An English Media Assignment
Why do you think American TV viewers were so appalled when they first saw ‘Malcolm in The Middle’ ?
Malcolm In The Middle is an award-winning sitcom on television. Although the series has now come to an end, lots of people now think it is brilliant and the show has millions of fans around the world. They enjoy endless repeats of the show.
This has not always been the case, though. When the pilot was first screened in the USA, lots of people were appalled and angry. They failed to see the show’s funny side.
They wrote in to complain and they also phoned the television company to talk about their worries.
If you can, record the pilot episode. Even better, buy the DVD of the first series and listen to the director’s commentary. If you can’t locate either, then simply record one of the reruns. The episodes are fairly formulaic, so the notes here should fit most of the programmes.
Be sure to make notes on the characters in Malcolm in the Middle.
Mother
Father
Francis
Reece
Dewey
Malcolm
Note that this series, like ‘Friends’ and many other comedy programmes follows the classic three strand storyline in each episode. The action flicks between each.
- Which strand appears to be the main story?
- Which ones are of lesser importance?
- What were your criteria for you decision here?
Which elements of the...
