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

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 | Husband Wife Relationship | Insult | Buxom | Sex Bomb

Awards:

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

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)
Buck	...	Buck the Dog / ... (168 episodes, 1987-1995)
Ted McGinley	...	Jefferson D'Arcy / ... (166 episodes, 1989-1997)

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:

Katey Sagal became pregnant three times during the 10-year span of the series. The first was during the beginning of Season 6 (mid-1991) where her pregnancy was worked into a storyline, but was written out when Segal miscarried. The second time was in 1994 late in Season 8 and early in Season 9, and the third was in Season 10 from 1995 to 1996 in which both of her pregnancies (which were successful) were hid from the viewing audience.

Goofs:

Continuity: In episode 5, "Have You Driven a Ford Lately", while Peg and Marcy are eating salads, they are originally drinking from cans in "coolies" (blue styrofoam holders). In the middle of Peg's sentence the scene cuts and shows they are drinking dark liquids from regular glasses.

Quotes:

Al: I hate those complaint boxes they put in at the mall. A woman comes in the shoe store today, so huge she's protected by 'Green Peace', and ask for a size-4 shoe. So I asked her if she wants to eat them there or take them home, and she has the nerve to complain about my performance.
Peggy: Honey, I complain about youre performance all the time... you don't care. Sometimes you don't even wake up.
Al: Well unlike sex with you Peg, this is important to me.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "The Simpsons: Marge in Chains (#4.21)" (1993)

Soundtrack:

Love & Marriage

A Great Resource for the Resourceless

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.