Plymouth Voyager is a nameplate for a range of vans that were marketed by Plymouth from 1974 to 2000. One of the few light trucks marketed by the division, the Voyager was initially a full-size van, later becoming one of the first minivans successfully marketed in North America.
111-577: The following characters had significant roles in the American television comedy series Malcolm in the Middle , which was originally televised from 2000 to 2006 on the Fox Network . Originally, the series featured four brothers, although Malcolm's oldest brother attended a military school away from home, so Malcolm was still the middle sibling left at home. A fifth son named Jamie was introduced in
222-469: A child prodigy . The ensemble cast includes Jane Kaczmarek and Bryan Cranston as Malcolm's parents, Lois and Hal. Christopher Kennedy Masterson , Justin Berfield , and Erik Per Sullivan appear as Malcolm's brothers, Francis, Reese, and Dewey, respectively. Typical plots revolve around the family's dysfunctional relationships and inability to fit into society, with Malcolm regularly making asides to
333-458: A dude ranch owned by Otto Mannkusser and his wife Gretchen. Francis is mostly absent for the last two seasons, but, in the series finale, Hal discovers that he has taken a job with Amerysis Industries, a large corporation where Francis works in a cubicle and inputs numbers into a computer, and is also still happily married to Piama. Although Francis enjoys the job, he refuses to tell Lois about it, as he enjoys torturing her by telling her that he
444-427: A shot-for-shot adaptation called Супер Макс ( Super Max ) that comprises 1 season so far. In 2016, Bryan Cranston openly expressed interest in doing a reunion. In 2021, Frankie Muniz, while speaking on Steve-O 's podcast, revealed that Cranston was writing a script for a movie reunion and that the entire cast was ready to return except for one hold out, though he kept the identity confidential. In December 2023 it
555-540: A "Marginal" rating in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety 's 40 mph offset test. The structural performance and restraints were graded "Acceptable", but the foot injuries were very high. In the NHTSA crash tests, it received 4 stars for the driver and front passenger in the frontal impact. In the side-impact test, it received 5 stars for the driver, and 3 stars for the rear occupant, and resulted in
666-530: A complete series set near Christmas 2012. However, in late March 2012, several retailers had removed the release date from their websites; this was later revealed to be because of "technical issues with the Masters" and that the release date had been pushed back to June. Other seasons will now follow on either a monthly or bi-monthly basis. All the UK DVD releases are intact as originally aired with no cuts, with
777-749: A fuel leak that could cause a fire hazard. Following the retirement of the Plymouth brand after the 2000 model year, the Voyager nameplate was continued by the Chrysler division. While used by all exported Chrysler minivans since 1988, in North America, the Chrysler Voyager served as the lowest-trim Chrysler-brand minivan. Offered only in a short-wheelbase configuration, the Voyager continued with matte-black bumpers and exterior trim. Following
888-416: A hard time making good decisions, which he often deferred to Lois. Hal blends in well with his neighbors despite many of the neighbors hating his boys and Lois. He loves Lois more than she loves him, never even thinking about other women. He is also very scared of her, even more than the boys are, which is why he bribes his sons to take the fall for his wrongdoings. He is very devoted to Lois and willing to give
999-430: A job on a dude ranch run by an eccentric German couple. The series differed significantly from the standard TV sitcom presentation commonplace at the time. Malcolm routinely broke the fourth wall by both narrating in voice-over and talking directly to the viewer on camera. The distinctive look and sound of the series relied heavily on elaborate post-production, including fast-cut editing, sound effects, musical inserts,
1110-480: A lower height (though taller than a station wagon, the design would be easily accommodated within a standard-height garage). Also, the smaller vans were intended primarily to carry people, not cargo, so design and comfort were prioritized over payload. The Ford project led to the 1973 Ford Carousel , a running prototype deriving its body and chassis from the Ford Club Wagon then in development for 1975;
1221-490: A popular draw for Fox. It is placed on several lists of the greatest TV and sitcom series of all time. It has won a Peabody Award , seven Emmy Awards , one Grammy Award and seven Golden Globe nominations. The series revolves around Malcolm ( Frankie Muniz ), who's revealed in the first episode to be a genius with an IQ of 165, which places him in a class for gifted students (also known as "Krelboynes"), originally taught by Caroline Miller ( Catherine Lloyd Burns ). He
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#17327940539821332-409: A redesign with all-new trim and seats, with the dashboard redesigned to increase parts commonality with newer Chrysler vehicles (Dodge would use this design through 1997). 1979 brought a taller, longer hoodline and a larger grille (though large-block V8 engines were retired by Chrysler), and redesigned headlamp clusters (in contrast to Dodge, the Voyager was fitted with four headlamps as standard). With
1443-480: A serious falling out after it is revealed that Hal was originally Susan's boyfriend. She is a pushy academic mother and in the series finale, it is revealed that she is trying to groom Malcolm to become President of the United States. The finale also reveals that she is pregnant again. Lois is usually seen driving the family's early 1990s Plymouth Grand Voyager . Hal, played by Bryan Cranston (151 episodes),
1554-491: A single motion. Additionally, seatbacks were designed to fold forward. Seat roller tracks were permanently attached to the floor and seat stanchions were aligned, facilitating the longitudinal rolling of the seats. Bench seat stanchions were relocated inboard to reduce bending stress in the seat frames and allowing them to be lighter. The 1996-2000 Dodge Grand Caravan (twin of the Voyager/Grand Voyager) received
1665-448: A sizable cargo area in the rear. The latching mechanisms for the benches were very intuitive and easy to operate. On base models, the front buckets were low-back items, upholstered with plain cloth or vinyl. On SEs, the buyer could choose between low-back buckets in deluxe cloth or high-back buckets in upgraded vinyl. LEs came standard with high-back front buckets, upholstered in either luxury cloth or luxury vinyl. In 1985 and 1986, there
1776-450: A talent and genuine love for cooking and baking to the point where he is put in charge of cooking for holidays and special events. He is also considered by others to be an evil genius when it comes to bullying, tormenting, blackmailing and beating up others for his own satisfaction. He is the favorite grandson of his grandmother Ida, who taught him the importance of having a patsies . In the series finale, Reese moves in with Craig Feldspar and
1887-470: A tent that attached magnetically to the side of the vehicle allowing access in and out of the sliding side door. For 1987 the six- and eight-passenger options were withdrawn, leaving seating for five standard and seven optional on the base and SE, and seating for seven with high-back front buckets standard on the LE, Grand SE, and Grand LE. The deluxe cloth upholstery was now standard on base and all SE models, with
1998-598: A weekly slot at 3:15pm on Saturday afternoons. Repeats continued until January 18, 2014. Comedy Central UK and Ireland picked up the show in November 2015 and aired until 2018. Nickelodeon UK also began showing the series in 2018. 4Music started showing two episodes daily at 6.00pm and 6.30pm, from 6 July 2020. As of December 2021, the series is available on Disney+ in the UK. In Kenya, the show used to air on NTV between 2003-2005. The TV Show used to air on Thursdays 7:30 pm. Only
2109-432: A wide array of power-operated features. In later years various trim packages were offered on SE models. The "Sport Wagon" package available from 1993 until 1995 featured accent color (gray) bumpers and molding , fog lamps, and special aluminum wheels. The "Rallye" package offered in 1995, took the place of the departed LX model. It was more luxury-oriented, with lower body two-tone paint — regardless of upper body color,
2220-450: Is Francis, Reese, Malcolm, Dewey, and Jamie's temperamental and overbearing mother. She is despised by the neighbors to the point that they refuse to invite her to their gatherings, revealed in "Mono". Unlike Malcolm, Lois is not bothered by it and tries her best to blend in with it. Lois is 38 years old as of Season 2, and had originally planned to attend music school and become a concert violinist before she married Hal ("Lois' Birthday"). She
2331-415: Is a janitor at his alma mater North High. Dewey, played by Erik Per Sullivan (151 episodes), is portrayed as being quieter, more innocent brother but becomes just as spiteful and destructive as his older siblings as the series progressed. Initially the youngest brother, Dewey is regularly bullied by both Malcolm and Reese for years to the point where he becomes completely immune to their torture methods. He
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#17327940539822442-479: Is also frequently underestimated by his brothers to the point where they sometimes find themselves at his mercy. Despite this, he partakes in many of the brothers' juvenile schemes and is just as spiteful and vindictive as they are. Dewey is more inclined to the arts than his brothers. He soon finds he is a musical prodigy, and as the series goes on he becomes more caring and thoughtful especially in regards to his younger brother Jamie, whom he decides not to bully like he
2553-430: Is mentioned again in the episode "Forbidden Girlfriend" when Hal and Lois struggle to cope when Lois takes a medication and is unable to have sex for an entire week. It was also revealed that Hal was a chain smoker before quitting the habit. Hal's best friend is Abe Kenarban. Hal works in a lower management job in a corporation that he always hated. He used to be an executive and got demoted when he mouthed off to his boss in
2664-590: Is never mentioned directly in the series. Linwood Boomer's script for the pilot episode originally included the surname Wilkerson, but it was later removed because he did not want to put "any specific ethnic label on the characters". The surname appeared in early drafts of promotional material and also on Francis' Marlin Academy uniform in the pilot. In the last episode of the series, " Graduation ", Francis drops his ID badge from his new office job, which lists his name as "Francis Nolastname". Also, in that same episode,
2775-466: Is often inclined to beat up the Krelboynes, except Stevie who is in a wheelchair. Despite his infamous reputation as a bully, Reese has at times been shown to be intimidated by people who are stronger than him. Considered to be the least intelligent of his brothers, Reese often has the Krelboynes do his schoolwork for him. Despite this, Reese is actually a culinary prodigy , after finding that he has
2886-437: Is played at the end of both the pilot episode and the series finale. The Southern California pop-punk band Lit have many of their songs featured in several episodes. Lit songs that were never released as singles were also used. A soundtrack, Music from Malcolm in the Middle , was released on November 21, 2000. The show entered barter syndication in the fall of 2004 one month before the sixth season premiered on Fox and
2997-418: Is revealed to have directly caused Lois' staph infection due to his uncontrollable kicking in her womb. Reese is the worst-behaved of the brothers and generally feels little to no empathy towards those he torments. Reese is the most frequently punished of his brothers to the point where he treats being grounded by Lois as an everyday occurrence. At the beginning of the series, Reese is the school’s top bully and
3108-521: Is still unemployed. Reese, played by Justin Berfield (151 episodes), is the second-oldest of the brothers. He is about three years younger than his brother Francis, one year older than his brother Malcolm, six years older than his brother Dewey, and about 16 years older than his youngest brother Jamie. It was revealed in the episode "Flashback", in season 2, that Reese has been vicious from the womb, so vicious in fact that when he kept kicking Lois during labor, she pushed him out by force. In Clip Show #2, he
3219-405: Is the father of the family. Though relaxed in his parenting when compared to Lois, Hal has shown that he can slide into a disciplinarian when confronted by the boys' bad behavior. He was a rebel like his sons, especially Francis, until he married Lois and she nurtured him. He comes from a wealthy family who resent his choice to marry Lois over Susan (a sentiment also shared by Victor and Ida). Hal has
3330-422: Is the main protagonist and occasional narrator of this series. He is approximately five years younger than his oldest brother Francis, one year younger than his older brother Reese, five years older than their younger brother Dewey, and about 15 years older than their youngest brother Jamie. In the first episode of the series, he is discovered to be a child prodigy and was immediately moved from his regular class into
3441-454: Is the primary teacher of Malcolm's "Krelboyne" class in the first two seasons. She is shown to be overly-earnest as well as to adore Malcolm. In season 1, she is included as part of the main cast, but in season 2, is a recurring character. In season 2, she is shown to be pregnant until she gives birth to her baby in the parking lot. After her baby was born, she quit teaching. She was never seen or mentioned again after season 2. Malcolm in
List of Malcolm in the Middle characters - Misplaced Pages Continue
3552-440: Is the third-born child in a comically dysfunctional family of four (later five) boys, of Lois ( Jane Kaczmarek ) and Hal ( Bryan Cranston ). As of the first season, their delinquent oldest child Francis ( Christopher Kennedy Masterson ) has been sent away to military school; while his brothers Reese ( Justin Berfield ) and Dewey ( Erik Per Sullivan ) remain at home with Malcolm and their parents. With Francis away, Malcolm becomes
3663-527: The 13th best-selling automotive model line worldwide. The Plymouth Voyager minivan was assembled by Chrysler at its Windsor Assembly facility in Windsor, Ontario, Canada; from 1987 to 2000, the Voyager was also assembled at Saint Louis Assembly in Fenton, Missouri (North plant from 1987 through 1995; South plant from 1996 until 2000). The full-size Plymouth Voyager van was assembled from 1974 until 1983 at
3774-720: The Pillette Road Truck Assembly in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, and at the St. Louis North Assembly Plant in Fenton, Missouri. For the 1974 model year, Plymouth debuted light trucks under its own brand (for the first time since 1942), introducing the Voyager full-size van and the Trail Duster SUV. The Voyager was a Plymouth counterpart of the Dodge Sportsman van, while the Trail Duster
3885-485: The Volkswagen Microbus had established popularity, designers sought to develop a safer and more practical vehicle. To utilize then-existing Chrysler powertrains, a front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout was selected. In 1972, designers began developing clay models of a potential exterior design (along with interior layouts). However, the Chrysler small van project was shelved, as Chrysler management cited
3996-442: The "Krelboynes", a class for gifted students. Despite his high intelligence, he still gets into mischief either alongside or working against his brothers (in particular, his older brother Reese), although he becomes more self-centred and vain in the later seasons as he goes through puberty. Being a genius, Malcolm often serves as the ring leader in the brothers' juvenile schemes. According to Hal, in "Stock Car Races" (season 1), Malcolm
4107-518: The "sailboat" Plymouth grille emblem and new badging in script font afterward. The Voyager retained the base, SE, and LE trims from its predecessor. To reduce model overlap, the LE trim was discontinued in the United States (in favor of an expanded Town & Country range). To allow the Plymouth brand to remain competitive, the Rallye option package was introduced on the SE trim; along with exterior badging,
4218-411: The 1983 model year, Plymouth discontinued the full-size Voyager van, transferring the nameplate to its 1984 minivan. As the Trail Duster had been discontinued after 1981, the full-size Voyager would become the final full-size truck offered by the Plymouth brand. During the early 1970s, Ford and Chrysler had begun work on smaller passenger vans as "garageable vans"; the vehicles were intended to feature
4329-614: The 2001 introduction of the RS-generation minivans, the Voyager was distinguished by a winged Chrysler emblem atop a black plastic grille (a shape adopted by the later PT Cruiser ). For 2004, Chrysler discontinued the Voyager in the United States and Canada, replacing the model line with the Dodge Caravan and a short-wheelbase Town & Country (the Voyager remained in Mexico through 2007). In markets outside of North America,
4440-489: The 2017 film The Disaster Artist , Bryan Cranston appeared as himself, offering one of the protagonists a guest role on an episode of Malcolm in the Middle . The series served as inspiration for episode 6 of the Disney+ Marvel Cinematic Universe television miniseries WandaVision , and the intro of WandaVision show in show also parodies Malcolm in the Middle . In episode 8 of
4551-510: The Army (1)", Reese uses a fake ID by the name of "Jetson" to lie about his age. In the series finale, "Graduation", Francis' employee ID reads "Nolastname" (or "No Last Name", a joke referring to the fact that the family name was never spoken aloud). In the same episode, when Malcolm was introduced to give the graduation speech, the speaker announces Malcolm's name, but microphone feedback makes his surname inaudible, even though he does appear to mouth
List of Malcolm in the Middle characters - Misplaced Pages Continue
4662-460: The Carousel was restyled with its own body, lowered to a height of approximately 6 feet. Though supported by both Lee Iaccoca and Henry Ford II, internal opposition from other Ford executives led to the cancellation of the Carousel project during 1974. At the same time, Dodge Truck Engineering began design work of its own "garageable van" (to market a small van as a practical second car). Though
4773-642: The Chrysler K-cars was offered in the Voyager for the 1987 model year and remained the base engine until mid-1987. Alongside the 2.2 L, an optional Mitsubishi 2.6 L engine was available producing 104 hp (78 kW). At launch, the Voyager's low horsepower to weight ratio had not been much of a concern. Its main competitors were the Toyota Van and the Volkswagen Vanagon , both of which offered similar performance. In mid-1987,
4884-466: The Chrysler brand. From 1988 to 2016, the Chrysler Voyager nameplate was used for export-market minivans. Following the demise of Plymouth, Chrysler reintroduced the Voyager as a Chrysler for North America, discontinuing the model after 2003. The Chrysler minivans (including versions sold under Chrysler, Ram, Lancia, and Volkwagen nameplates) are a model family that collectively rank as
4995-486: The Lucky Aide drugstore Craig Feldspar ( David Anthony Higgins ); Malcolm's best friend Stevie Kenarban (Craig Lamar Traylor), who is both a wheelchair user and highly asthmatic; and Stevie's dad Abe ( Gary Anthony Williams ), as well as a series of continuing subplots detailing Francis' misadventures at the military academy, from which he subsequently disenrolls to work in an Alaskan logging camp , before finally landing
5106-558: The Middle Malcolm in the Middle is an American television sitcom created by Linwood Boomer for the Fox Broadcasting Company . The series premiered on January 9, 2000, and ended on May 14, 2006, after seven seasons consisting of 151 episodes . The single-camera series is a family black comedy that follows a dysfunctional working class family and stars Frankie Muniz in the lead role as Malcolm,
5217-521: The Middle began airing on IFC . On March 5, 2018, the series began airing on Fuse . On April 11, 2019, it was originally revealed that the show would be available on Disney+ , Disney's direct-to-consumer streaming service, at launch on November 12, 2019. However, the show was not available on launch day for unknown reasons. In March 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic , Disney sent a survey out to Disney+ consumers asking if they would like content on
5328-472: The Mitsubishi V6 increased output to 142 hp (106 kW). In 1990, a new 150 hp (112 kW) 3.3 L V6 was added to the option list. Sales of the 2.5 turbo dwindled as a result, and it was dropped at the end of the year. Both a three-speed TorqueFlite automatic transmission and a five-speed manual were available with all inline-four engines , including the turbocharged 2.5 L (this
5439-535: The PAL DVD releases. The show is often regarded as influential as a family sitcom that was not filmed in front of a live studio audience and did not feature a laugh track , in addition to being praised for its single-camera filming style which would later be used in The Bernie Mac Show , The Office , Everybody Hates Chris , 30 Rock , Modern Family , and Arrested Development . In
5550-527: The Rallye offered interior content featured in LE-trim Voyagers and Caravans. For 1998, the Rallye trim was renamed Expresso. Third generation Voyagers and Grand Voyagers were equipped nearly identically to their Dodge counterparts, save for front fascias, badging, and the wheels on LE-trim vans, which are shared with the Town & Country. However, to maintain its position as the entry-level minivan,
5661-545: The Voyager and Caravan saw significant changes in body trim and feature content. Distinguished by a dark gray egg-crate grille (a body-color grille became an option in 1998), the Voyager used matte gray bumpers across all trim levels with matte gray side moldings. Before the calendar year 1996, the NS Voyager was produced with the Pentastar grille emblem and rear badging carried over from the previous model year, shifting to
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#17327940539825772-458: The Voyager followed its Dodge counterpart through a two-year transition of the model line into its second generation. 1978 brought major structural changes, as a redesigned B-pillar on long-wheelbase models saw the deletion of the filler panels between the front doors and side doors (on the driver side, one fewer window); On extended-length vans, the body was fitted with wraparound rear corner windows to improve rear visibility. The interior underwent
5883-524: The Voyager received minor cosmetic updates as well as the May 1987 introduction of the Grand Voyager, which was built on a longer wheelbase adding more cargo room. It was available only with SE or LE trim. First-generation Voyager minivans were offered in three trim levels: an unnamed base model, mid-grade SE , and high-end LE , the latter bearing simulated woodgrain paneling. A sportier LX model
5994-569: The Voyager was never produced with automatic headlights, fog lights, power driver's seat and power mirror memory, or auto-dimming rearview mirrors. All-wheel drive was also discontinued in some markets. The vinyl woodgrain-appearance side paneling was no longer available, as the new side sheet metal was no longer flat. Third generation Voyagers introduced a new system of rear seats to simplify installation, removal, and re-positioning— marketed as "Easy-Out Roller Seats". All Voyagers and Grand Voyagers were equipped with this feature. When installed,
6105-494: The Voyager was reintroduced as a minivan, becoming a divisional counterpart of the Dodge Caravan . For 1987, the model line was expanded with the extended-wheelbase Plymouth Grand Voyager and the luxury-trim Chrysler Town & Country for 1990. Three generations of the model line were sold until the closure of the Plymouth brand during the 2000 model year. The Voyager nameplate has also seen use multiple times under
6216-523: The Voyager's headlamps and taillights. In Mexico, the Voyager was sold as a Chrysler and shared the chrome waterfall grille with the Town & Country. This generation of vans brought additional innovations, including: The turbocharged engine and Convert-A-Bed feature were dropped. The 1996 Plymouth Voyager was redesigned from the ground up. The previous K-car automobile platform and architecture were replaced with modern components and utilized Chrysler's cab-forward design. The third generation redesign
6327-772: The alternative rock group They Might Be Giants . The song won the "Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media" award at the 2002 Grammy Awards . The band also performed nearly all of the incidental music for the show in its first two seasons. Mood-setting music is sprinkled throughout the series, in lieu of audience laughter, in a way that resembles feature film more than other TV sitcoms. Some examples of this highly varied music include ABBA , Basement Jaxx , Sum 41 , Kenny Rogers , Lemon Jelly , Lords of Acid , The Getaway People , En Vogue , Electric Light Orchestra , Fatboy Slim , Phil Collins , Claude Debussy , Tears for Fears , Slade , Quiet Riot , Queen , and Citizen King , whose song "Better Days"
6438-542: The base 2.2 L I4 was replaced with a fuel-injected 2.5 L I4, which produced 100 hp (75 kW), while the Mitsubishi G54B I4 was replaced with the new fuel-injected 3.0 L Mitsubishi V6 producing 136 hp (101 kW) in March of that year. A turbocharged version of the base 2.5 L producing 150 hp (112 kW) was available in 1989 and 1990. Also in 1989, revisions to
6549-419: The boys punishment they deserve that Lois gives them. Lois is usually head of the household and Hal is second-in-command. He is very neurotic and has a slight obsessive-compulsive disorder, and also enjoys unusual hobbies. Briefs are his underpants of choice. Hal also has a loving and highly active sex life with Lois, as revealed in the episode "Poker 2" when Hal tells his friends he has sex 14 times per week. It
6660-528: The camera to comment on their failures. Another brother, Jamie (James and Lukas Rodriguez), was introduced as the fifth son of Hal and Lois at the end of season four . The show was notable for its pop punk influences and portrayal of 2000s youth culture. Malcolm in the Middle was produced by Satin City and Regency Television in association with Fox Television Studios . The show has been syndicated worldwide, and received widespread critical acclaim and proved
6771-466: The configuration, the base model could seat up to six, the SE could seat up to eight, and the LE could seat up to seven. The two bench seats in the rear were independently removable (though not foldable), and the large three-seat bench could also be installed in the second-row location via a second set of attachment points on the van's floor, ordinarily hidden with snap-in plastic covers. This configuration allowed for conventional five-passenger seating with
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#17327940539826882-420: The critical acclaim, its success was not assured with audiences generally rejecting single-camera, live action comedies at the time. However, the show achieved Fox's biggest ratings for a premiere since The Simpsons in 1990 with an audience of more than 23 million for the debut episode and Fox's biggest rating for a show aired directly after The Simpsons . 26 million watched the second episode. Fox shuffled
6993-539: The entirety of Breaking Bad to be a bad dream in Malcolm in the Middle that Hal had after eating deep-fried Twinkies . This is a parody of the ending to the show Newhart . The series is referenced heavily in the fifth episode of the sixteenth season of the sitcom It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia — " Celebrity Booze: The Ultimate Cash Grab " — which features Cranston guest-starring as himself. Throughout
7104-617: The entrance displays the place as Irwindale Speedway , a real race track in Southern California. The last episode in the first season ("Water Park") was filmed at a water park called Wild Rivers located in Irvine, California . Though palm trees and desert scenery are seen in shots of the local region and town throughout the show, indicating a location in the Western United States, it is never revealed which state
7215-417: The episode, the gang recognizes Cranston for his work on Malcolm and mistake his Breaking Bad co-star Aaron Paul to be Malcolm himself. The characters Dennis and Frank Reynolds also praise the show, with Frank saying it "changed the game". Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , gave the show's first season a score of 88 out of 100 based on 26 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". Despite
7326-548: The exception of its Plymouth badging, the Voyager was essentially indistinguishable from its Dodge Royal Sportsman counterpart. For 1981, the Plymouth Voyager gained a degree of brand differentiation as Dodge dropped the Sportsman/Tradesman branding in favor of Dodge Ram Wagon/Van, featuring large RAM badging on the door. In contrast, the Voyager retained the badging introduced in 1979. Following
7437-399: The extensive use of locations, and the unusual camera styles, compositions and effects (e.g. overhead, tracking, hand-held and crane shots, and the frequent use of a wide-angle lens for both close-ups and ensemble scenes) that would be generally impractical or impossible to achieve in a standard studio-based video multi-camera sitcom production. The show employed neither a laugh track (which
7548-448: The final few seasons, Dewey becomes increasingly bitter towards his parents due to them overlooking him throughout his childhood and neglecting his interests. Because of this, he forces them to give Jamie the childhood he never had. In the last episode, he and Jamie (the only other remaining brother living at home) continued the tradition of causing havoc all over the house. Caroline Miller , played by Catherine Lloyd Burns (15 episodes),
7659-720: The first mass-produced vehicles to include dedicated cup holders . Original commercials for the 1984 Voyager featured magician Doug Henning as a spokesperson to promote the Voyager "Magic Wagon's" versatility, cargo space, low step-in height, passenger volume, and maneuverability. Later commercials in 1989 featured rock singer Tina Turner . Canadian commercials in 1990 featured pop singer Celine Dion . 1984-1986 Voyagers could be equipped for five, six, or seven passengers, with an eight-passenger variant available only in 1985. Five-passenger seating, standard on all trim levels, consisted of two front bucket seats and an intermediate three-passenger bench seat. In 1985, on base and SE models,
7770-453: The first season of Malcolm in the Middle has been released on DVD . In the U.S., season two was set to be released in the fall of 2003, but was cancelled due to high costs of music clearances . In February 2012, it was announced that Fabulous Films would be releasing the first season of the show in the UK in April, as well as releasing each subsequent season the following month, ending with
7881-436: The front buckets could be replaced by a 40/60 split three-passenger bench seat, bringing the total number of occupants to six. Seven-passenger seating was an option on SEs and LEs, with dual front buckets, an intermediate two-passenger bench, and a rear three-passenger bench. Eight-passenger seating was available on SE models only, with both the additional middle two-passenger bench and the three-passenger front bench. Depending on
7992-610: The grille (a design shared by Fargo vans and 1971-1973 Dodges). Dependent on body size, the Voyager was sold in PB100, PB200, and PB300 series. In 1976, the Voyager was joined by the Voyager Custom and Voyager Sport (to better match its Dodge counterpart). For 1977, the single-panel rear door (introduced in 1975 as an option) became standard (trading places with the two-panel rear door). The rear seat mountings were redesigned, allowing for easier removal. For 1978 and 1979,
8103-483: The house directly to the left of it is nearly identical to what it looked like during filming, still making it a frequent stop for fans of the show. Some high school scenes were filmed at Walter Reed Middle School , and the Lucky Aide was represented by a Drug Emporium at 6020 Lankershim Boulevard in North Hollywood . In "Stock Car Races", when Hal and the boys are entering a race track, the billboard behind
8214-541: The interior, including the dashboard controls and instrument cluster from the Plymouth Reliant. The model line was designed with a passenger-side sliding door (like a full-size van), but its front-wheel drive chassis allowed for a lower floor height (closer to a sedan/station wagon); the rear door used a one-piece liftgate, similar to a hatchback or smaller station wagons. The Voyager was on Car and Driver magazine's Ten Best list for 1985. For 1987,
8325-473: The lack of funds and that it was a design that had no competition from either Ford or GM. At the end of 1977, Chrysler started development on a new small van project that would ultimately become the Chrysler minivans. Following the firing of both Lee Iacocca and Hal Sperlich from Ford, the two joined Chrysler in similar capacities during 1978. Beginning life as a modified version of the Dodge Omni ,
8436-482: The lower body was painted "Driftwood Beige" — silver aluminum wheels, and special badging. The font first used for the Rallye's badging was adopted for all of Plymouth's badging from 1996 onward. Interiors were more differentiated in this generation than on the first with a redesigned dashboard for 1994 featuring a passenger-side front airbag. and a seating package, marketed as the "Quad Command" seating package, available on SE, LE, and LX models. Quad command replaced
8547-501: The luxury vinyl optional on SEs. On LEs, luxury cloth came standard and for the first time, leather seats were available on the LE models. For the first three years of production, two inline-4 engines with 2 barrel carburetors were offered. The base 2.2 L was from the Chrysler K-cars and produced 96 hp (72 kW) horsepower. The higher performance fuel-injected version of the 2.2 L engine later offered in
8658-525: The middle child of the family. In season four, the character Jamie (James and Lukas Rodriguez) was added to the show as the fifth son of Hal and Lois. The show's early seasons centered on Malcolm dealing with the rigors of being an intellectual and enduring the eccentricities of family life. Later seasons expanded the show's scope by exploring the family's interactions with their extended family, friends and colleagues in more depth, including Lois' tyrannical mother Ida ( Cloris Leachman ); Lois' hapless coworker at
8769-613: The modern minivan segment in the United States, followed by the introduction of the Chevrolet Astro/GMC Safari and the Ford Aerostar . For 1984, the Plymouth Voyager name returned, introduced as the Plymouth version of the Chrysler minivans, joining the all-new Dodge Caravan. Though the two vehicles shared a distinct model architecture, the minivans shared powertrains with the K-Cars, along with portions of
8880-626: The new vans adopted a front-wheel drive layout. The models grew in size as designers determined the Omni/Horizon chassis would be too small with an underpowered powertrain. Following the project approval, the "T-115" small van program was funded through a large portion of the Chrysler federal loan guarantees. The Chrysler minivans launched a few months ahead of the Renault Espace (the first MPV/minivan in Europe )— effectively creating
8991-405: The office. Malcolm eventually comes to terms with his future, after being unable to tell her that he can not do it. In the series finale, he begins taking classes at Harvard University . Throughout the series, Malcolm frequently breaks the fourth wall and talks to the viewer about either the current situation or provides exposition about past events. Lois, played by Jane Kaczmarek (146 episodes),
9102-582: The original music, with the exception of one season three episode "Company Picnic" which was originally aired as a one-hour special, before being re-edited and split into two parts for syndication. The DVD presents the syndicated version. All seven seasons as well as the complete series set were released in Australia in September 2013. The complete series set altered the separate seven season sets to fit into four volumes. A collector's edition boxset which has
9213-411: The phrase "No last name". The DVD insert from series five shows the family surname as " Wilkerson " in the description of the episode, "Block Party". While this last name is referenced via Easter eggs in "Pilot", "Dinner Out", and "Company Picnic Pt. 1", the characters' lack of a surname remains a running gag throughout the series. Malcolm, played by actor Frankie Muniz (in a total of 150 episodes),
9324-406: The principal announces Malcolm as the speaker, mouthing "Nolastname" as his voice is drowned out by microphone feedback. A publicist for Fox said that "officially the family's last name should be considered a mystery". The pilot's script was initially being developed by UPN until Regency Television became involved. It was planned for the 1998–99 television season but when UPN's enthusiasm for
9435-427: The project waned, Gail Berman managed to rescue the pilot by bringing the project to Fox. The show was then moved to the 1999–2000 cycle where it was picked up by Fox. The show's opening title features short clips from cult films or television shows, with in earlier seasons being edited together with clips from the pilot and early episodes of the show, Updated in season 4 to include clips from later seasons, set to
9546-599: The season 2 finale. Hal is usually seen driving a late 1980s to early 1990s Dodge Dynasty . Francis, played by Christopher Kennedy Masterson (118 episodes), is the oldest of the brothers, whom Malcolm often looks up to. According to the season 1 episodes "Sleepover" and "The Bots and the Bees", Francis was a breech birth . The season 2 episode "Flashback" reveals that Lois was in labor with him during her and Hal's wedding. A rebel from birth, showing signs of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and conduct disorder , Francis
9657-529: The seasons split up instead of volumes was released subsequently in 2014. It features everything from the four-volume set and includes a bonus T-shirt. This set is exclusive to Australia. In May 2019, Turbine Medien announced the first ever Blu-ray release of the complete series in Germany, that was released in September 2019. The release however, was in Standard Definition, in similar fashion to
9768-399: The second- and third-row seats (either bucket or bench seats) are latched to floor-mounted strikers. When unlatched, eight rollers lifted each seat, allowing it to be rolled fore and aft. Tracks had locator depressions for rollers, thus enabling simple installation. Ergonomic levers at the seatbacks released the floor latches single-handedly without tools and raised the seats onto the rollers in
9879-412: The second-row bench with two individual bucket seats with a center aisle to the third-row bench. Interior options varied with trim levels and packages. Cloth seating was standard on all models; leather seating was a standalone extra-cost option on LE and LX models. Only badging and minor cosmetics differentiated the Voyager from its Dodge Caravan rebadged variant. The Chrysler Town & Country shared
9990-460: The series, a DVD box of the first season can be seen among DVDs of other shows. Later in that same episode, the main characters are watching season seven's second episode "Health Insurance". There is an alternate ending to Breaking Bad released on the complete series DVD box set, where Hal (whose actor Cranston plays Walter White in Breaking Bad ) wakes up from a dream, revealing
10101-630: The show is set in (except for Francis' whereabouts in early seasons, such as his military school in Alabama and his job in Alaska). Studio filming for Malcolm in the Middle took place on Stage 21 at CBS Studio Center in Studio City, which included the interior of the home and the back yard. The middle school play yard was at the northern point of the CBS studio property at the end of Radford Avenue. It
10212-444: The show's air time repeatedly to make room for other shows. On January 13, 2006, Fox announced that the show would be moving to 7:00 pm on Sundays effective January 29, 2006. The 151st and final episode of the series aired at 8:30 pm ET/PT (the show's original timeslot) on May 14, 2006, and was watched by 7.4 million. Jane Kaczmarek and Cloris Leachman were nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award every year they appeared on
10323-425: The show's fourth season. The boys are, from eldest to youngest: Francis, Reese, Malcolm, Dewey, and Jamie. In the final episode, Lois discovered she was pregnant with a sixth child. In the third season, Francis travels home to celebrate his father's birthday bringing an Alaskan woman, Piama, and reveals that they are married. During the show, the family's name was kept a secret. In the fifth-season episode "Reese Joins
10434-422: The show, as leading and guest actress, respectively. Leachman won in 2002 and 2006. Frankie Muniz was nominated once for lead actor, and Bryan Cranston three times for supporting actor. The show won a total of seven Emmys during its six-year run and a Peabody Award . Kaczmarek was nominated for three Golden Globe Awards, Muniz was nominated twice, and Cranston was nominated once. Russian channel STS made
10545-732: The site such as Malcolm in the Middle and other "mature" shows such as Firefly , Buffy the Vampire Slayer , and Modern Family . The series is currently available to watch on Hulu . In the United Kingdom, the series originally aired on Sky1 from September 3, 2000, later also airing on Sky2 before finally leaving all Sky channels in December 2010. It also aired on free-to-air BBC Two from April 6, 2001, to March 7, 2009. From January 3, 2011, it aired on Fiver (now 5*) at 6:00 pm and again at about 7:30 pm, later moving to
10656-495: The song " Boss of Me " by They Might Be Giants . Much of the filming for Malcolm in the Middle was done on location in various parts of the thirty-mile zone around Los Angeles . A privately owned home, located in Studio City, California , was rented for upwards of $ 3,000 a day to film as the exterior of Malcolm's house. Rebuilt in 2011, the property is no longer recognizable due to its modern two-floor design. However,
10767-505: The voice of reason, and does have a conscience. For instance, despite emotionally manipulating a grieving Hal to buy him a car in the episode "Hal Grieves," when the time comes to make the purchase he finds he can't go through with it. In the series finale, it is revealed that Lois intended him to have a hard life, knowing that he is destined to assume the role of President of the United States. Lois wants him to remember where he came from to get there and help families like his own when he assumes
10878-412: Was a rare combination). V-6 engines were only offered with the venerable fully hydraulically operated TorqueFlite , until the computer-controlled Ultradrive 4-speed automatic became available in 1989. The Ultradrive offered much better fuel economy and responsiveness, particularly when paired with the inline-four engine. The Plymouth Voyager was modified for 1991 with new sheet metal. The S platform
10989-494: Was added in 1989, sharing much of its components with the Caravan ES. Safety features included 3-point seat belts for the front two passengers and lap belts for rear passengers. Standard on all Voyagers were legally mandated side-impact reinforcements for all seating front and rear outboard positions. Safety features such as airbags or ABS were not available. The Voyager, along with the Dodge Caravan , are considered to be
11100-499: Was also a five-passenger version with a back seat that could be folded flat with the pull of a handle into a bed that filled the rear compartment from the back of the front seats to the rear. This option was known as the Magic Camper. The Magic Camper back seat had an extra rear-facing cushion that formed the back-most section of the bed when folded flat and the seat, though very heavy, was removable. The Magic Camper option included
11211-406: Was built on the new Chrysler NS platform and included a driver's-side sliding door, a minivan first. The Voyager was listed on Car and Driver magazine's Ten Best list for 1996 and 1997. In a shift from previous minivans, the third-generation Voyager was marketed as the entry-level Chrysler minivan rather than as a direct counterpart of the Dodge Caravan. While sharing the same bodyshell,
11322-483: Was by Malcolm and Reese. Lois remarks at one point that unlike Malcolm, who would have to work hard to achieve success, Dewey would have success handed to him. Dewey joins the Buseys, a class for the emotionally disturbed, by mistake and ends up becoming their unofficial teacher. He ended up caring for his fellow students so much that, when the mistake was uncovered, he feigned severe emotional problems so he could remain. In
11433-628: Was derived from the Dodge Ramcharger . In contrast to Dodge, Plymouth only marketed the Voyager as a passenger van; as with the Sportsman, the model line was offered with seating options for up to 15 passengers (depending on body length) ; the 18-inch longer Extended Body Voyager was derived from the Dodge MaxiWagon. 1974-1977 Plymouth Voyagers were visually similar to their Dodge counterparts, centering Plymouth badging within
11544-523: Was exiled to the Marlin Academy military school by Lois for his behavior. By season 3, he emancipates himself and runs away from the academy to work in Alaska , incurring his mother's wrath. Shortly after moving to Alaska, he marries a local woman about one year older than him named Piama, who had a previous brief marriage, though Lois disapproves. During the fourth and fifth season, Francis works at
11655-521: Was later aired on FX in the fall of 2007 until the fall of 2011. The show was launched on Nick at Nite on July 5, 2009, at 8:00 pm with an all night marathon. However, the episodes were either skipped over or heavily edited due to content that was too strong for the network's standards. When Nick at Nite pulled Malcolm it began airing on TeenNick from November 26, 2010, and continued until December 2010. The show returned to TeenNick's line-up on July 18, 2011. On September 26, 2011, Malcolm in
11766-412: Was named after Hal's favorite Stock Car Racer, Rusty Malcolm, although he had previously argued with Lois about giving the name to Francis and Reese. Malcolm, like Reese, is very unpopular at school, yet he has had a number of girlfriends during the series run. Like Lois, he gets angry or frustrated very easily but he also has problems containing his opinion about himself. Malcolm also occasionally serves as
11877-420: Was redressed as the high school courtyard starting in season 4 and was demolished in 2006–2007. Hallmarks of the series' filming and structure, many of which heavily influenced later programs, included the following: During the final two seasons, Christopher Masterson reduced his on-screen time in favor of writing and directing some episodes. The show's theme song , " Boss of Me ", was written and recorded by
11988-570: Was revealed to be a charming and nurturing mother while Francis was little, but toughened up. When she became more overbearing and demanding, it did not help Francis or the other boys to behave, but she unknowingly made it worse. She also stubbornly believes she is always in the right, to the point of being unable to say that she was wrong. Lois's severe anger issues are very often caused by her sons' frequent bad behavior, and also from her miserable childhood. Her uncaring parents Ida and Victor favored her younger sister, Susan. Lois and Susan would later have
12099-453: Was standard in other TV sitcoms) nor a live studio audience . Emulating the style of hour-long dramas, this half-hour show was shot on film instead of on video. Another distinctive aspect of the show is that the cold open of nearly every episode is unrelated to the main story. Exceptions include episodes which were the conclusions of "two-parters"; each part two episode opened with a recap of its part one episode. The family's surname
12210-516: Was still used, though renamed the "AS platform". These were the last Voyagers that were derived from the Chrysler K platform . Trim levels were carried over from the previous generation. 1991 Voyagers were available in base, mid-grade SE , high-end LE , and high-end LX . The LX which was available only on short-wheelbase Voyagers, was marketed as a sport-luxury minivan and came with the most standard equipment including alloy wheels, fog lamps , and
12321-424: Was suggested that the hold out was the creator of the show, Linwood Boomer , during Muniz's appearance on Mayim Bialik 's podcast and that he would only give his blessing if two specific previous writers were on board. Plymouth Grand Voyager For its first generation, the Voyager was a full-size van, serving as the Plymouth counterpart of the Dodge Sportsman (renamed Dodge Ram Wagon for 1980). For 1984,
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