Bundyology - Inside Scenes on the Show

Inside Scenes

Last update May 31, 2009

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Relatives of the Regular Cast

Ed O'Neill's wife, Catherine "Cathy" Rusoff, appeared as Mona Squab in episode 220 and as Betsy in episode 603.

Christina Applegate's mother, Nancy Priddy, appeared as Mrs. Whiteman in episode 409.

David Faustino's brother Michael Faustino appeared in episode 213 as Nestor, 321 as the kid who built the sand castle, 403 as Joey (with the green sweater) and 917 as Mikey (the car wash manager).

Katey Sagal's brother Joey Sagal appeared in two episodes: in 602 as man with nose and in 1011 as Randolph.

Production Team on the Screen

Series creators Ron Leavitt & Michael G. Moye appeared as passengers in an elevator (510). They also appear together on a poster in episode 610 and 909 as "Amos'n'Andrew". Leavitt also played Jack Dallas in episode 611, in episode 707 during a news report (showing a magazine to the reporter) and probably in the end scene of episode 504 (as third baseman of the Cremators). Moye plays the old black man (Young Zeke) in 522 and probably the man holding a whip in the club Marcy & Jefferson visit in 625. Leavitt and Moye also provide the voices of the two "nearby dogs" in episode 624. Leavitt's children appeared in some shows, too. Matt was January Hubbard in 521 and Matt in 712. Samantha was April Hubbard in ep. 521 and Samantha in ep. 712. Leavitt's former wife Sharyn played Yetta in 523 and Harriet in ep. 603. She's also the woman with the annoying laugh from the audience during the early seasons. In episode 624, two people at Heathrow Airport are holding up two signs, looking for 'Moye' and 'Leavitt'. There's also a third sign for (co-executive producer Arthur) 'Silver'. The black man in the sex club in 625 might be series creator Michael G. Moye. His wife Rose Jackson played Aaron's fiancée Angie in 808.

Regular director Gerry Cohen was run over by Kelly in "England Show, Part 3" (626)

Staff writer and producer Kevin Curran, who did Buck and Lucky's voice (except for special episodes, when it was done by Richard "Cheech" Marin (513, 811,824)), appears in episode 618 as human Buck.

In episode 610, the fictitious show posters seen in the studio hall all feature staff writers and series creators Leavitt and Moye. The posters show: Ellen and Her Dog (Ellen L. Fogle), Spike Le Bee - N. Y. City School Teacher, Art Allante P. I. , Black Cop - White Girl (Michael G. Moye), Me and the Shiksa (Larry Jacobson & Stacie Lipp), The Homeless Detective (Ron Leavitt, with Christina Applegate's friend Traci Lords), Amos'n'Andrew (Ron Leavitt & Michael G. Moye - also in the office of the director in episode 909).

Story editors Larry Jacobson & Stacie Lipp do a walk-on together in episode 624. Jacobsen says "shoe salesman". He also appears in episode 707 during the news report about the lootings (standing next to the reporter). Jacobsen plays the host of "People to Laugh at" in episode 608, too.

At the end of episode 721, when Kelly and Bud go to the movies, the two of them sit in the theatre during the end credits, and comment on the names of all the behind-the-scenes members of the crew as they go by. Kelly: Oh, Richard Improta [art director], he's supposed to be great. Al: Sam W. Orender [assoc. director], sounds like a cartoon lizard. Peggy: Hey, Richard Draney [stage manager], he's legendary. Bud: Kitty Rourke [production associate] and Thomas W. Markle [director of photography], I heard they're secretly married. Al: Hey, look at that thing go; Mike Semon [property master], my man! Whoa, here come the Columbia logo! ALL: Booooo!! ]

In episode 1113, story editor Christian McLaughlin appears as a gay reindeer dancer. McLaughlin is gay in real life.

Other Insider Appearances and Scenes

Series creators Ron Leavitt and Michael G. Moye named the original major families on the show (Bundy and Rhoades) after their favourite wrestlers King Kong Bundy (aka Crippler Canyon, Man Mountain Cannon Jr, Chris Cannon, Big Daddy Bundy and Boom Boom Bundy, real name Chris[topher] Pallies) and Dusty Rhodes (real name Virgil Riley Runnels Jr). King Kong Bundy appeared on the show twice (222, 1007). Al denies that he is related to him (1007). Leavitt and Moye did not take the name from the serial killer Theodore "Ted" Robert Bundy who was executed on January 24, 1989 (source: the 1989 Playboy interview). However, on 809, Peg and the kids are looking for a name replacing Bundy: their first idea was Berkowitz, reminding of the 1970s serial killer "Son of Sam" David Berkowitz, their second idea was Borden, reminding of the 1890s murderer Lizzie Andrew Borden. The LA Fox affiliate KTTV is located on 1999 South Bundy Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90025. The Rhoades' first names "Steve'n'Marcy" could be a reference to "Steve and Edie" aka Steve Lawrence and Edie Gorme, a husband-and-wife singing team who do light songs. When Al hears his neighbours' first names for the first time, he asks Peggy: "What is their last name, Gorme?" Leavitt and Moye were producers on the TV series "The Jeffersons". That's why there are many references to that series on Married... with Children (e.g. 322, 810, 922).

Divine (Harris Glenn Milstead) was booked to play Uncle Otto which was planned to be a recurring character. Usually Divine played as a drag queen, but this time he should have played as a man. His first episode would have been "All in the Family" (222), but he didn't show up on the set to take part in the rehearsals on March 7, 1988. His personal manager and biographer, Bernard Jay, discovered him dead in his hotel suite. This caused a gap of seven weeks between the premieres of episode 221 and 222. Uncle Otto was finally played by James "Gypsy" Haake. The end credits of episode 222 contain the following message: THIS EPISODE IS DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF DIVINE 1945-1988.

Charlotte Crossley played Peggy's friend Louise in episodes 206, 212 and 403. Just as Katey Sagal she used to be one of Bette Midler's Harlettes.

Deborah Harmon played Mimi - one of Peggy's school rivals - in episode 209. On her second appearance she played one of Peggy's school rivals again: June Morgan in 1026.

In episode 215, Bud reads a book about mice by Mike Semon who is actually the property master of the Sony Studios where Married... with Children was taped.

Ed O'Neill's first appearance in a movie was in "Deliverance" as a deputy. In ep. 301, Al and Steve are replaying the banjo scene ("Dueling Banjos") of that film. "Dueling Banjos" is also mentioned in episode 313. In episode 1108, the Bundys stay at the "Deliverance Hotel" in Branson, Missouri. There is a "Ned Beatty Suite" and the gay concierge wants to make a canoe trip with Bud.

In episode 303, Peggy mentions Youngstown, Ohio. This is Ed O'Neill's birthplace.

Terry Rakolta from Bloomfield Hills (near Detroit), Michigan, made a crusade against Married... with Children in 1989 by writing to sponsors and visiting talk shows. She accused the show of violating family values. This made the TV audience curious about the show which boosted its ratings. We can hear a TV announcer refer to a slut from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, in episode 414. Marcy mentions Rakolta as "woman from Michigan" in episode 909.

In episode 503, Al sings "North to Alaska", title song of the 1960 movie "North to Alaska" with (John Wayne and) Kathleen Freeman who was the voice of Peggy's Mom in season ten and born in Chicago.

In episode 518, Al points out that he doesn't like the series "Hunter". In 1985, Ed O'Neill had a guest appearance in the "Hunter" episode "The Garbage Man".

In episode 520, Kelly makes fun of "the Beaver" Jerry Mathers, but Christina Applegate had played in the 1986 "Still the Beaver" episode "Farewell to Freddie".

In episode 523, two of Al's dream playmates gathered around him are played by Pamela Anderson and Bobbie Brown. Two years after the 1991 episode, Bobbie Brown became Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee's girlfriend. In 1995 they broke up and Tommy Lee became Pamela Anderson's husband less than a month later.

From episode 603 to 611, Bud wants to be the rapper "Grandmaster B". This is a reference to David Faustino's real rap career.

Anthrax have been MwC fans long before their 1992 appearance on episode 619: there is a 1989 poster of the band with Scott Ian wearing an MwC t-shirt.

In episode 622 we can see today's Tonight Show announcer Edd Hall who got the part when the actual actor didn't show up after a lunch break. Hall spoke voices on Al's TV on many episodes.

In episode 623 we meet the Swedish Bikini Team. Avalon Anders, the fifth original member of the team, wasn't on the show. She later appeared on 716.

In the first England episode (624), when the Bundys are in an airplane, the pilot makes an announcement, asking "Can the man in seat 37b please put on your shoes? I'm choking". Al shoots back, "What? They show the movie 'Dutch' and they think I stink?" In episode 907 Al and Peg go to a video store. Peg looks at a video cassette of "Dutch", starring Ed O'Neill (who plays Al), and puts it skeptically back. Also in 907, Peg asks Al: "Fried Green Tomatoes stinks?" and the entire store answers: "Yes!" That movie was executive co-produced by Katey Sagal's godfather Norman Lear.

In episode 707, Cynthia Allison, who plays the news anchor, was really a reporter for KNBC in Los Angeles at that time. Ron Leavitt and Larry Jacobsen have cameo appearances during the closing news report.

Al mentions Married... with Children in episode 716. In 1106, Al and Jefferson watch the opening credits of Married... with Children. Jeff says that he couldn't believe that it's still on the air. Other self-references are in episodes where Al says "I'm married with children" (e.g. 107, 208 and 509) or where Al recites a Christmas poem with the line "you're married with children" (412).

David Garrison, the actor playing Steve, left the show in season four to concentrate on his Broadway career. In episode 718, he returns as the pirate "Rubio the Cruel", terrorizing everybody with musical songs. David reappears in another three episodes.

In episode 110, Al and his friends select Wheel of Fortune assistant Vanna White's brain for a perfect woman (who has to be dumb). Despite that fact, Vanna had an appearance in episode 726.

In ep. 823, the quiz host asks Al, what "OJ" in OJ Simpson means. On June 12, exactly three weeks after the original U.S. airing of this episode, OJ's wife and her lover were killed - at 875 South Bundy Drive, Brentwood (Los Angeles, CA).

The eighth season episode "Assault and Batteries" (824) was part of a FOX 3-D "FOX-o-rama" special. The end credits featured Al and Peg wearing 3-D glasses and looking at the names scrolling by on a screen. Peg said "I don't get it." Also, Peggy's picture is actually on the box the 3-D glasses came from!

In episode 314, Al works at Burger Trek for guest star Pauly Shore. In episode 825, when Al car pools with the three fat models, and his plans to become famous are dashed, he says "So I don't get my 15 minutes of fame, that just means Pauly Shore will get a half an hour."

The "FOX viewing position" (909, 1005), where the family holds various pieces of metal and tin foil around the living room, refers to the fact that in the early days, and in some cases still today, FOX affiliates were lower-powered obscure UHF stations. Note to Non-Americans: The program of American TV networks is broadcasted by local TV stations (hence the word "network") who usually aren't owned by the networks.

In episode 918, Al rents a tuxedo at "Farquhar's Formals". This might be a reference on Ralph R. Farquhar whow was a writer, story editor, supervising producer and creative consultant on Married... with Children for many years.

In episode 1011, Al is hot for actress Shannon Tweed who played in "Hot Dog... The Movie". But when Aaron brought him that movie for birthday in 814, he said that he had preferred "hot dog, the hot dog."

The actress Elaine Hendrix in 923 and 1122 was David Faustino's girl-friend at the time of the taping of these episodes (March 1995 and March 1997).

Episode 1004 is a parody on televangelism, especially on Jim Bakker's 1980 affair with Jessica Hahn. Hahn played a shoe groupie on 612 where she met series creator Ron Leavitt. Since then Hahn and Leavitt have been living together.

In episode 1008, a sign on the wall of a corridor at Polk High says "President Richie Gurman". Richard Gurman was the co-writer of this epiode and an executive producer of season 10. He was supervising producer, creative consultant, consulting producer and writer in other seasons.

In episode 1110, Peg and Al are discussing marriage for Bud and Gary. Al: "And love and marriage go together like... Peg, what do love and marriage go together like?" Peg: "How the hell would I know?" This is in reference to the Married... with Children theme song "Love and Marriage" by Frank Sinatra.

In episode 1120, Bud - played by David Faustino - slays Goliath by sling-shotting him and hitting him right between the eyes, knocking him stone dead - just like David did in the Bible.

Amanda Bearse, the actress portraying Marcy, had a coming out as a lesbian. In episode 1122, she makes a parody on herself by playing Marcy's gay cousin Mandy. Staff writer Christian McLaughlin, who is also gay, appears in episode 1113 as a gay reindeer dancer.

Thanks to Petr Misák, Christian Zelger, StuartM, Sebastian Franke, "Marriedaniac", Tini Laging, Pär Johannesson, Rob Mitarotondo, Joe Siegler, Craig Johnson, "Verpleeg" and Charlie Hickey.

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