"Malcolm in the Middle" (2000) TV series 2000-2006

User Rating:

8.4/10   

Creator:

Linwood Boomer

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Release Date:

9 tammikuu 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

A gifted young teen tries to survive with his dimwitted, dysfunctional family.

Plot Keywords:

Dysfunctional Family | School | Sitcom | Military School | Ranch

Awards:

Nominated for 7 Golden Globes. Another 39 wins & 82 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sun. Nov. 8	8:00 PM	NIK	Malcolm Films Reese	#5.5
Sun. Nov. 8	8:30 PM	NIK	Dewey's Special Class	#5.19

Cast

Bryan Cranston	...	Hal (151 episodes, 2000-2006)
Justin Berfield	...	Reese (151 episodes, 2000-2006)
Erik Per Sullivan	...	Dewey (151 episodes, 2000-2006)
Jane Kaczmarek	...	Lois (150 episodes, 2000-2006)
Christopher Masterson	...	Francis (150 episodes, 2000-2006)
Frankie Muniz	...	Malcolm (150 episodes, 2000-2006)
Craig Lamar Traylor	...	Stevie Kenarban / ... (61 episodes, 2000-2006)

Also Known As:

Fighting in Underpants (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

30 min

Country:

USA

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

USA:TV-14 (one episode) | Canada:G (Quebec) (DVD rating) | Canada:PG (DVD rating) | Argentina:Atp | Brazil:Livre | Singapore:PG | USA:TV-PG | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Satin City Productions

Trivia:

Unusual for a live-action sitcom, the show featured no laugh track.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: At the end of Lois vs. Evil, Malcolm speaks to camera with several children moving in the background. One boy doesn't know where or when to move and he tries to speak to someone off camera. In the end he gives up, shrugs his shoulders and walks off.

Quotes:

Lois: God, they're just boobs, lady. What's your problem?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Red Dwarf: Dwarfing USA (2004) (V)

Soundtrack:

Smile

One of the funniest shows on television

"Malcolm in the Middle" may have lost a bit of steam recently, but some of the earlier episodes are absolutely, side-splittingly hilarious. Although Malcolm (Frankie Muniz) may be the titular character, it is really Bryan Cranston's characterization of the father figure, Hal, that makes the show so fun to watch. Cranston turns Hal into a boy at heart (as all fathers are) - only, like everything else with the show, extends it into a complete satire and goes completely wacky. This show, for lack of a better word, is crazy.

It's absurd. And it couldn't be any better. The wild antics and over-the-top gags are similar to a cartoon, and even the fast-cut editing between scenes (with the "whoosing" sound) is reminiscent of an animated program.

Like "The Simpsons," "Malcolm" manages to successfully interweave everyday family/social topics into silly plots involving all types of nonsensical stuff. Some of the physical gags are absolutely hilarious - the episode with Hal running out of the supermarket, a parody of "Raiders of the Lost Ark," is gut-busting - but at its heart this really is a tender and witty comedy that manages to be effective on more than one level.

The rest of the cast are great too. It really "feels" like a genuine family. They bicker, they complain, they whine and moan and fight - this is America today. If we were to go back fifty years in a time capsule and present this to the "I Love Lucy" crowds, they'd be shocked.