The Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston’s latest slapstick comedy show has become an instant hit on streaming. After premiering less than a week ago, the series has already topped the global streaming rankings, beating several well-established franchises.
Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair is topping global streaming charts
Bryan Cranston’s Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair is globally the #1 show on Disney+, as per Flix Patrol’s April 14 report. It is followed by Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord, The Testaments, Perfect Crown, Dear Killer Nannies, High Potential, Secrets of the Bees, Daredevil: Born Again, Love Story, and Scrubs in Top 10.
The show’s success extends beyond the United States, where it is available for streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+. In countries such as Australia, Canada, Mexico, and the United Kingdom, it has remained at the top. Furthermore, both the Star Wars and MCU franchises have massive cultural followings. But Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair also witnessed a dedicated viewership owing to the original Fox television show, Malcolm in the Middle.
The latest revival of the 7-season original is a 4-episode limited series. It brings back most of the sitcom’s beloved characters. The returning cast includes Cranston as Hal, Frankie Muniz as Malcolm, Jane Kaczmarek as Lois, Christopher Masterson as Francis, and Justin Berfield as Reese. The only big name not returning is Dewey actor Erik Per Sullivan, who was replaced by Caleb Ellsworth-Clark.
The show takes place around two decades after the Fox series. Malcolm is now living a peaceful life away from his dysfunctional family. However, he is reluctantly drawn back into the chaos when Malcolm is made to attend his parents’ 40th-anniversary celebration.
The revival has also garnered favorable ratings on review-aggregator sites. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 80% critic score and 74% user score.
Linwood Boomer, creator of Malcolm in the Middle, returned for the revival. Although the revival was initially going to be a 2-hour film, the makers eventually split it into four episodes. All episodes premiered on April 10 on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ in the U.S. and on Disney+ internationally. It is a bundled package that subscribers can opt for to stream curated Hulu shows on the Disney+ app.
Now, after this opening success, it’ll be interesting to see if the revival will continue for Season 2.
