In the '80s Family Ties was a highly entertaining look at suburban family life. One of the best aspects of the show was the depiction of the former hippie parents Steven and Elyse Keaton. The show primarily dealt with the parents trying to maintain a balance between their former '60s "peace and love" ideals and the modern realities of raising of family and paying bills.
Another amusing aspect to the show was the parents' relationship with their ultra-conservative son Alex (Michael J Fox). Alex's conservatism was the perfect antithesis to his parents' hippie ideals. At its best Family Ties dealt with the parents' and Alex's differences with respect as well as humor. For the most part the show dealt realistically with the dilemmas of each character rather than slipping into the corniness of most sitcoms of that time.
In the earlier seasons of Family Ties the parents were the central point of the show. After the huge success of Back To The Future, starring Michael J. Fox, the focus shifted more to Alex. This is very apparent in season five which has Alex taking equal part to the parents in familial issues such as little brother Andy's (Brian Bonsall) pre-school, and Mallory's (Justine Bateman) up in the air nuptials to boyfriend Nick (Scott Valentine). While this aspect of the show is unrealistic, Family Ties still maintains the same charm it always had.
What really makes this DVD set worth the purchase is the two-part episode "'A, My Name is Alex," which is about Alex dealing with the death of a close friend. Most of the episode takes place in a counseling session with Alex. It is shot with a black background, with Alex interacting with family and friends during different periods of this life. Even today the episode is quite inventive and emotional in dealing with such a serious subject. Another highlight is "My Back Pages." The episode features an old college friend of Steven's, who unlike the Keatons, has not left his '60s reactionary days behind. The friend wants to start up the old underground newspaper he and Steven used to write. It is in this episode that Steven and Elyse examine their current ideals, and reflect on what their beliefs mean to them and their current place in society.
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