"Family Ties" (1982) TV series 1982-1989

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Creator:

Gary David Goldberg
(more)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Release Date:

22 September 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family

Plot:

A couple who were ardently leftwing political activists in the sixties face the problems of raising...

Plot Keywords:

Young Republican | Father Daughter Relationship | Sitcom | Male Female Relationship | Columbus Ohio

Awards:

Won Golden Globe. Another 20 wins & 38 nominations

Cast

Michael Gross	...	Steven Keaton (176 episodes, 1982-1989)
Michael J. Fox	...	Alex P. Keaton (176 episodes, 1982-1989)
Justine Bateman	...	Mallory Keaton (176 episodes, 1982-1989)
Tina Yothers	...	Jennifer Keaton (176 episodes, 1982-1989)
Meredith Baxter	...	Elyse Keaton (171 episodes, 1982-1989)
Brian Bonsall	...	Andrew 'Andy' Keaton (78 episodes, 1986-1989)

(more)

Series Directed by
Sam Weisman		(60 episodes, 1983-1989)
Will Mackenzie		(37 episodes, 1982-1987)
Andrew McCullough		(13 episodes, 1983-1989)
John Pasquin		(13 episodes, 1983-1988)
Matthew Diamond		(13 episodes, 1987-1989)
Asaad Kelada		(8 episodes, 1982-1988)
Tony Mordente		(6 episodes, 1982-1983)
Lee Shallat Chemel		(5 episodes, 1984-1986)
Peter Baldwin		(3 episodes, 1986-1987)
Michael Zinberg		(2 episodes, 1982-1983)
Alan Bergmann		(2 episodes, 1982)
Barbara Schultz		(2 episodes, 1985-1987)
Lynn Hamrick		(2 episodes, 1986-1987)
Steven Robman		(2 episodes, 1986-1987)
Debbie Allen		(2 episodes, 1987-1988)

Series Writing credits
Gary David Goldberg		(80 episodes, 1982-1988)
Alan Uger		(38 episodes, 1983-1989)
Marc Lawrence		(31 episodes, 1984-1989)
Ruth Bennett		(26 episodes, 1982-1989)
Michael J. Weithorn		(26 episodes, 1982-1986)
Susan Borowitz		(19 episodes, 1983-1989)
Katie Ford		(11 episodes, 1987-1989)
Lloyd Garver		(8 episodes, 1982-1988)
Rich Reinhart		(5 episodes, 1983-1986)
Bruce Helford		(5 episodes, 1985-1989)
Stephen Curwick		(5 episodes, 1985-1987)
Douglas Wyman		(4 episodes, 1983-1989)
Joanne Pagliaro		(2 episodes, 1982)
Lisa A. Bannick		(2 episodes, 1983-1984)
Bruce David		(2 episodes, 1985-1987)
Shannon Gaughan		(2 episodes, 1988-1989)
Matthew Monaster		(2 episodes, 1988-1989)
Bill Steinkellner		(unknown episodes)
Cherie Steinkellner		(unknown episodes)
Lawrence Uger		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
Gary David Goldberg	....	executive producer (175 episodes, 1982-1989)
Michael J. Weithorn	....	producer / supervising producer (80 episodes, 1983-1988)
Carol Himes	....	co-producer / line producer (74 episodes, 1982-1988)
June Galas	....	associate producer (72 episodes, 1982-1987)
Lloyd Garver	....	executive producer / producer (69 episodes, 1982-1987)
Alan Uger	....	producer / co-executive producer (33 episodes, 1984-1988)
Ruth Bennett	....	producer (22 episodes, 1984-1987)
Marc Lawrence	....	supervising producer (4 episodes, 1987-1988)
Susan Borowitz	....	producer (2 episodes, 1987-1988)
Dianne Edwards Thorington	....	associate producer (2 episodes, 1987-1988)

Series Original Music by
Tom Scott		(69 episodes, 1982-1987)
J.A.C. Redford		(unknown episodes, 1989)
John Beasley		(unknown episodes)
Dominic Messinger		(unknown episodes)
Rick Rhodes		(unknown episodes)

Series Cinematography by
Robert F. Liu		(104 episodes, 1985-1989)
Mikel Neiers		(45 episodes, 1982-1987)
Richard A. Kelley		(9 episodes, 1984-1986)
Dominic Palmieri		(9 episodes, 1985-1987)
Bill Chapman		(3 episodes, 1984)
Tony Cestare		(2 episodes, 1984)
Tony Yarlett		(2 episodes, 1984)

Series Film Editing by
Gary Anderson		(71 episodes, 1982-1987)
Ed Brennan		(4 episodes, 1983-1984)
Jon Bellis		(2 episodes, 1986-1987)

Series Casting by
Judith Weiner		(73 episodes, 1982-1987)
Donald De Line		(10 episodes, 1983-1984)
Allison Jones		(5 episodes, 1985-1987)

Series Art Direction by
James F. Claytor Sr.		(71 episodes, 1982-1987)
James F. Clayton		(2 episodes, 1982-1987)

Series Set Decoration by
Chuck Rutherford		(65 episodes, 1982-1987)
Tom Cost		(3 episodes, 1985-1987)

Series Makeup Department
Rick Provenzano	....	hair stylist (61 episodes, 1982-1987)
Bron Roylance	....	makeup artist (35 episodes, 1982-1987)
Dulcie Smith	....	makeup artist (27 episodes, 1984-1987)
Candida Conery	....	hair stylist (7 episodes, 1983-1984)
David Dittmar	....	makeup artist (7 episodes, 1983-1984)
Bridget Cook	....	hair stylist (2 episodes, 1984)
Marina Hart	....	hair stylist (unknown episodes)

Series Production Management
Mitchell R. Semel	....	executive in charge of production (1 episode, 1987)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ginger Grigg	....	associate director (39 episodes, 1982-1987)
Rita Rogers	....	associate director (30 episodes, 1983-1986)
Tom Rickard	....	associate director (5 episodes, 1982-1983)

Series Sound Department
Bob Lowe	....	audio (39 episodes, 1982-1987)
Larry Lasota	....	audio (24 episodes, 1984-1987)
Norm Schwartz	....	audio (7 episodes, 1982-1983)
Allen Patapoff	....	re-recording mixer (5 episodes, 1985-1987)
George Velmer	....	audio (3 episodes, 1982-1983)
Gordon Klimuck	....	audio (2 episodes, 1984)
Ross Deane	....	sound maintenance engineer (unknown episodes)

Series Stunts
Buck McDancer	....	stunt coordinator (unknown episodes)
Stuart St. Paul	....	stunts: UK Episodes (unknown episodes)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Eric Clay	....	video operator (73 episodes, 1982-1987)
Paul Basta	....	camera operator (70 episodes, 1982-1987)
Rick Caswell	....	camera operator (67 episodes, 1982-1987)
Dick Price	....	camera operator (65 episodes, 1982-1987)
Irv Waitsman	....	camera operator (64 episodes, 1982-1987)
Joe Blaisdell	....	camera operator (8 episodes, 1982-1985)
Ken Dahlquist	....	camera operator (4 episodes, 1983-1985)
Diane Biederbeck	....	camera operator (2 episodes, 1982-1984)
Gareth Wilson	....	camera operator (2 episodes, 1982-1983)
Tom Karnowski	....	camera operator (2 episodes, 1982)
Leigh Nicholson	....	camera operator (2 episodes, 1983-1984)
Hank Geving	....	camera operator (unknown episodes)
Adam Glick	....	set lighting technician (unknown episodes)

Series Casting Department
Judith Weiner	....	original casting (1 episode, 1987)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Stacey Phelps	....	costumer: women / costumer (72 episodes, 1982-1987)
Sharon Sampson	....	costume supervisor (55 episodes, 1986-1989)
Louis Infante	....	costumer: men (38 episodes, 1982-1987)
Gala Autumn	....	key costumer (10 episodes, 1988-1989)
Michael Castellano	....	costumer: men (7 episodes, 1982-1983)

Series Music Department
Tom Scott	....	composer: theme music / composer: end credit music / ... (36 episodes, 1982-1985)
Mindy Sterling	....	performer: theme (8 episodes, 1982)
Dennis Tufano	....	performer: theme (8 episodes, 1982)
John Beasley	....	composer: additional music (3 episodes, 1985-1986)

Series Transportation Department
Mitch Friedman	....	driver (3 episodes, 1985-1986)

Series Other crew
Dianne Edwards Thorington	....	production assistant / assistant: Gary Goldberg (73 episodes, 1982-1987)
Merilynn Marko-Sanders	....	script supervisor (73 episodes, 1982-1987)
Parker Roe	....	technical director (71 episodes, 1982-1987)
Andrew McCullough	....	stage manager (70 episodes, 1982-1987)
Robert Schanche	....	production assistant (61 episodes, 1982-1987)
Linda Nieber	....	production assistant (60 episodes, 1982-1987)
Bruce Bryant	....	title designer / main title designer (56 episodes, 1983-1987)
James Castle	....	title designer / main title designer (56 episodes, 1983-1987)
Denise Alexander	....	production assistant (52 episodes, 1983-1987)
Richard Allen	....	stage manager (51 episodes, 1983-1987)
Elaine Arata	....	production assistant (48 episodes, 1982-1987)
Sharl Scharfer-Rollins	....	production assistant (48 episodes, 1983-1987)
Ana Krewson	....	production assistant (45 episodes, 1983-1987)
Ruth Bennett	....	executive story consultant / story editor (44 episodes, 1982-1987)
Rosie Dean	....	production coordinator (44 episodes, 1987-1989)
Shari Genser	....	production assistant (41 episodes, 1983-1987)
Michael Shelley	....	production assistant (28 episodes, 1983-1985)
Jim Hamilton	....	production assistant (28 episodes, 1984-1987)
Gary Palmer	....	technical consultant (26 episodes, 1984-1987)
Alan Uger	....	executive script consultant (24 episodes, 1983-1987)
Heidi Schulte	....	production assistant (23 episodes, 1982-1983)
Valery Garrett	....	production assistant (21 episodes, 1982-1983)
Michael J. Weithorn	....	story consultant (21 episodes, 1982-1983)
Celeste Hines	....	production assistant (18 episodes, 1983-1987)
Janice Pober	....	production assistant (15 episodes, 1982-1983)
Elizabeth Ward	....	stage manager / production assistant / ... (15 episodes, 1982-1983)
Jessie Ward Dugan	....	production assistant / program coordinator (13 episodes, 1985-1987)
Terry Fleming	....	production assistant (12 episodes, 1985-1987)
Marc Lawrence	....	story editor (11 episodes, 1985-1987)
Debby Maffioli	....	production assistant (11 episodes, 1985-1987)
Lisa Onodera	....	production assistant (11 episodes, 1985-1987)
Carol Johnsen	....	title designer (11 episodes, 1985)
Bill Moya	....	production assistant (7 episodes, 1982-1983)
Paul Ross Newman	....	production assistant (7 episodes, 1982-1983)
Joanne Pagliaro	....	story editor (4 episodes, 1982-1983)
Michael Villegas III	....	production assistant (4 episodes, 1983)
Carlo Quinterio	....	stage manager (4 episodes, 1984)
Judy Biggs	....	production assistant (4 episodes, 1985-1987)
Susan Borowitz	....	story editor (4 episodes, 1985-1987)
Jim MacNerland	....	production assistant (4 episodes, 1985-1987)
Craig Zisk	....	production assistant (4 episodes, 1985-1987)
Harriette Regan	....	stage manager (2 episodes, 1983-1984)
Adam Scott	....	stage manager (2 episodes, 1985-1987)
Charles Croughwell	....	stand-in: Mr. Fox (unknown episodes, 1984-1989)
Pablo Ferro	....	title designer: main titles (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• Paramount Television
• Ubu Productions

Distributors

• Paramount Television (1982-) (worldwide) (TV)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1982-1989) (USA) (TV)
• Veronica Omroep Organisatie (1986-19??) (Netherlands) (TV)
• Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD) (season 1)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD) (seasons 1 and 2)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD) (season 3 and 4)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD) (season 5)

Other Companies

• Metromedia Square  videotaped at
• ShowBiz Enterprises  draperies

Runtime:

30 min (180 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG (some episodes) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | USA:TV-G

Filming Locations:

Metromedia Square - 5746 W. Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Television

Trivia:

When Meredith Baxter became pregnant during the hiatus between the second and third seasons, her pregnancy was written into the show. However, she still was written out of several episodes after giving birth to twins in real life.

Quotes:

Elyse Keaton: Alex was offended by our political magazines and ripped them up.
Alex P. Keaton: You have no proof.
Elyse Keaton: Yes we do. We found your rattle on the floor next to the evidence.
Alex P. Keaton: It could have Mallory's.
Elyse Keaton: It was your Nixon rattle.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Family Guy: Stew-Roids (#7.13)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

Without Us

"Family" TV shows don't get much better

If there's something that popular culture from the decades of the 1950s and 1980s share,it's the "family" sitcom(i.e. unitary parents and kids,all attractive and relatively free of deep problems). And while there was some variance of family types,from the more safe,traditional families of "The Cosby Show","Growing Pains" ,"Mr.Belvedere",to the not-so-conventional domestic groupings as "Full House", "The Hogan Family"(originally "VAlerie",which originally aimed to BE a conventional family sitcom) and "Who's the Boss"(or,for that matter,surface-traditional-looking shows "Roseanne" and "Married...With Children"),it seemed to me that as these shows went,none of them matched the wit,warmth and viability as "Family Ties".

The Keatons are about as polarized a unit as they come: parents Steven and Elyse(MIchael Gross and Meredith BAxter-Birney,both excellent!)are '60s Lefty IDealists,and as such,carried their idealism into their work as adults--Steven works for Public TElevision and Elyse carries her form of modified feminism into a successful job as an architect--but cannot seem to carry it into their children. Alex(Michael J.Fox,birthing much of his career out of one very iconic role,which is no mean feat!),a buttoned-down Conservative practically from birth,MAllory(Justine BAteman,who is STILL a babe IMHO),the dim,materialistic mall-girl younger daughter and Jennifer(Tina Yothers,who became as famous for disappearing from showbiz as appearing),the bright but resigned youngest,who is neither idealist or materialist. As the show ran along,you added such extra characters to the pastiche as Skippy(MArc Price,doing stand-up somewhere now),the dippy,well-meaning neighbor kid with a painful crush on MAllory,Nick(Scott VAlentine),MAllory's equally dim but cool boyfriend,Ellen(Tracy POllan,future Mrs.Michael J.Fox),Alex's unlikely liberal girlfriend and LAuren(Coutreney Cox,yes,THAT Coutrney Cox),another lock-horns girlfriend of Alex's and baby brother Andy(Brian "Mikey" Bonsall),Alex's potential protégé.

After a bit of a sluggish start,NBC wisely gambled to keep this on and it managed to hook on to Thursday and Sunday night schedules and ride steadily improving ratings over the remainder of the show's run. While it's been some years since I've seen any of the shows,I was a loyal viewer of the show and enjoyed it quite a bit. I'm not sure if or where this show is re-running,but I may have to check these shows out again soon,if for nothing else to re-visit one of the more well-crafted TV programs to grace the airwaves over that rascally decade of greed,spandex and hair.