Family Ties

I wanted to blow Skippy.

I think it was popular because it hit a nerve with boomers. 2 ex hippie parents raising their children in the 80s. In Cleveland. And they're white.

What's not to identify with?

I watched it for Scott Valentine and Michael Gross. Pretty much covered the wide spectrum of what I thought was hot in those days.

Now that I think of it, they still do.

What's Justine Bateman's deal? She never really appears with the rest of the cast. Was she unhappy on the show? She also seems to work really sporadically.

Meredith was trying to get Justine in the sack every chance she got.

I saw her at Whole Foods recently. She looks worn out.

All those Polanski rumors took their toll on her.

And Girls of Summer/Satisfaction turned out to be a Julia Roberts vehicle.

I thought Michael J Fox was really hot. Ha!

I think Courtney Cox and Michael J. Fox love affair was so incredibly absurd.

It's very odd how Jason seems so well adjusted and Justine seems like such a basket case and they both were child stars in the 1980s.

"Satisfaction" was promoted as a Justine movie.%0D %0D Nobody even knew who Julia was at the time. Trini Alverado was more famous.

That's because Courteney was doing Meredith.

Polanski rumors? About Justine Bateman? Do tell.

It was popular because it aired after the Cosby Show

Always thought it was lame, including the Johnny Mathis-Denice Williams duet theme. Michael Gross cruised me once (I'm male) in the 80s on W. 46th St. As far as the writing goes, where's the funny? "Roseanne" much much better.

The rumor was Justine was the underage girl that Polanski had sex with and had to flee the country for.

It turned out to be not true.

It was Columbus, btw, not Cleveland.

I thought Michael Gross was very hot once he grew that mustache. Would still do him in a heartbeat. I loved it for all the shots of Michael J. Fox in his black socks!

"Always thought it was lame, including the Johnny Mathis-Denice Williams duet theme" God, I hated that stupid, schmaltzy song! I bet we've been together for a million years And I bet we'll be together for a million more... GAG!

Is Brian Bonsall still in prison?

R19, I went to a taping once and the warm up guy was offering autographed cast t-shirts.%0D %0D But you had to sing the theme song in front of the entire studio audience to win it.%0D %0D I volunteered, but couldn't think of how it began (the syndicated version, which was airing heavily at the time ran an abridged version of the song.)%0D %0D Fortunately, they had someone else sing it with me and as a soon as I heard 'I bet we've been...' I remembered the rest and got through it.%0D %0D The warm up guy called it 'The Richard Harris version.'%0D %0D I guess he can't sing either. %0D %0D

In a sidebar, Kim Carnes sang the theme for "My Sister Sam" the Rebecca Schaeffer sitcom.

Nick: "What, Alex? You don't think I ain't got nuthin' to teach you? You don't think you ain't got nuthin' to learn from me?"%0D %0D Alex: "No, Nick. I don't think. I ain't. Got nuthin'. To learn. From you."%0D %0D

Who's Jennifer? Memory failing me here.

[quote]The warm up guy called it 'The Richard Harris version.'

Ha, probably a reference to Richard Harris's bizarre version of "McArthur Park" compared to Donna Summer's.

Remember pre-movie stardom Tom Hanks as the drunk uncle who tore the Keaton's kitchen apart looking for booze because he was fiending for a drink so bad? He ended up drinking vanilla extract and the Keatons were really pissed at him. It was a Very Special Episode.

What Polanski rumors? He fucked Justine Bateman?

Well, Michael J. Fox did look good in a suit.

The episode where Alex loses his friend, and his friend comes back as a ghost (or angel) was very moving. Did anyone remember that show?

I know he was famous from the show, but was MJF considered a superstar from the show alone? Or was it Back to the Future that put him on the A List?

R29, that was called "'A' my name is Alex."%0D %0D

Good question, but I think "Back To The Future" made Michael J. Fox a major star.

Thanks, r31

Do you think Eric Stoltz hexed MJF and him the Parkinson's?

r30 of course BTTF made him a star, but Family Ties gave him the exposure to transition into a movie star. He also starred in Teen Wolf and Doc Hollywood.

MJF transitioned well from TV to filmdom -- like George Clooney. Of course MJF was never a megastar like Clooney. He wasn't considered sexy, which is a prerequisite for uber-A-List.

r34: Yes. I think Eric Stoltz wields that power and uses it to squash another and not advance his own skills and career.

I never UNDERSTOOD how on earth Michael caught Parkinsons? Maybe it's in the family generation, or too many Pepsi Free drinks.

Don't forget, "The Secret of My Success"...loved that movie.

Michael J. Fox was considered the break out star of the show. Originally, the show was suppose to center around the family, but once MJF became the star (Let's call it the "JJ/Fonz/Urkel syndrome"), the show was pretty much the Alex P. Keaton show. The producers of BACK TO THE FUTURE originally wanted him for the role, but the FAMILY TIES producers wouldn't comply to his schedule, so they hired Eric Stoltz. Stoltz pretty much sucked in the role, so the film producers offered to work around MJF's TV schedule. Once the film was a mega-hit, many thought that Fox would leave TV for greener pastures, but he was loyal to the producers to the end.

Wanna meet Michael Gross and Meredith Baxter?

Sorry. I meant "center around the parents..."

And the worst casting decision ever goes to: Michael J. Fox in "Bright Lights, Big City"

sha-na-na-nahhhh

"The Secret Of My Success" is one of my guilty pleasures. It is soooo 80s it hurts! %0D %0D I think people forget today how big a star Michael J. Fox was in the mid/late 80s. He was HUGE back then, in the same league as Tom Cruise.

I, too, wanted to blow Skippy. And fuck his hot hole. There. I said it.

r42 I agree. It was a dark film and they needed to cast an actor suited for that role. MJF was too "peppy."

Is R37 a joke or is he/she too dumb for words?

[quote]I never UNDERSTOOD how on earth Michael caught Parkinsons?

A toilet seat, Rose.

Nice to know I wasn't the only one who found Michael Gross hot on this show.

[quote]I never UNDERSTOOD how on earth Michael caught Parkinsons? Maybe it's in the family generation, or too many Pepsi Free drinks.

Speaking of special...

Sit, Ubu, sit. Good dog.

Do you think Meredith and Justine ever enjoyed a box lunch together?

What would they do, baby, without them?

While all my friends were in love with Michael J. Fox, I felt an attraction to Michael Gross. But I never told anyone! Watching the reruns on Hub, I still feel the same way. Gross was on Y&R a few years back, and he still looked pretty good.

"There was a kangaroo in my living room."

"It was a Very Special Episode."

As the years wore on, that show had a TON of Very Special Episodes. It really jumped the shark when the little brother was born ... and then turned five the following season!

It was always a schmaltzy show. Reagan era preppies loved it.

I was a kid when it first aired and always liked it. The first few years were very funny. Once Andy arrived, Jennifer got older and Nick arrived it started to tank. They recently aired the episode with Alex's obnoxious teacher and it still had me rolling with laughter.

MJF used to give interviews in which he claimed he practically lived on Diet Pepsi, drinking 6-12 cans a day. Think of all that aspartame. Many scientists (who aren't on Donald Rumsfeld's payroll) think aspartame may trigger many diseases including Parkinson's.

he speculated on a link between diet drinks and his parkinsons, I believe, in his autobiography Lucky Man.

Well I must be in the minority. I've watched a few episodes on Hub and I think it's still pretty funny - maybe it's nostalgia. MJF was adorable and funny as "Alex P. Keaton."

[quote]MJF used to give interviews in which he claimed he practically lived on Diet Pepsi, drinking 6-12 cans a day%0D %0D The Aspartame in diet sodas is bad, it can cause Parkinson's, among other things. I do remember Michael J. Fox claiming he drank Diet Pepsi like water. %0D %0D Yes, Donald Rumsfeld allowed the Aspartame in Diet Sodas. I heard this from Coast 2 Coast radio.

[quote]As the years wore on, that show had a TON of Very Special Episodes. It really jumped the shark when the little brother was born ... and then turned five the following season%0D %0D Whenever they add little kids to a sitcom, you know the show is going downhill.

Cute, blond Brian Bonsall who played Andy turned into a real freak.

Shows hire 8 year olds that look 4 because they can work longer; it's the Adam Rich syndrome.%0D %0D They grow up funny looking.%0D %0D

r20 - I don't think he's in jail now but it looks like he'll end up there inevitably. He seems to have grown up to be a really angry stoner.

[quote]On December 11, 2009, Bonsall was charged in Colorado with second-degree assault after police say he repeatedly hit a friend in the head with a broken wooden stool in a bar brawl on December 5.

[quote]On February 19, 2010, Bonsall was arrested on a charge of possession of marijuana in violation of his probation.

[quote]On April 9, 2010, Bonsall pleaded guilty to menacing and third degree assault in connection with the bar brawl in Colorado and was sentenced to two years' probation.

Aren't there photos of a naked Brian Bonsall playing in a band?

Bonsall is totally stuck up. He never attends Star Trek conventions.

I loved the episode when Jennifer... um, er... uh... Hey, wait a minute... was I even on this show?

Victoria Jackson NAILED it when she played Jennifer in a FT sketch and her Jennifer just kept saying 'Yeah!' to everything.

Bonsall could do pretty well for himself financially, if he did the ST conventions. I wonder what his residuals are from Family Ties.

Here's a clip of a FAMILY TIMES reunion on "The Today Show," filmed in 2008.

Where's Master Bonsall?

r29 I think that's Clone High you're talking about.

Not really, R71. The show hasn't been heavily re-run for years, and the DVDs aren't top-sellers. The residuals wouldn't be that much. Bonsall would make some money, but he wouldn't get rich.

r37:

I loved the episode where Jennifer came down stairs to tell the family she was having a hard time coming up with an idea for a class project and Alex tried to convince her to do something on Reagan, and Jennifer rolled her eyes and said "I am NOT doing that Alex. Go sort your ties out."

r29, Greg in that episode was played by Brian Mcamara, late of "Army Wives"

It was a boring show. I'm glad it ended in 1989.

Brian has tattoo butterflies on his neck.. Hmmm

Michael P. Keaton's baby brother was Worf's son???

I remember watching that very special episode in syndication as a kid, probably during summertime daytime television, and freaking out that Tom Hanks was really playing such a pathetic drunk uncle he was drinking vanilla extract. %0D %0D My sophomore year in college (this would be 2001-2002) for some reason I went through a phase of needing to watch Family Ties reruns on Nick at Nite and I agree with those who say that a lot of it doesn't hold up well. One thing that's really baffling is what Alex P. Keaton's worship of Nixon was. Were there really people like that in the '80s? Sadly looking back on things Nixon would be a fucking modern day liberal with the things he stood for... but digressing...%0D %0D What cracked me up the most in rewatching is that in the early seasons that almost all the "happy" and "fun" clips of Alex bouncing around and being silly they showed behind the theme song were from the episode where Alex got addicted to speed by borrowing diet pills from some friend of Mallory's.

That site at r79 is a piece of shit. There are no results for the name Beverlee McKinsey.

If a site can't honor McKinsey, then I say fuck 'em!

I thought Nick was hot. I taped some awful horror movie that actor was in, just to see his naked ass.

Scott Valentine (Nick) posed for Playgirl. Of course, he didn't show the good bits but he did show a lot of skin.

All these years and I thought it was maraschino cherries that Hanks drank, not vanilla extract.

That episode was so heavily promoted I was tired of Tom Hanks before it even aired. He was hailed by the press as the second coming, and it lead to him having a movie career. Damn you, "Family Ties." Damn you all to hell.

So who here has had Scott Valentine?

A recap of "A, My Name is Alex" -

I've heard this show never had great ratings in syndication, but they've been running it on two stations lately.

I actually think it holds up way better than The Cosby Show and was much less preachy. The first 3 seasons where really funny with an occasion poignant episode. I still think one of the funniest episodes of any comedy was the Mr. Tedesco episode. I do agree with other posters who said the downfall of the show started with adding Andrew and continued with Nick. Lauren wasn't a good addition either.

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Justine did not age well.

When I watch it now I'm mainly struck that Meredith Baxter was really a poor actress. Both Michael J. and Michael Gross were skilled comic actors, with great timing, but Meredith always came across as either overly flat or overly emotional. I'm not surprised the focus of the show quickly shifted from her to Michael J.

Meredith Baxter was drunk on every show R93 which is most likely why she was sucked.

Was the show supposed to be a Meredith vehicle?

Regarding Parkinson's, in his autobiography Lucky Man he mentioned that a costar he had on a show he did in Canada before FT also had early-onset Parkinsons. He was definitely speculating if it was environmental. I used to love this show as a young kid, I had an enormous crush on MJF, he was my second crush after Ricky Schroeder. It is unwatchable as an adult.

I always thought that if they ever did a movie about the Keatons in the present time that Alex would have died working for Cantor Fitzgerald on 9/11.

Only a complete idiot would drink 12 sodas a day.

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Thanks R101

I never believe 1 word that comes out of Baxter's mouth.

Boys (and especially men who look like boys) who drink diet soda = no second date.

I liked the episode where Michael J. Fox defies Meredith Baxter Birney and goes to a bar with his friends and Meredith Baxter Birney finds the bar and drags his ass out of there.

My other favourite episode is Michael Gross disrupting the girl scout meeting.

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The show wouldn't fly today, of course, but Fox was so endearing.

Ellen summed it up when she said he was this pompous Republican on the outside but inside he was a guy who cared about his family.

Alex's relationship with Nick was gold.

"What, Alex? You don't think you don't got nuthin' to learn from me? You don't think I ain't got nuthin' to teach you?"

"No, Nick. I don't think. You ain't. Got nuthin'. To teach me."

WHET Scott Valentine?

I loathed with a passion Alex and Ellen's love theme: "At This Moment" by Billy and the Beaters. It's one of the worst songs of all time.

"Family Ties" is a very eighties tv show that doesn't hold up today. I never understood the appeal of it even back then.

Scott Valentine was in a movie where he turned into a werewolf and I think he was in the Garbage Pail Kids movie, so I think that sums up his career. I never thought he was attractive, he seems like a 3rd rate Sly Stallone without the muscles. I think I remember reading he had gone to college, so at least some acting was involved in playing Nick. I am still mad Jeff cheated on Mallory.

R96 but she was smart enough to lock in a most favored nations clause in her contract, so that no matter how hot Fox got she still get paid more. Thus ET's 1989 "investigative report" on Tv's highest paid TV stars, MMB topped the list at 120k/ep (yes even more than Joan Collins). So as bitter as she was I'm sure that served as a bit of consolation.

However, I did think she was a pretty good actress, who brought and extra sensisitivety and depth to the mother's parts - yes, I really do love that 18th birthday episode.

Certain stylistic choices aside, I actually think it holds up well. It's definitely one of the best acted of the "family sitcoms."

I liked it. Better than Growing Pains but alas it was no Mr. Belvedere.

JUST THE TEN OF US (the Growing Pains spinoff) was better than GP and FT.

Which show had the boner?

Some of my favorite episodes are when Mallory is in danger of not graduating high school if she doesn't pass her history final. And when Alex removes Andy from preschool.

I don't understand how people say it doesn't hold up besides the obvious 80s backdrop. They did a teen pregnancy storyline, a drug storyline, dad has a heart attack storyline etc... It wasn't some G rated sitcom, much better than a lot of the crap seen today.

Didn't MB play MJF mom on Spin City? Seems like there was no animosity there.

Loved Mr. Belvedere too, R117.

R121 - That was Growing Pains.

Was it Tracey Gold's, R125?

Watching it on Netflix right now and while it doesn't "hold up", i'm impressed with the intelligence of the subjects they handle and the cultural references. We have become SO dumbed down in 30 years.

For instance R116?

I'm convinced Skippy was gay and transferring his love of Alex onto Mallory. Once I saw him grab Alex's leg in the last episode, that settled it in my mind once and for all.

[quote]I don't understand how people say it doesn't hold up besides the obvious 80s backdrop. They did a teen pregnancy storyline, a drug storyline, dad has a heart attack storyline etc... It wasn't some G rated sitcom, much better than a lot of the crap seen today.

The term "doesn't hold up" is thrown out there a lot. It doesn't apply to this show. It was smarter and funnier than all the TGIF shows put together and had something to say. They even did an episode about reenacting the Declaration of Independence. Even President Reagan liked it despite the fact that they were basically making fun of young Republicans.

[quote]Shows hire 8 year olds that look 4 because they can work longer; it's the Adam Rich syndrome. They grow up funny looking.

Brian Bonsall (b. December 3, 1981) was in fact still 4 when he was cast to play Andy. His first episode, "Be True to Your Preschool" (the first episode of Season 5), aired on September 25, 1986.

When the show ended its run on May 14, 1989, Bonsall had just turned 7.

I was on this.

Bonsall retired from acting in 1995 when he was 13. He has said he has no plans or interest to return to acting. I'm not surprised he hasn't attended FAMILY TIES reunions or STAR TREK conventions. He never cared for the business.

Brian peaked at 11 with a truly awful Disney movie called [italic]Blank Check[/italic], and if he doesn't get his act together soon, he'll be the next Dana Plato.

I was a kid when I saw that movie in theaters and even then it looked like a bargain basement cross between [italic]Home Alone[/italic] and [italic]Brewster's Millions[/italic]. Then I learned the screenwriter also wrote [italic]Stop or My Mom Will Shoot[/italic]. He also wrote a book about screenwriting.

[quote]I was on this. by: Courteney Cox

So?

It's a tired trope, but I really liked the episode where Skippy and Mallory get locked in the basement while the Keatons are away at their grandmother's house.

Skippy was so adorkable! I don't know what Mallory didn't see in him. I never really cared for Nick. Then again, I've never liked guys with long manes.

R124 - But I have worked since.

R123, aww, I loved BLANK CHEKC as a kid! What kid wouldn't want a blank check they could put the amount they wanted and buy anything they desired?

Though I didn't realize it at the time, but now as a grown adult, the scene at the end when the female FBI agent played by Karen Duffy locks lips with him is a bit unsettling. Especially since Bonsall was only 11 at the time of fliming and she was 31, and in the movie they were out on a date. (This was a Disney movie, too.)

Michael Gross is a sweetie man.

I liked the Jennifer Keaton becomes a popular mean girl story arc.

"Like hi okay?" =)

Justine Bateman would do interviews about how smart she was and how she was going to go to college and be a magazine editor or fashion designer. She did enroll in college, UCLA, 30 years later to study computer science.

Fox had a weight issue, thus the Diet Pepsi.

Not ONE word about Geena Davis? Hanks already had been in "Bosom Buds"...and "Mazes And Monsters", but "Family Ties" reakky helped launch Geena.

I miss The Hub and Hubboom. Late-night "Happy Days", "Batman", "Laverne & Shirley", "Mork & Mindy", "GI Joe A Real American Hero", a nice nostalgia binge.

I love those Geena Davis episodes.

And I agree with r116/118 - for a family sitcom especially it was exceptionally smart, and well acted (especially from Fox obviously). And even before it got the ratings boost from Cosby, just like Cheers, it was a critical darling. So this is hardly a case of looking back on a show with rose colored glasses.

What unbelievable, however, is that, by the last season or two MMB was the highest paid woman on television - you know why? Because she had one of those clauses (I forget what they were called, equal something?) that said she would always be the highest paid, get the most perks, etc.

When the show began that seemed perfectly reasonable, but once MJF became a huge star that turned into a pretty sweet deal for her, and eventually she was earning 120K per Episode.

[quote]I know he was famous from the show, but was MJF considered a superstar from the show alone? Or was it Back to the Future that put him on the A List?

FAMILY TIES made him a household name and A-lister on TV, but BACK TO THE FUTURE made him a movie star.

Before TIES, he had done a couple TV movies (LETTER FROM FRANK, TROUBLE IN HIGH TIMBER COUNTRY), guest-starred on TV shows (TRAPPER JOHN, M.D., LOU GRANT, FAMILY, THE LOVE BOAT, NIGHT COURT), and a short-lived drama (PALMERSTOWN, U.S.A.).

But he was unknown when he was cast in TIES. In fact, the parents were originally going to be the focus of the show, but the kids, especially Fox, were the breakout stars. The same thing happened with VALERIE. Valerie Harper was supposed to be the focus, but Jason Bateman stole her thunder, and the focus shifted to him and the brothers.

Anyway, 1985 really solidified his A-list status. That summer Fox starred in two hits: TEEN WOLF and the blockbuster BACK TO THE FUTURE, which was the #1 film of the year. That summer Fox also got his first nomination for the TIES, which he won in September. He would go on to win two more times, consecutively (1986, 1987).

Meanwhile, in 1987 he had THE SECRET OF MY SUCCESS, which was the #7 of the year, and BACK TO THE FUTURE PART II (1989) and BACK TO THE FUTURE PART III (1990), which were the #3 and #6 films of their respective years. Of course, there were a few duds along the way (LIGHT OF DAY, CASUALTIES OF WAR, DOC HOLLYWOOD).

It seems that his TV and film success seemed to wane after TIES ended in 1989 and BACK TO THE FUTURE franchise ran its course by 1990. But he had a great run for nearly a decade. I greatly admire for not ditching his show once Hollywood came calling (looking at you Shelley Long). I think that's partly why he's so well-liked in the industry. He's so affable and loyal.

This show may have been a sitcom, but it often had the tone of a dramedy. It was pretty well done for what it was. It was high art when you compared it to the pure cheese of Growing Pains, which was obviously ABC's attempt to remake Family Ties, but a dumbed down and even more formulaic facsimile.

One thing I always remember about Family Ties was the many episodes where one or more of the characters would make a scene in public (e.g., start an argument in a restaurant, embarrass one another by revealing something private in front of others, have an emotional breakdown in front of strangers, etc.). It kind of became a trope, much like misunderstandings were to 'Three's Company'.

R133 you forgot the classic 1985 TV a movie Poison Ivy!

R134 that reminds me of an E! THS on Growing Pains. Joanna Kerns (who I actually like) was trying to rationalize the decline of her shows, and she said: in the 80s it was all about family sitcoms like GP, Cosby, Family Ties, but by the 90s they were going out of style for shows like Friends. Like yeah way to go Joanna, trying to subtly lump in your pos show with two A list ones.

Nick (Mallory's 'tough guy' boyfriend) put on the worst NY/NJ accent I've ever heard in my life. He is supposed to be from Cleveland so why try and speak with a NY/NJ accent? I hate when sitcoms do this - no matter what state the show takes place in, the blue-collar guy always has a NY accent.

That's funny, r136. Growing Pains was more akin to crap like Full House, Family Matters, Step by Step. It was never as good as Family Ties for sure.

Growing Pains lasted as long as it did because of that shitstain Kirk Cameron and his teen idol status at the time. Now it's pretty much just a footnote in Leonardo DiCarpio's resume.

R137 that bothered me about Carla Tortelli and her brood on CHEERS. They're supposed to be Italian-Americans from Boston's North End, and yet they all speak like they're from Brooklyn. Not surprisingly Rhea Perlman, Dan Hedaya (ex-husband), and Leah Remini (daughter) are from Brooklyn. When they had scenes of Carla at home interacting with her very Italian and Catholic family (including her sisters and mother), it was like they stepped off a Martin Scorsese production.

R137 in general I don't like Nick centered episodes but the first one is a classic.

Nick: do you guys always eat like this? Alex: You mean with utensils?

They should have dropped him after a couple of episodes.

R138 exactly. It made Who's the Boss look like Shakespeare.

I like Joanna Kerns though, just in general. She was really good on this Three's Company episode from the final season and I'm gonna take a guess and say she landed some sort of deal to do shows for ABC. But she really deserved something better.

[quote]They should have dropped him after a couple of episodes.

Well, they did try to give him his own spin-off after the 5th season, THE ART OF BEING NICK (which also starred Julia Louis-Dreyfus, strangely enough), but the pilot didn't take, so Valentine stayed with TIES.

You can watch the pilot here:

Did anyone else think Nick was just a rip-off of The Fonz, down to his leather jacket and "Heeeeey!" greeting?

R142 didn't know that...but obviously Gary David Goldberg liked JLD, because soon after he picked her for another sitcom, Day by Day (the one with the infamous Brady Bunch episode).

And the actor who played Greg went on to play him in the Brady Bunch movies. He also was the football player Dorothy wanted to flunk on an episode of GG.

R143 probably. A Fonz for the 80s, so to speak.

But Henry Winkler was actually a talented actor who could do other things (see Night Shift). It's a shame that role type cast him for life.

[quote]I like Joanna Kerns though, just in general. She was really good on this Three's Company episode from the final season and I'm gonna take a guess and say she landed some sort of deal to do shows for ABC. But she really deserved something better.

I wonder whether [italic]Growing Pains[/italic] would have been a better show if another actor had played Mike Seaver. It was Kirk's sanctimoniousness that killed that show. I can only imagine what the writers' room was like. It's difficult, if not downright impossible, to write good material when people with agendas like his are breathing down one's neck. It bears repeating: he had Julie McCullough fired over her Playboy shoot.

In spite of all that, Mike Seaver still managed to come off as a douchebag in a way Alex P. Keaton wasn't even at his worst (i.e. any time the writers tried to make him into a twink Ebenezer Scrooge).

I still enjoy watching random episodes of FT on Netflix from time to time. There were some hysterical episodes, like the one where the kids turned their house into a hotel while their parents were away. It definitely went downhill toward the end, but in its prime, I think they had some of the best writing of any '80s show.

[quote]Bonsall retired from acting in 1995 when he was 13. He has said he has no plans or interest to return to acting. I'm not surprised he hasn't attended FAMILY TIES reunions or STAR TREK conventions. He never cared for the business.

The kid is a mess, in jail for beating his wife or girlfriend and tattooed up the wazoo. He is a loser.

The show was awful. None of the kids had any friends, unless an episode called for it, then they brought out an unheard of friend that was supposedly that person's best friend.

Jennifer never fit with the family. She was a fat turd, that never worked. The father was dull and too tall to be Alex's dad. Mallory was funny but clearly putting her hear was merely an attempt to appease her borther to staying with NBC, as it took awhile for NBC to make Jason Bateman happen.

R145 nah, the show was crap from the beginning.

It just wasn't written to be a good show.

And it also had Alan Thicke. You would have to have gotten rid of him, too.

R145 - "I wonder whether Growing Pains would have been a better show if another actor had played Mike Seaver. It was Kirk's sanctimoniousness that killed that show."

Kirk did not start off as a fundie. He was an atheist till he had a conversion midway through the show. That's when he got Julie Cialini, who played his girlfriend. fired because she posed in Playboy.

Nick was not supposed to be Fonzie. He was supposed to be a dumb kid. They brought him in to cause drama between Mallory and the parents.

[quote]He was supposed to be a dumb kid.

Chip off the old block.

Did Playgirl ever offer Michael J. Fox the cover?

[quote]I hate when sitcoms do this - no matter what state the show takes place in, the blue-collar guy always has a NY accent.

I completely agree.

[quote]Did Playgirl ever offer Michael J. Fox the cover?

No, but he showed his ass in the movie [italic]Greedy[/italic]. That and his Jimmy Durante impression were the only thing I remember about that movie.

[quote]I loathed with a passion Alex and Ellen's love theme: "At This Moment" by Billy and the Beaters. It's one of the worst songs of all time.

God, it was terrible.

Does Jason Bateman have an uber fan r147?

I always hated this show, almost as much as "Growing Pains".

One of the worst sitcoms ever, badly written and acted and has there ever been a worse theme song? NBC is notorious for the worst sitcoms. Never liked Cheers either. Unpleasant people, one note show. And Family Ties was supposed to be Columbus, Ohio, not Cleveland. Seinfeld was so overrated and definitely does not hold up. Never could tolerate Cosby show. Friends was ok but nothing special and another annoying theme song. NBC traditionally has had the worst shows of all the networks. I can only think of a few I have ever watched--PASSIONS, high camp fun, Chicago Fire and Chicago PD, that's about it.

Did they graft on somebody else's boob on that Playgirl cover? Looks quite lopsided.

[quote]NBC traditionally has had the worst shows of all the networks.

ABC's were worse by far.

[quote]has there ever been a worse theme song

The melody and chord progressions are quite lovely. But oh those lyrics! What's worse is that in syndication they cut the opening verse but left us with the chorus. Paramount likes to do that to some of their shows' theme songs in syndication.

The [italic]Friends[/italic] theme took five people to write, and based on that, its repetitive, pedestrian melody and codependent, vaguely Christianist lyrics, as well as the complete and total vileness of the show it belongs to, I would call it far worse. Also can't stand the themes to [italic]Sister Sister[/italic] or the ludicrously overrated [italic]Malcolm in the Middle[/italic]. As far as I'm concerned, popular music died with Howard Ashman.

I think this merits its own thread: worst theme songs!

Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus

[quote]As far as I'm concerned, popular music died with Howard Ashman.

Ashman was not a composer. He only wrote the lyrics for his collaborations with composers Barry Mann ("Once Upon a Time in NYC" from Disney's OLIVER & CO.), Marvin Hamlisch (Broadway musical SMILE), and Alan Menken (Off-Broadway musical GOD BLESS YOU, MR., Off-Broadway musical LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, Disney's THE LITTLE MERMAID, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, and "Arabian Nights," "Friend Like Me," "Prince Ali" ALADDIN).

R152 I wonder what Valentine had to say about foreskins in that issue.

R154. Hear, hear! I got a stiffy wile watching that scene as a 13-year-old. It's the only reason I went to see the movie in theaters, because the reviewer mentioned his bare bum and how they had to hire someone to paint a fake tattoo on it.

R163: So? Disney hasn't been getting better since he died, and nor has any other genre of music.

[quote]Also can't stand the themes to Sister Sister

Please! "Sister, Sister" had a fun, hip theme song (for the 90's).

Thanks for that, r130. Good for her.

Justine in the 80s struck me as being very savvy and aware.

[quote]So? Disney hasn't been getting better since he died, and nor has any other genre of music.

DIsney had barely begun the Disney Renaissance when he died in early 1991. He only lived to see THE LITTLE MERMAID released in November 1989. The second movie of the Renaissance, BEAUTY AND THE MOVIE, was released in November 1991, 8 months after Ashman's death. Though he contributed three songs to ALADDIN before he died, the theme song, "A Whole New World" (written by Menken & Tim Rice), was the one that took off, knocking off Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" off it's 14-week reign at #1. The song also won the Grammy AND Oscar, something a Menken/Ashman collaboration never did. The Renaissance hit its peak in 1994 with THE LION KING, 3 years after Ashman's death.

I'm not downplaying Ashman's contributions. He was instrumental in the late '80s with getting Disney animation off the ground after the company nearly went bankrupt, but he was not the only one. And the renaissance continued for another 9 years after his death.

Can we talk a little bit more about the beauty and comedic talent of the actress who played Jennifer?

Tina seemed to get worse with her acting as the show went on.

One thing I always found odd was Alex going to an unknown college and living at home. I know they had to keep him on the show, but it seemed implausible given his character. I don't think it was ever mentioned. It's as if his college years where just a continuation of HS, complete with family dinners.

Alex spent his first semester at a college out-of-state but returned home after he was raped.

I agree about Alex staying at home during college. I can see why they did it for the show, but it really seemed out of character for him. The way the show ended with him dumping his girlfriend before he leaves for grad school to make that his top priority seemed a lot more in character.

That was such a common problem for those sitcoms where the high school kid had a prominent role. I thought the same thing when Richie Cunningham stayed at home after college. Then they also kept hanging out with the high school kids at Arnold's. In retrospect, the fact that 50 year old Fonzie was still hanging out their cruising for dates is a little creepy.

Similar issue, recently be catching some episodes of Father Knows Best, and Betty turned down a chance to go to a good out of town college to attend the local junior college and live at home. That seemed just as out of character for her as Alex Keaton (Richie - was more believable staying at home). Betty was pretty ambitious. I will give the show some credit, even though she stayed living at home, she did seem to take college seriously, and they did not just have her whining about some boy. It is nice that they did not just marry her off and kept her independent. I am not sure she would have approved how Katie Douglas quickly became domesticated (and was a pretty passive character).

It is funny how some of those sitcoms seemed to get more reactionary as 1970 approached in the roles of women. I think the girls on Petticoat Junction got both dumber and more submissive the last few years of the series.

Did Alex Keaton really get raped at college?

Yes, r176. By special guest star, Bruce Willis.

Maybe Leland was real nearby and it didn't make sense to pay for a dorm.

Who knew all of them would turn out so fucked up eh?

Asaad Kelada!

The cause of Parkinson's is still not known. This article says they suspect a genetic component in some people. Environment seems to be the most prevalent theory. Diet soda was not mentioned.

"And there ain't no nothin'

We can't love each other through..."

Bumping because someone in another thread said Courtney Cox said racist things on set. Any truth to this? Lauren sunk the show, it would have been much better to keep hearing about the never-seen Susie Farkus

[quote]In retrospect, the fact that 50 year old Fonzie was still hanging out their cruising for dates is a little creepy.

That and Scott Baio are why I’d rather watch [italic]Laverne & Shirley[/italic] out of all of the show Garry Marshall made at Paramount.

[italic]Family Ties[/italic], and to a lesser extent [italic]Webster[/italic] (which actually got better ratings than the studio’s two NBC sitcoms in their pre-Cosby years), proved that they could make a successful family sitcom without the aid of Marshall or of Sherwood Schwartz. They tried copying the Norman Lear style with tape and no production music, while Gary David Goldberg’s writing background was actually at MTM Productions, specifically [italic]The Bob Newhart Show[/italic].

[quote]Who knew all of them would turn out so fucked up eh?

And who knew that the lesbian would be the least fucked-up of them all?

Justine Bateman is like Lisa Bonet to me. They seem to distant themselves from their shows and they're a little out there. Most shows seem to have a cast member like them

I wrote this in a previous "Family Ties" thread and it bears repeating again. Bateman had issues with the show after the TPTB refused to alter the schedule to allow her to attend College.

In the middle of season 3, Bateman got accepted to several Ivy League Universities. Despite playing an airhead, Bateman was very serious about her schooling. Naively she assumed the show would let her work part-time. Maybe do only 13 episodes. Or work around her classes where she wasn't that storyline heavy in episodes. She wouldn't even mind being let out of her contract.

To her shock, TPTB wouldn't even negotiate a lighter workload, or even give an inch to a schedule that would work around her schooling. They held her to her contract, refusing any concessions.

After that her attitude about the show went downhill. And from season 4 to 7, her ambivalent attitude about the show was evident in her on-screen performance.

Gross had good comic timing, could play villians, too. Not a leading man, always an ensemble person--probably why he was cast. MBB was far less versatile. Bateman's fucked-up life probably enabled her to make an unlikeable character sympathetic. The show was kindof starchy and had to many episodes that were "very special" or should have been promoted that way, although not as bad as "Blossom" where every other episode seemed to be promoted as "very special".

The Hogan family went to Paris but the Keaton's went to London right?

Cocaine use may be linked to Parkinson's.

Alex left Monica for Marty and Niles left Mel for Daphne.

Both Alex and the father were the worst elements of FT. Supremely irritating. Wish Justine Bateman had been made the star. At least she was good looking.

R191 - That's all kinds of wrong.

Courteney Cox is from Alabama, so it’s not out of the realm of possibility to be a racist asshole.

Yeah, that show was cheesy beyond belief. Why did people watch it? Boredom, there were a lot less choices at the time. That's how they dumbed everything down and still succeeded. They simply gave us little to no choice.

Tina Yothers was a drip.

[quote]Jennifer looks like a big tranny.

Not a tranny, but she did hit puberty in an odd way....

R195 I agree, a lot of TV was pretty shit then. Growing Pains, Who’s The Boss, Family Ties, all seem like after bad after school specials now.

R197. You beat me to it. One of the funniest bits Family Guy ever did.

R197 - She was a smallish tomboy when she started out as a child actress; who knew she would grow up have such unHollywood looks?

The fact that she was standing next to tiny, TV-sized waifs like JB and MBB didn't help, let alone li'l 5'4" MJF!

I feel sorry for Steven Keaton because if he was still working for PBS during the Barney the Dinosaur craze, then that would probably give him another heart attack.