Malcolm in the Middle: Complete Collection [Region2] Requires a Multi Region Player

After several years apparently in legal limbo, the full TV series is at last available through an overseas outfit, and done well. If you have been looking for "Malcolm in the Middle", and have a DVD player that can handle Region 2 DVD's (non-US) -- and such players aren't very expensive -- you can stop reading and just get it, no worries. It was done right. Original music and even some "extra" scenes. The show was originally filmed and shown in the US from 2000-2006 in a 4:3 aspect ratio picture format, before the switch to digital TV. The source material is therefore not hi-def, and can visually seem a little dark in some scenes in the first couple seasons, soft-focused in some bright scenes. This DVD series presents the episodes in 16:9 widescreen format by zooming in a bit and trimming the top and bottom, but the reframing is well done and is not noticeable without original broadcast versions to compare with. But such nits aren't important. The set is professionally mastered with professional menus; select individual episodes or "play all". It looks good on DVD, though the show originated in the era of VHS tapes, just as DVD was emerging ... perhaps this is why the legal framework wasn't right for US release of the whole series. There are a few extras (which might have been on the Season One set that WAS released in the US long ago): - Extended Pilot episode - Commentary tracks for Season One episodes - Some blooper compilation, gag reel, some deleted scenes - A feature "Malcolm in the Middle: A Stroke of Genius" feature - A feature "Dewey's Day Job: A Portrait of Erik Per Sullivan" - Behind the scenes sneak-preview of Season Two. When the show first aired in 2000, I watched the first couple minutes and turned it off, repulsed by the opening scene: a very-hairy Hal standing nude in the kitchen as Lois shaved his entire body and the boys ate breakfast. It looked like some tasteless show dedicated to redefining the lowest common denominator. Never looked at it again; avoided it for years, thinking "yech!" the few times the remote landed on it for a moment. But years later, I happened to pause long enough to decide the opening scene was an unfortunately placed anomaly. The show went into reruns for a couple years after production ended, and it was possible to see the entire series digitally broadcast and even just-barely record it to computer before re-runs stopped. Have no idea if it has been showing on cable since then. But, with this DVD set, I discovered the broadcast reruns had NOT shown the prologue scene, 90% of the time starting with the show theme & credits. So the DVD was a nice surprise, providing a minute or two of additional comic preludes not seen before. Even within the show, there are times when the DVD appears to show longer scenes with additional material beyond what the broadcast reruns showed.Not much, and not often, but here and there. Your mileage may vary depending on how it was edited where you were for the broadcast. For those who haven't seen the show: Malcom in the Middle operates on a totally different level than most TV comedies. A typical comedy, say the currently-popular "Big Bang Theory", could be written by almost anyone (I could write it, even a computer could write it), following the typical sitcom formula: defined personalities trading "one-two" jabs ... a sentence or two to set up the joke, then a line to deliver the joke, which is usually some insult to another character. Then there is a laugh-track so the audience knows that something "funny" happened. By contrast, Malcolm in the Middle is NOT about trading thin jokes and insults. It is inspired genius, with characters and situations spinning off in ways that can't be predicted, but which manage to be extreme-yet-authentic. The playground is defined by bullies "carving out random spheres of influence", who take their role seriously, trading professional tips on how to get the most leverage in a head-lock. The teacher of the gifted class was formerly a student there, returning to teach after his dot.com failed and his net worth went from 240 million to $147. Since everyone in the class is gifted, everyone gets an A, "but some A's are worth more than others" and he institutes a ranking system, adjusting it moment-to-moment as the students talk. "We have names!" "Yes, I know #8." Everything matters passionately, to kids and parents, as the kids charge head-long into misbehavior. Mother Lois observes "They think MAYBE 2 minutes ahead; our job is to make sure reality crashes down on them in the time available". You have never seen a story of a teenager getting his driver's license until you have seen Reese's ... The chaos and combativeness drives each member of the family in different ways. The delinquent Francis to military school and a series of strange jobs where he ends up a natural leader to his surprise. Reese a talented cook/bully always on the edge of being a problem for the state, Malcolm a perpetually grumpy genius who wants to be normal, and the youngest, Dewey, a gifted musician driven into an inner world by the combat with his older brothers, secretly assembling a pipe organ in the garage from house-hold debris, leading to one of the most surreal scenes of the show -- of which there were more than a few (parking lot brawl on 50-foot stilts with Uncle Sam?) The show has plenty of heart, as Hal and Lois have a rock-solid marriage around which all the chaos revolves. The "Flashback" episode of Season Two gives a look at how the family developed into its current state, with Malcolm being born on the front lawn after the four-year old Francis locks his mother out of the car until she admits she is a "poopy face", which she will not do no matter what, preventing them from getting to the hospital. As husband Hal drives up sipping a soda, he sees the medics and ambulances spread out on his front law, rushes up and frantically asks a neighbor lounging by a tree "What happened?!". The neighbor laconically observes, "Your wife gave birth on the lawn..." He's seen it all before and worse with the Wilkerson's ... nothing unusual here! One might not want Malcolm's delinquent family as neighbors, but from a safe distance you have to admire the perseverance, optimism, willingness to challenge arbitrary authority (and accept the punishment if caught), no matter what it costs them. Malcolm asks his brother Reese in astonishment: "You don't read anything?! Ever?! Not even comics? Why not?!" Reese: "It makes it seem like They won". I see the show as sort of the last gasp of the Ritalin Generation, before such exuberance and energy was routinely medicated away to produce compliance with authority. Some shows that came afterward, like "My Name is Earl" and "Raising Hope", have similar comedic sensibilities though very different set-ups. Harry Harrison's science-fiction books on the "Adventures of the Stainless Steel Rat" always seemed a dead-ringer for the Francis character from MITM, all grown up. The DVD set offers 3323 minutes of material, and while people's sense of humor varies, there is a good chance that will be 3321 minutes of continuous smiling -- taking off two minutes for the opening episode's "full body shaving" scene ...

I don't where to even begin. This show was so good, very accurate portrayal of many families in the United States including my own, all kinds of chaotic plots per episode, an absolutely superb cast, very addicting TV show, all of the before the show starts intros to show something funny, fantastic writing and acting and just basically everything you need to create a perfect family TV show. One of the things that makes this show so good is just how realistic this show can be displaying families with some exaggerated plots and use of materials that many may not have access to. For example, in 1 episode, Hal gets a steam-roller to crush things because he enjoys crushing things. The purpose is basically to show what would happen if you yourself actually had a steam-roller. Some of the before the TV show starts shows what almost everyone has done. In 1 episode, everyone's parents have said not to play ball in the house. In this segment, it shows what actually happens when you play baseball in the house. They naturally break something, they then say they should stop. Then Reese or Malcolm says OK, but you would have been out. They then proceed to keep playing. All of these things shown throughout this show, everyone can relate to at least 1 way or another. That is what separates 1 good show from something else. The bottom line is that if you missed this show when it was on TV, then you have no idea what you have been missing. Any viewer of this series will easily tell you that it is worth watching at least once. On American TV, I don't think this show comes on anymore, however, it still airs in other countries. This show was never available on US-NTSC formats, it is available on PAL only. Be careful when someone says that they do have a copy of this show on US-NTSC they are trying to sell. It will be a pirated version. I did some research as to why this was never released in the US except for the first 2 seasons, it had something to do with music rights. They were not sure if this show would do well enough to cover all the rights to the content to make it profitable. If you do not have a Region 2 PAL DVD player, then you still have options. Also, note that there is a big difference between Region 2 NTSC and Region 2 PAL. Region 2 NTSC is for Japan. Your Japanese DVD Player or Japanese PS2 will not play these discs. Options: -Import a PAL DVD player (cannot be from Australia, that is Region 6) -Get a region free DVD player -Import a European PAL Region 2 PS2 / PS3 (untested on PS4) -The most obvious solution is just use your computer. VLC Media player does not scan regions on discs, they will play everything from everywhere. If you use Microsoft Media Players, they will allow you to switch your regions 6 times and then lock it. This affects everything DVD rom in your computer. The only places I know this boxset was released are: UK (Region 2 PAL) Germany (Region 2 PAL) Australia (Region 6 PAL) The United States is Region 1-NTSC-U for DVD and Region A for blurays. Blurays can be multi-regioned (be able to play Regions ABC [all])

Love this series, but just make sure you have a DVD player that will play this format. I purchased a Sony player that has been second party converted to play these DVDs in the USA and it has worked perfectly so far.

Malcolm in the Middle is my favorite TV show of all time. This DVD collection has all seven seasons, however it is region 2 You will just need to buy a region free DVD player for about $40. Just buy a region free DVD player and you can have Malcolm in the Middle in your collection. I'm not going to comment further on the show except it's an amazing performance by phenomenal actors with a brilliant comedic style.

When I bought the entire collection of Malcom in the Middle seasons, I was expecting to get at least a lot better quality than what I received. One thing I noted before buying is that the videos are formatted for Region 2, which is not for the United States. We are Region 1. I have no trouble watching them in my spare PS4, which you can alter to play Region 2 videos. I am disappointed, however, in the quality of the picture. When I was shopping for these, it was recommended that I purchase a DVD player that plays Region 1 videos. Well, I also did that and what a nightmare. But I will save that for my review of that player. I would highly recommend not buying these and to wait for the lawsuit in the United States to be over and buy them then. Otherwise, these suck. The color isn't right, the video is worse than SD, and you also have to have the right t.v. to play them on (I altered mine). I wouldn't buy these again.

Was für eine Unverschämtheit, dass dieser Artikel so schlechte Bewertungen hat! Ca. 12 € pro Staffel und die Lieferung war viel schneller als erwartet bzw. angegeben - bin rundum zufrieden! Dass es sich um einen UK Import handelt steht fett in der Überschrift. Wer sich dann nicht informiert, ob auch eine deutsche Tonspur vorhanden ist, ist dann eben selbst Schuld (und in meinen Augen ein Trottel, der wahrscheinlich zu viel Geld hat). Ich find es ja auch scheiße, dass man für deutsche Versionen von vielen Serien oft ein Vermögen ausgeben und ewig auf die Veröffentlichungen warten muss. Noch beschissener ist es, dass vieles erst gar nicht oder nicht alle Staffeln hier erscheinen, vor allem wenn die Serie - wie Malcolm mittendrin - doch ziemlich erfolgreich ist. Genau aus diesem Grund kaufe ich bei Serien gerne die UK-Version. Aber das tut in einer Amazonbewertung nichts zur Sache und rechtfertigt hier auf keinen Fall Sterneabzug! Ich bin jedenfalls heilfroh, dass ich jetzt den UK Import habe und freu mich schon auf den ersten Marathon.

Brand new and arrived in great condition, can't wait to watch, Malcolm in the middle is one of the funniest series and the actors are brilliant, a great addition to your DVD library.

Great Saga only in DVD in Amazon

Viene la caja con todas las temporadas. El único detalle es que es región 2 (Europa). Así que tienes que tener un reproductor multiregión (o región 2) para poderlo ver.

La serie in se è veramente fantastica e sono contentissimo dell'acquisto. Il problema è con il supporto, dato che i sottotitoli in inglese ci sono solo nella prima serie (a mia figlia servono per capire visto che in inglese non è ancora a livelli alti) . Inoltre la seconda serie ha i menù di tutti i dvd buggati e per vedere gli episodi bisogna avanzare manualmente attraverso tutti quelli precedenti. Per il resto tutto bene.