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

Creator:

Linwood Boomer

Seasons:

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

Release Date:

9 January 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:

Mon. Nov. 16	7:00 AM	FX	Malcolm Visits College	#5.16
Mon. Nov. 16	7:30 AM	FX	Polly in the Middle	#5.17

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:

The signs in Dewey's Busey classroom read, "Put ups - not put downs," and "Words not hands."

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: In the episode when Francis babysits, they clean the house. They realize it is now *too* clean and start blowing dirt out of a vacuum. As the camera backs up, the ceiling disappears, revealing the top of the set.

Quotes:

Lois: Drink your milk.
Dewey: It's lumpy.
Lois: Then chew it.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Lizzie McGuire: Lizzie in the Middle (#2.15)" (2002)

Soundtrack:

Show and Tell

Must see TV.

This is the only show that I cannot miss - even in re-runs. It is right up there along-side The Simpsons, 3rd Rock, and Married with Children for style, uniqueness and down-right hilariousness. The writing is amazing, the acting incredible and the characters have been mined from pure gold. I agree and disagree with the comparisons to the Simpsons. The shows are definitely on a par in terms of smarts and humor and the way the plots develop from seemingly random happenings are definitely similar. But to my mind the difference is in the way the jokes are presented: the Simpsons writers pummel you in the gut with punch after hilarious punch while the Malcolm writers hold your head and force you to watch while they cringe-fully punch each other. Genius pure Genius.