The stars who made television’s most delightfully dysfunctional household feel like familiar company have changed considerably, and a recent glimpse of one beloved cast member has fans looking especially closely.Since “Married… with Children” began its run in 1987, Ed O’Neill, Katey Sagal, Christina Applegate, and their co-stars have given viewers plenty of reasons to follow them beyond the Bundy living room.Now, in September 2026, Christina’s latest video has some fans questioning what they’re seeing and others sending heartfelt support, while an old disagreement between two cast members complicates the nostalgia.
There is something wonderfully reassuring about Ed’s familiar face, even for viewers who first knew him as a man spectacularly unimpressed with his own household. At 80, the actor has the rare distinction of having helped make two very different television families feel like people we knew.When “Married… with Children” finished its 11-season run in 1997, Ed gave that famous comic timing a rest and explored darker material. His screen credits included “The Spanish Prisoner” in 1997 and “The Bone Collector” in 1999, followed by police roles in “Big Apple” in 2001 and “Dragnet” in 2003.Ed O’Neill and Katey Sagal shared a cheerful, affectionate embrace while attending the Feed the Valley Homeless Benefit on December 13, 1987, at the Sherman Oaks Galleria in Sherman Oaks, California.