ABC has a rich history of producing sitcoms that have become staples of American television. From Full House to Abbott Elementary, the studio’s sitcoms have both reflected and influenced cultural trends over the decades. In the 1970s and 1980s, ABC introduced audiences to iconic sitcoms such as Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, and Three’s Company. These shows were not only ratings powerhouses, but also became cultural touchstones as they influenced fashion, language, and sparked conversation with their subversive takes on roommates, family, and friendship.
The success of early ABC sitcoms established a formula that their successors would soon follow—lighthearted, family-friendly humor with a dash of witty commentary. Contemporary ABC sitcoms such as Modern Family and Abbott Elementary clearly drew inspiration from the network’s golden era with extra vigor, as the former became a beloved exploration of an unconventional family in Los Angeles, while the latter used the mockumentary style to take an honest look at an underfunded and predominantly Black public school in Philadelphia. However, ABC doesn’t always pursue sitcoms that seem strong.
Eden Sher’s Determination Could Revive Sue Heck’s Story
The Middle star Eden Sher shares her feelings about the now-canceled ABC spinoff for her bubbly character, Sue Heck. Airing from 2009 to 2018, the beloved sitcom followed the everyday struggles of the Heck family, a middle-class household living in the fictional town of Orson, Indiana. The show starred Patricia Heaton as working mother Frankie Heck, Neil Flynn as her laid-back husband Mike, and their three uniquely quirky children: Axl (Charlie McDermott), Sue (Sher), and Brick (Atticus Shaffer). A pilot episode of Sue Heck’s spinoff was filmed in 2018, but ABC ultimately decided not to move forward with the series.
In an interview with ScreenRant‘s Zak Wojnar about her guest appearance on the NBC sitcom Night Court, Sher opened up about the potential future of the scrapped Sue Heck spinoff. The show, titled Sue Sue in the City, would have followed the middle child of the Heck family as she left Indiana to pursue a career in Chicago. Brock Ciarlelli, who played her best friend Brad on The Middle, was cast as a series regular. The Middle creators Eileen Heisler and DeAnn Heline also wrote the pilot and were slated to serve as executive producers. Read what Sher had to say below:
We did shoot a pilot. It was actually a little bit tragic when it didn’t get picked up, because I didn’t even want to do the spinoff in the first place. I didn’t want to do it at all. I was like, “No, I’m done with this character.” And then, after months and months of developing it and creating this thing I felt good about, I was like, “Oh, actually I could play this for another show. I feel involved enough, and I feel good enough, and I feel like this is opening a new chapter. It’s not just repeating the last nine years.”
Then we shot this, I think, really good pilot… And then they were like, “Nah, just kidding.” After I was all invested! I didn’t mourn Sue properly, and now I don’t know how. I’m super grateful that I put a period on it, and it was great, but we shot a full pilot that I think it was really good. I’m going to find a way for people to see it somehow.
Our Take On The Scrapped Sue Spinoff
Sue Heck Deserved Her Own Spotlight
Given Sher’s involvement in the now-scrapped pilot episode, it’s disappointing that Sue Sue in the City never made it to the small screen. Sue Heck was one of the most lovable and hilarious characters in The Middle, and leaving her story behind feels like a missed opportunity for ABC. It’s especially heartbreaking to hear that the actor poured her heart into Sue’s next chapter, only for the network to pull the rug out from under The Middle cast and crew. While it may seem like Sue Sue in the City is destined to remain unseen, with Sher’s determination, there’s still hope that this spinoff could see the light of day in some form.