I love "Married with Children" for a lot of reasons. I remember when it first aired on the new Fox station. "Married with Children" and "The Tracey Ullman Show" were the first two shows to air on Sunday nights and the first night, it was aired twice. There has not been another show like it and it's still missed very much. When "Friends" became successful, you hoped that they would create the anti-Friends version of the show just like Married with Children Bundys was inspired by the 80's Cosby Show and the almost too real Huxtable clan. The Bundys were every family. The teens like Peg and Al who got married with no college education ended up struggling with two undesirable children like Bud and Kelly. The Bundys never had the luck like any of our other television families. Ed O'Neil deserved an Emmy. He liked Al so much that he is still fond of the role. Katey Sagal was unforgettable as Peggy with her red bouncy air and laugh. They were the unlikeliest pairing but it worked. Christina Applegate will always be remembered as the definitive dumb blonde Kelly Bundy. Her character like Peggy and Al never changed and we wouldn't want them too. Remember when they change the characters by improving them on television, the characters lose their original, natural appeal. Even David Faustino's Bud was still the pervert from beginning to end of the show. The neighbors began with Steve and Marcy Rhodes, both trained in New York City theater. Steve played by David Garrison was the typical boring father type on the show and his wife played by Amanda Bearse really became more than just a modern woman. As Marcy Rhodes Darcy, she became her own character without having too rely too much on her husband. When Garrison left the show to return to Broadway, Marcy was alone but not for long until Ted McGinley's Jefferson Darcy came into the picture. Finally Al met his match, a good-looking gigolo who avoided work. Jefferson too had a spotty history. Al and Marcy's battles were always fun to watch. In fact, Bearse also directed several of the show's episodes when she was not in front of the camera and has become one of television's comedic directors since the show ended by Fox abruptly. I loved AL's male friends like Griff, Ike, Bob Rooney, and officer Dan. The show may have made jokes at the expense of a lot of overweight even obese actresses but that gave them exposure and work so I don't think Married with Children should get too much negative criticism. I don't see other shows using plus sized women at all. This was a fun show to watch and I still miss it.
Review of Married... with Children
