Malcolm in the Middle is an American television sitcom created by
Linwood BoomerLinwood Boomer is a Canadian-American television producer, writer, and actor. He is well known for playing the role of Adam Kendall on the drama Little House on the Prairie, and for creating the Fox sitcom Malcolm in the Middle....
for the
Fox NetworkFox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
. The series
was first broadcastA premiere is generally "a first performance". This can refer to plays, films, television programs, operas, symphonies, ballets and so on. Premieres for theatrical, musical and other cultural presentations can become extravagant affairs, attracting large numbers of socialites and much media...
on January 9, 2000, and ended its six-and-a-half-year run on May 14, 2006, after seven seasons and 151 episodes. The series received critical acclaim and won a
Peabody AwardThe George Foster Peabody Awards recognize distinguished and meritorious public service by radio and television stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals. In 1939, the National Association of Broadcasters formed a committee to recognize outstanding achievement in radio broadcasting...
, seven
Emmy AwardAn Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
s, one
Grammy AwardA Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
and was nominated for seven Golden Globes.
The series follows a family of six (later seven), and stars
Frankie MunizFrancisco "Frankie" Muniz IV is an American actor, musician, writer, producer, and racecar driver. He is known primarily as the star of the FOX television family sitcom Malcolm in the Middle. In 2003, he was considered "one of Hollywood's most bankable teens". In 2008, he put his acting career...
in the lead role of Malcolm, a more-or-less normal boy who tests at
geniusGenius is something or someone embodying exceptional intellectual ability, creativity, or originality, typically to a degree that is associated with the achievement of unprecedented insight....
level; he enjoys being smart but despises having to take classes for
gifted childrenGifted education is a broad term for special practices, procedures and theories used in the education of children who have been identified as gifted or talented...
, who are mocked by the other students who call them "Krelboynes".
Jane KaczmarekJane Frances Kaczmarek is an American actress. She is best known for playing the character of Lois on the television series Malcolm in the Middle. Kaczmarek is a three-time Golden Globe and seven-time Emmy Award nominee...
is Malcolm's overbearing, authoritarian mother, Lois, and
Bryan CranstonBryan Lee Cranston is an American actor, voice actor, writer and director. He is best known for his roles as Hal the father in the Fox situation comedy Malcolm in the Middle, and Walter White in the AMC drama series Breaking Bad, for which he won three consecutive Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama...
plays his disengaged but loving father Hal.
Christopher MastersonChristopher Kennedy Masterson is an American actor known most for his role as Francis on Malcolm in the Middle.- Early life :Masterson was born to Peter and Carol Masterson on Long Island, New York, on January 22, 1980...
plays eldest brother Francis, a former rebel who, in earlier episodes, was in military school, but eventually marries and settles into a steady job.
Justin BerfieldJustin Tyler Berfield is an American actor, writer and producer, best known for his portrayal as Malcolm's 2nd-oldest brother, Reese, in Malcolm in the Middle...
is Malcolm's dimwitted older brother Reese, a schoolyard bully who tortures Malcolm at home even while he defends him at school. Younger brother Dewey, genius musician, is portrayed by
Erik Per SullivanErik Per Sullivan is an American actor best known for his role as Dewey, the younger brother to middle child Malcolm, on the FOX series, Malcolm in the Middle which was on air for 6 years.-Personal life:...
. For the first couple of seasons, the show's focus was on Malcolm. As the series progressed, however, it began to explore all six members of the family rather equally. A fifth son—Jamie—was introduced as a baby toward the series' conclusion.
It was produced by
Satin CityLinwood Boomer is a Canadian-American television producer, writer, and actor. He is well known for playing the role of Adam Kendall on the drama Little House on the Prairie, and for creating the Fox sitcom Malcolm in the Middle....
and
Regency TelevisionRegency Television is a joint-venture between Regency Enterprises and Fox Television Studios founded in 1998. Regency's best-known TV shows include The WB sci-fi drama Roswell and the Fox sitcoms Malcolm in the Middle and The Bernie Mac Show....
in association with
Fox Television StudiosFox Television Studios, Inc. is the TV production arm of the News Corporation's Fox Entertainment Group, as well as being the production arm of Fox and a production arm of 20th Century Fox Television, Inc., itself a division of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation...
(syndicated by Fox corporate sibling
20th Television20th Television is an American television production and syndication company that was formed in 1992 by 20th Century Fox Film Corporation, a division of the Fox Entertainment Group, part of News Corporation....
).
The series has proven popular worldwide and has been syndicated in 57 countries. In the United States, it had been syndicated in the daytime on FX and at nighttime on
NickelodeonNickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
's sister channel
TeenNickTeenNick, formerly The N, is an American television network aimed at the teenage market. TeenNick is owned by the MTV Networks subsidiary, Viacom. The channel was originally known as The N from its April 1, 2002 launch until September 28, 2009....
, as well as local stations. In the United Kingdom, it originally aired on Sky1, its
HDHD may refer to:- Science and technology :* High-definition, reference to:** high-definition video** high-definition television ** Intel High Definition Audio** HD Voice...
counterpart and
Sky2Sky2 is a British television channel originally launched on 2 December 2002 as Sky One Mix. Sky2 is now available on Sky, Virgin Media, Smallworld Cable and TalkTalk TV platforms in the UK. It is also available in the Republic of Ireland on the UPC Ireland platform.-Rebrand:Sky One Mix was...
, however after Sky stopped airing repeats of the show, the rights were bought by Channel 5 (UK) and are now shown on 5*. It had also been syndicated on
Network TenNetwork Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
in Australia (originally airing on the
Nine NetworkThe Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
). The series was cancelled in 2006
Premise
The show is about a boy named Malcolm and his
dysfunctional familyA dysfunctional family is a family in which conflict, misbehavior, and often abuse on the part of individual members occur continually and regularly, leading other members to accommodate such actions. Children sometimes grow up in such families with the understanding that such an arrangement is...
. The show stars
Frankie MunizFrancisco "Frankie" Muniz IV is an American actor, musician, writer, producer, and racecar driver. He is known primarily as the star of the FOX television family sitcom Malcolm in the Middle. In 2003, he was considered "one of Hollywood's most bankable teens". In 2008, he put his acting career...
as Malcolm, the third of four (later five, then six) boys, his brothers and their parents, Lois (
Jane KaczmarekJane Frances Kaczmarek is an American actress. She is best known for playing the character of Lois on the television series Malcolm in the Middle. Kaczmarek is a three-time Golden Globe and seven-time Emmy Award nominee...
) and Hal (
Bryan CranstonBryan Lee Cranston is an American actor, voice actor, writer and director. He is best known for his roles as Hal the father in the Fox situation comedy Malcolm in the Middle, and Walter White in the AMC drama series Breaking Bad, for which he won three consecutive Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama...
). The oldest, Francis (
Christopher MastersonChristopher Kennedy Masterson is an American actor known most for his role as Francis on Malcolm in the Middle.- Early life :Masterson was born to Peter and Carol Masterson on Long Island, New York, on January 22, 1980...
), was sent away to
military schoolA military academy or service academy is an educational institution which prepares candidates for service in the officer corps of the army, the navy, air force or coast guard, which normally provides education in a service environment, the exact definition depending on the country concerned.Three...
, leaving at home his three younger brothers, Reese (
Justin BerfieldJustin Tyler Berfield is an American actor, writer and producer, best known for his portrayal as Malcolm's 2nd-oldest brother, Reese, in Malcolm in the Middle...
), Malcolm and Dewey (
Erik Per SullivanErik Per Sullivan is an American actor best known for his role as Dewey, the younger brother to middle child Malcolm, on the FOX series, Malcolm in the Middle which was on air for 6 years.-Personal life:...
), Malcolm being the middle child still at home (hence the show's title). In season four, the character Jamie (James and Lukas Rodriguez) was added to the show as the fifth son. The show's early seasons centered on Malcolm dealing with the rigors of being an adolescent and enduring the eccentricities of his life. Later seasons gradually explored the other members of the family and their friends in more depth, including others such as Craig Feldspar, Stevie Kenarban, and Stevie's dad Abe.
The series was different from many others in that Malcolm
broke the fourth wallAn aside is a dramatic device in which a character speaks to the audience. By convention the audience is to realize that the character's speech is unheard by the other characters on stage. It may be addressed to the audience expressly or represent an unspoken thought. An aside is usually a brief...
by talking directly to the viewer, all scenes were shot using a
single cameraThe single-camera setup, or single-camera mode of production, is a method of filmmaking and video production. A single camera—either motion picture camera or professional video camera—is employed on the set and each shot to make up a scene is taken individually...
and the show employed neither a
laugh trackA laugh track is a separate soundtrack invented by Charles "Charley" Douglass, with the artificial sound of audience laughter, made to be inserted into television programming of comedy shows and sitcoms.The term "laugh track" does not apply to the genuine audience laughter on shows that shoot in...
nor a live studio
audienceAn audience is a group of people who participate in a show or encounter a work of art, literature , theatre, music or academics in any medium...
. Emulating the style of hour-long dramas, this half-hour show was shot on film instead of video. Another unique aspect of the show is that the
cold openA cold open in a television program or movie is the technique of jumping directly into a story at the beginning or opening of the show, before the title sequence or opening credits are shown...
of every episode is unrelated to the main story. Exceptions were episodes which were the conclusions of "two-parters"; each part two episode opened with a recap of its part one episode.
The family
- Malcolm (Frankie Muniz
Francisco "Frankie" Muniz IV is an American actor, musician, writer, producer, and racecar driver. He is known primarily as the star of the FOX television family sitcom Malcolm in the Middle. In 2003, he was considered "one of Hollywood's most bankable teens". In 2008, he put his acting career...
) is the title character of the series. Malcolm is a genius, and because of this, is placed in a class for gifted students (or Krelboynes as they are known at the school). His intelligence, as well as feelings of not fitting in, and his ego are the primary causes of most problems he faces throughout the series. As the title suggests, Malcolm is the middle child of the family, third-born of four at the start of the series, later of five after the birth of Jamie and apparently six after the last episode. His best friend is Stevie, a wheelchair-bound fellow Krelboyne with a severe breathing problem. Malcolm is shown to be going to classes in Harvard in the last episode, earning his way by mopping the halls.
- Lois (Jane Kaczmarek
Jane Frances Kaczmarek is an American actress. She is best known for playing the character of Lois on the television series Malcolm in the Middle. Kaczmarek is a three-time Golden Globe and seven-time Emmy Award nominee...
) is the hot-headed and stubborn mother of Francis, Reese, Malcolm, Dewey, and Jamie, and wife of Hal. She struggles throughout the series to keep her badly behaved boys in check while maintaining a job at a Lucky Aide drugstore. She is seen by her sons as a somewhat tyrannical figure, a crazed control freak, and indeed she is, but her behavior was caused by Francis's bad behavior as a toddler.
- Hal (Bryan Cranston
Bryan Lee Cranston is an American actor, voice actor, writer and director. He is best known for his roles as Hal the father in the Fox situation comedy Malcolm in the Middle, and Walter White in the AMC drama series Breaking Bad, for which he won three consecutive Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama...
) is the somewhat childish but caring father of Francis, Reese, Malcolm, Dewey, and Jamie and husband to Lois. He is a lighter touch with the boys than Lois, but can still hand out discipline when necessary. Hal seems constantly on the edge of some kind of breakdown; when things get to be too much, he often goes into a howling, wailing state of panic and frustration.
- Reese (Justin Berfield
Justin Tyler Berfield is an American actor, writer and producer, best known for his portrayal as Malcolm's 2nd-oldest brother, Reese, in Malcolm in the Middle...
) is the most impulsive member of the family and has remarkably little common sense. He is the older brother of Malcolm, Dewey, and Jamie and younger brother to Francis. Throughout the series, he is shown to be a bully, getting much enjoyment from the misfortune of others and handing out beatings to students at school and to his younger brothers at home. Despite being remarkably unwilling to think, he enjoys cooking and baking—which he is shown to be very talented at on many occasions—and a natural born soldier.
- Dewey (Erik Per Sullivan
Erik Per Sullivan is an American actor best known for his role as Dewey, the younger brother to middle child Malcolm, on the FOX series, Malcolm in the Middle which was on air for 6 years.-Personal life:...
) is the youngest brother of Malcolm, Reese, and Francis. His role is usually that of the victim to his brothers. Dewey is very intelligent, even being able to fool and manipulate Malcolm in later episodes. However, his real talent lies in music. Among other accomplishments, he has composed his own opera for his classmates to perform. Despite his intelligence, he is placed in a remedial class for slower students (or Buseys) due to a misunderstanding. This does little to affect his performance, though, and he actually makes the best of the situation by acting as their self-appointed teacher. By the seventh and final season of the show, it seemed to be implied that he was no longer in the Busey class. He was the youngest for several seasons, until Jamie was born.
- Francis (Christopher Kennedy Masterson
Christopher Kennedy Masterson is an American actor known most for his role as Francis on Malcolm in the Middle.- Early life :Masterson was born to Peter and Carol Masterson on Long Island, New York, on January 22, 1980...
) is the oldest brother. Due to his extremely bad behavior, he is sent to a military school in the U.S state of AlabamaAlabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, run by the strict Commandant Spangler (Daniel von BargenDaniel von Bargen is an American film, stage, and television actor.Best-known for his roles as Mr. Kruger on Seinfeld and Commandant Edwin Spangler on the TV comedy Malcolm in the Middle, Von Bargen's film credits include RoboCop 3, Basic Instinct, Broken Arrow, Universal Soldier: The Return,...
). He is there when the series begins. Francis remains at the school until the beginning of the third season, when he has himself legally emancipatedAn emancipated minor is a minor who is allowed to conduct a business or any other occupation on their own behalf or for their own account outside the influence of a parent or guardian. The minor will then have full contractual capacity to conclude contract with regard to the business. Whether...
and travels to AlaskaAlaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
to work at a logging camp. Here he meets and marries Piama (Emy ColigadoEmy Coligado is an American actress, known for her role as Piama Tananahaakna on the sitcom Malcolm in the Middle.Coligado was born in Geneva, Ohio, and lived in Borger in the Texas Panhandle. She attended Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, where she studied psychology...
), a woman of Inuit heritage. When the camp closes, he later moves to a Wild West-themed hotel and ranch in the western U.S. called the Grotto, run by kindly but eccentric German Otto Mannkusser and his wife Gretchen. According to Hal, Francis' first words were directed at Lois: "You shut up."
- Jamie (James and Lukas Rodriguez) is the youngest brother until the very last episode. Despite his infancy, he is already shown to have some of his brothers' habits such as stealing and rudeness to his mother.
Recurring characters
- Craig Lamar Traylor
Craig Lamar Traylor is an American actor. He made his debut in an episode of ER in 1996. He is best known for his role as Stevie Kenarban, the asthmatic boy in a wheelchair, and the title character's friend in the Fox situation comedy Malcolm in the Middle...
as Stevie Kenarbin, Malcolm's best friend who's in the krelboyne class and is in a wheelchair.
- David Anthony Higgins
David Anthony Higgins is an American comedic actor, best known for playing the roles of Craig Feldspar from Malcolm in the Middle and Mr. Bitters from Big Time Rush....
as Craig Feldspar, Lois' overweight coworker, who has a crush on Lois.
- Emy Coligado
Emy Coligado is an American actress, known for her role as Piama Tananahaakna on the sitcom Malcolm in the Middle.Coligado was born in Geneva, Ohio, and lived in Borger in the Texas Panhandle. She attended Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, where she studied psychology...
as Piama Tananahaakna, Francis' wife. She is an InuitThe Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
Native American and does not get along well with Lois.
- Eric Nenninger
Eric John Nenninger is an American actor, best known for playing Scott Braddock in the 2003 horror film, Jeepers Creepers II and for his recurring role as Cadet Eric Hanson on Malcolm in the Middle.-Biography:...
as Eric Hanson, Francis' friend from military school who, along with Francis, went to Alaska.
- Kenneth Mars
Kenneth Mars was an American television, movie, and voice actor. He may be best-remembered for his roles in several Mel Brooks films: the insane Nazi playwright Franz Liebkind in 1968's The Producers, and the relentless Police Inspector Hans Wilhelm Fredrich Kemp in 1974's Young Frankenstein...
as Otto Mannkusser, Francis' boss who owns the ranch he works at after he leaves Alaska.
- Evan Matthew Cohen
Evan Matthew Cohen is an American child actor best known for his performances in Malcolm in the Middle, Soccer Dog: The Movie, and Fillmore!. Cohen is Jewish and currently attends Penn State University.-External links:...
, Kyle SullivanKyle Russell Sullivan is an American actor, known for appearing on the TV series All That and the Fox sitcom The War at Home....
, Kristin Quick, Will Jennings and Victor Z. Isaac all play krelboynes from Malcolm's class.
- Gary Anthony Williams
Gary Anthony Williams is an American screen actor who most recently appeared in Weeds and Boston Legal. Additionally, he is known for his recurring role on Fox's Malcolm in the Middle as "Abe" Kenarban. He has also been known for the comedy series Blue Collar TV as a regular cast member...
as Abe Kenarbin, Stevie's overprotective father and Hal's best friend.
- Daniel von Bargen
Daniel von Bargen is an American film, stage, and television actor.Best-known for his roles as Mr. Kruger on Seinfeld and Commandant Edwin Spangler on the TV comedy Malcolm in the Middle, Von Bargen's film credits include RoboCop 3, Basic Instinct, Broken Arrow, Universal Soldier: The Return,...
as Commandant Edwin Spangler, the head of Marlin Academy.
- Cloris Leachman
Cloris Leachman is an American actress of stage, film and television. She has won eight Primetime Emmy Awards—more than any other performer—and one Daytime Emmy Award...
as Grandma Ida, Lois' mother and Malcolm's grandmother. She despises Francis and Lois. The whole family hates her. She lost her leg saving Dewey.
- Meagen Fay
Meagen Fay is an American actress.A native of Chicago, in the early 1980s Fay was a featured cast member at The Second City. Her first television role was in the 1987 television series Ohara....
as Gretchen Mannkusser, Otto's wife who helps out at the ranch.
- Kasan Butcher, Drew Powell
Drew Powell is an American actor. He he is best known for his role as Hoss Cartwright on the PAX series The Ponderosa, and for his guest roles on Malcolm in the Middle and Leverage.-Life and career:...
, Arjay SmithArjay L. Smith is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his teenage role portraying the titular character of the Nickelodeon children's television series, The Journey of Allen Strange. Most recently, he portrayed terrorist Laurent Dubaku during Season 7 of the Fox thriller/drama 24...
and Karim Prince-Roles:*General Hospital *Self Medicated *CSI: Miami *They Shoot Divas, Don't They? *Family Law *How to Make a Monster *FreakyLinks*Buffy the Vampire Slayer...
all play Francis' friends at Marlin Academy.
- Sandy Ward, John Ennis, Richard Gross and Christopher Michael Moore all play Francis' friends at the Alaskan logging camp.
- Dan Martin, Jonathan Craig Williams, Edward James Gage and Alex Morris all play Hal's poker friends.
- Chris Eigeman
Chris Eigeman is an American actor best known for roles in the Whit Stillman films Metropolitan, Barcelona, and The Last Days of Disco....
as Lionel Herkabe, the second teacher of the krelboyne class and a former krelboyne himself. Despite sharing many of the same personality traits, he and Malcolm hate each other.
- Brenda Wehle as Lavernia, Francis' first boss, a malevolent woman.
- Merrin Dungey
Merrin Dungey is an American film and television actress, best known for her roles on the television series The King of Queens, Alias and Summerland.-Early life:...
played two different, unrelated characters. In the pilot episode Dungey plays Malcolm's teacher before he transfers to the Krelboyne class. Later in the first season, she appears as Kitty Kenarbin, Stevie's mother who left him and Abe, but then returned.
- Todd Giebenhain as Richie, Francis' friend.
- Cameron Monaghan
Cameron Riley Monaghan is an American actor. He first appeared as Winthrop Paroo in the 2003 TV movie, The Music Man and appeared opposite Adam Sandler in the 2006 movie Click as Kevin O'Doyle. He made a few guest appearances on Malcolm in the Middle as Dewey's classmate Chad...
, Danny McCarthyDanny McCarthy is an American actor based in Chicago. Danny's role as Special Agent Danny Hale in Prison Break made him a familiar face nationwide. He has acted in plays with the Steppenwolf and the Famous Door, and has performed twice at the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland...
and Amy BrucknerAmelia Ellen "Amy" Bruckner is an American actress and singer noted for her roles in the Disney Channel shows Phil of the Future and American Dragon: Jake Long...
as Dewey's special ed class friends.
- Tania Raymonde
Tania Raymonde is an American actress. Raymonde's first prominent casting role was the recurring character of Cynthia Sanders in TV series Malcolm in the Middle between 2000–2003, followed by a popular role as Alex Rousseau in ABC's Lost from 2006 to 2010.She can currently be seen as UTF officer...
as Cynthia, a Krelboyne girl who had a crush on Malcolm and left for Europe but later returned. Her dad is played by Fred Sanders.
- Hayden Panettiere
Hayden Leslie Panettiere is an American actress and singer, best known as cheerleader Claire Bennet on the NBC television series Heroes. She began her acting career by playing Sarah Roberts on One Life to Live , and Lizzie Spaulding on Guiding Light , before starring at age 10 as Sheryl Yoast in...
as Jessica, a girl hired to babysit Reese, Malcolm, and Dewey who later ends up living on their couch after her dad is arrested.
- Landry Allbright
Landry Alexandra Allbright is an American film and television actress.Allbright was born in San Dimas, California. She got her start as the fifth Bridget Forrester on CBS's daytime soap The Bold and the Beautiful. She played Nicolas Cage's young daughter in the 1997 big screen hit Con Air...
as Julie Houlerman, a girl who Malcolm had a crush on.
- Julie Hagerty
Julie Hagerty is an American actress and former model.-Early life:Hagerty was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, the daughter of Harriet Yuellig, a model and singer, and Jerry Hagerty, a musician. Her brother Michael Hagerty was also an actor. Her parents later divorced. Hagerty attended Indian Hill High...
as Polly, Jamie's babysitter.
- Steve Vinovich
-Biography:Vinovich was born in Peoria, Illinois, the son of Jennie J. , a secretary, and Stephen J. Vinovich, an insurance salesman.-Filmography:*Cold Case *8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter...
as Mr. Hodges, a teacher (season 6) and later the school principal (season 7).
Episodes
| Season | Ep # | First Airdate | Last Airdate |
| Season 1 |
16 |
January 9, 2000 |
May 21, 2000 |
| Season 2 |
25 |
November 5, 2000 |
May 20, 2001 |
| Season 3 |
22 |
November 11, 2001 |
May 12, 2002 |
| Season 4 |
22 |
November 3, 2002 |
May 18, 2003 |
| Season 5 |
22 |
November 2, 2003 |
May 23, 2004 |
| Season 6 |
22 |
November 7, 2004 |
May 15, 2005 |
| Season 7 |
22 |
September 30, 2005 |
May 14, 2006 |
Opening titles
The opening titles feature short clips from cult films or television shows, edited together with clips from the early seasons of the TV series. The original opening includes, in order of appearance:
- Three men fighting a giant turtle: From One Million Years BC (1966)
- Grinning animated man in rain: Shiogami from the anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
Nazcais an anime series. It is about a group of people who are reincarnations of ancient Inca warriors who have returned to re-enact a civil war that resulted in the fall of the Inca Empire....
- The monster rising out of the ocean is the Kraken
Kraken are legendary sea monsters of giant proportions said to have dwelt off the coasts of Norway and Iceland.In modern German, Krake means octopus but can also refer to the legendary Kraken...
: From Clash of the TitansClash of the Titans is an American 1981 fantasy–adventure film involving the Greek hero Perseus. It was released on June 12, 1981 and earned a gross profit of $41 million domestically, on a $15 million budget , by which it was the 11th highest grossing film of the year. A novelization of the film...
(1981)
- Woman being held above a nest of hungry pterodactyls: From One Million Years BC (1966)
- Dimetrodon
Dimetrodon was a predatory synapsid genus that flourished during the Permian period, living between 280–265 million years ago ....
-like lizard crawling on rocks: From A Journey to the Center of the Earth
- Anime boy skateboarding: From the anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
Nazcais an anime series. It is about a group of people who are reincarnations of ancient Inca warriors who have returned to re-enact a civil war that resulted in the fall of the Inca Empire....
- Mud-monster grabbing a woman as she kisses a man: From Creature from the Haunted Sea
Creature from the Haunted Sea is a 1961 Horror comedy film directed by Roger Corman. Written by Charles B. Griffith, the film is a parody of spy, gangster, and monster movies , concerning a secret agent, XK150 , who goes under the code name "Sparks Moran" in order to infiltrate a...
(1961)
- Man ski-jumping
Ski jumping is a sport in which skiers go down a take-off ramp, jump and attempt to land as far as possible down the hill below. In addition to the length of the jump, judges give points for style. The skis used for ski jumping are wide and long...
while ignited in flames: Thrill Seekers
- Wrestling match: Bret Hart
Bret Hart is a Canadian on-screen personality, writer, actor and Semi-retired professional wrestler. Like others in the Hart wrestling family, Hart has an amateur wrestling background, including wrestling at Ernest Manning High School and Mount Royal College...
locking Chris BenoitChristopher Michael "Chris" Benoit was a Canadian professional wrestler whose career and life ended in a murder–suicide...
in the SharpshooterThe Sharpshooter, originally named Sasori-gatame, Scorpion Hold in English, is a professional wrestling submission hold. The move is also known by several other names: cloverleaf leg-lace Boston crab, standing reverse figure-four leglock, and, the most commonly known alternative, Scorpion Deathlock...
during the WCW World Heavyweight ChampionshipThe World Championship Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation . It existed within WCW between 1991 and 2001. Following the acquisition of WCW by World Wrestling...
Match at WCW Mayhem 1999Mayhem was a professional wrestling pay-per-view produced by World Championship Wrestling and held in the month of November in 1999 and 2000. It is noted for being the first wrestling pay-per-view named after a video game, rather than the video game named after a pay-per-view.- 1999 :Mayhem 1999...
PPVPay-per-view provides a service by which a television audience can purchase events to view via private telecast. The broadcaster shows the event at the same time to everyone ordering it...
in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
- Robot head being assembled: From the BBC series Out of the Unknown
Out of the Unknown is a British television science fiction anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and broadcast on BBC2 in four series between 1965 and 1971. Each episode was an independent dramatisation of a separate science fiction short story...
episode Liar!"Liar!" is a science fiction short story by American writer Isaac Asimov. It first appeared in the May 1941 issue of Astounding Science Fiction and was reprinted in the collections I, Robot and The Complete Robot . It was Asimov's third published positronic robot story...
(1969)
- Man attacking giant brain with an axe: From The Brain from Planet Arous
The Brain from Planet Arous is a 1957 science-fiction film that features the theme of alien possession.-Plot:An outer-space terrorist from a planet named Arous - a brain-shaped creature named Gor - arrives on Earth and possesses young scientist Steve March...
(1957)
- Boxer knocking out
A knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...
referee: CubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n Pedro Cardenas fighting Canadian Willie DeWitt but accidentally KOing referee Bert Lowes instead, during the 1982 North American Championships in Las Vegas.
Filming
The house that was used for external shots is privately owned, and is situated in the Studio City district of Los Angeles, at 12334 Cantura Street; it can be seen in
Google Street ViewGoogle Street View is a technology featured in Google Maps and Google Earth that provides panoramic views from various positions along many streets in the world...
. Although the show always depicted the house as being in a quiet suburban neighborhood, in reality it is only one block away from a busy, pedestrian-friendly stretch of the famous
Ventura BoulevardVentura Boulevard is one of the primary east–west thouroughfares in the San Fernando Valley, USA; as it was originally a part of the El Camino Real , Ventura Boulevard is one of the oldest routes in the San Fernando Valley. It was also U.S...
.
Filming also took place at
20th Century Fox StudiosTwentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
– 10201-Pico Boulevard in the Century City district of Los Angeles; at
Walter Reed Middle SchoolWalter Reed Middle School is located in North Hollywood in Los Angeles, California, United States. Originally called North Hollywood Junior High School, it was later renamed in honor of U.S. Army Major Walter Reed....
in Los Angeles and in
Santa Clarita, CaliforniaSanta Clarita is the fourth largest city in Los Angeles County, California, United States and the twenty-fourth largest city in the state of California. The 2010 US Census reported the city's population grew 16.7% from the year 2000 to 176,320 residents. It is located about northwest of downtown...
. There are several instances where California license plates are visible, including the family vehicle in "(Traffic Jam)". In "Stock Car Races," when Hal and the boys are entering a race track, the billboard behind the entrance displays the place as
Irwindale SpeedwayToyota Speedway at Irwindale is a motorsports facility located in Irwindale, California, United States. It features banked, paved 1/2- and 1/3-mile oval tracks and a 1/8-mile drag strip. It opened on March 27, 1999, as Irwindale Speedway and held that name until Toyota purchased the naming rights...
, a real
race trackA race track is a purpose-built facility for racing of animals , automobiles, motorcycles or athletes. A race track may also feature grandstands or concourses. Some motorsport tracks are called speedways.A racetrack is a permanent facility or building...
in Southern California. In seasons six and seven, however, the license plates on the cars are from
OklahomaOklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
("Hal's Christmas Gift" and "Malcolm Defends Reese"). The last episode in the first season ("Waterpark") was filmed at a waterpark called "Wild Rivers" located in Irvine, California, but in the episode the waterpark was called "Wavetown USA". Many of the "Lucky Aide" store scenes were done at a Drug Emporium that used to be at 6020
Lankershim-Geography:Lankershim Boulevard starts off at San Fernando Road in the Sun Valley portion of the San Fernando Valley. In addition to Sun Valley, it runs through North Hollywood and Universal City. It runs for about 7.3 miles before ending directly south of Ventura Boulevard...
in the North Hollywood district of Los Angeles.
Music
The show's
theme songTheme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...
, "
Boss of Me"Boss of Me" is a song by alternative rock band They Might Be Giants. The song was written as the theme song for the television show Malcolm in the Middle, and was released as the single from the soundtrack to the show. In 2002, "Boss of Me" won the band their first Grammy Award, in the category of...
", was written and recorded by the alternative rock group
They Might Be GiantsThey Might Be Giants is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years Flansburgh and Linnell were frequently accompanied by a drum machine. In the early 1990s, TMBG became a full band. Currently, the members of TMBG are...
. The song won the "Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media" award at the 2002 Grammy Awards. The band also performed nearly all of the
incidental musicIncidental music is music in a play, television program, radio program, video game, film or some other form not primarily musical. The term is less frequently applied to film music, with such music being referred to instead as the "film score" or "soundtrack"....
for the show in its first two seasons.
Mood setting music is sprinkled throughout the series, in replacement of the laugh track, in a way that resembles feature film more than other TV sitcoms. Some examples of this highly varied music include
ABBAABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...
,
Basement JaxxBasement Jaxx are a British electronic dance music duo from London, England consisting of Felix Buxton born 1971 and Simon Ratcliffe born 1 December 1969. They first rose to popularity in the late 1990s...
,
Sum 41Sum 41 is a Canadian rock band from Ajax, Ontario. The band was formed in 1996 and currently consists of members Deryck Whibley , Tom Thacker , Jason McCaslin and Steve Jocz .In 1999, the band signed an international record deal with Island Records...
,
Kenny RogersKenneth Donald "Kenny" Rogers is an American singer-songwriter, photographer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur...
,
Lords Of AcidLords of Acid is a Belgian-American post-industrial/techno band, led by musician Praga Khan. They debuted with the controversial new beat single "I Sit on Acid" in 1988...
,
The Getaway PeopleThe Getaway People is a musical group formed in 1994 in Stavanger, Norway. A modified version of their song "Six Pacs" from the album Turnpike Diaries was used as the theme song for the TV series Young Americans. Their song "Good Life" from the same album has been covered by Jesse McCartney...
,
En VogueEn Vogue is an American female R&B vocal group from Oakland, California assembled by music producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy.The group has won more MTV Video Music Awards than any other female group in MTV history, a total of seven, along with four Soul Train Awards, six American Music...
,
Phil Collins Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
,
Quiet RiotQuiet Riot is an American Heavy Metal band. They are best known for their hit singles "Metal Health" and "Cum On Feel the Noize". They were founded in 1973 by guitarist Randy Rhoads and bassist Kelly Garni, under the original name Mach 1, before changing the name to Little Women and finally Quiet...
,
QueenQueen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
,
TitánTitán is a Mexican electronic band formed in 1992 from the industrial band Melamina Ponderosa, where Emilio Acevedo and Julián Lede first met each other, later Jay de la Cueva joined the band....
and
Citizen KingCitizen King was an American music group from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, whose style was a mix of hip-hop, soul and punk. They are best known for their top 40 hit "Better Days ", which peaked at #25 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1999....
whose song "Better Days" is played at the end of both the pilot episode and the series finale. The Southern California pop-punk band Lit have many of their songs featured in several episodes. Lit songs that were never released as singles were also used.
A soundtrack,
Music from Malcolm in the MiddleMusic from Malcolm in the Middle is the soundtrack to the television series, Malcolm in the Middle released on November 21, 2000.-Track listing:#"Boss of Me" - They Might Be Giants #"Washin' + Wonderin'" - Stroke 9...
, was released on November 21, 2000.
Home media
Only the first season of Malcolm in the Middle has been released on DVD. Season 2 was going to be released in autumn 2003, but was cancelled due to high costs of music clearances.
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment20th Century Fox Home Entertainment is the home video distribution arm of the 20th Century Fox film studio. It was established in 1976 as Magnetic Video Corporation, and later as 20th Century Fox Video, CBS/Fox Video and FoxVideo, Inc....
announced The re-released of Malcolm in the Middle Seasons 1-7 and The Complete series on DVD.
| DVD name | Release date | Ep # | # of Discs | Additional information |
| The Complete First Season |
October 29, 2002 |
16 |
3 |
Extended pilot episode, A Stroke of Genius featurette, commentary on select episodes, gag reel, deleted scenes, alternate show openings, bloopers, Dewey's Day Job featurette. |
On October 2, 2011, all seven seasons of the show were made available to view on
NetflixNetflix, Inc., is an American provider of on-demand internet streaming media in the United States, Canada, and Latin America and flat rate DVD-by-mail in the United States. The company was established in 1997 and is headquartered in Los Gatos, California...
's subscription internet streaming service.
Ratings
The show quickly gained a large viewer base, starting off with ratings of 23 million for the debut episode and 26 million for the second episode.
Fox shuffled the show's air time repeatedly to make room for other shows, eventually giving it a free pass in its seventh and last season. On January 13, 2006, Fox announced that the show would be moving to 7:00 pm on Sundays effective January 29, 2006. On January 17, 2006, Fox announced the cancellation of the series, with the 151st and
final episodeA series finale refers to the last installment of a series with a narrative presented through mediums such as television, film and literature. In many Commonwealth countries, the term final episode is commonly used in regards to a television series...
airing at 8:30 pm ET/PT (the show's original timeslot) on May 14, 2006. The finale was watched by 7.4 million.
| Season |
Season Premiere |
Season Finale |
TV Season |
Ranking |
Viewers
(in millions) |
| 1st |
January 9, 2000 |
May 21, 2000 |
2000 |
#18 |
15.2 |
| 2nd |
November 5, 2000 |
May 20, 2001 |
2000–2001 |
#22 |
14.5 |
| 3rd |
November 11, 2001 |
May 12, 2002 |
2001–2002 |
#25 |
13.0 |
| 4th |
November 3, 2002 |
May 18, 2003 |
2002–2003 |
#43 |
10.7 |
| 5th |
November 2, 2003 |
May 23, 2004 |
2003–2004 |
#71 |
8.4 |
| 6th |
November 7, 2004 |
May 15, 2005 |
2004–2005 |
#99 |
5.6 |
| 7th |
September 30, 2005 |
May 14, 2006 |
2005–2006 |
#127 |
3.8 |
In Australia, in 2001 Malcolm in the Middle premiered on
Channel NineThe Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
, Monday nights at 8:00 pm It rated strongly, with the help from its lead in
FriendsFriends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
, which at the time rated 2,279,000, 2,031,000 and 2,410,000 as the night's most watched show, and year's 2nd most watched TV program. Malcolm in the Middles ratings included 1,952,000,
1,925,000, 1,712,000, 1,644,000, and sometimes rating over the 2 million mark: 2,002,000, 2,008,000.
In France, the show first aired daily at 8 pm in December 2001, on M6, but did not find its public and was quickly off schedule. Then, when the show made its comeback in the summer of 2003 at noon, it had a big success. The last seasons had over 1.5 million viewers and a share sometimes over 30%. Due to the show's popularity, the network is currently still broadcasting reruns.
In the UK, in April 2001, 6 months after it was shown on Sky1 it premiered on terristrial television on BBC2 at 6:45 pm on Fridays, where the first episode gained 3.3 million. With the success of the first season, season 2 was moved to prime-time the following year at 8:30 pm. It is now shown weekdays on 5* which began January 3, 2011.
In
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, the channel Canal 5 still playing reruns of the series daily from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm, four episodes in a row. The show first aired back on 2001 at 3:00 pm and have had many changes since then, crossing over the channel 4 of the same network, and gained high ratings ever since and still.
Awards and nominations
Jane KaczmarekJane Frances Kaczmarek is an American actress. She is best known for playing the character of Lois on the television series Malcolm in the Middle. Kaczmarek is a three-time Golden Globe and seven-time Emmy Award nominee...
and
Cloris LeachmanCloris Leachman is an American actress of stage, film and television. She has won eight Primetime Emmy Awards—more than any other performer—and one Daytime Emmy Award...
gained the highest honors in the cast for being nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award every year they appeared on Malcolm in the Middle. Cloris Leachman succeeded in winning 2002 and 2006. The show won a total of 7 Emmys during its seven year run.
Syndication
The show entered local syndication one month before the sixth season premiered on
FoxFox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
. When the show entered syndication all of the TV-14 episodes had to be changed to TV-PG since they did not meet the syndication standards for a TV-14 rating. The show was launched on
Nick at NiteNick at Nite is the nighttime Cable network that broadcasts over the channel space of Nickelodeon on Sundays from 8.p.m.-7.am., Monday through Fridays from 9 p.m.-7 a.m. and Saturdays from 10 p.m.-6 a.m. . Though it shares channel space with Nickelodeon, A.C. Nielsen Co...
on July 5, 2009 at 8:00 pm with an all night marathon. However, Nick at Nite used the changed ratings to keep the show family friendly and remove adult content from the episodes. When Nick at Nite pulled Malcolm it began airing on
TeenNickTeenNick, formerly The N, is an American television network aimed at the teenage market. TeenNick is owned by the MTV Networks subsidiary, Viacom. The channel was originally known as The N from its April 1, 2002 launch until September 28, 2009....
from November 26, 2010 and continued until December 2010. On July 18, 2011, the show returned to TeenNick's line-up. On September 26, 2011, Malcolm in the Middle began airing on
IFCThe Independent Film Channel is an American cable TV network that airs independent film and related programming. IFC programming includes commercially interrupted feature-length films, original documentaries, shorts, animated series, original series, acquired series, and content exclusively for...
.
In the UK, the show was originally aired on BBC2. It was later moved to Sky1 and is currently shown on Fiver (at 6:00 pm and again at about 7:30 pm).
External links
Malcolm in the Middle Voting Community Malcolm France