"Married with Children" (1987) TV series 1987-1997

User Rating:

8.7/10   

Creators:

Ron Leavitt
Michael G. Moye

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11

Release Date:

5 April 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Domestic bliss was never like this!

Plot:

Al Bundy is a misanthropic women's shoe salesman with a miserable life. He hates his job, his wife is lazy, his son is dysfunctional (especially with women), and his daughter is dimwitted and promiscuous.

Plot Keywords:

Shoe Salesman | Shoe Store | Married With Children | Promiscuous Daughter | Dumb Blonde

Awards:

Nominated for 7 Golden Globes. Another 6 wins & 21 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sun. Nov. 8	5:00 AM	TBS	Field of Screams	#8.19
Sun. Nov. 8	5:30 AM	TBS	The D'Arcy Files	#8.20

Cast

Ed O'Neill	...	Al Bundy / ... (261 episodes, 1987-1997)
David Faustino	...	Bud Bundy / ... (260 episodes, 1987-1997)
Christina Applegate	...	Kelly Bundy / ... (259 episodes, 1987-1997)
Katey Sagal	...	Peggy Bundy / ... (251 episodes, 1987-1997)
Amanda Bearse	...	Marcy D'Arcy / ... (246 episodes, 1987-1997)
Ted McGinley	...	Jefferson D'Arcy / ... (166 episodes, 1989-1997)
Buck	...	Buck the Dog / ... (166 episodes, 1987-1995)

Also Known As:

Married... with Children (USA) (promotional title)
Not the Cosbys (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

22 min (262 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Finland:K-3 (DVD) (2003) | Netherlands:6 (DVD rating) | Australia:M (some episodes) | Singapore:NC-16 (season 5) | USA:TV-PG | Australia:PG | Singapore:PG | Argentina:Atp

Filming Locations:

ABC Television Center - 4151 Prospect Avenue, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Embassy Television

Trivia:

Makes references to Ed O'Neill's film, Dutch (1991). It's mentioned in the first part of "The England Show" when Al is on the plane. In the episode where Al and Peggy go to the video store to rent a movie, a poster for the film is covering Ed's eyes.

Goofs:

Continuity: The number on the front of their house changes from 9764 to 9674 in some episodes. Their 'official' address is 9764 Jeopardy Lane, as seen on the address label when sending clothing from the UK, in the 'England Show' episode.

Quotes:

Kelly: Don't be so hard on yourself, Bud. I bet there are plenty of cool guys who sit home on Friday night watching 'Star Trek' reruns hoping to catch a glimpse of Klingon cleavage.
Bud: Let the record show that I was licking the screen in an attempt to clean it.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "20 to 1: TV Couples (#8.11)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

Love & Marriage

Mankind's Finest Achievement

"Married...with Children" is the greatest show of all-time. No family before, during or after the Bundys will ever compare to America's first family. The Huxtables? Don't make me laugh. The Simpsons? Get a life. The Osbournes? Are you retarded, because if you like "The Osbournes," I think that you are.

Al (Ed O'Neill), Peg (Katey Sagal), Kelly (Christina Applegate), Bud (David Faustino) and Buck form the only television family that matters. Extra kudos to neighbors Steve (David Garrison), Marcy (Amanda Bearse) and the damn funny Jefferson D'Arcy (Ted McGinley) for helping expose the Bundys for who they really were: every American family. The were dysfunctional and absolutely hated one another, but they were as close as any family could be and when it came down to it, they were there for each other.

The introduction of No Ma'am, the National Organization of Men Against Amazonian Masterhood, only added to the insanity. Bob Rooney (E.E. Bell), Ike (Tom McCleister) and the incomparable Griff (Harold Sylvester) were excellent additions to an already perfect show.

"Married...with Children" obviously influenced a generation of awful rip-offs such as "Malcolm in the Middle," "Grounded for Life," "Roseanne," "Home Improvement" and so on and so forth, but no one can deny it as man's greatest achievement. Many sitcoms come close, shows such as "The Kids in the Hall," "MADtv," "Cheers," "Diff'rent Strokes," "Seinfeld," "King of the Hill," "The Wonder Years," "The Larry Sanders Show," "The Adventures of Pete & Pete," "South Park," "Maury" (yes, I mean the talk show) and "ALF," but in the end, the all pale in comparison.

It is doubtful that all eleven season of the hit series will be released on DVD, but "The Most Outrageous Episodes Volumes 1 & 2" are already available. They contain classics such as "No Chicken, No Check," "I'll See You in Court," "Raingirl" and "If Al Had a Hammer," which is my personal favorite.

To quote Eric Cartman, "'Married...with Children' kicks @$$!"

**** out of ****