Linwood M. Boomer (born October 9, 1955) is a Canadian and American film and television producer, writer, and actor. He is known for playing the role of Adam Kendall on the television drama Little House on the Prairie (1978–1981), and for creating the Fox sitcom Malcolm in the Middle (2000–2006), as well as its revival series, Life's Still Unfair (2026).
Early life
Boomer was born into a lower-middle-class family in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, the third of four sons. He grew up in San Mateo, California, and attended Highlands Elementary School and Junípero Serra High School before moving to Aragon High School, from which he graduated in 1974. He was enrolled in a gifted program at school. His mother is named Eileen. Boomer created Malcolm in the Middle, based on his own life story, which aired on Fox from January 2000 to May 2006.
Career
Boomer began his career as an actor. After playing Adam Kendall on Little House on the Prairie, Boomer began working behind the camera in the television business.
Boomer negotiated with CBS on a pilot order for a project that reunited him with Gail Berman, the exec who shepherded Malcolm during her tenure at Regency TV and as programming chief at Fox. Boomer wrote the script and exec produced along with Berman and Lloyd Braun for their BermanBraun shingle and Universal Media Studios, where BermanBraun is based. Dubbed The Karenskys, the multi-camera comedy would revolve around a daughter's return to the fold of her large, eccentric, ethnic family after her husband takes a job in her hometown. It was directed by Pamela Fryman and starred Annie Potts, Desi Lydic, Jack Thompson, Mather Zickel, Sasha Alexander, Tinsley Grimes, and Todd Stashwick.
Malcolm in the Middle
Boomer based the Fox sitcom Malcolm in the Middle on his life story. The pilot episode of the series premiered on January 9, 2000, and was watched by 22.5 million viewers, while the second episode, "Red Dress" (premiered on January 16, 2000), was watched by 26 million viewers. Boomer wrote two episodes, starting with the pilot episode and then "Francis Escapes" and directed five episodes: "Opera," "Stilts," "Reese vs. Stevie," "Bride of Ida," and the series finale, "Graduation." Boomer received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for the pilot episode. The series completed its six-year run on May 14, 2006, after seven seasons and 151 episodes.
