FOX Will Re-Air "Married... with Children" Pilot in Honor of 25th Anniv.

[gidgetgrape]

I tuned in too! I got a kick out of seeing the old gang.

[TVFactFan]

Season 1 should never been aired in syndication

[Brad]

It's a bummer that Fox didn't want to sacrifice a few minutes of commercials just once so they could present the first episode of the network's first show the way it was originally broadcast 25 years ago. Talk about missed opportunity! As it is, the syndie cut can be seen on a constant basis on cable and in syndication.

[mets82]

Brad, whats the syndie cut your talking about? I've seen the pilot on FOX, FX and in syndication and I dont see the difference.

[Brieannas21]

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

That pilot is not worth watching because it's not the REAL AL BUNDY

I liked the first season, it was one of my favs, mainly because everyone wasn't stupid.

[MikeL]

im watching it now on vh1 lol.this one is funny.steve rhodes is funny bud kelly kind of bore me til later years

[Brad]

Originally Posted by mets82

Brad, whats the syndie cut your talking about? I've seen the pilot on FOX, FX and in syndication and I dont see the difference.

The version Fox showed Sunday night wasn't the originally-broadcast version from 1987; it was the edited version created for off-network syndication in 1991.

For starters, the opening credit sequence was the syndicated version, which snips out the refrain ("Try, try, try to separate them...") and the bit during which Al gives everyone money. This shortened version of the theme wasn't used on Fox broadcasts until the final season or two. Also, during the first two seasons, the opening sequence didn't originally use footage of the actors under their credits during the first two seasons; only a black screen.

Here's an example of the longer, Fox version of the opening theme from season two:



Another thing: the Fox versions of Married... with Children episodes didn't have "unnatural act breaks" that the reruns are plagued with (that is, the show goes to commercial in places where commercial breaks weren't meant to go). The show originally aired in the following format:

Opening Credits
Commercial
Act 1
Commercial
Act 2
Commercial
End Credits

And as is normally the case for syndicated reruns, there was probably 1-2 minutes cut from the episode itself. Fortunately, the original version is available unedited on the season one DVD, and is probably still on tape somewhere in Fox's library. It's a shame the network couldn't sacrifice a few minutes of commercial time on Sunday night to show their first show the way it was originally presented 25 years ago.

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by Brieannas21

I liked the first season, it was one of my favs, mainly because everyone wasn't stupid.

That's what made the show great because everyone was STUPID

[mets82]

Originally Posted by Brad

The version Fox showed Sunday night wasn't the originally-broadcast version from 1987; it was the edited version created for off-network syndication in 1991.

For starters, the opening credit sequence was the syndicated version, which snips out the refrain ("Try, try, try to separate them...") and the bit during which Al gives everyone money. This shortened version of the theme wasn't used on Fox broadcasts until the final season or two. Also, during the first two seasons, the opening sequence didn't originally use footage of the actors under their credits during the first two seasons; only a black screen.

Here's an example of the longer, Fox version of the opening theme from season two:




Another thing: the Fox versions of Married... with Children episodes didn't have "unnatural act breaks" that the reruns are plagued with (that is, the show goes to commercial in places where commercial breaks weren't meant to go). The show originally aired in the following format:

Opening Credits
Commercial
Act 1
Commercial
Act 2
Commercial
End Credits

And as is normally the case for syndicated reruns, there was probably 1-2 minutes cut from the episode itself. Fortunately, the original version is available unedited on the season one DVD, and is probably still on tape somewhere in Fox's library. It's a shame the network couldn't sacrifice a few minutes of commercial time on Sunday night to show their first show the way it was originally presented 25 years ago.

I see what your talking about now. Im lucky they showed the first Married.. and the first Simpsons episode. It is a little different then what you usually see.

May I ask this question. You talk about the original version being on DVD but I have heard that they dont have the rights to the theme song, so there isnt a beginning when you watch the DVDs. Is that true?

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by mets82

I see what your talking about now. Im lucky they showed the first Married.. and the first Simpsons episode. It is a little different then what you usually see.

May I ask this question. You talk about the original version being on DVD but I have heard that they dont have the rights to the theme song, so there isnt a beginning when you watch the DVDs. Is that true?

The original theme is replaced on the DVD with a instrumental opening

[Brad]

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

The original theme is replaced on the DVD with a instrumental opening

...starting with the third season. The original theme remains intact on the DVD releases of the first two seasons, though, and on the two Most Outrageous Episodes DVD compilations.

So again, the pilot episode is available on DVD uncut with the original theme music (and on Xfinity Streampix, as I posted last week).

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by Brad

...starting with the third season. The original theme remains intact on the DVD releases of the first two seasons, though, and on the two Most Outrageous Episodes DVD compilations.

So again, the pilot episode is available on DVD uncut with the original theme music (and on Xfinity Streampix, as I posted last week).

Brad I have seasons 3 and 4 on DVD and the original theme is not included

[Brad]

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

Brad I have seasons 3 and 4 on DVD and the original theme is not included

That's correct. Starting with the third season, the theme music is replaced, and remains so for the remainder of the series releases. But it is left intact on the first two seasons.

[TVFactFan]

Originally Posted by Brad

That's correct. Starting with the third season, the theme music is replaced, and remains so for the remainder of the series releases. But it is left intact on the first two seasons.

Oh ok I gotcha now, I thought u was saying it was no longer replaces after the second season. I didn't want to buy the first two seasons on DVD because those seasons are not that funny.

[Brad]

Originally Posted by TVFactFan

Oh ok I gotcha now, I thought u was saying it was no longer replaces after the second season. I didn't want to buy the first two seasons on DVD because those seasons are not that funny.

Yeah, the show definitely started to change in tone around the third and fourth season.