Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair premieres April 10 on Hulu with all four episodes dropping at once. [1] The revival reunites Frankie Muniz as Malcolm, Bryan Cranston as Hal, Jane Kaczmarek as Lois, and Christopher Masterson as Francis -- the first time the core cast has appeared together since the original series ended in 2006. [2]

The premise: Malcolm has shielded himself from his family for more than a decade, building a carefully controlled adult life. The family drags him back. [1] It is the simplest possible setup for a revival, and probably the wisest. The original ran for seven seasons on Fox and was never a ratings juggernaut, but it became a cultural touchstone for millennials who grew up in chaotic households and recognized the Wilkersons.

The timing is calculated. Hulu is chasing the same audience that made Cranston a prestige icon through Breaking Bad and that now, in their thirties, might subscribe for the warm jolt of seeing Hal in his underwear again. [2] Four episodes is the right length -- enough to satisfy nostalgia, not enough to exhaust it.

Twenty years is a long absence. Whether the show's anarchic spirit survives the reunion format is the only question that matters.

-- CAMILLE BEAUMONT, Los Angeles