References to Married... with Children

Last update September 6, 2009

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Television Series

Parker Lews Can't Lose - G.A.G. Dance (1990)
There is a pre-signed Christina Applegate poster on Parker's bedroom wall.

Saved by the Bell - Save the Max (1990)
Screech does an excellent Al impersonation to help raising money to prevent the closing of Max.

Saved by the Bell - The Aftermath (1991)
Zack turns on the TV to forget Kelly [Kapowski]. We hear the sound of an announcement about the story of the Married... with Children episode on that night, featuring Kelly [Bundy].

Dinosaurs - Unmarried... with Children (1992)
The episode title refers to Married... with Children.

The Simpsons - Marge in Chains (1993)
With his family overcome by the flu, Ned Flanders and his wife are wondering why God has forsaken them. Ned remembers watching "Married... with Children" on a stormy night. Al: [Examining houseplant] Peg, you oughta take better care of the house - these plants are all lifeless and limp. Peggy: Then maybe they should go in the bedroom then, Al? [Cue rapturous applause. Ned chuckles at the scene. Immediately a fierce crash of thunder is heard. The scene returns to the present.] Ned: So the slogans are true. "Watch Fox and be damned for all eternity!"

The Simpsons - Deep Space Homer (1994)
At the NASA mission control, a scientist and his assistant are discussing about getting better Nielsen rates. They watch TV. One channel shows Married... with Children. Peg: [whines] Al... let's have sex! Al: Ehh, no Peg. [Audience laughs and claps. Then Al flushes a toilet next to the couch and everyone hollers and cheers.]

Full House - Making out is Hard to Do (1994)
Barry Williams replaced Jesse as the lead singer of the Rippers. Jessie had a dream about his future. Becky dumps him for Joey, so he finds a new fiancee. It's Kimmy dressed up like Peg, the teased hair, spandex, and everything.

Party of Five - In Loco Parentis (1995)
Claudia and Artie are discussing during an MwC episode.

Unhappily Ever After - Run (1995)
At the end of the episode, the character "Mr. Floppy" denies the accusation in a fictitious viewer letter that UEA was a copy of MWC.

Team Knight Rider - Fallen Nation (1997)
Somebody is watching a political discussion on TV. He can tell the answers of one politician in advance - because of his typical political language - and says something like: "I know all his answers before he answers... just like in Married... with Children; I know all of Al's answers, too."

Unhappily Ever After - Le Morte D'Floppy (1999)
Jack, who is selling used cars, says: "Hey, guess what kids. I got a promotion. I am now selling Ferraris and Porsches to real stars. Today I sold one to Ed O'Neill." Tiffany and Ryan chorus "Wooow hoooooo!" Jack continues: "Yep, I'm on top of the world." The kids walk over to congratulate him.

The Simpsons - Wild Bart Can't Be Broken (1999)
The Simpsons are watching TV, and while changing the channels come across a show called "'Talk to the Hand', starring David Faustino".

Futurama - A Head in the Polls (1999)
Leela walks past some shelves in the Head Museum: "Movie Stars" "B-Movie Stars", "Porn Stars", then "TV Stars". On the "TV Stars" shelf is Katey Sagal's head.

Futurama - A Bicyclops Built for Two (2000)
Leela (voiced by Peggy Bundy actress Katey Sagal) found Alkazar, a male that was a cyclops like her. When they started living together, he told her to call him Al and she had to do her hair and wear clothes just like Peggy Bundy's. Sitting on a couch, they started a typical conversation with three ugly creatures cheering at them just like the MwC audience. Also, Al stuck his hand down his pants and flushed the toilet.

Nikki - Technical Knockup (2001)
Nikki and Dwight have a nightmare about their future family life. The episode features guest stars Amanda Bearse and David Garrison.

That's My Bush! - Trapped in a Small Environment (2001)
They were talking about how characters in shows resolve their differences when trapped together in a small space, and mentioned the example "Married With Children in the bank vault". [They weren't actually trapped, they were just playing with the money, gambling and fantasising about 'what if...'.]

So Little Time - Almost Famous a.k.a. Waiting for Gibson (2002)
Buck, the Dog is mentioned. By the way, this episode is directed by Katey Sagal's sister Jean Sagal.

Friends - The One With Ross's Inappropriate Song (2002)
Joey (played by Matt LeBlanc who was on three MwC episodes) sits on a couch, holding an imaginary beer and putting his left hand down his pants while checking out a possible new apartment.

The Bernie Mac Show - Droobie or Not Droobie (2004)

David Faustino guest stars as Droobie the Dinosaur, a children's television character who dresses in a green dinosaur suit. He tells Bernie that many women actually dig the dinosaur suit, including some celebrities, one of whom asked him to leave the suit on (assumedly he meant during sex). When pressed, he reveals that the celebrity was Christina Appelgate.

8 Simple Rules - Old Flame (2005)
After sending an e-mail to former college flame Matt (Ed O'Neill) to see how he's been doing over the years, Cate (Katey Sagal) becomes fed up with the unreasonable demands of her family and locks herself in her room for some alone time. But she's shocked when Matt shows up at her window and whisks her off to re-live some adventurous, old times. There are no explicit MwC references, though.

Unhappily Ever After - unknown episode
Kevin Curran usually did the voice of Buck on Married... with Children. Now he is a writer for Unhappily Ever After. On one episode, he appeared briefly (as he did on MWC, episode "Psychic Avengers" (618)) and lamented that he used to be the voice of Buck the dog on MWC.

In Living Color - unknown episode
Ed O'Neill plays "the dozens" on a game show, looking like Al. They carry him out on a giant lounge chair. He hands out "Your momma's so fat..." type insults.

Living Single - Living Single... with Children (?)
The episode title refers to Married... with Children.


Television Movies

The Munsters' Scary Little Christmas
Herman, after a hard day's work, slumps into a chair, and puts a hand into his trousers in the style of Al. The movie also features Elaine Hendrix who was a guest actor in two Married... with Children episodes and David Faustino's girl-friend at that time.

Humanoids from the Deep (1996)
One of the characters suspects that someone in town is the culprit behind the murders. When he is at the bar confronting him he says something about him being "a regular Al Bundy!", then one of the accuser's buddies says something like "you mean Ted Bundy."


Television Shows

Saturday Night Live
Julia Sweeney (who was on SNL from September, 1991, to May, 1994) made several sketchs as Peggy Bundy.

I Love the 1980's (2002)
The 1987 episode of this VH-1 show included people talking about Fox and MwC's launch, featuring Carrot Top, Judy Gold, Daisy Fuentes, Freddy Rodriguez (from Six Feet Under), Anderson Cooper (from CNN) and Rick Schroder. We can also see some season one clips.


Movies

Fear (1996) aka "No Fear" aka "Obsession mortelle" (1996) - Director: James Foley
A Bundy clip (from episode 810) can be seen on TV during the finale (after 1 hour 18½ minutes). Al says: "Kids, you wanna do old dad a favour before he kills you?"

Stay Tuned
There's a lot of references of TV shows and movies in the closing credits. One of them is 'Unmarried... With Children'.

Jane White is Sick And Twisted (2001)
Jane says that she loves to watch her TV because it's - among other things - where I can buy shoes from Al Bundy.

Donnie Darko (2001)
When Donnie Darko is hypnotized by his shrink, he confirms that during classes he is thinking of Married With Children. The shrink asks if he is thinking of his family and he replies something like: No, I'm thinking of sleeping with my favourite actress Christina Applegate from Married With Children... BTW, the scene takes place in October 1988. The end credits of the movie include a "thank you" to Christina. Also, the DVD features a cut scene where Donnie watches his favorite actress Christina Applegate in an episode of "Married with Children" with a big grin on his face.

Raising Helen (2004)
Helen Harris, played by Kate Hudson, is watching an episode of Married... With Children, and she says something like "watching re-runs" when she receives a phonecall from someone else.

Borat (2006)
When Borat arrives in his New York hotel room he watches Married... with Children on TV.


Dragnet References by Ed O'Neill

HALSTED: It's insulting. A violation of human rights. If she was from France, would you be asking her to take this test?
FRIDAY (grimacing): Well, I have a problem with the French.


I need your help to complete this very short list. If you have an addition, please e-mail to Bundyology.

Thanks a lot so far to StuartM, Jeffery J. Leader, Alex De Rouck, Ade Bundy, Harrison Inefuku Jan Oharek, Joey Ritter, John L. Spetz, Christian Almazan, Marriedaniac, Nitzan Gilkis, Mad Mutt, Skarusty, Steve, Brett Matthews and Juan.


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© Andreas Carl 2005