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May 21, 2013 12:06 PM Subscribe
I'm looking for sitcoms with three or more children where a middle child was the breakout star.
Sitcoms frequently feature families with three kids (or occasionally more). Whether by design or chance, the kid ensemble frequently becomes more of a one-person show. The big star can be the oldest (Family Ties, Diff'rent Strokes) or the youngest (Full House), but rarely the middle child.
Can you think of some examples? The only one that comes close that I thought of is Roseanne.
Sitcoms frequently feature families with three kids (or occasionally more). Whether by design or chance, the kid ensemble frequently becomes more of a one-person show. The big star can be the oldest (Family Ties, Diff'rent Strokes) or the youngest (Full House), but rarely the middle child.
Can you think of some examples? The only one that comes close that I thought of is Roseanne.
Technically, Happy Days.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 12:10 PM on May 21, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by The Underpants Monster at 12:10 PM on May 21, 2013 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Good point, although "characters that are disappeared" complicates things a bit.
posted by Chrysostom at 12:13 PM on May 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Chrysostom at 12:13 PM on May 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
On the Cosby Show, i'd say that Theo was the 'star kid' (and to a lesser extent, so was Denise), and were neither the youngest or the oldest in the family.
posted by Kololo at 12:16 PM on May 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Kololo at 12:16 PM on May 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Randy (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) in Home Improvement
posted by Pineapplicious at 12:17 PM on May 21, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by Pineapplicious at 12:17 PM on May 21, 2013 [2 favorites]
Oh also: on Fresh Prince of Bel Air, the standout kids are Carlton (middle kid) and obviously Will, who is the same age as Carlton.
And Home Improvement - johnathan taylor thomas played the middle kid, and i have no idea who played the oldest or youngest kids.
posted by Kololo at 12:21 PM on May 21, 2013
And Home Improvement - johnathan taylor thomas played the middle kid, and i have no idea who played the oldest or youngest kids.
posted by Kololo at 12:21 PM on May 21, 2013
Response by poster: According to the insanely detailed Wikipedia page on Fresh Prince characters, Will is a year older than Carlton.
posted by Chrysostom at 12:24 PM on May 21, 2013
posted by Chrysostom at 12:24 PM on May 21, 2013
I barely remember that Laura Winslow had siblings on Family Matters. But (a) the awful neighbor in love with her was the Breakout on that show and any spotlight on her probably came from that, and (b) they dissapeared her little sister. So....dubious?
posted by jenfullmoon at 12:28 PM on May 21, 2013
posted by jenfullmoon at 12:28 PM on May 21, 2013
Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!
I considered Tracy Gold the star of her show, though maybe not.
Michael Bluth, however, classic middle child.
posted by tilde at 12:28 PM on May 21, 2013 [3 favorites]
I considered Tracy Gold the star of her show, though maybe not.
Michael Bluth, however, classic middle child.
posted by tilde at 12:28 PM on May 21, 2013 [3 favorites]
Best answer: Danny Partridge (Danny Bonaduce) on the Partridge Family.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 12:28 PM on May 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 12:28 PM on May 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Yeah, I vote definitely not on Tracy Gold - Kirk Cameron was A Big Deal at the time.
And Marcia Brady totally dominated Jan. That's a classic example of attractive/popular older sister, and cute younger sister squeezing out the poor middle child.
posted by Chrysostom at 12:32 PM on May 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
And Marcia Brady totally dominated Jan. That's a classic example of attractive/popular older sister, and cute younger sister squeezing out the poor middle child.
posted by Chrysostom at 12:32 PM on May 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Appreciate everyone's thoughts so far, thanks!
posted by Chrysostom at 12:33 PM on May 21, 2013
posted by Chrysostom at 12:33 PM on May 21, 2013
Darlene (Sara Gilbert) on Roseanne. (She is my all-time favorite TV kid.)
posted by sophieblue at 12:33 PM on May 21, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by sophieblue at 12:33 PM on May 21, 2013 [3 favorites]
Best answer: Little House on the Prairie ?
posted by travertina at 12:35 PM on May 21, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by travertina at 12:35 PM on May 21, 2013 [2 favorites]
On the subject of Gilberts, Laura (Melissa Gilbert) on Little House on the Prairie was the middle child.
posted by drlith at 12:48 PM on May 21, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by drlith at 12:48 PM on May 21, 2013 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Joey from "Blossom." WHOA -- the power of the catchphrase.
posted by hmo at 12:55 PM on May 21, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by hmo at 12:55 PM on May 21, 2013 [2 favorites]
Cory on Boy Meets World.
posted by Pineapplicious at 1:30 PM on May 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Pineapplicious at 1:30 PM on May 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
I suppose Bart is the real star of the Simpsons, but Lisa is cooler (and has a lot of story lines).
posted by Glinn at 2:10 PM on May 21, 2013
posted by Glinn at 2:10 PM on May 21, 2013
I'm not clear if you mean the actor was a breakout star (either during or after the show's airing) or if you mean the middle child became the focus of the show.
posted by mrfuga0 at 2:26 PM on May 21, 2013
posted by mrfuga0 at 2:26 PM on May 21, 2013
Response by poster: Both, really. Stardom during the show's airing is usually pretty contiguous with becoming the focus of the show (or at least, the most focused upon child).
posted by Chrysostom at 2:41 PM on May 21, 2013
posted by Chrysostom at 2:41 PM on May 21, 2013
Sue Heck. Sue Heck is everything. (On ABC's The Middle).
posted by lampoil at 3:42 PM on May 21, 2013
posted by lampoil at 3:42 PM on May 21, 2013
Okay they were adults but Michael Bluth in Arrested Development!!
posted by loveyallaround at 5:04 PM on May 21, 2013
posted by loveyallaround at 5:04 PM on May 21, 2013
Oh shoot now I seen it was said. Seconding!
posted by loveyallaround at 5:06 PM on May 21, 2013
posted by loveyallaround at 5:06 PM on May 21, 2013
According to the insanely detailed Wikipedia page on Fresh Prince characters, Will is a year older than Carlton.
Yeah but they're both younger than Hillary and older than Ashley. midddddddles!
posted by Kololo at 7:20 PM on May 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
Yeah but they're both younger than Hillary and older than Ashley. midddddddles!
posted by Kololo at 7:20 PM on May 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
While Danny Bonaduce became more well known in recent years, he most definitely was not the star of the Partridge Family at the time it aired. It was all about David Cassidy. David Cassidy was the number one face on teen idol magazines for years - he was the Justin Bieber of the period. Danny Bonaduce rarely got mentioned at all.
posted by MexicanYenta at 9:38 PM on May 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by MexicanYenta at 9:38 PM on May 21, 2013 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by mkultra at 12:09 PM on May 21, 2013 [6 favorites]