Malcolm in the Middle has been a favourite programme of mine for a few years. I once thought it was some stupid series copycat series, when I first heard of it and could never be bothered watching it. But one of my language students told me about how funny it was in one class, which eventually lead me to try watching it. I've been hooked since. It is a superior version of Wonder Years. Far more creative, diverse in direction techniques, yet centred enough to be endearing.

One of the hidden themes, I would say, is almost a Yin-Yang kind of reality, where under normal peaceful external conditions the family is chaotic, but when they resolve their issues, the world becomes chaotic. In the episode I just saw, the family came home early from their fifth regularly timed vacation to find the whole neighbour was holding the fifth annual Neighbourhood fair. It turns out everyone else covertly planned it at this time to exclude the most disliked family in the neighbourhood.

The parents didn't mind this, "Hey, there is always someone that everyone hates. If it wasn't us, it would be some minority group! Don't be so worried about what other people think, you're born, they hate you, you get worried about it, you die. Why do that?"
"Mum, is this meant to make me feel happy?"
"Why does everything need to make you happy?"

They took part in the fair with gusto, and suddenly all their neighbours found they weren't all that bad... but on finding out that their previous united object of hate was no longer realistic, a chain reaction of disagreements and accusations erupted amongst everyone else dividing them and causing everyone to leave the fair in mutual acrimony immediately (the fair was desolate in moments). It was only the neighbourbood's disliking of them that made them so united. And then the family could do what they want.

"I'm gonna put dogs on the ferris wheel!"

Gotta love it... Funnier than Simpsons (which is kinda dragging) and Whose Line is it? (which seems rather repetitive with the current host and not rotating guests). Scrubs is OK for light crazy humour too.