On Labor Day, the gender roles are reversed when Al becomes the loafing one while he forces Peggy to prepare the backyard barbecue for his creation of the famous "Bundy Burgers." But one of the ...
In the first of two parts, Al buys a shoddy air conditioner and causes the neighborhood to blackout, leaving the Bundys to seek refuge from the heat and their angry neighbors by taking up residence ...
Al tries to cash in on his knowledge of the shoe business by starting a shoe hotline.
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Title: Married... with Children (1987–1997)
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| 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 | |
| Christina Applegate | ... | Kelly Bundy / ... 261 episodes, 1987-1997 | |
| David Faustino | ... | Bud Bundy / ... 261 episodes, 1987-1997 | |
| Buck | ... | Buck the Dog / ... 106 episodes, 1987-1995 | |
| Ted McGinley | ... | Jefferson D'Arcy / ... 169 episodes, 1989-1997 | |
| David Garrison | ... | Steve Rhoades / ... 81 episodes, 1987-1995 | |
Al Bundy is an unsuccessful middle-aged shoe salesman with a miserable life and an equally dysfunctional family. He has a very attractive but lazy wife named Peggy who constantly nags him to death while throwing the little money he earns away on herself. He also has a very promiscuous teen-aged daughter named Kelly who makes up in attractiveness what she lacks in IQ points, and a not-so-attractive but bright teen-aged son named Bud who seems to think he is a ladies' man. To add to Al's misery is his yuppie next-door neighbors Marcy and Steve. They eventually split up with Marcy keeping the house next door to the Bundys and Steve moving away to be a forest ranger. Later, Marcy gets remarried to a gigolo named Jefferson, who is the male version of Peggy. The sitcom revolves around Al's never-ending attempts to better his life which always lead him right back to where he started. Written by Brandon Johns
Tom Sharpe once wrote the following regarding one of his characters: "Like so many great men, Lord Petrefact loathed his nearest and dearest..."
Many of us identify with Lord Petrefact, but are at a loss to express ourselves in this "don't worry--be happy," never-say-anything-negative world. We have very few role models to lead us against appalling, manipulative family members, and have often resigned ourselves to our fate. We've gone about our lives lacking the words to easily repel the smiley-face squads.
The Bundys are a superb resource for people like us. We can't and shouldn't adopt a Bundy-like demeanour to truly nice, kind people. But the Bundys suggest to us what we can say to obnoxious relatives and neighbours -- our nearest and (supposedly) dearest, who want US to do THEIR bidding so THEY can receive undue obedience, money, goods or status from OUR successes or aspirations.
For example, in one episode, Al thinks of buying a new car. Peg, Kelly and Bud all sneer at the type of car he chooses, telling him high-handedly what kind each of them particularly thinks he should buy -- i.e., what they want HIM to buy to satisfy THEM. Al does what most of us should do in such circumstances: He spreads his arms in a great paternal gesture, smiles broadly, and says, "Your wishes [slight pause for effect] mean nothing to me." It's extremely refreshing to hear. And it's very, very funny. The fact that virtually every character appearing throughout the show's long run was extremely sleazy allows this sort of repartee to continue uninterrupted.
God bless Al Bundy. The show has changed my life.