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Family Ties

1982–1989 · Comedy, Drama, Family · 7 seasons · ★ 7.2

EndedNBC+13
Where to watchSeasons

Synopsis of Family Ties

Columbus, Ohio, during the administration of Ronald Reagan. Steven and Elyse Keaton are a liberal baby boomer couple, former hippies raising four children. Elyse is an independent architect, and Steven works at a local public television station. Their eldest son, Alex, is an ambitious young Republican who admires Reagan's economics and dreams of becoming a millionaire businessman. Mallory, the eldest daughter, is interested in fashion and boys and stays out of politics, while Jennifer, the youngest in the house, is a sporty girl. The series, created by Gary David Goldberg and aired on NBC, turns the clash between the parents' and children's ideas into the engine of the comedy.

«Laughter. Tears. Politics... MEET THE KEATONS.»

7seasons
168episodes
62 minper episode
7.2audience scoreTMDB · 280 votes
7.3IMDb rating22,547 votes

Seasons of Family Ties

Season 1Season 11982 · 22 ep. · ★ 7.3Season 2Season 21983 · 22 ep. · ★ 7.2Season 3Season 31984 · 23 ep. · ★ 7.6Season 4Season 41985 · 23 ep. · ★ 1.0Season 5Season 51986 · 28 ep.Season 6Season 61987 · 26 ep.Season 7Season 71988 · 24 ep. · ★ 1.0

Cast by Family Ties

Meredith BaxterMeredith BaxterElyse Keaton168 episodes
Michael GrossMichael GrossSteven Keaton168 episodes
Michael J. FoxMichael J. FoxAlex P. Keaton168 episodes
Justine BatemanJustine BatemanMallory Keaton168 episodes
Tina YothersTina YothersJennifer Keaton168 episodes
Brian BonsallBrian BonsallAndy Keaton78 episodes
Marc PriceMarc PriceSkippy50 episodes
Scott ValentineScott ValentineNick Moore40 episodes
Courteney CoxCourteney CoxLauren Miller17 episodes
Tracy PollanTracy PollanEllen Reed12 episodes
John HancockJohn HancockGus Thompson7 episodes
Terry WillsDwane7 episodes
Robert SchancheThe Milkman7 episodes
Enid KentEnid KentRobin6 episodes
Alan BlumenfeldAlan BlumenfeldMr. Gleason6 episodes
John PetlockReverend Wilson5 episodes
Norman ParkerNorman ParkerRobert Keaton5 episodes
Robert CostanzoRobert CostanzoMax Schneider5 episodes
John DukakisJohn DukakisJeff Wakefield4 episodes
Bunny SummersBunny SummersMrs. Binney4 episodes
Ben PiazzaBen PiazzaEd Nelson4 episodes
Michael David WrightMichael David WrightKevin Jenkins4 episodes
David WohlDavid WohlRalph Boswell4 episodes
Denise D'AmicoMrs. Clark4 episodes
Melinda CuleaMelinda CuleaRebecca Ryan3 episodes
Tom HanksTom HanksNed Donnelly3 episodes
Philip Baker HallPhilip Baker HallDr. Harrison3 episodes
Walter OlkewiczWalter OlkewiczWalter Luskin3 episodes
John PutchJohn PutchPete Drucker3 episodes
Timothy BusfieldTimothy BusfieldDoug3 episodes
Jane AdamsJane AdamsAndrea3 episodes
Raymond SingerRaymond SingerDean Hutchinson3 episodes
Matthew FaisonMatthew FaisonRaymond3 episodes
James N. HamiltonBoy3 episodes
Margaret MarxYoung Elyse Donnelly3 episodes
Tammy LaurenTammy LaurenMarilyn Keaton2 episodes
Dan HedayaDan HedayaJoe Moore2 episodes
Rosalind CashRosalind CashMaya Thompson2 episodes
Suzanne SnyderSuzanne SnyderTricia Armstrong2 episodes
Christian ClemensonChristian ClemensonMr. Flaherty2 episodes

Technical Details

Created by
Gary David Goldberg
Address
Will Mackenzie, Matthew Diamond, Asaad Kelada, John Pasquin, Sam Weisman
Writing
Alan Uger, Gary David Goldberg, Michael J. Weithorn, Marc Lawrence, Lloyd Garver
Production companies
Ubu Productions, Paramount Television, NBC Studios
Network or Platform
NBC
Country
United States
Original Language
English
Premiere
September 22, 1982
Last Episode
May 14, 1989 (7x24)
Status
Ended
Type
Fiction
Awards
Won 5 Emmy Awards; 24 wins and 43 nominations in total.
Links
IMDb · TMDB

Awards for Family Ties

  • 🏆 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (1986)
  • 🏆 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series (1987)
  • 🏆 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (1987)
  • 🏆 Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Comedy Series (1987)
  • 🏆 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (1988)

Plus, 14 nominations recorded.

Source: Wikidata

Trivia about Family Ties

Elyse and Steven were meant to be the leads, but audiences responded so well to Alex during the filming of the fourth episode that he became the center of the series.
Michael J. Fox landed the role of Alex only after Matthew Broderick turned it down. Laura Dern was considered for the role of Mallory.
The theme song "Without Us" was composed in 1982 by Jeff Barry and Tom Scott, and Dennis Tufano and Mindy Sterling sang it in the first ten episodes.
Starting with episode 11, the theme song was performed by Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams, because the producers were not happy with the version by Tufano and Sterling.
The song "At This Moment," released in 1981, reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and on the Adult Contemporary chart in January 1987, years after its original release.
Meredith Baxter and Michael Gross, who play the parents, are the same age and share the same birthday: June 21, 1947.
Michael Gross and Brian Bonsall reprised their roles as Steven and Andy Keaton in the episode "Trading Places" of Day by Day, another series from the same production company.
NBC wanted to renew the series for an eighth season, but the cast and creator Gary David Goldberg decided to end it after seven seasons.

Sources: Wikipedia (English)

Where to Watch Family Ties

It is currently not available on the major streaming platforms.

Cast of Family Ties in other movies and series

Meredith BaxterElyse Keaton
Switched at BirthSeriesGleeSeriesBrothers and SistersSeriesThe CloserSeriesCold CaseSeriesFamily GuySeriesSpin CitySeries7th HeavenSeries
Michael GrossSteven Keaton
Tremors: Shrieker IslandMovieTremors: A Cold Day in HellMovieGrace and FrankieSeriesThe AffairSeriesAnger ManagementSeriesLast Man StandingSeriesSuitsSeriesDrop Dead DivaSeries
Michael J. FoxAlex P. Keaton
Zootopia 2MovieShrinkingSeriesThe Good FightSeriesDesignated SurvivorSeriesThe Good WifeSeriesPhineas and FerbSeriesBoston LegalSeriesRescue MeSeries
Justine BatemanMallory Keaton
Modern FamilySeriesPrivate PracticeSeriesCalifornicationSeriesPsychSeriesDesperate HousewivesSeriesArrested DevelopmentSeriesLois & Clark: The New Adventures of SupermanSeriesRugratsSeries
Brian BonsallAndy Keaton
Star Trek: The Next GenerationSeries
Courteney CoxLauren Miller
Scream 7MovieScream VIMovieScreamMovieScream 4MovieShamelessSeriesCougar TownSeriesModern FamilySeriesWhat Dreams May ComeMovie
Tracy PollanEllen Reed
Inventing AnnaSeriesMediumSeriesLaw & Order: Criminal IntentSeriesLaw & Order: Special Victims UnitSeriesSpin CitySeries

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many seasons does Family Ties have?

Family Ties has 7 seasons and 168 episodes in total.

Where to Watch Family Ties

Family Ties is currently not available on the major subscription streaming platforms (availability may vary by country). It originally aired on NBC.

Is Family Ties over?

Yes. Family Ties has ended, and its final episode aired on May 14, 1989.

Who stars in Family Ties?

The main cast includes Meredith Baxter (Elyse Keaton), Michael Gross (Steven Keaton), Michael J. Fox (Alex P. Keaton) and Justine Bateman (Mallory Keaton).

Who created Family Ties?

Family Ties was created by Gary David Goldberg.

How long does it take to watch all of Family Ties?

With episodes of about 62 minutes, watching all 168 episodes takes approximately 174 hours.

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