# What was this early-2000's sitcom? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 4, 2011, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-early-2000s-sitcom/566315 "2011-01-04T04:55:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-early-2000s-sitcom/566315/1 "2011-01-04T04:55:36Z")
I’ve been trying so hard ot remember this show, and my Google-fu is failing me. I don’t remember much about it, other than it probably lasted for just one season, and it was a pretty clear rip-off of Malcolm in the Middle (focus on a normal kid with a dysfunctional family). The only plot I remember is there was an episode where the kid was trying to become popular by getting the high score on a DDR-type game at the arcade, and failing to do so. At the end of the episode, the Dad gets on the game late at night when no one is around, gets the high score, and puts the son’s initials in. I know Malcolm in the Middle had an episode where Hal plays DDR, but that was a completely different plot, and I don’t think I just made this one up. ---
**Author:** ![sco3tt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@sco3tt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sco3tt)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-early-2000s-sitcom/566315/2 "2011-01-04T07:07:02Z")
Was it [Oliver Beene](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0322660/) by any chance? I only ever saw two or three episodes of it and Malcolm in the Middle combined, but for some reason both names have stuck in my mind for years as though they were interchangeable titles for the same show. IMDB lists an episode called [Dancing Beene](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0664736/) (but with no further plot details) that could be the one you’re thinking of. ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-early-2000s-sitcom/566315/3 "2011-01-04T07:30:21Z")
Oliver Beene took place in the 60s so I don’t know what kind of DDR games they had back then ---
**Author:** ![spanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@spanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spanna)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-early-2000s-sitcom/566315/4 "2011-01-04T11:28:05Z")
The Middle Seems like a Malcolm in the middle rip off - could it be that ---
**Author:** ![chromaticity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@chromaticity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chromaticity)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-early-2000s-sitcom/566315/5 "2011-01-04T11:56:33Z")
Could it be: [MSN](http://tv.msn.com/tv/episode/tucker/everybody-dance-now/) ? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-early-2000s-sitcom/566315/6 "2011-01-04T13:51:10Z")
> [@spanna](#): > > The Middle > > Seems like a Malcolm in the middle rip off - could it be that **The Middle** is nothing like **Malcolm in the Middle**. It’s actually a pretty good show. ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-early-2000s-sitcom/566315/7 "2011-01-04T14:27:25Z")
i like both, malcolm slightly more. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-early-2000s-sitcom/566315/8 "2011-01-04T16:03:17Z")
> [@chromaticity](#): > > Could it be: > [http://tv.msn.com/tv/episode/tucker/everybody-dance-now/](http://tv.msn.com/tv/episode/tucker/everybody-dance-now/) ? I have no idea how you found that, but that’s it. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-early-2000s-sitcom/566315/9 "2011-01-04T19:59:51Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > I have no idea how you found that, but that’s it. > Thanks. I’m glad someone found it, as it was driving me crazy. I remember seeing the show during its run and just couldn’t remember. Now, of course, I remember it was the uncle that scored the high score on DDR. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2011, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-early-2000s-sitcom/566315/10 "2011-01-04T20:32:00Z")
I had no idea that Seth Green was on the show. That would’ve helped. Also, I discovered that when you search “DDR” on Google it will also search for Dance Dance Revolution. ---
**Author:** ![chromaticity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@chromaticity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chromaticity)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2011, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-this-early-2000s-sitcom/566315/11 "2011-01-10T10:10:57Z")
Whoo! My google skills paid off 🙂 Welcome! ETA: In retrospect, it looks like IMDB does a great job too! > **[Sort by Popularity - Most Popular Movies and TV Shows tagged with keyword...](https://www.imdb.com/search/keyword/?keywords=dance-dance-revolution)** > > IMDb's advanced search allows you to run extremely powerful queries over all people and titles in the database. Find exactly what you're looking for!