The fourth season of Malcolm in the Middle premiered on November 3, 2002, on Fox, and ended on May 18, 2003, 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.
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
Erik Per Sullivan as Dewey
Recurring
Kenneth Mars as Otto
Emy Coligado as Piama
David Anthony Higgins as Craig Feldspar
Craig Lamar Traylor as Stevie Kenarban
Reagan Dale Neis as Nikki
Evan Matthew Cohen as Lloyd
Cloris Leachman as Ida
Meagen Fay as Gretchen
Kyle Sullivan as Dabney
Brittany Finamore as Alison
Production
Main cast members Frankie Muniz, Jane Kaczmarek, Bryan Cranston, Christopher Kennedy Masterson, Justin Berfield and Erik Per Sullivan return as Malcolm, Lois, Hal, Francis, Reese and Dewey respectively. The season introduces Jamie, the fifth child of Hal and Lois, although the baby's gender would not be revealed until the fifth season. The series' parallel storylines involving Francis shifts in this season from the previous season's Alaska to a cattle ranch. The storyline of "If Boys Were Girls" was developed by costume designer Heidi Kaczenski's then 11-year old niece Alexandra. Since Kaczmarek was pregnant before the season began filming, she was written out of some episodes, while her pregnancy was incorporated into the story later in the season. The episode "Clip Show 2" is the series' second clip show after the third season's 19th episode.
Release
Broadcast history
The season premiered on November 3, 2002 on Fox, and ended on May 18, 2003 with a total of 22 episodes. According to Ned Martel of The New York Times, showrunner Linwood Boomer "chose to take a hard look at Malcolm's adolescence. That and a later time slot meant a 19 percent decline in the key demographic of viewers 18 to 49 in its fourth season's ratings."
Home media
The season was released on Region 2 DVD on March 4, 2013, and on Region 4 DVD on September 4, 2013.
Reception
Mark Sachs of Los Angeles Times said on May 10, 2003, "This well-written, solidly performed series is as close to a live-action cartoon as you can get, and when it’s clicking on all cylinders as in Sunday’s episode, it’s a joy to behold." At the 55th Primetime Emmy Awards, "If Boys Were Girls" won in the category Outstanding Single Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series, while Kaczmarek and Cranston received nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series and Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series respectively. Cloris Leachman, who portrays Lois' mother Ida, won in the category Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series.