Family Ties - wikipedia Family Ties For other uses, see Family Ties ( disambiguation ). Family Ties Genre Sitcom Created by Gary David Goldberg Starring Meredith Baxter - Birney Michael Gross Michael J. Fox Justine Bateman Tina Yothers Brian Bonsall Marc Price Theme music composer Jeff Barry Tom Scott Opening theme `` Without Us '' Performed by Johnny Mathis & Deniece Williams Country of origin United States Original language ( s ) English No. of seasons 7 No. of episodes 176 ( list of episodes ) Production Camera setup Multi-camera Running time 24 minutes Production company ( s ) Ubu Productions Paramount Television Distributor Paramount Domestic Television ( 1987 -- 2006 ) CBS Paramount Domestic Television ( 2006 -- 2007 ) CBS Television Distribution ( 2007 -- present ) Release Original network NBC Audio format Stereo Original release September 22, 1982 ( 1982 - 09 - 22 ) -- May 14, 1989 ( 1989 - 05 - 14 ) Chronology Related shows The Art of Being Nick ( TV pilot ) Day by Day Family Ties is an American sitcom that aired on NBC for seven seasons, premiering on September 22, 1982, and concluding on May 14, 1989. The series, created by Gary David Goldberg, reflected the move in the United States from the cultural liberalism of the 1960s and 1970s to the conservatism of the 1980s. This was particularly expressed through the relationship between young Republican Alex P. Keaton ( portrayed by Michael J. Fox ) and his ex-hippie parents, Steven and Elyse Keaton ( portrayed by Michael Gross and Meredith Baxter ). The show won multiple awards, including three consecutive Emmy Awards for Michael J. Fox as Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. Contents 1 Overview 2 Cast 2.1 Main cast 2.2 Recurring cast 2.3 Guest stars 3 Theme song 4 Episodes 5 Connection to Day by Day 6 Awards 6.1 Emmy Awards 6.2 Golden Globes 6.3 TV Land Awards 6.4 Young Artist Awards 7 Syndication 8 Home media 8.1 DVD 8.2 Streaming 9 References in other media 10 References 11 Notes 12 External links Overview Set in suburban Columbus, Ohio, during the Reagan administration, Steven and Elyse Keaton ( Michael Gross and Meredith Baxter ) are baby boomers, liberals and former hippies, raising their three children : ambitious, would - be millionaire entrepreneur Alex ( Michael J. Fox ) ; fashion - conscious, gossipy Mallory ( Justine Bateman ) ; and tomboy Jennifer ( Tina Yothers ). Married in 1964, Elyse is an independent architect and Steven, a native of Buffalo, New York, is the station manager of WKS, a local public television station. Much of the humor of the series focuses on the cultural divide during the 1980s when younger generations rejected the counterculture of the 1960s and embraced the materialism and conservative politics which came to define the 1980s. Both Alex, and, to a lesser extent, Mallory, embrace Reaganomics and exhibit conservative attitudes : Alex is a `` Young Republican '', and Mallory, while not overtly political, is a more materialistic young woman in contrast to her feminist mother. Mallory was also presented as a vacuous airhead, who was fodder for jokes and teasing from her brother. Jennifer, an athletic tomboy and the youngest child, shares more the values of her parents and just wants to be a normal kid. Steven and Elyse had a fourth child, Andrew ( or `` Andy '', for short ), who was born in early 1985. Andy is the youngest, on whom Alex doted and quickly molded in his conservative image. Cast Cast of Family Ties ( from left ) : Tina Yothers, Brian Bonsall ( added in season five ), Michael Gross, Meredith Baxter - Birney, Michael J. Fox, and Justine Bateman. Main cast Meredith Baxter - Birney as Elyse Keaton Michael Gross as Steven Keaton Michael J. Fox as Alex P. Keaton Justine Bateman as Mallory Keaton Tina Yothers as Jennifer Keaton Brian Bonsall as Andrew `` Andy '' Keaton ( seasons 5 -- 7 ) Garrett and Tyler Merriman as Baby Andrew `` Andy '' Keaton ( season 4 ) Main stars Meredith Baxter and Michael Gross are exactly the same age, sharing the same birthday on June 21, 1947. In the series, their characters were intended to be approximately five or six years older, given that their `` son '', played by Michael J. Fox, was in fact only fourteen years younger than Baxter and Gross in real life. Recurring cast Marc Price as Irwin `` Skippy '' Handelman Scott Valentine as Nick Moore ( seasons 4 -- 7 ) Tracy Pollan as Ellen Reed ( season 4 ) Courteney Cox as Lauren Miller ( seasons 6 -- 7 ) The show had been sold to the network using the pitch `` hip parents, square kids. '' Originally, Elyse and Steven were intended to be the main characters. However, the audience reacted so positively to Alex during the taping of the fourth episode that he became the focus on the show. Fox had received the role after Matthew Broderick turned it down. Supporting cast and characters includes neighbor Irwin `` Skippy '' Handelman ( Marc Price ) ; Mallory 's Sylvester Stallone-esque boyfriend artist Nick Moore ( Scott Valentine ) ; and Alex 's feminist artist girlfriend Ellen Reed ( Tracy Pollan, whom Michael J. Fox later married in 1988 ). In season 3, episode 17, Elyse gave birth to her fourth child, Andrew ( who was played by Brian Bonsall from season 5 onward ). Garrett Merriman played baby Andrew. Dick Sargent guest - starred as Elyse 's father Charlie in Season 1. Guest stars A number of Hollywood stars appeared on the show before they were famous or during the early years of their careers. Jane Adams played Marty Broadie in two 7th - season episodes, `` They Ca n't Take That Away from Me : Part 1 '' and `` They Ca n't Take That Away from Me : Part 2 ''. Christina Applegate played Kitten, a member of Jennifer 's band, on the episode `` Band on the Run ''. Hank Azaria played a co-worker of Mallory 's in the season 7 episode `` Designing Women ''. Two members of the Baldwin family appeared in separate episodes : Stephen Baldwin appeared as a member of a therapy group that Alex attends with his girlfriend and Daniel Baldwin as an Army recruit who harasses Skippy. Timothy Busfield played Doug in two 1984 episodes ( `` Best Man '' and `` Little Man on Campus '' ), and `` Young Matt '' in a 1986 episode ( `` My Back Pages '' ). Jeff Cohen played two different characters ; Marv Jr. on the episode `` The Visit '', and Dougie Barker on the episode `` 4 Rms Ocn Vu ''. James Cromwell played John Hancock in the 3rd - season episode `` Philadelphia Story ''. Geena Davis portrayed inept housekeeper Karen. David Faustino played Keith Bailey the son of a divorced family friend who was taken away from his mother by his father in the episode `` To Snatch a Keith ''. Corey Feldman played a 7th grade classmate of Jennifer who was a nominee to win the Thomas Dewey best student achievement award on the episode `` The Disciple ''. Crispin Glover played one of Alex 's friends on the episode `` Birthday Boy ''. Glover had played George McFly, the father of Michael J. Fox 's character Marty McFly in the original Back to the Future in 1985. Joseph Gordon - Levitt played Dougie, a kindergarten friend of Andrew in two episodes, `` Sign of the Times '' and `` Father, Can You Spare A Dime ? '' Tom Hanks appeared during the first and second seasons as Elyse 's alcoholic younger brother Ned Donelly. Barry Jenner played the head of Mallory 's fashion agency in the 1988 episode `` Designing Women ''. Judith Light appeared in Season 2 as a colleague of Steven, unsuccessfully attempting to seduce him. Julia Louis - Dreyfus portrayed a lawyer in the two - part episode `` Read It and Weep '', which was about Jennifer 's wanting to do a book report on a banned book. John McCook played the commercial character of `` Sir Penguin '' in the season 2 episode `` This Year 's Model '' where Elyse was filming a commercial and Mallory kept sabotaging it. Richard McGonagle, appeared in two episodes of Family Ties as separate characters. Danny Nucci played a school bully who got beaten up by Jennifer after harassing her boyfriend at school in the episode `` Designated Hitter ''. River Phoenix played a fourteen - year - old math genius who develops a crush on Jennifer after coming to tutor Alex. Phoenix 's sister, Rain, would also appear as one of Jennifer 's friends in a different episode. Martha Plimpton played Jessie, a young girl Mallory befriends after she catches her shoplifting. Anne Ramsey played Mrs. Warfield in the episode `` Help Wanted '' John Randolph played Jacob Keaton, Steven 's father, in `` I Never Killed for My Father ''. He was revealed to be dead in `` Remembrance of Things Past, Parts 1 & 2 ''. Wil Wheaton, played the target of Jennifer 's affection in the episode `` D is for Date ''. Theme song The theme song, `` Without Us '' ( credited in Season One as `` Us '' ), was composed by Jeff Barry and Tom Scott in 1982. During the first season, it was originally performed by Dennis Tufano and Mindy Sterling. For the rest of the show 's run, the song was performed by Deniece Williams and Johnny Mathis. Episodes Main article : List of Family Ties episodes Season Episodes Originally aired Nielsen ratings First aired Last aired Rank Rating 22 September 22, 1982 ( 1982 - 09 - 22 ) April 11, 1983 ( 1983 - 04 - 11 ) N / A N / A 22 September 23, 1983 ( 1983 - 09 - 23 ) May 10, 1984 ( 1984 - 05 - 10 ) N / A N / A 24 September 20, 1984 ( 1984 - 09 - 20 ) March 28, 1985 ( 1985 - 03 - 28 ) 5 22.1 Film September 23, 1985 ( 1985 - 09 - 23 ) N / A N / A 24 September 26, 1985 ( 1985 - 09 - 26 ) May 8, 1986 ( 1986 - 05 - 08 ) 30.0 5 30 September 25, 1986 ( 1986 - 09 - 25 ) August 13, 1987 ( 1987 - 08 - 13 ) 32.7 6 28 September 13, 1987 ( 1987 - 09 - 13 ) May 1, 1988 ( 1988 - 05 - 01 ) 17 17.3 7 26 October 30, 1988 ( 1988 - 10 - 30 ) May 14, 1989 ( 1989 - 05 - 14 ) N / A N / A Connection to Day by Day During its final two seasons, Family Ties was scheduled on Sunday nights often followed by Day by Day, another series from Ubu Productions. Michael Gross and Brian Bonsall brought their respective roles of Steven and Andy Keaton to the Day by Day episode `` Trading Places '', which reveals that Steven went to college with Brian Harper ( Doug Sheehan ). Awards Emmy Awards 1986 : Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series ( Michael J. Fox ) 1987 : Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series ( Michael J. Fox ) ; Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series ; Outstanding Technical Direction 1988 : Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series ( Michael J. Fox ) Golden Globes 1989 : Best Performance by an Actor in a TV - Series ( Michael J. Fox ) TV Land Awards 2008 : Character You 'd Pay to Do Your Homework for You ( Michael J. Fox ) 2011 : Fan Favorite, Presented by Ben Stiller Young Artist Awards 1985 : Best Young Actress in a Television Comedy Series ( Justine Bateman ) 1985 : Best Young Supporting Actress in a Television Comedy Series ( Tina Yothers ) 1986 : Best Young Actor Starring in a Television Series ( Marc Price ) 1988 : Best Young Actor Under Nine Years of Age ( Brian Bonsall ) 1989 : Best Young Actor Under Ten Years of Age in Television or Motion Pictures ( Brian Bonsall ) Syndication NBC aired reruns of Family Ties weekday mornings from December 1985 until January 1987. In the fall of 1987, the series went into syndication in the United States. Currently, it airs on UP and Antenna TV. Reruns previously aired on WFMZ, MeToo, Disney Channel, FamilyNet, WGN America, TBS, YTV, Nick at Nite, TV Land, Hallmark Channel and The Hub. In Canada, reruns of Family Ties began airing on CTS, a Christian - based network, on September 6, 2010. On May 15, 2011 Netflix began to stream season 1 - 7 on its `` watch instantly '' streaming service. In Australia, reruns aired on Eleven ( a digital channel of Network Ten ) in the afternoons and late night until June 2013. As of November 2015, two episodes are shown on weekdays between 11 am and midday. Family Ties was a perennial favourite seen on the Nine Network from 1983 to 2008. Prior to Eleven, the show screened on pay TV network TV1. In the UK, Family Ties aired on Channel 4 from July 1985. Home media DVD CBS DVD ( distributed by Paramount ) has released all seven seasons of Family Ties on DVD in Region 1, as of August 13, 2013. The second through fifth season releases contain special features, gag reels and episodic promos. The second season contains interviews with Michael Gross and Michael J. Fox along with other cast members. The fourth season contains the made - for - TV - movie, Family Ties Vacation. Paramount has also released the first three seasons on DVD in Region 4. On November 5, 2013, CBS Home Entertainment released Family Ties - The Complete Series on DVD in Region 1. On November 11, 2014, CBS Home Entertainment re-released a repackaged version of the complete series set, at a lower price, but did not include the bonus disc that was part of the original complete series set. DVD name No. of episodes Release dates Region 1 Region 4 The Complete First Season 22 February 20, 2007 April 9, 2008 The Second Season 22 October 9, 2007 September 4, 2008 The Third Season 24 February 12, 2008 April 2, 2009 The Fourth Season 24 August 5, 2008 The Fifth Season 30 March 10, 2009 The Sixth Season 28 April 9, 2013 The Seventh Season 26 August 13, 2013 The Complete Series 176 November 5, 2013 / November 11, 2014 TBA Streaming All seven seasons of the series were made available for streaming through Netflix ( removed again August 15, 2015 ) and Amazon Video as well as Hulu Plus. References in other media Over a decade after the cancellation of Family Ties, Michael J. Fox 's final episodes on Spin City featured numerous allusions to the show. In these episodes, Michael Gross played a therapist for Fox 's character Michael Patrick Flaherty and the episode contained a reference to an off - screen character named `` Mallory ''. In the episode, after Flaherty becomes an environmental lobbyist in Washington D.C., he meets a `` conservative junior senator named Alex P. Keaton. '' Meredith Baxter also portrayed Mike Flaherty 's mother, Macy Flaherty, in the episodes `` Family Affair '' ( Parts 1 and 2 ). Family Ties has also been referenced on Family Guy The cast of Family Ties publicly reunited for the first time on February 7, 2008 for an interview on The Today Show. Family Ties was referenced in Ready Player One, a science fiction and dystopian novel by Ernest Cline. The main character Wade Watts ( Parzival ) liked to imagine that he had a family where `` there was nothing so wrong in the world that we could n't sort it out by the end of a single half - hour episode ( or maybe a two - parter, if it was something really serious ). '' Family Ties was referenced on Naughty By Nature 's 1995 song Craziest. The second line of the first verse said `` You ai n't a pal of me, my family ties but not wit Mallory. '' References Fox, Michael J. ( 2002 ). `` Lucky Man : A Memoir ''. New York : Hyperion. ISBN 978 - 0 - 7868 - 6764 - 6. Goldberg, Gary David. `` Comedy Stop : What Would Alex Keaton Do ?. '' New York Times, March 3, 2008. Haglund, David. `` Reagan 's Favorite Sitcom : How Family Ties spawned a conservative hero. '' Slate. March 2, 2007. Hurst, Alex. `` Remembering an icon from the ' Me - Decade '. '' The Daily Pennsylvanian, April 24, 2001. Patterson, Thomas. `` What would Alex P. Keaton do ?. '' CNN, November 1, 2006. Saenz, Michael. `` Family Ties. '' - Museum of Broadcast Communications Stewart, Susan. `` The Parents Ate Sprouts ; the Kid Stole the Show. '' New York Times, February 25, 2007. Notes Jump up ^ For the first season, the opening theme was performed by Dennis Tufano and Mindy Sterling. IMDb ( 1990 -- 2009 ). `` Biography for Dennis Tufano ''. Amazon.com. Retrieved 28 October 2009. Jump up ^ Clements, Erin. `` Family Ties Cast... ' We All Loved Each Other ' ''. TODAY. 7 October 2015. http://www.today.com/popculture/family-ties-cast-reflects-show-3-decades-later-we-all-t48481 ^ Jump up to : The Museum of Broadcast Communications : Family Ties Jump up ^ What he left behind : From Tom Clancy to Alex P. Keaton, Ronald Reagans legacy extends beyond the political and into the cultural Jump up ^ Baxter, Meredith. Untied : A Memoir of Family, Fame, and Floundering. Random House LLC ( 2011 ) ^ Jump up to : Reagan 's Favorite Sitcom : How Family Ties spawned a conservative hero Jump up ^ The Biography Channel - Matthew Broderick Biography Jump up ^ TV.com ( 1987 - 02 - 25 ). `` Family Ties - Season 5, Episode 21 : Band on the Run ''. TV.com. Retrieved 2013 - 07 - 29. Jump up ^ Amazon Video : Family Ties Retrieved February 18, 2013 Jump up ^ Netflix : Family Ties Retrieved February 18, 2013 Jump up ^ Brooks, Tim ; Marsh, Earle ( 2007 ). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946 - Present ( Ninth Edition ). Ballantine Books. p. 1690 - 1691. ISBN 978 - 0 - 345 - 49773 - 4. Jump up ^ Netflix : Family Ties ( 1982 - 1988 ) Seasons 1 - 7 Jump up ^ `` ' The Complete Series ' Gets Re-Released in a New ' Unlimited ' Box ''. TVShowsOnDVD.com. Retrieved August 24, 2014. Jump up ^ http://news.moviefone.com/2015/07/27/leaving-netflix-august-2015/ Jump up ^ Amazon Video : Family Ties Retrieved January 23, 2013 Jump up ^ Putting His Own Spin on ' City 's ' season finale Jump up ^ Shales, Tom. `` Michael J. Fox, Playing ' Spin City ' to a Fare - Thee - Well. '' Washington Post, May 24, 2000, C1. Jump up ^ Michael J. Fox Database Archived 2004 - 11 - 19 at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ `` Family Ties : Reunited After Almost 20 Years ! ''. TVSeriesFinale.com. Retrieved 2008 - 02 - 07. External links Family Ties on IMDb Family Ties at TV.com Johnny Mathis Studio albums Johnny Mathis Wonderful Wonderful Warm Good Night, Dear Lord Swing Softly Merry Christmas Open Fire, Two Guitars Heavenly Faithfully Johnny 's Mood The Rhythms and Ballads of Broadway I 'll Buy You a Star Live It Up ! Rapture Johnny Sounds of Christmas Romantically Tender Is the Night The Wonderful World of Make Believe This Is Love Olé Broadway Love Is Everything The Sweetheart Tree The Shadow of Your Smile So Nice Johnny Mathis Sings Up, Up and Away Love Is Blue Those Were the Days Love Theme from `` Romeo And Juliet '' ( A Time for Us ) Give Me Your Love for Christmas Raindrops Keep Fallin ' on My Head Close to You Sings the Music of Bacharach & Kaempfert Love Story You 've Got a Friend The First Time Ever ( I Saw Your Face ) Song Sung Blue Me and Mrs. Jones Killing Me Softly with Her Song I 'm Coming Home The Heart of a Woman When Will I See You Again Feelings I Only Have Eyes for You Mathis Is... Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me You Light Up My Life That 's What Friends Are For The Best Days of My Life Mathis Magic Different Kinda Different I Love My Lady Friends in Love A Special Part of Me Right from the Heart Christmas Eve with Johnny Mathis The Hollywood Musicals Once in a While In the Still of the Night In a Sentimental Mood : Mathis Sings Ellington How Do You Keep the Music Playing ? All About Love Because You Loved Me : The Songs of Diane Warren Mathis on Broadway The Christmas Album Is n't It Romantic : The Standards Album A Night to Remember Let It Be Me : Mathis in Nashville Sending You a Little Christmas Compilation albums Johnny 's Greatest Hits More Johnny 's Greatest Hits Portrait of Johnny Johnny 's Newest Hits I 'll Search My Heart and Other Great Hits The Great Years People The Impossible Dream Johnny Mathis ' All - Time Greatest Hits Johnny Mathis Sings the Great Songs The Johnny Mathis Collection The Mathis Collection Tears and Laughter The Best of Johnny Mathis 1975 -- 1980 The First 25 Years -- The Silver Anniversary Album Celebration -- The Anniversary Album 16 Most Requested Songs Better Together : The Duet Album The Christmas Music of Johnny Mathis : A Personal Collection The Hits of Johnny Mathis The Ultimate Hits Collection The Essential Johnny Mathis The Very Best of Johnny Mathis Gold : A 50th Anniversary Christmas Celebration Gold : A 50th Anniversary Celebration The Ultimate Collection The Classic Christmas Album Live albums Johnny Mathis in Person : Recorded Live at Las Vegas Unforgettable -- A Musical Tribute to Nat King Cole Live Box sets The Music of Johnny Mathis : A Personal Collection The Complete Global Albums Collection The Singles The Complete Christmas Collection 1958 -- 2010 Songs `` Wonderful ! Wonderful ! '' `` It 's Not for Me to Say '' `` Chances Are '' `` The Twelfth of Never '' `` Wild Is the Wind '' `` A Certain Smile '' `` Misty '' `` Beyond the Blue Horizon '' `` Remember When ( We Made These Memories ) '' `` When a Child Is Born '' `` Too Much, Too Little, Too Late '' Videos Live by Request : Johnny Mathis Johnny Mathis : Wonderful, Wonderful ! Related articles Discography Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award Family Ties Deniece Williams Deniece Williams Studio albums This Is Niecy ( 1976 ) Song Bird ( 1977 ) When Love Comes Calling ( 1979 ) My Melody ( 1981 ) Niecy ( 1982 ) I 'm So Proud ( 1983 ) Let 's Hear It for the Boy ( 1984 ) Hot On the Trail ( 1986 ) Water Under the Bridge ( 1987 ) As Good As It Gets ( 1988 ) Love Solves It All ( 1996 ) This Is My Song ( 1998 ) Love, Niecy Style ( 2007 ) Other albums That 's What Friends Are For ( 1978 ) Singles `` Free '' ( 1976 ) `` I 've Got the Next Dance '' ( 1979 ) `` Silly '' ( 1981 ) `` It 's Gonna Take a Miracle '' ( 1982 ) `` Let 's Hear It for the Boy '' ( 1984 ) `` Next Love '' ( 1984 ) `` Black Butterfly '' ( 1984 ) Duet singles `` Too Much, Too Little, Too Late '' ( 1978 ) `` You 're All I Need to Get By '' ( 1978 ) `` Love Wo n't Let Me Wait '' ( 1984 ) Related topics Deniece Williams discography Johnny Mathis Family Ties Book : Deniece Williams Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Family_Ties&oldid=808549721 '' Categories : 1982 American television series debuts 1989 American television series endings 1980s American comedy television series American television sitcoms Culture of Columbus, Ohio English - language television programs NBC network shows Television series about families Television series by CBS Television Studios Television shows set in Columbus, Ohio Television series by Ubu Productions Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikiquote Corsu Cymraeg Dansk Deutsch Español Français 한국어 Italiano עברית Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Português Русский Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska Edit links This page was last edited on 3 November 2017, at 15 : 05. 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Question: who played the role of ned donnelly in the early episodes of the family ties
Answer: Tom Hanks