Customer Reviews

Married with Children, Vol. 1 - The Most Outrageous Episodes

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

First I'd like to say that I certainly understand why all the low ratings for this DVD. The stars don't go towards the show itself, but more towards the fact that this isn't a complete season and a lot of people were hoping for that. I understand and I admit I'm disappointed as well. However, I love the show and have absolutely no problem getting these DVDs for the meantime until they finally (and I know they will at some point) release the entire seasons.

Despite the obvious complaints, I was still able to enjoy this collection of Married with Children episodes. This really brings back the old memories, being that I used to watch this all the time when I was little. Now it's even more funnier being that I'm older and am now able to understand all of the jokes. And hey, who couldn't love Al Bundy?? The man rocks!

The DVD includes 5 episodes, 1 of them being a lost one that was deemed "too raunchy" for TV. The episodes are as follows: A Dump of My Own, You Better Shop Around Parts 1 and 2, No Chicken No Check, and I'll see you in Court. All of them are funny as hell, but my favorites have to be the two shopping episodes where the Bundy Family actually LIVE in the supermarket since it is a MUCH cheaper way of staying cool. (In fact, I would've paid the price just for those 2 episodes alone!) But they're all great, as far as I'm concerned. And they're not in any order, so some of the shows are older while others aren't as old.

The DVD really doesn't have much to offer, other than the picture looking very good for being television shows. There's a few bonus trailers, but even those aren't that spectacular. And, I wished that they would've included a few more episodes. 5 just isn't enough.

All in all, the "Married with Children Vol. 1" DVD is a pretty nice package, although it would've been much better if more episodes were included. Hopefully they will start releasing complete seasons soon. That really is the way to go. Again, I understand why the low ratings. The only reason why I'm not giving it a low rating as well is because I enjoyed it and have no problem of buying the complete seasons when they finally decide to release them. For now, these will have to do. If you really want to wait for the seasons to come out, then do so. I'm sure they will eventually release them. If you can spare a few bucks and would like some quality entertainment despite the problems mentioned, then this is something worth thinking about it.

Wow, I thought it was stupid when they released 4 episode DVDs of "Get A Life" instead of the complete first season, then I scratched my head when "The Best of Baretta" was released (but thankfully along with Season 1), but this is hilariously dumb! Married with Children ran for 11 seasons, 10 years, and consists of about 262 episodes! It also was one of the most popular, influential, and long running sitcoms in TV history! Fans would jump at the release of a complete season 1 DVD box set, so much that they probably couldn't keep enough of them on the shelf! So will someone please tell me why our time is being wasted with another dreaded compilation "best of" DVD with 5 measley episodes? Who actually buys these things? Anyone with enough interest to buy this will without a doubt drool over a Season One set! Season sets are the only way to go with television shows. Several great shows have already began being released in season sets such as Baretta, Sanford & Son, All in the Family, The Jeffersons, Fawlty Towers, Mad About You, The Simpsons, The Young Ones, and coming soon - Good Times! So what happened? These shows have 12-14 episodes in their first seasons and so does Married with Children (13), making it ideal for a 2 disc set! What really blows me away is what immediately comes out in season or complete sets: shows like Angel, Once & Again, Malcom in the Middle, Buffy, etc. and I'm sorry, but come on...Sports Night? Did anyone watch Sports Night? Why would these lesser and lamer shows get first class complete treatment and a show like Married with Children gets a pointless compilation of 5 episodes, which by the way are picked from Seasons 3, 5, & 8? Sure they release Friends & Sex and the City in their entirety, but not MWC? Sorry, I can't complain enough. ATTENTION: DVD/HOME VIDEO COMPANIES - "WE DON'T LIKE "BEST OF" COLLECTIONS OF POPULAR SHOWS...PLEASE STOP MAKING THEM...SEASON SETS ARE WHAT WE WANT! IF "FELICITY" AND "MY SO CALLED LIFE" CAN BE RELEASED IN DVD SETS THEN "MARRIED WITH CHILDREN" SHOULD BE A NO BRAINER.

This set would've gotten 5 stars had it had It's A Bundyful Life featuring the late Sam Kinison & Ted McGinley playing (Norman Jablonsky, peg's husband). I hope it sells good so we might get season sets like they did with Friends.

5 Episodes including:
Episode #40. A Dump of My Own - Al plans on building his dream- an executive's type of bathroom in the garage.

Episode #45. I'll See You in Court - The Bundys and Rhoades are taped having sex at a hotel. Peggy and Steve decide to sue, but only the Rhoades get money. **This episode never aired in the U.S. because FOX considered it too controversial, although it aired out of the U.S. several times. The cable channel FX has aired this episode on June 18, 2002 after years of being unaired in American syndication due to its controversial content (i.e., the hotel videotaping couples in their private moments). This UNAIRED episode was finally aired on the FX cable channel on June 18, 2002 at 8:30 central.**

Episodes #101 & 102. You Better Shop Around - The Bundys move into a grocery store when Al doesn't want to pay for an air condtitioner. They cut in front of Marcy at the checkout stand and win the $1,000 shopping spree prize for beign the millionth customers. The Bundys and D'Arcys face off to see who can spend the $1,000 shopping spree first. Meanwhile, Bud and Kelly bother the beaver store mascot (Jerry Mathers as Himself).

Episode #163. No Chicken, No Check - Kelly and Bud save their money to buy a car they can share. Also Bundy trival buffs know Bud's middle name "Franklin" is revealed in this episode.

As said by everyone who is smart enough to know that this is the greatest sitcom of all time: THIS SHOW NEEDS SEASON BY SEASON SETS.
Now, while greedy executives and foul bureaucrats do push these lame "best of" collections in the hopes of squeezing more blue-collar blood out of our wallets, these "best ofs" also serve another purpose.
Yes, this is an attempt to get more bread out of us. It's the George Lucas trick (first release Star Wars, then Star Wars with extra footage, then Star Wars in widescreen with extra footage, then Star Wars with even more footage just made up, then Star Wars with everything plus a plush toy of George Lucas with money in his hands and going "yippie-yippie").
However, these "best ofs" also serve to test out the market for this title. If MWC "best ofs" sell well then the fat cats will release season boxes because they will see that it is profitable. Sure, we fans known it would sell, we recall that MWC was a huge sucsess, but these producers have short memories, they only understand the profitability of immediate trends. They have no respect for classics the way that we do.
So we have a catch 22 here. Buy it and you are giving in to marketing ploys. Don't buy it and you may be dooming the world's MWC collections to home-recorded television reruns only.
In all likelyhood this show, and every show that was ever sucsessfull, will eventually come out in season by season sets.
But for now this is what we get (and Most Outrageous Volume 2 is in the works as I write this).
As for the disc itself, it does feature very little, but the episodes themselves are well picked. They are some of the greatest, funniest MWC episodes ever. I will at least give the DVD that.
You'll just have to decided for yourself about this purchase.
Because I am a lunatic for this show I will likely buy it as soon as it becomes available. I hate to be a tool of corperate opression, but I cannot resist MWC memorabilia. The show means too much to me, I am at it's command.
Three stars because it's MWC (which always deserves ten stars) but it's just a stupid collection (one star) when the fans and the series deserve more respect.

Helloooooooo? Is there anybody out there at Fox? Does fox NOT enjoy making money? Do Fox's shareholders invest for fun? PLEASE PEOPLE, RELEASE SEASON SETS FOR MARRIED WITH CHILDREN!!!! We WANT to BUY them!!!

Somebody at Fox needs to be smacked.

What the hell is "outrageous episodes vol. 1" supposed to mean? Since when are only SOME of the episodes of this magnificent show supposed to be outrageous?
This is a seriously bad treatment of a classic - to release a small subset of the real show is not only ridiculous, but an insult to its fanbase. MWC deserves to have all of its episodes (well.. the first six seasons anyway) released, instead of having the suits decide what goes on the dvd based on how much controversy the episode originally generated.
Married... With Children is a classic show that keeps getting hosed. It began with Fox treating it like any other show (not THE show that skyrocketed them to fame), followed by a series of events, not the least of which was pulling the plug on the series without even notifying the actors. Needless to say, this is the latest insult - a "greatest hits" "ensemble".
MWC was one of a kind. The original six seasons had what I can only describe as genius writers, combining hilarious observations with biting critique. Every character had philosophy that made them different and unique - like Al's constant tales about the "Red Grinch that stole Uncle Al's life", or Kelly's opinion on the usage of the word 'hussy'. Even Marcy, character I personally like the least had her charm, whether it was her El Pollo Loco disposition, or strange, borderline explosive libido.
This show deserves better. It deserves to have more than 3 items show up in the Amazon.com search (one of which is a book). Both Fox (especially Fox) and Columbia/TriStar owe it to the show's fans to release a decent, comprehensive collection, not just an insulting collection of episodes that will only satisfy the casual viewer. For fudge's sake - if something idiotic like Buffy the Vampire Slayer can have a DVD collection (and it's still running!) the show that single-handedly created the Fox network should've had it years ago.

As for myself, I'm not planning on buying this - I will wait until a comprehensive collection. Even if it means watching FX til the cows come home. 5 Stars because it's the best show ever, -2 stars for the crappy treatment it keeps receiving.

Okay people, listen up. This is the problem with American business these days. They release a few of these "teaser" discs, and the next thing you know, POW! You just spent about $100 on "best of" sets and then come to find out that they are now going to release full season sets! Studio's, do you really think we are that moronic? Just give us full seasons and make us happy. Don't tease us with these things because we won't take it! DO NOT BUY THESE SETS!!! They are only being released to get more money out of us. Just wait....they'll give in eventually.

"Why go out for milk when you have a cow at home?" Al Bundy.

I am puzzled why anyone bothers selling TV series episodes on DVD any more without releasing the entire season at once. It may be just as well, though, since at the glacial pace Fox is releasing MASH and the Simpsons (two seasons per year), it will be about 2008 before MASH is finished and at least 2011 for the Simpsons. Even if they start full-season releases of MWC now, at that rate it would be at least 2009 to get all of them! They should take a clue from Paramount, which is releasing seven seasons of Star Trek: TNG and Deep Space Nine in their entirety in a single year. There's no excuse for Fox to be so stingy with its series other than greed or stupidity.

ok..to the "brilliant" people who made this...just like most of the MWC fans on here ive been waiting for a season set of MWC...i hear about this piece ...and i thought "hey! they finaly released MWC on DVD woooooo!!!!!"and come to find out..ITS ONLY 5 EPISODES!!! ON ONE DVD TO TOP IT!!!!!
i have to agree..why is it that they can release shows like "buffy" and "freinds" but they cant release MWC!!
it just proves that alot of these companys dont want to spend time on real classic tv shows..i mean sure theres seasons of the simpsons,M*A*S*H,hogans heros,etc..but theres more "modern" seasons then there are clasics..they wont even spend time on a wonder years dvd collection!
but they will for "freinds"!
so people...please save your money! hope that we will see a season of MWC on dvd..NOT 5 MEEZLY EPISODES!
this is a piece of garbage..you (the fans) want a season...not this 5 episode piece of jargon!

"lets rock!" al bundy

Who makes the decisions around here? To give the die-hard fans of Maried... with Children a paltry 'collection' of the most 'outrageous' episodes is a direct insult to the intelligence and loyalty of its ENORMOUS fan base.
Everyone knows what the fans want - a complete collection of all episodes, by season, on dvd, just like tons of other shows - most of which don't even compare to MWC. So just give it to us! Don't try to make a million bucks off a cheesy 'compilation', then turn around and make yet even more money on the seasonal release years later. Just give us the DVD! The technology is there, so just do it. I'm getting this strange feeling of deja vu... *cough*georgelucas*cough*...
Ok I'm better. Married has already made the networks so much money from ratings and sindication that they should be giving away the dvd's at this point. Sorry for the heavy sarcasm, but the point remains the same. The show is/was wonderful and ground-breaking, and its time the execs stop jacking around for more $$ and starting giving the fans a little respect.

I am giving 5 stars for the best sitcom ever to grace the airwaves, but I have to take away 4 stars due to the poor treatment of the MWC cast & crew, and the insulting treatment and exploitation of its loyal fans. Its all about the money.