Patricia Heaton looks to the future after 'The Middle' series finale

NEW YORK -- Tonight, we say goodbye to the Heck family after nine seasons of "The Middle" on ABC! Star Patricia Heaton sat down to talk about what it's like to wrap up the show after such a successful run, and what's next for her!

"We had such a great camaraderie on set with the cast, the crew and the writers and it was pretty magical, so I think that's what we'll miss the most," Heaton said.

Heaton plays Frankie, the show's matriarch, along with Neil Flynn as Mike, Charlie McDermott as Axl, Eden Sher as Sue and Atticus Shaffer as Brick.

"We've loved playing these characters," Heaton said, "but you really want to go out on top."

Heaton said that their TV kids "grew up before our eyes." She's extremely proud of the people they've become and their integrity.

Heaton talked about how "The Middle" taught her to act in a single-camera show, versus a multi-camera sitcom with an audience like "Everybody Loves Raymond."

If she had her choice for the future, Heaton said, "There's something satisfying about the multi-cam because you have the audience there, and the hours are a little more civilized."

One thing's for sure, she loves playing a mother! "I love being a mother and I love playing a mother and I've gotten to play two very different types of mothers between 'The Middle' and 'Raymond' which is good because you don't want to keep repeating yourself."

In the meantime, Heaton is already working with several writers and is hoping to bring something to her fans in the near future. So we might not miss her for long.

As for the Heck family, she says it will be a happy ending for all of them and she thinks viewers will enjoy the way the show wraps up.

You won't want to miss the hour-long finale of "The Middle," tonight at 8:30/7:30c on The ABC Television Network, streaming and on demand.