Married … With Children is a family comedy about the world’s most toxic family: The Bundys are miserable people who hate each other, and spend most of their time to sabotage one another’s happiness. Slovenly, misogynistic father Al, needy, nagging wife Peggy, dim-bulb daughter Kelly and lazy son Bud are the quintessential dysfunctional American family.
Aired:
April 5, 1987-June 9, 1997 (11 seasons, 259 episodes) on Fox
See It:
All 11 seasons are available on DVD.
History:
Married … With Children debuted on April 5, 1987 as the first prime-time show for the fledgling Fox network (it was followed that night by the debut of The Tracey Ullman Show). It immediately garnered attention and controversy for its envelope-pushing vulgarity and risqué content, and in 1989 was the subject of a boycott that ultimately only increased ratings. As Fox grew, Married became the network’s signature show, and while it declined in ratings and became more absurd and cartoonish over time, it remains the longest-running live-action comedy in the network’s history.
Cast:
Ed O’Neill as Al Bundy
Katey Sagal as Peggy Bundy
Christina Applegate as Kelly Bundy
David Faustino as Bud Bundy
Amanda Bearse as Marcy Rhoades/Marcy D’Arcy
David Garrison as Steve Rhoades (Seasons 1-4)
Ted McGinley as Jefferson D’Arcy (Seasons 5-11)
Creators:
Married … With Children was created by Michael G. Moye and Ron Leavitt, who had worked together as writers and producers on The Jeffersons. Moye and Leavitt served as executive producers alongside Barbara Blachut Cramer and John Maxwell Anderson during different periods in the show’s history.
