Married with Children (1987–1997)

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 dim-witted and promiscuous.

Creators:

Ron Leavitt, Michael G. Moye

Stars:

Ed O'Neill, Katey Sagal, Amanda Bearse

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

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Ed O'Neill	...	Al Bundy (261 episodes, 1987-1997)
Katey Sagal	...	Peggy Bundy (261 episodes, 1987-1997)
Amanda Bearse	...	Marcy D'Arcy (261 episodes, 1987-1997)
David Faustino	...	Bud Bundy (260 episodes, 1987-1997)
Christina Applegate	...	Kelly Bundy (259 episodes, 1987-1997)
Ted McGinley	...	Jefferson D'Arcy (168 episodes, 1989-1997)
Buck	...	Buck the Dog (105 episodes, 1991-1995)

Storyline

The Bundys are a stereotypical "white trash" American family. Al is a shoe salesman who is fond of frequently reliving his doubtful 15 seconds of fame on the football field. Al is terrified of the all-to-frequent amorous advances his ditsy wife Peggy, a woman who must spend most of Al's wages at the salon and the mall. They have two children: Kelly, the stunning but superficial party animal, and Bud, who is too wrapped up in himself to realize his goal of "scoring" with a girl.

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Plot Keywords:

shoe salesman | teen | sitcom | neighbor | dysfunctional family | 

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Taglines:

Domestic bliss was never like this!

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Entertainment Television [br] Sony Pictures Entertainment

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 April 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

Married... with Children

Filming Locations:

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

Company Credits

Production Co:

Embassy Television, ELP Communications, Columbia Pictures Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

22 min 22 min (262 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The name of the shoe store where Al works is "Gary's Shoes and Accesories for Today's Woman". Al discovered to his chagrin that "Gary" was, in fact, a woman.

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Quotes

Reporter: Scientist are still sifting through the nuclear hole that used to be the Republic of France.

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Crazy Credits

Since the show's original theme song "Love and Marriage" has been removed from all Region 1 DVD releases of the series, the songwriting credit is generally removed from the DVD versions of these episodes. However, the credit erroneously remains in a few episodes.

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Connections

Referenced in Mystery Science Theater 3000: It Lives by Night (1999)

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Soundtracks

"Love & Marriage"
Music by Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen
Lyrics by Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen
Performed by Frank Sinatra
Arranged and Conducted by Nelson Riddle

User Reviews

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 ****