This wildly quotable sitcom ran for ten years, from 1987 until 1997, launching some careers and furthering others. More than a few people claim that it’s their favorite sitcom, even nearly 30 years later. And it will always be iconic, with its wildly popular theme song and the hilarious yet dysfunctional family at its core, breaking away from the still-idyllic nature of family-driven sitcoms like The Cosby Show or Perfect Strangers. And now Netflix is adding every episode from its ten-season run to the platform for your bingeing pleasure.
Married with Children starred Ed O’Neill, Katey Sagal, Christina Applegate, and David Faustino, and was the direct antithesis to sitcoms that put forth a picturesque family unit, instead focusing on the lives of Al Bundy, a salesman and notable jerk, as well as his wife, Peggy, and the pair’s two slacker children. Nothing short of biting and even mean-spirited, it’s gone down in sitcom history for striking out on a path that was considered potentially unacceptable television at the time and owning its status as lowbrow.
The Show’s Legacy is Rooted in its Differences
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It was perfectly cast, drawing attention to what on the surface looked like a family that couldn’t stand one another. But look deeper, and you’ll find that the love was there, just unable to be expressed and manifesting in ways that would immediately be deemed toxic by today’s standards (any standards, really). Married…with Children made no bones about what it was and what it wasn’t: a show about seriously flawed people who never attempted to hide those flaws. “Almost as culturally significant as All in the Family. It really pushed the envelope as far as what was acceptable in a family sitcom,” said one fan.
And while All in the Family is a show that had genuine moral merit and lessons, Married…with Children isn’t. But that’s part of its charm, according to fans. One fan says, “This long-running American sitcom has a strange kind of following and appeal. The show has a kind of knowing badness and is intentionally cheesy and politically incorrect. The actors perform their lines with a knowing wink at the audience, as if to say ‘yes, we know this crude, rude, and lewd’.” So hey, if that’s your thing, as of March 25th, Netflix officially has 10 seasons of a show just for you.
Do you have a favorite Married…with Children moment? Let us know in the comments. And don’t forget to check out the ComicBook forum to see what other fans are saying.