TV Series Ratings Analysis

Married... with Children Episode Ratings Heatmap

1987 · 11 Seasons · 258 Episodes · Overall Score: 7.3/10 (258 rated)

Highest Rated Episode

8.3/10

S5E13: The Godfather (15 votes)

View Episode →

Best Season

7.52/10

Season 5 holds the highest collective average score across the series.

Season 5 Details →

Most Consistent Season

Season 1

Lowest score variance (σ = 0.22), maintaining an average of 7.3.

Strongest Finale

7.8/10

Season 8 finale: "Kelly Knows Something"

Episode Recap →

Complete Episode Rating Matrix

Interactive score chart by season and episode number. Darker green indicates higher ratings; amber and red denote lower reception.

8.5+ (Outstanding) 7.5 – 8.4 (Great) 6.0 – 7.4 (Average) < 6.0 (Underwhelming) Few votes

Episode	Season 1	Season 2	Season 3	Season 4	Season 5	Season 6	Season 7	Season 8	Season 9	Season 10	Season 11
Ep 1	7.6	6.8	7.2	7.8	7.3	7.3	5.5	7.0	7.5	7.2	6.3
Ep 2	7.1	6.7	6.9	7.6	7.9	7.5	7.0	7.0	6.7	6.5	7.1
Ep 3	7.2	7.3	6.3	7.1	7.4	7.3	6.8	7.4	7.8	7.1	7.4
Ep 4	7.1	7.1	7.2	7.8	7.7	7.9	6.8	7.9	6.8	6.4	7.4
Ep 5	7.4	6.7	7.2	7.4	7.2	7.4	6.8	7.6	7.3	7.5	7.6
Ep 6	7.0	7.5	7.6	7.9	7.8	7.1	7.2	7.5	7.2	7.8	7.3
Ep 7	7.3	7.4	7.3	7.9	8.0	6.8	6.5	7.3	7.5	7.6	7.9
Ep 8	7.3	7.4	7.1	8.1	7.3	7.7	7.1	7.4	8.0	7.9	7.5
Ep 9	7.4	7.5	7.1	7.7	7.7	7.7	7.0	7.8	7.8	7.8	7.4
Ep 10	7.3	7.5	7.7	6.9	7.5	7.5	6.4	7.4	5.6	7.4	7.8
Ep 11	7.7	7.4	6.4	7.6	7.6	7.4	7.7	7.0	6.9	7.4	7.2
Ep 12	7.1	6.9	7.0	8.0	7.4	7.8	6.2	7.4	7.6	7.8	7.4
Ep 13	7.6	7.4	7.6	7.6	8.3	7.4	7.5	6.2	7.5	7.7	7.1
Ep 14	–	6.3	7.3	7.2	6.7	7.5	6.9	7.3	6.6	7.7	7.0
Ep 15	–	7.4	7.3	7.5	7.8	7.2	7.2	7.6	7.5	7.8	7.1
Ep 16	–	7.8	6.8	7.7	7.6	6.7	6.0	6.8	7.4	6.6	6.9
Ep 17	–	7.1	7.3	7.7	7.7	7.6	7.5	7.7	7.2	6.3	6.6
Ep 18	–	6.4	7.2	6.7	7.7	7.4	7.2	7.8	6.5	6.6	7.1
Ep 19	–	6.9	7.2	7.5	7.2	7.1	6.7	7.4	7.6	6.5	7.5
Ep 20	–	7.3	7.0	7.4	5.8	7.5	7.2	7.5	7.2	6.1	6.1
Ep 21	–	7.1	7.2	7.4	8.1	7.8	7.6	7.8	7.4	7.9	7.3
Ep 22	–	6.5	–	7.1	8.1	7.2	7.2	7.4	7.3	5.9	7.8
Ep 23	–	–	–	7.0	7.5	7.7	7.1	6.9	7.4	8.0	5.9
Ep 24	–	–	–	–	7.8	7.2	7.2	7.5	7.2	7.9	7.0
Ep 25	–	–	–	–	6.8	6.2	7.7	7.4	7.6	6.0	–
Ep 26	–	–	–	–	–	6.8	7.3	7.8	7.1	7.8	–
Season Avg	7.3	7.1	7.1	7.5	7.5	7.3	7.0	7.4	7.2	7.2	7.2

Ratings Analysis & Trajectory

Across 11 seasons and 258 episodes, Married... with Children has earned an overall series rating of 7.3 out of 10. The series displays remarkable consistency across its narrative arc, maintaining reliable ratings from premiere to conclusion.

The single highest-rated hour of television in the series is Season 5, Episode 13 ("The Godfather"), rated at an extraordinary 8.3/10 with 15 ratings. Conversely, the lowest-rated installment is Season 7, Episode 1 ("Magnificent Seven"), landing at 5.5/10.

The most precipitous single-episode shift occurred in Season 9 between Episode 9 ("No Pot to Pease In", 7.8) and Episode 10 ("Dud Bowl", 5.6), a swing of 2.2 points.

Top 10 Highest Rated Episodes of Married... with Children

Rank	Episode	Title	Score	Votes	Air Date
#1	Season 5, Ep 13	The Godfather	8.3	15	Feb 3, 1991
#2	Season 4, Ep 8	976-SHOE	8.1	19	Nov 12, 1989
#3	Season 5, Ep 21	You Better Shop Around (1)	8.1	15	Apr 14, 1991
#4	Season 5, Ep 22	You Better Shop Around (2)	8.1	15	Apr 21, 1991
#5	Season 5, Ep 7	Married... with Aliens	8.0	17	Nov 4, 1990
#6	Season 4, Ep 12	It's a Bundyful Life (2)	8.0	14	Dec 17, 1989
#7	Season 9, Ep 8	Sleepless in Chicago	8.0	9	Oct 23, 1994
#8	Season 10, Ep 23	Bud Hits the Books	8.0	8	Apr 28, 1996
#9	Season 4, Ep 6	Fair Exchange	7.9	15	Oct 29, 1989
#10	Season 4, Ep 7	Desperately Seeking Miss October	7.9	15	Nov 5, 1989