Season 3 (1988/89)

Married with Children: Season 3
"Married... with Children" Season 3 DVD cover.
Program information
Episodes aired:
22
Dates aired:
November 6, 1988 - May 21, 1989
Network/Country:
FOX-TV / United States
Previous Season: Season 2
Next Season: Season 4

The third season marks a notable increase in the show's popularity, based on Terry Rakolta's moral campaign against the show, which began after the episode "Her Cups Runneth Over", where Al and Steve go to a lingerie store in search of Peggy's favorite bra (which had been discontinued). This season also contains the "lost episode" "I'll See You in Court", which was not aired in North America until June 18, 2002 after the show's initial run on the cable channel FX (and was included in the season three DVD set).

Michael Faustino makes his second guest appearance. During the season the show became the first to have a quarter of the viewership on Fox.

Episodes

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Production code
36	1	"He Thought He Could"	Gerry Cohen	Ron Leavitt & Michael G. Moye	November 6, 1988	3.02
While moving old boxes from the attic, Al comes across a copy of "The Little Engine That Could", which hasn't been returned to the local library (headed by an evil, redheaded woman named Miss DeGroot) since 1957.
37	2	"I'm Going to Sweatland"	Gerry Cohen	Pamela Wick & Susan Cridland & Carl Studebaker	November 20, 1988	3.03
Peggy becomes obsessed with Elvis Presley when she sees a man who looks like The King at the mall and sees his image in a sweat stain on one of Al's shirts.
38	3	"Poke High"	Gerry Cohen	Ralph R. Farquhar	November 27, 1988	3.04
Al tries to keep a local high school boy from breaking his football record while Kelly tries to get a date with him during a game.
39	4	"The Camping Show" a.k.a. "A Period Piece"	Gerry Cohen	Sandy Sprung & Marcy Vosburgh	December 11, 1988	3.01
A guys-only fishing trip with Al, Bud and Steve turns sour when Steve invites Marcy who then invites Peg and Kelly on the trip — and things get worse when all three of the women have their periods simultaneously.
40	5	"A Dump of My Own"	Gerry Cohen	Michael G. Moye & Ron Leavitt	January 8, 1989	3.05
Al realizes his dream to build his own bathroom in the garage.
41	6	"Her Cups Runneth Over"	Gerry Cohen	Marcy Vosburgh & Sandy Sprung	January 15, 1989	3.06
Peg becomes depressed on her birthday when her favorite bra is discontinued. Al and Steve discover that Peggy's favorite bra is still being sold at a lingerie store called Francine's of Wisconsin.
42	7	"The Bald and the Beautiful"	John Sgueglia	Jules Dennis & Richard Mueller	January 29, 1989	3.07
Steve thinks he's going bald after finding a newspaper clipping for an anti-baldness cure given to him by Marcy.
43	8	"The Gypsy Cried"	Gerry Cohen	Richard Gurman	February 5, 1989	3.09
Steve and Marcy hire a psychic, who predicts good fortune for Al, Peg and Steve — and doom for Marcy.
44	9	"Requiem for a Dead Barber"	James E. Hornbeck	Ron Leavitt & Michael G. Moye	February 12, 1989	3.10
Al's favorite barber dies, prompting him to go to a salon and risk losing his masculinity.
45	10	"I'll See You in Court"	Gerry Cohen	Jeanne Baruch & Jeanne Romano	June 18, 2002	3.08
To spark up their waning marriage, Al and Peg go to a seedy motel where one of the porn movies they watch is surveillance footage of Steve and Marcy having sex.
46	11	"Eatin' Out"	Gerry Cohen	Sandy Sprung & Marcy Vosburgh	February 19, 1989	3.11
After receiving a moderately large windfall, the Bundys go out to eat at a fancy restaurant — and trouble starts when they forget to bring the money with them.
47	12	"My Mom, the Mom"	Gerry Cohen	Lesa Kite & Cindy Begel & Jan Rosenbloom	February 26, 1989	3.12
Peg resorts to acting like a true mom when Kelly picks her to appear at Polk High's Parents Day. Meanwhile, Al teaches Bud the value of a dollar by putting him to work at the shoe store.
48	13	"Can't Dance, Don't Ask Me"	Gerry Cohen	Robert Ulin & Gabrielle Topping	March 19, 1989	3.13
After getting Polk High's dance club in trouble during a field trip, Kelly is forced to join and perform tap at the school talent show. Meanwhile, Al thinks there is a conspiracy among the women when his socks end up missing.
49	14	"A Three Job, No Income Family"	Gerry Cohen	Richard Gurman	March 19, 1989	3.14
When money becomes tighter than usual at the Bundy house, Peg signs Al up for a job as a make-up salesman, but when Peg hears the job's perks, she signs up for the job instead, and (seemingly) proves to be a better seller than Al.
50	15	"The Harder They Fall"	Gerry Cohen	Ellen L. Fogle	March 26, 1989	3.15
While driving with Steve to the video store, Peg flips off a driver and gets Steve in trouble, prompting the Bundys to stay at the Rhoades' house to protect him — and take advantage of their neighbors' hospitality.
51	16	"Married... with Prom Queen (Part 1)"	Gerry Cohen	Ellen L. Fogle	April 9, 1989	3.17
Part one of two. Peggy's chances at being prom queen at her high school reunion are doomed when her old rival, Connie Bender ("Bring a friend, it won't offend her"), arrives. Meanwhile, Al meets his old rival in high school and continues the fight that they last had following graduation.
52	17	"Married... with Prom Queen (Part 2)"	Gerry Cohen	Ellen L. Fogle	April 23, 1989	3.18
Conclusion. Peggy recruits Bud and Kelly's help in rigging the Prom Queen election so Peg can win. Meanwhile, Al squares off with high school rival Jack in a parking lot fight.
53	18	"The House That Peg Lost"	Gerry Cohen	Steve Granat & Mel Sherer	April 30, 1989	3.16
While the Rhoades are away on vacation, the Bundys are called to house-sit for them, leading to the Rhoades' house being taken away by a man looking for a roadhouse. Meanwhile, Kelly has a slumber party with her best friends, which leads to chaos when Bud reveals that Kelly slept with her best friends' boyfriends.
54	19	"The Dateless Amigo"	Gerry Cohen	Sara V. Finney & Vida Spears	May 7, 1989	3.20
Al comes up with a new invention called Shoe Lights and uses Kelly as his guinea pig. Meanwhile, Bud, trying to prove to his friends that he can get a girl, uses a department store mannequin as his date.
55	20	"The Computer Show"	Gerry Cohen	Ralph R. Farquhar	May 14, 1989	3.19
Against Al's wishes, Peg and Marcy buy a home computer for the Bundy house.
56	21	"Life's a Beach"	Gerry Cohen	Ralph R. Farquhar	May 21, 1989	3.21
The Bundys spend a day at the beach. Michael Faustino guests.
57	22	"Here's Lookin' at You, Kid"	Gerry Cohen	Jeanne Baruch & Jeanne Romano & Len O'Neill	May 21, 1989	3.22
The neighborhood women become the targets of a Peeping Tom — except for Peg, who takes it as a sign that she's not attractive anymore. Meanwhile, Al convinces Bud to help Kelly with her studies.