Chronicles liberal ex-hippies Steven and Elyse Keaton, their conservative son Alex, daughters Mallory and Jennifer, and later, youngest child Andrew.Chronicles liberal ex-hippies Steven and Elyse Keaton, their conservative son Alex, daughters Mallory and Jennifer, and later, youngest child Andrew.Chronicles liberal ex-hippies Steven and Elyse Keaton, their conservative son Alex, daughters Mallory and Jennifer, and later, youngest child Andrew.
- Won 5 Primetime Emmys
- 24 wins & 43 nominations total
Browse episodes
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe cast wanted to end the show with the entire Keaton family dying in a plane crash. They didn't want to do a reunion show in the future.
- GoofsLike many sitcoms with kids, the timeline is a mess. For example, in S1, Alex is a senior in high school planning to go to college in the fall, Mallory is 15, and Jennifer is 9. When S2 starts in the fall, Alex is still a senior in high school, Mallory is still 15, and Jennifer is 11.
- Quotes
Alex P. Keaton: Remember when we were kids and I run you over with my bicycle?
Erwin 'Skippy' Handleman: Yes.
Alex P. Keaton: I have a car now.
- Alternate versionsThe complete opening credit sequences in each episode were cut from one minute to thirty seconds in syndication. Episodes now airing on Nick at Nite have restored the complete opening credit sequences. Original syndication episodes released in 1987 retain their original versions of the Paramount Pictures ID Jingle. Current Nick at Nite episodes feature the current Paramount TV ID.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The 36th Primetime Emmy Awards (1984)
Featured review
Viewed almost 40 years later it seems very tied to its era
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.
helpful•117
- AlsExGal
- Oct 11, 2020
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Familienbande
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content