‘The Middle’ Spinoff Featuring Sue Heck in the Works at ABC

ABC‘s The Middle recently came to an end with its series finale at the conclusion of the show’s ninth season on May 22, and the network is reportedly looking to continue the story of Eden Sher’s Sue Heck, a central character on the well-received comedy.

According to Deadline, ABC is nearing a deal for a spinoff revolving around Sue, the adorably dorky middle daughter of the Heck family.

The network is reportedly considering a pilot order for the comedy, though nothing has been set in stone. The spinoff would reportedly be “set a few years in the future from The Middle finale, chronicling the next stage of Sue’s life as a young adult with a new cast of characters around her.”

The Middle‘s finale saw Sue married to Sean (Beau Wirick) in a flash-forward, though it’s not known whether that will factor into the spinoff’s plot.

The spinoff would come from The Middle creators DeAnn Heline and Eileen Heisler, with Heisler telling Deadline that it was the creators’ decision to end the show.

“We wanted to go out while we’re still at the top — (the middle?) — of our game, and to have a year of knowing we were wrapping up so we could write to an ending,” she said. “We feel very grateful we’ve gotten to do that, and hope we are leaving fans wanting more.”

“Our ratings have been great and ABC was very clear they did want more seasons — it was our decision to bring it to a close,” Heisler added. “And hey… I can’t tell you what’s next… gotta save it for the reboot. See you in ten years!”

The Middle followed the working class Hecks from Indiana, with the series focusing on husband and wife Frankie (Patricia Heaton) and Mike (Neil Flynn) and their kids, Axl (Charlie McDermott), Sue (Sher) and Brick (Atticus Shaffer). Throughout its fun, The Middle was a solid performer and was often considered underrated by critics.

The spinoff could be part of ABC’s plan to move toward the network’s goal of having more working class programming, according to a report from U.K.-based TV industry trade C21. After the cancelation of Roseanne, there is certainly a spot for Sue Heck to fill that void.

The earliest the spinoff could be ready is reportedly midseason next year.

Photo Credit: ABC