#4: The Show Wasn’t an Immediate Hit

Married… with Children struggled to gain traction on the then little-known Fox network—until fate took an unexpected turn. A season three episode, “Her Cups Runneth Over,” offended Michigan “family values” activist Terry Rakolta so much that she launched a campaign urging advertisers to pull their support.

Some did, but the media frenzy only drew more viewers, making the show a massive hit. In response, the cast and crew sent Rakolta flowers each year after the show was renewed. They even poked fun at the controversy in season nine’s “No Pot to Pease In,” where the Bundys learn a show based on their lives gets canceled.