Married...with Children

"Married...with Children" was an American sitcom that ran between 1987-1997. It is the most successful American sitcom in history. The plot revolved around a lower-class family, The Bundys. The included: a formerly-glorious-football-player-turned shoe salesman father named Al; a tartish, uneducated, sex-hungry mother named Peg; a slutty, airheaded daughter named Kelley; and a dweebish, unpopular and girl-crazy son named Bud.

The show first aired in 1987 to very negative press. It was a very low-brow comedy that centered entirely around toilet humor and sex farce. The characters were one-dimensional parodies of actual people. However, viewers quickly embraced the show because despite it's obvious shortcomings it reflected a huge part of the populous that was not represented on television. The concept of an unhappily married couple whose life was, essentially, a complete failure had never been explored. Suddenly people were confronted with an arguing and unhappy, trashy married couple and their underachieving, smart-mouthed children. (It's interesting to note that the role of Peg Bundy was originally offered to Roseanne, who turned it down only to do a show of her own about a struggling, realistic lower-class family.)

What was important about the show, and what likely allowed it to survive for as long as it did, is that inevitably the characters (including next-door neighbors and friends The Darcys) would come out supporting and defending each other. No matter how much they bickered and claimed to despise their familial ties, when one of them was put into a tough situation, the others would come out fighting on their side.

Eventually the show's humor (as well as the cast's acting) improved. Critics began to actually praise the show for taking on issues like racism, women's rights and sexual promiscuity in a way that was accessable to just about any viewer. By the time the show ended every cast member was immediately recognizable to the public as their Married...with Children persona, though none save for Christina Applegate had accomplished much outside of the show. (Several went on to FUTURE success, but only Applegate explored other projects during the show's run.)

Cast

Ed O'Neil - Al Bundy Katey Segal - Peg Bundy Christina Applegate - Kelly Bundy David Faustino - Bud Bundy Amanda Bearse - Marcy Rhoades D'Arcy David Garrison - Steve Rhoades Ted McGinley - Jefferson D'Arcy