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The Death of Married... with Children (and the Birth of FOX)

Channel Serfer

116,426 views

When "Married... with Children" premiered in 1987, there was nothing on television like it. A raunchy satire of the American nuclear family unit, the series was the first primetime program to be aired by FOX - a brand new broadcast network created by billionaire newspaper mogul Rupert Murdoch. And while the show faced significant backlash, in the form of boycotts, censorship, and corporate interference, "Married... with Children" would supersede these challenges, soaring to unimaginable heights and helping to build FOX into an entertainment powerhouse... before ultimately meeting its demise.

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20 Comments

@Trekapedia 1 month ago

Sad thing is Fox acts like the show didn’t exist. They go around talking like The Simpsons was the beginning. Married carried Fox on its back and deserves the respect.

@goregrindisthebestgenre 1 month ago

That woman writing letters to all of the sponsors… Imagine being privileged enough to have nothing better to do with your time.

@lame.humor-guy5253 1 month ago

no AI just AL

@PizzaVomit 1 month ago

Early Fox was amazing. I remember being 5 years old and we always watched Alien Nation and The Simpsons. My parents didn't like me watching Married With Children but they liked it enough that they eventually let me with a few "CLOSE YOUR EYES" thrown in.

@PIXPromosMore 1 month ago

ASSUME THE FOX VIEWING POSITIONS
(**pulls various metal items to get signal**)

@gabepollock1641 1 month ago

Married With Children has always held a soft spot in my heart, because the ways the Bundys care for each other remind me of my family. Yeah, we’re on each other’s nerves, but when it comes down to it we’re a unit and we go together.

@catholiccontriversy 1 month ago

It's funny that Married with Children was so controversial when we eventually got Family Guy.

@lavieestunsonge4541 1 month ago

Wow! That Karen would have a heart attack with what’s on now lol 😂 So, there have always been people upset about the world not conforming to their ideal vision.

@ntcw 1 month ago

Married...with Children and Coach both squared off against each other in that 9 PM Saturday time slot and both ended their runs that season.

@JacobGers-lr9kl 2 weeks ago

The no AI warning is a huge green flag

@TheRetroGuy2000 4 weeks ago

Great overview of Married with Children and the early Fox years! Sometime around 1989, I was searching for channels on the mostly-empty UHF dial, and found a snowy, grainy, low-quality Fox signal. It felt like a miracle! I could watch Married with Children, The Simpsons, and (soon thereafter) In Living Color. In those years, Fox was on UHF stations and you had to "assume Fox Network viewing positions" by placing foil on your antenna, and even then, sometimes the signal was unwatchable. Those were the days! It wasn't until 1995 that I got cable TV, and had a reliable Fox signal.

@javeman 1 month ago

Great video, but missed opportunity by not ending it with the "That's Al, Folks!" ending from the Looney Tunes parody episode.

@dannyorwhatever 1 month ago

Man, I love this channel! You never miss!

@mychannel3154 1 month ago

Wow, these last two weeks I been revisiting the show and you just happen to drop this video

@BananaBlueMonkey 1 month ago (edited)

I just have to say, I don’t think there’s a better YouTube channel right now. These have got to be the most thorough and loved videos I’ve ever seen. Love every second of these vids!

@johnmaring7056 1 month ago (edited)

Today, There Would’ve Been No “The Simpsons” & FOX 📺 Network Without The Success Of “Married… With Children” Back In The Day In 1987.

@reallyretro 1 month ago

Possibly the first ever Karen in history, who actually called the Network to whine and complain about how offended she was by viewing Married with Children😅

@AaronLesterMedia 1 month ago

Life is good. Im watching this documentary on my phone, while Married With Children is on my TV. I'm watching the episode when Al goes to Marcy's dentist. 🤣🤣🤣

@BugsyFoga 1 month ago

“Love and marriage, Love and marriage, it’s an institute you can’t disparage “😊

@varmintx0 1 month ago

Though I had watched plenty of sitcoms before this one, even great ones like All in the Family and MASH, this was really the first one I actually loved and would go out of my way to make sure I was in front of the TV when it was time for a new episode.