"Family Ties" is easily one of my favorite family-based TV sitcoms from the 1980's. It's one of those shows that I've waited for, and waited for, and waited for to come out on DVD for as long as the 'TV on DVD' has been running. Thankfully, the wait is finally over as Paramount is finally adding it to its roster this month. It seems however, that upon receiving the 1st season a few weeks ago, I may have learned what the hold up was. I noticed a little mention on the back of the DVD set that some music had been changed for this release. I'm guessing that means that there were some music issue rights. I'm sure there may be a few of you who never saw "Family Ties", but I doubt there are any of you who have never seen "Back to the Future." By that I mean all of you have at least heard of Michael J. Fox. Yes, "Family Ties" is the show that launched his illustrious career. Initially however, Fox wasn't intended to be its star. Instead, Michael Gross and Meredith Baxter Birney were meant to be its leads, starring as the parents of three children. They were products of the 60's, so having children of their own turned out to be quite the eye-opening experience.

Their youngest daughter Jennifer (Tina Yothers) is a tomboy of the highest order, while the elder Mallory (Justine Bateman) was more the typical boy-crazy teenager.

But it was their son Alex, played my Fox who presented their biggest challenge. Despite his parent's teaching, Alex grew into a staunch Republican, whose every ideal and thought went against their extremely liberal opinions. Get them talking about politics or nukes, and they had a guaranteed war on their hands. It was Fox's dead on performance, both as a clashing right-winger and loving son that won audiences over. It didn’t take long before Fox became the real star of the show, despite the talent surrounding him. And it even introduced him to his future (and still) wife, Tracy Pollan.

The DVD release of the 1st season back in 2007 reunited me with the series after not seeing any episodes for over a decade. Re-watching that season, I noticed that it wasn't necessarily as good as I remembered, but only because I could tell the show was working on getting its stride. Most of the episodes were still great, but they definitely improved by the time the 2nd season hit. I was also surprised to see Tom Hanks starring in a 2-part episode as Elyse's (Birney) brother. I remembered him being in a later episode where we learn about his being an alcoholic, but not this first appearance. This 1st season also offered a nice light-hearted episode where the Keaton's were snowed in for the holidays and spend the time reminiscing about the births of their children. I really thought this was a great episode, in part because it was so illuminating as to the family's beginnings, but also because I got to see actor Peter Jurasik without the huge hairpiece he wore as Londo in "Babylon Five!"

The series ran for only 7 seasons, but having watched it religiously it almost seems like it went for more. I doubt there was a single episode I didn't see, and while there were certainly standouts, I really don’t think I saw one I didn’t enjoy. This is why I was so excited to see this month’s release of the 5th season, which featured the best 2-part episode ever, "A, My Name is Alex", where Alex experiences a near nervous breakdown after the loss of a friend in a car accident. That particular episode won a well-deserved Emmy for Outstanding Writing. There was never any doubt of Michael J. Fox’s talents as an actor, but this episode topped anything he has done before or since.

The episodes looked incredibly clear for it being a show that is over 25 years old. Paramount did take the time to clean them up a little bit, which always enhances the viewing. I looked for some of the changes that were referred to about the music, but to be honest having not seen the show for so many years, I really didn’t notice anything different. I'm sure hardcore fans that have the shows videotaped will be able to pick out every note that's been changed, but the average viewer (like me) won’t a thing. I was rather glad to see that there were finally some special features. While only offering a short gag reel, you really do get to see how much fun the cast had.

The packaging utilizes a single clear Amaray case that holds all four discs. The inside of the case has the episode titles and descriptions printed on what would be the inside of the printed cover. As the case is clear, you can read them… but the fact that some of the discs are in the way makes it a little difficult unless you remove the disc. I really prefer the old slim cases, which leave more room for artwork and episode details, but I can see where this might be a good cost reducing decision on the part of the studio.

“Family Ties” was a great series for all of its seven seasons. You won’t be wasting any hard earned dollars picking these up!

Episodes:
Be True to Your Preschool
Starting Over
My Back Pages
Beauty and the Bank
Mrs. Wrong (Part 1)
Mrs. Wrong (Part 2)
The Big Fix
My Brother’s Keeper
High School Confidential
Paper Lion
My Mother, My Friend
Oh, Brother (Part 1)
Oh, Brother (Part 2)
Higher Love
Architect’s Apprentice
A Tale of Two Cities (Part 1)
A Tale of Two Cities (Part 2)
Battle of the Sexes (Part 1)
Battle of the Sexes (Part 2)
Band on the Run
Keaton vs. Keaton
“A”, My Name is Alex (Part 1)
“A”, My Name is Alex (Part 2)
“D” is for Date
The Freshman and the Senior
Love Me Do
The Visit
Matchmaker
It’s My Party (Part 1)
It’s My Party (Part 2)

Starring: Michael Gross, Meredith Baxter Birney, Michael J. Fox, Justine Bateman, Tina Yothers
Extras: Gag Reel
Specifications: Full Screen Format, Dolby Digital Mono
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: 3/10/2009
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
http://www.paramount.com/homeentertainment

We'll give Family Ties: Season 5 an A.