Malcolm in the Middle
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Malcolm in the Middle | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Format | Sitcom |
| Created by | Linwood Boomer |
| Starring | Frankie Muniz Jane Kaczmarek Bryan Cranston Christopher Masterson Justin Berfield Erik Per Sullivan Catherine Lloyd Burns (2000) |
| Opening theme | "Boss of Me" by They Might Be Giants |
| Country of origin |  United States |
| No. of seasons | 7 |
| No. of episodes | 151 (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Camera setup | Single camera |
| Running time | 22 minutes (without ads) 30 minutes (with ads) |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | FOX |
| Original run | January 9, 2000 – May 14, 2006 |
| External links | |
| Official website | |
| IMDb profile | |
| TV.com summary | |
Malcolm in the Middle is a seven-time Emmy-winning,[1] one-time Grammy-winning[1] and seven-time Golden Globe-nominated[1] critically-acclaimed American sitcom created by Linwood Boomer for the Fox Network. The series was first broadcast on January 9, 2000, and ended its six-and-a-half-year run on May 14, 2006, after seven seasons. It now can be viewed on the FX Network (United States), YTV (Canada) and local networks in syndication.
Contents |
[edit] Premise
The show starred Frankie Muniz as Malcolm, the third-born of 4, then 5 later in the series, sons of Lois (Jane Kaczmarek) and Hal (Bryan Cranston). The eldest, Francis (Christopher Masterson), was shipped off to military school, leaving 3 brothers: Reese (Justin Berfield), Malcolm, Dewey (Erik Per Sullivan) and starting in season four Jamie (James and Lukas Rodriguez) living at home, Malcolm being the middle child still at home (hence the show's title). The show's early seasons centered on Malcolm and the rigors of being an adolescent genius and enduring an eccentric, although eerily normal, life. Later seasons gradually explored the other members of the family and their friends in more depth.
The series was different from many others in that Malcolm broke the fourth wall and talked directly to the viewer; it was shot using a single camera; and it used neither a laugh track nor a live studio audience, just sound effects. Emulating the style of hour-long dramas, this half-hour show was shot on film instead of video. Another unique aspect is that the cold open of every episode is unrelated to the main story. Exceptions were episodes which were the conclusions of "two-parters"; these episodes opened with a summary of part one and Bryan Cranston (Hal) saying "Previously on Malcolm in the Middle" in a humorous manner.
[edit] Characters
[edit] Main characters
Originally there were 4 brothers (although Malcolm's oldest brother attended a military school away from home, so Malcolm was still the middle sibling left at home). The fifth child was introduced in the show's fourth season but his conception was not mentioned until Season 5. The boys are, from eldest to youngest: Francis, Reese, Malcolm, Dewey, and Jamie. In the last episode Lois discovered she was pregnant with a sixth child.
- Malcolm, played by Frankie Muniz
- Lois, played by Jane Kaczmarek.
- Reese, played by Justin Berfield.
- Hal, played by Bryan Cranston.
- Dewey, played by Erik Per Sullivan.
- Francis, played by Christopher Masterson.
[edit] Recurring characters
- Craig Feldspar, portrayed by David Anthony Higgins, is Lois' neurotic, though well-intentioned, co-worker at the Lucky Aide. It was made obvious on numerous occasions that Craig is in love with Lois, and he even told her so when he thought he was going to die. He appears frequently in the show, especially during later seasons, as his character becomes more entwined with Lois and her family. After entrusting his house and cat ("Jelly Bean") to Dewey's care while he is away, and the resulting fire that destroys it, he lives with Malcolm's family for a short time until the boys' scheme to cover their tracks ends up getting him out. The series ends with Reese moving out of the house and becoming Craig's roommate.
- Stanley, played by Karim Prince was a cadet at the academy, friend, and somewhat of a body guard for Francis during the first season.
- Stevie Kenarban, played by Craig Lamar Traylor. Malcolm's best friend. Stevie first meets Malcolm in the pilot; they are in the same accelerated class through middle school and most of high school. Stevie is a wheelchair user and has severe asthma, and only one lung, causing him to have difficulty speaking. Stevie has a sarcastic side and has also outsmarted Malcolm and Reese on numerous occasions.
- Lloyd and Dabney, played by Evan Matthew Cohen and Kyle Sullivan, are Malcolm and Stevie's Krelboyne classmates and best friends for the first four seasons of the show. As Krelboynes (gifted students), Lloyd and Dabney are often bullied by their classmates (including Reese), and they often suffer the consequences of schemes they help Malcolm with. Like Malcolm's other Krelboyne friends, Lloyd and Dabney appear less frequently during the show's fourth season, eventually leaving Stevie as Malcolm's only friend.
- Abraham "Abe" Kenarban, played by Gary Anthony Williams. Abe is the devoted father to Stevie and husband to Kitty. He is also Hal's best friend and enjoys playing poker with him and his other friends: Trey, Brian, Malik, and Steve.
- Richie, played by Todd Giebenhain, is Francis's best friend before military school, and Francis often visits Richie on his trips back home during the first three seasons. He is a delinquent who was eventually shipped off to military school with Francis. It is never explained why Richie disappears or why Francis never sees him again after the third season.
- Kitty Kenarban, played by Merrin Dungey. Stevie's mother and Abe's wife. Kitty is generally soft-spoken and doesn't normally punish her son due to his disability. Kitty disappears from the series after the third season premiere and it is revealed that she becomes a porn star and deserts her family. She returns in season six, however, hoping to reform herself. (In the pilot episode Dungey plays a different character: Malcolm's teacher, before he transfers to the Krelboyne class.)
- Caroline Miller, played by Catherine Lloyd Burns, Malcolm's teacher, appears in most of the first-season and two of the second-season episodes. She was very passionate about her job and had Malcolm's best interests at heart. She disappeared from the series after giving birth in the school parking lot.
- Commandant Edwin Spangler, played by Daniel von Bargen. The strict and hard-nosed military veteran in charge of the cadets at Marlin Academy. He suffers from dozens of injuries and is missing an eye; ironically none of these are combat-related, as he has never served in wartime. For the first two seasons and beginning of season three, Francis was Spangler's most rebellious student and clashed with him on many occasions. Halfway through the third season, Francis' desertion from the academy caused Spangler's life to go downhill as Francis stood out as his only failure. Spangler is fired from the academy, tracks Francis to Alaska, and attempts to kill him at first. Francis eventually finds Spangler a new job at a retirement home where the Commandant will be able to boss around the senior citizens.
- Cadet Eric Hanson, played by Eric Nenninger. Francis' fellow cadet at the academy and friend for the first three seasons. Eric was Francis's reluctant sidekick and normally suffered the consequences of the antics caused by Francis. On several occasions, Eric has mentioned that he has two fathers. At the start of season three, Eric turns eighteen, drops out of the academy, and goes to work in an Alaskan lodge. Francis emancipates himself and follows soon after, but both of them learn that their job isn't as great as they hoped. Francis eventually gets a job at a ranch, but Eric is left behind to hitchhike on the highway. His fate is unknown.
- Cynthia, played by Tania Raymonde, is a new Krelboyne girl who joins Malcolm's class in the episode "Krelboyne Girl". She has a crush on Malcolm.
- Lavernia, played by Brenda Wehle, is Francis' cruel, heartless boss at the Alaskan lodge. Lavernia rules over her workers with an iron fist, charging her employees instead of paying them. Eventually she closes down the lodge and fires her workers when a mining company buys out the land.
- Lionel Herkabe, played by Chris Eigeman, Malcolm's teacher, is divorced and in debt though he used to be a dot-com millionaire. He was a Krelboyne like Malcolm and manipulates Malcolm for his own purposes.
- Victor and Ida, played by Robert Loggia and Cloris Leachman respectively, are Lois's dysfunctional parents, introduced in the episode "The Grandparents". Ida is depicted as greedy, chain-smoking, manipulative, racist, and quick to take offense. The only good deed she has ever done is saving Dewey from being run over by a truck; this resulted in her suffering the loss of one of her legs. Victor's background is obscure, except for mention that he left home at a young age and that he was in "the war." Ida often refers to a hard life growing up in "The Old Country" and going through "a camp". While they speak with Slavic accents and appear to be from somewhere in Eastern Europe, their exact nationality is never specified, and may be intended to be fictional. However, an episode which centers on a fictitious "St. Grotus Day" feast, appears to take place in a Croatian community center, with a Croatian flag and a poster of Zagreb Cathedral on the wall. Victor, who had died by the time Ida made her second appearance on the season 3 episode "Christmas," had been keeping second family a secret from Lois and her sister Susan (Laurie Metcalf)[2]: He had run off and married a good-natured Canadian woman, played by Betty White. In the episode "Victor's Other Family," it was further revealed that Victor wasn't Lois' biological father.
- Piama Tananahaakna, played by Emy Coligado, is Francis's wife; she appears for the first time in "Hal's Birthday". She was 19 when they got married and has been married before. Her mother moved away long ago and her father kicked her out when she was 14. After being mistreated by Hal's family at Hal's birthday party, Lois treats Piama a bit better. She later comes to work for the Mannkussers. She mostly serves as a voice of reason between Francis and his family. Although it has never been directly stated (Francis says she's "fiery" in "Hal's Birthday"), she is very much like Lois.
- Otto Mannkusser, played by Kenneth Mars. Francis's German boss and sidekick for the fourth and fifth seasons. Otto is in charge of The Grotto, a dude ranch (named after the two in the episode "Zoo", Otto says "She is Gretchen, I am Otto - Grotto") . Otto is married to Gretchen and has an estranged son. Otto is gullible and a bit of a pushover; he hires too many employees and gives them extra vacation days. However, after Francis works on the ranch for a little over two years, Otto fires him when the ATM that Francis was depositing his funds into wasn't really an ATM. In German, his last name means literally, "man kisser". In the German version of the show, the Mannkussers are Swedes.
- Gretchen Mannkusser, played by Meagen Fay, is the wife of Otto and the co-runner of the Grotto. She is a kind and caring woman. As Otto explained to Francis, their marriage was by deceit: Gretchen was actually the girlfriend of Otto's best friend, but Otto loved her as well. When they were planning to elope, Gretchen's intended arranged for her to meet him at a rendezvous point, but he lied about the actual location and said he would meet her at the train station in Berlin. When his friend didn't show up, Otto came and comforted her and they married. They had a son named Rutger.
- Jessica, played by Hayden Panettiere is a teenage girl who temporarily lived with the family in later seasons, sleeping on their couch, after her dad threw her out. She proved to be as scheming, conniving and manipulative as any of the boys. She once convinced Malcolm that Reese was gay, and vice versa.
[edit] Main crew
- Executive Producer: Linwood Boomer
- Co-Executive Producers: Matthew Carlson, Eric Kaplan, Jay Kogen, Gary Murphy, Michael Glouberman, Alex Reid and Rob Ulin
- Supervising Producer: Jennifer Celotta.
- Consulting Producers: Neil Thompson, David Sacks
[edit] Guest stars
- Main article: List of Guest Stars in Malcolm in the Middle
[edit] 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 |
[edit] Mysterious surname
During the first season, the writers decided to keep the family's last name a mystery. However, a last name had already been revealed on the show. In the pilot episode, as Francis speaks to his mother on the phone, his name tag says 'Wilkerson'. There was also a joke in the original pilot script that was cut -- Malcolm, walking to school, is confronted by a kid who says "Malcolm, Malcolm, Malcolm. I was talking to my parents last night - I was listening to them talk, and what's your last name?" "Wilkerson, why?" Malcolm replied. "Oh. Who are the Pariahs?" said the kid.[3]
Francis had his picture in his military school yearbook under the name "Pete Zahut". Reese was able to join the Army with the presumably fake last name of Jetson.
In the series finale (Graduation), Francis' employee badge falls out of his pocket and the camera close-up reveals 'Nolastname' in the place where his last name would go. In the same episode when Malcolm was introduced to give the graduation speech, the speaker announces Malcolm's name, but microphone feedback makes his surname inaudible.[4]
Also, in the documentary about the series, A Stroke of Genius, a shot is shown of the front page of the pilot script, which shows the family surname as 'Wilkerson'.
In the episode set on Hal's company picnic day, a new employee addresses Hal as "Mr. Landon", confusing Hal with Hal's boss, while Hal tries to avoid the new employee.
During episodes on BBC2 on Thursday night shows at 12-1 AM in 2008 the broadcasters state the family's name as either Walkerson or Wilkerson
[edit] Production
[edit] 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. These include, in order of appearance:
- Three women fighting a giant turtle: From One Million Years BC (1966)[5]
- Grinning anime boy in rain: Shiogami from anime Nazca[5]
- The monster rising out of the ocean is the Kraken: From Clash of the Titans (1981)[5]
- Woman being held above a nest of hungry pterodactyl: From One Million Years BC (1966)[5]
- Anime guy skateboarding: From the anime Nazca[5]
- Mud-monster grabbing a woman as she kisses a man: From Creature From The Haunted Sea (1961)[6]
- Man ski-jumping while ignited in flames: Thrill Seekers[citation needed]
- Wrestling match: Canadian Bret Hart wrestling Canadian Chris Benoit (locking him in his finishing move, The Sharpshooter), during the WCW World Heavyweight Championship Match at WCW Mayhem PPV in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.[5]
- Francis examining his repair work after having his hair removed in the second season episode "The Bully"[citation needed]
- Robot head being assembled: From the BBC series Out of the Unknown episode Liar! (1969)[7]
- Man attacking giant brain with an axe: From The Brain from Planet Arous[5]
- Boxer knocking out referee: Cuban Pedro Cardenas fighting Canadian Willie DeWitt but accidentally KOd referee Bert Lowes instead, during the 1982 North American Championships in Las Vegas.[5]
[edit] Setting
The setting of the show has never been revealed, though their street address - 12334 Maple Blvd Millbrook. - was identified in episode 81 ("Reese's Party"). The house which is used for external shots is privately owned, and is situated in Studio City, California, at 12334 Cantara Street. [8] As well, filming took place at 20th Century Fox Studio - 10201 Pico Blvd, Century City, Santa Clarita and Walter Reed Middle School.[9] 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 Speedway, a real race track in Southern California. In seasons six and seven, however, the license plates on the cars are from Oklahoma ("Hal's Christmas Gift" and "Malcolm Defends Reese"). The episode "Waterpark" (which was the last episode in the first season) was filmed at a waterpark called "Wild Rivers" located in Southern California, but in the episode the waterpark was called "Wavetown USA". In the episode "Monkey" when Reese gets an honour from the police, the hat he is seen wearing has the letters MPD on it, suggesting the name of the city begins with the letter M.
[edit] Music
The show's theme song, "Boss of Me", was written and recorded by the alternative rock group They Might Be Giants. The song won the "Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media" award at the 2002 Grammy Awards.[1] The band also performed nearly all of the incidental music 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 ABBA, Basement Jaxx, Sum 41, Kenny Rogers, Lords Of Acid, En Vogue, Phil Collins, Quiet Riot, Queen, and Citizen King 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 Middle, was released on November 21, 2000.[10]
[edit] DVD release
Only the first season of Malcolm in the Middle has been released on DVD. Season 2 was going to be released in Fall 2003 but was cancelled due to high costs of music clearances.[11]
| DVD Name | Release date | Ep # | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Complete First Season | October 29, 2002 | 16 | 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. |
[edit] Reception
[edit] Ratings
As a midseason replacement for Futurama, the show quickly gained a large viewer base, starting off with ratings of 23 million for the debut episode[12] and 26 million for the second episode.[13]
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. After moving to Fridays at 8:30 p.m. next to The Bernie Mac Show, Malcolm in the Middle averaged fewer than 3.5 million viewers a week, making it Fox's lowest-rated show. On January 13, 2006, Fox announced that the show would be moving to 7:00 on Sundays effective January 29, 2006. On January 17, 2006, Fox announced the cancellation of the series, with the 151st and final episode airing at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT (the show's original timeslot) on May 14, 2006.
In Australia, in 2002 Malcolm in the Middle premiered on Channel Nine, Monday nights at 8:00 p.m. It rated strongly, with the help from its lead in Friends, 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 Middle's ratings included 1,952,000, 1,925,000, 1,712,000, 1,644,000... Sometimes rating over the 2 million mark: 2,002,000, 2,008,000.
In France, the show first aired daily at 8 p.m. in December 2001, on M6, but didn't 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 %. Nowadays, the channel is still programming reruns of the show because of its good performances.
[edit] Notable Awards
Jane Kaczmarek and Cloris Leachman 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.[1]
| Name | Year | Category | Notes | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Globe Awards | 2001 | Best Television Series - Musical Or Comedy | ||
| Golden Globe Awards | 2001 | Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series - Musical Or Comedy | Jane Kaczmarek | Nominated |
| Golden Globe Awards | 2001 | Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series - Musical Or Comedy | Frankie Muniz | Nominated |
| Golden Globe Awards | 2002 | Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series - Musical Or Comedy | Jane Kaczmarek | Nominated |
| Golden Globe Awards | 2002 | Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series - Musical Or Comedy | Frankie Muniz | Nominated |
| Golden Globe Awards | 2003 | Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series - Musical Or Comedy | Jane Kaczmarek | Nominated |
| Golden Globe Awards | 2003 | Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television | Bryan Cranston | Nominated |
- 2001
- Peabody Award Win
| Name | Year | Category | Notes | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primetime Emmy Awards | 2000 | Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series | Bea Arthur as Mrs. White | Nominated |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | 2000 | Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series | Jane Kaczmarek as Lois | Nominated |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | 2001 | Outstanding Comedy Series | Nominated | |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | 2001 | Outstanding Guest Actor In A Comedy Series | Robert Loggia as Grandpa Victor | Nominated |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | 2001 | Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series | Cloris Leachman as Ida | Nominated |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | 2001 | Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series | Frankie Muniz as Malcolm | Nominated |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | 2001 | Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series | Jane Kaczmarek as Lois | Nominated |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | 2002 | Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series | Susan Sarandon as Meg | Nominated |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | 2002 | Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series | Cloris Leachman as Ida | Won |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | 2002 | Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series | Jane Kaczmarek as Lois | Nominated |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | 2002 | Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series | Bryan Cranston as Hal | Nominated |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | 2003 | Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series | Cloris Leachman as Ida | Nominated |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | 2003 | Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series | Jane Kaczmarek as Lois | Nominated |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | 2003 | Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series | Bryan Cranston as Hal | Nominated |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | 2004 | Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series | Cloris Leachman as Ida | Nominated |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | 2004 | Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series | Jane Kaczmarek as Lois | Nominated |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | 2004 | Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series | Cloris Leachman as Ida | Nominated |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | 2005 | Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series | Jane Kaczmarek as Lois | Nominated |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | 2005 | Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series | Cloris Leachman as Ida | Nominated |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | 2006 | Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series | Jane Kaczmarek as Lois | Nominated |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | 2006 | Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series | Cloris Leachman as Ida | Won |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | 2006 | Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series | Bryan Cranston as Hal | Nominated |
| Name | Year | Category | Notes | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | 2000 | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series | Jane Kaczmarek as Lois | Nominated |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | 2002 | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series | Jane Kaczmarek as Lois | Nominated |
[edit] International Broadcasts
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[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e Awards list. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved on 2007-04-24.
- ^ Malcolm in the Middle: Victor's Other Family - TV.com
- ^ [1] "Malcolm in the Middle" at IMDB
- ^ Malcolm In The Middle, Fox, "Graduation", May 14, 2006, Production #722, Episode #151
- ^ a b c d e f g h IMDB Trivia. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved on 2008-01-05.
- ^ B Monster Bulletin. The Astounding B Monster Archive. Retrieved on 2008-01-05.
- ^ Out of the Unknown - Clips guide. Zeta Minor. Retrieved on 2008-01-05.
- ^ The actual House location. Malcolm in the Middle Voting Community.
- ^ Filming locations for Malcolm in the Middle. IMDB.
- ^ Malcolm in the Middle SoundTrack. SoundTrackNet (2001).
- ^ Lambert, David (2003-11-30). Malcolm in the Middle - Season 2 (plus Other Shows) Hamstrung by Music Clearances. TVShowsOnDVD.com. Retrieved on 2007-04-24.
- ^ Josef Adalian and Michael Schneider (2000-01-18). Sitcom savior?. Variety.com. Retrieved on 2007-04-25.
- ^ Matt Webb Mitovich. News.
[edit] External links
| Preceded by Survivor: The Australian Outback 2001 |
Super Bowl lead-out program 2002 |
Succeeded by Alias 2003 |
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