How Ed O'Neill found out Married...with Children was canceled

Ed O’Neill found out Married…with Children was canceled in a disappointing way but still made good use of his time.

Eleven seasons and 250+ episodes is one hell of a run for a show, especially a sitcom. But that’s just where Married…with Children ended. So when you find out your show has been canceled after that long, you can probably proudly reflect on all that you’re leaving behind, knowing that future generations will continue to discover your work. But when you get the news from some randos, that might put a bit of a sting on it. That’s just what happened with Al Bundy himself, Ed O’Neill, discovering that Married…with Children wouldn’t be returning for a 12th season.

Appearing on the MeSsy podcast with Jamie Lynn-Sigler and Married…with Children co-star Christina Applegate, Ed O’Neill recalled being back in his hometown of Youngstown, Ohio and finding out that he would no longer be stocking the shelves at a Chicago shoe store. “A car pulled in with the ‘Just Married’ things hanging off the back, you know, the tin cans… and I thought, ‘Oh, they, you know, just married.’ So I was standing there, and they got out of the car, and it was the husband and wife. She was in the gown, and he was in the tux. And he said, ‘Oh my god. It’s Al Bundy, in Ohio.’ And I said, ‘Yeah. Congratulations. You got married.’ The woman said, ‘We’re so sorry about your show.’ And I said, ‘What do you mean?’ And the guy said, ‘Oh my god. He doesn’t know. It’s on the radio. You got canceled.’”

It would have been easy for Ed O’Neill to phone the studio to chew them out for not telling him directly, but instead he did what any reasonable man would do: had champagne with the bride and groom! Applegate, for her part, also found out through the grapevine, as her agent didn’t give her a heads up, either.

It might be surprising to learn that Married…with Children had been on the air for so long – those are M*A*S*H and Cheers numbers right there – but maybe even more so that it only ever received Emmy nominations in technical categories. Looking back now, it’s clear just how incredible Ed O’Neill, Katey Sagal and especially Christina Applegate were during the show’s run.

Were you a fan of Married…with Children? What do you think the show’s legacy is nearly 30 years after it went off the air?