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Life isn’t that unfair, it turns out. A “Malcolm in the Middle” revival has been ordered at Disney+, Variety has learned.
The new iteration of the series hails from original series creator Linwood Boomer, with original stars Frankie Muniz, Bryan Cranston, and Jane Kaczmarek set to reprise their roles. Disney Branded Television has ordered four new episodes of the beloved sitcom. A premiere date has yet to be set.
Per the official logline, “Malcolm (Muniz) and his daughter are drawn into the family’s chaos when Hal (Cranston) and Lois (Kaczmarek) demand his presence for their 40th wedding anniversary party.”
“‘Malcolm in the Middle’ is a landmark sitcom that captured the essence of family life with humor, heart and relatability,” said Ayo Davis, president of Disney Branded Television. “Its hilarious and heartfelt portrayal of a lovably chaotic family resonated with audiences of all ages, and we’re so excited to welcome the original cast back to bring that magic to life again. With Linwood Boomer and the creative team at the helm, these new episodes will have all the laughs, pranks, and mayhem fans loved — along with a few surprises that remind us why this show is so timeless.”
“Malcolm in the Middle” originally aired on Fox for seven seasons and 151 episodes from 2000-2006. The original cast included Muniz, Cranston, Kaczmarek, Justin Berfield, Erik Per Sullivan, and Christopher Masterson.
The series proved to be incredibly popular upon its debut and helped popularize single-camera comedies on television. The show racked up 33 Emmy nominations over the course of its run, ultimately winning seven of the statuettes. That includes two wins for Cloris Leachman for best guest actress in a comedy and two wins each for best directing and best writing for a comedy series. The entire series currently streams on Hulu and on Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers.
“Malcolm in the Middle literally changed the face of the television comedy landscape when it premiered two decades ago, redefining what the genre could be,” said Karey Burke, president of 20th Television. “When Linwood Boomer suggested it might be time to bring everyone’s favorite dysfunctional family back for a bit of a reunion, we couldn’t think of a more iconic and influential series to revisit, along with a truly brilliant cast to reunite.”
Boomer created the original series and returns as writer and executive producer. Cranston, Tracy Katsky of KatCo, Gail Berman and New Regency’s Arnon Milchan, Yariv Milchan and Natalie Lehmann are executive producers. Ken Kwapis will direct all four episodes and executive produce. Jimmy Simons and Laura Delahaye are co-executive producers. The limited series is produced by 20th Television and New Regency.
Muniz is repped by Established Artists and Jackoway Austen Tyerman. Cranston is repped by UTA and Johnson Shapiro. Kaczmarek is repped by Paradigm Talent Agency.
With the news, this is the third broadcast network series from the early 2000s to get some kind of reboot or revival news in the past week. It was previously reported that a “Scrubs” reboot is in development at ABC from series creator Bill Lawrence, while a reboot of “Prison Break” from Elgin James has gotten a pilot order at Hulu.
