he was supposed to sing at the ceremony has been cut. Meanwhile, Sue needs to be at Dollywood to begin her summer job on the same day as Brick's graduation, and Axl takes a job as a country club counselor and finds himself being mocked by a 10-year-old carbon copy of himself, on the Season 7 Finale of "The Middle," WEDNESDAY, MAY 18 (8:00-8:30 p.m. EDT) on the ABC Television Network. "The Middle" stars Patricia Heaton as Frankie, Neil Flynn as Mike, Charlie McDermott as Axl, Eden Sher as Sue and Atticus Shaffer as Brick. Guest starring are Brock Ciarlelli as Brad Bottig, Jen Ray as Nancy Donahue, Caleb Brown as Colton, Malcolm Foster Smith as Dave, Troy Metcalf as Jim, Greg Cipes as Chuck, Wayne Wilderson as Principal Carson, Lauri Johnson as Mrs. Hilsabeck, Carlease Burke as Mrs. Lang, Pat Finn as Bill Norwood, Jovan Armand as Troy and Cooper Mothersbaugh as Guitar Kid. "The Show Must Go On" was written by Tim Hobert and directed by Lee Shallat Chemel.
The Middle Season 8 Premiere - Tuesday, October 11th at 8pm ET/7pm CT about Forget about athletes, movie stars and politicians. Parents are the real heroes—but we think Frankie Heck, must be some kind of superhero. A loving wife and mother of three, she's middle class in the middle of the country and is rapidly approaching middle age. meet the cast Frankie Heck Played by Patricia Heaton Mike Heck Played by Neil Flynn Axl Heck Played by Charlie McDermott Sue Heck Played by Eden Sher Brian Heck Played by Atticus Shaffer
10/11/16 Season 8 Premiere episode FRANKIE AND MIKE FINALLY MEET THE LOVE OF AXL'S LIFE BUT DISCOVER THAT SHE HAS A QUIRKY PERSONALITY TRAIT; SUE WANTS TO CHANGE HER MAJOR TO THEATER; AND BRICK IS STARTING HIGH SCHOOL AND TRIES TO CHANGE HIS IMAGE FROM WEIRD TO COOL, ON THE SEASON 8 PREMIERE OF ABC'S "THE MIDDLE" "The Middle" Airs on Its New Night, Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. Two-time Emmy-winner Patricia Heaton stars in this warm and witty single-camera comedy about raising a family and lowering your expectations, on the Season 8 Premiere of "The Middle" on its new night, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11 (8:00-8:30 p.m. EDT), on the ABC Television Network. Middle-aged, middle class and living in the middle of the country in Orson, Indiana, Frankie Heck is a harried wife and mother of three who uses her wry wit and sense of humor to get her family through each day intact. Frankie works as a dental assistant, and her unflappable husband, Mike, is manager at the local quarry and her sardonic partner in the daily grind that is raising their average – yes, most definitely average – family. 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 8 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. "The Middle" stars Patricia Heaton as Frankie, Neil Flynn as Mike, Charlie McDermott as Axl, Eden Sher as Sue, and Atticus Shaffer as Brick. Guest starring are Greer Grammer as April, Casey Burke as Cindy, Will Green as Jeremy, Brock Ciarlelli as Brad Bottig, Matt Cornett as Duncan, Crystal Shannon as Freshman Girl, Ted Stavros as Freshman Boy, and Martha Thatcher as Girl. "The Core Group" was written by Ilana Wernick and directed by Lee Shallat Chemel. 10/18/16 episode MIKE TRIES TO HELP A DEVASTATED SUE GET BACK INTO COLLEGE AFTER DISCOVERING SHE HAS BEEN KICKED OUT FOR NOT RENEWING HER FINANCIAL AID, AND FRANKIE ATTEMPTS TO TEACH BRICK HOW TO SWALLOW A PILL WHEN HE GETS SICK, ON ABC'S "THE MIDDLE" "A Tough Pill to Swallow" – When a devastated Sue discovers that she has been kicked out of college because she forgot to renew her financial aid, Mike tries to come to her rescue and convince a tough college bursar to reinstate her. Meanwhile, having only taken oral liquid medication all of his life, a frustrated Frankie does everything in her power to teach Brick how to swallow a pill when he gets an ear infection; and Hutch becomes angry with Axl after he keeps driving the Winnebago without permission to Orson to visit new girlfriend April – leaving Hutch without any means of transportation to get to class, on "The Middle," TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18 (8:00-8:30 p.m. EDT), on the ABC Television Network. "The Middle" stars Patricia Heaton as Frankie, Neil Flynn as Mike, Charlie McDermott as Axl, Eden Sher as Sue, and Atticus Shaffer as Brick. Guest starring are Daniela Bobadilla as Lexie, Alphonso McAuley as Hutch, Will Green as Jeremy, Miriam Flynn as Female Clerk, Carlease Burke as Ms. Teegarden, Tommy Bechtold as Kenny, David L. King as Professor, and Matthew Downs as Coach. "A Tough Pill to Swallow" was written by Rich Dahm and directed by Phil Traill. Spoiler: 10/25/16 Halloween episode HALLOWEEN FINDS FRANKIE TAKEN ABACK WHEN THE KIDS CHOOSE TO LIVE WITH MIKE AFTER A HYPOTHETICAL QUESTION ABOUT WHO THEY'D WANT TO LIVE WITH IF THE PARENTS EVER DIVORCED IS BROUGHT UP, AND SUE DEMANDS THAT BRICK VACATE HER BEDROOM, ON ABC'S "THE MIDDLE" "Halloween VII: The Heckoning" – As Halloween approaches, Frankie is taken aback when she discovers that, if the circumstances ever arose where she and Mike got divorced, the kids would all choose to live with Mike. Meanwhile, Sue tries everything in her power to get her room back from Brick, and having to be so nice around girlfriend April all of the time leads Axl to lash out at his family, on "The Middle," WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25 (8:00-8:30 p.m. EDT), on the ABC Television Network. "The Middle" stars Patricia Heaton as Frankie, Neil Flynn as Mike, Charlie McDermott as Axl, Eden Sher as Sue, and Atticus Shaffer as Brick. Guest starring are Greer Grammer as April, Casey Burke as Cindy, Jen Ray as Nancy Donahue, and Sean O'Bryan as Ron Donahue. "Halloween VII: The Heckoning" was written by Tim Hobert and directed by Lee Shallat Chemel.
Spoiler: 11/01/16 episode SUE ASKS FOR AXL'S ADVICE ON HOW TO BREAK UP WITH JEREMY, AND FRANKIE ACCIDENTALLY PURCHASES SOME RACY GRAPHIC UNDERWEAR, ON ABC'S "THE MIDDLE" "True Grit" – Sue has had enough of boyfriend Jeremy and wants to break up with him. But not knowing how to do it, she asks Axl for some of his worldly advice. Meanwhile, Brick tries his best to show school spirit and fit in with his fellow high schoolers but is thwarted when best friend Troy gets noticed instead and is drafted by the football team; and Frankie becomes a bit embarrassed when she accidentally purchases some racy graphic underwear, on "The Middle," WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1 (8:00-8:30 p.m. EDT), on the ABC Television Network. "The Middle" stars Patricia Heaton as Frankie, Neil Flynn as Mike, Charlie McDermott as Axl, Eden Sher as Sue, and Atticus Shaffer as Brick. Guest starring are Daniela Bobadilla as Lexie, Will Green as Jeremy, Jovan Armand as Troy, Casey Burke as Cindy, Michael A. Shepperd as Coach, Michelle LaRue as Cashier, Mat Botuchis as Chris, Isaac Faulkner as Psycho, Austin Michael Coleman as Player, Jason Williams as Paramedic #1, and Neil Rodriguez as Paramedic #2. "True Grit" was written by Jana Hunter & Mitch Hunter and directed by Victor Nelli.
Spoiler: 11/15/16 episode A CHILL RUNS DOWN FRANKIE AND MIKE'S SPINES WHEN THEY DISCOVER THAT IT'S TIME TO TEACH 15-YEAR-OLD BRICK HOW TO DRIVE A CAR, AND SUE FRETS OVER CHOOSING A COLLEGE MAJOR AND LEARNS A SHOCKING SECRET FROM FRANKIE, ON ABC'S "THE MIDDLE" "Road Kill" – Frankie and Mike are embarrassed to admit that they once again forgot Brick's birthday. But their embarrassment turns to fright when they discover that he has turned 15, and it's time for them to teach their not-so-sure-footed son Driver's Ed. But when Axl takes a shot at letting Brick drive his Winnebago, he ends up running down one of Orson's most treasured landmarks. Meanwhile, while Sue anxiously tries to choose a college major before deadline, she learns a shocking secret from Frankie, on "The Middle," WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15 (8:00-8:30 p.m. EST), on the ABC Television Network. "The Middle" stars Patricia Heaton as Frankie, Neil Flynn as Mike, Charlie McDermott as Axl, Eden Sher as Sue, and Atticus Shaffer as Brick. Guest starring are Paul Hipp as Reverend TimTom, Jen Ray as Nancy Donahue, Pat Finn as Bill Norwood, Richard Riehle as Sheriff Dugan, David Chandler as Derrick Glossner, and Gibson Bobby Sjobeck as Diaper Glossner. "Road Kill" was written by Roy Brown and directed by Lee Shallat Chemel.
Spoiler: 11/22/16 Thanksgiving episode WITH AXL FIXATED ON APRIL, THANKSGIVING FINDS FRANKIE TRYING TO VIE FOR HIS ATTENTION AND REARRANGING TIMING FOR THE SPECIAL MEAL SO THAT HE CAN ATTEND, AND SUE GOES BALLISTIC WHEN BRICK BECOMES HER NEW SPUDSY'S CO-WORKER, ON ABC'S "THE MIDDLE" "Thanksgiving VIII" – Frankie has come to the conclusion that April is not good enough for Axl and does everything in her power to keep her out of their annual Christmas family photo. But she finds herself vying for Axl's attention by trying to rearrange timing for the family's Thanksgiving dinner when she discovers that he plans to go to April's multiple family get-togethers that day. Meanwhile, Sue goes ballistic when she discovers that Brick will now be her new co-worker at Spudsy's, on "The Middle," TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 22 (8:00-8:30 p.m. EST), on the ABC Television Network. "The Middle" stars Patricia Heaton as Frankie, Neil Flynn as Mike, Charlie McDermott as Axl, Eden Sher as Sue, and Atticus Shaffer as Brick. Guest starring are Greer Grammer as April, Jimmy Bellinger as Edwin, Jen Ray as Nancy Donahue, Beau Wirick as Sean Donahue, Sean O'Bryan as Ron Donahue, Kayla Madison as Shelly Donahue, and Laura Ann Kesling as Dotty Donahue. "Thanksgiving VIII" was written by Ilana Wernick and directed by Elliot Hegarty.