- Unexpectedly, Serial Offender's Activities Unveiled to Ed O'Neill
Derp, politically incorrect but popular: The American sitcom "Married... with Children" had a strong following in Germany during the 90s. From 1992 to 1997, the program aired its 259 episodes on various screens, first on RTL, then on ProSieben. The unexpected termination of the show in 1997, after 11 seasons, left many fans, including Ed O'Neill (78), the actor who portrayed Al Bundy, bewildered, as he revealed to his TV daughter, Christina Applegate (52), in a recent conversation.
Joining "The Sopranos" star Jamie-Lynn Sigler (43), who played Tony Soprano's TV daughter, Applegate co-hosts the podcast "MeSsy". In their latest episode, O'Neill and Applegate were among the guests, and of course, the topic of "Married... with Children" came up. Interestingly, both Applegate and O'Neill discovered the news of the show's cancellation in peculiar circumstances.
Good fortune turns sour
The actor portraying the perpetually unlucky shoe salesman was informed about the show's end by a newlywed couple in his hometown, Ohio. He had randomly run into them on the street and congratulated them on their nuptials. Initially thrilled to meet Al Bundy, the couple then shared their sympathies: "She said, 'We're so sorry about your show.' And I said, 'What do you mean?'", O'Neill recounted in the podcast. The groom then added, "Oh my God, you don't know yet. It's on the radio. Your show's been canceled." O'Neill was consoled with a glass of champagne from the couple.
It seems the show's producers didn't keep their leading actor in the loop, as Applegate, too, learned about her character, Kelly "Dumbo" Bundy's fate, through a third party: "It was told to me by a guy who knew a guy who worked for my assistant at the time."
Probably, Ed O'Neill didn't miss his "Married... with Children" family too much, as he found a new, more contemporary one in 2009: His sitcom "Modern Family" became a global sensation. It also ran for 11 seasons, but O'Neill likely found out about its finale in a more conventional manner.
The podcast hosts, Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Christina Applegate, praised the "'A terribly nice family'" they worked with on "Married... with Children." In a sentimental moment during the podcast, Applegate shared that she still considers the Bundy family as her television family.
