Release Date: 3/18/08

The Show

Married… With Children was one of those ground breaking series that not everyone gives credit to simply because of its offensive nature. However, that also meant that it garnered enough attention to be a rating powerhouse for, at the time, a fledgling FOX network. Hell, I remember when I was a kid, I knew other chums who weren’t allowed to watch it, which made it that much more cool. I’ll even liken the series to Beavis and Butthead, something so stupid and ridiculous at times, yet bitingly clever; and that was what made it that much better of a series.

By now, everyone should know the general sitcom plot. Al Bundy, the eternal loser, lives a life he just didn’t see happening in his earlier days as a high school football legend. Married to a free loading, lazy, succubus of a housewife, his life leaves a lot to be desired. What’s worse is that he has 2 useless children who can’t seem to stay out of trouble. There’s the younger brother, Bud, a hornball who can’t catch a break with the ladies, and Kelly, a blonde bombshell who tries her best to keep the dumb blonde stereotype alive and well. Add it all up with masterful writing, and you’ve got one hilarious series.

Sure the series got stale by the end of its run, but what series doesn’t? This season brought some of the more generic plots with the Bundy’s inserted to cause some hijinks. I mean, Kelly and Bud share a car and have to double date? Sounds like an episode of the Brady Bunch to me… then again, Marsha was never as hot as Kell. Sure, you might blow this off as a more degenerate version of a wholesome family series, but you would be wrong. This was deceptively intelligent television at its best.

The set includes all 26 episodes from the eighth season with a Play All option found on each disc.
Disc 1
1. A Tisket ,a Tasket, Can Peggy Make a Basket
2. Hood in the Boyz
3. Proud to be Your Bud
4. Luck of the Bundys
5. Banking on Marcy
6. No Chicken, No Check
7. Take My Wife, Please
8. Scared Single
9. No Ma’am
Disc 2
1. Dancing with Weezie
2. Change for a Buck
3. A Little Off the Top
4. The Worst Noel
5. Sofa So Good
6. Honey, I Blew Up Myself
7. How Green Was My Apple
8. Valentine’s Day Massacre
9. Get Outta Dodge
Disc 3
1. Field of Screams
2. The D’Arcy Files
3. Nooner or Later
4. Ride Scare
5. Legend of Ironhead Haynes
6. Assault and Batteries
7. Al Goes Deep
8. Kelly Knows Something

The DVD

The main menu offered comes with just silent stills throughout.

The video transfer is offered in 1.33:1 Fullscreen Format. The picture looks great and considerably better than what’s seen in syndication. The colors are solid and bright while the detail level is adequate. Overall, I have no complaints at all.

The audio is offered in English Dolby Digital 2.0. The sound does the job just fine with clear and audible audition. It’s not really a dynamic soundtrack, but you don’t need that at all for this show.

The Extras

The 3-disc set comes in a foldout glossy digipak encased within a cardboard box. Episode guide and descriptions are found on the backs of each case. It should also be noted that the original theme song is not found on any of the episodes. Instead, we get the muzak version of it. Boo. No bonus options either except for “Minisodes” of Silver Spoons and V.I.P. Double boo.

Final Thoughts

Married… With Children – The Complete Eighth Season is another classic chapter from a classic television series. If you haven’t had a chance to sit down with the show, now is a great time to do it, even if there are no bonus options.

- Morris Tang