Alex P. Keaton | Family Ties Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Edit Alex (Michael J. Fox) is smart and attractive oldest child of Elyse and Steven Keaton (Meredith Baxter-Birney and Michael Gross), who were Baby Boomers and Democrats during the early years of the Reagan administration. Married in 1964, Elyse, an independent architect, and Steven, a manager in a local public television station, were hippies during the 1960s. According to the episode, " A Christmas Story " in Season One, Alex was born in 1965 while his parents were on assignment in Africa, having been influenced by John F. Kennedy to participate in the Peace Corps. Although rarely mentioned, Alex's full middle name is "Proctor" but would normally be referred to by its first initial. Alex has two younger sisters, Mallory (Justine Bateman) and Jennifer (Tina Yothers). Mallory was born while her parents were students at the University of California, Berkeley in 1967, and Jennifer was born the night Richard Nixon won his second term in 1972. The family lives in suburban Columbus, Ohio.

Storylines Edit At the beginning of the series, Alex is a high-school student who has a passion for economics and wealth. In particular, he is a proponent of supply-side economics. His heroes (see Famous Conservatives ) are Richard Nixon (going so far as to have a lunchbox with Nixon's likeness), William F. Buckley, Jr., Ronald Reagan, and Milton Friedman. His favorite television show is Wall $treet Week and he is an avid reader of The Wall Street Journal. He also enjoys music of the big band and swing era, but secretly enjoys rock music (as seen in the episode, " A, My Name is Alex "). Alex spends the first two seasons of the series preparing to attend Princeton University. While attending an on-campus interview, Mallory, who tagged along to pay a surprise visit to her boyfriend Jeff who was attending Princeton, has an emotional crisis when she finds Jeff is seeing another woman. Ultimately, Alex chooses to tend to Mallory rather than complete his interview, thus destroying any possibility of attending Princeton and getting into the Ivy League. Alex receives a scholarship to fictional Leland University, which is located close enough for Alex to continue to live at home and commute.

Keaton excels at Leland University and teaches an economics course as a teaching assistant. Alex also holds a disdain for nearby Grant College (which Mallory later attends), and goes as far as mocking their classes. While attending Leland, he has two serious girlfriends. His first was artist/feminist, Ellen Reed ( Tracy Pollan , whom Fox later married). After they break up, Keaton pursues a liberal psychology student with feminist leanings, Lauren Miller, who was played by Courteney Cox . This relationship ends when he has an affair with music major Martie Brodie (played by Jane Adams ) while Lauren is out of town. After graduation, Alex accepts a job on Wall Street. Reception and influence Edit The humor of the series focused on a real cultural divide during the 1980s, between the baby boomers and Generation X.

According to Stephen Kiehl, this was when the "Alex Keaton generation was rejecting the counterculture of the 1960s and embracing the wealth and power that came to define the '80s." While the youngest, Jennifer (an athletic tomboy) shares the values of her parents, Alex and Mallory embraced Reaganomics and consequent conservative values: Alex is a Young Republican and Mallory is a more traditional young woman in contrast to her feminist mother. In the Museum of Broadcast Communications entry for Family Ties, Michael Saenz argues that few shows better demonstrate the resonance between collectively held fictional imagination and what cultural critic Raymond Williams called "the structure of feeling" of a historical moment than Family Ties. Airing on NBC from 1982 to 1989, this highly successful domestic comedy explored one of the intriguing cultural inversions characterizing the Reagan era : a conservative younger generation aspiring to wealth, business success, and traditional values, serves as inheritor to the politically liberal, presumably activist, culturally experimental generation of adults who had experienced the 1960s.

The result was a decade, paradoxical by America's usual post-World War II standards, in which youthful ambition and social renovation became equated with pronounced political conservatism. "When else could a boy with a briefcase become a national hero?" queriedFamily Ties' creator, Gary David Goldberg, during the show's final year. In 1999 TV Guide ranked him number 17 on its '50 Greatest TV Characters of All Time' list. References in other media Edit When Michael J. Fox left his next series Spin City a decade after Family Ties, his final episodes (Goodbye: Part 1 & 2, Season 4, Episodes 25 and 26) made numerous allusions to Family Ties. Michael Gross (Alex's father Steven) portrays Michael Patrick Flaherty's (Fox) therapist and there is a reference to the therapist's unseen receptionist named "Mallory." After Flaherty becomes an environmental lobbyist in Washington, he meets the junior senator from Ohio, Alex P. Keaton.

Actress Meredith Baxter, who played Alex Keaton's mother on Family Ties, also played Michael Flaherty's mother on Spin City.__ve__{"type":"linear","range":{"type":"range","from":6666,"to":6651}} Florida ska/punk band Victims of Circumstance's debut album Roll the Dice featured a track titled "Me and Alex P. Keaton". The lyrics parody a typical day spent with a modern, socially conservative Republican. LFO's 1999 single "Summer Girls" name-checks "Alex P. Keaton" alongside other 1980s cultural references such as Footloose, Home Alone, (which was released in 1990) and New Edition's song "Candy Girl". In the Family Guy episode "Movin' Out (Brian's Song)", after Brian gets dumped by Jillian when he admits he didn't want to move in with her, Stewie tries to help him get over her by comparing the situation to when Alex P. Keaton lost his own girlfriend before getting another one. Stewie also mentions the fact that Michael J. Fox has Parkinson's.

"Family Ties" Reviews & Ratings - IMDb IMDb trailers and videos full cast and crew trivia official sites memorable quotes Overview 20 out of 21 people found the following review useful: Hilarious family sitcom with unusual generation gap from Canada 24 April 2006 I love this hilarious sitcom and catch it on re runs whenever I chance upon it. I think it is one of the funniest family comedy series ever, with some entertaining and unusual character portrayals. The series revolves around the Keaton family, with liberal parents Steven (a TV station manager) and Elyse (an architect). The couple have three children...a financially savvy, politically conservative son Alex, his shopaholic teenage sister Mallory, and a younger tomboy sister, Jennifer. Later Elyse gives birth to a fourth child, baby Andrew. Along the way, Alex develops love interests, first in the form of Ellen (played by the actor's future wife, Tracy Pollan) and later, Lauren, a psychology major. Mallory acquires a boyfriend herself, the motorcycle riding high school drop out, Nick, who incurs the disapproval of her parents and of course especially brother Alex.

The acting is stellar with Meredith Baxter and Michael Gross portraying the parents and Tina Yothers the kid sister, Jennifer. However, it is really Michael J. Fox's show with his hilarious depiction of Alex P. Keaton, who has a tendency to wear shirt & tie everyday around the house and introduces little brother Andrew to the Wall Street Journal while he's still in diapers! My personal favourite is Mallory (charmingly played by Justine Bateman); she is so amusing and endearing as his dim witted, academically slack, clothes obsessed sister who cannot get enough of the mall and talking about cute boys. Of course her contrast with the smart, serious, & focused Alex could hardly be greater. It's a reverse generational tale to the expected. Normally the parents are the conservative ones, with the teenage offspring liberal rebels and rabble rousers. However, the Keaton parents are the left wing family members, former political activists back in their college heyday. Son Alex, on the other hand, is a die-hard and very vocal card carrying Republican who eventually finds his niche on Wall Street. The sparring between Alex and his parents (as well as with Mallory) makes for some wonderful comedy in this warm hearted family sitcom.

Was the above review useful to you? 18 out of 19 people found the following review useful: Always funny and memorable to watch from United States 26 June 2002 I get nostalgic about television shows like Family Ties. It was based around two parents who graduated University of California at Berkeley in the sixties. It was wise to have their eldest son, Alex P., to be on the opposite fence of politics. ALex with his tie and pictures of Ronald Reagan and Nixon. His younger sister, Mallory, played well by Justine Bateman cares more about fashion than grades or Alex's politics. It's great watching these two in action. The younger sister, Jennifer, develops from a young girl to an independent adolescent. There were always two story lines going on in every episode. Marc Price's SKippy is priceless for a thankless job. Scott valentine plays Mallory's boyfriend, Nick, a painter who never finished high school. Some of the best moments in this series happens after Nick enters the Keatons lives and his relationship with them. The mixture of great characters with witty dialogue. You can't stop laughing when Mr. Keaton tries to apologize to Nick in a ladies' shoe store.

He comes across as a former gay lover than the father of Mallory but it's full of laughs. Despite the witty dialogues, this was a believable family who introduced Andrew, the youngest and fourth child. What do the children think when they find out. "I was talking about closet space" Mallory says to Alex. Oh, this is truly a family show for everybody. I can't say how I miss a family centered show on such a wonderful family like the Keatons. Was the above review useful to you? 14 out of 18 people found the following review useful: Tying Loose Ends. from United States 19 December 2003 Two former 1960s left-wing hippies (Michael Gross and Meredith Baxter) try to rear their children (Michael J. Fox, Justine Bateman and Tina Yothers) in the 1980s and naturally have problem after problem in "Family Ties", one of the more memorable television successes of that impressive boob-tube decade. The show ran from 1982 to 1989 and even added another child (youngster Brian Bonsall) by the middle of its run.

When the show premiered in 1982 it just could not generate any substantial interest ("Cheers" had the same problem during its initial year). After that though it was all peaches and cream as the series dominated on Sunday evenings and was consistently a top 5 or 10 show each week until they exited quietly (of its own free will after eight years). Fox and Bateman were definitely the two who dominated the show. Fox was a Republican-styled teen who seemed to only care about money and social status while Bateman was a polar opposite. She was a ditsy teen who seemed to care more about makeup, clothes, boys and being popular (in other words she was a normal youngster). Every cast member had their moments, but the series was not all fun and games. It consistently had "special" episodes where life crept into the family's crazed television world. Another of those NBC products from the 1980s that survives due to its performers and its intelligence. 4 stars out of 5. Was the above review useful to you? 10 out of 12 people found the following review useful: For 7 seasons,this was the best!

from Chapel Hill, North Carolina 8 October 2002 *** This review may contain spoilers *** This was the ultimate show of the 1980's when it ran for several seasons on NBC-TV(from 1982-1989). What more could you expect for one of the best hippiest/political families of that era which was mixed in which started in the middle of the Reagan era,and with the series ending at the beginning of the Bush administration. Besides,it was part "All In The Family" without the bigotry or the downside of it. In all,one great series.The series when it aired sprunged two made for TV movies,and also one of the most intense final episodes ever aired(the death of Steven Keaton where Mike Gross' character has a massive heart attack during an argument with Alex over some issue,but it was a thriller of way to end the series)when the show ended its run in the spring of 1989.

Here you have Michael Gross(as Steven Keaton),Meredith Baxter-Birney(as Elsie Keaton),and there three adorable children;the design shopping boy hungry Mallory(Justine Bateman),the baby girl of the family who wanted to go her own way but wanted to grow up and be a kid Tina(played by Tina Yothers),and the political and conservative son Alex(played by Michael J. Fox) who was a Republican and was a fan of both Presidents Reagan and Nixon. This sitcom became the launching pod for Micheal J. Fox,who during this series had several hit feature films that were box-office giants(the "Back To The Future" series,and the films "Teen Wolf",and "The Secret Of My Success"),as well as for his co-star on the show Justine Bateman who also had a hit film out too during her status on the series. The show's theme song,"What About Us",was done by legendary musical artists Johnny Mathis and Deniece Willams which was a top 10 hit on Billboard's charts during the 80's.

I'm surprised that these episodes are not out on video but if they are the ones that were very good were the one where Tom Hanks plays an alcoholic(in a brillant performance),and the one where the Keaton's go to Paris and Alex ends up in great danger involving a beautiful model. I would love to see a TV reunion movie with the entire cast. Catch the reruns on Superstation TBS! Was the above review useful to you? 15 out of 24 people found the following review useful: strong seven year run from anaheim, ca 15 July 1999 "Family Ties" creator Gary Goldberg didn't like Michael J. Fox on his first audition, thought he played Alex a little too smart-assish. But on his second try, Fox approached it a different way and won the part that shot him to stardom. He quickly became the focal point of the show as the money obsessed teenager Alex P. Keaton. You could understand Meredith Baxter-Birney's disappointment, as the show was to be geared toward her character as the mother. But she and the rest of the cast pretty much faded into the background behind Fox. Not that he wasn't supported by a great group of performers.

Michael Gross as the easy going father, Justine Bateman as the typical phone hogging, boy troubled teenage daughter, and Tina Yothers as the tomboyish younger sister. In later years some nice additions were Scott Valentine as Bateman's weirdo boyfriend, and making numerous appearances over the years was Marc Price as the nerdy next door neighbor, Skippy. High point episodes over the years were the Alex turns 18 one, the Alex rents out the rooms of the house one, and also the 4(!) part heartattack episode with the focus being on Michael Gross' father character, Steven. Shows major misstep occured during their final year when they tried to become too socially concious. Episodes dealing with book banning, oil spills, toxic fumes from household products, and racism seemed a bit out of place and more importantly, took away from the comedy. The last hurrah was a decent episode that saw Alex move to New York to be an investment banker. But most recommended from the series would be the shows middle years, where the writing was at its best. Show also must of set some sort of record with at least 6 or 7(!) of those flashback type episodes featuring clips of the past stories. But no harm done.

Was the above review useful to you? 6 out of 8 people found the following review useful: A great show; one of my favorites. Author: (llihilloh) 16 November 2002 'Family Ties' is great and even though I haven't seen that many episodes, I still rank it among my top ten favorite TV shows. The cast is great, the writing is excellent, and it just makes me laugh about a million times within the half hour of air time. Michael Gross, Meredith Baxter, Justine Bateman, and Tina Yothers are all terrific in their given roles. They are all funny and great and anything else that I want in a television show, but the real stand out is of course, Michael J. Fox. I've adored Fox for many years and then when I finally got around to seeing him as Alex P. Keaton, well he just amazed me. He's so excellent with his quick comedic timing and snappy comebacks. (Particularly the ones given to Mallory make me laugh the hardest.) All in all he's a wonderful actor, not just in this show even though it brings the best out of him, but on any project he works on.

The writing is fast moving, hilarious, and just about some of the best that I've seen in a comedy serious. Although it is now...20 years old, the series is still one of the best, even up against today's series. Lets face it, today's television has gone straight to the trash can with the exception of a very small percent of shows. Each episode is great, and if the plot isn't all that good, the writing and performances make up for it. I have to say that there were many episodes that I saw where I was so bored (about the plot), yet they still turned out good because of the comedy. All of the Emmys and Golden Globes and many more awards that 'Family Ties' was nominated for and having won throughout the years were all well deserved. A couple of more wins wouldn't have hurt. I can honestly say that this is one show that I try to catch (only on Nick can it be seen where I'm at). I love it, I love Fox, and good job to the writers. The show is great! Was the above review useful to you? 6 out of 9 people found the following review useful: Nice & splendid........fantastic!

Having Michael J Fox plays Alex Keaton is my incentive of watching this... I believe that some people are having the same purpose as I in watching this... Was the above review useful to you? 2 out of 2 people found the following review useful: Awesome Show!!!! from United States 21 September 2011 I love this show I just actually ordered some old episodes from Blockbuster, this is honestly one of the best TV sitcoms shows ever!!!!!! Michael J Fox was awesome as Mr. know it all brother (republican) what stands out for me even as a kid when i was watching him was his calculator watch LOL all the time. My favorite character was Mallory Hands down she was the epitome of an 80's girl really pretty, into guys, clothes your normal daughter, Jennifer, a lil tomboy. The mother Elyse was hilarious, as well as Michael Gross(even though its so funny every time I watch him my mom keeps joking he looks like one of our cousins) small joke... anyways to one of the reviewers that said that Elyse the mother was way prettier than Mallory, its wrong.

They are both very pretty in different ways (the mother was beautiful for her age group, and Justine Bateman (was pretty for her age group)........ I love Nick I thought he blended well with Mallory and everyone... Skippy was too much of a nerd I am sorry LOL........ To me my favorite character was Justine Bateman, she could have done so much more oh well, she actually standed out from the rest of the cast. Anyways it was an amazing show.. so, watch it LOL Was the above review useful to you? 3 out of 4 people found the following review useful: Doesn't get any better from Germany 27 March 2007 Re-watching it on DVD I was amazed that Family Ties really stood the test of time. What makes it stand out is the constant high quality of the writing. On the one hand Family Ties always tackles serious issues on a personal level (death, trust, love, sexual harassment) but also on a social/ political level. I find it absolutely amazing that the writers always manage to avoid the trap of becoming sentimental or moralizing but always keep a healthy distance.

Politically Family Ties is the great liberal voice of 80s television and from that point of view plays in a different league from its arch rival at the time, The Cosby show. What I also find amazing is that they manage to pack a satisfying story in the fairly short format of less then 30 minutes. The cast of course is perfect. Michael Gross stands out for me because he has the best one-liners in the show and his delivery as naive Steve Keaton is incredibly funny. Michael Fox is Michael Fox (as always) but Meredith Baxter is a great and underrated comedienne (and actually hellishly attractive...). Pity Tina Yothers stopped acting as it is amazing what a quantity and quality of dialogue she delivered at a very young age (though the jury is still out on her real age). And let's not forget Justine Bateman as airhead Mallory but who can act a fine line between comedy and drama (see Give uncle Arthur a kiss.) Was the above review useful to you?

1 out of 1 people found the following review useful: Sitcom family, you'll be tied to, forever from adelaide, australia 1 September 2015 Family Ties, is one comedy sitcom that'll stay with me forever. No matter how many years pass or viewings, whatever, it will never lose it's credit. No other sitcom, has really effected me in that sort of way. Although a comedy, the Keatons did have their fair share of dramas, a lot in quite heavy and powerful doses. They're a family you can't shake off. Of course it was Michael J Fox, in one of his best ever roles as cocky, smart beyond his years, Alex P Keaton. The character were exceptionally well created, and I'm taking more so the kids. FT really touched on a lot of powerful, serious issues, teen angst and other, very realistic stuff, while still managing to pull in it's quota of laughs, the two opposites of laughs in even tune. I don't really know any other sitcom, that can pull that off in such magnitude, as this. The performances should be well praised.

The real powerfully and hardly humorous episode was that of Alex's guilt trip, in quite a freaky, confronting story line, when he passed on a car trip, where his friend died. Was the above review useful to you? Page 1 of 6: What would Alex P. Keaton do? - CNN.com What would Alex P. Keaton do? By Thom Patterson CNN Adjust font size: (CNN) -- After a nearly 20-year absence, Nixon-loving, Reagan-worshipping Alex P. Keaton is again slinging his political views on television. Michael J. Fox, who played the conservative teen on the 1980s sitcom "Family Ties," says that if the right-wing, tie-wearing Keaton were a real person, Alex would disagree with the Republican stance against increased embryonic stem cell research. "I was recently asked what my character, Alex P. Keaton would think of me campaigning for stem cell research," Fox said Monday during a speech in Keaton's TV hometown of Columbus, Ohio. ( What would you like to ask Fox? ) "First, he would be happy I'm wearing a tie.

And I think he would tell me I'm doing the right thing because it is the right thing to do." (Full story) Fox, who's battling Parkinson's disease, moved from side to side as he spoke about his hope that stem cells can unlock cures to many afflictions, including his own. He's backing Democratic midterm candidates who agree with his views. Critics oppose research that would destroy human embryos. ( Watch Fox make his case -- 2:35 ) Whatever happened to Alex? But Fox did pose the question: What would Alex do? Keaton was never shy about incorporating his politics into everyday life, becoming a true spin doctor years before that term entered the lexicon. Remember when he used to advise his little brother Andrew with Republican cheers or Democrat jeers? He carried a briefcase to high school. He ran for student council president. He espoused odd ideas for teens, such as capitalism and supply-side economics. Despite all that, "Family Ties" focused mostly on themes surrounding its title, says Robert Thompson of Syracuse University's Center for the Study of Popular Television. "It was never a show about politics. It was a way of using politics to frame a fish-out-of-water scenario." At first, Alex P.

Keaton wasn't supposed to garner so much attention on the show, which also starred Meredith Baxter and Michael Gross as Keaton's liberal, ex-hippie, baby boomer parents. Eventually, Fox's popularity vaulted him on to the covers of teen magazines, which then led to roles in films such as 1987's "The Secret of My Succe$s" and 1991's "Doc Hollywood," where he played characters identified with the young yuppie myth. Fox himself embellished the Keaton myth by adding the middle initial P to Keaton's name as an ad lib during an audition, according to IMDb.com. Rep. Alex P. Keaton, R-Ohio By 1989, after seven seasons , "Family Ties" ended and Alex left the Keaton home to begin a career on Wall Street. Later, more fictitious information about Keaton surfaced during Fox's final episode of his 1990s sitcom "Spin City," when it was revealed that Keaton was elected as an Ohio congressman, according to IMDb.com. "Most Americans in their 30s know Keaton's character," Thompson says.

"He represented a shifting political demographic in the '80s, a portion of a generation who rejected their boomer parents' Democratic loyalties." Whatever Keaton might have thought about stem cell research, his hero's widow, former first lady Nancy Reagan, shifted her views in favor of it, as the former president was dying of Alzheimer's disease. CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider says there are a lot of Republicans who agree with Fox on the stem cell issue and many of them are around Nancy Reagan's age, 85. In the case of middle-aged voters, they tend to be Republican "especially if they are yuppies like Keaton was," Schneider said. "But they still tend to be liberal on social issues. Fox could be tapping into something here: fiscally conservative voters who are fed up with the Iraq war and the influence of the religious right over the GOP on issues like stem cells." Tools: Family Ties Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Geena Davis portrayed inept housekeeper Karen. 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.

Courteney Cox played Alex's girlfriend Lauren at the end of the series Julia Louis-Dreyfus portrayed a lawyer in the two-part episode "Read It and Weep", which was about Jennifer's book being banned. 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. Wil Wheaton played the target of Jennifer's affection; she played dumb in order to convince him to date her. 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". Jeff Cohen played 2 different characters; Marv Jr. on the episode "The Visit", and Dougie Barker on the episode "4 Rms Ocn Vu". Christina Applegate played Kitten, a member of Jennifer's band, on the episode "Band on the Run". [6 ] Stephen Baldwin appeared as a member of a therapy group that Alex attends with his girlfriend. Daniel Baldwin appeared as an army recruit who harasses Skippy.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt played Dougie, a kindergarten friend of Andrew in two episodes, "Sign of the Times" and "Father, Can You Spare A Dime?" Jane Adams played Marty Broadie in two 7th season episodes, "They Can't Take That Away from Me: Part 1" and "They Can't Take That Away from Me: Part 2". James Cromwell played John Hancock in the 3rd season episode "Philadelphia Story". 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". 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"). Hank Azaria played a co-worker of Mallory's in the season 7 episode "Designing Women". 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".

Danny Nucci played a school bully who got beaten up by Jennifer after harassing her boyfriend at school in the episode "Designated Hitter". Cast of Family Ties - Biography.com Crime & Scandal Cast of Family Ties Learn more about the cast of the incredibly popular 1980s sitcom Family Ties, including Meredith Baxter, Michael J. Learn more about the cast of the incredibly popular 1980s sitcom Family Ties, including Meredith Baxter, Michael J. Fox, Tina Yothers, Brian Bonsall and Justine Bateman. Explore full biographies, photos and videos, only at Biography.com. People In This Group Film Actor, Television Actor, Producer, Activist (1961–) ‘Family Ties’ stars gather for family reunion - TODAY.com Today.com ‘Family Ties’ stars gather for family reunion 2008-02-07T16:58:48.000Z comment () The principal cast of “Family Ties” all gathered for the first time in 18 years on Thursday to help promote a new memoir by the creator of the iconic 1980s television sitcom, Gary David Goldberg.

The idea had been for Goldberg to be on TODAY alone to promote “Sit, Ubu, Sit,” whose title is taken from the tagline of the show that ran on NBC for seven seasons, ending in 1989. But the cast members, including Michael J. Fox, wanted to be on with Goldberg to celebrate the show, its success and the careers it launched. “Had it not been for this book, we would not have had this reunion,’ said Michael Gross, who played Steven Keaton, the father of the clan. “This is the first time in about 18 years that we have all been on the same piece of real estate at the same time.” Sitting in the TODAY studio in two rows of director’s chairs, the six cast members needed no time to catch up on all the time that had passed. “We are all instantly again who we were 25 years ago when we all met,” Goldberg told TODAY co-host Matt Lauer. Goldberg was a late bloomer in the Hollywood writing business. A sometime actor from Brooklyn who led a gypsy lifestyle with his dog, Ubu, and the woman who would become his wife, Diana Meehan, Goldberg was 30 when he took up writing.

He was 38 in 1982 when NBC bought his pilot, “Family Ties,” about a nuclear family of five. (Another child, Andy, played by Brian Bonsall, would be added later.) “By one of these quirks in the time-space continuum, we were the only nuclear family on television,” said Goldberg, and that immediately set the program apart. As the nation settled into the Ronald Reagan years, the show would be preceded on the NBC menu by the Huxtable family in “The Cosby Show,” giving the network the No. 1 and No. 2 shows on television. It was followed by “Cheers,” another highly popular show. At its height, “Family Ties” was watched by a third of America’s television audience. “We caught the crest of a wave there,” said Fox, who played Alex P. Keaton, the ultraconservative, success-obsessed son. “We thought we were having fun with it, but it was having fun with us,” he said of the show. “It was big, it was huge.” It’s a mystery of life why some shows are popular and others aren’t.

Goldberg writes in his book that readers have to connect with a sitcom family and want to be like that family. They also have to believe by watching the show, they’ll learn how to become a better family themselves. ( Read an excerpt from Goldberg’s memoir, “Sit, Ubu, Sit” ) But the characters dictate where the show is going to go, and “Family Ties” was no different. Goldberg’s original idea was to have it revolve around the liberal parents, Steven Keaton, a bearded public-television executive, and his wife, Elyse, played by Meredith Baxter, an architect. But it soon became about the children, especially the buttoned-down character of Alex played by Fox. “The thing about a sitcom is it’s going to take on a life of its own,” said Justine Bateman, who played daughter Mallory. The youngest daughter, Jennifer, was played by Tina Yothers, who was 8 when the show started; she revealed that she had the flu when she auditioned and almost threw up on set.

“I felt if they saw me throwing up, I wouldn’t have a job tomorrow,” she said, to which Goldberg replied with a laugh, “If she had thrown up she would have been fired.” Goldberg also confessed that he wanted to cast another young actor, Matthew Broderick, who was then an unknown actor four years away from his breakout title role in “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” in the role of Alex. But Broderick was acting in New York and didn’t want to move to California. Fox had auditioned for the role, but Goldberg thought he was too much of a smart aleck and rejected him. A production assistant nagged Goldberg into bringing Fox back for a second audition, at which he won the role. It was a lucky thing for Fox and Hollywood, and he’s said he was on the verge of giving up his dream of an acting career to go home to Canada when he landed the part. “I was eating cardboard,” he said. “I was playing duck-the-landlord. It was bad. It was bad.” All said that what made the show work for so long was the selflessness of the cast and their genuine affection for one another.

“You’re looking not only at a talented cast, but some of the most important people in my life,” Goldberg said. “There was the humor, we were very topical,” said Gross. “Every episode ended with a group hug.” NBC wanted to do an eighth season of the show and offered the cast an enormous amount of money to do it, but they all felt it had gone far enough. “I’d say creatively, for myself, whatever goals I had, had been met,” Goldberg said. “We didn’t want to abuse our relationship with the audience.” Goldberg would later produce “Brooklyn Bridge” and reunite with Fox on “Spin City.” In that second partnership, the two had what are euphemistically called “creative differences” and didn’t speak for more than a year after the show ended. The two have reconciled and stay in touch regularly, and Fox insisted on coming to the TODAY Show, despite the Parkinson’s disease that affects his coordination and speech, to be with Goldberg.

Viewer e-mail answered The cast returned later with TODAY’s Al Roker to answer some of the many e-mails readers had sent in, including one that asked about the peripheral characters Andy Keaton, neighbor Skippy Handelman (Marc Price), and aspiring artist Nick Moore (Scott Valentine). Here’s a transcript: Q: What happened to Andrew, Skippy and Nick? — Nancy, Interlaken, N.J. Goldberg: They wanted too much money to be here. [Joking] We had to cut them off — Brian Bonsall is doing very well. I think he lives in Colorado. Scott Valentine is doing really well in California. We’re going to see him next week. I’m not actually sure where Marc Price is. Q: Do you think “Family Ties” could be on the air today? — Christina Baxter: It would certainly stand out and be different because there aren’t that many family shows. People want to see what goes on in families; you’re not seeing that reflected much today. Gross: If the divorce rate is still as bad as it is, I think people would love to see an intact American family.

I think that’s one of the reasons we did as well as we did, because families are in crisis in a way. This was a family that held together — a lot of difficult children. Yothers: In the reality-TV era we live in today, I think people would be refreshed watching a show like “Family Ties.” Goldberg: I would say no, because I don’t think the network executives are smart enough to put it on and give it the kind of attention it would need to stay on. There’s such fear in the business right now. There’s just a bunch of kind of craven people making the decisions, and they wouldn’t have the courage to let the show gradually grow. Fox: There’s a generalness that doesn’t exist in terms of television. It’s all so fast. I was listening to the theme song, the “Family Ties” theme song. They don’t make theme songs anymore because that time’s too expensive. Just hearing that song and knowing it’s time to close the fridge and go sit down and watch the show — that’s gone now. Roker: We’re getting a lot of questions, Michael, about you and your health. How are you doing? Fox: I’m doing well.

It’s a progressive condition, so it progresses. But then I’m a progressive person, so I progress as well. I have four great kids, and an unbelievable wife, who I got from the show. I’m totally blessed. We all got our bag of hammers and this is mine. I look around and people have a lot harder things to deal with. Q: [For Tina] Were there any pressures from the producers to keep your weight at a certain level? — Marilyn Yothers: No. They would all give me carrot sticks to eat — if that’s pressure. [Laughs] I was a big kid. Next to Justine and Meredith, I was two times their size. Fox: She could beat me in an arm-wrestling contest. Bateman: The greater pressure we all put on ourselves was just to excel with the material, to be really funny and have our acting have depth with the issues we were dealing with. Q: What is your favorite show memory and why? — Virginia Baxter: It’s gotta be the water fight. We started out with little small water guns. [Turns to Fox] But you sent your assistant out who came back with one of these big mother things.

Fox: I was a 22-year-old with an assistant and too much money: “Take the Ferrari. Get water guns.” Bateman: The stage was soaked. We soaked the place. Gross: We marked our territory. Yothers: People thought I was the only kid on the set and they were way off. Gross: We had a running thing — “Tag, you’re it,” and I tagged her at the final wrap party 18 years ago and Tina’s still “it.” Fox: There’s so many moments. To show up every week and ... seeing these faces, and this is my family. Just that — the feeling you’re part of something, to be given a second family just out of nowhere. You’re just blessed with these people. Gross: [Before doing “Family Ties,” he had been doing theater and rarely watched TV. He had no idea what Hollywood was like.] I thought all shows were this well run, all casts got along this well and all shows were this well written. Boy, did I take it for granted. I had no idea.

'Family Ties' Creator Gary David Goldberg Dies at 68 | Hollywood Reporter 'Family Ties' Creator Gary David Goldberg Dies at 68 9:45 PM PDT 6/23/2013 by Mike Barnes COMMENTS Michael Loccisano/Getty Images The influential writer teamed with Michael J. Fox for a second sitcom, "Spin City," and penned and directed the films "Dad" and "Must Love Dogs." Gary David Goldberg, the genial two-time Emmy Award winner who mined his rich personal life to create such amusing and affecting entertainment as the Michael J. Fox sitcom Family Ties, has died. Goldberg, who later co-created Spin City, another series starring Fox, and the critically lauded Brooklyn Bridge, died from brain cancer June 22 at his home in Montecito, Calif. He was 68 years old. The down-to-earth Brooklyn native collected seven Emmy nominations in his late-starting but illustrious career, winning an outstanding series trophy in 1979 for co-producing the CBS newsroom drama Lou Grant and a writing prize in 1987 for an episode of Family Ties.

Goldberg also penned episodes of The Bob Newhart Show and M*A*S*H and wrote and directed the features Dad (1989) starring Jack Lemmon and Must Love Dogs (2005). In 1980, Goldberg formed his own company, Ubu Productions, in partnership with Paramount. All of his series' credits famously ended with a photo of his beloved black Labrador Retriever in front of the Louvre in Paris, with Goldberg saying, “Sit, Ubu, sit! Good dog,” followed by a bark -- an enduring tribute to a beloved pet. PHOTOS: Hollywood's Notable Deaths of 2013 Based on his life and families of friends he knew with similar backgrounds, Goldberg created Family Ties in the early 1980s and pitched it to CBS, which turned him down. He then brought it to innovative NBC entertainment chief Brandon Tartikoff, who "nurtured it and really made it happen," the writer once recalled. Family Ties, which debuted on Sept. 22, 1982, reflected the shift in the U.S.

from the cultural liberalism of the 1960s and '70s to the Ronald Reagan conservatism of the '80s. That sharp right turn was embodied by Fox, a baby-faced Canadian who played 17-year-old, tie-wearing Alex P. Keaton, the oldest kid of aging flower children played by Meredith Baxter-Birney and Michael Gross. Justine Bateman and Tina Yothers portrayed his sisters Mallory and Jennifer, respectively. How autobiographical was Family Ties? "Totally autobiographical in concept," Goldberg once said. His wife Diana "and I were the parents, and our daughter Shana was as smart as Alex but could shop with Mallory." Initially, Goldberg did not want to cast Fox (Matthew Broderick had already turned down the role). But hounded by his casting director, he agreed to a second reading by the actor and was sold. Fox would become the series' breakout star. "The Republicans took Alex under their wing and made him the poster boy for the movement," Fox said in a 2001 interview, "while at the same time social liberals were writing me letters saying, 'Way to go,' satirizing that point of view. So I was loved on both sides.

It was one of those shows that just caught a time." For the 1984-85 season, NBC shifted Family Ties from Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. to Thursdays in the 8:30 p.m. slot, with the new Cosby Show serving as its lead-in. It would become the No. 2 show in country, attracting an average of 28.2 million viewers at its peak, as a pivotal part of the network's "Must-See" lineup that included Cheers, Night Court and Hill Street Blues. When Family Ties was at its best, Goldberg recalled in a 2007 interview with the Archive of American Television , "we got what I call the 'Laugh of Recognition,' a deep laugh. When you can get that laugh, you own the audience in the right way. They know you know them, they know you know their story, they can laugh at their own foibles." Family Ties aired for 180 episodes for seven seasons through May 1989, with the comedy earning 19 Emmy nominations and five wins. STORY: Jennifer Salke on Rebuilding NBC, 'Hannibal' and Courting Michael J.

Fox Goldberg later recruited Bill Lawrence (who recently had been fired from Friends) to create Spin City -- the first successful TV series from the fledgling studio DreamWorks SKG. They cast Fox, now a movie star, as New York Deputy Mayor Mike Flaherty, coming up with the idea for the show while on the cross-country flight to pitch the actor. Spin City taped in New York and ran on ABC for six seasons and 145 episodes from 1996-2002. "Mike wanted to prove himself to a whole new generation," Goldberg recalled. "He said, 'No free ride … I want to do it in a different way.'" [pagebreak] Fox left the sitcom as a regular in 2000 to deal with his Parkinson's disease, Charlie Sheen came on to replace him, and Goldberg retired from TV in 2002 with the end of the series. Goldberg was born on June 25, 1944, in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn and raised in a noisy apartment building (think the Kramdens' place in The Honeymooners) that was crowded with his caring, extended family.

In the building was his grandmother Jenny and grandfather Jack, and they had the clan's only TV set, phone and car. The sports-obsessed Goldberg graduated from Lafayette High School but then got kicked out of Brandeis University and Hofstra University. In 1969, while holding down a job as a waiter at the Village Gate nightclub in New York’s Greenwich Village, he met his future wife, Pan Am flight attendant Diana Meehan. They hitchhiked around the world for more than a year with Ubu -- something Alex Keaton's hippie parents might have done -- opened an "organic" day care center in Berkeley, Calif., and eventually moved to Southern California. Somewhere in here, after living on a kibbutz and responding to an ad for English-speaking actors, he amazingly starred as the title character in an Israeli sci-fi series, The Adventures of Scooterman. "In 1998, I received treatment for my knee by an Israeli therapist," he recalled in 2008. "We spoke about Israel and I mentioned Scooterman and he just froze. It was like he had met Elvis.

I thought he was kidding me and then he called his brother, they yelled to each other over the phone, and then I believed him." As a 31-year-old student at San Diego State, Goldberg took a writing class with visiting lecturer Nate Monaster, a former WGA president who had earned an Oscar nomination for co-writing the 1962 romantic comedy That Touch of Mink, starring Cary Grant and Doris Day. (Future producer and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy also was in his class.) “It was Nate Monaster who encouraged me to be a writer,” Goldberg noted. Monaster showed Goldberg’s work to an agent, and that led to a job on the short-lived 1976 NBC sitcom The Dumplings, a Norman Lear show that starred James Coco and Geraldine Brooks as owners of a lunch counter in a Manhattan office building. Goldberg then landed a job as a writer for hire on CBS and MTM Entertainment’s The Bob Newhart Show for producers Tom Patchett and Jay Tarses, and they later recruited him for ABC’s The Tony Randall Show, which starred the actor (post-The Odd Couple) as a widowed judge.

From that producing pair, Goldberg learned to ignore network executives' phone calls and notes whenever possible. Goldberg was promoted to producer, and when the show was canceled (after a final second season on CBS), Randall told him at the final party, "I have one regret … I wish I could buy stock in your future," he told the Archive of American Television. Goldberg then shifted to such other MTM productions as Lou Grant, which he produced, and The Last Resort, a 1979-80 sitcom revolving around a group of college students working in a hotel kitchen that he created (it lasted 15 episodes). He also wrote a 1978 episode of M*A*S*H that earned him a WGA award. In between Family Ties and Spin City, Goldberg didn't fare as well (at least in the ratings) with his next two creations, the Timothy Busfield-starring Champs for ABC and the semi-autobiographical series Brooklyn Bridge, which aired from 1991-93 on CBS. Brooklyn Bridge received a Golden Globe for best comedy series, eight Emmy nominations and a Humanitas nom for enriching television, but it survived just two seasons. "I had my childhood canceled.

It was very personal," he once said. Goldberg also created another series, The Bronx Zoo, a 1987-88 drama that lasted two seasons on NBC and starred Lou Grant star Ed Asner as an iron-fisted principal of a Bronx school. In 1989, Goldberg made his feature film debut when he produced, directed and wrote the screenplay for Dad, starring Lemmon as a 78-year-old retired factory worker hopelessly dependent on his domineering wife (Olympia Dukakis). Ted Danson played his son, a character modeled after Goldberg. In 1995, Goldberg co-wrote with Brad Hall the film Bye Bye Love, which starred Paul Reiser, Matthew Modine and Randy Quaid. And for his final credit, he produced, directed and wrote the 2005 film Must Love Dogs, a film about Internet dating that starred Diane Lane and John Cusack. Goldberg moved to Vermont and wrote a 2008 memoir, Sit, Ubu, Sit: How I Went From Brooklyn to Hollywood With the Same Woman, the Same Dog, and a Lot Less Hair.

Goldberg and Diana eloped in 1990, more than 20 years after they met. He never seemed to be obsessed with the riches that came along with his career. "Once we started to be together, we wanted to collect adventures, you know, the way other couples wanted to collect furniture or money," he said in 2008. She founded the Archer School for Girls in Los Angeles. In addition to his wife and his daughter Shana, survivors include another daughter, Cailin. Shana is an Emmy-winning writer and producer whose credits include Mad About You and Friends; she worked on both series with her future husband, writer-producer Scott Silveri. Cailin is a screenwriter who last summer married Rob Dubbin, a writer for The Colbert Report. Asked during his Archive of American Television interview how he would like to be remembered, Goldberg said: "I was a guy who showed up for work and took the chance for finding out whether I could do it or not. … I'd like to think I made my success not at the expense of anyone. Success was accidental." E-mail: Mike.Barnes@THR.com NERD ALERT!

TV's 15 Most Memorable Nerds - CustomizedGirl Blog CustomizedGirl Celebrities , Features The formula for a successful sitcom usually includes one key component – the nerd. Whether the nerd is your typical geek with oversized glasses and high-waisted pants or the prim and proper male opera lover, sometimes a good TV show just needs someone to be the brunt of every joke or a character whose naïveté, gullibility or paranoia stands in sharp contrast to the wit and charm of the show’s leading men and women. Here’s a list of 15 lovable nerds who made our favorite TV shows all the better. Steve Urkel : The quintessential nerd with an annoying nasally voice, Steve Urkel captured the hearts and laughter of the American public with his dimwitted charm and high-water pants. Urkel, who was a magnet character on the sitcom “Family Matters”, was played by actor Jaleel White. On the show, Urkel was desperately in love with the character of Laura Winslow, and pestered her and her family day and night in his attempts to win her over. Urkel even had an alter ego named Stephan Urkel, who ended up being the lucky one to date Laura.

Today, Jaleel White works mostly as the voice behind the “Sonic the Hedgehog” cartoon character and he has also had small guest roles in a few movies and prime time TV shows. Carlton Banks : Everyone knows about the exaggerated dance Carlton Banks, the nerdy, preppy cousin on “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air,” made popular. Arms swinging side to side, face aglow, Carlton, played by actor Alfonso Ribeiro, made audiences, laugh and cry with his innocent portrayal of a proper guy who just wanted to be liked and who was the subject of his cousin’s constant ridicule. But the thing he will be most remembered for, aside from his stellar collection of argyle sweater vests, is The Carlton dance, which lives on today in You Tube clips. Recently, Ribeiro appeared as a contestant on the show “Celebrity Duets” and he also performs on the Disney Magic cruise ship.

Screech : Actor Dustin Diamond is known today for being the most cantankerous contestant on “Celebrity Fit Club.” But in the 1990s, no one, probably not even his closest friends, could look at Diamond without thinking, “Screech.” Samuel “Screech” Powers was the uber-dorky high school student with a forever-cracking voice on “Saved By the Bell,” who like most nerd characters had it bad for Lisa, the beautiful, fashion-forward student who wouldn’t give him the time of day. Despite his nerdiness, though, Screech managed to run with the cool crowd, or at least tag along with them in exchange for doing their homework. Today Diamond performs stand up comedy and has been a recurring contestant on “Celebrity Fit Club”. Alex P. Keaton : Alex P. Keaton was the stiff, Republican teenager played by Michael J. Fox on the 1980s sitcom “Family Ties.” While Keaton was never the stereotypical “geek” obsessing over computers or chess, he was certainly a nerd in the sense that as a teen he worshipped Ronald Reagan and religiously read “The Wall Street Journal” each morning.

Keaton’s character stood in sharp contrast to the other members of the “Family Ties” family – the ex-hippie parents, wild child sister, and smart-ass youngest sister. Keaton excelled at school and attended college on a full scholarship, where he finally started dating. After “Family Ties” was cancelled, Fox moved on to do movies and also starred on the sitcom “Spin City.” Today, Fox continues to act, despite the fact that he has been living with Parkinson’s disease for several years. Napoleon Dynamite : “Tina! Come get some ham!” This is just one line made quotable by Napoleon Dynamite, the nerd who starred in the breakout 2004 movie “Napoleon Dynamite.” Played by actor Jon Heder, Dynamite is a clueless geek living in rural Idaho with his equally clueless brother Kip, his adventurous grandmother, and their llama Tina. The movie is a chronicle of Dynamite’s unorthodox and awkward relationships with his family members and friends. Heder’s spot-on performance of an awkward teenager makes Napoleon Dynamite an instant classic, and while it wasn’t a TV show, Napoleon certainly deserves a spot on this list.

Heder has gone on to star in other movies, like “School for Scoundrels” and “Blades of Glory.” Though none of his other movies have had the same success as “Napoleon Dynamite,” he has proven to be a marketable performer. Skippy : If Alex P. Keaton was a nerd in a more political sense, Skippy stepped in to fill the stereotypical geek shoes on “Family Ties.” Erwin “Skippy” Handelman was the next door neighbor who, like many nerd characters, had an undying crush on Mallory Keaton, the wild-child daughter of the Keaton family played by Justine Bateman. Of course, Mallory did not share the same affections. Though Skippy was never a fully-developed character, he was a frequent guest at the Keaton house, always creating socially awkward situations with his ill-at-ease demeanor. He would sputter and stutter and withstand rejection from Mallory time and again. Played by actor Marc Price, he has had few other big roles since “Family Ties” went off the air.

He did host the Disney game show “Teen Win, Lose, or Draw” from 1989 to 1992 and was also a short-lived contestant on “Last Comic Standing.” Potsie Webber : Potsie Webber was the “aw-shucks”, eager-to-please best friend of Richie Cunningham on the old sitcom “Happy Days.” Played by Anson Williams, Potsie was a gullible and innocent tag along who was comically terrible at basketball. Good-natured, but square, Potsie was generally accepted by the other characters, but not taken as seriously. After “Happy Days,” Anson went on to become a TV director and has called the shots on many shows, like “Beverly Hills 90210,” “Star Trek Voyager,” and “Charmed,” just to name a few. Niles Crane : Uppity and snobbish, Niles Crane was the nerdy brother of Frasier Crane on the sitcom “Frasier.” Nerdy because he was intelligent and cultured, Niles Crane was known for his love of classical music, fine wines, and theater.

Niles was played by David Hyde Pierce, who nailed the character’s squeamish nature. Though a successful psychoanalyst in Seattle, Niles had a hefty list of his own issues, including a phobia of sitting on public chairs and benches. For fun, when he’s not at the opera, Niles could have probably been found on the squash courts or fencing. Pierce won several Emmy’s for his portrayal of Niles, and when “Frasier” went off the air in 2005, Pierce turned to supporting roles in films like “Hellboy” and also to Broadway. He’s appeared in both “Spamalot” and “Curtains,” for the latter of which he won a Tony Award. Kenneth : Kenneth the Page is an innocent boy from rural Georgia who takes his role as an NBC page quite seriously. Raised by his pig-farming parents, Kenneth’s story is that he left the backwoods life for Kentucky Mountain Bible College, after which he headed north to New York City. Gullible and optimistic, Kenneth sports a deep southern accent and smiley disposition. He loves his entry-level job and approaches it with all the earnestness and sincerity of a CEO.

In some episodes Kenneth wears a T-shirt that says “I LOVE Television” and his character has even knitted his grandmother a swimsuit with the NBC peacock on it. Kenneth is played by Jack McBrayer, who is himself from Georgia. McBrayer rose to fame much like “30 Rock’s” creator Tina Fey – through improv and Chicago’s Second City theater. Buster : For many fans, the canceling of “Arrested Development” after only three seasons was not only a mystery, but a crime. The show had some of the best developed characters to ever appear on TV, including the sniveling Buster Bluth, the youngest child of the Bluth family who was incapable of living more than 20 feet away from his mother. With his thick, black glasses and litany of sweater vests, Buster is a spoiled and lovable idiot, who is easily tricked by his family and quite unable to do anything for himself. But he was certainly a quotable character. When told there was going to be buckets and buckets of a corn-syrup “blood” mixture at a Halloween party, Buster replied, “We have unlimited juice?

This party’s going to be off the hook!” Buster is played by Tony Hale, an actor who has also appeared in movies like “Stranger than Fiction” and “Because I Said So.” He is currently doing voice work for an upcoming children’s movie. Dwight Schrute : Played by actor Rainn Wilson, Dwight is the grumpy, resident nerd on the American version of “The Office”. Lacking fashion sense or a sense of humor, Dwight is a pessimistic man who has a deep love for both authority and Jack Bauer on the show “24”. In his spare time, Dwight is a volunteer sheriff, paintball enthusiast, and beet farmer. He is the frequent butt of jokes from his co-workers, and he is notorious for getting along with very few of them. Wilson is an accomplished actor who played an assistant mortician on “Six Feet Under” before landing the role of Dwight. He has also appeared in guest roles on several TV programs. In 2008, Wilson will star in the comedy film “The Rocker.” George Michael Bluth : Like his uncle Buster, George Michael Bluth is a bit shy and wary of the world.

But unlike Buster, George Michael is a smart kid who perhaps is one of the only members of the Bluth family with any knowledge of how strange they are. Michael Cera, the actor who portrayed George Michael, nailed the character’s awkward and clumsy personality. George Michael is a star student who can frequently be found doing homework at his desk under the bunk bed he shares with his cousin, Maeby, who he is in love with despite the fact that they’re related. He is dedicated to helping his father save the family business and fix the family’s financial problems. To that end he works frequently as manager of the family Frozen Banana Stand on the beach. Though not a lady’s man, George Michael does eventually start dating a girl named Ann in the second season who is homely and strict. Cera, who made a big name for himself on “Arrested Development”, has gone on to star in hit movies like “Superbad” and “Juno”. Jerri Blank : Jerri Blank is an unsightly, 46-year-old loser with ruined teeth, an ugly smile, and terrible fashion sense, who after years of being a drug addict, prostitute and thief decides to return to high school to finish her diploma.

But despite her hard life, Blank is a somewhat witless and naïve freshman, who is trying her darndest to fit in. Created by comedienne Amy Sedaris and her peers Steven Colbert, Paul Dinello, and Mitch Rouse, “Strangers with Candy” was intended as a play on the cheesy afterschool specials of the 1980s. Amy Sedaris has an impressive list of comedy work under her belt and is also the sister of famed writer David Sedaris, who she frequently collaborates with on his audio books. Ugly Betty : Ugly Betty, whose character’s real name is Betty Suarez, is a sweet girl with braces and a bad wardrobe who somehow landed a job as a personal assistant at one of the country’s top fashion magazines, “Mode.” Betty is looked down upon by her co-workers for her clear lack of fashion sense and dowdiness, though Betty is determined not to let this spoil her good-nature. She is dedicated to taking care of her family at the expense of her personal life, though in Season 2 she does develop a romantic involvement with a deli owner.

Played by American Ferrera, who has been in movies like “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants,” Ferrera won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for her role as Betty in 2007. Millhouse : Millhouse is the nearsighted best friend of Bart Simpson on “The Simpsons”, whose full name is Mussolini Millhouse Van Houten. He is one of the most quotable characters on the cartoon show and he is frequently abused and manipulated by Bart, who likes to take advantage of his friend’s willing and kind nature. Millhouse is often beaten up and tortured by school bullies and he has even been run over by a train and electrically shocked. He has a huge crush on Bart’s sister Lisa, who is also something of a nerd, and is famed for being the only person in the fictional town of Springfield with eyebrows. omg it’s SKIPPY AND ALEX!!! I always thought they were sorta cute… lol sarah says:

Question: Who played the character of Alex P. Keaton in all seven series of a 1980s sitcom?
Answer: Michael J Fox