The Middleman (TV series)
| The Middleman | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Action/Adventure |
| Created by | Javier Grillo-Marxuach Les McClaine |
| Developed by | Javier Grillo-Marxuach |
| Starring | Matt Keeslar Natalie Morales Mary Pat Gleason Brit Morgan Jake Smollett |
| Theme music composer | Tree Adams |
| Country of origin |  United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Javier Grillo-Marxuach John Ziffren |
| Producers | Shane Keller Sarah Watson Ron McLeod |
| Original release | |
| Network | ABC Family |
| Release | June 16, 2008 |
| Related | |
| Based on the Comic book series | |
The Middleman is an American television series. The series, which was developed for television by Javier Grillo-Marxuach for ABC Family, is based on the Viper Comics series, The Middle Man, created by Javier and Les McClaine.
Plot
A struggling artist is recruited by a secret agency to fight against evil forces.[1] The pilot episode features a super-intelligent ape who escapes captivity, murders several members of the Italian Mafia, spouts a half dozen catch phrases from American movies on the subject including Scarface and The Godfather, before being revealed as the pawn of the true villain.
The Middleman is a freelance fixer of "exotic problems," which include mad scientists bent on taking over the world. Because of Wendy Watson's coolness under pressure and photographic memory, she gets recruited by him and Ida, a robot in the form of a grumpy old woman. The series includes various pop-culture references, including many comic books, such as when Wendy calls herself "Robin the Boy Hostage," demonstrating how Robin was often kidnapped or held at gunpoint by The Joker and other villains. Wendy cites her favorite comics as Powers, Fell, Y: The Last Man, X-Men (original and not Ultimate), and The Flash (when asked which one, Barry Allen or Wally West, she says, "Do you want me to leave?").
Wendy lives in a illegal sublet apartment with her animal activist friend Lacey, across the hall from lyric-spouting Noser, and has a boyfriend in art school named Ben.
Cast
- The Middleman (Matt Keeslar)
- Wendy Watson (Natalie Morales)
- Ida (Mary Pat Gleason)
- Lacey (Brit Morgan)
- Noser (Jake Smollett)[1]
Reviews
- The Daily Variety wrote that "this series could potentially work on any number of networks, and it's almost too smart for the room at ABC Family; nevertheless, this sprightly summer arrival should fit nicely into the evolving niche the channel established with 'Kyle XY'."[2]
- TV Guide had it as its "Mega Rave" for the week of June 15, 2008, and wrote that "It's loaded with clever banter — like Men in Black if Will Smith's character was a geeky girl."[3]
- UGO gave it an A- overall and an A for story, calling it "fun to watch."[4]
Episodes
Season 1
| # | Title | Writer(s) | Director | Original airdate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Pilot Episode Sanction" | Javier Grillo-Marxuach | Jeremiah Chechik | June 16, 2008 | |
|
Wendy Watson, a struggling artist, is fired from her temp agency after a science experiment gone horribly wrong and is recruited by the Middleman, who fights "exotic problems." | |||||
| 2 | "The Accidental Occidental Conception[5]" | Sarah Watson | Michael Zinberg | June 23, 2008 | |
| 3 | "The Sino-Mexican Revelation" | Javier Grillo-Marxuach | Jeremiah Chechik | June 30, 2008 | |
| 4 | "The Manicoid Teleportation Conundrum" | Tracey Stern | TBA | July 7, 2008 | |
| 5 | "The Flying Fish Zombification" | Tracey Stern | TBA | July 14, 2008 | |
| 6 | "The Boyband Superfan Interrogation[6]" | Jordan Rosenberg | TBA | July 21, 2008 | |
| 7 | "The Cursed Tuba Contingency[7]" | Hans Beimler | Jeremiah Chechik | July 28, 2008 | |
| 8 | "The Ectoplasmic Panhellenic Investigation" | Hans Beimler | Jeremiah Chechik | August 4, 2008 | |
| 9 | "The Obsolescent Cryogenic Meltdown" | TBA | TBA | August 11, 2008 | |
| 10 | "The Vampiric Puppet Lamentation" | TBA | TBA | August 18, 2008 | |
References
- ^ a b EVIL MEETS ITS MATCH ON JUNE 16! ABC FAMILY'S NEW ORIGINAL SERIES "THE MIDDLEMAN" IS HERE TO SAVE THE DAY!
- ^ "The Middleman Review". The Daily Variety. 2008-6-12.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Unknown parameter|writer=ignored (help) - ^ "Mega Buzz on Smallville, NCIS, Vegas and More!". TV Guide. 2008-6-15.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Unknown parameter|writer=ignored (help) - ^ "Middleman Review". UGO. 2008-5-31.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Unknown parameter|writer=ignored (help) - ^ "The Middleman Episode Guide". TV.com.
- ^ "why is andy reaser carrying a bugle..." The Middleblog. 2008-5-20.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Unknown parameter|writer=ignored (help) - ^ "is that the coeur de mer?". The Middleblog. 2008-6-11.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Unknown parameter|writer=ignored (help)
External links
- The Middleman at IMDb
- Template:TV.com show
- The Middleblog; written by Javier Grillo-Marxuach.