The Middleman

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.

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.

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.

Like the title states, this show is definitely out of the ordinary. It has a very stylized sense of humor and it isn't afraid of making of itself. Some may see it as just random banter between cast, but if you really listen to what they say and understand it you can understand the wittiness of the writers.

For those people that enjoyed "Man in Black" when it first came out I think this is the show for you. It follow a similar theme, secret organization that takes care of monsters (or as they put it exotic problems.) The one downside to this show is the lack of budget. Being a alien and monster show requires a little more eye candy than probably what the studio is willing to spend, but if it does well this season I am sure the budget will loosen up.

This is not a show for everyone. If what you are looking for is something dramatic like the X-File this isn't for you, but if you are looking for a show that is light hearted, witty and filled with monster and gadgets you found the right show. For those of you who took the old SAT. The Middleman is to The X File as Chuck is to 007.

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.