Elyse (Meredith Baxter) and Steven Keaton (Michael Gross) are former hippies with three kids living in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. The oldest Alex P. Keaton (Michael J. Fox) is a money-obsessed Reaganite. Mallory (Justine Bateman) is the boy-crazy middle child. Jennifer (Tina Yothers) is the youngest. At the end of season 3, the family gets new son Andy. Their neighbor Skippy has a crush on Mallory although she does get gruff boyfriend Nick Moore at the start of season 4. Alex has two steady girlfriends over the years. First, there is Ellen Reed (Tracy Pollan), and later Lauren Miller (Courteney Cox).In addition to Alex's two longtime girlfriends, there are many other future stars in their early works. Geena Davis is the memorable statuesque and adorably clueless short-term house maid Karen Nicholson. Of course, Pollan would be the real-life future Mrs. Fox. Fox is the breakout star. He plays well with others and holds the screen with ease. There is also that song with Pollan and Fox getting together in the season 4 premier. The memories flood back and it is a time. The romanticism is epic and meta going from fiction to reality. This is a top level network sitcom that isn't trying to break new grounds. Bateman is surprisingly great in her dramatic acting. It works for the simple fact that everybody is an appealing character and actor.

Re-watching it on DVD I was amazed that Family Ties really stood the test of time. What makes it stand out is the constant high quality of the writing. On the one hand Family Ties always tackles serious issues on a personal level (death, trust, love, sexual harassment) but also on a social/ political level. I find it absolutely amazing that the writers always manage to avoid the trap of becoming sentimental or moralizing but always keep a healthy distance. Politically Family Ties is the great liberal voice of 80s television and from that point of view plays in a different league from its arch rival at the time, The Cosby show. What I also find amazing is that they manage to pack a satisfying story in the fairly short format of less then 30 minutes. The cast of course is perfect. Michael Gross stands out for me because he has the best one-liners in the show and his delivery as naive Steve Keaton is incredibly funny. Michael Fox is Michael Fox (as always) but Meredith Baxter is a great and underrated comedienne (and actually hellishly attractive...). Pity Tina Yothers stopped acting as it is amazing what a quantity and quality of dialogue she delivered at a very young age (though the jury is still out on her real age). And let's not forget Justine Bateman as airhead Mallory but who can act a fine line between comedy and drama (see Give uncle Arthur a kiss.)

I'm so thrilled that FAMILY TIES is finally out on DVD. To me, this was the best sitcom of the 80's. Even today, its themes are still relevant. I always thought it was great that the kids were allowed their own ideas, the parents weren't divorced, and that they were an imperfect family just doing their best. Unlike the Cosby Show, which was all about the dad, Family Ties let each character deal with their own issues in a very real way. I just watched the episode where a family friend makes a pass at Mallory, and that is something that some young people have to deal with. It dealt with racism, alcoholism, rape, politics, and a host of other things that kids are exposed to. It's still funny and is a great show that kids and parents can watch together and not be embarrassed.

Family Ties (1982-1989): Starring Michael Gross, Meredith Baxter, Michael J. Fox, Justine Bateman, Tina Yothers, Brian Bonsall, Courtney Cox, Tracy Pollan, Marc Price, Scott Valentine.. Creator Gary David Goldberg."Family Ties" was one of the many family sitcoms that were invading TV in the 80's. The only other popular TV sitcom which focused on the ups and downs of family life included The Cosby Show. Since I was only ages 2-9 during the show's 7 yr run, I don't remember much about it. Its comedy style and good writing was at the time too advanced for me. Now that I've watched re-runs, I totally get it. Michael Gross and Meredith Baxter star as Steven and Elise Keaton, a happily married couple with children living in the 1980's. Steven and Elise were once radical 1960's hippie/political activist liberals, and although they remained liberal-hearted, they have long cast aside their former irresponsibility to raise children. Their children are product of the 80's, especially Alex (in the role that made Michael J. Fox a star), who is a money-loving, corporate-minded, greedy-80's type of guy. He's scheming, he's a liar, but he's adorable and charming. Justine Bateman is the older daughter Mallory, who is intellectual, perky and your typical 80's gal fixated on dating, her looks and other trends. Tina Yothers was Jennifer, the youngest, a tomboy with a saccharine personality and quick wit. Long before she was on Friends, Courtney Cox was Lauren Miller, a regular on this show. Family Ties focused on family values. No matter how different they were from one another, the Keatons remained a strong family who stuck together through good times and bad. However, even if I was little when this series was still on the air, I don't remember the Keatons experiencing too many problems. Perhaps I've missed out on many fine episodes, which I'm sure are archived somewhere on tape or DVD. Perhaps they tackled issues of infidelity or temptation, drugs, sex (after all this was the time of the AIDS scare). But I really don't remember if these issues were raised on the show. The show, much like Friends, consisted of only Caucasian actors and there were no ethnic people! It is a document of 80's television. Often, the show had a lot of heart and great humor, even if it went through one ear and out the other. Michael J. Fox was a big star at this time. Not only was he on this show but also doing the Back To The Future movies and other films. I do recall how much of the show's greatness lied in Alex's Right-Wing, conservative, corporate America attitude as pitted against his parents, who were liberal. They never got into too heated a debate however and were as close a family as can possibly be. And it's unrealistic that way, too. The theme song was very catchy. "What do we do, baby, without love ? And there ain't nothing we cant help each other through...oooh..what do we do baby without love....sha la la la!!!