Family Ties

Family Ties
GenreSitcom
Created byGary David Goldberg
ShowrunnerGary David Goldberg
Starring
Theme music composer
Opening theme"Without Us" performed by Dennis Tufano and Mindy Sterling (season 1, episodes 1–10); Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams (remainder of series run)
Ending theme"Without Us" (instrumental)
ComposerTom Scott
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons7
No. of episodes176 + one film (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Gary David Goldberg
  • Lloyd Garver
Producers
Cinematography
  • Mikel Neiers
  • Christopher Lynch
  • Dominic Palmieri
  • Robert F. Liu
Editors
  • Gary Anderson
  • Ed Brennan
  • John Carroll
Camera setupMulti-camera, Videotape
Running time24 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkNBC[1]
ReleaseSeptember 22, 1982 (1982-09-22) –
May 14, 1989 (1989-05-14)
Related
The Art of Being Nick (TV pilot)
Day by Day
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

Family Ties is an American television 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 social shift in the United States from the cultural liberalism of the 1960s and 1970s to the conservatism of the 1980s.[2] Because of this, Young Republican Alex P. Keaton (portrayed by Michael J. Fox) develops generational strife with 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.

The show premiered on September 22, 1982, and for the first two seasons, aired on Wednesday nights. In the show's third season, it started airing on Thursday nights. In 1987, for its sixth season, it was moved to Sunday nights where it stayed until the series' seventh and final season on May 14, 1989. Since then, it is considered, along with The Cosby Show and Roseanne, to be among the greatest family sitcoms of all time. The Writers Guild of America named it #95 on their list of 101 Best-Written TV Series, surpassing Lonesome Dove, Soap, Louie, The Fugitive, Late Night With David Letterman, and Oz.[3] President Ronald Reagan named it his favorite TV show, and Entertainment Weekly ranked it among their 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.

  1. ^ Clements, Erin (October 7, 2015). "Family Ties cast reflects on show 3 decades later: 'We all loved each other'". USA Today. Archived from the original on June 2, 2017. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
  2. ^ Saenz, Michael. "Encyclopedia of Television: Family Ties". Museum of Broadcast Communications. Archived from the original on June 6, 2016. Retrieved January 9, 2018.
  3. ^ "101 Best Written TV Series". Writers Guild of America West. June 2, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2024.