Married . . . with Children [TV Series] (DVD)

Connect to Facebook/Twitter, recommend via email and much more.

---

"Eatin' Out"—The always-starving Bundys come into some money and decide the best way to blow it is on a fine dining experience. Some funny moments.

"My Mom, the Mom"—A solid if unlikely episode about Peg's appearance at Kelly's school Career Day starts out embarrassing and gets . . . better?

"Can't Dance, Don't Ask Me"—Kelly has to take tap-dance, or else. Again, some funny moments.

"A Three Job, No Income Family"—Peggy does the home-cosmetic party thing, and Al goes after a second job.

"The Harder They Fall"—Another funny episode has Steve shaking in his boots over a confrontation with a road-rage bully, with a funny pay-off.

"The House That Peg Lost"—What's the worst that could happen if you ask Peg to housesit? How about the whole house turns up missing?

"Married . . . with Queen"—This two-part episode follows Al and Peg back to their high school reunions to renew old rivalries.

"The Dateless Amigo"—When Bud's friends get their first dates and he has none, he does the mannequin thing, with some funny moments.

"The Computer Show"—Steve convinces Peg to buy a computer, which, like Hal, torments Al.

"Life's a Beach"—Boy-crazy Kelly goes after a lifeguard when the family goes to the beach.

"Here's Lookin' at You, Kid"—Some funny moments when a neighborhood peeping tom peeps everyone but Peg.

"I'll See You in Court" (the "Lost Episode")—This one should have stayed tucked away with all those WMDs. There's never much logic to this show, but this one, about illegal taping of the Bundys and Rhoades having sex in a local motel, defies ALL logic.

Video:
The picture is in color and full screen (1.33:1), of course, and the quality isn´t as grainy as some of the TV-on-DVD has been. But it´s still not as sharp as many of the old black and white shows. Color isn´t as forgiving in the transfer process, and there´s a slight fuzziness and haloing around the edges. Put it this way: these TV transfers are going to be "as is," with no restoration, and fans will be glad to have them at all, rather than waiting and waiting, as the poor "Mary Tyler Moore Show" crowd is doing. So there's a lot to be said for at least getting the show to the public.

Audio:
Except for an annoying all-instrumental opening that replaces the infamous Frank Sinatra version of "Love and Marriage" that introduced the show (did the heirs object, or what??), it´s all dialogue, and so the Dolby 2.0 Surround is all that´s needed, and the sound is pretty average, again, for TV transfers.

Extras:
As with the second season, instead of click-on features or a single extra with the cast talking about the show, viewers have to find 10 Easter Eggs that offer chopped-up interviews with the stars who sit in a group talking about various aspects of the show. These clips are culled from the same "Married With Children Reunion Special" as the second-season Easter Eggs. Apparently, Columbia TriStar has determined that the cult following for the show appreciates Easter Egg hunts more than they do straightforward features. But the clips are so short that it hardly seems worth the hunt.

Bottom Line:
Fans of "Married With Children" will love the third season the way parents love an ugly baby, but it's just not as funny as the first two seasons. It's hard to put your finger on why, but there's a domino effect. The premises aren't as strong, so then neither is the writing, and that, perhaps, is the reason why some of the performances seem lower energy than previous years. Because when this show fires on all cylinders, as it does in "Her Cups Runneth Over," you can really see everyone having as much fun as the audience.

---

Connect to Facebook/Twitter, recommend via email and much more.

---