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Season 1 – The Middleman

Play trailer Season 1 – The Middleman Jun 2008 Drama Sci-Fi Adventure Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
100% Tomatometer 11 Reviews Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
Struggling female artist Wendy Watson, recruited by a secret agency, struggles to wrap her head around her bizarre new job -- fighting dangers humanity isn't prepared to face -- under the guidance of a handsome and relentlessly wholesome hero who calls himself "The Middleman" in this tongue-in-cheek adventure series. The Middleman is a freelance fixer of "exotic problems," which include mad scientists wanting to take over the world and hostile aliens. Based on the graphic novel series of the same name by Javier Grillo-Marxuach.

Where to Watch

The Middleman — Season 1

The Middleman — Season 1

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Wearing its comic book origins on its sleeve, The Middleman is the rare sci-fi comedy filled with blink-and-you'll-miss-it jokes and pop culture references.

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Critics Reviews

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Noel Murray AV Club 04/26/2018
A-
But what makes The Middleman more than just a frothy goof is the depth of the performances-especially Morales', which shifts easily from peppy to snide to heartbroken. Go to Full Review Ray Richmond The Hollywood Reporter 04/26/2018
The creatures are essentially designed as bowling pins for our protagonists to knock over with a well-placed shot and a quip, and Keeslar and Morales' interaction is nothing if not playful and lively. Go to Full Review Alan Sepinwall Newark Star-Ledger 04/26/2018
Adapted from a comic book by former Lost writer Javier Grillo-Marxuach... The Middleman is at once retro and post-modern, the sort of result you'd get if you threw The Tick and the '50s black-and-white Superman TV show into a blender. Go to Full Review Annalee Newitz io9.com 04/26/2018
It's hard to find well-written SF on TV, let alone well-written comic SF. That's why this show is such a damn treasure. Go to Full Review Eric Goldman IGN Movies 04/26/2018
9/10
In the later episodes, there are some surprisingly effective emotional beats, with these amusing characters also proving they are worth investing in. But first and foremost, The Middleman is simply fun as hell. Go to Full Review Will Wade Common Sense Media 04/26/2018
3/5
These references go by quickly, as if the writers are challenging the viewers to spot them. The people who can are probably the ones who will enjoy this show the most. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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08/07/2019 This was a good show that never took itself seriously despite providing great entertainment. It was witty, fun and truly endearing. All the characters were well written and the main cast was incredibly likeable. The dialogs were always a lot of fun and the plot sometimes quite smart but always funny. It'll remain as one of those shows that one wonders both how they were greenlit and also why they were cancelled. Of course, one cannot help but wonder how well the main cast would have made it in the industry if the show had run a few more seasons. See more 12/20/2018 A pearl amongst TV shows that ended way too early. It has everything. If you have not seen it, you have missed it. See more Read all reviews
The Middleman — Season 1

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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Matt Keeslar

The Middleman

Natalie Morales

Wendy Watson

Brit Morgan

Lacey Thornfield

Mary Pat Gleason

Ida

Jake Smollet

Noser

Brendan Hines

Tyler Ford

Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Jun 16, 2008 The Pilot Episode Sanction Wendy begins her new career after a chance encounter with the Middleman. Details Episode 2 Aired Jun 23, 2008 The Accidental Occidental Conception Wendy feuds with Lacey; the Terra Cotta Warrior threatens to unleash a hail of fire upon Earth. Details Episode 3 Aired Jun 30, 2008 The Sino-Mexican Revelation Wendy must rescue the Middleman and Sensei Ping from a band of angry Lucha Libre wrestlers. Details Episode 4 Aired Jul 7, 2008 The Manicoid Teleportation Conundrum Peaceful aliens with an addiction to plastic surgery are targeted by a killer; Ben posts his breakup video with Wendy online. Details Episode 5 Aired Jul 14, 2008 The Flying Fish Zombification Wendy and the Middleman encounter trout-eating zombies; Lacey and Noser prepare for their annual Art Crawl exhibition without Wendy's help. Details Episode 6 Aired Jul 21, 2008 The Boy-Band Superfan Interrogation The search for the origin of several warp holes leads Wendy and the Middleman to exiled alien dictators posing as a famous boy band. Details Episode 7 Aired Jul 28, 2008 The Cursed Tuba Contingency Wendy and the Middleman must destroy a cursed tuba from the Titanic before the sound of the horn harms innocent people. Details Episode 8 Aired Aug 4, 2008 The Ectoplasmic Panhellenic Investigation Wendy goes undercover as she and the Middleman investigate ghosts in a sorority house. Details Episode 9 Aired Aug 11, 2008 The Obsolescent Cryogenic Meltdown A cryogenically preserved Middleman from 1969 provides assistance when an old nemesis resurfaces; Wendy seeks relationship advice. Details Episode 10 Aired Aug 18, 2008 The Vampiric Puppet Lamentation A demonic puppet that once belonged to Vlad the Impaler escapes from an auction; Lacy and Pip look for a missing Noser. Details Episode 11 Aired Aug 25, 2008 The Clotharian Contamination Protocol Ida turns evil after she is infested by nanobots. Details Episode 12 Aired Sep 1, 2008 The Palindrome Reversal Palindrome Wendy must find her way back home after she is sucked through a black hole and lands in an alternative universe. Details

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Season Info

Network
Freeform
Rating
TV-14 (D|V|L)
Genre
Drama, Sci-Fi, Adventure
Original Language
English
Release Date
Jun 16, 2008
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