What's so great about shows like Malcolm In The Middle is that they don't shy away from being completely bonkers. They proper go for it, diving in head first and leaving the audience confused - stunned, even. It's the broader minded folks who don't let that get in the way of ploughing through the initial stage of overwhelming weirdness to go on and discover what's undeniably one of the funniest and most inventive sitcoms to have ever been shown on our teleboxes. While it had a few rough patches where it seemed to lose its footing momentarily, for the most part it stayed true to its characters and, most importantly, kept on being funny.
It broke the rules and chose not to be your average sitcom. Right from the start we had Malcolm talking directly to us, the viewers, while everyone around him remained completely oblivious. It was a great way of showing us instantly that we were going to get told stories from some unconventional perspectives and it allowed the creators to do a bunch of truly inventive stuff, like base an entire episode around how one situation could have played out in two entirely different ways. But episodes like this wouldn't have worked if it wasn't for the coming together of a collection of vital ingrediants that made Malcolm In The Middle as unique as it was. Let's cast our minds back...
The editing
It's quite normal for sitcoms to be 'safe' - you sit down, watch some unlikely scenarios play out, laugh at a few jokes (sometimes you're even helped out with a bit of canned laughter) and then you leave it behind, until the next time. Very few break that mould. Malcolm is one of the ones that did. Whip pans, amusing sound effects and whacky camera tricks added to the 'silly-vibe' the gags already gave the show. And to finish off, nothing signifies the end of a brilliant episode as brilliantly as the sound of a door slamming shut in your face.
The Music
Although the music and its licencing costs were the reason the show didn't appear on DVD for so long, it's responsible for many of the show's most hilarious montages. Whether we were watching a selection of Hal's best dance moves or some clips of the boys concocting another one their notorious dastardly plans, the music always managed to suit the visuals perfectly, giving any comic moments that extra push that make you quite literally LOL. The official soundtrack contains 17 pieces of music used in the series by artists such as They Might Be Giants, Travis & The Getaway People.
The attitude
It was definitely a show teenagers could enjoy the most - it knew it was cool and inventive and hip and different and that people who weren't all of those things would be scared of it. But, adults and even younger children could watch it too - together! There were visual hijinks and wordy wisecracks, as well as a healthy dose of sex and violence and irresponsible behaviour, but there was also a whole lot of heart behind everything that went on and many important lessons learnt along the way.
The characters
It has been said that Malcolm In The Middle is as close as you can come to a live action version of 'The Simpsons'. All the characters' reactions to what was going on around them may have been exagerated at times (indeed, it was a comedy!), but they remained believable - they really existed. Malcolm the clever kid, Dewey his peculiar little brother, Reese his violent older brother, Hal his whacky Dad and Louis his psychotic mother. With such a vast array of characters of all ages, you had everything on
offer! Whatever you enjoyed in a comedy could be found in this show; the parents and all the very real problems they faced, the kids with
their genuine struggles at school and with growing up, and then there was
also the middle ground too - the young adult, Francis the oldest brother, who's determined to be a
rebel. The jokes weren't saved for just these folks though, as most of the minor characters also had their moments in the spotlight. Craig was a favourite. In any other show he could have ended up being that fat bastard we all point and laugh at, but here he's more than that.
The stories
It tackled subjects that other comedies would struggle to keep funny, such as death, racism, abuse, harassment and debt. True to life, yet completely absurd. It was quite serial in places, remembering well what had come before, and this was crucial - the whole cast was growing up! The show differentiated itself by taking on multiple stories in one go which, sometimes, quite pleasingly, had a habit of coming together at the very end of an episode. Francis, the older brother, was rarely at home and had his own stroies set in his own little bubble. Whereas the rest of the family had to make do with the same setting episode after episode. Amazingly however, the route a tale would take was mostly unpredictable. The writers clearly got a kick out of chucking in little unexpected twists and turns, which highlighted just how bloody clever the series actually was. It tended to make you laugh but also make you think. There's not too many shows, and not many comedies, that are able to do that.
If you've never paid any attention to it, now's your chance! Malcolminthemiddle.co.uk reported in February that "Season 1 of Malcolm in the Middle will be released on DVD in the UK (Region 2) in April 2012, followed by a season a month until a final box-set near Christmas 2012." It's about time. Pick up the first season here.
Season 5 is where it gets iffy for a little while, but get through it and things soon begin to improve again. The series most certainly ends on a high. And if you're not a fan of child actors, don't fear - these ones are brilliant!
Season 5 is where it gets iffy for a little while, but get through it and things soon begin to improve again. The series most certainly ends on a high. And if you're not a fan of child actors, don't fear - these ones are brilliant!
Roo