MITM F.A.Q Development ON HOLD

tjpeople

Site Administrator
Staff member
MITM FAQ

A great resource for both hardcore and new fans of Malcolm in the Middle would be a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Post a question and an answer to it. Think about the questions that are always asked. As questions and answers are composed I'll add them to the FAQ

Thanks for your help :)

UPDATE: Evil King is now our official F.A.Q Freak and in charge of developing the questions and answers. However feel free to add your own questions or questions and answers and he can add include them.
 
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tjpeople

Site Administrator
Staff member
Q: What is the family's last name/surname?

Short answer: The family name is Wilkerson.

Long answer: The last name of the family has been revealed first in the pilot episode, where Francis wears the name tag "Wilkerson" on his school uniform.Is it also on his trunk at some point? Also, though unaired, it appears in a joke from the original pilot script. In that script, Malcolm was walking to school when a neighborhood kid came running up shouting, "Malcolm, Malcolm, Malcolm. I was talking to my parents last night - I was listening to them talk, and what's your last name?" "Wilkerson, why?" Malcolm replied. "Oh. Who are the Pariahs?" said the other kid. The joke was eventually cut.is that true?

A special feature on the series 1 DVD stated also that their surname was Wilkerson. A trailer in the UK in early 2006 advised the viewers to spend time with "The Simpsons" and "The Wilkersons", advertising Sunday nights new episodes of both series. Another trailer was released to advertise the last episodes of 24 and Malcolm in the Middle, it claimed "Say Goodbye to the Wilkersons"

However it is often debated that the writers intended them to have one - most people agree that in the early days of the show the family were going to be called Wilkerson but that the idea was dropped and a concious decision was made for them not to have a last name. One theory of why their last name has been played down is that the producers did not want them to be typecast as any particular ethnicity.

The lack of a definite surname became a running theme - this is evident in the episode "Future Malcolm" where Hal's boss called Hal "Mr. Wilkerson" i can't find this - can you? In _______ Francis has a employee name badge that says "Francis Nolastname" This may be a joke or Francis may be simply embarrassed of his family. During the series finale, when Malcolm is being introduced for his graduation speech, his last name is not heard due to a squeak of the microphone.


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The episode where we see francis' employee badge?
Screen shots of francis's badge in the pilot epsisode?
Is it on his school trunk too?
Could people add anymore to that? correct me if I'm wrong?

Any more referances to the last name?
 
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I know so little about this, that it's silly to suggest, but could we make a MITM wiki? Through member contributions of FAQs, character and episodes synopses, facts and stuff. I would imagine it would help get more people to the site.
 

tjpeople

Site Administrator
Staff member
I know so little about this, that it's silly to suggest, but could we make a MITM wiki? Through member contributions of FAQs, character and episodes synopses, facts and stuff. I would imagine it would help get more people to the site.

I have thought about that and although it has some good points I think getting just a basic FAQ and (new) episode guide is the best way forward. Of which people can of course contribute towards.

Also a wiki section would make the site look more disjointed - which i want to avoid.
 

Gouki

New member
I have thought about that and although it has some good points I think getting just a basic FAQ and (new) episode guide is the best way forward. Of which people can of course contribute towards.

Also a wiki section would make the site look more disjointed - which i want to avoid.

Actually, a Wiki might be a good idea. If you have Wikia.com host it, and have a link to it on the main site.
 

tjpeople

Site Administrator
Staff member
I could make a wiki easily on this site but what good would it do? IF people have content/ wanted to put in the time they can post. If you have content you want to contribute feel free to make a thread, and I can make it part of the main site. We already have wikipedia's malcolm page and its pointless just making a clone of that.

Asking and answering FAQ's I think would be very productive as lots of people who lets say google Malcolm in the middle do so because they have a question. And an FAQ with a good list of questions and answers would be a great resource.
 

RaposaNegra

New member
My FAQ

Here are my Questions and answers =)
(sorry if there's any spelling mistakes)


Q: What's the name of the song in the Opening Titles?

A: The theme song of MITM it's "Your not the boss of me now" from They Might Be Giants. You can find it to download in the download section!

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Q: Which seasons have been released on DVD?

A: The only season released on DVD until now its the first season. Let's finger cross to have more!

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Q: Is it true that Bryan Cranston (Hal) directed three episodes of MITM?

A: Yes, Bryan Cranston directed three episodes of "Malcolm in the Middle" during its fifth season. The episodes were "Vegas", "Dirty Magazine", and "Experiment".

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Q: What does Krelboyne means?

A: "Krelboyne" it's the name of the gifted students class to which Malcolm belongs. It is taken from the name of the nerdy hero of the movie "The Little Shop of Horrors" (1960).

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Q: Which clips are featured in the Opening titles?

A: The opening titles feature short clips from cult films or television shows, edited together with clips from the early seasons of the TV series. These include, in order of appearance:

Three women fighting a giant turtle: From One Million Years BC (1966)
Grinning anime boy in rain: Shiogami from 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 pterodactyl: From One Million Years BC (1966)
Anime guy 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: Canadian Bret Hart wrestling Canadian Chris Benoit (locking him in his finishing move, The Sharpshooter), during the WCW World Heavyweight Championship Match at WCW Mayhem PPV in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Man attacking giant brain with an axe: From The Brain from Planet Arous
Boxer knocking out referee: Cuban Pedro Cardenas fighting Canadian Willie DeWitt but accidentally KOd referee Bert Lowes instead, during the 1982 North American Championships in Las Vegas.

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Q: Which channels broadcast(ed) MITM?

A: MITM has been broadcasted in 38 different countries:

United States: Fox
Canada: Global, YTV, Télé-Québec, OMNI Television
United Kingdom: Sky One, BBC Two
Bulgaria: bTV and Fox life
France: M6, Paris Première
Italy: Italia 1
Spain: Antena 3FOX
Croatia: Nova TV
Portugal: SIC Radical
Republic of Ireland: Sky One, TV3
Poland: Polsat
Chile: TVN, FOX
Germany: ProSieben
Denmark: TV 2 Zulu and TV3+
Netherlands: Veronica
Belgium: Kanaal Twee
Norway: TV 2
Singapore: Channel 5
Sweden: TV4
Austria: ORF1
Middle East: MBC 4 (earlier MBC 2), Paramount Comedy 1
Israel: Bip
Asia: STAR World
Hong Kong: TVB Pearl
Malaysia: ntv7
Australia: Arena
New Zealand: TV3, 5:00 Sundays
South Africa: M-Net
Brazil: Fox, Record
Ecuador: Teleamazonas
Argentina: Canal 13, FOX
Mexico: Canal 5
Slovenia: Kanal A
Finland: MTV3
Ukraine: Novy Kanal
Thailand: True Series and Star World
Turkey: CNBC-e
Estonia: TV3
 

RaposaNegra

New member
More FAQ

I can't remember many other questions, but maybe this one is good:

Q: Now that MITM it's over, where can I watch it?

A: You can watch it directly from the "Downloads" area or download it directly to your PC. You can also check for your local TV schedule and see if MITM is still airing.


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Once again, correct if there are any spelling mistakes ;)
 

Evil King

F.A.Q Freak
Here are a few questions I have seen asked many times:

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Q: How many episodes of Malcolm in the Middle are there?

A: There are 151 episodes including the pilot episode (assuming the 2-parters are two different episodes).

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Q: What is a Cold Opener?

A: A Cold Opener is normally a short scene at the start of the episode before the opening titles, showing a small 20-40 second clip related to the episode. In Malcolm in the Middle, Cold Openers are very different; they are completely irrelevant to the plot with the exception of some 2-parters such as ‘Traffic Jam’, where Malcolm reminds us of what happened in the previous episode and ‘Reese Comes Home’ where we see Hal briefly talk about what happened previously.

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Q: Where is Malcolm in the Middle set?

A: The location of where the family lives is never revealed directly. It is known to us that Malcolm in the Middle was shot in California, and we can clearly see the several instanced where the California license plates are visible. Some times we are given small hints, like the distance from a particular city. Using these kinds of observations, many people make estimations about where they might live but the truth is that we can’t know for sure.

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Q: Is it true that Malcolm in the Middle was based on the creator (Linwood Boomer)?

A: Yes, Malcolm in the Middle is a show that is loosely autobiographical of Linwood Boomer, since he also had 3 brothers and was the second youngest just like Malcolm (before Jamie came along). He also had a very strict mother. However, it isn’t entirely based on his life; a lot of Malcolm in the Middle is fictional.

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Q: I can’t seem to find the famous mistake in ‘Red Dress’, where is it?

A: Malcolm in the Middle doesn’t have too many production mistakes, however, out of the small amount there is, the Red Dress mistake is one of the biggest. It is where you see Lois turning the corner with the burnt, wet dress in her hand going to the kitchen where the kids are. You can very clearly see a person with a bucket in his hand, handing the wet dress to Lois. Since they are human, these things are normal; nevertheless it is still quite funny.

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Evil King

F.A.Q Freak
Thanks for adding them :)

I found this in another FAQ from Bryan Cranston's official website:

"In the original script for the Malcolm pilot, the family had a last name (which I won't mention here) but which was subsequently discarded to add a sense of mystique to the show. Have there been any discussions amongst the cast, writers and creater Linwood Boomer to eventually stick the family with a surname, or is the plan to keep that an enigma? - Petch, Hattiesburg, MS

Petch,
Good observation. In an early draft of the pilot there was a last name listed but was soon discarded. We like to kid around when asked that question. Our response is "our last name is Nolastname". You can figure it out."

It's the reply from Bryan Cranston.
 

Evil King

F.A.Q Freak
More Questions and Answers :w00t:

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Q: Why was Malcolm in the Middle cancelled?

A: The main reason Malcolm in the Middle was ended by FOX was because of the falling ratings in the last season; the drop in ratings was mainly due to the change in time slots, where Malcolm in the Middle was moved from Sundays to Fridays. Linwood Boomer did speak about possibly making the 7th season the last during the 6th season however it was not decided. It was finally announced by FOX, a few episodes before the last, that they would broadcast the final episode on the 14 of May.

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Q: Why does YouTube keep taking Malcolm in the Middle episodes down?

A: YouTube is not the only site which is obliged to take down Malcolm in the Middle episodes. Due to copyright laws, all websites must do the same. Of course the only exception to this is websites based in other countries where copyright laws are different; however these websites are often very slow because of the vast amount of people who go on to it.

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Q: Is it true Frankie Muniz (Malcolm) is older than Justin Berfield (Reese) in real life?

A: Yes it is true. Frankie Muniz was born in 1985, December the 5th, whilst Justin Berfield was born in 1986, February the 25th making Frankie Muniz a few months older.

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Q: Who played the role of Jamie, the youngest brother?

A: Jamie was played by twins called James Rodriquez and Lukas Rodriquez. They were not credited in the end credits because only speaking roles were mentioned in the credits.

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Evil King

F.A.Q Freak
It's hard finding sensible questions that are frequently asked, but I found some and answered them. Here they are :thumbup1:

Q: What is Piama’s surname?

A: Piama’s surname is Tananahaakna, as we find out in the episode “Hal Coaches”.

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Q: How long does a single episode run for?

A: 22 minutes without adverts;
30 minutes with adverts.

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Q: Why don’t we see the Grotto in season 6 and 7?

A: In season 6, we find out that all the payments Francis had made for Otto wasn’t actually to an A.T.M. So he was fired from the ranch and sued by Otto.

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I think the next three questions can be put into a single Sub-section:

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Q: Is it true that Hal, Reese and Dewey are in every single Malcolm in the Middle episode?

A
: Yes - Hal, Reese and Dewey appeared in every single episode there is.

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Q: Which episode was Malcolm not in?

A
: Malcolm was not in “Clip Show #2”. He was in the clips from previous episodes but he was not in the Cold Opener or in the scenes created for that episode.

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Q: Which episode was Lois not in?

A: Lois was not in 5 episodes all together out of the 151. She was not in “Clip Show”, (While she was in clips from previous episodes, she was not in the Cold Opener or any other scenes created for that episode). Other episodes which she did not feature in at all, include: “Boys at Ranch”, “Kicked Out”, “Stereo Store” and “Hal's Friend”.

**Note: Some websites list the people being on episodes according to the credits.

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Please tell me if you dislike the way I answer the questions.
 
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