This is my first review on IMDb. I never really bothered to write a review because lets be honest, how many people are actually going to take the time to read it? Not too many I'd wager. But I love this show so much that I just had to offer my two cents. Anyway, on to the review:
Married With Children was a show that took chances and broke all the rules. It was raunchy, crude, rude, remorseless, unforgiving, politically incorrect, and it just didn't care. Unlike the vast majority of other family sitcoms at the time, Married With Children didn't try to force a moral lesson down your throat or hammer you over the head with positive family values. The point of the show was to just simply have fun and anyone with a good sense of humor can enjoy its hilarious over-the-top comedy. The characters need no introduction since The Bundys are practically pop culture icons and heroes to the common man (and woman).
Looking back at this show I can break it down into four different "Eras":
"The Beginning" (Seasons 1 and 2)
During this era the show was barely on its feet. It wasn't drastically different from other family sitcoms at the time and it was still trying too find its place in television history. Still, some classic episodes can be found from this era.
"The Golden Age" (Seasons 3 and 4)
Married With Children had finally made its mark on television history. The third and fourth seasons were pure gold and the show really defined itself during this era. The sexual humor was raunchier, the jokes were cruder, the characters were livelier, the audience was rowdier, the show was devoid of any moral values... and viewers around the globe loved it. The show was at the height of its popularity during this era. A controversial episode featuring a sex shop that was boycotted by watchdog groups aided in its popularity.
"The Middle Ages" (Seasons 5, 6, and 7)
The show experienced a dip in quality during this era, due in part to the many gimmicks introduced. Season 5 is mostly good except for the spin-off featuring Friends actor Matt LeBlanc. Season 6 is among the worst mostly because of the Peggy's pregnancy-turned-dream plot that took up a good chunk of the season. Katey Sagal had a miscarriage in real life so the pregnancy plot was completely discarded, which affirms my belief that you shouldn't incorporate real life occurrences into shows. The sixth season also had the dreadfully dull and boring three-part England episodes, which drags on for far too long. Season 7 is a rather good season if you can get past the universally loathed Seven character, which was by far the worst and most pointless gimmick character the show ever introduced, and also proved that a third child was unnecessary.
"The NO MA'AM Years" (Seasons 8, 9, 10, and 11)
The final years of Married With Children were actually some of the best if you ask me. We've followed Bud and Kelly through their teen years and now they're all grown up. The final seasons gave us a glimpse of their lives as young adults, which was a refreshing new experience. Jefferson had a more active role and no longer felt like a one-dimensional rushed replacement for Steve anymore. NO MA'AM was founded and members such as Griff, Bob Rooney, and Ike proved to be great companions to Al. Katey Sagal became pregnant again but the writers made the smart decision of filming her scenes separately to mask the pregnancy.
Married With Children did not receive a proper send off, which is unfortunate, but the fact that the show lasted an amazing 11 seasons is astonishing enough, so it's easy to overlook that. Even today, the show gets plenty of air time through syndication, which proves just how tough it stood the test of time. It's the perfect fix for those fed up with sappy political correctness and just want some good ol' carefree over-the-top entertainment.
"WHOA BUNDY!!!"
Married With Children was a show that took chances and broke all the rules. It was raunchy, crude, rude, remorseless, unforgiving, politically incorrect, and it just didn't care. Unlike the vast majority of other family sitcoms at the time, Married With Children didn't try to force a moral lesson down your throat or hammer you over the head with positive family values. The point of the show was to just simply have fun and anyone with a good sense of humor can enjoy its hilarious over-the-top comedy. The characters need no introduction since The Bundys are practically pop culture icons and heroes to the common man (and woman).
Looking back at this show I can break it down into four different "Eras":
"The Beginning" (Seasons 1 and 2)
During this era the show was barely on its feet. It wasn't drastically different from other family sitcoms at the time and it was still trying too find its place in television history. Still, some classic episodes can be found from this era.
"The Golden Age" (Seasons 3 and 4)
Married With Children had finally made its mark on television history. The third and fourth seasons were pure gold and the show really defined itself during this era. The sexual humor was raunchier, the jokes were cruder, the characters were livelier, the audience was rowdier, the show was devoid of any moral values... and viewers around the globe loved it. The show was at the height of its popularity during this era. A controversial episode featuring a sex shop that was boycotted by watchdog groups aided in its popularity.
"The Middle Ages" (Seasons 5, 6, and 7)
The show experienced a dip in quality during this era, due in part to the many gimmicks introduced. Season 5 is mostly good except for the spin-off featuring Friends actor Matt LeBlanc. Season 6 is among the worst mostly because of the Peggy's pregnancy-turned-dream plot that took up a good chunk of the season. Katey Sagal had a miscarriage in real life so the pregnancy plot was completely discarded, which affirms my belief that you shouldn't incorporate real life occurrences into shows. The sixth season also had the dreadfully dull and boring three-part England episodes, which drags on for far too long. Season 7 is a rather good season if you can get past the universally loathed Seven character, which was by far the worst and most pointless gimmick character the show ever introduced, and also proved that a third child was unnecessary.
"The NO MA'AM Years" (Seasons 8, 9, 10, and 11)
The final years of Married With Children were actually some of the best if you ask me. We've followed Bud and Kelly through their teen years and now they're all grown up. The final seasons gave us a glimpse of their lives as young adults, which was a refreshing new experience. Jefferson had a more active role and no longer felt like a one-dimensional rushed replacement for Steve anymore. NO MA'AM was founded and members such as Griff, Bob Rooney, and Ike proved to be great companions to Al. Katey Sagal became pregnant again but the writers made the smart decision of filming her scenes separately to mask the pregnancy.
Married With Children did not receive a proper send off, which is unfortunate, but the fact that the show lasted an amazing 11 seasons is astonishing enough, so it's easy to overlook that. Even today, the show gets plenty of air time through syndication, which proves just how tough it stood the test of time. It's the perfect fix for those fed up with sappy political correctness and just want some good ol' carefree over-the-top entertainment.
"WHOA BUNDY!!!"