80s TV We Loved - Family Ties
March 21st 2011 19:29
Family Ties was classic 80s TV complete with all the fashion trappings of the period.
Set during the early years of the Reagan administration, Elyse and Steven Keaton (Meredith Baxter-Birney and Michael Gross) are Baby Boomers, former-Hippies and liberals raising their three children: Alex (Michael J. Fox), Mallory (Justine Bateman) and Jennifer (Tina Yothers) in suburban Columbus, Ohio.
Much of the humor of the series focused on the cultural divide during the 1980s when younger generations rejected the counterculture of the 1960s and embraced the conservative politics which came to define the 1980s.
The Keatons had all of the typical minor problems that all families have, especially since two of the children were teenagers. There were the puberty issues, sibling rivalry, dating, and ... well, you know the score.
But the Keatons had one problem that most families don't experience. Mom and dad were bra-burning, draft-dodging, government-despising hippies from the 1960s who had "grown up" but hadn't abandoned their very liberal political views.
Their children, on the other hand, had views that were heavily leaning towards the conservative end of the spectrum.
At its peak, the show attracted over 25 million views each week and managed to second the likes of Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, River Phoenix, Courteney Cox, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Christina Applegate - before they discovered the 'big time'.
On the back of Fox's performance the show won critical acclaim including Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series and Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series.
The program has been back in the news however thanks to co-star Meredith Baxter's admission on national television (and co-incidentially) subsequent book release of a 'late in life' recognition of her own sexuality.
This, alongside all the trials and tribulations including Fox's own dibilitating Parkinson's crusade fails to dampen our love for the show - which justifyable deserves its place as 80s TV we loved.
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