Al Bundy is an unsuccessful middle aged shoe salesman with a miserable life and an equally dysfunctional family. He hates his job, his wife is lazy, his son is dysfunctional (especially with women), and his daughter is dim-witted and promiscuous.
In this pilot we meet Al and Peg Bundy, a very dysfunctional Chicago family. In the pilot, Al and Peg, who have no friends, meet their new neighbors Steve and Marcy Rhoades. Steve and Marcy are a very happily married couple until they learn from the Bundys.
Marcy gives Peggy the book "Thinnergy", which is a book about health. Very inspired by the book, Peggy goes on a diet and tries to convince the family to join in, but they refuse. When the diet makes Peggy really annoying, Steve convinces Al to join the diet, and persuades Peggy to quit.
The Bundys and the Rhoades' hear of crime in the neighborhood. Al buys a gun, and the Rhoades' buy a dog. Al hears a noise and accidentally kills the dog, thinking it was a burglar.
Steve and Marcy plan on adding another room to their house with their tax refund. Al tries to coax Steve into building a pool room, while Peg and Marcy decide on an exercise room. Who will win?
In an attempt to spice up their marriage, Al and Peg check in at a hotel, while Steve and Marcy babysit Bud and Kelly. The Rhoades' learn that babysitting the young Bundys is a mistake when the kids turn their home into a rioting party.
Al invites Steve to play poker, but Steve ends up losing his paycheck to Al. Afraid to tell Marcy the truth, Steve tries to convince Peggy to give him the check back.
Steve is away on business and Marcy is having sexual fantasies with Al involuntarily. Marcy becomes so disgusted and she tells Peg, who tries to give her tips on how to avoid them.
Al and Peggy delay going to a closing of their favorite hamburger joint when Bud and Kelly run into a problem. Meanwhile, Steve and Marcy prepare a party for some executive big-shots.