Married...With Children Season 4: What exactly is missing? (1 Viewer)

[Robert Cruz]

Since I purchased the DVD, I'll be looking through the 7 syndicated episodes to see what exactly is missing. Here's what I have so far:

Disc 1:

From episode "Dead Men Don't Do Aerobics":

4:00

Peggy: "I can't believe it...I've never won anything before. I've never had anything before. Oh, finally...someone special to share my life with."
Al: "Now, Peg, I know you never ask for my permission when we got married, or when you conceived the children, but if you think that fruit loop is staying in my house..."

Total length: 0:20

5:41

Kelly (to Bud): "It's really going to be easy for me to sleep tonight, too...with you whispering 'I love you' to your hand"

Total length: 0:10

15:41

Peggy: "Well, don't worry about Jim...he knows what he's doing. He is the healthiest man in Chicago."

The "workout" scene with Jim right after that line is cut short. He does some more arm exercises before he coughs. The DVD cuts to where he's coughing.

Total length: 0:10



From episode "Buck Saves the Day":

1:11

First 10 seconds removed. Al picks at his feet. DVD version starts with Peg speaking.

4:07

Only a second or two is removed. On the DVD, it "fades to commercial".

10:45

Steve (singing): "A bolt of fear went through him as they thundered through the sky, for he saw the riders coming hard, and he heard their mournful cry...yippieaieh...yippiaioh...Ghost riders in the sky."
Blonde-haired kid: "Weenie-rama!"

Total length: 0:25

14:11

Bud: "Dad, we have no food, no water, and no loose women. We're in real trouble here."

Total length: 0:09

18:55, 20:00

The scenes with Buck running has added music on the DVD, sorta "Lassie" sounding. In the original episode, there was no music. This is probably the first case of "added music" as opposed to "replaced music".


These do not appear on the DVD. The time marks are where they would appear if they were in tact.

I'll add to the list as I get to the other episodes. Those that want to add to it may do so.

 

[Robert Cruz]

Disc 2:

From episode "At the Zoo":

5:28

Marcy: "Excuse me, but did a pig just burp in here? Well, here I am feeling sorry for myself when my poor Steve has been out looking for work all day long. He must be exhausted...you know, he comes home even more tired than I am."

*Steve sneaks around in the backyard, switching from his zoo shirt to a suit*

Marcy: "Have you seen him?"
Peggy: "Well, he was nowhere near the zoo."
Al: "Don't look at me, I'm blind from hunger."

Total length: 0:30

 

[TravisR]

Technically aren't these episodes not syndicated versions? They are edited but if they were syndicated they'd be missing more (or different footage) than what is gone on these discs. And what's missing is due to the music situation as Gord talked about in the other thread.

Yeah, I know they still have footage missing and some people would rather be dead than own it.

 

[Robert Cruz]

You have to remember...the uncut episodes run about 22:50 - 23:10. That includes the full 1:10 intro, the episode itself, and 30 seconds of credits.

The syndicated versions run about 21:40 - 22:00, but that includes a 36 second intro. So all that's removed is around 30-40 seconds of footage. What Sony did was add the full 1:10 intro to the syndicated versions, giving the episodes a slightly longer running time, but the missing footage is still...well...missing. So, basically it's the same exact FX airings, but with the longer intro.

FOX shows of back then were more like shows of the mid 90s...shorter length compared to shows of the 50s - 80s, so once they entered syndication, they didn't need to edit much to fill in that 22 minute maximum.

 

[WillG]

Has anyone watched "It's A Bundyful Life Yet?" It was not mentioned as one of the 7 edited episode, but unless I am mistaken somehow Part II is definately edited as well bringing the total to 8 Edited episodes and not 7. There is a scene missing when Al is trying to get his Christmas lights to work and a drunk Marcy returns and talks to Al about "someone" who humiliated herself by making copies of her ass and passing them around at the bank Christmas party (or something to that effect) the she tells Al that she is going to throw up on his "neighbor's" lawn. Also, the scene with "Bundy Snow Cones" is gone, and if that was from Part I, then we have 9 editied episodes on that set. I feared this when it was announced that "It's a Bundyful Life" was shown in 2 parts on the DVD and that there would be edited footage to compensate for the addition of credits at the end of Part 1 and the opening theme and the "Previously on" in part II.

Perhaps these shows slipped under the radar because they appeared to have Original Broadcast running times.

 

[Robert Cruz]

I'll check my copy of the original episode, and make any comparisons. Supposedly there's stuff missing in the 2 part version that was originally in the 1 hour episode, and stuff missing from the 1 hour episode that got added to the 2 part version.

 

[Robert Cruz]

From episode "It's a Bundyful Life (Part 1)":

22:13

The scene with Al tied up is actually slightly longer on the DVD (judging by the audience clapping. At this point, a "To be continued" is thrown in, followed by some credits before the ending credits, which weren't in the original episode of course).



From episode "It's a Bundyful Life (Part 2)":

1:13

A recap of "Part 1" is shown on the DVD. Such a recap would be irrelevant to the original 1 hour episode.

Total length: 1:35

2:50

Peggy: "Kelly, honey, hurry up...Daddy will be home any minute with our presents! Oh, and did you dress for the annual Bundy Christmas feast at Denny's?

*Kelly walks down the stairs with a short dress*

Kelly: "Is this okay, Mom? I haven't worn it since Grandma's funeral."
Peggy: "Well...it did knock 20% off the embalming. Hey! Maybe they'll give us a deal on the Christmas platter. Okay, come help me make snow cones for Daddy. Bud! Hurry up! We can't make them without you!"

*Bud comes in with a shovel full of snow*

Bud: "Here's the snow!"
Peggy: "Okay...who wants lime?"
Kelly: "I do."
Peggy: "Hand me the mouthwash."
Bud: "I want cherry!"
Peggy: "Okay, give me the cough syrup. Oh, it's really beginning to feel like Christmas, isn't it, kids?"

*Bud and Kelly both agree*

Kelly: "Do you remember when we couldn't afford snow cones?"
Bud: "Yup...life is good!"

Total length: 1:10

3:39

Al (Continuing his story about the presents): "See, normally you wouldn't think the two (bears and Indians) would get along, but there they were! I fought them with everything I had, but they took all my presents, and then they...flew away."

Total length: 0:15

5:47

Al: "Well, Buck, ol' friend...I guess it's just you and me, huh boy?"

*Buck growls and barks angrily*

Al: "Fine...fine! I don't care. I'm enjoying my holiday. *singing* Sleigh bells ring, are you listening? In the lane, snow is glistening. Just the dogs! *gap of silence* Just the man who's losing his mind! *singing again* A beautiful sight, we're happy tonight...Oh, please somebody shoot me!"

*Fades to Al installing Christmas lights on the window*

Random neighbor (Donnelly): "Hey Bundy! My family got me a new TV set for Christmas! What did you get?"
Al: "Well, if I was one of the guys down at the post office, Donnelly, I'd be unwrapping your wife!"

*Marcy appears...as drunk as can be*

Marcy: "Excuse me, Marcy...I'm Al! Do you know where I live?"
Al: "Why didn't you let me in the bank, Marcy?"
Marcy: "I was going to! But I got so..sleepy! I guess I fell asleep. But you gotta see this! *holding a paper* Some bimbo got so smashed, she Xeroxed her behind! *laughs* Everybody got one. Imagine the humiliation when she shows up for work Monday morning! *laughs*"
Al: "Yeah, it's a Christmas to remember, alright...well, let's get you home. Now we'll hail a cab, tell 'em to take you to Dock 43, walk up to the first toothless man you see, show him this picture, and you're home!"
Marcy: "Thank you, Al! Don't tell anybody...but I'm gonna throw up in your next-door neighbor's mailbox *laughs* *points to picture* Look at this scrawny little thing! *laughs*"

*Marcy leaves*

Total length: 2:05

8:49

Al (in reference to the angel's question): "Fly around...play a harp."
Angel: "Hey...I'm an angel, not Tommy Tune! I see it's the ol' standby, huh? Tell you what...make a wish...anything off the top of your head."

Total length: 0:15

13:30

Angel: "Boy, I'll tell ya...if women ever start using sex to get what they want, I'm out of here!"

Total length: 0:07

Unless noted, all scenes mentioned are missing from the DVD. The timings listed are where the scenes would appear on the DVD if everything was in tact.

 

[David Rain]

All these cuts are very frustrating. I understand the Christmas episode was confusing since it aired as an hour then was cut into 2 parts which is normal for syndication.
I would like to have seen all the material that was cut from the hour version and the material that was supposedly added when it was split into 2 parts. I've never heard of that happening on other shows. I'm assuming all of this re-editing was too much trouble for them to bother.

 

[MatthewA]

The XMas show used to be available as a commercially released VHS tape with the correct theme, as a one-hour show. I have it. And I will check it soon.

Oddly enough, I saw part 1 of this episode several years ago when my dad and I were in Israel. No joke.

 

[DwayneH]

Thanks for all the info on what was cut. I loved the 2 part "It's A Bundyful Life". I have it on vhs. I guess this is a dvd set I can skip. I would be so frustrated watching the cut episodes.

 

[Andrew Radke]

Now THAT'S annoying. I watch my VHS copy of "It's A Bundyful Life" every holiday season. They really did quite the hack job on the DVD according to the cuts posted above. What a shame. I was going to retire that VHS tape upon purchasing the season 4 set. Guess I'll be holding on to it. That was the episode I was most looking forward to on the DVD set.

Oh and as someone who has watched the VHS dozens of times, I can confirm that all the of the cuts Robert posted above are indeed intact on the VHS version and there is no "To Be Continued" text between parts.

 

[Juan Books]

Yep, this set is a Sony.

 

[PaulP]

Wow, Sony really raped "It's a Bundyful Life (Part 2)"... :frowning: I still bought the set, knowing some episodes were missing 20-30 seconds, but not such huge chunks of content as this episode. It's doubtful Sony would ever re-release this, though.

There are also video issues with this set that weren't on the previous ones. I have thin videotape noise or whatever it is on the top of the frame running through the first two episodes (only ones I watched so far). The second one even has some obvious tape defect momentarily apparent in the middle of the episode.

Quite sad, but this is probably the best we'll ever get.

 

[WillG]

It would be nice if they could include the uncut, one hour version of "It's a Bundyful Life" as an extra on a future season release. I don't know if this is one of the episodes were they "had" to release the syndicated version because of the theme song issue or it was just laziness. But as others had pointed out, even though they bought knowing some of the episodes would be syndication versions, this one is espeically painful due the the universal popularity of this episode and the large amount of material that was cut.

Since tvshowsondvd.com got Sony to respond about the MWC situation in their initiative to call out studios regarding substandard tv on DVD releases, maybe they could suggest that "It's a Bundyful Life" should be released in it's original form on a futute set. Probably doubtful that they would listen, though.

 

[John*P]

"It's a Bundyful Life" is easily one of my favorite Married with Children episodes, and it sucks to see all the good stuff that has been cut. Luckily, I have the original 1-hour version recorded from Fox when it originally aired in 1989, but still, having 5:45 removed from an episode is a bit much...