I really loved this show when it was originally aired, starting in 1982. When I came across it in syndication a few years ago, I was surprised at how my memories did not match my experience. Most episodes had some good laughs, but to be honest, the entire show seemed very dated and tied to the issues of the eighties. The best part about the show is watching Michael J. Fox in action. As the young Reagan Republican with hippy middle-class parents, he steals the show from the very beginning. "Family Ties" would have probably have been as forgettable as the mid-80's sitcom "Growing Pains" if it had not been for the incredibly talented Fox.
As for dated plots in the first season, they include "No Nukes is Good Nukes" when the Keaton parents wind up in jail after attending an anti-nuke rally, and "Death of a Grocer" in which Alex leaves the employ of a small grocery he enjoys working at to work at a modern supermarket. This latter episode seems dated because the "modern supermarket" Alex decides to work for still looks small scale by today's standards, and would still probably wind up getting swallowed by WalMart. Also, in the discussions of premarital sex in the first season, unexpected pregnancy and hurt feelings are the main issues raised since this is before AIDS became a paramount issue.
As for dated plots in the first season, they include "No Nukes is Good Nukes" when the Keaton parents wind up in jail after attending an anti-nuke rally, and "Death of a Grocer" in which Alex leaves the employ of a small grocery he enjoys working at to work at a modern supermarket. This latter episode seems dated because the "modern supermarket" Alex decides to work for still looks small scale by today's standards, and would still probably wind up getting swallowed by WalMart. Also, in the discussions of premarital sex in the first season, unexpected pregnancy and hurt feelings are the main issues raised since this is before AIDS became a paramount issue.