So goes the chorus line of the song 'Stuck in the middle with you'. And as long as that 'you' is Malcolm in the middle, none of us would complain...

I've been a fan of this new comedy from the states since it began, touted as it was as the new Simpsons - which doesn't really do it justice as a comedy in it's own right. Since then, there have been on and off episodes, but the one I saw last night was an absolute classic. If you ever get a chance to see it, grab the opportunity. It saw the family going on a vacation, only to be held up in a traffic jam when an accident occurs in front of them. Cue Mum going on the rampage, Dad going all philosophical ('That could have been me'), Brother wages war on an ice-cream van, Malcolm gains an ill-fated friend, and Younger Brother travels across most America after the baby-sitter walks out on him. Phew!

Finally, it seems we have another sitcom apart from the Simpsons which invokes not only chuckles and smiles, but belly laughs too. Anyone watching last night's episode would have surely found it hard not to laugh. The young actors are amazing talented, and the characters are sharply written and well realised. Storylines, tending towards the more bizzarre, are hilariously concocted, and the editing is quick and the direction impressive.

Don't be put off by the so-called 'Human Simpsons'. It's not at all. Malcolm in the middle is a stand-alone sitcom, which, accompanied by a rocking soundtrack, really brightens up TV.

Definately check this out, whether BBC2 or Sky One (I think there's a new series on the latter at the moment), and be prepared to laugh, and to wish that all television could be this good.