'The Middle' producers discuss their time at IU

Close friends Eileen Heisler and DeAnn Heline left IU in 1984, but their experiences during the two years they lived in Bloomington inspired them to create ABC’s “The Middle.”

“The Middle,” which is in its third season, takes place in the fictional town of Orson, Ind., and follows the comedic struggles and successes of the Heck family. 

Though Heisler and Heline both transferred to New York University after their sophomore years to study film and theater, they’ve used their experiences growing up and attending college in the Midwest to fuel much of the show’s plot and humor.

At IU, Heisler was a music major and Heline studied telecommunications. 

Heisler was a member of Sigma Delta Tau and said rush, among other IU traditions, has inspired the show.

The Indiana Daily Student talked with Heisler to learn more about her and Heline’s time at IU.    

IDS You met DeAnn when you were assigned to be roommates during your freshman year. How did that all come about?

HEISLER I was put in Forest, which was not on my list of chosen dorms (laughs). I think I chose five dorms, and they gave me number six. And I did not love being in the all-girls dorm, so I hooked up with another friend of mine who I’d known from camp, and we set about to move to Read. Around Halloween, a room opened up on the other side of the bathroom from DeAnn.

It was actually very funny, because I think they were enjoying that they had this extra room on the other side of the bathroom that no one was in. And then we were going to move in.

I remember the first day I met DeAnn. I went into the hall, she had the little dry-erase board hanging on her door. And I think she had written a note to her roommate, saying something like, “Oh crap, we have roommates.” And I’m like, “Knock-knock, hi, how’s it going?” And she’s covering it with her back, so I wouldn’t see it. Then we became friends.

IDS You’re from the Highland Park area in Chicago. How did you pick IU in the first place?

HEISLER I was a singer at the time, and I had gone to camp at Interlochen in Michigan, and I think some of the faculty was from IU. And I knew at the time — I was from Chicago — that I wanted to go not too far away from home. I did one campus visit, and I loved “Breaking Away.” It seemed like a fun place to be.

IDS Have you or DeAnn been back to IU since you transferred?

HEISLER I don’t think she’s been back, and I haven’t because I’ve lived here (California) for so long, but I would love to visit. I took a little online tour for myself a few months ago, and a lot of it seems to be the same. It’s such a beautiful campus. We definitely miss fall there.

IDS What are some memories that stick out to you about your time at IU and have helped inspire episodes on “The Middle”?

HEISLER Is it appropriate to say too much partying in our dorm? Oh, I do have a good story. We got in trouble — we were kind of goody two-shoes, really. Although, as all freshmen do, we were enjoying drinking in our rooms semi-safely. But one time, not from drinking, we got written up in our dorm for singing the “Hallelujah” chorus really loud — completely sober during study time. You know, we were just having fun around the holidays, and we were written up! And we were goody two-shoes, and we were like, “Are you serious? We’re being written up for singing the ‘Hallelujah’ chorus?” That was probably the first case of that at IU.

I remember Kilroy’s, definitely. I’m trying to remember everything I did with DeAnn, everything. God, Little 500, I remember traipsing over the little bridges in the cold in order to turn in a paper on time.

We were in Read-Clark 313, we still remember.

IDS How has your experience at IU inspired your show?

HEISLER Like Mike is particularly a character born of the Midwest and represents a certain kind of Midwestern man. We joke that Frankie and Mike’s relationship at times is like me and DeAnn’s relationship as old friends. But it all began at IU. We had an episode about Halloween where Frankie is annoyed with Mike because he will not dress up at Halloween, and that’s completely me. DeAnn wants to do everything fun, and I’m always like, “Ugh!”

But I think it informed us with such a knowledge of what it means to be at a Big Ten school — excitement and pride of the Midwest. And that it’s so typical in a lot of ways that it ... it was interesting for us because we ended up going to NYU for the second half, which is a completely different place. We had that real authentic Big Ten Midwestern experience. IU looks like a college is supposed to look.

IDS How have you incorporated IU into the show so far?

HEISLER We tried very much on our set to put lots of IU things and have Mike have a history of having gone to IU. And certainly, we remember basketball and just the excitement, the Midwestern-ness about it. The excitement over winning basketball (games), all the Bobby Knight things that would go on. I think it’s more the spirit of the place, and the spirit of Indiana and the Midwest, and the way that we tried to just celebrate a very down-to-earth family that has the kind of values.

IDS Axl is at the age in the show in which he should be going to college soon. Any chance IU will be on his list?

HEISLER We still have to figure out where Axl can go (laughs). For what they can afford, and also we don’t want him too far away. But I would imagine IU will factor into his choices.

IDS Any last words?

HEISLER We loved our time at IU, and we’re happy to celebrate Indiana.