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Season 1 – Family Ties

Play trailer Poster for Season 1 – Family Ties Sep 1982 Holiday Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
74% Tomatometer 31 Reviews 75% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
Steven and Elyse Keaton, once 1960s radicals, now find themselves in Reagan-era American trying to raise a traditional suburban family. Son Alex P. Keaton is an ambitious young Republican, and his sister Mallory is a shallow victim of the corporate culture, obsessed with music, clothes and boys. Their only normal kid is young Jennifer, a bit of a tomboy. In later seasons, the Keatons add a fourth child, Andrew. Most of the comedy arose from the conflict between the liberal parents and the conservative children.
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Family Ties — Season 1

Family Ties — Season 1

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Critics Consensus

Family Ties' subversion of the generation gap is initially more strained than inspired, but the warmth shared between the Keaton clan makes for an inviting sitcom -- with Michael J. Fox an immediate standout as the conservative upstart.

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Critics Reviews

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Richard Zoglin Atlanta Journal-Constitution 09/14/2021
The grown-up '60s generation may well be facing a new kind of rebellion from their kids. But Family Ties exaggerates the conflict to the point of absurdity. Go to Full Review John J. O'Connor New York Times 06/08/2021
The cast is pleasant enough. The rest depends on how cleverly Gary David Goldberg, the creator and producer of the series, can bring a sense of freshness to an overworked device. Go to Full Review Tom Shales Washington Post 06/08/2021
This program treats the situation with some intelligence and a lack of coarseness that could pass for warmth. Go to Full Review Win Fanning Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 08/12/2021
Meredith Baxter Birney and Michael Gross do a splendid job as modern-day parents with an attractive brood of convincingly "now" youngsters. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Marco A @RT93122346 01/09/2024 Great wholesome family show that shows the trials and tribulations of a typical midwestern American family in the 80s that is still true today. 2 protesting left wing parents bringing up an ultra conservative son, a ditzy older daughter and funny younger daughter make for fun watching. Always one of my favorite shows. See more isa e @RT65594135 02/06/2023 Good show, I miss sitcoms that were funny and did not have to be crude or radical. Well acted and relatable characters See more unknown 1 01/12/2023 nothing special really just decent the actors are decent especially Mcfly surprised his back ain't broken from carrying this show not sure if its worth watching season II See more 02/14/2021 One of the best family friendly shows that you no longer find with cable television. The acting is top notch by the entire cast, however, everyone is outshines by future legendary actor who is Michael J. Fox. After watching the first episode anyone could determine he would outshine everyone else and the television show would be focused on him because of his natural talent. It's a shame such a great series was cut short because of technicalities. See more Read all reviews
Family Ties — Season 1

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Cast & Crew

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Michael J. Fox

Alex P. Keaton

Meredith Baxter

Elyse Keaton

Michael Gross

Steve Keaton

Justine Bateman

Mallory Keaton

Tina Yothers

Jennifer Keaton

John Dukakis

Guest Star

Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Sep 22, 1982 Pilot Elyse and Steven (Meredith Baxter Birney, Michael Gross) are shocked when Alex (Michael J. Fox) attends a dance at a restricted country club. Details Episode 2 Aired Sep 29, 1982 Not With My Sister You Don't Alex plays overprotective brother when Mallory goes out with the school's sports hero. Details Episode 3 Aired Oct 6, 1982 I Know Jennifer's Boyfriend Peer pressure causes Jennifer to give up a male pal, but her mom helps them reunite. Details Episode 4 Aired Oct 27, 1982 Summer of '82 A college coed seduces teenage Alex when he meets her delivering groceries. Details Episode 5 Aired Nov 3, 1982 I Never Killed for My Father Steven and his father realize they may be able to iron out their long-lasting differences. Details Episode 6 Aired Nov 10, 1982 Give Uncle Arthur a Kiss Mallory's frightened when a close family friend makes a pass at her. Details Episode 7 Aired Nov 17, 1982 Big Brother Is Watching As the new editor, Alex names cheating pupils in the school paper. Details Episode 8 Aired Nov 24, 1982 No Nukes Is Good Nukes Elyse and Steven's participation in an anti-nuke rally on Thanksgiving lands them in jail. Details Episode 9 Aired Dec 1, 1982 Death of a Grocer Alex leaves his job at a small grocery store for an ultramodern supermarket. Details Episode 10 Aired Dec 8, 1982 Have Gun, Will Unravel Steven and Elyse wonder if they should buy a gun for protection after their home is burglarized. Details Episode 11 Aired Dec 15, 1982 A Christmas Story On a snowy Christmas Day, the Keaton family looks back on the births of Alex, Mallory and Jennifer. Details Episode 12 Aired Dec 22, 1982 Oops Elyse's advice to Mallory's pregnant friend backfires when she decided to help talk with mom. Details Episode 13 Aired Jan 12, 1983 Sherry Baby A popular sorority girl befriends Mallory with hopes of getting close to Alex. Details Episode 14 Aired Jan 19, 1983 The Fugitive Elyse's brother (Tom Hanks) arrives for a visit and surprises everyone with his cloak-and-dagger behavior. Details Episode 15 Aired Feb 9, 1983 Margin of Error Alex gets in trouble when he secretly invests Steven's money in stock. Details Episode 16 Aired Feb 16, 1983 French Lessons A shy French tutor asks Alex's advice on winning over Mallory. Details Episode 17 Aired Feb 23, 1983 I Gotta Be Ming Alex learns an unforgettable lesson when he becomes Big Brother to a 10-year-old boy. Details Episode 18 Aired Mar 9, 1983 Suzanne Takes You Down Elyse hires an underqualified friend to handle secretarial chores. Details Episode 19 Aired Mar 28, 1983 The Fifth Wheel Unhappy Jennifer wanders away from babysitter Alex when he takes her to a poker game. Details Episode 20 Aired Apr 4, 1983 Stage Fright Alex recruits Mallory to take an ill contestant's place on a TV quiz show for high-school students. Details Episode 21 Aired Apr 11, 1983 Elyse D'Arc Steven feels shortchanged when Elyse becomes preoccupied with volunteer work. Details

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Family Ties — Season 1

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Season Info

Director
Will Mackenzie, Tony Mordente, Alan Bergmann, Sam Weisman, Michael Zinberg, A. Kelada, Alan McCullough
Executive Producer
Gary David Goldberg
Network
NBC
Rating
TV-PG
Genre
Holiday, Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date
Sep 22, 1982