Malcolm in the Middle season 4
| Malcolm in the Middle | |
|---|---|
| Season 4 | |
.jpg) DVD cover | |
| Starring | |
| No. of episodes | 22 |
| Release | |
| Original network | Fox |
| Original release | November 3, 2002 – May 18, 2003 |
| Season chronology | |
The fourth season of Malcolm in the Middle premiered on November 3, 2002 on Fox, and ended on May 18, 2003 with a total of 22 episodes. Frankie Muniz stars as the title character Malcolm, and is joined by Jane Kaczmarek, Bryan Cranston, Christopher Kennedy Masterson, Justin Berfield and Erik Per Sullivan.
Episodes
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code | US viewers (millions) [citation needed] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 64 | 1 | "Zoo" | Todd Holland | Michael Glouberman & Andrew Orenstein | November 3, 2002 | 06-02-401 | 12.2 |
| 65 | 2 | "Humilithon" | Jeff Melman | Michael Borkow | November 10, 2002 | 06-02-402 | 9.6 |
| 66 | 3 | "Family Reunion" | Ken Kwapis | Alex Reid | November 17, 2002 | 06-02-403 | 10.9 |
| 67 | 4 | "Stupid Girl" | Todd Holland | Dan Kopelman | November 24, 2002 | 06-02-404 | 9.8 |
| 68 | 5 | "Forwards Backwards" | Levie Isaacks | Maggie Bandur | December 1, 2002 | 06-02-406 | 10.7 |
| 69 | 6 | "Forbidden Girlfriend" | Jamie Babbit | Matthew Carlson | December 15, 2002 | 06-02-405 | 11.2 |
| 70 | 7 | "Malcolm Holds His Tongue" | Jeff Melman | Gary Murphy & Neil Thompson | January 5, 2003 | 06-02-410 | 10.5 |
| 71 | 8 | "Boys at Ranch" | David D'Ovidio | Gary Murphy & Neil Thompson | January 12, 2003 | 06-02-412 | 10.4 |
| 72 | 9 | "Grandma Sues" | Jimmy Simons | Michael Glouberman & Andrew Orenstein | February 2, 2003 | 06-02-407 | 13.7 |
| 73 | 10 | "If Boys Were Girls" | Ken Kwapis | Story by : Alexandra Kaczenski Teleplay by : Nahnatchka Khan | February 9, 2003 | 06-02-408 | 11.7 |
| 74 | 11 | "Long Drive" | Levie Isaacks | Michael Borkow | March 2, 2003 | 06-02-409 | 11.0 |
| 75 | 12 | "Kicked Out" | Jeff Melman | Alex Reid | March 9, 2003 | 06-02-413 | 11.5 |
| 76 | 13 | "Stereo Store" | Bryan Cranston | Matthew Carlson | March 16, 2003 | 06-02-414 | 11.0 |
| 77 | 14 | "Hal's Friend" | Jeff Melman | Dan Kopelman | March 30, 2003 | 06-02-415 | 11.1 |
| 78 | 15 | "Garage Sale" | Levie Isaacks | Maggie Bandur | April 6, 2003 | 06-02-416 | 10.2 |
| 79 | 16 | "Academic Octathalon" | Todd Holland | Rob Hanning | April 13, 2003 | 06-02-411 | 9.3 |
| 80 | 17 | "Clip Show 2" | Levie Isaacks | Maggie Bandur & Dan Kopelman | April 20, 2003 | 06-02-422 | 8.7 |
| 81 | 18 | "Reese's Party" | Levie Isaacks | Andy Bobrow | April 27, 2003 | 06-02-418 | 11.1 |
| 82 | 19 | "Future Malcolm" | Ken Kwapis | Story by : Ron Corcillo & A.J. Poulin Teleplay by : Michael Glouberman & Andrew Orenstein | May 4, 2003 | 06-02-417 | 12.1 |
| 83 | 20 | "Baby: Part 1" | Jimmy Simons | Rob Hanning | May 11, 2003 | 06-02-419 | 9.8 |
| 84 | 21 | "Baby: Part 2" | Jamie Babbit | Michael Borkow | May 18, 2003 | 06-02-420 | 10.8 |
| 85 | 22 | "Day Care" | Steve Love | Gary Murphy & Neil Thompson | May 18, 2003 | 06-02-421 | 10.5 |
Cast and characters
Main
- Frankie Muniz as Malcolm
- Jane Kaczmarek as Lois
- Bryan Cranston as Hal
- Christopher Kennedy Masterson as Francis
- Justin Berfield as Reese
- Erik Per Sullivan as Dewey
Recurring
- Kenneth Mars as Otto[1]
- Emy Coligado as Piama[1]
- David Anthony Higgins as Craig Feldspar[1]
- Craig Lamar Traylor as Stevie Kenarban[1]
- Reagan Dale Neis as Nikki[1]
- Evan Matthew Cohen as Lloyd[1]
- Cloris Leachman as Ida[1]
- Katherine Ellis as Gretchen[1]
- Kyle Sullivan as Dabney[1]
- Brittany Finamore as Alison[1]
Production
Main cast members Frankie Muniz, Jane Kaczmarek, Bryan Cranston, Christopher Kennedy Masterson, Justin Berfield and Erik Per Sullivan return as Malcolm, Lois, Hal, Francis, Reese and Dewey respectively.[1] The season introduces Jamie, the fifth child of Hal and Lois, although the baby's gender would not be revealed until the fifth season.[2] The series' parallel storylines involving Francis shifts in this season from the previous season's Alaska to a cattle ranch.[3] The storyline of "If Boys Were Girls" was developed by costume designer Heidi Kaczenski's then 11-year old daughter Alexandra.[4] Since Kaczmarek was pregnant before the season began filming, she was written out of some episodes, while her pregnancy was incorporated into the story later in the season.[5][6] The episode "Clip Show 2" is the series' second clip show after the third season's 19th episode.[7]
Release
Broadcast history
The season premiered on November 3, 2002 on Fox, and ended on May 18, 2003 with a total of 22 episodes.[8] According to Ned Martel of The New York Times, showrunner Linwood Boomer "chose to take a hard look at Malcolm's adolescence. That and a later time slot meant a 19 percent decline in the key demographic of viewers 18 to 49 in its fourth season's ratings."[9]
Home media
The season was released on Region 2 DVD on March 4, 2013,[10] and on Region 4 DVD on September 4, 2013.[11]
Reception
Mark Sachs of Los Angeles Times said on May 10, 2003, "This well-written, solidly performed series is as close to a live-action cartoon as you can get, and when it’s clicking on all cylinders as in Sunday’s episode, it’s a joy to behold."[12] At the 55th Primetime Emmy Awards, "If Boys Were Girls" won in the category Outstanding Single Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series, while Kaczmarek and Cranston received nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series and Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series respectively.[13] Cloris Leachman, who portrays Lois' mother Ida, won in the category Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series.[14]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Casting Malcolm S04". AlloCiné (in French). Archived from the original on August 16, 2020. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
- ^ Cormier, Roger (January 4, 2016). "16 Fun Facts About Malcolm in the Middle". Mental Floss. Archived from the original on October 14, 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
- ^ Chand, Neeraj (September 6, 2019). "10 Best Characters On Malcolm In The Middle, Ranked". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on September 15, 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
- ^ Snierson, Dan (October 31, 2002). "Malcolm in the Middle gets help from a small scribe". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on July 26, 2020. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
- ^ Starr, Michael (July 25, 2002). "MALCOLM'S MOM BIG IN THE MIDDLE". New York Post. Archived from the original on October 11, 2013. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
- ^ Errico, Marcus (December 3, 2002). "Kaczmarek: Mommy in the Middle". E! Online. Archived from the original on August 16, 2020. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
- ^ Dankievitch, Randy (February 4, 2015). "How Malcolm in the Middle Did the Clip Show Right". TVOvermind. Archived from the original on August 4, 2020. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
- ^ "Malcolm in the Middle: Season 4 (2002–2003)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Archived from the original on August 1, 2020. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
- ^ Martel, Ned (July 28, 2003). "Don't Wanna Grow Up Cuz Puberty Isn't Funny; Series Like 'Malcolm in the Middle' Confront the Reality of an Actor's Adolescence". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on August 15, 2020. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
- ^ "Malcolm in the Middle: The Complete Fourth Season [DVD]". Amazon.co.uk. March 11, 2013. Archived from the original on August 16, 2020. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
- ^ "Malcolm In The Middle – Season 4". JB Hi-Fi. Archived from the original on August 11, 2013. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
- ^ Sachs, Mark (May 10, 2003). "Muddled times for 'Malcolm' clan". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 15, 2020. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
- ^ "Outstanding Single Camera Picture Editing For A Comedy Series Nominees / Winners 2003". Television Academy. Archived from the original on June 4, 2020. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
- ^ "Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series Nominees / Winners 2006". Television Academy. Archived from the original on June 10, 2020. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
