Bundyology - The Biography Channel "Married... with Children" Special

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Biography Married with Children

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Last update September 12, 2010

Station: The Biography Channel
Title: Biography Married with Children

US premiere date: July 14, 2010
Length: 45 minutes

General description: Typical Biography Channel TV series documentary with a lot of stills and few clips. Comments by Ed O'Neill (Al Bundy), Richard Gurman (producer), Ed Robertson (radio host "TV Confidential"), Garth Ancier (former president Fox Network), Gerry Cohen (director), Marcy Vosburgh (writer/producer), Michael G. Moye (co-creator), Andrew Susskind (production executive), Marc Hirschfeld (casting director), David Garrison (Steve Rhoades), Katey Sagal (Peggy Bundy), Christina Applegate (Kelly Bundy), Howard Polskin (former writer TV Guide).

Main issues: Terry Rakolta fighting the show in season three, Fox trying to become the fourth US-wide TV network by focussing on a young male audience, Fox President Garth Ancier hiring the show creators Ron Leavitt and Michael G. Moye, creating the show as a contrast to traditional family sitcoms, considering comedians Sam Kinison and Roseanne Barr as married leads by looking at tapes of their acts about married life (Roseanne's tape was from her first Tonight Show appearance) at Andrew Susskind's office, the Steve Rhoades part was specifically written for David Garrison, Marc Hirschfeld wants Ed O'Neill as Al Bundy after having seen him as Lenny in a Of Mice and Men stage version, the creators' fight with Fox's "Research and Development" department about whether Al should show more that he cares about his family, Terry Rakolta calling Marcy Vosburgh to complain about "Her Cups Runneth Over" (0306) and her letter campaign to the show's sponsors (McDonald's, Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola...), the cancellation of "I'll See You in Court" (0308), the publicity about Rakolta's fight helped the show to become more popular, internal problems about "A Period Piece" (0301) and growing internal censorship pressure, Michael G. Moye leaving the show, Ron Leavitt's project "Unhappily Ever After" on UPN, low ratings vs. high costs on season 11, the cancellation of the show without telling the cast & crew first.

Suppressed issue: The kids were originally played by different actors on the pilot.

Thanks a lot to "Marriedaniac".

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