AWARD-WINNING COMEDY SERIES "THE MIDDLE" WILL BEGIN AIRING ON HALLMARK CHANNEL'S PRIMETIME SCHEDULE STARTING MARCH 2014

Network Will Air First 88 Episodes of the Playful Family Sitcom; Series Added to Network's Highly-Rated Primetime Line-Up of Acquired Hit Shows

Hallmark Channel announces it will begin airing the popular comedy series "The Middle" as part of its primetime line-up starting in March 2014. The network will air the first 88 half-hour episodes of the off-network series, with additional seasons added as they become available for syndication. Joining classic favorites "The Golden Girls," "Frasier" and "Home Improvement" on Hallmark Channel's evolving programming schedule, "The Middle," starring Patricia Heaton and Neil Flynn, has already garnered an impressive amount of praise in its five-season run, including a Primetime Emmy(R) Award nomination, Critics' Choice Television Award, four Young Artist Awards and a 2011 Gracie Award for Outstanding Comedy Series.

"The Middle," which debuted on ABC in September 2009, follows a working-class Midwestern family, giving a realistic but humorous portrait of modern American life. Frankie Heck (Heaton) and her husband, Mike (Flynn), have lived in Orson, Indiana, their whole lives. A man of few words, Mike is a manager at the town quarry and Frankie is the third-best used car salesman (out of the three) at the local dealership. She may not be a high-powered career woman, but when it comes to her family, she'll go to any length. And with kids like Axl, Sue and Brick, she had better. Sometimes it seems like everyone is trying to get to the top, or struggling not to fall to the bottom, but Frankie and her family find a lot of love, and a lot of laughs, somewhere in "The Middle."

Currently in its fifth season on ABC, the show has continued to grow in popularity and has featured guest starring appearances by Norm Macdonald, Doris Roberts, Brooke Shields, Betty White and Whoopi Goldberg, among many more. With seven television awards under its belt, the show's comedic take on everyday family situations has found an audience of viewers who connect to its relatable characters, looking for a fresh take on family fun. "The Middle" is a Warner Bros. Television Distribution.

Hallmark Channel, owned and operated by Crown Media Holdings, Inc., is a 24-hour basic cable network that provides a diverse slate of high-quality entertainment programming available in high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) to a national audience of 88 million subscribers. Hallmark Channel is the nation's leading destination for quality family programming with an ambitious slate of original TV movies and specials, as well as some of television's most beloved sitcoms and series, including The Golden Girls, The Waltons, Little House on the Prairie, and Frasier. The channel is also home to a range of lifestyle programming, anchored by Home & Family, a daily two-hour live show shot in a fully functional house located on the Universal Studios lot. Hallmark Channel's sibling network, Hallmark Movie Channel, available in HD and SD, focuses on family-friendly movies with a mix of original films, classic theatrical releases, and presentations from the acclaimed Hallmark Hall of Fame library.

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