Did 'Married With Children' Change The Way We Watch Sitcoms?!?

[Brian Damage]

They certainly introduced the raunchiness, by casting playboy models and porn stars in bit parts. Sex was a big part of this shows success. Did MWC change the face of sitcoms? Did they do it for the better or for worse?

[Amanda Woodward]

Yeah , for its time quite provoking.

[AxelFoley]

Indeed they did, they changed it for the good!

[704Hauser]

While Married... with Children was a great show (one of my all-time favourites as a matter of fact), it was one of the last few great sitcoms (the only other sitcoms that I really liked that premiered after MWC were Home Improvement, Everybody Hates Chris and My Name Is Earl) in my opinion, and the networks have taken the smut TOO far (Two and a Half Men is a prime example).

[Retro4Life]

No offense to any of the fans, but I never cared for it. It's one of those shows where everything is a joke pointed AT the characters, not a joke where you laugh WITH them because you understand them.

I think, in response to your question, it was kind of the first of a wave of sitcoms whose characters were uniformly unlikeable and vulgar.

To each his own, of course!

[ShamelessFanGirl]

Originally Posted by 704Hauser

While Married... with Children was a great show (one of my all-time favourites as a matter of fact), it was one of the last few great sitcoms (the only other sitcoms that I really liked that premiered after MWC were Home Improvement, Everybody Hates Chris and My Name Is Earl) in my opinion, and the networks have taken the smut TOO far (Two and a Half Men is a prime example).

I agree with 100%. Sitcoms today are nothing more than a bunch of worn out jokes that have been done a thousand times before and aren't even funny anymore. Not only that when you look at televison some shows the premise to be stolen from one show or another. We'll use Two and a Half Men since you mentioned it, when you look at Charlie and Allen and their personalities it is an obvious rip-off from the "Odd Couple"

Married...With Children wasn't a parody of a show, if anything it was making fun of old television to remind people that marriage's weren't perfect, husband and wives argue and complain, people hate their jobs, kids don't always respect their parents, and sometimes people in relationships though they may love each other unless the other provides them what they need they grow tired and uninterested. Anyone else agree?

[marriedaniac]

Yes, MWC was hugely satirical.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by Brian Damage

They certainly introduced the raunchiness, by casting playboy models and porn stars in bit parts. Sex was a big part of this shows success. Did MWC change the face of sitcoms? Did they do it for the better or for worse?

Can anybody think of any other (and a successful one at that) sitcom at the time, which is so consistently cynical, painting a dark view of people, life and society than MWC?

[marriedaniac]

Originally Posted by TMC

Can anybody think of any other (and a successful one at that) sitcom at the time, which is so consistently cynical, painting a dark view of people, life and society than MWC?

Not really; Roseanne is about the only show I can think of that came close. They're similar shows, but very different... if that makes sense.

[Hawkee]

Married With Children really did change the way people watched sitcoms because when Married With Children debuted in 1987 along with the Fox Network it paved the way for the sitcom world because Married With Children would be a whole new style from the traditional sitcom and because of the success of Married With Children Fox Network created good sitcoms using this style of fun storyline good laughter and actors and actresses that would become huge in movies and other sitcoms. It's no secret that due to the success of Married With Children Ed O'Neill would become a huge star in movies and sitcoms and it's hard to believe that Ed O'Neill is in Disney's Finding Dory where he provided the voice of the character Hank and also Christina Applegate and Katey Segal became huge stars due to Married With Children as well and so because of Married With Children Fox Network is still the king of sitcoms today
Bestie

[gidgetgrape]

I think Married With Children had been on for one season before I was able to watch it in my area. Back then you had to have an antenna to watch Fox. I was in middle-school and I loved how apathetic the characters were. They were saying things that many people thought, but were too polite to say.

[Babalu]

I never watched it but as far as I'm concerned it made two contributions to TV: Christine Applegate.

[Mace Dolex]

Originally Posted by 704Hauser

in my opinion, and the networks have taken the smut TOO far (Two and a Half Men is a prime example).

I agree, on MWC all the dirty sexual talk was only implied that viewers were smart enough to know what they were talking about, they didn't need every detail explicitly said out loud.