"Married ... with Children" Pilot Re-Airing on Fox
04/11/2012


"Married ... with Children" is coming back to Fox.

The beloved comedy that helped launch the then-fledgling network will have its series premiere re-broadcast as part of Fox's 25th anniversary on-air celebration on Sun., April 22 at 7pm ET.

The milestone 500th episode of "The Simpsons" follows at 7:30 p.m. ET and Fox's big anniversary special -- including reunions of some of their hottest shows -- starts at 8 p.m. ET.





In the pilot episode of "Married ... with Children", which originally aired on April 5, 1987, Al Bundy (Ed O'Neill) gets front row seats to a basketball game, but Peggy (Katey Sagal) makes him stay home to meet the new neighbors.

Series stars O'Neill, Sagal, Christina Applegate and David Faustino will appear together during the anniversary special.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/11/married-with-children-fox-pilot_n_1418224.html?

That's great. I wonder if it'll be the uncut version that originally aired on the network, or the syndicated print. I hope it's the former. It shouldn't be too hard to track down; I believe it's presented uncut on the season 1 DVD set.

Actually, you might have mentioned this but there were 2 pilots. One is the one you've seen but theres another one that was on youtube a long time ago. It had a different Bud or Kelly, Im not sure. You guys have any idea what Im talking about?

The first pilot did indeed feature different actors playing Bud and Kelly, a few scenes were a bit different as well.

The pilot doesn't interest me at all because none of the characters were developed and it's boring.


I always avoid the pilot in syndication

We have Katey Segal in her real hair! And Bud saying to Kelly "Die, Commie B****!" :lol:

I would say Fox will air it uncut as it aired in 1987. In December 2003 Fox re-aired the 1 hour Christmas episode It's A Bundyful Life uncut with the orogonal theme.


That's great. I wonder if it'll be the uncut version that originally aired on the network, or the syndicated print. I hope it's the former. It shouldn't be too hard to track down; I believe it's presented uncut on the season 1 DVD set.

It just dawn on me that it's coming on tonight-lol Well I might as well look at it since it's nothing else on LOL

Thanks for the reminder! haha :lol:

me to im taping fox special sure the mwc special is being taped somewhere so how it turn out

They used the syndication version. Lame.

They used the syndication version. Lame.

I was intending on watching it but I totally forgot. It's great to know that I didn't miss much since it was the syndi version.

I was intending on watching it but I totally forgot. It's great to know that I didn't miss much since it was the syndi version.


That pilot is not worth watching because it's not the REAL AL BUNDY

Did you notice the little differences in the pilot? I mean in the first few episodes, Peg actually cooked!! Al actually kissed Peggy!! Also, did you notice that Al sounded different in the first few episodes? Its almost like he had an accent or something.


Btw, Married with Children aired the end credits, W/O ANY POP-UP ADS or End credit crunches!

that intresting yeah that was wierd Peg actually cared about bud n kelly,totally differnt,from the later years steve n marcy stil the same though

I tuned in too! I got a kick out of seeing the old gang.

Season 1 should never been aired in syndication

It's a bummer that Fox didn't want to sacrifice a few minutes of commercials just once so they could present the first episode of the network's first show the way it was originally broadcast 25 years ago. Talk about missed opportunity! As it is, the syndie cut can be seen on a constant basis on cable and in syndication.

Brad, whats the syndie cut your talking about? I've seen the pilot on FOX, FX and in syndication and I dont see the difference.

That pilot is not worth watching because it's not the REAL AL BUNDY

I liked the first season, it was one of my favs, mainly because everyone wasn't stupid.

im watching it now on vh1 lol.this one is funny.steve rhodes is funny bud kelly kind of bore me til later years

Brad, whats the syndie cut your talking about? I've seen the pilot on FOX, FX and in syndication and I dont see the difference.

The version Fox showed Sunday night wasn't the originally-broadcast version from 1987; it was the edited version created for off-network syndication in 1991.

For starters, the opening credit sequence was the syndicated version, which snips out the refrain ("Try, try, try to separate them...") and the bit during which Al gives everyone money. This shortened version of the theme wasn't used on Fox broadcasts until the final season or two. Also, during the first two seasons, the opening sequence didn't originally use footage of the actors under their credits during the first two seasons; only a black screen.

Here's an example of the longer, Fox version of the opening theme from season two:

np3o6TIQXW0

Another thing: the Fox versions of Married... with Children episodes didn't have "unnatural act breaks" that the reruns are plagued with (that is, the show goes to commercial in places where commercial breaks weren't meant to go). The show originally aired in the following format:

Opening Credits
Commercial
Act 1
Commercial
Act 2
Commercial
End Credits

And as is normally the case for syndicated reruns, there was probably 1-2 minutes cut from the episode itself. Fortunately, the original version is available unedited on the season one DVD, and is probably still on tape somewhere in Fox's library. It's a shame the network couldn't sacrifice a few minutes of commercial time on Sunday night to show their first show the way it was originally presented 25 years ago.

I liked the first season, it was one of my favs, mainly because everyone wasn't stupid.


That's what made the show great because everyone was STUPID

The version Fox showed Sunday night wasn't the originally-broadcast version from 1987; it was the edited version created for off-network syndication in 1991.

For starters, the opening credit sequence was the syndicated version, which snips out the refrain ("Try, try, try to separate them...") and the bit during which Al gives everyone money. This shortened version of the theme wasn't used on Fox broadcasts until the final season or two. Also, during the first two seasons, the opening sequence didn't originally use footage of the actors under their credits during the first two seasons; only a black screen.

Here's an example of the longer, Fox version of the opening theme from season two:

np3o6TIQXW0


Another thing: the Fox versions of Married... with Children episodes didn't have "unnatural act breaks" that the reruns are plagued with (that is, the show goes to commercial in places where commercial breaks weren't meant to go). The show originally aired in the following format:

Opening Credits
Commercial
Act 1
Commercial
Act 2
Commercial
End Credits

And as is normally the case for syndicated reruns, there was probably 1-2 minutes cut from the episode itself. Fortunately, the original version is available unedited on the season one DVD, and is probably still on tape somewhere in Fox's library. It's a shame the network couldn't sacrifice a few minutes of commercial time on Sunday night to show their first show the way it was originally presented 25 years ago.


I see what your talking about now. Im lucky they showed the first Married.. and the first Simpsons episode. It is a little different then what you usually see.

May I ask this question. You talk about the original version being on DVD but I have heard that they dont have the rights to the theme song, so there isnt a beginning when you watch the DVDs. Is that true?

I see what your talking about now. Im lucky they showed the first Married.. and the first Simpsons episode. It is a little different then what you usually see.

May I ask this question. You talk about the original version being on DVD but I have heard that they dont have the rights to the theme song, so there isnt a beginning when you watch the DVDs. Is that true?


The original theme is replaced on the DVD with a instrumental opening

The original theme is replaced on the DVD with a instrumental opening
...starting with the third season. The original theme remains intact on the DVD releases of the first two seasons, though, and on the two Most Outrageous Episodes DVD compilations.

So again, the pilot episode is available on DVD uncut with the original theme music (and on Xfinity Streampix, as I posted last week (http://sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=298266)).

...starting with the third season. The original theme remains intact on the DVD releases of the first two seasons, though, and on the two Most Outrageous Episodes DVD compilations.

So again, the pilot episode is available on DVD uncut with the original theme music (and on Xfinity Streampix, as I posted last week (http://sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=298266)).


Brad I have seasons 3 and 4 on DVD and the original theme is not included

Brad I have seasons 3 and 4 on DVD and the original theme is not included
That's correct. Starting with the third season, the theme music is replaced, and remains so for the remainder of the series releases. But it is left intact on the first two seasons.

That's correct. Starting with the third season, the theme music is replaced, and remains so for the remainder of the series releases. But it is left intact on the first two seasons.


Oh ok I gotcha now, I thought u was saying it was no longer replaces after the second season. I didn't want to buy the first two seasons on DVD because those seasons are not that funny.

Oh ok I gotcha now, I thought u was saying it was no longer replaces after the second season. I didn't want to buy the first two seasons on DVD because those seasons are not that funny.
Yeah, the show definitely started to change in tone around the third and fourth season.