PREMIERE

MEET THE HECKS, AN ORDINARY FAMILY STRUGGLING TO SURVIVE EACH OTHER AND LIFE IN MIDDLE AMERICA, ON THE PREMIERE OF ABC'S "THE MIDDLE"

Chris Kattan ("Saturday Night Live"), Brian Doyle-Murray ("Caddyshack") Guest Star

Patricia Heaton stars as Frankie Heck, a dedicated wife and mother who juggles work, family and life in an everyday, average American town. Frankie and Mike (Neil Flynn) are both working parents desperately trying on a daily basis to discipline their teenage son, Axl (Charlie McDermott), support their untalented-yet-severely-optimistic daughter, Sue (Eden Sher), and attend parent-teacher meetings to discuss their oddball youngest son, Brick (Atticus Shaffer). Life may seem average in the middle of America but it's anything but for Frankie Heck and her family. "The Middle" premieres WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 (8:30-9:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network.

In the premiere episode, "Pilot," Frankie is struggling in her career as a car salesperson because she has failed to actually sell a car. Sue has auditioned for show choir and, to everyone's shock, makes the team, but fails to mention that she's part of the stage crew. To top things off, Brick wants Frankie to come to his class presentation dressed as a superhero. Just when Frankie thinks she's got a car sold and her kids under control, she does show up to Brick's class dressed as a superhero -- but he's given her the wrong day -- and the car she thought she had sold is stolen right in front of her. Work and home have taken over Frankie's life� to the point that she barely recognizes herself and has even taken to coloring her hair with a magic marker. Her youth has faded and the day-to-day grind has worn her down, but it's family and the struggles they face together that keep Frankie and the rest of the Hecks one big happy mess.

Note: Cast bios available on MediaNet on "The Middle" showpage in the Primetime section.

"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 Chris Kattan* as Bob, Brian Doyle-Murray as Mr. Ehlert, Amy Farrington as Gail, Patricia Belcher as Mrs. Rettig, Jeanete Miller as Aunt Edie, Francis Bay as Aunt Ginny, Peter Breitmayer as Pete, Andy Kreiss as choir director, Ping Wu as Mr. Yamamoto, Mike Randleman as flight attendant and Robert Clendenin as P.A. (*Note: Chris Kattan becomes a series regular following the pilot episode)

"Pilot" is written by DeAnn Heline and Eileen Heisler, and directed by Julie Ann Robinson.

Executive producers are DeAnn Heline and Eileen Heisler. The series is produced by Warner Bros. Television. "The Middle" is broadcast in 720 Progressive (720 P), ABC's selected HD format, with Spanish subtitles via secondary closed captioning. A TV parental guideline will be assigned closer to airdate. For more information on "The Middle," visit ABC.com