Married... with Children (TV Series) It's a Bundyful Life Part 1 (1989) User Reviews

It's Al Bundy's Life!

[Sylviastel · 9/10 · 1 June 2009]

A classic take on a classic film, "It's a Wonderful Life," with a twist. In this case, Al has a Christmas account at Marcy's bank. She is alone during the holidays while her husband goes home to his mother. He gets to the bank too late and they already have their Christmas Party. Al has mature customers right before closing time. When the bank is closed, he gets idea and decides to babysit the children of the shopping mothers and does his version of "Twas a Night Before Christmas" with the Bundys. When that fails to get him money, he goes home to face his family who expected Christmas presents. But fate has a surprise when he touches the Christmas lights.

Bundy All The Way.

[morrison-dylan-fan · 9/10 · 23 December 2018]

After watching Blackadder's Christmas Carol (1988) last night,I decided to check other X-Mas specials of Comedy programs. Despite being one of my favourite Comedy shows,I've not seen the MWC specials during the holiday seasons, so I decided to spend Christmas with the Bundy's.

View on the ep:

Going against the sickly sweet (false) moral high ground that The Cosby Show had taken, the script by Michael G. Moye and Ron Leavitt unwraps a hilarious trailer-trash, Redneck X-Mas of the Bundy family being utterly crass in to the point dialogue, over the only meaning they have of Christmas is shaking presents out of Al. Wisely avoiding avert moralising, the writers do very well at finding spaces for Al to display (some) level of awareness over how his family are solely focused on consuming presents. Backed by the unique studio audience, director Gerry Cohen stages lively background gags such as Al getting into a fight with Santa's. Getting into the groove of the series, the ensemble cast give very funny performances, with Ed O'Neill having Al Bundy find out that the holiday season is not a Bundyful life.

Al Bundy is a hero.

[PWNYCNY · 25 September 2011]

This was a very funny episode. The episode successfully and effectively calls attention to the pretentiousness of all so-called family holidays and to ritualized gift-giving in general. The episode is particularly clever because Al is completely aware of the utter emptiness and phoniness of the the gift-giving, and is made even funnier funnier by the the cluelessness of everyone else around him. Al understands that he is being used as a mark, lets everyone know that he knows he is being used as a mark, yet they still don't stop hitting him up for gifts. What is even more hilarious is how the other family members have no self-awareness regarding the stupidity of their behavior, stupidity that Al recognizes and has to deal with. The title of the show sums up his plight: he's "Married, with Children." What made the entire series so great is the character of Al Bundy. He's real. Al Bundy's are all over the place. They are the guys that put up with all the ingratitude and all the malarkey associated with trying to provide for a family, and stay. They are heroes. Al Bundy is a hero. This sitcom is more than just a comment on the hypocrisy of "family values" that are touted all the time, or the vapid sentimentality portrayed in so many love stories. It's about a guy, an everyman, who is out there struggling to make a living, in the tradition of Chester A. Riley and Ralph Kramden. We laugh when we watch them trying to do better, trying to be a success, and always failing. Yet, they are the guys that keep this country going.

five bowls a flushing?

[mugwumpcylinder · 10/10 · 3 November 2020]

My favorite Christmas show of all time. I watch it every year to remind myself how great TV can be sans silly political correctness. Sam Kinison kills, Ed O'Neil is great as usual, Katey Sagal is brilliant.

This surpasses "A Christmas Story" or "Lampoons Christmas Vacation" or anything else you care to name.

A masterpiece of television.

Bah humbug!

[BA_Harrison · 9 November 2022]

The first half of a seasonal 2-parter, this episode sees Al hoping to buy his family Xmas presents for a change, having saved money in a Christmas club account. Unfortunately, a late customer at the shoe store means that, by the time Al goes to withdraw the cash, the bank has closed.

Call me a grinch if you like, but I don't like this episode much: the dialogue lacks sparkle, the gags not much funnier than those to be found in your average Christmas cracker (a seasonal UK table decoration that traditionally contains a paper hat, a worthless gift, and a terrible joke). The 'highlight' is Al's version of The Night Before Christmas, as told to a bunch of kids he is 'minding', and even that isn't great. Roll on the New Year...