'The Middle' Ending After Season 9

It’s time to say goodbye to the Hecks.

The Middle will end its run at the conclusion of Season 9, it was announced on Wednesday.

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“We sat down with the cast at the end of last year [to tell them],” executive producer Eileen Heisler said in an exclusive statement to EW.com. “It was important to have a year to say goodbye. We want to be able to tell all the stories.”

“It’s a family show. We could keep going for 10 more years with new relationships,” added fellow EP DeAnn Heline. But alas, that won’t be the case for The Middle

Though it flew under the radar for most of its run, The Middle helped ABC launch its Wednesday-night family comedy block back in September 2009, premiering alongside Modern Family and Cougar Town. After serving as the 8 pm anchor for six seasons, the Patricia Heaton-led comedy was moved to Tuesdays last season, allowing the Alphabet network to successfully launch a second night of comedy.

The Middle kicks off its ninth — and now final — season on Tuesday, Oct. 3.

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