What if MITM was an hour long instead of half an hour

primehunter1

New member
While most sitcoms fill a half-hour timeslot, I was just thinking what if MITM was an hour long (or 45 mins without ads)?

Correct me if i'm wrong but I think the only hour long episode was Company picnic.

Longer episodes would give storylines more time to be developed, instead of just touching on them as so many episodes did. I think someone mentioned that Graduation would have been better as an hour long ep.

Do you think the episodes would have got too stale being longer?

Your thoughts...
 

MITM ALUM

New member
We live in an MTV world! Hour long sitcoms lose audiences quickly. We want humor in short, frenetic bursts. The "Malcolm" pace would not have held up for more than 1/2 hour. It's not that the material wasn't good enough ... it's that the audience isn't patient enough. Look at feature films. Dramas can go on for hours. Comedies cannot. It's just one of those things that make you scratch your head. Also, comedies rarely get nominated for Oscars ... but don't get me started on THAT one!
 

tony_montana

Semper Fidelis
Hey, you calling us the audience impatient?!.....uh, your right, we are.;) :D
I don't think Malcolm could have lived up to the strain of an hour. The plots would have had to be extended and it, in my humble opinion, would not have worked....even though I think the finale SHOULD and easily could have been an hour long.
 

yardgames

Retired Administrator
Certainly the finale should have been an hour. There's a couple of episodes that I always think feel rushed; namely, Carnival, Burning Man, Hal's Christmas Gift, and Health Insurance. Otherwise, a half hour is generally a comfortable timeslot.

@Primehunter Company Picnic was the only episode actually shown as one hour-long episode but Baby, Reese Joins the Army, Houseboat/Emancipation, and Bride of Ida/College Recruiters were also all double episodes.
 

reese35

New member
I second that. But my opinion - 43 minutes would be a more in-depth look into the plotlines. Then again, real old, real fast. So, summing it up... if it ain't broke, don't fix it. :D
 

tony_montana

Semper Fidelis
Lol, I agree with Mike.:D
And I still don't get why "Brides of Ida" and "College recruiters" are considered a two parter. The only thing they had in common was the continuation of Reese's marriage plot.
 

yardgames

Retired Administrator
True, if that's a two-parter then Jessica Stays Over and Secret Boyfriend, for example, should also be.
 

simon_4420

New member
There are load of episode that I thought were rushed and would of benefited from being more like 40 minutes, but i would have to admit that 30 minutes is much better suited to comedy like MITM ALUM already pointed out.
 

tony_montana

Semper Fidelis
One particular episode I felt was very rushed was "Dewey's Opera". I would have LOVED to have seen the opera the Busey's put on based on Hal and Lois. Can you just imagine their reaction once Hal and Lois figured out it was their story being told on stage?!:D
 

tony_montana

Semper Fidelis
Lol, I just love to imagine them watching the opera and I imagine their reaction to it!:D
Of course, since the show was only a half hour(or 22 mins without commercials) we shall never find out.:mad:
 

tony_montana

Semper Fidelis
Well, after Malcolm found out, Hal probably would have been like, "Uhh...yeah....and that's your punishment! You are gonna pay for our ski trip!":D
Actually...Hal wouldn't dish the punishment out, Lois would.;) :D
 

rzombie1988

New member
tony_montana said:
Well, after Malcolm found out, Hal probably would have been like, "Uhh...yeah....and that's your punishment! You are gonna pay for our ski trip!":D
Actually...Hal wouldn't dish the punishment out, Lois would.;) :D

I think Lois probably would have lied about the credit card again. She probably would have said something like, well it's your fault for leaving it out or something similar. She definately would have blamed him for it though.
 

zachman93

New member
Can't speak for anyone else, but to me, with the exception of the eps that really are doubles, 30 mins is enough for me. I don't know what it is but a MitM ep goes on forever to my perspective - in a good way. Could be the intricate subplots.
 

Richiepiep

Administrator
I would love it to be 30 minutes - it's 20 without the commercials! Sometimes, yes with all the subplots, it gets a bit rushed, and you would want to find out what happened afterwards, or give secondary characters or plots more time to evolve.

I'm aware though that neat resolutions or pay-offs (or punch lines in a more limited sense) can often ruin plots, because they're either too obvious or leave nothing to the imagination.

Rich
 

EEL123

New member
I think that 30 minutes (about 22 without the ads) is a bit too short to properly develop the plots, while, as some people have said, and hour would be too long for a comedy. Maybe something in between - 40 or 45 minutes would be right.
 

Dew_Fan

New member
I think it would be cool if they made the show 45 min, that way they can develop the plots a little bit better, but not making the show get boring.
 
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