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  • NBC
  • Sep 22, 1982
  • NBC
  • Sep 22, 1982
Family Ties

Summary Family Ties first aired in September of 1982 on NBC and was one of the first of a wave of family comedies that emerged in the 1980's. With a rocky start in the ratings, Family Ties rose to number 2 after it was placed in the prized time-slot right after The Cosby Show and remained there from 1984 until 1987. The series centered aroun...

Created By: Gary David Goldberg

  • NBC
  • Sep 22, 1982
  • NBC
  • Sep 22, 1982
Family Ties
Season 1
7 Seasons
Season Premiere: Sep 22, 1982
Metascore Generally Favorable Based on 17 Critic Reviews
68
User Score Available after 4 ratings
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Where to Watch

Summary Family Ties first aired in September of 1982 on NBC and was one of the first of a wave of family comedies that emerged in the 1980's. With a rocky start in the ratings, Family Ties rose to number 2 after it was placed in the prized time-slot right after The Cosby Show and remained there from 1984 until 1987. The series centered aroun...

Created By: Gary David Goldberg

Where to Watch

Season Episodes

View All Seasons
Episode 1 • Sep 22, 1982 • 25 m
Pilot
Father and son clash when Steven demands that Alex not accompany his new girlfriend to an elitist, restricted country club.
Episode 2 • Sep 29, 1982 • 30 m
Not with My Sister You Don't
With Stephen and Elyse away for the weekend, Alex hosts a wild party and worries over Mallory going off with one of his womanizing friends. Elyse tries to rein in Stephen's competitive streak.
Episode 3 • Oct 6, 1982 • 24 m
I Know Jennifer's Boyfriend
Jennifer finds herself at the mercy of peer pressure when she is teased for being friends with a boy. But having invited both boys and girls to her birthday party, she has to decide how to deal with the problem.
Episode 4 • Oct 27, 1982 • 25 m
Summer of '82
Alex loses his heart, and a lot more, to a fast college girl after he meets her while making grocery deliveries.
Episode 5 • Nov 3, 1982 • 30 m
I Never Killed for My Father
Steven's father arrives for a visit, resulting in the two clashing as always. When his father reveals an important piece of news, Steven begins to question their whole relationship.
Episode 6 • Nov 10, 1982 • 30 m
Give Your Uncle Arthur a Kiss
Mallory is hurt and confused after a close family friend makes a pass at her.
Episode 7 • Nov 17, 1982 • 25 m
Big Brother Is Watching
As the new editor of the school paper, Alex stumbles upon a cheating scandal that he desperately wants to report, but Mallory is involved
Episode 8 • Nov 24, 1982 • 24 m
No Nukes Is Good Nukes
It's Thanksgiving at the Keatons', but the turkey dinner might have to wait when Steven and Elyse head to an anti-nuclear weapons rally and get arrested - infuriating the kids as well as Elyse's parents.
Episode 9 • Dec 1, 1982 • 24 m
Death of a Grocer
Alex becomes frustrated by his job as a clerk at a struggling neighborhood grocery, and leaves for a better-paying job at a larger store - but he begins to question where he felt more appreciated and fulfilled.
Episode 10 • Dec 8, 1982 • 25 m
Have Gun, Will Unravel
After burglars rob their house, Steven and Elyse try to reconcile their pacifism with their safety concerns as they invest in a gun to protect their home.
Episode 11 • Dec 15, 1982 • 25 m
A Christmas Story
When a snowstorm ruins their Christmas skiing plans, the Keatons are stuck at home reminiscing about the circumstances in which each of the kids was born.
Episode 12 • Dec 22, 1982 • 25 m
Oops
One of Mallory's friends finds out that she is pregnant, and seeks advice and support from Elyse and Mallory as she struggles to tell her mother.
Episode 13 • Jan 12, 1983 • 25 m
Sherry Baby
Hoping to be invited to join a popular sorority, Mallory convinces Alex to go out with an influential member who likes him; in turn, Alex must persuade Mallory to go out with Skippy to cancel out a lost wager.
Episode 14 • Jan 19, 1983 • 30 m
The Fugitive: Part 1
Elyse's brother Ned shows up unexpectedly, and displays odd caution about anyone knowing where he is. After he admits ending his highly promising business career in New York, the Keatons are concerned about who might be hot on his tail.
Episode 15 • Jan 26, 1983 • 30 m
The Fugitive: Part 2
Elyse faces the agonizing choice between helping her brother Ned remain a fugitive or turning him in, and Alex also wonders how to deal with the situation. With the family increasingly involved, Ned considers his options with the FBI.
Episode 16 • Feb 9, 1983 • 25 m
Margin of Error
Alex trades stock on paper for a school project. He tries to persuade his parents to cash in on his promising investment tips, but they decline. Frustrated, he impersonates his father to use their account. Things go well, until they don't.
Episode 17 • Feb 16, 1983 • 30 m
French Lessons
Mallory has a crush on Jeff, her French tutor, but his shyness prompts him to go to Alex for advice on asking her out. Alex's advice revolves around Jeff imitating his own personality - which, understandably, doesn't excite Mallory at all.
Episode 18 • Feb 23, 1983 • 25 m
I Gotta Be Ming
Alex volunteers to be a big brother to a Vietnamese refugee, but then lets the boy down when his schedule becomes too demanding, adding to concerns that he's trying to turn the boy into a copy of himself.
Episode 19 • Mar 16, 1983 • 25 m
Suzanne Takes You Down
Elyse tries to help her friend Suzanne through a rough patch by hiring her on as her assistant, but comes to regret it when Suzanne forgets her place and takes over Elyse's business.
Episode 20 • Mar 28, 1983 • 30 m
The Fifth Wheel
With their parents out for the night, Alex and Mallory argue over who has to stay to watch Jennifer, leading Alex to take her to a poker game with his friends. But after Jennifer quietly takes off, Alex panics.
Episode 21 • Apr 4, 1983 • 25 m
Stage Fright
Alex reluctantly preps Mallory for a high school television quiz show when he can't find anyone else to fill an empty spot on his team - but when the cameras are on, he's the one who freezes up.
Episode 22 • Apr 11, 1983 • 25 m
Elyse D'Arc
Steven and Elyse clash when her busy schedule and numerous commitments keep them from spending any time together.
7 Seasons

Top Cast

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Michael J. Fox

Alex P. Keaton

Michael Gross

Steven Keaton, Steven Richard Keaton, Jean-Paul Sartre

Meredith Baxter

Elyse Keaton, Elyse Catherine Keaton, Martha Jefferson

Justine Bateman

Mallory Keaton, Mallory Jefferson

Tina Yothers

Jennifer Keaton, Jennifer Jefferson

Brian Bonsall

Andrew 'Andy' Keaton

Marc Price

Irwin 'Skippy' Handelman, Skipford

Scott Valentine

Nick Moore

Courteney Cox

Lauren Miller

Tracy Pollan

Ellen Reed

John Hancock

Gus Thompson

Terry Wills

Dr. Schulte, Cabbie, Desk Clerk, Don Bradford, Dwane

Robert Schanche

Robert, Sam, Slate Man, Student, The Heckler, The Milkman, Young Man #1

Alan Blumenfeld

George Bellack, George, Lou Stone, Man at Garage Sale, Mr. Gleason, Mr. Krewson

Enid Kent

Phyllis Evans, Norma Coleman, Robin, Susan Alexander

Robert Costanzo

Andrew the Waiter, Carmine, Larry Briganti, Max Schneider, Sam

John Petlock

Ted Waterman, Mr. Heaney, Mr. Preston Blanton, Reverend Wilson

Norman Parker

Robert Keaton

John Dukakis

Jeff Wakefield

David Wohl

Oscar - 'Peter Good Vibes', Psychiatrist, Ralph Boswell, Zane Axelrod

View All Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 17 Critic Reviews
68
65% Positive
11 Reviews
35% Mixed
6 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 17 Critic Reviews
68
65% Positive
11 Reviews
35% Mixed
6 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
83
Jan 28, 2022
Family Ties is the heir apparent to All in the Family. Equally relevant, it captures '80s home life better than anything else on television. [24 Sep 1982, p.B3]
By Bruce Miller FULL REVIEW
80
Jan 28, 2022
Family Ties doesn't beat you over the head for laughs. The humor comes out of the situation. The situations come out of reality. [22 Sep 1982, p.6]
FULL REVIEW
80
Jan 27, 2022
Meredith Baxter Birney and Michael Gross do a splendid job as modern-day parents with an attractive brood of convincingly "now" youngsters. [19 Oct 1982, p.34]
FULL REVIEW
70
Jan 27, 2022
A better-than-average new comedy series. [22 Sep 1982, p.8D]
FULL REVIEW
60
Jan 28, 2022
Indeed, it’s Gross’ winning performance that makes the hit-or-miss first season of Family Ties worth your time. His impeccably dry delivery showcases the show’s humor, to be sure, but his good-guy aura makes him truly extraordinary.
By Marisa Carroll FULL REVIEW
60
Jan 27, 2022
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.
By John J. O'Connor FULL REVIEW
40
Jan 27, 2022
Despite being written by producer Gary David Goldberg (one of the brighter young comedy minds in TV), the script speaks the narrow, doctrinaire language of bumber stickers. [22 Sep 1982, p.7]
By Howard Rosenberg FULL REVIEW

User Reviews

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