Before Friends, Matt LeBlanc Starred In Two Failed Spin-Offs Of A Beloved Sitcom

When it first hit the airwaves, Michael G. Moye and Ron Leavitt's 1987 sitcom "Married... with Children" represented a revolutionary turn of events. The bulk of TV sitcoms throughout the 1980s skewed wholesome, often depicting idealized, loving suburban families dealing with recognizable domestic drama. In most cases, there was a non-threatening air to American TV that reflected the bleak conservatism of the Reagan era. "Married... with Children" deliberately flew in the face of TV's perceived wholesomeness, presenting a family of miserable, ignorant, awful, unhealthy characters who all openly hated one another. The Bundy family only seemed to live together out of spite, refusing to murder each other because they knew staying alive was a better way to inflict misery.

The series was, perhaps bafflingly, a major hit for Fox, lasting 259 episodes over the course of 11 boffo seasons. It eventually took on a dangerous skew, offering more and more brazen titillation and open misogyny as it went on, so it did gradually lose some of its satirical edge. Even so, audiences loved it, happy to see '80s wholesomeness get torn asunder by petty, terrible people.

While one might not think that "Married... with Children" was primed for spinoffs (the tone was perhaps too caustic), the show's producers at Fox tried nonetheless. Some "Married" fans may recall a 1991 episode titled "Top of the Heap," which followed two supporting characters, Vinnie Verducci (Matt LeBlanc) and his dad Charlie (Joseph Bolonga), as they tried to crash a high-society party as part of a get-rich-quick scheme. It seems that the episode directly served as a pilot for the "Top of the Heap" series that launched a week after, with LeBlanc and Bolonga returning to star in the new show.

"Top of the Heap" lasted six episodes. Fox seemingly believed in Vinnie Verducci, though, and tried to resurrect the character the following year in a new series titled "Vinnie & Bobby." This time, it lasted a whole seven episodes.

In "Top of the Heap," Vinnie and Charlie Verducci lived in a dumpy apartment in Chicago, eager to earn a lot of money and escape. Charlie, in a Jane Austen twist, felt that the best way to get rich was to marry his son to a wealthy bride. Vinnie is none-too-bright but seems to have a good heart. He is beloved by a 16-year-old neighbor named Mona (a teenage Joey Lauren Adams), but he deflects her advances because of her age. Charlie, meanwhile, has become attracted to a local comedy club owner named Alixandra (played by the legendary EGOT, Rita Moreno). John Pinette also portrayed their annoying neighbor Bill, while "Married... with Children" stars Dave Faustino and Christina Applegate had a few cameos throughout to remind viewers that this very traditional sitcom was part of a larger shared TV universe.

As noted, "Top of the Heap" was all about Vinnie and Charlie trying to earn money. Charlie, for instance, would invest in dubious stocks, while the pair sometimes tangled with characters who might have been part of the mob. The Verduccis were very much Italian stereotypes, and the show was only fitfully funny. Several episodes also dealt with the characters' love lives, including the penultimate episode, titled "The Marrying Guy," wherein Vinnie meets an old high school girlfriend and her cheating fiancé.

After six episodes, the series petered out and was yanked from the airwaves. The procurers, however, clearly saw something in LeBlanc and were eager to see Vinnie Verducci vindicated. LeBlanc was clearly talented and capable of leading a sitcom, even as a stereotypical "meathead" character. He was thus brought back a second time for a second "Married... with Children" spinoff in 1992. That, too, didn't go well.

The 1992 series "Vinnie & Bobby" debuted on May 30, 1992, continuing the story of "Top of the Heap" as if it had never been canceled. The premise changed, though. LeBlanc returned and Vinnie and Adams returned as Mona, but Charlie had moved out of their Chicago apartment, replaced by another meathead character named, natch, Bobby (Robert Torti). Bobby and Vinnie met while working jobs on a construction site and decided they would be good roomies. Bobby was a supporting player in "Top of the Heap," so the transition wasn't so jarring. The new series was less money-oriented and more romance-forward, focusing on everyday life in the big city.

In light of how satirical "Married... with Children" always was, it's strange to see that it spawned a TV series that was so boringly traditional. LeBlanc is deeply engaged with the material, even if his character is kind of a cliché.

No one actually liked the show, though. By July 11, it had been canceled. All together, Vinnie Verducci appeared in 17 episodes of television across three series. That character was ultimately given ample chance to catch on in the eyes of the public. He failed at every turn. Vinnie Verducci was not fated to be.

LeBlanc was, however. He kept working incessantly and would eventually strike it rich with the 1994 TV series "Friends," playing the charming meathead Joey. LeBlanc has several jobs in between his experiences playing Vinnie and Joey, appearing in the smutty "Red Shoe Diaries" TV series, the Fox show "Class of '96," and the "Reform School Girls" TV movie. He also appeared in the 1993 Civil War-era horror movie "Grey Knight" and the indie crime drama "Lookin' Italian."

Keep working at it, kids. Like LeBlanc in the early '90s, your big break may still be ahead of you.