I was previously so proud of this blog for no mention of Married with Children. I have never seen understood how anyone could elect to watch more than one episode of Married.... In my list of long-running bad TV shows, Married is in the top 3 along with Three's Company and Alice. Watch one episode, you've seen every show -- all stereotypic comic themes repeated over and over and over. But, again, no offense -- it's probably me as these shows all gathered quite regular followings
Come on man, Married With Children is the precursor to those South Park comedy and maybe Simpsons (not sure which came first, but they def fed each other off with the messed up American family). It wasn't intellectually stimulating, or there wasn't socially or any type of substance to it, but it stuck to its original purpose. Going completely away from family sitcoms and just making fun of each other and everything there is. There was some true funny stuff in the show. Like the one where Al is kidnapped by a bunch of fat chicks.
If there is a case to be made for Married with Children, you have certainly made it. To give you an idea of how far off I am, I have never seen a whole episode of South Park or Simpsons (although given the snippets I've seen, I do understand the appeal and humor of these shows).
The 'humor' of Married with Children seemed (note: I rarely saw a full show, mostly 5 minute clips while browsing thru the years) to be the same stale sexual innuendo, edgy naughty chidren, same jokes set in wackier and wackier situations. The snippets of South Park and Simpsons I've seen at least make me think that the writing is 'clever' -- never thought 'clever' when watching Married.
If you watch the (IMO) quality comedies (or dramas), you really see character develpment (and often ongoing plot development) -- with characters that grow and stories that continue and expand. Great chows have characters who do not simply become charicatures of themselves (read: Fonzi), but really develop, change, expand rather than just reflect only the most stereotypic aspect of their character (see character and story development in shows like Taxi, Seinfeld, All in Family, LOST, Hill Street, Office, Sopranos, and one VERY overlooked, but superior show called "I'll Fly Away").