20 Hidden Facts About Married With Children May Surprise You

Well, it’s time for a bit of Nostalgia! Today we are celebrating Married with Children. Premiered back in 1987, Married with Children presented its audience with a peek into the lives of the hilarious Bundy family. Here are 20 killer facts you might not know about this classic dysfunctional family comedy.

1. $1 Million per episode

With the increasing popularity of the show, it was costing the TV station a whopping $1 million per episode by the eleventh season, which was simply not feasible at that time. Ed O’Neil was making more than $500,000 an episode, making him one of the highest-paid stars on TV.

2. Michael Richards auditioned to play Al Bundy

During casting of Married with Children, Michael Richards was one of the actors who auditioned to play Al Bundy. But it didn’t turn out so bad. He eventually went on to play Kramer on the extremely popular Seinfeld, and won three Primetime Emmy Awards.

3. Peggy was pregnant three times

Leading actress, Katey Sagal, who played the nagging wife Peggy, became pregnant three times throughout the filming of the show, but you’d never have known.

4. Ed O’Neil’s Mannerisms landed him the role

Ed O’Neil apparently prepared well for the role of Al Bundy. When auditioning for the pilot, he impressed the show creators by truly embodying the patriarch’s attitude.

5. Ed O’Neil got the audition after playing Lenny in of Mice and Men

One of the Fox executives happened to see Ed play Lenny at a performance in Hartford, Connecticut. When Ed was auditioning for Al, he remembered him. Ed won the role by simply taking a deep breath and slumping his shoulders before entering the front door, something no-one else did.

6. A small budget for the show

The budget for the show was so small at the beginning, that several props were actually brought in by the cast members themselves. Also in one episode when Buck went shopping, the fellow cast members had to cover the bill.

7. One episode didn’t air until 13 years later

The episode, I’ll See You In Court, scheduled to air in 1989, was found to be too controversial for the audience at the time. It didn’t air until 13 years later in 2002.

8. A Russian version remade every episode of the show

The show was so popular that it was remade for Russian TV. Rather than simply dubbing the original version, the producers found a new cast and re-filmed the entire series.

9. What is Juliet Tablak like now?

Juliet Tablak played Amber, who was sent to live with her aunt Marcy to get her out of danger. Her character appeared in season nine of the show. The 42-year-old actress now works as a Pilates instructor.

10. It was Fox’s first primetime show

Married with Children ran for ten years and became the first primetime show to be aired on the Fox channel in 1986.

11. Peg Bundy On Futurama?

Katey Segal, playing Peg Bundy, voiced the character of Turanga Leela in the animated series Futurama.

12. Katey Segal is not the only MWC star to do voicework

Ed O’Neil co-worked with Ellen DeGeneres in the Disney-Pixar animated film Finding Dory. Ed O’Neil played Hunk, who is a gruff seven-armed octopus.

13. Their family home is a real house

Just as the phone number was real on the show, so was the cottage in which the Bundys lived. The house is located in Deerfield, Illinois, 25 miles north of Chicago. The cottage has become a mecca for fans.

14. A perfect birthday date

Christina Applegate became widely known for her role on the show. The actress though shared something in common with her on-screen character. Kelly and Christina share the same birthday!

15. Playing enemies on the show didn’t take much acting

 Ed O’Neil and Amanda Bearse played characters who were enemies. But in fact, actors Ed O’Neill and Amanda Bearse didn’t get along in real life either. Maybe it was easier to play enemies because it didn’t take much acting.

16. The family name

You may be familiar with the Bundy family, but there is meaning behind it. The famous family name was named after wrestler, King Kong Bundy, who guest starred in two episodes of the show.

17. Mixing storyline

Whilst starring in Married with Children, Ed O’Neil also acted in a movie called Dutch. The Married With Children writers decided to mention the film in the show. The movie was mentioned twice, the first scene was when Al was on a plane, and the second Al and his wife Peggy went to rent a movie to watch. A great marketing ploy.

18. The show deserved an Emmy

As one of the nation’s favorite sitcoms for almost a decade, it is hard to believe that Married with Children never received an Emmy Award, even if it was nominated seven times. Staggering.

19. Budrick is Bud’s real name

You know Al Bundy has a daughter Kelly and a son, named Bud, but what you may not know is his full name on the show. His full name was Budrick Franklin Bundy. He did have his own special nickname for himself. Can you remember what it was?

20. Ed O’Neil was the real star of the show

Ed O’Neil was the only actor who appeared in every single episode from the show’s first airing in 1987. That means he was in a total of 11 seasons and 259 episodes!

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