Malcolm in the Middle - A retrospective

What with it being just over 8 years since the finale (INSANE, I know) that aired May 2006, it seems as good a time as any to talk about one of my favourite shows of all time. I started watching Malcolm in the Middle pretty much as soon as it started airing in the UK. The show aired on both Sky1 & BBC2. I have been a massive Simpsons fan since forever and by this time I was already obsessed with Buffy, both of which aired on these channels, so it was only a matter of time until I stumbled across Malcolm in the Middle.

Needless to say, it was love at first watch. MITM is one of those shows that has multiple levels, meaning that as I grew up watching it, the more of it I understood. The content is accessible to the vast range of audiences (not dissimilar to the way The Simpsons is) and has allowed for years of happy re-watching. One thing that strikes me, especially today, is that MITM is so incredibly different to other comedies on TV both then and now. The humor often boarders on serious levels of darkness all the while maintaining a consistently entertaining piece of television. 

It kind of goes without saying how insanely good the casting was too. Everybody loves Bryan Cranston now for Breaking Bad, but lets not forget the comedic gold he produced in his role as Hal. His portrayal flawlessly bridges the gap between the child orientated and more adult orientated aspects of the show. Then there is Jane Kaczmarek as Lois, who in my opinion is revolutionary in her rejection of stereotypical female tropes in comedies and brings something completely new to the table. Lois is the unequivocal leader of the household and dispels the idea of patriarchy. Frankie Muniz, Christopher Masterson, Justin Berfield & Eric Per Sullivan make up the remainder of the household (even though Francis hardly lives there during the entirety of the series) for the majority of the show until the addition of Jamie in season 5. The cast has a fantastic chemistry that just naturally flows, they were perfectly selected & the way they were written was and remains to be brilliant. The show also features numerous superb guest stars too vast in numbers to list, although I'd like to mention Christopher Lloyd (one of my favourite actors) as Hals father as a particular highlight for me. 

"Malcolm" is a multi-faceted anomaly in terms of trying to pigeon hole it into a box regarding it's themes. It is so many things. An in depth look at family and relationships. A look at the American working class. A look at growing up. It is neither one nor the other, and that is what makes it so great. It doesn't really follow conventional sitcom ideals from the time.Unlike a lot of family sitcoms (both then and now), both children/teenagers and adults are on a level. "Malcolm" is much more honest in the way it represents family and human relationships generally.