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For Sale Apr 14, 2026 at 3:58 PM

"Family Ties" - What are your thoughts on the popular 80s TV Family Show?

Posted by Profeta_do_Loss

A lot of shows tried to emulate the Keatons but none was able to truly deliver the same charm. AlthoughMichael J. Fox became the breakout star and won 3 Emmys,I feel everybody was great, even Tina Yothers. Meredith Baxter was warm and kind but still tough,Michael Gross was the nicest man on TV, Justine Bateman was terrific as Mallory. The Family had great chemistry. It did feel like they were family. Jokes were funny, characters were well developed. I was not a fan of the recurring characters, though. Skippy and Nick were extremely annoying, and Nick was given way too much screen time. I also think Tracy Pollan should have stayed longer. Courtney Cox had no chemistry with Fox.
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fuzzy_dice_99 Apr 14, 2026 +28
The theme song is comforting and makes me miss my childhood
28
please_and_thankyou Apr 14, 2026 +18
Sit Ubu, sit. Good dog!
18
thegloriousporpoise Apr 14, 2026 +5
I’ll bet we’ve been together for a million years….
5
belzoni1982 Apr 14, 2026 +19
This would have just been a typical 80s sitcom if it wasn't for Michael J Fox. Once they pushed the Alex P Keaton character to the fore front the show became an all timer
19
tooshpright Apr 15, 2026 -1
Except Alex was so obnoxious.
-1
Sparhawk1968 Apr 16, 2026 +2
He started out insufferable and still often was, but he did actually become much better as the series went on. Typical life lessons sitcom for the 80s and 90s but Michael J Fox played the part well, always learning his lessons by the end of the episode
2
ReleventReference Apr 14, 2026 +24
It’s weird how Steven got really into guns and kept having run ins with giant worms/giant worm adjacent creatures.
24
IOVERCALLHISTIOCYTES Apr 14, 2026 +1
Great to see the effort he put into his rec room. Sorry he had such trouble with his daughter dating a biker, though. 
1
Sharaz_Jek123 Apr 14, 2026 +8
"There was a kangaroo in my living room" is maybe the best-delivered line of the decade.
8
Carroms Apr 14, 2026 +5
Am I remembering correctly the parents were former Peace Corps Volunteers?
5
Devilofchaos108070 Apr 14, 2026 +9
Yeah they were big hippies
9
travio Apr 14, 2026 +7
Which made their Reaganite son more fun.
7
TimeForAWitness Apr 14, 2026 +5
Yes. I think you see photos of them as volunteers in the first season’s opening credits montage (it was quickly replaced with the more well-known painting sequence).
5
funnyenough4 Apr 14, 2026 +6
I used to love this show as a kid. I’ve seen it as an adult recently and honestly, maybe unpopular opinion here, but I don’t think it held up…
6
TimeForAWitness Apr 15, 2026 +3
It’s not just you. I’ve rewatched some episodes as an adult, and I’ve found that the writing on the show was pretty variable, sometimes very mediocre. The humor could be really forced. What really holds up, though, is the cast (Michael J. Fox especially, of course). They elevated the scripts and brought the show to a better level. That being said, the episode where the kids start renting out rooms in the house while the parents are away is absolutely hilarious. I absolutely lose it when Michael Gross, with perfect comic timing, slowly says “There was a kangaroo… in my living room…”
3
m_Pony Apr 14, 2026 +5
Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus!! Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus!!
5
LoquaciousTheBorg Apr 15, 2026 +3
Yes! No one I've met learned that from Family Ties like I did. It's like how, thanks to Cheers, i know that Albania borders the Adriatic
3
m_Pony Apr 15, 2026 +1
Alex's next line is: "And who invented it?!?" what was her response? :)
1
LoquaciousTheBorg Apr 15, 2026 +2
A very proud-of-herself *Magellan!* I'm almost positive. 
2
m_Pony Apr 15, 2026 +1
oh how I have longed for this day :) **yes**, you are correct. That's basically one of the only things I remember from that show, but I remember it vividly.
1
LoquaciousTheBorg Apr 15, 2026 +1
Me too. For some reason I also have the *Alex Keaton, he's so cuuuuute* radio bumper from when he was on radio for one episode.  Odd what sticks with us.
1
m_Pony Apr 15, 2026 +1
You can say that again. Thank you so much for this. Have a wonderful evening.
1
sunnybcg Apr 14, 2026 +5
My very first favorite show. I had a massive crush on MJF as a kid.
5
case31 Apr 14, 2026 +4
Tom Hanks as the drunk uncle…
4
sacredblasphemies Apr 15, 2026 +3
The first season is surprisingly different. It's not all about Alex, Mallory isn't dumb as a rock, and the actress playing Jennifer (Tina Yothers) really shines in it. She's sarcastic and funny. In retrospect, I would have liked to have seen more of that show. But what it became was classic 80s TV.
3
TimeForAWitness Apr 15, 2026 +2
I’ve read that Justine Bateman started playing up the idea that Mallory wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, because the early scripts gave her very little to work with, so she improvised. The writers caught on and worked with that idea. Later on, we learn her “dumbness” is really a protective shell.
2
ThatPancreatitisGuy Apr 14, 2026 +3
Rewatched it sometime in the last couple years and it held up. Never cared for Jennifer and the odd thing is you can basically remove any dialogue / scene she’s in and it rarely would impact the story at all. She’s like a Greek chorus that comments on what’s happening but has no real causative force of her own.
3
pantstoaknifefight2 Apr 14, 2026 +3
Jennifer, by the final season, never did more than say "C'mon, Andy" and walk the kid out of the scene so they didn't violate child labor laws.
3
Profeta_do_Loss Apr 14, 2026 +4
The Jennifer episodes were the worst. Remember when Jennifer led a girl group with Alex as the agent, forcing them to sing Mr. Sandman? Seriously,I know Alex was a square but even he knew singing songs from the 1940s wasn't commercially viable. And Jennifer couldn't even sing, that lame Pop performance at the end felt like they were trying to set up a Pop career for Tina Yothers,.
4
ancalagon73 Apr 14, 2026 +3
I think shows use old songs like that due to cheaper licensing. Some of the shows have different songs on the DVDs than they did when originally aired. WKRP is a prime example.
3
TimeForAWitness Apr 14, 2026 +2
I haven't watched many of them since they originally aired, but, as a child of the 80s, I remember the show being hard to watch and running on fumes in the last couple of seasons, around the time it moved from Thursdays to Sundays. Also, by the 80s, kids would mostly likely know "Mr. Sandman" from its use in the opening of 1981 slasher movie classic ***Halloween II***, which probably isn't an association Alex had in mind.
2
pantstoaknifefight2 Apr 14, 2026 +1
Song choice was a likely homage to Marty McFly walking through the 1950s town square for the first time.
1
falang78 Apr 14, 2026 +2
"Even Tina Yothers."- that was mean. Watched this show religiously when it came out. Still holds up today. Absolutely loved Nick and Mallory. Fox was the star and deservedly so but Bateman was just as good. Mallory and Stephen often had the most laughs for me each episode.
2
Profeta_do_Loss Apr 15, 2026 +1
I thought Bateman deserved almost as much praise as Fox, she did get two Emmy nominations. But Fox got more stuff to do and Bateman really suffered when they added the Nick character and he started to get more lines than her.
1
spinereader81 Apr 15, 2026 +2
Pretty good show, but not perfect. As a kid I thought it would be great to be a Keaton and live in that great house. I'm in my 40s and I still want that massive kitchen.
2
LamppostBoy Apr 15, 2026 +2
I think it's telling how long people have been predicting that our culture will move like a pendulum; that aging left-wingers will give birth to a generation of conservative youth - and how long we're still waiting for the prediction to come true.
2
beebs44 Apr 15, 2026 +2
NICK: HEY
2
BlueberryNo4287 Apr 14, 2026 +4
never watched this one during its original run but caught some episodes few years back when i was recovering from shoulder injury and had nothing to do michael j fox really carried that show hard and you can see why he became such big star after. the family dynamic was pretty solid too but yeah those side characters were rough - skippy especially made me want to change channel every time he showed up
4
Profeta_do_Loss Apr 14, 2026 +6
Skippy was way too cartoonish.
6
MeasurementNo0 Apr 14, 2026 +3
Its funny how times have changed.  Alex was a republican and it seemed cool.
3
jeremysbrain Apr 14, 2026 +27
Alex's views were regularly shown to be out of touch.
27
MeasurementNo0 Apr 14, 2026
But also the smartest in the group and center of the show.
0
itsthekumar Apr 14, 2026 +6
I saw it as more ambitious/ruthless. He was still a high schooler after all with a lot of growing to do.
6
Profeta_do_Loss Apr 14, 2026 +14
But the show did use Alex's views as a punchline.
14
TimeToSackUp Apr 14, 2026 +6
That made a nice inversion of the young person rebelling against their conservative parents trope. But he still had common issues with other kids: loss, drugs, romance, etc. and he learned a lot of humanity from his parents so it made him a better more rounded person.
6
fadvex Apr 14, 2026 +2
Micheal J Fox was cool Alex P Keaton was a square and made fun of Did you even watch the show? Lmao jesus
2
VinylmationDude Apr 15, 2026 +1
I feel like there is a 0% chance this show gets remade in the modern age. The divide between red & blue is at Pacific Ocean levels, so there’s no chance they can appear neutral without one side feeling jilted.
1
JK_ Apr 15, 2026 +1
Re-watched it completely a couple of years ago, many eps still in the forefront of memory, a few others were a little obscured. All in all, it’s like a big warm hug from a family I always wanted to have, as they navigate the mundane as well big issues; always with unconditional love, affection, and support.
1
LoquaciousTheBorg Apr 15, 2026 +1
*WHAT DID YOU THINK, I WOULD DO AT THIS MOMENT...*
1
PeterLondonWriter Apr 16, 2026 +1
Justine Bateman is an underrated comedienne and so funny in Family Ties...she is handed a cliché 80s ditz role, but does so much with it - she's very funny and warm and likeable.... I howl with laughter when I watch two episodes with her that are priceless: 1) Mallory and Alex are on a TV quiz show and she's **terrible** but so sweet and confident... 2) Mallory and Alex visit an ivy league and Mallory catches her boyfriend cheating on her, so she interrupted Alex's interview, sobbing, ranting, and begging to go home...
1
hiptones Apr 16, 2026 +1
Tom Hanks needed help.
1
Hopeful-Artichoke449 3 days ago +1
The finale really triggered me (Raised by a mother with borderline personality disorder. The mom was a massive b**** about Alex leaving.... and it felt emotionally manipulative and self-centered.
1
itsthekumar Apr 14, 2026 +1
It's a very "cozy 80s show". But almost too cozy. Like few scenes outside of the household. Mainly just focused on Alex. Not sure how it got so many seasons. The characters definitely made the show.
1
Profeta_do_Loss Apr 14, 2026 +3
It got worse when they added Brian Bonsall.
3
thatcantb Apr 14, 2026 +1
Unfortunately, Fox's character made conservatism quirky and cute, masking the nightmare it has inevitably become. I've always held it against the show for doing that to our culture - making it seem like selfish capitalist greed is an ok personal choice instead of a character flaw.
1
sd_glokta Apr 15, 2026 +1
I completely agree. Alex Keaton was my idol until I realized how selfish he was.
1
[deleted] Apr 14, 2026
[deleted]
0
pantstoaknifefight2 Apr 14, 2026 +1
Just jump to the psychiatrist episode, My Name Is... Alex
1
Profeta_do_Loss Apr 14, 2026 +1
I think the minute they added Nick is when Mallory's arc went to hell. He turned into the Chachi of the show and Mallory was relegated as the girlfriend.
1
wowugotit Apr 14, 2026 -1
I liked it as a kid not so much now
-1
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