History YMMV / FamilyTies

* RetroactiveRecognition: Creator/CourteneyCox had a recurring role as Lauren Miller, Alex's girlfriend.

** Michael J. Weithorn, who wrote 26 episodes, is best known as creator and executive producer of ''Series/NedAndStacey'' and he would go on to co-create and executive produce ''Series/TheKingOfQueens''.
** Susan Stevenson wrote 19 episodes before becoming co-creator and co-executive producer of ''Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir''.
** Bruce Helford wrote five episodes. Helford went on to become creator and executive producer of ''Series/AngerManagement'' and co-creator and executive producer of ''Series/TheNormShow'', ''Series/TheDrewCareyShow'', and ''Series/TheGeorgeLopezShow''.

** Jace Richdale also wrote an episode before helming the CultClassic series ''WesternAnimation/TheOblongs''.
** Kate Boutilier also wrote an episode many years before her work on ''WesternAnimation/AllGrownUp''.

* UnintentionallySympathetic: You'd be surprised the number of times audience were actually ''not'' meant to agree with or sympathize with Alex in a certain situation, but did anyway due to how charming and likable Michael J. Fox was in the role.

** The episode "Have Gun, Will Unravel" sees Steven and Elyse consider and then debate on purchasing a gun for home defense after a burglar breaks into their home, something both ex-flower children would previously find unthinkable. And then literally the day after he finished playing Steven, Micheal Gross began protraying GunNut CrazySurvivalist Burt Gummer in the ''Film/{{Tremors}}'' franchise, who went on to show a monster what happens when it breaks into the wrong goddamn rec room.

** The episode "Have Gun, Will Unravel" sees Steven and Elyse consider and then debate on purchasing a gun for home defense after a burglar breaks into their home, something both ex-flower children would previously find unthinkable. Nearly a decade later, Micheal Gross would go on to play GunNut CrazySurvivalist Burt Gummer in ''Film/{{Tremors}}'', who then goes on to show a monster what happens when it breaks into the wrong goddamn rec room.

** The fact that literally the day after wrapping up his role as the uber-liberal Stephen, Michael Gross started playing paranoid right-wing survivalist Burt Gummer in ''Franchise/{{Tremors}}''.

** The fact that literally the day after wrapping up his role as the uber-liberal Stephen, Michael Gross started playing paranoid right-wing survivalist Burt Gummer in the ''Franchise/{{Tremors}}'' franchise.

* MisaimedFandom: Alex became an icon among conservatives, to the point that Ronald Reagan said Family Ties was his favorite show, even though the audience was never intended to seriously agree with his political views. It's just that Michael J Fox was so likable.

* EnsembleDarkhorse:
** Alex was the most popular character when the show aired and remains the best-remembered aspect of it. Interestingly, the character was originally intended to be amusingly obnoxious, but 1980s audiences loved his yuppie behavior unironically.
** Mallory's Sylvester Stallone-inspired boyfriend Nick became extremely popular. NBC even planned a spin-off for him. But cancelled it since they were worried his absence would hurt Family Ties.

* RetroactiveRecognition:
** Creator/CourteneyCox had a recurring role as Lauren Miller, Alex's girlfriend.

* MagnificentBastard: Alex, to the majority of the audience.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Alex. His popularity led to increased prominence.
** Which is funny when you consider that the show's creator originally intended for Alex to be an unlikable [[StrawCharacter Straw Republican]]. But Michael J. Fox proved to be just too likable for audiences to view him as a heel, and the show's writers eventually decided to give him a more positive portrayal.
** Mallory's Sylvester Stallone inspired boyfriend Nick became extremely popular. NBC even planned a spin-off for him. But cancelled it since they were worried his absence would hurt Family Ties.

** Watching the Keatons preach to Uncle Ned about his alcoholism is kind of hard to watch after Michael J. Fox and Meredith Baxter admitted they had a drinking problem.
** [[YetAnotherChristmasCarol The second season Christmas episode]] shows a flash forward to thirty years in the future and it's mentioned that the economy isn't doing well. This was made in 1983 and in the 2010s the economy is still hurting.

** At the beginning of the episode "Heartstrings" Alex is celebrating George Bush's win. He tells Andy that he was born under Reagan, Bush was elected, and that he'd have a Democrat free childhood. UsefulNotes/BillClinton was elected four years later.
*** Similarly, at the end of "They Can't Take That Away From Me", after having just broken things off with Lauren and Marty (or more accurately, they with him, saying to him ''exactly'' what he intended to say to each of them), Alex storms into the dressing room to get changed for the graduation ceremony, then looks upward asking, "What's next? The plague? Locusts? Democrats in '92?"

* MisaimedFandom: Arguably, Alex P. Keaton. While Michael J. Fox (who played Alex) has always been a liberal, many Republicans have been inspired by the character - and even many liberals have insisted that Republicans should be a little more like Alex. Somewhat justified, though, with the character being a JerkWithAHeartOfGold.
** In a RealLife CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming, Fox says many rich Wall Street financiers and hedge fund managers who were inspired by Alex P. Keaton have donated to Fox's Parkinson's foundation because of what his character meant to them.

** Creator/MichaelJFox as Alex P. Keaton.
** Michael Gross (Steven Keaton) is also best known for playing Burt Gummer in ''Franchise/{{Tremors}}''.

* {{Anvilicious}}

** Tony Mordente directed six episodes. Mordente is best known for playing A-rab in ''Theatre/WestSideStory''.
** Debbie Allen directed two episodes. Allen is best known for playing Lydia Grant in ''Film/{{Fame}}''.
** Frank Bonner directed an episode. Bonner is best known for playing Herb Tarlek on ''Series/WKRPInCincinnati''.
** Dick Martin also directed an episode. Martin is best known for co-hosting ''Series/RowanAndMartinsLaughIn''.
** Michael J. Weithorn wrote 26 episodes. Weithorn is best known as creator and executive producer of ''Series/NedAndStacey'' and co-creator and executive producer of ''Series/TheKingOfQueens''.
** Susan Stevenson wrote 19 episodes. Stevenson is best known as co-creator and co-executive producer of ''Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir''.
** Bruce Helford wrote five episodes. Helford is best known as creator and executive producer of ''Series/AngerManagement'' and co-creator and executive producer of ''Series/TheNormShow'', ''Series/TheDrewCareyShow'', and ''Series/TheGeorgeLopezShow''.

** Jace Richdale also wrote an episode. Richdale is best known as co-creator and executive producer of ''WesternAnimation/TheOblongs''.
** Kate Boutilier also wrote an episode. Boutilier is best known as co-developer and producer of ''WesternAnimation/AllGrownUp''.

** Michael Gross (Steven Keaton) is also best known for playing Burt Gummer in ''Film/{{Tremors}}''.

* RetroactiveRecognition: Among the then-unknowns of the guest cast were Creator/TomHanks, Creator/RiverPhoenix, Geena Davis, Creator/CourteneyCox, Judith Light, Crispin Glover, Creator/WilWheaton, ''Deep Space Nine's'' Terry Farrell, Tracy Pollan, and Martha Plimpton.
** You can add Daphne Zuniga, Jamie Gertz, Stephen and Daniel Baldwin (but not in the same episodes and not as brothers), Jeff Cohen (Chunk in ''The Goonies''), Maurna Tierney, Kevin Dunn (Sparkplug Witwicky in the live-action ''Transformers'' films), Betsy Randle (Mrs. Matthews on ''Boy Meets World''), Earl Boen (Dr. Silberman in the ''Terminator'' films), Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and a pre-''Married...with Children'' David Faustino and Christina Applegate.
** In addition to creating ''Family Ties'', Gary David Goldberg served as co-creator and executive producer of ''Series/SpinCity'', which starred Creator/MichaelJFox for the first four seasons.

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: If there was ever a show that reflected America under the Reagan administration, ''Family Ties'' is it. Republicans at the time saw Alex P. Keaton as cool and hip, no doubt due to Michael J. Fox's performance. Cut to 2016: With America still living under the shadow of 9/11 and the Great Recession, race relations becoming more problematic, and the Republican Party's continued controversial attempts to pander to fundamentalist Christians, it's quite possible that most conservatives now view Alex as a liberal, and the Democratic parents would probably be viewed as Communists. [[WordofGod Word of God]] seems to defend this: in one of his [[http://garydavidgoldberg.com/blog/2008/02/wwakd_what_would_alex_keaton_d_1.html last blogs]], written during the 2008 Presidential Election, creator Gary David Goldberg believed that Alex would not fit in with modern-day Republicans, would become a registered Independent, and would consider voting for UsefulNotes/BarackObama because of his Recession-related fiscal reforms.
** If the radical politics of Millennials (fueled by the Great Recession) are anything to go by, Alex would certainly not fit in with the Alt-Right and the 'liberal' parents would not fit in with the SJW (Social Justice Warrior) Left crowd of today, either.

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: If there was ever a show that reflected America under the Reagan administration, ''Family Ties'' is it. Republicans at the time saw Alex P. Keaton as cool and hip, no doubt due to Michael J. Fox's performance. Cut to 2016: With America still living under the shadow of 9/11 and the Great Recession, race relations becoming more problematic, and the Republican Party's continued controversial attempts to pander to fundamentalist Christians, it's quite possible that most conservatives now view Alex as a liberal, and the Democratic parents would probably be viewed as Communists. [[WordofGod Word of God]] seems to defend this: in one of his [[http://garydavidgoldberg.com/blog/2008/02/wwakd_what_would_alex_keaton_d_1.html last blogs]], creator Gary David Goldberg believed that Alex would not fit in with modern-day Republicans and would be a registered Independent.

** The 'liberal' parents would not fit in with the SJW (Social Justice Warrior) Left crowd of today, either.

*** Funny you should include David Faustino and Christina Applegate, because their on-screen dad, Ed O'Neill, was considered to play the role of Steven Keaton.

* HarsherInHindsight: Watching the Keatons preach to Uncle Ned about his alcoholism is kind of hard to watch after Michael J. Fox and Meredith Baxter admitted they had a drinking problem.

* HilariousInHindsight: The episode "Have Gun, Will Unravel" sees Steven and Elyse consider and then debate on purchasing a gun for home defense after a burglar breaks into their home, something both ex-flower children would previously find unthinkable. Nearly a decade later, Micheal Gross would go on to play GunNut CrazySurvivalist Burt Gummer in ''{{Tremors}}'', who then goes on to show a monster what happens when it breaks into the wrong goddamn rec room.

* TearJerker: Alex's breakdown after his friend is killed in a car accident.