The seventh and final season of ''

Malcolm in the Middle ''Malcolm in the Middle'' is an American family television sitcom created by Linwood Boomer for Fox. The series premiered on January 9, 2000, and ended on May 14, 2006, after seven seasons and 151 episodes. The series follows a dysfunctional ...

'' premiered on September 30, 2005, on

Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelv ...

, and ended on May 14, 2006, with a total of 22 episodes. Frankie Muniz stars as the title character Malcolm, and he is joined by Jane Kaczmarek, Bryan Cranston, Christopher Kennedy Masterson, Justin Berfield and

Erik Per Sullivan Erik Per Sullivan (born July 12, 1991) is an American former actor. He is best known for his role as Dewey, the younger brother to middle child Malcolm (Frankie Muniz) on the Fox series ''Malcolm in the Middle''. Early life Sullivan was born on ...

Episodes

Cast and characters

Main

* Frankie Muniz as Malcolm * Jane Kaczmarek as Lois * Bryan Cranston as Hal * Christopher Kennedy Masterson as Francis * Justin Berfield as Reese *

as Dewey

Recurring

* David Anthony Higgins as Craig Feldspar * Craig Lamar Traylor as Stevie Kenarban * Gary Anthony Williams as Abe Kenarban * Hayden Panettiere as Jessica * Cloris Leachman as Ida * Rheagan Wallace as Raduca * Emy Coligado as Piama

Production

In March–April 2005,

renewed ''Malcolm in the Middle'' for a seventh season. The following month, it was reported that series creator Linwood Boomer would not continue as showrunner, instead retaining an "executive consultant credit" while Matthew Carlson, would replace Boomer as showrunner. In January 2006, it was announced that it would be the final season; the decision behind this was widely attributed to declining viewership. Main cast members Frankie Muniz, Jane Kaczmarek, Bryan Cranston, Christopher Kennedy Masterson, Justin Berfield and

return as Malcolm, Lois, Hal, Francis, Reese and Dewey respectively. As with the sixth season, Masterson made fewer appearances than the rest of the main cast.

Release

Broadcast history

The season premiered on September 30, 2005 on Fox, and ended on May 14, 2006 with a total of 22 episodes.

Home media

The season was released on Region 2 DVD on October 7, 2013, and on Region 4 DVD on September 4, 2013.

Reception

In his review of the

series finale A series finale is the final installment of an episodic entertainment series, most often a television series. It may also refer to a final theatrical sequel, the last part of a television miniseries, the last installment of a literary series, or ...

, Matthew Gilbert of '' The Boston Globe'' said it "sails by, with none of the grandstanding and schmaltz many finales rely on to make an ending profound." Alan Pergament of '' The Buffalo News'' said, "Since it isn't exactly a warm and fuzzy comedy, you shouldn't expect ''Malcolm'' to get sappy at the end. Fortunately, it strikes a nice balance between maintaining its insanity (there's a messy explosion), having a few sweet moments and a suitably nightmarish ending." Rob Owen of '' Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'' said, "At a half-hour, it's not a bloated finale, nor is it particularly memorable, but this last "Malcolm" does send the show out in a style that's familiar to the show's fans." At the

58th Primetime Emmy Awards The 58th Primetime Emmy Awards were held on Sunday, August 27, 2006, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California on NBC at 8:00 p.m. ET (00:00 UTC) with Conan O'Brien hosting the show. The ceremony attracted 16.2 million viewers, 2. ...

, the season received four nominations: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Kaczmarek, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for Cranston, Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for Cloris Leachman and Outstanding Choreography for Fred Tallaksen for the episode "Bomb Shelter"; Leachman was the only winner.

References

2005 American television seasons 2006 American television seasons 7 {{Malcolm in the Middle