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When Married... with Children debuted on Fox TV on April 5, 1987 (followed by The Tracey Ullman Show a half-hour later), the grungy sitcom became an instant flagship for Rupert Murdoch's upstart network. The program's much-publicised working title, Not the Cosbys (a dismissive reference to the cheerful vitality of Bill Cosby's hugely popular television clan on NBC's The Cosby Show) was a dead giveaway. Married... with Children was going to be a trashier, raunchier, and far more cynical view of the American nuclear family. But it turned out the series actually fell into other caustic-domestic entertainment traditions, notably the Don Ameche and Frances Langford radio comedy series from the 1940s, The Bickersons, and Jackie Gleason's TV classic, The Honeymooners.
The jokes were savage, key relationships were marked by ennui and indifference, and the Bundy family name couldn't help but make one think of America's most notorious, real-life serial killer at the time. Yet the show had a hint of Golden Age Hollywood gloss, a retro-screwball feel that one could detect in the snappy verbal warfare between husband Al Bundy (Ed O'Neill) and wife Peggy (Katey Sagal). The characters, and the show, eschewed sentimentality, which certainly opened the floodgates to comic cynicism but also kept a door ajar for moments of genuine sweetness. A decade later, however, by the time Fox cancelled the increasingly expensive series, Married... with Children's first-season tone would be considerably different, replaced by a stronger reliance on running jokes and character stereotypes, particularly concerning Bundy children Kelly (Christina Applegate) and Bud (David Faustino).
That evolution makes watching Married...with Children's first 13 episodes, once again, quite instructive. Those programs are all on this two-disc set, including the startling pilot, in which Al and Peggy lock horns over marital politics and enlist naive new neighbors Steve (David Garrison) and Marcy (Amanda Bearse) in a battle of the sexes. There's also the classic "Whose Room Is It, Anyway," concerning the Bundys' competition to connive Steve and Marcy into building a recreation room, and "Thinnergy," a very funny piece about a diet that supposedly boosts sexual interest. --Tom Keogh
DVD Description
The dysfunctional fun continues with the complete first season of Married... with Children, the off-beat comedy that changed the face of TV family sitcoms forever, available on DVD for the first time! Nominated for 7 Golden Globe Awards between 1991 and 1994. 2-disc set with all 13 episodes.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This show was originally titled 'not the Cosby's.' Considering the sentimentality of American sitcoms in the late 80s and networks insistence that 'life lessons' needed to be learned each episode you can fully understand why Married With Children was such a hit. This show cares about nothing other than the misery of Al Bundy. It is rude, obnoxious, world weary, depressed and hilariously funny. Al Bundy has more witty, cutting and insightful one liners than most sitcoms together. If you thought edmund blackadder was sarcastic....
This is an exaggerated, but fundamentally truthful, vision of married life and in spite of the bickering and family battles the love is evident. The beauty of MWC is the characters reluctance to express this love directly. Instead they exchange insults. This really is comedy at its irreverent best and it ran for 13 years. Check it out.
This is an exaggerated, but fundamentally truthful, vision of married life and in spite of the bickering and family battles the love is evident. The beauty of MWC is the characters reluctance to express this love directly. Instead they exchange insults. This really is comedy at its irreverent best and it ran for 13 years. Check it out.
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This should have been released on DVD here in the UK years ago and now it's finally here. This was truly a ground breaking TV series. Forget the Brady Bunch, forget the Partridge family, this is the Bundy's. A show that dared cross the line before anyone else, showing US family life as it was for so many people.
Al Bundy, a man who had the chance for a life as an American Football Player, instead got his girlfriend pregnant and now lives a life as a Ladies shoe salesman while supporting a money grabbing wife, a man eater of a teenage daughter and a destructive son and to top it off, lives next door to two very annoying neighbours.
Staring Ed O'Neill & Kathy Sagal (who played the voice of Leela in Futurama) and others. Married with Children is truly a gem of American TV and lasted 11 years, buy series one and laugh for hours, guaranteed.
Al Bundy, a man who had the chance for a life as an American Football Player, instead got his girlfriend pregnant and now lives a life as a Ladies shoe salesman while supporting a money grabbing wife, a man eater of a teenage daughter and a destructive son and to top it off, lives next door to two very annoying neighbours.
Staring Ed O'Neill & Kathy Sagal (who played the voice of Leela in Futurama) and others. Married with Children is truly a gem of American TV and lasted 11 years, buy series one and laugh for hours, guaranteed.
23 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Finally, after a very long and restless wait, "Married with Children: Season One" is now available to own on DVD. Considered one of the raunchiest and most vulgar shows in its time, these 13 glorious episodes are here for your viewing pleasure for the very first time on DVD. These guys ain't the Cosbys, that's for sure.
The show revolves around a shoe-salesman, Al Bundy, and his lovely (lovely??) family. His wife is always on his case about money and refuses to clean or cook the house. The kids are always driving him up the wall with their constant bickering and getting into trouble. The only sane one in the family appears to be sane is the dog (although he doesn't really do much). Yep, it's "Home, Sweet Hell" for Al Bundy all day, every day. You can just feel the love.
I forgot how funny the first season was. I don't think a second went by where I wasn't laughing hysterically at the Bundy hijinx that was occurring in each episode. Personally, I think Al Bundy has some of the funniest lines ever. All 13 episodes are some of the funniest TV you'll ever see. It's nice to finally see them earn a home in the DVD world.
Here are the 13 episodes that are included in this set:
"Pilot," "Thinergy," "Sixteen Years and What Do You Get," "But I Didn't Shoot the Deputy," "Have You Driven a Ford Lately," "Whose Room is it Anyway," "Al Loses his Cherry," "Peggy Sue Got Work," "Married... Without Children," "The Poker Game," "Where's the Boss," "Nightmare on Al's Street," and "Johnny B. Gone."
This 2-disk DVD set also includes extra features like bonus trailers and the "Married with Children Reunion Special" that aired on FOX awhile back. The picture and sound quality is pretty good, considering how old the show is.
"Married with Children: Season One" is a must-have for any Married with Children fans. Hey, with Christmas coming up pretty soon, this would make a great gift. The Bundys were a crazy family, but they were family nonetheless. Check out these 13 episodes as soon as you can and prepare yourself for some high quality entertainment.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
dvd without subtitles as described
Hi good afternoon just got married with children dvd first season as described in the product it has subtitles in Portuguese more when I put in my dvd not possessed the same... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Fernando Geraldi
married with children
This is something to get your teeth into, the comedy is far from subtle, but is so funny, and far from being 'gentle'.
Published 5 months ago by G. Gregory
Best Show Ever
What can I say about MARRIED WITH CHILDREN. The casting could not have been bettered. The writing was brilliant and the format superb. Read more
Published 15 months ago by David E. Spragg
Married with Aching Ribs!
I bought this for two reasons, one was to rewatch one of the funniest television comedy series ever and two, to introduce my 28 year old son to non politically correct comedy. Read more
Published 22 months ago by 7omly
married with children, series 1
This is a timless classic, poor Al Bundy, works hard and is unappreciated (sound familiar?) well worth a watch.
Published 23 months ago by Richard Blore
great entertainment
We've really enjoyed watching this series and am looking forward to watchin season 2. Quality of product is good and at a great price.
Published 23 months ago by A. Thomas
COMEDY THAT STANDS THE TIME TEST.
Married With Children passed me by when it was first aired but thanks to the magic of dvd,i can now catch up (22 yesrs later!). Read more
Published on 28 Feb 2010 by Juan Sheet
Comedy for the ages
Al Bundy (Ed O'Neill) is a Chicago shoe salesman who pretty much hates his life. He has a crummy, minimum wage job, a wife (Peggy) who spends all day watching chat shows while... Read more
Published on 6 April 2009 by C. OSBORNE
Absolutely Brilliant!! - Buy it !!
This show is all about the "wars" that go on in real families - I defy any married person to watch this & find a situation, attitude, phrase, etc that they can't relate to. Read more
Published on 9 Sep 2007 by Mr. Stephen Bowling
I'm home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A long overdue region two dvd release for the complete first season of married with children, an american comedy that ran for eleven years from 1987. Read more
Published on 29 Aug 2007 by Paul Tapner
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