ABC's sitcom The Middle was first developed as a vehicle for former talk show host Ricki Lake. She played the lead role in a 2007 pilot that was never aired. Patricia Heaton later took over the part of Frankie Heck when the series premiered in 2009.
Lake filmed the original pilot before the 2007-2008 writers' strike disrupted production. The network held her option for several months before revamping the project with an older cast.
"They went older," Lake said in a 2012 interview. "It wasn't even a case of me being replaced, they revamped the show because it was during the [writers'] strike."
Only Atticus Shaffer, who played Brick, remained from the unaired version. The original pilot featured different actors for Sue and Axl, along with a darker tone that included an early death for a supporting character.
Shaffer later recalled that the second pilot felt like it clicked. Lake said she felt relief at not continuing with the sitcom, noting she was better suited to talk shows.