During the show's heyday Ed O'Neill would fulfill requests to make birthday and holiday telephone calls to fans as Al Bundy on the condition that he could call them collect (in character with Al's cheapskate nature).
Ed O'Neill said in an interview that when he found out about the cancellation, he talked to a FOX executive about making an episode to finish the show, where the Bundys won the lottery and were demolished by a tornado during their celebration.
One of the show's creators said the reason Ed O'Neill was cast was that when he was auditioning for the pilot, he was required to simply walk through the front door into the Bundy home. Right before he opened the door, O'Neill let out a deep breath and slumped his shoulders, as if going home was a defeat. Producers said when they saw that, they knew O'Neill understood the show.
The last episode aired on May 6, 1997, on FOX. After that episode aired, FOX was trying to decide whether to renew the show. When they decided to cancel it, they didn't notify the cast. Ed O'Neill said he was on vacation, and a couple staying near him read about the cancellation in the newspaper and told him about it. He bought them a meal in appreciation. In a similar vein, Christina Applegate learned of the show's cancellation from two friends.