Married... with Children (TV Series)
From Iwe
| Married... with Children | ||
| Format | Sitcom Satire | |
| Creaeted by | Michael G. Moye Ron Leavitt | |
| Starring | Ed O'Neill Katey Sagal Christina Applegate David Faustino Amanda Bearse David Garrison Ted McGinley | |
| Theme music composer | Sammy Cahn Jimmy Van Heusen | |
| Opening theme | "Love and Marriage" Performed by Frank Sinatra | |
| Ending theme | "Love and Marriage" (instrumental) | |
| Country of origin | United States | |
| Original language(s) | English | |
| No. of seasons | 11 | |
| No. of episodes | 259 (List of episodes) | |
| Production | ||
| Executive producer(s) | Michael G. Moye (1987–92, 1993–94 Ron Leavitt (1987–93) Katherine Green (1994–95) Richard Gurman Kim Weiskopf {{small|(both; 1994–96)]] Pamela Eells O'Connell Template:(1996–97) | |
| Producer(s) | Barbara Blachut Cramer (1987–92) John Maxwell Anderson (1992–97) | |
| Camera setup | Videotape; Multi-camera | |
| Running time | 22 minutes | |
| Production company(s) | Embassy Communications (1987–88) ELP Communications (1988–97) Columbia Pictures Television (1988–97) | |
| Distributor | Columbia Pictures Television (1991–96) Columbia TriStar Television (1996–2002) Sony Pictures Television (2002–present) | |
| Broadcast | ||
| Original channel | Fox FX (episode 45) | |
| Picture format | 480i (SDTV) | |
| Original run | April 5, 1987 – June 9, 1997 Episode 45: June 18, 2002 | |
Married... with Children is an American television sitcom that aired on Fox, created by Michael G. Moye and Ron Leavitt. Originally broadcast from April 5, 1987 to June 9, 1997, it is the longest-lasting live-action sitcom on Fox, and the first to be broadcast in the network's primetime programming slot.
The show follows the lives of Al Bundy, a once glorious high school football player turned hard-luck women's shoe salesman; his obnoxious wife, Peggy; their attractive, promiscuous, and clueless daughter, Kelly; and their girl-crazy, wisecracking son, Bud. Their neighbors are the upwardly mobile Steve Rhoades and his feminist wife Marcy, who later gets remarried to Jefferson D'Arcy, a white-collar criminal who becomes her "trophy husband" and Al's sidekick. Most storylines involve Al's schemes being foiled by his own cartoonish dim wit and bad luck.
The series comprises 259 episodes and 11 seasons. Its theme song is "Love and Marriage" by Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen, performed by Frank Sinatra from the 1955 television production Our Town.
The first season of the series was videotaped at ABC Television Center in Hollywood. From season two to season eight, the show was taped at Sunset Gower Studios in Hollywood, and the remaining three seasons were taped at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City. The series was produced by Embassy Communications during its first season and the remaining seasons by ELP Communications under the studio Columbia Pictures Television.
In 2008, the show placed number 94 on Entertainment Weekly's "New TV Classics" list.
Contents[hide] |
Cast and characters
- Main article: List of characters in Married... with Children
| Actor | Role | Years | Seasons | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ed O'Neill | Al Bundy | 1987–97 | 1–11 | all 259 |
| David Faustino | Bud Bundy | 1987–97 | 1–11 | 258 |
| Christina Applegate | Kelly Bundy | 1987–97 | 1–11 | 255 |
| Katey Sagal | Peggy Bundy | 1987–97 | 1–11 | 246 |
| Amanda Bearse | Marcy Rhoades-D'Arcy | 1987–97 | 1–11 | 236 |
| Michael/Buck2 | Buck Bundy—the dog | 1987–95 | 1–10 | 1971 |
| Lucky3 | Lucky Bundy—the dog | 1995–97 | 10–11 | 1971 |
| Ted McGinley | Jefferson D'Arcy | 1990–97 | 5–11 | 163 |
| David Garrison | Steve Rhoades | 1987–90, 1992, 1993, 1995 | 1–4, recurring guest 6–94 | 71 |
- 1 The number of episodes is the total for both of the dogs combined.
- 2 The name of the dog was officially changed to Buck during season 4, so he wouldn't have to listen to two names.
- 3 Lucky is the reincarnation of Buck during Seasons 10 and 11.
- 4 David Garrison left the show during Season 4, but returned in four episodes as a special guest.
Recurring characters
- Main article: List of Married...with Children recurring characters
Fox broadcast history
| Date | Time slot |
|---|---|
| April 1987 – October 1987 | Sunday, 8:00 p.m. |
| October 1987 – July 1989 | Sunday, 8:30 p.m. |
| July 1989 – August 1996 | Sunday, 9:00 p.m. |
| September 1996 – October 1996 | Saturday, 9:00 p.m. |
| November 1996 – December 1996 | Sunday, 7:30 p.m. |
| January 1997 | Monday, 9:30 p.m. |
| February 1997 - July 1997 | Monday, 9:00 p.m. |
Episodes
- Main article: List of Married... with Children episodes
Nielsen ratings
Awards
- 1987: Best Casting for TV – Episodic Comedy (nominated)
- 1987: Outstanding Lighting Direction (Electronic) for a Series (for "But I Didn't Shoot the Deputy", nominated)
- 1988: Outstanding Lighting Direction (Electronic) for a Comedy Series (for "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun", nominated)
- 1989: Outstanding Editing – Multi-Camera Production (for "Requiem for a Dead Barber", nominated)
- 1990: Outstanding Costuming for a Series (for "Raingirl", nominated)
- 1990: Outstanding Editing – Multi-Camera Production (for "Who'll Stop the Rain", nominated)
- 1991: Outstanding Costuming for a Series (for "Married... with Aliens", nominated)
- 1994: Outstanding Costuming for a Series (for "Take My Wife, Please", nominated)
- 1990: Best Actress – Musical or Comedy Series (Katey Sagal for playing "Peggy Bundy", nominated - lost to Kirstie Alley)
- 1990: Best Series – Musical or Comedy (nominated - lost to Cheers)
- 1991: Best Actor – Musical or Comedy Series (Ed O'Neill for playing "Al Bundy", nominated - lost to Burt Reynolds)
- 1991: Best Actress – Musical or Comedy Series (Sagal, nominated - lost to Candice Bergen)
- 1992: Best Actor – Musical or Comedy Series (O'Neill, nominated - lost to John Goodman)
- 1992: Best Actress – Musical or Comedy Series (Sagal, nominated - lost to Roseanne Barr)
- 1993: Best Actress – Musical or Comedy Series (Sagal, nominated - lost to Helen Hunt)
- 2009: TV Land Awards – Innovator Award (entire cast)
Controversy and edited content
Rakolta boycott
DVD releases
DVD special features
- Season 1: Married With Children Reunion Special
- Season 2: Clips From The Married With Children Reunion Special
- Season 3: Clips From The Married With Children Reunion Special
- Season 4: None
- Season 5: Trailers for other TV Shows
- Season 6: Trailers for other TV Shows
- Season 7: None
- Season 8: None
- Season 9: None
- Season 10: None
- Season 11: Trailers for other TV Shows
(Note: The Big Bundy Box set's Special Features contains interviews with David Faustino and Katey Sagal)
The DVD box sets from season 3 onward do not feature the original "Love and Marriage" theme song in the opening sequence. This was done because Sony was unable to obtain the licensing rights to the theme song for later sets. Despite this, the end credits on the DVDs for season 3 still include a credit for "Love and Marriage." On the Mill Creek sets, Love and Marriage is restored from Season 3 onward.
In December 2007 the Big Bundy Box—a special collection box with all seasons plus new interviews with Sagal and David Faustino—was released. This boxset was released in Australia (Region 4) on November 23, 2009.
The DVD box set is rated PG for Parental Guidance in Australia and PG in New Zealand for sexual references.
Merchandise
Books
Comic books
Toys
Board Game
Action figures
International remakes
Spin-offs
U.S. syndication and international airings
Locations
See also
- Modern Family, a show where Ed O'Neill also plays a family man.
- Star-ving, a web series created by David Faustino, where the original cast was reunited.
- Unhappily Ever After, another show created by Ron Leavitt, treating similar themes.
