Married With Children – The Complete
Ninth Season (Sony DVD)
Picture: C+
Sound: C+ Extras: D Episodes: B-
One of the most infamous, dysfunctional families of all
time returns to DVD with Married With
Children: The Complete Ninth Season.
When Married With Children
hit television sets over 20 years ago, no one thought the series would or could
make it; but 11 seasons and 10 years later the Bundys proved skeptical critics
wrong time and time again.
There is not much to say about the series that everyone
does not already know. They are the
Bundys. They lie, cheat and steal; yet
we all somehow manage to forgive all their faults, regardless of their
unwillingness to change. There are no
happy endings for the Bundys. The series
is a dark comedy with a deceivingly light pop culture infused sitcom
glaze. The audience for nine seasons
seemed to forget all the bad stuff this family did to each other and all those
around them; most likely because they were fun and ridiculous at the same
time. For all their faults, we all may
see a little bit of ourselves in the family’s obnoxious dysfunctionality.
The amazingly cast of Ed O’Neill, Katey Sagal, Christina
Applegate, and David Faustino (among others) all return to make the sitcom
experience surreal to say the least.
There are a plethora of memorable moments when Al loses his license,
Kelly continues to wow the world as a beer promoter and a 12 year old’s prom
date, and the girls crash a good ole nudie bar trip. This season also holds The Best of the Bundys Episode and the fun 200th
Episode.
When Married With
Children premiered on FOX in 1987 they broke the mold. The series is and was criticized as ‘crude’
and ‘idiotic,’ but the truth of the matter is that Married With Children did and said many things that were never
discussed on television before. If
nothing else it was a series that paved the way for a more open and
controversial series that stressed that freedom of speech is alive and well (no
matter how odd). The Ninth Season was one of the series best
and never seemed to out stay its welcome.
The audience did and will openly invite the Bundys into their home; even
if they steal your newspaper.
Not much has changed in nine seasons for the technical
features of Married With Children,
but nevertheless, though they are not the greatest, they slide by as
adequate. The picture continues to have crispness and color issues in its
1.33 X 1 Full Screen format (shot on professional NTSC analog tape) and is for
the most part is unimpressive. The sound
is once again presented in a Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo that often times sounds
very distant and/or muffled; needing (like the picture) a major
restoration. The extras are nonexistent, which will be quite
disappointing for fans of the sitcom who want cast commentaries, and behind the
scenes footage.
Say yes to ‘No MA’AM.’
- Michael P.
Dougherty II
