![]() Apart from Alex, Mallory and Jennifer Keaton were equally genuine characters. ![]() It was that contrast that turned the show into an instant hit and pushed the baby-boomer parents on the sidelines of attention. Alex was smart and funny, a perfect juxtaposition to his liberal parents, their values, likes and attitudes. Fox, Alex Keaton was the oldest son of the family, a personified young Republican who idolized President Reagan. Brought to life by a then still unknown Michael J. Originally focused on Elyse and Steven, the left-wing parents of a brood of three, the show picked up on the evolvement of the yuppie in the 1980s. Review: Hip parents, square kids was the pitch line to sell Family Ties to NBC. The parents are hip, the kids are square. Plot summary: In the Keaton household, two worlds collide. Fox, Justine Bateman, Tina Yothers, Brian Bonsall Cast: Meredith Baxter-Birney, Michael Gross, Michael J. USA 1982-89, seven seasons, 180 episodes, approximately 25 minutes each, NBC, color. Here’s my favorite scene with her from the pilot, a great example of the style and tone of a show that started as a mini series and ended its run at the dawn of a new decade after five seasons. Kate Lawrence has always been one of my favorites, strong, hands-on and maternal. A real treat for anyone who wants to understand the sensitivities of a different time, as well as the roots of female characters who speak their mind. No matter if you are fond of the era or critical of it like me, Family offers a wonderful cast and moving storylines. Influenced by subjects and questions discussed at the time, the show now functions like a time capsule. Although not yet available on DVD as a complete collection, the first two seasons provide an insight into the difficulties and changes of the 1970s. Breast cancer, divorce and the doubts of an expectant mother are just some of the examples that made this program what it was: a story about a fictional family with realistic challenges and problems. Family didn’t shy away from touching uncomfortable or somber topics. It were topics like these that set the show apart from many others. His death a gash still tangible in the entire family. As the youngest Lawrence offspring, she had suffered greatly after the loss of her older brother, Timothy, five years prior to the show’s beginning. Insecure about her height and femininity, she slowly grew into a confident young woman who was a reliable and honest friend. A tomboy on the outside, she was a teenage girl within. Buddy, the pet of the family, was his favorite sister. Willie, the second-in-line, was a high school drop out who dreamed of becoming a famous writer. Selfish by nature and equally demanding, she had a difficult relationship with her mother whose own values differed largely from hers. Nancy, the oldest daughter, was married in the beginning of the show but later divorced her husband. As an independent lawyer, he was the negotiator of the family, a strict man who had his convictions but wasn’t set in his ways. Doug (James Broderick) was Kate’s husband and father of Nancy, Willie and Buddy. A woman who had put her family before her own professional aspirations and thus fought with her own demons. Kate, played by a warmhearted but slightly melancholy Sada Thompson, was the female head of the household. Set in Southern California, the Lawrence family belonged to the upper middle class and led a comfortable life in Pasadena. In contrast to the early family sitcoms, Kate and Doug were loving but stern parents who had to deal with three children and their struggles. Although joy and laughter belonged to the Lawrence’s household, the overall tone of the show was serious. Unlike its predecessors, however, Family dealt with issues and disputes in a serious way. Programs like Father Knows Best or The Donna Reed Show had coined the genre in the early days. Review: When Family premiered in the spring of 1976, the family shows had long been established on TV. Plot summary: Family life is not a walk in the park and no one knows that better than Kate and Doug Lawrence, two middle-aged parents who love and curse their kids at the same time. Cast: Sada Thompson, James Broderick, Gary Frank, Kristy McNichol, Elayne HeilVeil, Meredith Baxter Birney, Quinn Cummings. Produced by Leonard Goldberg, Aaron Selling, Mike Nichols. USA 1976-80, five seasons, 86 episodes, approximately 50 minutes each, ABC, color.
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