Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9170 in DVD
• Released on: 2003-10-28
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Full Screen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: .50 pounds
• Running time: 302 minutes

From Amazon.com
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-publicized 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

On the DVD
ccMarried With Children reunion special
New comedy sneak peek!
Bonus trailers

DVD Menu

• Side #1 -- Disc 1
  • Play All Episodes
  • Episode Selections
    • 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
• Side #2 -- Disc 2
  • Play All Episodes
  • Episode Selections
    • The Poker Game
    • Where's the Boss?
    • Nightmare on Al's Street
    • Johnny Be Gone
  • Special Features
    • Married... With Children Reunion Special
    • New Comedy Sneak Preview
    • Trailers
      • TV Action Favorites
      • TV Comedy Favorites
      • The Sweetest Thing
  • Trailers
    • TV Action Favorites
    • TV Comedy Favorites
    • The Sweetest Thing

Customer Reviews

Long live anti-cosby!
Finally, after hearing fans that wanted full-fledged season box sets, Fox answered their prayers. So get ready for those outrageous Bundys in Married...with Children:The Complete First Season, featuring all 13 episodes from the show's debut. Though the funniest episodes are yet to come in the second season, season 1 is the groundbreaking season that completely changed sitcoms forever. This taboo-shattering hit series was often deamed too hot for TV, introducing everyone's favorite dysfunctional house hold. These are the 13 episodes:

1.Pilot-Peg forces Al to forfeit his coveted basketball game to have dinner with their annoying new neighbors, Steve and Marcy.

2.Thinergy-Hoping to rekindle Al's flame, Peg takes Marcy's advice and goes on a crash diet, much to Al's dislike.

3.Sixteen Years And What Do You Get?-After Peg runs his credit card to the max, Al is forced to show up at his own wedding anniversary empty-handed.

4.But I Didn't Shoot The Deputy-Mistaking it for a burgler, Al accidentally shoots his neighbor's watchdog.

5.Have You Driven A Ford Lately?-After restoring a vintage Mustang, Al discovers the backseat isn't the only thing "hot" about his cherry ride.

6.Whose Room Is It Anyway?-A battle between Al and Peg is waged over who has the final word on the neighbor's room addition.

7.Al Loses His Cherry-After a bad fight, Al vows to teach Peg a lesson by not coming home all night. Instead he's the one who ends up getting schooled by a blonde bombshell.

8.Peggy Sue Got Work-When Al refuses to buy Peg a new VCR, Marcy convinces her to get a job herself.(laughs)

9.Married...Without Children-When Al and Peg get away for the weekend, Marcy and Steve volunteer to baby-sit Bud and Kelly-but get more than they bargained for.

10.The Poker Game-When Steve sits in on a Friday-night poker game, he loses more than his shirt to Al.

11.Where's The Boss?-Fooled into thinking his boss is dead, Al threatens to quit his job unless he gets a little respect.

12.Nightmare On Al's Street-Marcy is living a nightmare when a too-sexy Al starts popping up in her dreams.

13.Johnny B. Gone- When Al's favorite hamburger joint closes, he must choose between family and food

Remastered and avalible for the first time on DVD, this show is truly a gem, so go out and get this set today!

Definitely not the Cosbys!
Being a child of the 80's, it was hard to miss all the wonderful sitcoms on television. I still vividly remember watching "Married...With Children" every Sunday night, and I feverishly looked forward to each new episode. In the years since then, I have seen all the episodes many times in reruns, and I am now glad to own them (at least the first season) on DVD. It is one of the few shows I have never gotten tired of.

The first season is rarely the strongest in the series, but the first season of "Married..." has quite a few gems. The second episode, "Thinnergy", has Peggy putting the family on a crash diet, with Al obviously disapproving. The dinner scene always cracked me up, especially Al's sarcasm when he tosses out the salad. Another excellent episode was "Where's The Boss", where Al threatens to quit his job at the shoe store unless his boss meets him and commends him on his work. It has the first of the classic "fat woman" jokes ("Madame, when Shamu needs a mate...you'll be there!"). But my favorite episode is the season finale, "Johnny B. Gone", where the kid's problems prevent Al and Peggy from going to the closing of their favorite restaurant. Seeing Marcy in a towel and Al making fun of her ("Here's a mystery...what's holding that towel up?") never dulls.
The first season contained 13 episodes, which you'll go through pretty quickly. My hope is that the second and third seasons find their way onto DVD soon.

The DVD package is light on the extras (most TV show DVD sets are), but there is one main attraction. The much-lauded "Reunion" special in 2003 is included here, which is a must have for fans. While is provides nothing of real substance, it is fun to see the cast out of their element, reminiscing about their experiences on the show. The only drawback to this is that very little is touched upon about the show's cultural impact in the 80's, which was not inconsiderable for the series. It is just a fun reunion of the cast, nothing more. Sadly, they did not include the E! True Hollywood Story that was done on the show. It would have been a prize addition to the set.

While better episodes were to come in later seasons, the first season is still very solid, and should satisfy fans of the series waiting for a proper release. And with the addition of the Reunion Special, it is a must have for fans of the series. Add this to your collection along with the two "Most Outrageous Episodes" DVDs that are already out.

Great content, poorly packaged
While I have been anticipating the release of this DVD for quite some time, I was slightly disappointed in the manner it was presented. The DVD is littered with trailers for the new Norm McDonald show and some Cameron Diaz movie in the "special features" along with other shameless promotions. The Reunion Special, which aired earlier this year on FOX, is cut in half and leaves out the more revealing parts like Sagal's terminated pregnancy and Bearse coming out of the closet. Also the complete first season is somewhat misleading because there are only 13 episodes here (Seasons 2 & 3 had 22 each).

As for the episodes, it may seem like a different show to those of you used to the NO MA'AM episodes. There's actually an understated tenderness between Al and Peg that makes them seem more human and less like parodies. The writing was on point for this season and some of the best episodes include "Al Loses His Cherry" and "Johnny Be Gone". Let's just hope they release all 11 seasons, especially the 3rd.