MovieChat Forums > Stuck in the Middle (2016) Discussion > First Thoughts on Stuck in the Middle

First Thoughts on Stuck in the Middle

posted 9 years ago by CuriousUserX90
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My a Family of 7 Children, I'm not I've not had that. Seeing the first six episodes when it premiered in my part, this is what I think. There can be times a bit frustrating I get it, and Harley frequently works things it to handle the family. Frequently I see her talking to noone, and noone has even said to her "who are you talking to?" Indeed this show has more than 7 Main Cast Members, which includes Kayla Maisonett I think from Dog with a Blog and Isaak Presley from Austin & Ally. None of these I think are in their 20s, which would leave them all younger than I am. Like the first Episode of KC Undercover, it did not play the intro, but maybe it will on reruns, also cutting out the Pre-Title Scene. And I notice after the credits it's been missing the It's a Laugh Productions Logo, which all Live Action Disney Channel Shows as well as Some Live Action Disney XD Shows tend to have. I see what it's like overall, Middle Child, being in your Siblings' Shadows, and 7 Children sure would be hard to take care of, namely that it'll mean more money.

[–] jimmiebeeee 9 years ago

I was slow to warm up to it, but in nine years as a regular viewer I found that most sitcoms on this channel need a good half-dozen episodes to find solid footing.

I am glad to see a strong family with two actively involved parents (Disney continues to emphasize two-parent families again, which started with Good Luck Charlie.) And not afraid to admit to having a religion-affiliation: the Diaz's are Roman Catholic. In the end family comes first, even for oldest-kid Rachel, despite being a vain, popularity and appearance-obsessed 17-year-old (or is she 16).

A note on the production companies: Not all live action DC shows are It's A Laugh. A couple sign off as Bon Mot productions. This one is International Donut Fund and Liv & Maddie is from another company with Donuts in its name. A production slide of "Dipfthong" or "Dipthong" (not sure of spelling) comes up at the end of Dog With A Blog (and another DC show, whose name escapes me).

TECHNICAL/MECHANICAL SELLING POINTS FOR ME:
1.) Single-camera filming like a movie, which allows for more outdoor location scenes. It never looks too brightly lighted, like most three-camera shows done in a television studio do.
2.) Faster paced editing amplifies the chaos of a household of seven children. (I'm the oldest of a six-kid family, three and three — also Roman Catholic — so I can relate to the chaotic energy.)
3.) The lack of a laugh track and a live audience. So nice to laugh because I find a line funny without artificial prompting.
4.) No goofy sound effects to indicate scene changes or "what the what?" moments like they used to insert in vintage single-camera shows such as Lizzie McGuire and Even Stevens. (Based on my seeing them when Disney Channel still had its Thursday wee-hours "Replay" block.)
5.) But, a deft use of a subtle, swooshy sound effect to bookend the inserts where Harley talks only to the audience (so subtle I didn't notice them until around episode 5.

It's turning into a fine show. It stands out from the rest by the way it is produced — despite all the chaos presented on screen it feels relatively quiet and low-key. This is how the Good Luck Charlie and Wizards of Waverly Place DCOM's were done and at the time I liked that low-key approach (compared to the regular shows) and wished I could see a half-hour series like that. Now I can. I hope they continue that in future seasons.

Yeah, I know filankey is not a word, but it's gonna catch on.