The cast of The Middle might play a tight-knit family on screen, but admitted to the American TV Guide that the fun-loving chemistry between them wasn't instantaneous.
The series' youngest star, Atticus Shaffer, who plays Brick Heck, divulged: "The show's creator set up a day [early on] where we all just sat and got to know each other."
Neil Flynn who plays the man of the house, Mike Heck, agreed it was a somewhat awkward encounter.
"It's strange. You barely know someone and then you're on camera and have to pretend to be in love and that you've known them all your life. Now we've spent so much time together, we have developed relationships."
Heaton says that off-screen, the actors' senses of humour were always in sync, which makes for some hilarious banter.
"During one shot we were in the car together and we were talking about people who pronounce the 'l' in "almond", "palm", "calm" and just laughing our heads off. We concluded you shouldn't pronounce it, much to Neil's chagrin, since he's been pronouncing it all his life," she said, laughing. "That's probably why he's not married."
In between juggling shifts and picking up fast-food dinners eaten in front of the TV, Frankie and Mike raise their kids with love and solid Midwestern practicality. Axl (Charlie McDermott) is the oldest, a teenage jock who eats the family out of house and home and walks around in his underwear. Then there's Sue (Eden Sher), their teenage daughter who fails at just about everything she tries with great gusto. Finally, there's Brick (Shaffer), their quirky third-grader who reads constantly, whispers to himself and has a best friend who is a backpack.
In the season premiere, Frankie gets accused of being an overprotective mother, when she tries to explain Brick's eccentricities to his new third-grade teacher, Ms Rinsky (guest star Doris Roberts).
• All New The Middle, Sunday, May 1, 7.30pm, TV2.
