Premise: A kid genius stuck in a white trash crazy family. His older brother meanwhile chucked over to military school.Back then: January 19, 2000
It was going to be in the fall season but it went mid-season. Malcolm, Reese, and Dewey did the last-ever Fox Kids fall lineup special. A special that networks do to show all the new cartoons. Networks rarely do it anymore. On the first season, there was Malcolm's teacher-- Caroline Miller (Catherine Burns) was quickly kicked off. Critics say because one of the original writers left, the show fell as well. The first season was more like looking within, like it was all set in the past, that Malcolm was meant to be great.
Now: Series Finale: May 14
It hasn't stopped being funny and being creative. For example, one episode Malcolm formed the opposite of the Prom--the Morp (episode before the last), where freaks and geeks have an anti-prom. And in other episodes, Hal had to convince Dewey to stop smoking. As for the characters, Malcolm has become a sore looser, no longer the smartest pencil. Dewey has become the most talkative and the most whiny. They gained a fifth child--Jamie, a non-talkative wonder tot. The oldest son Frances has gotten married to a Native American Piama (Emy Coligado) and barely gets any screen time. In fact, the actor Christopher Masterson directed an episode. Ironically, his brother and girlfriend's show That 70's show is also saying godbye. One of the episodes that was potient but little mentioned is the Thanksgiving episode that aired November 2003 where Malcolm skips family dinner and ruins a good one by showing up drunk after declining a girl's offer to have sex (she drops a condom on him).
Overall, I love the show. It's smart, funny and an inventive sitcom. It still didn't loose the gleam. It's just, you can't get over that the kids have grown up. Sadly, like much FOX shows, no one will notice it is gone or that it is even still on the air.
Related Topic: Series Finales-bonanza
