Malcolm in the Middle - wikipedia Malcolm in the Middle Malcolm in the Middle Genre Sitcom Created by Linwood Boomer Developed by Linwood Boomer Michael Glouberman Andy Bobrow Gary Murphy Starring Jane Kaczmarek Bryan Cranston Christopher Masterson Justin Berfield Erik Per Sullivan Frankie Muniz Catherine Lloyd Burns James and Lukas Rodriguez Opening theme `` Boss of Me '' by They Might Be Giants Ending theme `` Boss of Me '' ( instrumental ) Country of origin United States Original language ( s ) English No. of seasons 7 No. of episodes 151 ( list of episodes ) Production Executive producer ( s ) Linwood Boomer Co-executive producers : Michael Glouberman Alex Reid Neil Thompson Andrew Orenstein Matthew Carlson Eric Kaplan Camera setup Panavision ; Single - camera Running time 21 -- 23 minutes Production company ( s ) Satin City Regency Television Fox Television Studios Distributor 20th Century Fox Television Distribution Release Original network Fox Picture format 480p 4 : 3 ( SDTV ) 1080p 16 : 9 ( HDTV ) Audio format Dolby Digital 5.1 Original release January 9, 2000 ( 2000 - 01 - 09 ) -- May 14, 2006 ( 2006 - 05 - 14 ) Malcolm in the Middle is an American television sitcom created by Linwood Boomer for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series was first broadcast on January 9, 2000, and ended its six - year run on May 14, 2006, after seven seasons and 151 episodes. The series received critical acclaim and won a Peabody Award, seven Emmy Awards, one Grammy Award, and seven Golden Globe nominations. The series follows a family of six, and later seven, and stars Frankie Muniz in the lead role of Malcolm Wilkerson, a somewhat normal boy who tests at genius level. While he enjoys his intelligence, he despises having to take classes for gifted children, who are mocked by the other students who call them `` Krelboynes ''. Jane Kaczmarek is Malcolm 's overbearing, authoritarian mother, Lois, and Bryan Cranston plays his immature but loving father, Hal. Christopher Kennedy Masterson 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 Berfield is Malcolm 's dimwitted older brother Reese, a cruel bully who tortures Malcolm at home, even while he defends him at school. Younger brother Dewey, bitter about his ruined childhood, smart, and musically talented, is portrayed by Erik Per Sullivan. At first, the show 's focus was on Malcolm, but as the series progressed, it began to explore all six members of the family. A fifth son, Jamie, was introduced as a baby at the end of Season 4. Malcolm in the Middle was produced by Satin City and Regency Television in association with Fox Television Studios ( syndicated by Fox corporate sibling 20th Television ). The show has proven popular worldwide and has been syndicated in 57 countries. In the United States, it had been syndicated during the day on FX and at night on Nickelodeon 's sister channel TeenNick, as well as local stations. It 's also currently being syndicated by IFC every Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday mornings at 8 : 00am EST. In the United Kingdom, it originally aired on Sky 1 then eventually began on BBC Two on 6 April 2001, its HD counterpart and Sky 2, however after Sky stopped airing repeats of the show, the rights were bought by Channel 5 and the show was shown on 5Star. Since 2015, the show airs on Comedy Central. In Ireland it aired on TV3 's sister channel 3e. It was also syndicated on Network Ten from 2009 to 2010 and on Eleven from February 2011 in Australia ( originally airing on the Nine Network, 2001 -- 2009 ) and on Comedy Central in India. In Canada, episodes were shown on the Global Television Network. The show received universal acclaim from critics and proved an extremely popular draw for the network. It was placed No. 88 on Entertainment Weekly 's `` New TV Classics '' list, and was named by Alan Sepinwall of HitFix as one of the 10 best shows in Fox network history. Contents 1 Premise 2 Characters 2.1 The Family 2.2 Other characters 3 Episodes 4 Production 4.1 Opening titles 4.2 Filming 4.3 Music 5 Broadcast and syndication 6 Home media releases 7 Reception 7.1 Ratings 7.2 Awards and nominations 8 Adaptation 9 Notes 10 References 11 External links Premise Set in the fictional town of Star City, California, The series Malcolm in the Middle is about a boy named Malcolm Wilkerson and his dysfunctional family. The show stars Frankie Muniz as Malcolm, the third of four and later five boys, his brothers, and their parents, Lois ( Jane Kaczmarek ) and Hal ( Bryan Cranston ). Their first child, Francis ( Christopher Masterson ), was sent away to military school, leaving his three younger brothers at home, Reese ( Justin Berfield ), Malcolm, and Dewey ( Erik Per Sullivan ) with Malcolm being the middle child still living at home. In season four, the character Jamie ( James and Lukas Rodriguez ) was added to the show as the fifth son of Hal & Lois. 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, Lois ' coworker at the Lucky Aide drugstore, Malcolm 's friend Stevie Kenarban, and Stevie 's dad Abe. The series was so much different from many others in that Malcolm broke the fourth wall by talking directly to the viewer, all scenes were shot using a single - camera setup, and the show employed neither a laugh track nor a live studio audience. Emulating the style of hour - long dramas, this half - hour show was shot on film instead of on video. Another distinctive aspect of the show is that the cold open 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. Characters Main article : Characters of Malcolm in the Middle The family Malcolm ( Frankie Muniz ) : the title character of the series. Malcolm is a genius with an IQ of 165 and a photographic memory. He 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 a large ego fueled by a cruel streak of snarkiness cause numerous problems for him over the course of the series. As the title suggests, Malcolm is initially the middle child of the three living at home ; chronologically, he is Hal and Lois ' third son. His best friend is Stevie Kenarban. In the series finale, he graduates from high school and starts attending a prestigious college by both scholarship and working various jobs, specifically as a janitor at Harvard University. Lois ( Jane Kaczmarek ) : The family 's hot - headed and stubborn mother. An intelligent and decisive woman, most of her bullishness comes from her constant battles throughout the series to keep her badly behaved, highly destructive boys in check, while maintaining a menial job at a Lucky Aide drugstore. Despite her constant aggressiveness, she is motherly and will defend her family fiercely, especially towards neighbors and others who view them as poor trash ; in one episode, she finds that Malcolm and Reese discovered their neighbor having an affair with her Hispanic gardener while they planned to frame her son for theft, but does n't punish them for their actions as this counted as revenge against the woman, who hated Lois. Lois is disliked by both Hal 's wealthy family and her own parents. She has a younger sister named Susan, who blames Lois for stealing Hal from her. Neighbors despise Lois and her boys and celebrate the weekends when they 're gone. In the series finale, she discovered that she and Hal are expecting a 6th child. Hal ( Bryan Cranston ) : Hal is Lois ' husband and father to Francis, Reese, Malcolm, Dewey, and Jamie. Hal is a well - meaning, loving, but inept and somewhat immature father, and is completely dependent on Lois, whom he loves absolutely. He comes from a wealthy family that does not accept Lois as his wife and wishes that he married Susan instead. Because his family is disrespectful towards Lois, he rarely mentions them and avoids his family. Hal loves his boys and will sometimes sneak them out for fun father - son activities behind Lois ' back. Hal is an indecisive character who frequently picks up new hobbies for short periods of time, such as speed walking, or painting, and is irresponsible with the money he earns from his low - paying desk job. His indecisiveness was explored in `` Living Will '' from a childhood which he had a hard time making decisions for himself and because of this, he always deferred to Lois to make them for him. In the series finale, he discovered that he and Lois are expecting a 6th child. Hal is also a sex addict, this was revealed in the episode `` Forbidden Girlfriend '' when Lois is taking medication and is unable to have sex for an entire week, it is mentioned again in the episode `` Poker 2 '' when Hal tells his friends he has sex 14 times per week. Hals best friend is Abe Kenarban. Francis ( Christopher Masterson ) : Hal and Lois ' first son. At the beginning of the series, he is attending military school in Alabama, run by the strict Commandant Spangler ( Daniel von Bargen ). It is shown that his parents enjoyed a promising middle - class, comfortable lifestyle before he was born and that he was such a difficult, destructive child that that dream soon ended. He has himself legally emancipated at the start of Season 3, leaves the school, and travels to Alaska. He finds work at a logging camp and later meets and marries Piama ( Emy Coligado ), a girl of Inuit heritage. When the camp closes, they move to the western United States and take jobs at a Wild West - themed hotel / ranch, run by kindly but eccentric German, Otto Mannkusser ( Kenneth Mars ), and his wife, Gretchen ( Meagen Fay ). Francis and his mother have a mutual love - hate war of wills and his main motivation in life is to thwart or irk her ( though, ironically, he marries a woman with the same personality as Lois. ) Although a juvenile delinquent, he is street - smart. Francis becomes a less frequently seen character after season 5, becoming an occasional recurring character and making only a small handful of appearances in Season 6 and the final Season 7. Whereas he was featured regularly in previous seasons as a side - story to the main family, Francis ' steady job disappeared in season 6 due to legal issues, and he returned to being a delinquent, leading a questionable and poor lifestyle with his wife, Piama, until it is revealed in the final episode of season 7, `` Graduation '', that Francis already has a steady desk job sorting out computers. He admits he likes his job to Hal, but also enjoys frustrating Lois by telling her that he 's unemployed. Also in the series finale, Francis and Piama are expecting their first child. Reese ( Justin Berfield ) : Hal and Lois ' second son. He is the older brother of Malcolm, Dewey, and Jamie, and younger brother of Francis. Reese is the most impulsive and physical of the boys. He lacks common sense, he is frequently outwitted and outspoken by other family members, and is gleefully violent. Despite being unwilling to think, Reese is as much a genius as his brothers, although in less traditional or obvious ways. Reese is better than Malcolm at devising plans, and is masterful at the rare things which can pin his drifting focus, such as driving, or when he 's revealed to be a Culinary prodigy, excelling at cooking and baking. In the series finale, he finally graduates from high school after intentionally failing many times before, he obtained full employment as a high school custodian, and shares an apartment with Craig. Dewey ( Erik Per Sullivan ) : Hal and Lois ' fourth son. He is the youngest child until the birth of Jamie, and often falls victim to his brothers ' pranks. Dewey is very intelligent and musically gifted. He plays the piano. He has a very high tolerance for pain due to years of physical and mental abuse from his brothers. Despite his intelligence, he is placed in a remedial class for slower students ( or `` Buseys '' ) due to a misunderstanding. Dewey remains in the class and serves as their self - appointed teacher. By the seventh and final season of the show, the Busey class is no longer mentioned. He is the only sibling that eventually breaks the cycle of abusing the younger sibling, which ends up with him acting like a normal, lovable brother towards Jamie. In the series finale, he along with Jamie are seen hiding under the table. Jamie ( James and Lukas Rodriguez ) : Hal and Lois ' fifth son, born at the end of Season 4. Despite his infancy, he is shown to already have some of his brothers ' habits, such as stealing and disrespecting Lois. He is shown to being the only child who is capable of defeating Lois. Like Malcolm and Dewey, Jamie is revealed to be very intelligent and takes advantage of his less intelligent older brother, Reese. In the series finale, he along with Dewey were seen hiding under the table. Other characters Craig Lamar Traylor as Stevie Kenarban, Malcolm 's best friend since childhood who 's in the Krelboyne class and is in a wheelchair. Stevie has difficulty breathing and is revealed in season 5 to have only one lung. He is socially awkward and has trouble making friends. David Anthony Higgins as Craig Feldspar, Lois 's overweight coworker at the Lucky Aide Drugstore, who has a secret crush on Lois. He is very geeky and self - absorbed and in the rare event he is given actual powers. he can also be as bossy as Lois, but much less competent as her. Craig also has a non-existent relationship with his estranged father, who is utterly obsessed with running his gym. Emy Coligado as Piama Tananahaakna, Francis ' wife. She is an Inupiat Alaska Native. She is a good wife to Francis and helps him resolve troublesome situations. Piama has the same type of fiery, unyielding personality as Francis ' mother, Lois, who initially dislikes Piama until a disastrous family reunion made her realize how unfair she was to Piama. Eric Nenninger as Eric Hanson, Francis ' somewhat naïve friend from military school who precedes Francis to Alaska. It is his call which brings Francis to Alaska. However, Eric is left to hitchhike back home possibly as revenge for suggesting that he and Francis find work in Alaska. Catherine Lloyd Burns as Caroline Miller, Malcolm 's `` overly earnest '' teacher. She ardently adores Malcolm due to his intelligence. Francis uses her adoration to pay a medical bill to stitch up Malcolm in one episode. She is the teacher of the Krelboynes in Seasons 1 and 2, at which time she is seen heavily pregnant. After she gives birth, Caroline leaves teaching. She was also the only non-family member to be credited as part of the main cast in the intro. Kenneth Mars as Otto Mannkusser, Francis ' boss who owns the ranch he works at after he leaves Alaska. He is of German descent and he is a naïve and kind - hearted person. Francis tries to protect Otto from being scammed by con - artists and helped him reconcile with his estranged son, Rutger. He is married to Gretchen. Evan Matthew Cohen, Kyle Sullivan, Kristin Quick, Will Jennings, and Victor Z. Isaac all play Krelboynes from Malcolm 's class. Gary Anthony Williams as Abe Kenarban, Stevie 's overprotective father and Hal 's best friend. Daniel von Bargen as Commandant Edwin Spangler, the head of Marlin Academy. He is missing his right eye, his left hand, and his ring finger on his right hand, and he actually never served war time. He despises Francis because he fought against him. In the end, he loses his other hand and later is fired from Marlin Academy. After arriving in Alaska, Francis gets Spangler a job at a retirement home, which gives him free rein to bully the elderly. Cloris Leachman as Grandma Ida, Lois ' mother and Malcolm 's grandmother. She despises Francis and Lois, except on one occasion when she was kind to Lois. Ida has one common interest with Francis : they both despise Lois for being a control freak. She is generally disliked by the family, bar Reese whom she clearly favors. She lost her leg saving Dewey from being hit by a truck, one of her few recorded good deeds. She once tried to sue Lois, her own daughter, for slipping on a leaf in the walkway of Lois ' house and becoming temporarily injured. She was foiled by Francis and the boys who gave their support their parents and the lawyer willingly abandons her. Ida favors Susan over Lois as she is more graceful and talented. Meagen Fay as Gretchen Mannkusser, Otto 's wife who helps out at the ranch. Karim Prince as Cadet Stanley, Marlin Academy student, Francis ' best friend and informal bodyguard during the show 's first season. Kasan Butcher, Drew Powell, and Arjay Smith 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 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, but on one occasion Herkabe was nice to Malcolm. He is also bossy, stubborn and sadistic. Herkabe loses his GPA award in light of his actions for flunking Gym. Brenda Wehle as Lavernia, Francis ' first boss, a malevolent woman. Merrin Dungey 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 Kenarban, Stevie 's mother who left him and Abe, but then returned. It is shown that Kitty is very overprotective of Stevie. Todd Giebenhain as Richie, Francis ' friend Cameron Monaghan, Danny McCarthy, and Amy Bruckner as Dewey 's special - ed class friends Tania Raymonde as Cynthia, a Krelboyne girl who had a crush on Malcolm but left for Europe and later returned. Her dad is played by Fred Sanders. Hayden Panettiere as Jessica, a girl hired to babysit Reese, Malcolm, and Dewey who later ends up living on their couch temporarily after her dad is arrested. Jessica is shown to be a very manipulative girl, once showing Malcolm how to emotionally manipulate Lois. She had been known to play tricks on Reese and Malcolm. Despite this, Jessica has a crush on Malcolm and has shown that she can be a loyal friend. Landry Allbright as Julie Houlerman, a girl whom Malcolm had a crush on Julie Hagerty as Polly, Jamie 's babysitter, who is extravagantly open about her personal problems and medical conditions. In one episode its revealed she has a sadistic, and somewhat threatening, ex-boyfriend named Danny, who only appears once in the show. They end up reconciling and getting back together. Steve Vinovich as Mr. Hodges, the school principal ( season 7 ) Episodes Main article : List of Malcolm in the Middle episodes Season Episodes Originally aired First aired Last aired 16 January 9, 2000 ( 2000 - 01 - 09 ) May 21, 2000 ( 2000 - 05 - 21 ) 25 November 5, 2000 ( 2000 - 11 - 05 ) May 20, 2001 ( 2001 - 05 - 20 ) 22 November 11, 2001 ( 2001 - 11 - 11 ) May 12, 2002 ( 2002 - 05 - 12 ) 22 November 3, 2002 ( 2002 - 11 - 03 ) May 18, 2003 ( 2003 - 05 - 18 ) 5 22 November 2, 2003 ( 2003 - 11 - 02 ) May 23, 2004 ( 2004 - 05 - 23 ) 6 22 November 7, 2004 ( 2004 - 11 - 07 ) May 15, 2005 ( 2005 - 05 - 15 ) 7 22 September 25, 2005 ( 2005 - 09 - 25 ) May 14, 2006 ( 2006 - 05 - 14 ) Production Opening titles The opening titles feature short clips from cult films or television shows, edited together with clips from the early seasons of the show, set to the song `` Boss of Me '' by They Might Be Giants. The original opening includes, in order of appearance : Three men fighting a giant Archelon : From One Million Years B.C. ( 1966 ) Grinning animated man in rain : Shiogami from the anime Nazca The monster rising out of the ocean is the Kraken : From Clash of the Titans ( 1981 ) Woman being held above a nest of hungry pterodactyls : From One Million Years B.C. ( 1966 ) Anime boy skateboarding : From the anime Nazca Mud - monster grabbing a woman as she kisses a man : From Creature from the Haunted Sea ( 1961 ) Man ski - jumping while ignited in flames : Thrill Seekers Wrestling match : Bret Hart locking Chris Benoit in the Sharpshooter during the WCW World Heavyweight Championship Match at WCW Mayhem 1999 PPV in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Robot head being assembled : From the BBC series Out of the Unknown episode `` Liar ! '' ( 1969 ) Man attacking giant brain with an axe : From The Brain from Planet Arous ( 1957 ) Boxer knocking out referee : Cuban Pedro Cardenas fighting Canadian Willie de Wit but accidentally KOing referee Bert Lowes instead, during the 1982 North American Championships in Las Vegas. Filming The house at 12334 Cantura Street as it appeared in 2009. Much of the filming for Malcolm in the Middle was done on location in various parts of the Thirty Mile Zone around Los Angeles. A privately owned home, located at 12334 Cantura Street in Toluca Lake, California, was rented for upwards of $3,000 a day to film as Malcolm 's house. Rebuilt in 2011, the property is no longer recognizable due to its modern two - floor design. However, the house directly to the left of it is nearly identical to what it looked like during filming, still making it a frequent stop for fans of the show. School scenes were filmed at Walter Reed Middle School, in North Hollywood, and the Lucky Aide was represented by a Drug Emporium at 6020 Lankershim Boulevard in North Hollywood. 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. The last episode in the first season ( `` Waterpark '' ) was filmed at a water park called Wild Rivers located in Irvine, California. It is never revealed which state the show is set in ( except for Francis ' whereabouts in early seasons, such as his military school in Alabama and his job in Alaska ). Studio filming for Malcolm in the Middle took place on Stage 21 at CBS Studio Center in Studio City. Chris Masterson would take a diminished role starting with Season 6 of the show in favor of getting behind the camera, directing and writing some episodes in Seasons 6 and 7. 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. 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 lieu of audience laughter, 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, Lemon Jelly, Lords of Acid, The Getaway People, En Vogue, Electric Light Orchestra, Fatboy Slim, Phil Collins, Tears for Fears, 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. Broadcast and syndication The show entered barter syndication one month before the sixth season premiered on Fox and was later aired on FX in the fall of 2007 until the fall of 2010. The show was launched on Nick at Nite on July 5, 2009 at 8 : 00 pm with an all night marathon. However, Nick at Nite aired the show with a PG rating and the episodes were either banned or heavily edited due to content that was too strong for the PG rating. When Nick at Nite pulled Malcolm it began airing on TeenNick from November 26, 2010 and continued until December 2010. The show returned to TeenNick 's line - up on July 18, 2011. On September 26, 2011, Malcolm in the Middle began airing on IFC. As of March 2013, the show has returned to TeenNick, airing weeknights at 10 : 00 pm ( EST ) and again at 10 : 30 pm ( EST ). Later during 2013 the show aired from 3 : 00 am ( EST ) till 5 : 00 am ( EST ), but has since switched to just a one - hour block from 4 : 00 am ( EST ) to 5 : 00 am ( EST ) after the 90 's Are All That block was pushed back an hour. The series has not been shown on TeenNick since May 2014. In the UK, the show was originally aired on Sky1 from September 3, 2000, later also airing on Sky2 and Sky3 before finally leaving all Sky channels in December 2010. It was also shown on BBC2 from April 6, 2001 until March 7, 2009. From January 3, 2011, it was shown on Fiver ( now 5 * ) at 6 : 00 pm and again at about 7 : 30 pm. By 2014 it was only being shown weekly on Saturday at 3 : 15 pm in the order originally broadcast, the last repeat of the show in the UK ( also the last ever episode produced ) was shown for last time on 5 * at 3 : 15 pm on Saturday January 18, 2014. In November 2015, the show started airing from its first episode sequentially on Comedy Central at 11am in the UK. On November 2, 2015 Family Channel in Canada started airing Malcolm in the Middle. In March, 2016 Fox Comedy in Portugal started airing Malcolm in the Middle. Home Media releases Only the first season of Malcolm in the Middle has been released on DVD in the U.S. Season 2 was set to be released in the fall of 2003, but was cancelled due to high costs of music clearances. DVD name Region 1 Region 2 Region 4 French release date Ep # # of discs Extras and notes The Complete First Season October 29, 2002 September 24, 2012 September 4, 2013 March 4, 2014 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. The Complete Second Season N / A November 19, 2012 September 4, 2013 Spring 2014 25 Still Gallery The Complete Third Season February 4, 2013 September 4, 2013 22 A Still Gallery is listed but is absent from the actual DVDs The Complete Fourth Season March 4, 2013 September 4, 2013 22 A Still Gallery is listed but is absent from the actual DVDs The Complete Fifth Season April 29, 2013 September 4, 2013 22 The Complete Sixth Season May 27, 2013 September 4, 2013 22 The Complete Seventh and Final Season October 7, 2013 September 4, 2013 22 The Complete Collection Box Set October 17, 2013 September 4, 2013 151 22 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, Season 2 Still Gallery. In February 2012, it was announced that Fabulous Films would be releasing the first season of the show in the UK in April, as well as releasing each subsequent season the following month, ending with a complete series set near Christmas 2012. However, in late March 2012, several retailers had removed the release date from their websites ; this was later revealed to be because of `` technical issues with the Masters '' and that the release date had been pushed back to June. Other seasons will now follow on either a monthly or bi-monthly basis. All the UK DVD releases are intact as originally aired with no cuts, with the original music, with the exception of one Season 3 episode `` Company Picnic '' which was originally aired as a one - hour special, before being re-edited and split into two parts for syndication. The DVD presents the syndicated version. All seven seasons as well as the complete series set were released in Australia in September 2013. The complete series set altered the separate seven season sets to fit into four volumes. A collector 's edition boxset which has the seasons split up instead of volumes was released subsequently in 2014. It features everything from the four - volume set and includes a bonus T - shirt. This set is exclusive to Australia. Reception Season one holds a Metacritic score of 88 out of 100, based on 25 reviews, indicating `` universal acclaim ''. Ratings The show started 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. On January 13, 2006, Fox announced that the show would be moving to 7 : 00 pm on Sundays effective January 29, 2006. The 151st and final episode aired 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 Timeslot Ranking Viewers ( in millions ) 1st January 9, 2000 May 21, 2000 1999 -- 2000 Sundays at 8 : 30 # 18 15.2 2nd November 5, 2000 May 20, 2001 2000 -- 01 # 22 14.5 3rd November 11, 2001 May 12, 2002 2001 -- 02 Sundays at 9 : 00 # 25 13.0 4th November 3, 2002 May 18, 2003 2002 -- 03 # 43 10.7 5th November 2, 2003 May 23, 2004 2003 -- 04 # 71 8.4 6th November 7, 2004 May 15, 2005 2004 -- 05 Sundays at 7 : 30 # 99 5.6 7th September 30, 2005 May 14, 2006 2005 -- 06 Fridays at 8 : 30 ( Episodes 1 - 11 ) Sundays at 7 : 00 ( Episodes 12 - 22 ) # 127 3.8 In Australia, in 2001 Malcolm in the Middle premiered on Channel Nine, Monday nights at 8 : 00 pm. 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, 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, six months after it premiered on Sky 1, the show premiered on terrestrial 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 : 35 pm. It was later shown weekdays on 5 *, beginning on January 3, 2011. In November 2015, Comedy Central UK picked up the series. In Mexico, the national channel Canal 5 began airing the show in 2001. It screens five - episode blocks of the series on weekdays from 7 : 00 pm to 9 : 20 pm. It is considered one of the favorite shows until today, still airing non-stop for 16 years. In Canada, the series aired on Global TV. YTV in Canada started airing the series from fall 2006 to 2009. It also aired on Much, & MTV2 and is currently airing on Family. Awards and nominations Main article : List of awards and nominations received by Malcolm in the Middle 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. Leachman succeeded in winning 2002 and 2006. The show won a total of 7 Emmys during its six - year run and a Peabody Award. Adaptation Russian channel STS made a shot - for - shot adaptation called Супер Макс ( English : Super Max ) that comprises 1 season so far. Notes ^ Current international prints of the show have the Fox Television Studios logo replaced by the 20th Century Fox Television logo. References Jump up ^ `` Awards list ''. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved April 24, 2006. Jump up ^ `` Malcolm in the Middle - BBC Two England - 6 April 2001 - BBC Genome ''. genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2017 - 01 - 13. Jump up ^ `` The New Classics : TV ''. Entertainment Weekly. June 18, 2007. Retrieved February 5, 2012. Jump up ^ Sepinwall, Alan ( April 18, 2012 ). `` The 10 best shows in FOX network history ''. HitFix. HitFix, Inc. Retrieved February 3, 2014. Jump up ^ Roman, James W. ( 2005 ). From Daytime to Primetime : The History of American Television Programs. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 119. ISBN 978 - 0 - 313 - 31972 - 3. Retrieved February 3, 2014. Jump up ^ Abbott, Jon ( October 3, 2006 ). Irwin Allen Television Productions, 1964 -- 1970 : A Critical History of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Lost in Space, The Time Tunnel and Land of the Giants. McFarland. p. 139. ISBN 978 - 0 - 7864 - 8662 - 5. Retrieved February 3, 2014. Jump up ^ Brown, Tom ( 2012 ). Breaking the Fourth Wall : Direct Address in the Cinema. Edinburgh University Press. p. 74. ISBN 978 - 0 - 7486 - 4425 - 4. Retrieved February 3, 2014. Jump up ^ Moore, Barbara ( January 1, 2006 ). Prime - time Television : A Concise History. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 47. ISBN 978 - 0 - 275 - 98142 - 6. Retrieved February 3, 2014. ^ Jump up to : Berman, Garry ( January 2011 ). Best of the Britcoms : From Fawlty Towers to The Office. Taylor Trade Publications. p. 18. ISBN 978 - 1 - 58979 - 566 - 2. Retrieved February 3, 2014. Jump up ^ Duffy, Mike ( April 26, 2000 ). `` ' Malcolm in the Middle ' rides to the rescue of the TV sitcom ''. Rome News - Tribune. Retrieved February 4, 2014. Jump up ^ Shuster, Fred ( August 19, 2001 ). `` ' Malcolm ' Power No Longer a Babe in the Woods, This Breakthrough Series Hits Its Growth Spurt ''. Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved November 30, 2014. Jump up ^ Epstein, Robert ( 2010 ). Teen Two Point Zero. Linden Publishing. p. 180. ISBN 978 - 1 - 61035 - 101 - 0. Retrieved February 3, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Block Party ''. Malcolm in the Middle. Season 4. Episode 8. January 4, 2004. Event occurs at 14 : 40. Fox Network. I have a photographic memory. I can picture everything I put in the car. Jump up ^ Kendall, Diana ( April 16, 2011 ). Framing Class : Media Representations of Wealth and Poverty in America. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 187. ISBN 978 - 1 - 4422 - 0225 - 2. Retrieved February 3, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Jane Kaczmarek as Lois in Malcolm in the Middle ''. The Comedy Channel. Foxtel. Retrieved February 4, 2014. Jump up ^ Terrace, Vincent ( November 6, 2008 ). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 ( 2 ed. ). McFarland. p. 4064. ISBN 978 - 0 - 7864 - 8641 - 0. Retrieved March 16, 2014. ^ Jump up to : Wittler, Wendell ( May 15, 2006 ). `` ' Malcolm in the Middle, ' but Francis in the end ''. Today.com. Retrieved March 16, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Emancipation ''. Malcolm in the Middle. Season 3. Episode 2. November 14, 2001. Fox Network. Jump up ^ `` Hal 's Birthday ''. Malcolm in the Middle. Season 3. Episode 15. March 3, 2002. Fox Network. Jump up ^ `` Zoo ''. Malcolm in the Middle. Season 4. Episode 1. November 3, 2002. Fox Network. ^ Jump up to : `` Justin Berfield as Reese in Malcolm in the Middle ''. The Comedy Channel. Foxtel. Retrieved February 4, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Reese Cooks ''. Malcolm in the Middle. Season 2. Episode 18. March 4, 2001. Fox Network. Jump up ^ `` Erik Per Sullivan as Dewey in Malcolm in the Middle ''. The Comedy Channel. Foxtel. Retrieved February 4, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Reese Joins the Army : Part 1 ''. Malcolm in the Middle. Season 5. Episode 21. May 16, 2004. Fox Network. Jump up ^ `` Dewey 's Special Class ''. Malcolm in the Middle. Season 5. Episode 18. May 2, 2004. Fox Network. Jump up ^ `` Baby : Part 2 ''. Malcolm in the Middle. Season 4. Episode 21. May 18, 2003. Fox Network. Jump up ^ `` Lois Battles Jamie ''. Malcolm in the Middle. Season 6. Episode 8. January 23, 2005. Fox Network. Jump up ^ `` Home Alone 4 ''. Malcolm in the Middle. Season 1. Episode 4. January 23, 2000. Fox Network. Jump up ^ `` Merrin Dungey Filmography ''. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved November 21, 2011. ^ Jump up to : `` IMDB Trivia ''. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved January 5, 2008. Jump up ^ `` B Monster Bulletin ''. The Astounding B Monster Archive. Retrieved January 5, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Malcolm in the Middle Voting Community -- FAQ : Malcolm in the Middle ''. Retrieved June 23, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Out of the Unknown -- Clips guide ''. Zeta Minor. Retrieved January 5, 2008. Jump up ^ Finer, Abby ; Pearlman, Deborah ( January 2004 ). Starting Your Television Writing Career : The Warner Bros. Television Writers Workshop Guide. Syracuse University Press. p. 234. ISBN 978 - 0 - 8156 - 0831 - 8. Retrieved February 3, 2014. Jump up ^ Johnson, Tricia ( July 5, 2001 ). `` As seen on TV ! ''. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 4, 2014. They pay about $3,000 to $4,000 a day. Jump up ^ `` 12334 Cantura St., Studio City, CA 91604 ''. Retrieved November 5, 2014. Jump up ^ `` The school where Malcolm in the Middle was filmed ''. Retrieved March 13, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Filming locations for Malcolm in the Middle ''. IMDB. Jump up ^ Alleman, Richard ( March 6, 2013 ). Hollywood : The Movie Lover 's Guide : The Ultimate Insider Tour of Movie L.A. Crown Publishing Group. pp. 424 -- 426. ISBN 978 - 0 - 8041 - 3777 - 5. Retrieved February 4, 2014. Jump up ^ CMJ New Music Monthly. CMJ Network, Inc. November 2002. p. 63. ISSN 1074 - 6978. Retrieved February 3, 2014. Jump up ^ `` They Might Be Giants Tell Kids ' No ! ' ''. Billboard. May 25, 2002. Retrieved February 4, 2014. Jump up ^ Kelly, John ( January 23, 2001 ). `` Middle Tones ''. Sun - Sentinel. Retrieved February 4, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Malcolm in the Middle SoundTrack ''. SoundTrackNet. 2001. Jump up ^ `` Malcolm in the Middle : FX has the MALCOLM ''. September 4, 2007. Retrieved August 19, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Malcolm in the Middle Now Airing on ' Nick at Nite ' ''. Retrieved August 19, 2014. Jump up ^ `` BET Schedules Season 4 of The Game, New Original Sitcom ; Malcolm in the Middle Moves to TeenNick ''. October 27, 2010. Retrieved July 4, 2013. Jump up ^ `` IFC Acquires Malcolm in the Middle ; NBC Cancels Playboy Club, Picks - Up Up All Night, Whitney ''. Sitcoms Online. October 5, 2011. Retrieved August 19, 2014. Jump up ^ Lambert, David ( November 30, 2003 ). `` Malcolm in the Middle -- Season 2 ( plus Other Shows ) Hamstrung by Music Clearances ''. TVShowsOnDVD.com. Retrieved February 4, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Malcolm in the Middle -- Season 1 ''. Amazon.co.uk. September 24, 2012. Retrieved April 26, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Malcolm in the Middle -- Season 1 ''. JB Hi - Fi. September 4, 2013. Retrieved February 4, 2014. Jump up ^ `` La saison 1 de Malcolm sortira en DVD en mars 2014 -- Malcolm France ''. Retrieved September 6, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Malcolm in the Middle : The Complete Second Season ''. Amazon.co.uk. November 19, 2012. Retrieved February 5, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Malcolm in the Middle -- Season 2 ''. JB Hi - Fi. September 4, 2013. Retrieved February 4, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Malcolm in the Middle : The Complete Third Season DVD : Amazon.co.uk : Frankie Muniz, Jane Kaczmarek, Christopher Kennedy Masterson, Bryan Cranston, Justin Berfield, Erik Per Sullivan : DVD & Blu - ray ''. Retrieved September 6, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Malcolm in the Middle -- Season 3 ''. JB Hi - Fi. September 4, 2013. Retrieved February 4, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Malcolm in the Middle : The Complete Fourth Season DVD : Amazon.co.uk : Frankie Muniz, Jane Kaczmarek, Bryan Cranston, Justin Berfield, Erik Per Sullivan, Christopher Masterson, Craig Lamar Traylor, David Anthony Higgins, James Rodriguez, Lukas Rodriguez : DVD & Blu - ray ''. Retrieved September 6, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Malcolm in the Middle -- Season 4 ''. JB Hi - Fi. September 4, 2013. Retrieved February 4, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Malcolm in the Middle : The Complete Fifth Season DVD : Amazon.co.uk : Frankie Muniz, Bryan Cranston, Christopher Kennedy Masterson, Jane Kaczmarek, Justin Berfield, Eric Per Sullivan : DVD & Blu - ray ''. Retrieved September 6, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Malcolm in the Middle -- Season 5 ''. JB Hi - Fi. September 4, 2013. Retrieved February 4, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Fabulous Films ''. FabulousFilms.com. Retrieved September 6, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Malcolm in the Middle -- Season 6 ''. JB Hi - Fi. September 4, 2013. Retrieved February 4, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Malcolm In The Middle -- The Complete Seventh Season DVD : Amazon.co.uk : Frankie Muniz, Bryan Cranston, Christopher Kennedy Masterson, Jane Kaczmarek, Justin Berfield : DVD & Blu - ray ''. Retrieved September 6, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Malcolm in the Middle : Season 7 ''. EzyDVD. Retrieved September 2, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Malcolm In The Middle : The Complete Collection Box Set -- Seasons 1 -- 7 DVD 2000 : Amazon.co.uk : Frankie Muniz, Bryan Cranston, Christopher Kennedy Masterson, Jane Kaczmarek, Justin Berfield, Todd Holland, Peter Lauer, David D'Ovidio, Jeff Melman, Ken Kwapis : DVD & Blu - ray ''. Retrieved September 6, 2015. ^ Jump up to : `` Malcolm in the Middle : The Complete Series ''. EzyDVD. Retrieved September 2, 2013. Jump up ^ `` EXCLUSIVE : Malcolm in the Middle Seasons 1 -- 7 Coming to DVD Starting April 2012 ! ''. February 1, 2012. Retrieved February 4, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Wesley Mead -- Has MITM S1 been delayed ? Play have removed the... ''. Facebook. March 26, 2012. Retrieved February 5, 2014. Jump up ^ `` I heard that all seven seasons of MITM are... -- Alexandre Salcedo ''. Facebook. April 2, 2012. Retrieved February 5, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Malcolm in the Middle : Season 1 ''. Metacritic. CBS Interactive Inc. Retrieved February 3, 2014. Jump up ^ Adalian, Josef ; Schneider, Michael ( January 17, 2000 ). `` Sitcom savior ? ''. Variety. Retrieved February 4, 2014. Jump up ^ De Leon, Kris ( July 5, 2009 ). `` ' Malcolm in the Middle ' Airing on Nick at Nite ''. BuddyTV. Retrieved February 4, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Malcolm sitcom axed over ratings ''. BBC News. January 18, 2006. Retrieved February 5, 2014. Jump up ^ Moore, Frazier ( May 11, 2006 ). `` ' Malcolm ' and ' 70s Show ' overstayed welcome ''. Today.com. Associated Press. Retrieved June 17, 2014. Jump up ^ Keveney, Bill ( May 17, 2006 ). `` ' House ' raises its numbers ''. USA Today. Retrieved June 17, 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` Top TV Shows For 1999 -- 2000 Season ''. Variety. Retrieved February 12, 2010. ^ Jump up to : `` The Bitter End ''. Entertainment Weekly ( 598 ). June 1, 2001. Retrieved February 4, 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` How did your favorite show rate ? ''. USA Today. May 28, 2002. Archived from the original on October 13, 2012. Retrieved February 4, 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` Rank And File ''. Entertainment Weekly ( 713 ). June 6, 2003. Retrieved February 4, 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` I.T.R.S. Ranking Report : 01 Thru 210 ''. ABC Medianet. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved February 12, 2010. ^ Jump up to : `` Primetime series ''. The Hollywood Reporter. Nielsen Business Media. May 27, 2005. Archived from the original on November 15, 2009. Retrieved February 12, 2010. ^ Jump up to : `` Series ''. The Hollywood Reporter. Nielsen Business Media. May 26, 2006. Archived from the original on January 11, 2010. Retrieved February 12, 2010. Jump up ^ `` Jane Kaczmarek ''. Emmy Awards. Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved February 4, 2014. ^ Jump up to : `` Cloris Leachman ''. Emmy Awards. Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved February 4, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Malcolm In The Middle ''. Emmy Awards. Academy Of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved February 4, 2014. Jump up ^ 60th Annual Peabody Awards, May 2001. Jump up ^ Barraclough, Leo ( July 30, 2013 ). `` Yuliana Slashcheva to Lead Russian Network CTC ''. Variety. Retrieved February 4, 2014. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Malcolm in the Middle. Wikiquote has quotations related to : Malcolm in the Middle Malcolm in the Middle on IMDb Malcolm in the Middle at TV.com Preceded by Survivor : The Australian Outback Malcolm in the Middle Super Bowl lead - out program 2002 Succeeded by Alias 2003 Malcolm in the Middle Episodes `` Pilot '' `` Bowling '' Characters Malcolm Wilkerson Other Characters `` Boss of Me '' Soundtrack Guest stars Awards and nominations TCA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Comedy The Cosby Show, season 1 ( 1985 ) The Cosby Show, season 2 ( 1986 ) It 's Garry Shandling 's Show, season 1 ( 1987 ) Frank 's Place, season 1 / The Wonder Years, season 1 ( 1988 ) Murphy Brown, season 1 ( 1989 ) The Simpsons, season 1 ( 1990 ) Murphy Brown, season 3 ( 1991 ) Seinfeld, season 3 ( 1992 ) Seinfeld, season 4 ( 1993 ) Frasier, season 1 ( 1994 ) Frasier, season 2 ( 1995 ) Frasier, season 3 ( 1996 ) The Larry Sanders Show, season 5 ( 1997 ) The Larry Sanders Show, season 6 ( 1998 ) Sports Night, season 1 ( 1999 ) Malcolm in the Middle, season 1 ( 2000 ) Malcolm in the Middle, season 2 ( 2001 ) The Bernie Mac Show, season 1 ( 2002 ) The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, season 7 / season 8 ( 2003 ) Arrested Development, season 1 ( 2004 ) Arrested Development, season 2 ( 2005 ) The Office, season 2 ( 2006 ) The Office, season 3 ( 2007 ) 30 Rock, season 2 ( 2008 ) The Big Bang Theory, season 2 ( 2009 ) Modern Family, season 1 ( 2010 ) Modern Family, season 2 ( 2011 ) Louie, season 2 ( 2012 ) The Big Bang Theory, season 6 / Parks and Recreation, season 5 ( 2013 ) Louie, season 4 / Veep, season 3 ( 2014 ) Inside Amy Schumer, season 3 ( 2015 ) Black - ish, season 2 ( 2016 ) Atlanta, season 1 ( 2017 ) VIAF : 183211687 LCCN : n2003081184 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Malcolm_in_the_Middle&oldid=801130616 '' Categories : Malcolm in the Middle 2000 American television series debuts 2000s American comedy television series 2006 American television series endings American television sitcoms Emmy Award - winning programs English - language television programs Fox network shows Peabody Award - winning television programs Super Bowl lead - out programs Teen sitcoms Single - camera television sitcoms Television series about dysfunctional families Television shows set in the United States Television series by 20th Century Fox Television Hidden categories : Use mdy dates from May 2012 All articles with vague or ambiguous time Vague or ambiguous time from October 2016 Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikiquote Български Català Dansk Deutsch Ελληνικά Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Føroyskt Français Galego 한국어 Հայերեն Hrvatski Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Magyar Bahasa Melayu Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Polski Português Русский Simple English Suomi Svenska Türkçe Українська West - Vlams 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 17 September 2017, at 21 : 09. 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Question: where does the show malcolm in the middle take place
Answer: the fictional town of Star City, California