It's hard to believe that it has almost been 30 years since the FOX network premiered Married with Children, and the show itself might have actually led to the success of what was once called "the fourth network". The show lasted for an amazing 11 seasons, with the kids growing up on camera. There was apparently a plan to do a spinoff of the popular comedy starring Bud Bundy (David Faustino), who was the youngest of the family. This is what is known about the Married with Children spinoff with its Release Date.
Ed O'Neill, who played Al Bundy, the anti-father figure from the original show, had something to say about it. The star has played many seasons as a somewhat positive father figure on Modern Family, and has made the news after getting his picture taken with pop star Brittany Spears, who he did not recognize.
This is what he had to say about the spinoff according to Cinema Blend: " I don't think so, I think we're finished...David Faustino pitched an idea to Sony about Bud moving back in the old house and being divorced and his ex-wife moves in, too, with his best friend and they're struggling and Al and Peg are in Vegas --- they won the lottery. And that was the idea, but I think they hit some legal problems. People who have to sign off on it wouldn't, so I don't think that's going to happen. And Katey [Sagal] and I would only have been able to do one or two a year because we're contracted --- well, she was, now I certainly am. But it doesn't look like that's going to happen. But you never know."
Considering that there are so many nostalgic cash-grabs going on, it would not surprise anyone in the slightest if Fox or whoever has the rights to this former comedy franchise would at least attempt to shoot a pilot of this concept. This idea for a Bud Bundy series has been in the works for two years, but in Hollywood terms, there has been concepts stuck in "development hell" for longer than that, and managed to be successful.
The strangest thing is that David Faustino actually had a chance to work with Ed O'Neill once again. Actually, David had an appearance on Modern Family, but O'Neill and Faustino never shared a scene together, which seems like a really big missed opportunity.
Perhaps it is articles like this that will generate buzz for a Bud Bundy series. Married with Children was considered groundbreaking due to ribald nature, which would seem pretty tame by today's standards. Also, the situation comedy model since the late eighties has really changed, so a Bud Bundy series could have a retro effect. We'll see if this idea ever gets going.
