Bryan Cranston is confirmed to be returning for a reboot ofMalcolm in the Middle— but in the meantime, check out his other classic TV show,Breaking Bad. It was recently confirmed thataMalcolm in the Middlerevivalis in the works for Disney+. Cranston will reprise his role as Hal, Frankie Muniz will reprise his role as Malcolm, and Jane Kaczmarek will reprise her role as Lois. The reboot will consist of four new episodes, and it’ll see Hal and Lois demanding that Malcolm attend their 40th wedding anniversary party with his daughter.
It could be a while before theMalcolm in the Middlereboot finally streams on Disney+, but Cranston has plenty of other classic TV shows to watch during the wait. For starters, there areseven still-relevant seasons of the originalMalcolm in the Middleseriesto binge-watch in time for the show’s continuation. Cranston has also played iconic TV roles as Tim Whatley inSeinfeld, Vince Lonigan inSneaky Pete, and Michael Desiato inYour Honor. But there’s one Cranston-starring TV masterpiece that blows them all out of the water — and most other TV shows, for that matter.
Shortly afterMalcolm in the Middleended, Cranston landed the lead role in a very different series:Breaking Bad. Although the two shows share a dark sense of humor,Breaking Badcouldn’t be more different fromMalcolm in the Middle. Created by Vince Gilligan,Breaking Badrevolves around a mild-mannered husband, father, and chemistry teacher named Walter White. When he’s diagnosed with lung cancer and finds himself unable to pay for his medical treatments, Walt “breaks bad.” He teams up with his ne’er-do-well former student, Jesse Pinkman, to manufacture and sell crystal meth.
After watchingBreaking Bad, check out its equally great spin-off,Better Call Saul, which is also streaming on Netflix.
All five seasons ofBreaking Badare currently streaming on Netflix, and it’s the perfect show to fill the time while waiting forMalcolm in the Middle’s reboot to arrive on Disney+.Breaking Badrevolutionized the way television works. Traditionally, TV shows are all about indefinitely maintaining a status quo for as many episodes as possible. ButBreaking Badwas all about change, chronicling a timid teacher’s disturbing transformation into a ruthless drug lord.Gilligan famously set out to turn Mr. Chips into Scarface, and it madeBreaking Badone of the greatest TV shows ever made.
Cranston was already an iconic actor after his turn asHal inMalcolm in the Middle, butBreaking Badtook him to a whole new level as a screen legend.Malcolm in the Middleproved that he was a comedic genius, with a fresh take on the well-worn role of the dorky dad. Butit didn’t give Cranston a chance to show off his dramatic rangeor his ability to tell a full-fledged story within a performance. Hal was more or less the same person at the end of the show’s run as he was at the beginning.
Bryan Cranston’s 10 Best Moments From Breaking Bad, Ranked
From watching Jane die to his “I am the one who knocks” speech, Breaking Bad gave Bryan Cranston plenty of opportunities to show off his acting range.
Playing Walt gave Cranston a chance to do something that few actors have had the chance to do.He took that character on a profound psychological journeyacross 62 episodes. He showed how Walt gradually got corrupted and became a toxic partner, a heartless murderer, and a selfish monster. Walt started out as a seemingly good person, thenCranston spent five seasons slowly revealing his sinister true nature.Breaking Badallowed Cranston to flex acting muscles that he never got the chance to inMalcolm in the Middle.
It Will Be Really Weird To See Bryan Cranston Returning To Malcolm In The Middle After Breaking Bad
Cranston Is About To Reverse His Wildest Transformation
After seven seasons ofMalcolm in the Middle,Breaking Badtook some getting used to. Cranston was widely known as a goofy suburban dad, and then he came along with a haunting portrayal of a cold-blooded murderer. It was the wildest transformation of Cranston’s career by far — andmaybe the wildest transformation of any actor’s career. Now that he’s reprising his role as Hal in the revival ofMalcolm in the Middle, he’s about to reverse that transformation (and it’ll be even weirder this time).
At least when Cranston initially went from playing Hal to playing Walt, Walt wasn’t a monster from the get-go. He was introduced as a grumpy husband and father living from paycheck to paycheck; he wasn’t all that different from Hal.
At least when Cranston initially went from playing Hal to playing Walt, Walt wasn’t a monster from the get-go. He was introduced as a grumpy husband and father living from paycheck to paycheck; he wasn’t all that different from Hal. It wasn’t until later in the series that Walt devolved into a psychotic killer. WhenMalcolm in the Middlereturns for its reboot, Cranston will go straight from the cold-hearted criminal seen at the end ofBreaking Badto the wacky dad role that made him a star.
Breaking Bad
Cast
Breaking Bad, created by Vince Gilligan, follows a chemistry teacher turned drug kingpin named Walter White (Bryan Cranston) as he attempts to provide for his family following a fatal diagnosis. With nothing left to fear, White ascends to power in the world of drugs and crime, transforming the simple family man into someone known only as Heisenberg.
