History Series / FamilyTies

* ExcellentAdventure: In one episode, Alex P. Keaton falls asleep - and he witnesses the Declaration of Independence. As this episode occurred around the time that Michael J. Fox (Alex's actor) was also playing Marty [=McFly=] on ''Back to the Future'', this episode was possibly a nod to the then upcoming film. In the film, Doc Brown types in the date of the Declaration of Independence - when demonstrating to Marty how his time machine works.

* HeyItsThatGuy: Creator/TomHanks as Elyse's alcoholic brother.
** Creator/CourteneyCox as Alex's girlfriend Lauren.
** Geena Davis as Karen, the Keatons' housekeeper when Elyse is pregnant.
** Ronny Cox as Ellen's blustery father.

Much of the humor comes from the conflict between the [[TheGenerationGap Republican Alex and the very Democratic parents]]. In a rare example, there are no StrawmanPolitical sequences to be found here: both ideologies are given equal time in the spotlight, and there is no IdiotOfTheWeek episode either[[note]] though Alex was originally designed as an StrawConservative, but backed out when he became the show's most popular character[[/note]].

Unlike many {{Dom Com}}s (and most of the ones made since TheSeventies), the show was about a completely standard [[NuclearFamily "nuclear" family]]. Think ''MyThreeSons'', ''FamilyAffair'', ''TheBradyBunch'', ''DiffrentStrokes'', ''FullHouse'', etc. The fact that ''FamilyTies'' had no adopted kids, cousins, kids from previous marriages, or single parents actually made it something of a rarity, even for the early 1980's.

** Parodied on ''{{SNL}}'' when Justine Bateman hosted. They did a ''FamilyTies'' spoof where they would flashback to another episode and in that episode they flashback to '''another''' episode and so on until they flashback to a real episode of ''TheJeffersons'', which was itself a ClipShow.

* IWantYouToMeetAnOldFriendOfMine

* HotMom:

Much of the humor comes from the conflict between the [[TheGenerationGap Republican Alex and the very Democratic parents]]. In a rare example, there are no StrawmanPolitical sequences to be found here: both ideologies are given equal time in the spotlight, and there is no IdiotOfTheWeek episode either.

Unlike many {{Dom Com}}s, the show was about a completely standard [[NuclearFamily "nuclear" family]]. Think ''MyThreeSons'', ''FamilyAffair'', ''TheBradyBunch'', ''DiffrentStrokes'', ''FullHouse'', etc. The fact that ''FamilyTies'' had no adopted kids, cousins, kids from previous marriages, or single parents actually made it something of a rarity.

** Courtney Cox as Alex's girlfriend Lauren.

* CoolUncle: Uncle Ned (played by TomHanks) is really cool, but has a drinking problem.

* HeyItsThatGuy: TomHanks as Elyse's alcoholic brother.

* LongLostUncleAesop: The alcoholic uncle, Elyse's brother Ned (TomHanks), and Elyse's sister Michelle--although in an earlier episode Elyse argues with her mother and refers to herself as "your only daughter". There's a VerySpecialEpisode featuring Mallory's favorite aunt, the never-before-seen Trudy, who dies of a heart attack (which of course is never again mentioned). Also teen pregnancy was dealt with by bringing in a never-seen-before friend, and both Alex and Mallory mourn friends whom we'd never seen alive or would hear about later.

* TranquilFury: Don't get Steven mad.

** Parodied on ''{{SNL}}'' when Justine Bateman hosted. They did a ''FamilyTies'' spoof where they would flashback to another episode and in that episode they flashback to '''another''' episode and so on until they flashback to a real episode of ''TheJeffersons''.

Unlike many {{Dom Com}}s of TheEighties (with the exception of its NBC lead-in ''TheCosbyShow''), the show was about a completely standard [[NuclearFamily "nuclear" family]]. Think ''MyThreeSons'', ''FamilyAffair'', ''TheBradyBunch'', ''DiffrentStrokes'', ''FullHouse'', etc. The fact that ''FamilyTies'' had no adopted kids, cousins, kids from previous marriages, or single parents actually made it something of a rarity.

The show is rather straightforward, though a lot of the humor comes from the conflict between the [[TheGenerationGap Republican Alex and the very Democratic parents]]. In a rare example, there are no StrawmanPolitical sequences to be found here: both ideologies are given equal time in the spotlight, and there is no IdiotOfTheWeek episode either.

Former flower children Steven (Michael Gross) and Elyse (Meredith Baxter-Birney) Keaton [[HappilyMarried are now adults]] and raising three kids of their own: hyper-conservative Alex (Michael J. Fox in the role that made him a star), [[TheDitz ditzy]] Mallory (Justine Bateman) and precocious Jennifer (Tina Yothers). A fourth Keaton child, Andrew, was born in the third season and played by Brian Bonsall beginning in season 5.

As stated, it was rather straightforward, though a lot of the humor came from the conflict between the [[TheGenerationGap Republican Alex and the very Democratic parents]]. In a rare example, there was no StrawmanPolitical sequence to be found here: both ideologies were given equal time in the spotlight, and there was no IdiotOfTheWeek episode either.

The aforementioned straightforwardness was actually notable in itself. Not many {{Dom Com}}s -- then or now -- are actually about a completely standard [[NuclearFamily "nuclear" family]]. Think ''MyThreeSons'', ''FamilyAffair'', ''TheBradyBunch'', ''DiffrentStrokes'', ''FullHouse''. The fact that FamilyTies had no adopted kids, cousins, kids from previous marriages, or single parents actually made it something of a subversion.

As stated, it was rather straightforward, though a lot of the humor came from the conflict between the Republican Alex and the very Democratic parents. In a rare example, there was no StrawmanPolitical sequence to be found here: both ideologies were given equal time in the spotlight, and there was no IdiotOfTheWeek episode either.

!!'''Tropes Involved:'''

** Parodied on ''{{SNL}}'' when Justine Bateman hosted. They did a ''FamilyTies'' spoof where they would flashback to another episode and in that episode they flashback to '''another''' episode and so on until they flashbacked to a real episode of ''TheJeffersons''.

* DitzyGenius: Alex. He's a hypercompetitive straight A student and math genius who was doing his parents' taxes when he was five years old and advised his parents on mortgage rates when they bought their house. Yet in everyday activities he often proves completely incapable. His little sister frequently beats him in sports, he fails at things like building kites, cooking or fixing cars even with extensive directions.

** A particularly impactful example is the episode "'A,' My Name is Alex," where Alex has a nervous breakdown after his best friend dies in a car accident.

* ClipShow: several. One sees the Keatons share stories with Alex's girlfriend Ellen, another has the men and women of the family rehashing past incidents.

* BrattyTeenageDaughter: Mallory, sometimes.

* ExcellentAdventure: In one episode, Alex P. Keaton falls asleep - and he witnesses the Declaration of Independence. As this episode occurred around the time that Michael J. Fox (Alex's actor) was also playing Marty McFly on ''Back to the Future'', this episode was possibly a nod to the then upcoming film. In the film, Doc Brown types in the date of the Declaration of Independence - when demonstrating to Marty how his time machine works.