Cheers to Bryan Cranston for his image-shattering performance in Breaking Bad. I always knew he was a committed actor: The Malcolm in the Middle episode when dad Hal learns how to roller-boogie remains one of the greatest tour de forces in sitcom history. But who knew Cranston could handle dark material like AMC's dramedy about a dying chemistry teacher who resorts to selling crystal meth (and worse crimes) to save his family? Cranston's not Bad — he's brilliant.• Read and react to Bruce's opinions on Cashmere Mafia's Bonnie Somerville, American Idol's new season and more!• Share your own raves and rants about other shows on the Reader Cheers & Jeers discussion board.• We may feature your Cheer or Jeer on TVGuide.com or in TV Guide magazine!
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Some random TV thoughts:Each week since its overly somber premiere, ABC's Brothers & Sisters has improved, slowly becoming a more entertaining, if not yet compelling, family drama. The most recent episode, involving a series of eventful dates for most of the major characters, had a mostly deft light touch, showing (I think) the influence of Everwood's Greg Berlanti on the creative direction of the show.It's becoming a more suitable companion for Desperate Housewives, which also has improved from last season's doldrums. Housewives is still far from perfect, but give me some Edie Britt bitchiness, a little manipulative scheming from Bree and several mysterious twists (why was Mike Delfino's phone number etched in ink on the season's mystery corpse?), and I'm relatively satisfied. I can even get past the tiresome Gabby-Carlos feuding and Nora meddling in the indifferently plotted Lynette-Tom story line. (Did you notice, by the way, a walk-on by Who Wants to Be a Superhero's Major V...
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Question: Why should we care about the Emmys? Every year people in the entertainment news media complain of the innumerable shows that were unjustly snubbed, and grumble that the Academy is too conservative, oblivious and ill-advised. I don't disagree with them. To wit: The mom from Malcolm in the Middle was nominated this year. That show is still on? I mean, do actual TV critics vote on the Emmys? It seems the entire body of voters is made up of my grandma. And every year the same news outlets hype up the Emmys like crazy, as if they actually meant something. It's tragic that the Emmys don't take advantage of what they could do — promote and save underwatched shows, expose viewers to innovative programs they wouldn't otherwise watch. I, for one, refuse to watch an awards program that honors the familiar and mediocre (ahem, Two and a Half Men) and consistently ignores truly great TV, like this year's snubs Battlestar Galactica and Veronica Mars.
Answer: I wondered how long it would take
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Question: I've been reading a lot of the chatter in the wake of the Lost finale, and one horse that continues to be beaten is the "problem" of Walt growing too fast for the show. People have been talking about the need to get rid of the character or recast the little guy playing the part. I really think it's ridiculous. I don't think the little boy playing the part should be booted for growing. Life happens. It reminds me of shows (and fans) freaking out when actresses get pregnant. The shows should just incorporate it or just cover as best as they can and ignore the rest. Another example was the whole "oh, no, Angel and Spike are getting too old!" nonsense. Life happens, even to actors. I would hate to see Walt go for a stupid reason. Does too-old Walt really drive you crazy, or am I just too fond of Malcolm David Kelley?
Answer: The problem isn't that the actor's growing, of course, it's that time moves slower for the Lost castaways than it does for the TV audience, and for the people
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This Sunday at 8:30 pm/ET, television bids farewell to the, um... er... what was the name of that family on Fox's Malcolm in the Middle? Whether or not it was, as lore has it, the Wilkersons, the clan was tirelessly overseen by Hal and Lois and populated by sons Francis, Reese, Malcolm, Dewey and Jamie. Has it really been six and a half years and 150 episodes since viewers first met the... bunch? Yep. And to think that a Fox rival took a pass on the promising series!
"UPN bought it," Malcolm creator Linwood Boomer recalls, "and it was over there about four months, where it went through the standard development process, which
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