The Middleman

If there is one thing that makes me want to kick a cat it's when I find out a TV show that I've fallen in love with has been cancelled in its first year. Lucky for me and the cat I don't own any pets. Animal cruelty aside, it is very frustrating when a TV network cuts short something as wonderfully odd and brilliant as The Middleman.

Based on the graphic novels by Javier Grillo-Marxuach it's the story of Wendy Watson, played by Natalie Morales, a young attractive artist who finds herself working for The Middleman (Matt Keeslar) a square-jawed all-American hero who saves the world on a daily basis from supernatural forces while not even uttering a curse word.

Taking in elements of Men in Black, The X-Files and a host of other past sci-fi classics, it manages to be a light-hearted entertaining comedy drama. While clearly a low budget show – most of the set pieces are played off camera; it rarely feels cheap and if anything, that's part of the joke.

There is great re-watch value too, with each episode filled with in-jokes, nods to other sci-fi references and the obligatory Wilhelm scream. In the current climate of TV channels that are filled with near identical crime or medical dramas with Brits playing Americans, spending most of their 43 minutes sarcastically mouthing off to a group of near identical supporting cast members, it seems crazy to let something as original as The Middleman join the likes of Firefly, Wonderfalls, Odyssey 5 and American Gothic as one season gems. We should however at least be grateful for the few fine episodes made.

A friend said I should take advantage of the free iTunes download, and it was great advice: The Middleman is the best show I've seen since Pushing Daisies. Both shows feature smart, rapid-fire dialog, but The Middleman features more action (and more jokes) with a lot less romance.

Another reviewer thought the pop-culture references were current and disposable, but I don't think the show has that feel at all: there were far more jokes referencing (and name-checking) comic books and other pop culture from the 20th century. The show even self-references the fact that the "reality" of the show is like a comic book, complete with "monsters, robots... aliens?" Even so, you jokes are plentiful, and if you're not a comics nerd you'll still enjoy it (there were a surprising number of painting jokes, frex). The show should have no trouble holding up years from now.

I was surprised the show will be on ABC Family. It doesn't really seem like a family show, but then again many of the more adult jokes may be over the heads of a younger audience. Frex, the heroine's roommate asks her what it is like to be a "beard." If you like The Venture Brothers, Men In Black, Ghostbusters, or the last bunch of Reaper episodes, you'll like The Middleman<. I've seen comments that it is a ripoff of MIB, Special Unit 2, or Reaper, but if the pilot is any guide is totally avoids the drama and angsty-ness that SU2 or Reaper occasionally indulge in: The Middleman sticks to laughs, and is more comic-booky. And I mean that in a good way.

I've never entered a comment on IMDb before, but I felt the other poster's comments were so unfair that I was motivated to submit my own views.

Odd, Weird, Strange and Campy........but the more you watch it the more it grows on you and you begin to love it. An snappy, well written comedy that's unlike anything on TV now. Watch it for that reason alone. It's different and highly entertaining. Don't know if it will carve out an audience sufficient enough to stay on the air long, but it will surely gathered a devoted audience, like other offbeat and short lived shows (The Tick, The Dresden Files and Wonderfalls for example). The comic acting is spot on and the supporting cast is extremely strong. I promise you, if you watch it, you WILL be hooked, if you have any imagination at all.

Unfortunately this got a short run, it was a really good series, very weird sci-fi, strange characters, unusual cases, but above all wonderfully weird, fun and entertaining.

This was really one I had hoped would go on, but maybe it was the time (many shows didn't continue) or maybe it was the weirdness of the series that didn't give it enough viewers, maybe not a typical ABC show in many ways actually :)

I loved it for the weirdness, the strange characters and the insane spectacles and scenery, it was kind of a low budget setting and what you in movie sense would call a b-genre one. But it worked and really incorporated that spirit into the series.

I was a little hesitant at first to watch this show, there's just not enough time in my busy life to waste watching a lame show. But I recorded it on the off chance I might get a moment of free time. It just so happens that I did get that moment and I'm glad I did. So much so, that I watched the 2nd episode right after the first, and if there was another, I would have watched it too. I really enjoyed the show.

I don't need to go into details that were already covered, but if you like Eureka or liked Wonderfalls or any other light, entertaining fictional show, then this is the show for you. Besides the great reviews it received from the NY Times and the TV Guide, it's just fun to watch. There is so much going on that I'm going to watch them both again tonight just to see what I missed.