Does anybody else think that this is a knockoff of Married...With Children? - Page 2 - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Mikado · 12-08-2007, 09:27 PM

They were basically the same show, created by the same guy...the main difference? MWC was FUNNY while UHEA wasn't!

Rue_McClanahan · 09-05-2008, 02:35 PM

I agree that it did seem like a knockoff of Married With Children. It's like they just changed a few things and added a puppet. Really that puppet is the only difference in the two. It's basically the same concept and the same type of charactors. I'm not really a fan of either show though. I did, however, watch Married With Children when I was little though, but anymore I don't care for it...same with this show. It did give me a few laughs back in the day though.

steevo · 12-15-2009, 08:13 PM

Another resemblance was that both shows had old hit songs as opening themes. MWC had "Love and Marriage" by Frank Sinatra while UEA had "Hit the Road Jack" by Ray Charles.

90sfan · 04-10-2011, 06:28 PM

Enjoyed both shows, I miss this show, I remember liking nikki back then, the show died quickly tho

hawkeye123 · 06-06-2012, 08:28 PM

It was for sure a rip off.It was a pretty good show though and Nikki was very hot back in the day.But it was no where near as good as married with children in my opionion.The main difference being Al Bundy.Who i think might be the most hillarious charechtor in sitcom history.

mets82 · 06-06-2012, 09:07 PM

I liked both shows but MWC was better and funnier. Unhappily... was a weird show because they would go off on these weird rants. Did you ever notice that? I believe one of the weirdest things was that when on camera they admitted that the show was going down w/o the mother and the mother returned.

TMC · 12-29-2017, 02:47 AM

Unhappily... had more of a meanness and nastiness that made the Malloys much more unlikable than the Bundy's that there were copying.

QTMcWhiskers · 03-24-2018, 07:55 PM

I loved both shows as well.

Is "After" a knockoff? On a certain level, certainly. But the bunny puppet (a figment of the crazy dad's imagination) is certainly novel... and episodes like where Nikki got to drive weren't really done on "Married".

But at least there wasn't a similar format sitcom involving a guy who sold used shoes...

TMC · 05-01-2020, 06:07 AM

I get why people say that Unhappily Ever After is a Married...with Children knockoff. Both shows to borrow from the TV Trash retrospective on UEA had a loser dad (Al/Jack), a shrew of a mom (Peggy/Jenny), a hot and conceited daughter (Kelly/Tiffany), and a brainless son (Bud/Ryan). I suppose that Ross, the third Malloy child is Seven.

09-05-2008, 02:35 PM	#17
Rue_McClanahan I love 'Reba' & G Gs Occasional Poster Join Date: Nov 03, 2005 Location: Indiana Posts: 78	I agree that it did seem like a knockoff of Married With Children. It's like they just changed a few things and added a puppet. Really that puppet is the only difference in the two. It's basically the same concept and the same type of charactors. I'm not really a fan of either show though. I did, however, watch Married With Children when I was little though, but anymore I don't care for it...same with this show. It did give me a few laughs back in the day though.
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12-15-2009, 08:13 PM	#18
steevo It is Green Senior Member Join Date: Dec 28, 2008 Location: Connecticut Posts: 1,474	Another resemblance was that both shows had old hit songs as opening themes. MWC had "Love and Marriage" by Frank Sinatra while UEA had "Hit the Road Jack" by Ray Charles.
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06-06-2012, 08:28 PM	#20
hawkeye123 Member Senior Member Join Date: May 26, 2012 Posts: 1,390	It was for sure a rip off.It was a pretty good show though and Nikki was very hot back in the day.But it was no where near as good as married with children in my opionion.The main difference being Al Bundy.Who i think might be the most hillarious charechtor in sitcom history.
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06-06-2012, 09:07 PM	#21
mets82 Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Mar 14, 2011 Location: Connecticut Posts: 5,058	I liked both shows but MWC was better and funnier. Unhappily... was a weird show because they would go off on these weird rants. Did you ever notice that? I believe one of the weirdest things was that when on camera they admitted that the show was going down w/o the mother and the mother returned.
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12-08-2007, 09:27 PM	#16
Mikado Main st bridge Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 06, 2005 Posts: 25,880	They were basically the same show, created by the same guy...the main difference? MWC was FUNNY while UHEA wasn't!

04-10-2011, 06:28 PM	#19
90sfan Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Mar 21, 2011 Location: PA Posts: 109	Enjoyed both shows, I miss this show, I remember liking nikki back then, the show died quickly tho

12-29-2017, 02:47 AM	#22
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 124,493	Unhappily... had more of a meanness and nastiness that made the Malloys much more unlikable than the Bundy's that there were copying.

03-24-2018, 07:55 PM	#23
QTMcWhiskers Member Frequent Poster Join Date: May 06, 2017 Location: USA Posts: 124	I loved both shows as well. Is "After" a knockoff? On a certain level, certainly. But the bunny puppet (a figment of the crazy dad's imagination) is certainly novel... and episodes like where Nikki got to drive weren't really done on "Married". But at least there wasn't a similar format sitcom involving a guy who sold used shoes...

05-01-2020, 06:07 AM	#24
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 124,493	I get why people say that Unhappily Ever After is a Married...with Children knockoff. Both shows to borrow from the TV Trash retrospective on UEA had a loser dad (Al/Jack), a shrew of a mom (Peggy/Jenny), a hot and conceited daughter (Kelly/Tiffany), and a brainless son (Bud/Ryan). I suppose that Ross, the third Malloy child is Seven.