Barnes & Noble

This 1982-83 Reagan-era sitcom flipped All in the Family's volatile dynamics on its head: Instead of a conservative father butting heads with his liberal son-in-law, the heart of Family Ties is the generational conflict between the former hippie parents and their children. The show's first season introduced us to liberal parents Steven and Elyse Keaton (Michael Gross and Meredith Baxter), and their three children, teenage daughter Mallory (Justine Bateman), precocious nine-year-old Jennifer (Tina Yothers), and staunchly Republican 17-year-old Alex (Michael J. Fox), who worships at the altars of Milton Friedman and William F. Buckley. Fox would go on to win three Emmys as the ambitious, quick-witted Alex, ranked by cable network Bravo as among TV's top 30 greatest characters. The series also tackled some difficult subjects, including teenage pregnancy, nuclear weapons (this is the 1980s, after all), and even child molestation (in "Give Uncle Arthur a Kiss," a family friend has inappropriate contact with Mallory). In the two-part "The Fugitive," future Oscar winner Tom Hanks guest-stars as Elyse Keaton's irresponsible younger brother, Ned, a corporate executive on the run from the FBI for conscience-motivated embezzlement. As with any long-running show, it's fun to check out Season 1 to see how the characters evolved. In Family Ties' case, though, one can't help but be struck by how much the Mallory character actually devolved. An airhead in subsequent seasons, here she is much more appealingly and believably grounded. That sappy theme song notwithstanding, it is a pleasure to be reunited with the Keatons and their more nurturing blend of politics and punch lines. These are Ties that bind. Donald Liebenson

Product Details

• UPC: 097360405521
• Source: PARAMOUNT
• Region Code: 1
• Aspect Ratio: Pre-1954 Standard (1.33.1)
• Sound: Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Mono
• Language: English
• Time: 8:48:00
• Sales Rank: 14,176

This set contains DVDs which may be available separately:

• Family Ties: Pilot
• Family Ties: Not With My Sister You Don't
• Family Ties: I Know Jennifer's Boyfriend
• Family Ties: Summer of '82
• Family Ties: I Never Killed For My Father
• Family Ties: Give Your Uncle Arthur a Kiss
• Family Ties: Big Brother is Watching
• Family Ties: No Nukes is Good Nukes
• Family Ties: Death of a Grocer
• Family Ties: Have Gun Will Unravel
• Family Ties: A Christmas Story
• Family Ties: Oops!
• Family Ties: Sherry Baby
• Family Ties: The Fugitive, Part 1
• Family Ties: The Fugitive, Part 2
• Family Ties: Margin of Error
• Family Ties: French Lessons
• Family Ties: I Gotta Be Ming
• Family Ties: Suzanne Takes You Down
• Family Ties: The Fifth Wheel
• Family Ties: Stage Fright
• Family Ties: Elyse D'Arc

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