Family Ties

In the fall of 1982, NBC launched a modest sitcom about a liberal couple raising three kids in Columbus, Ohio. The parents, Steven and Elyse Keaton, were former flower children who still believed in peace, love, and social justice. Their oldest child, Alex P. Keaton, was a suit-wearing, Reagan-quoting Republican teenager who idolized William F. Buckley. That central joke, that the generation gap had flipped, became the engine for one of the defining comedies of the 1980s.

The show was created by Gary David Goldberg, who drew from his own experiences as a former hippie raising children with very different values. Originally, Alex was conceived as a minor supporting character. But Michael J. Fox, then a 21-year-old Canadian actor with no major credits, made the role so magnetic that the writers quickly built the series around him. By its third season, Family Ties was the second-highest-rated show on television, trailing only The Cosby Show. Fox's performance earned him three consecutive Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.

What made the show endure, though, was not just the political sparring. The Keatons genuinely loved one another. Steven and Elyse were present, affectionate parents who never resorted to sitcom clichés of bumbling dad or nagging mom. Mallory, the fashion-obsessed middle child, grew beyond a one-note joke into a young woman with real ambitions. Jennifer, the tomboy youngest, provided a dry, wise perspective. And when baby Andy arrived in season four, the family simply expanded. The show ran for seven seasons and 168 episodes, wrapping up in May 1989.[edit]

The Keaton household at 2114 Maple Drive in Columbus, Ohio, is a place where the dinner table doubles as a debating floor. Steven Keaton, a high school history teacher turned public television station manager, and his wife Elyse, an architect, raised their children with liberal ideals of equality, environmentalism, and free expression. Their eldest, Alex P. Keaton, rejected all of it. He wore a suit to school, subscribed to the Wall Street Journal, and dreamed of a career on Wall Street. His catchphrase, "I'm a conservative," was delivered with a smug grin that somehow never made the audience hate him.

Mallory Keaton, the middle child, cared more about shopping and dating than politics. Her slow-burn romance with Nick Moore, a sweet-natured but dim-witted mechanic, became a long-running subplot. Jennifer Keaton, the youngest, was a tomboy with a sharp wit who often served as the family's quiet observer. In season four, Elyse gave birth to Andrew, nicknamed Andy, who added a new layer of chaos and cuteness.

The show's early seasons focused on Alex's high school antics: running for class president, debating his father, and scheming to make money. In season two, Mallory met Nick, and the couple became a fixture. By season three, Alex had graduated and entered Leland College, where he met Ellen Reed, a liberal arts student who became his first serious girlfriend. Their relationship, played by Fox and real-life future wife Tracy Pollan, added emotional depth to Alex's character. Meanwhile, Steven took a job at a public TV station, giving the show a new workplace setting.

Season four saw the birth of Andy and Alex's continued education. Mallory graduated high school and began working at an art gallery, discovering a talent for design. Season five deepened Alex and Ellen's relationship, but Ellen moved away for a job, ending the romance. Alex graduated college in season six and entered the professional world, first at a stodgy investment firm and later at a more ethical company. Mallory and Nick got engaged. The final season introduced Lauren Miller, a free-spirited photographer played by Courteney Cox, as Alex's new love interest. The season built toward Alex receiving a major job offer in New York, setting up the series finale.[edit]