Convention (Malcolm In The Middle Episode)

The second season of the American television sitcom ''Malcolm in the Middle'' premiered on November 5, 2000, on Fox, and ended on May 20, 2001, consisting of 25 episodes. Frankie Muniz stars as the title character Malcolm, and he is joined by Jane Kaczmarek, Bryan Cranston, Christopher Kennedy Masterson, Justin Berfield and Erik Per Sullivan.

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

* Craig Lamar Traylor as Stevie Kenarban
* Catherine Lloyd Burns as Caroline Miller
* David Anthony Higgins as Craig Feldspar
* Daniel von Bargen as Commandant Edwin Spangler
* Drew Powell as Cadet Drew
* Eric Nenninger as Eric Hanson
* Evan Matthew Cohen as Lloyd
* Kasan Butcher as Joe
* Kyle Sullivan as Dabney
* Merrin Dungey as Kitty Kenarban
* Tania Raymonde as Cynthia Sanders

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. Catherine Lloyd Burns, who portrayed Caroline Miller as a regular in season one, appeared in only two episodes of season two due to being pregnant, and left the series after giving birth. The episode "Bowling" alternates between two storylines with the same characters, taking inspiration from '' Sliding Doors'', and uses several split screens.

Episodes

Release

Broadcast history

The season premiered on November 5, 2000, on Fox, and ended on May 20, 2001, with a total of 25 episodes.

Home media

The season was set to be released on Region 1 DVD in the fall of 2003, but was cancelled due to high costs of music clearances. It was released on Region 2 DVD on November 19, 2012, and Region 4 DVD on September 4, 2013.

Reception

David Bianculli, writing for ''New York Daily News'', said the season was "genuinely goofy right from the start". Steve Johnson of ''Chicago Tribune'' said it "is certainly a family program, and a first-rate one, but it's not at all traditional. Viewers accustomed to sitcom conventions will have a hard time with "Malcolm's" breakneck pace and lack of laugh track or theatrical stage." Mike Lipton of ''People'' wrote,"With parents as manic as these, how can Malcolm (Frankie Muniz) and his brothers possibly vie for attention? They can’t, but that’s okay. It’s the sight of adults behaving badly that fuels this show’s delightful anarchy." Alan Pergament of ''The Buffalo News'' said, "Muniz still is adorable as Malcolm. But, unlike Bart, he is growing up before our eyes and that charm probably only has a few more seasons to run."

The episode "Bowling" won two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Directing and Writing for a Comedy Series for Todd Holland and Alex Reid, respectively, in 2001. Leading on from this, Holland won the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Comedy Series in 2002. Frankie Muniz was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for this episode.

References

{{Malcolm in the Middle
2000 American television seasons
2001 American television seasons
2
Television shows set in Alabama