Justin's role before Reese much like Malcolm?

AlexTheMartian

New member
ok so the title may make no sense, but ill explain

I am super bored, so I was looking up clips of Unhappily Ever After, the show Justin Berfield was on before he Malcolm in the Middle.

I found this video of sound clips of Ross Malloy (his character), and still frames from the show. I however noticed his character was somewhat lilke Malcolm's on Malcolm in the Middle, as he is the voice of reason and common sense in a dysfunctional family. However, unlike Malcolm, which happens to be the center of attention in the family, Ross was the forgotten child and often ignored, but that causes him to often be upset and speak out, something that Malcolm also does a lot. He also sounds a bit like a younger Malcolm. I think Ross Malloy is like a combination of Reese and Malcolm. What you think?

(if the embed doesn't work: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L92qL5eKanQ)

 
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Richiepiep

Administrator
I guess I've said this before, but judging from the episodes I've seen (which were the early ones), Ross as played by Justin was little more to me than a walk-on part of the 'accidental' little kid, who acted as either a foil to others, the butt of jokes when he made a silly remark, or the wisecracking, preternaturally wise boy who put the adults in their place, depending on what joke the script was trying to pull.

So I didn't really think of him as a character, more as a plot device, which (all too) strongly reminded me of most of the other young kids you see walking around in traditional sitcoms, a bit of a goofball at times, a little adult at others. I certainly agree with 'the forgotten child' angle as you describe it!

But then I must say I gave up watching the series, because I didn't like it (I've called it Married With Children meets Alf ;)), and not because of or even in spite of Justin.

Rich
 
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AlexTheMartian

New member
I watched it quite often when it was on the air in the 90s. I was a kid back then though, but I had no brothers or anything, so I spend much of my childhood watching TV. I like any kind of dysfunctional family sitcom, even the worse ones.
 

Richiepiep

Administrator
I watched it quite often when it was on the air in the 90s. I was a kid back then though, but I had no brothers or anything, so I spend much of my childhood watching TV. I like any kind of dysfunctional family sitcom, even the worse ones.

Yeah, I can appreciate that! As you know, I grew up with The Wonder Years, and though I did watch some Married With Children, The Nanny, Roseanne, Home Improvement etc., I was never a big sitcom buff, and I only got to watch Unhappily a few months ago, from the perspective of what went before and what came after. So that's a completely different thing!

Also, as a Dutchie, we don't get all American sitcoms, so most people tend to divide their time between watching American, Dutch, British, Belgian and German series (comedy or drama). Sometimes a bit of Italian too. We appear to have ostracized the French for some idiotic reason.... shame on us!

Rich
 

Lparsons7981

New member
Is it weird that the only sitcom I really ever watched was Malcolm? :) I don't honestly know what it was I spent my childhood doing now that I think about it.......but I know between 12-18 it was watching Malcolm :D
 

Richiepiep

Administrator
Is it weird that the only sitcom I really ever watched was Malcolm? :) I don't honestly know what it was I spent my childhood doing now that I think about it.......but I know between 12-18 it was watching Malcolm :D

An acquired taste, and that at such a young age, so it must be nature rather than nurture! Bravo! Seriously, MITM was a high-calibre show, but it was also just a lot of fun to watch.

I grew up alongside the Kevin Arnold character of The Wonder Years as I've said, and apart from this aspect being rather special to me, it was also a very well-made series that stood out from the rest. One of the side effects was that it spoiled me for shows that were more routine or lame to me, you know, clichéd situations, lazy actors, forced laughs every few seconds. So I mostly skipped those. Until MITM came along.

It reminds me how I started getting an interest in pop music by digging into my uncle's record collection. He had a lot of Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel and other late Sixties/early Seventies stuff, which I loved, so I got used to the idea that one group has several vocalists taking turns, does songs in a wide variety of styles, with lots of instruments and arrangements, so I got this hang-up when listening to more contemporary rock, wondering why it's the same lead singer all the way through? Is it just symphonic rock, techno or power pop with just one ballad for good measure? I sometimes cursed the bands and artists I like, because I can't really enjoy less inspired, purist rootsy or other monotonous stuff....

Rich
 
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AlexTheMartian

New member
Yeah, I can appreciate that! As you know, I grew up with The Wonder Years, and though I did watch some Married With Children, The Nanny, Roseanne, Home Improvement etc., I was never a big sitcom buff, and I only got to watch Unhappily a few months ago, from the perspective of what went before and what came after. So that's a completely different thing!

Also, as a Dutchie, we don't get all American sitcoms, so most people tend to divide their time between watching American, Dutch, British, Belgian and German series (comedy or drama). Sometimes a bit of Italian too. We appear to have ostracized the French for some idiotic reason.... shame on us!

Rich

I think during that time period, Home Improvement was the show I watched the most. I probably seen as many episodes of that as I have with Malcolm in the Middle. I did watch the other shows you listed. As I said before, I watched every sitcom available. I still am that way... I just don't have the attention to focus on dramas, unless it is very edgy with humor mixed in (I love the show Weeds, and also the UK show Skins before they changed cast).

On a side note, this topic almost should be in 'Reese's Apartment' forum.
 
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