Bryan Cranston’s Highly-Anticipated Comedy Revival Becomes American Streaming Sensation 20 Years After Original Series Ended

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Twenty years after it first aired, Bryan Cranston has returned in a new version of the show that’s quickly become popular with online viewers in the U.S.

Bryan Cranston is known for creating unforgettable characters on television over the past several decades. He’s most famous for playing Walter White in the hit series Breaking Bad, a role he revisited in the show Better Call Saul and the film El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie. Beyond his dramatic work, Cranston has also showcased his comedic skills in shows like Seinfeld and How I Met Your Mother, and as Griffin Mill in The Studio, for which he won an Emmy Award.

As a huge Bryan Cranston fan, I was thrilled to see him back as Hal in Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair! And it’s not just me – as of today, the revival is killing it on Hulu, landing at number two in the U.S.! It’s only behind The Testaments, the Handmaid’s Tale spinoff. Seriously, it’s doing better than a ton of other stuff on the platform right now – shows like High Potential, The Rookie, and Next Level Chef, plus the new movie Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice, and even popular series like Will Trent, Doc, Paradise, The Devil Wears Prada, Abbott Elementary, and Memory of a Killer. It’s so great to see Hal back on my screen!

Internationally, Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair is a huge hit, currently topping the charts on Disney+. It’s even beating out popular shows like Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord, despite the new animated series receiving perfect scores from critics and only launching recently. A key factor in Malcolm in the Middle‘s success is that it released four episodes at once, while Maul – Shadow Lord only premiered with two.

The new series, Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair, brings back many of the original cast members, including Frankie Muniz as Malcolm, Bryan Cranston as Hal, Jane Kaczmarek as Lois, Justin Berfield as Reese, and Christopher Masterston as Francis. However, the role of Dewey has been recast, as Erik Per Sullivan chose not to return. The show centers around Malcolm reconnecting with his family after a period of separation, and introduces his girlfriend, Tristan (Kiana Madeira), and daughter, Leah (Keeley Karsten).

A review of the Malcolm in the Middle revival on ScreenRant highlights Bryan Cranston’s performance as Hal as a major strength. Kara Hedash notes he seamlessly reprises the role, perfectly capturing Hal’s oddities and comedic failings. However, the revival itself only received a 5 out of 10 rating, largely due to the short, limited-run format which hindered the show’s ability to fully regain its momentum.

Reviews for the show are mostly positive, with a 78% rating on the Tomatometer and a 74% audience score on the Popcornmeter. Whether we’ll see more episodes of Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair depends on whether the creators feel there’s more story to tell and if the show continues to attract a large audience. Early viewership numbers on Hulu and Disney+ suggest a good start.

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2026-04-12 23:09