List of Family Ties episodes

The NBC sitcom Family Ties aired from September 22, 1982 to May 14, 1989, with a total of 168 episodes produced.

Series overview

Season		Episodes	Originally aired
			First aired	Last aired
	1	22	September 22, 1982	April 11, 1983
	2	22	September 23, 1983	May 10, 1984
	3	24	September 20, 1984	March 28, 1985
	Film		September 23, 1985
	4	24	September 26, 1985	May 8, 1986
	5	30	September 25, 1986	August 13, 1987
	6	28	September 13, 1987	May 1, 1988
	7	26	October 30, 1988	May 14, 1989

Episodes

Season 1 (1982–83)

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Production code
1	1	"Pilot"	Asaad Kelada	Gary David Goldberg	September 22, 1982	001
Father and son clash when Steven demands that Alex not accompany his new girlfriend to an elitist, restricted country club.
2	2	"Not With My Sister You Don't"	Tony Mordente	Lloyd Garver	September 29, 1982	004
With Steven and Elyse away for the weekend, Alex hosts a wild party and worries over Mallory going off with one of his womanizing friends.
3	3	"I Know Jennifer's Boyfriend"	Michael Zinberg	Gary David Goldberg	October 6, 1982	003
Because she is friends with a nerdy boy, Jennifer is teased at school. To stop the teasing, she decides not to be friends with him any more.
4	4	"Summer of '82"	Tony Mordente	Michael J. Weithorn	October 27, 1982	007
At 17 years old, Alex loses his virginity to a college girl (Amy Steel), but is heartbroken when he finds her the next day with another guy named Pete (John Putch).
5	5	"I Never Killed for My Father"	Dick Martin	Kimberly Hill	November 3, 1982	008
Steven's father (John Randolph) arrives for a visit, and announces that he is going to die.
6	6	"Give Your Uncle Arthur a Kiss"	Will Mackenzie	Lloyd Garver & Gary David Goldberg	November 10, 1982	012
When a family friend, "Uncle Arthur", visits the Keatons, he comes on to Mallory and tries to kiss her against her will. Shocked, Mallory goes to Alex for advice.
7	7	"Big Brother is Watching"	Alan Bergmann	Ruth Bennett	November 17, 1982	013
As the new editor of the school paper, Alex learns of an algebra test cheating scandal in which Mallory is involved.
8	8	"No Nukes Is Good Nukes"	Frank Bonner	Ruth Bennett	November 24, 1982	009
Steven and Elyse are arrested on Thanksgiving while protesting nuclear arms, leaving the kids in the hands of Elyse's parents (Dick Sargent and Priscilla Morrill).
9	9	"Death of a Grocer"	Will Mackenzie	Michael J. Weithorn	December 1, 1982	011
Alex quits his job at a local grocery store to earn more at a bigger store, but he doesn't enjoy the new job. Note: This episode marks the debut of Marc Price in the recurring role of Skippy Handleman.
10	10	"Have Gun, Will Unravel"	Alan Bergmann	Ruth Bennett	December 8, 1982	006
After their house is broken into, Steven and Elyse debate buying a gun to protect their home.
11	11	"A Christmas Story"	Will Mackenzie	Joanne Pagliaro	December 15, 1982	014
Snowed in for Christmas, Elyse and Steven remember the kids' births in flashbacks: Alex was born in Africa, Mallory was delivered by a crazy doctor and Jennifer was born during the 1972 presidential election.
12	12	"Oops"	Tony Mordente	Joanne Pagliaro	December 22, 1982	005
One of Mallory's friends reveals that she is pregnant, and asks Elyse for advice.
13	13	"Sherry Baby"	Tony Mordente	Barbara Hall	January 12, 1983	015
Mallory convinces Alex to go out with a sorority girl, hoping that the girl will invite Mallory to join, but soon learns the girl was only using her to get to Alex.
14	14	"The Fugitive, Part 1"	Will Mackenzie	Michael J. Weithorn	January 19, 1983	016
When Elyse's brother Ned (Tom Hanks) arrives for a surprise visit, the family finds out he is on the run from the FBI for embezzling millions from his employers.
15	15	"The Fugitive, Part 2"	Will Mackenzie	Michael J. Weithorn	January 26, 1983	017
After Ned reveals that he embezzled the money to keep his employers from firing 1,800 workers, the Keatons initially attempt to help him elude the FBI, but later try to convince him to turn himself in.
16	16	"Margin of Error"	Tony Mordente	Michael Russnow	February 9, 1983	018
Alex impersonates his father and uses the family's blue-chip stocks to play the market, but ends up losing a large sum of money.
17	17	"French Lessons"	Tony Mordente	Ruth Bennett	February 16, 1983	019
Mallory goes out with her French tutor, Jeff, who seeks out romantic advice from Alex. Meanwhile, Steven tries to beat Alex in chess.
18	18	"I Gotta Be Ming"	Sam Weisman	Douglas Wyman	February 23, 1983	020
While Elyse raises money for an immigrant education program, Alex tries to help by mentoring a Vietnamese boy named Ming.
19	19	"Suzanne Takes You Down"	Will Mackenzie	Ruth Bennett	March 16, 1983	010
Elyse offers her friend Suzanne a job as her assistant, but Suzanne isn't up to the task.
20	20	"The Fifth Wheel"	Andrew McCullough	Ruth Bennett & Michael J. Weithorn	March 28, 1983	022
Jennifer decides she's tired of being treated as a burden by her family and runs away.
21	21	"Stage Fright"	Sam Weisman	Ruth Bennett & Michael J. Weithorn	April 4, 1983	021
Alex's school quiz team is forced to find a replacement for a sick teammate, and in an act of desperation, Alex trains Mallory to fill the spot.
22	22	"Elyse D'Arc"	Michael Zinberg	Michael J. Weithorn	April 11, 1983	002
Steven and Elyse clash when Elyse's busy schedule keeps them from spending time together.

Season 2 (1983–84)

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Production code
23	1	"Tender is the Knight"	Sam Weisman	Ruth Bennett	September 28, 1983	023
Alex must contend with a childhood sweetheart (Talia Balsam) staying at the house, who is unlike any girl he's met—or liked—before. Note: First episode featuring a bearded Steven Keaton which he will keep for the remainder of the series. Michael Gross had grown the beard between seasons 1 and 2 while appearing in a Broadway production.
24	2	"The Homecoming"	Sam Weisman	Douglas Wyman	October 12, 1983	027
Mallory's boyfriend Jeff returns to Columbus and confesses to Alex that he hates Princeton, and is willing to do anything to get out of it—even ask Mallory to go steady with him.
25	3	"The Harder They Fall"	Sam Weisman	Rich Reinhart	October 12, 1983	026
Parent/Teacher Conferences at Alex and Mallory's school become interesting when both Steven and Elyse contend with a rude, insufferable teacher (Edward Edwards), whom Elyse punches for insulting her. Alex is upset when he finds out about it, particularly since a college recommendation hangs in the balance. To make matters worse when Steven tries to apologize to the teacher on Elyse's behalf, his insults cause Steven to punch him out.
26	4	"This Year's Model"	John Pasquin	Susan Borowitz & Richard Raskind	October 26, 1983	032
Mallory enters herself and Elyse in a mother/daughter modeling contest but ends up regretting it when they win and Elyse steals her thunder.
27	5	"Not An Affair to Remember"	Sam Weisman	Ruth Bennett & Gary David Goldberg	November 2, 1983	029
Steven's fidelity is put to the test when he learns that Stacy (Judith Light), an employee at the TV station, has a crush on him.
28	6	"Speed Trap"	Sam Weisman	Michael J. Weithorn	November 9, 1983	025
Obsessed with getting good grades to earn a college scholarship, Alex begins taking amphetamines so he can stay up late studying.
29	7	"Sweet Lorraine"	Sam Weisman	Alan Uger	November 16, 1983	031
Working at the school radio station, Alex sets himself up a blind date with a fellow music enthusiast (Carolyn Seymour), who turns out to be twice his age.
30	8	"Batter Up"	Sam Weisman	Lisa A. Bannick	November 30, 1983	028
Alex, the coach of Jennifer's peewee softball team, pushes his own sister too hard. It is up to Steven and Elyse to show Alex that being a coach is about more than winning and "doing what the coach says".
31	9	"A Keaton Christmas Carol"	Will Mackenzie	Story: Robert Caplain Teleplay: Rich Reinhart	December 14, 1983	037
Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" is adapted to the Keatons as a Scrooge-like Alex is enlightened of the meaning of the Christmas season by the Ghosts of Christmas Past (Jennifer) and Future (Mallory).
32	10	"To Snatch a Keith"	Sam Weisman	Alan Uger	December 21, 1983	024
When family friends Richard (James Sutorius) and his son Keith (David Faustino) come for a visit, it is known that Richard has gone through a divorce. Upon arrival, Richard reveals that his ex-wife Cynthia (Donna McKechnie), is moving to California and taking Keith with her. Despondent when Cynthia is about to leave with Keith, Richard takes his son. Steven has to meet Richard at a bar to convince him that not only is taking Keith illegal, it's wrong to take "prisoners" in his "war" against Cynthia.
33	11	"Birthday Boy"	Will Mackenzie	Michael J. Weithorn	January 5, 1984	033
Alex's friends Neil (John Putch) and Doug (Crispin Glover) want to take him to West Virginia, where the drinking age is 18, for his birthday, but Elyse is opposed to this plan. Notes: Michael J. Fox and Crispin Glover would later star in Back to the Future together. John Putch also previously guest starred in the episode "Summer of '82" as the character Pete.
34	12	"Go Tigers"	Will Mackenzie	Michael J. Weithorn	January 12, 1984	036
Alex travels to Princeton University for a critical, yet coveted, admissions interview. At the same time, Mallory—who has accompanied Alex—learns that her old boyfriend, Jeff, has a new girlfriend and neglected to tell her. Mallory becomes so emotional that she interrupts Alex's interview. Alex is left to decide what is more important: family or college.
35	13	""M" is for the Many Things"	Will Mackenzie	Lisa A. Bannick	January 19, 1984	038
Elyse is shocked by her soon-to-be-divorced mother's quick and free-spirited plunge into the singles world.
36	14	"Say Uncle"	Will Mackenzie	Ruth Bennett	January 26, 1984	039
Elyse's brother Ned (Tom Hanks) returns, hoping to put his life back on track by getting a job at the TV station. But after they learn that Ned blew the job interview by going in drunk, Steven, Elyse, and Alex try to convince him he has an alcohol problem.
37	15	"Ladies' Man"	John Pasquin	Alan Uger	February 2, 1984	040
Alex's attraction to a classmate, Deena Marx (Tracy Nelson) leads him to join the ERA movement, much to his parents' surprise. However, Alex soon learns that it's not a good idea to lie about what he believes in just to impress a girl.
38	16	"Ready or Not"	Lee Shallat	Ruth Bennett & Michael J. Weithorn	February 9, 1984	041
Mallory turns to Alex for advice when her new boyfriend tries pressuring her into having sex.
39	17	"Double Date"	Will Mackenzie	Douglas Wyman	February 16, 1984	044
Alex unwittingly makes two dates, Rachel Miller (Daphne Zuniga) and Jocelyn Clark (Jami Gertz) to the senior prom. He then has to figure a way out of this mess by escorting both girls to the big dance ... without telling the other.
40	18	"Lady Sings the Blues"	Andrew McCullough	Alan Uger & Michael J. Weithorn	February 23, 1984	042
Elyse's emotions run the gamut as she prepares to revive her folk singing career at the local nightclub.
41	19	"Baby Boy Doe"	Will Mackenzie	Ruth Bennett & Alan Uger	March 8, 1984	045
Skippy finds out he is adopted and asks for the Keatons' help to find his birth mother.
42	20	"The Graduate"	Will Mackenzie	Ruth Bennett & Lloyd Garver	March 15, 1984	043
Alex's sexist views are put to the test when he learns that he will be his class' salutatorian ... and that his girlfriend Rachel, will be the valedictorian.
43	21	"Diary of a Young Girl"	Sam Weisman	Ruth Bennett	May 3, 1984	034
Jennifer fears the worst when she goes in for a tonsillectomy. In the first of several flashback episodes, Jennifer recalls past encounters with each of her family members and how they were resolved.
44	22	"Working At It"	Sam Weisman	Lloyd Garver	May 10, 1984	030
Elyse struggles to juggle a new job and home life, which leads to further family problems.

Season 3 (1984–85)

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Production code
45	1	"The Gambler"	Will Mackenzie	Alan Uger & Michael J. Weithorn	September 20, 1984	046
During an architects' convention in Atlantic City, Elyse succumbs to the lures of gambling.
46	2	"Here We Go Again"	Will Mackenzie	Ruth Bennett & Alan Uger	September 27, 1984	047
Elyse contacts her doctor when she feels ill, and discovers she is pregnant again. The family all feel strongly against it at first, until they realize how good it could be.
47	3	"Little Man on Campus"	John Pasquin	Michael J. Weithorn	October 4, 1984	050
Alex enters college as a freshman and finds out there is more to college than being smart when faced with a difficult professor.
48	4	"Love Thy Neighbor"	Will Mackenzie	Teleplay: Alan Uger & Michael J. Weithorn Story: Rich Reinhart	October 11, 1984	054
Jennifer looks forward to hanging out with Scott again when he returns to Columbus for a visit, but is disappointed to learn that he is more interested in Mallory than her. Note: This is the first episode that Meredith Baxter does not appear in due to her pregnancy.
49	5	"Keaton and Son"	Will Mackenzie	Lissa Levin	October 18, 1984	052
Steven is excited to have Alex working with him and begins planning their future together, but Alex tries to convince his dad that he has other goals. Note: Second episode that Meredith Baxter does not appear in due to her pregnancy.
50	6	"Fabric Smarts"	Will Mackenzie	Lloyd Garver	October 25, 1984	048
Mallory is enjoying working at a fashion boutique, but she is so caught up in it her grades begin to slip.
51	7	"Hotline Fever"	John Pasquin	Marc Lawrence	November 1, 1984	055
Alex and an old school rival, James, are teamed to man Leland's suicide hotline. They have to put their differences aside when a young man calls the hotline, threatening to kill himself. Note: Third episode that Meredith Baxter does not appear in due to her pregnancy.
52	8	"4 Rms Ocn Vu"	Lee Shallat	Alan Uger & Lawrence Uger	November 8, 1984	057
While Steven and Elyse are away for the weekend, Mallory drives the car into a light-pole. In need of quick cash for repairs, Alex rents out the house to guests for a big University Homecoming Game. The plan works only too well; he and his sisters end up double- and triple-booking every room in the house, earning enough money to fix a dozen cars. But when Steven comes home early, hospitality at "Keaton Manor" comes to a (literally) screeching halt. Note: Fourth episode that Meredith Baxter does not appear in due to her pregnancy.
53	9	"Best Man"	John Pasquin	Alan Uger	November 15, 1984	051
Alex worries that he's losing his best friend when Doug announces that he intends to marry his girlfriend, and the resulting friction between them threatens to make Alex's fears come true.
54	10	"Lost Weekend"	Will Mackenzie	Ruth Bennett & Michael J. Weithorn	November 22, 1984	049
Steven and Elyse plan a special last weekend before the baby arrives, but their kids have other ideas.
55	11	"Don't Kiss Me, I'm Only the Messenger"	Will Mackenzie	Ruth Bennett	November 29, 1984	053
Skippy asks for Alex's help to ask a girl out, but the girl ends up falling for Alex instead.
56	12	"Help Wanted"	Will Mackenzie	Ruth Bennett & Michael J. Weithorn	December 6, 1984	056
As Elyse's pregnancy enters its final trimester, Alex hires a housekeeper named Karen Nicholson (Geena Davis) to take care of the housework without consulting Steven. Karen soon proves to be ditzy and incompetent, but that doesn't stop Alex from falling for her. Note: Fifth episode that Meredith Baxter does not appear in due to her pregnancy.
57	13	"Karen II, Alex 0"	Lee Shallat	Lloyd Garver & Michael J. Weithorn	December 13, 1984	058
Alex, wanting to get into Leland's Alpha Phi Epsilon fraternity, tries to talk Karen into accompanying him to a fraternity event after his date cancels. Karen balks at first, but later decides to go. She has a good time ... until she runs into an old flame. Note: Sixth episode that Meredith Baxter does not appear in due to her pregnancy.
58	14	"Oh Donna"	Will Mackenzie	Alan Uger	January 3, 1985	060
Alex is a stand-in at a Lamaze class for a pregnant, single, college coeds. Alex's natural over-enthusiasm gets the best of him as he envisions nurturing a relationship with a girl named Donna and her unborn child, and leading it into marriage and a family. It takes Elyse to set him straight ... and even alert him to the possibility that Donna may not want to keep the baby.
59	15	"Auntie Up"	John Pasquin	Lawrence H. Levy	January 10, 1985	059
Mallory's beloved Aunt Trudy (Edith Atwater) suffers a fatal heart attack. Mallory falls into a deep depression, but matters are compounded when the family brushes her off to tend to what they feel are more important matters. Note: Seventh episode that Meredith Baxter does not appear in due to her pregnancy.
60	16	"Philadelphia Story"	Will Mackenzie	Michael J. Weithorn	January 17, 1985	061
While doing a term paper for history class on colonial times, Alex suffers from writer's block and falls asleep. In a dream, Alex becomes a Philadelphia stable boy who, with his friend Skipford (Marc Price in character as Skippy), experience the events leading to the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Michael Gross doubles as a Steven Keaton-inspired Thomas Jefferson.
61	17	"Birth of a Keaton, Part 1"	Will Mackenzie	Lloyd Garver	January 24, 1985	062
The Keatons, including a very pregnant and about-due Elyse, prepare for the annual WKS telethon. Alex, Mallory and Jennifer are beyond disgusted at having to participate and make their feelings known, even at risk of offending Steven, who tries to juggle running the telethon from home while dealing with a plumbing problem. Things become even more complicated when Elyse goes into labor while singing a song live on the air.
62	18	"Birth of a Keaton, Part 2"	Will Mackenzie	Marc Lawrence & Alan Uger	January 31, 1985	063
The rush is on to get Elyse to the hospital to deliver her child, except there is a major blizzard striking Columbus, meaning she may have to deliver her baby at WKS. As the storm continues, Steven, Skippy, and the Keatons' plumber, Bud, struggle to get to the station in Bud's van.
63	19	"Cry Baby"	Sam Weisman	Bruce David & Bruce Helford	February 7, 1985	064
Newborn Andrew's arrival has been hard on the Keatons, with everyone going without sleep. Jennifer has taken the bundle of joy the hardest, eventually screaming that she hates Andrew and wishes he had never been born. Now the family have to decide how they can properly balance their time with Andrew and not alienate Jennifer. Finally realizing that she had done wrong, Jennifer apologises and ends up starting to get used to living with Andrew.
64	20	"Don't Know Much About History..."	Sam Weisman	Marc Lawrence & Michael J. Weithorn	February 14, 1985	065
Rival tutors Alex and James both fall for an attractive coed they are tutoring. Their ill will toward one another explodes at a poetry reading, and they continue to verbally spar.
65	21	"Bringing Up Baby"	Andrew McCullough	Rich Reinhart	February 21, 1985	067
With two careers, three bickering children and one demanding baby, Steven and Elyse can't seem to find any time for each other. But when they do finally take the time for a quiet evening alone, they find that they actually miss all of the chaos.
66	22	"Cold Storage"	Lee Shallat	Marc Lawrence	March 7, 1985	066
Skippy accidentally locks himself in the basement with Mallory while the rest of the Keatons are away. The two clash at first over Skippy's unrequited feelings for Mallory, but she realizes that, despite his quirks, he has been a good friend to her.
67/68	23/24	"Remembrances of Things Past"	Sam Weisman	Gary David Goldberg & Alan Uger	March 28, 1985	068/069
Steven is summoned home after learning of his father's death. For Steven, it is a bittersweet trip back in time as he recalls not-so-fond memories of his father (told in flashback form). He also quarrels with his brother, Rob, who was closer to his parents than Steven ever was.

Film (1985)

The television film Family Ties Vacation aired two nights before the start of season four. The movie was later split into four individual episodes when the series entered syndication.

Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
"Family Ties Vacation"	Will Mackenzie	Gary David Goldberg & Michael J. Weithorn & Alan Uger & Marc Lawrence	September 23, 1985
The Keatons take a vacation to England where they get mixed up in international intrigue.

Season 4 (1985–86)

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Production code
69	1	"The Real Thing, Part 1"	Will Mackenzie	Michael J. Weithorn	September 26, 1985	074
Alex becomes attracted to Ellen Reed (Tracy Pollan), a college freshman, while trying to pursue another girl. It turns out the attraction is mutual, but their relationship is complicated by Ellen's engagement to another student.
70	2	"The Real Thing, Part 2"	Will Mackenzie	Michael J. Weithorn	October 3, 1985	075
As Ellen prepares to leave town to marry her fiance Dennis, both she and Alex must decide whether or not they really care about each other.
71	3	"Mr. Wrong"	Will Mackenzie	Alan Uger	October 17, 1985	073
Mallory brings home her new boyfriend, Nick Moore (Scott Valentine), who looks to be exactly the type of guy Steven and Elyse hoped their daughter wouldn't get involved with.
72	4	"Designated Hitter"	John Pasquin	Stephen J. Curwick	October 24, 1985	070
Jennifer defends her boyfriend from the attacks of a bully (Danny Nucci) with complications. In the subplot, Alex is devastated when Mallory scores higher than he does on an IQ test.
73	5	"Don't Go Changin'"	Asaad Kelada	Marc Lawrence	October 31, 1985	079
Alex changes his personality to impress Ellen's artsy friends. As a subplot, Steven balks at having to go to Elyse's book club meetings during football games.
74	6	"The Old College Try"	Barbara Schultz	Ruth Bennett	November 7, 1985	076
Mallory upsets Elyse when she announces that she is not going to college.
75	7	"My Tutor"	Sam Weisman	Jace Richdale	November 14, 1985	080
To help him with math, Alex hires a tutor who he later learns is a fourteen-year-old named Eugene (River Phoenix). Eugene then falls for the younger Jennifer. However, he soon realizes it's a mistake when Jennifer acts her age and embarrasses him at a party. The subplot has Steven working tirelessly on the family budget.
76	8	"Mr. Right"	Sam Weisman	Alan Uger	November 21, 1985	081
Nick decides that he wants to impress Steven and Elyse and enlists the help of Alex, who turns Nick into a clone of himself.
77	9	"Just One Look"	Andrew McCullough	Teleplay: Gary David Goldberg & Michael J. Weithorn Story: Paul Wolff	December 5, 1985	082
Steven's old college buddy Richard Schofield (Robert Desiderio) comes to town. Steven then learns that Elyse and Richard were previously in a relationship, which sends him into a jealous rage.
78	10	"How Do You Sleep?"	John Pasquin	Marc Lawrence	December 12, 1985	083
Alex has trouble sleeping, and his problems affect the whole family, much to their displeasure.
79	11	"You've Got a Friend"	John Pasquin	Ruth Bennett	December 19, 1985	085
Alex and Mallory catch a young girl, Jessie (Martha Plimpton), stealing from the store where Mallory works, Mallory turns her in and then later decides to help the girl and befriend her. However, Jessie may not be ready to accept Mallory's offer.
80	12	"Nothing But a Man"	Will Mackenzie	Teleplay: Jean Kraynak Brinck Story: Jurgen M. Wolf	January 2, 1986	086
Steven gets a long awaited promotion at the TV station, but his long work hours cause him to miss dinners (and just about everything else) with the family, even private time with Elyse. Meanwhile, Alex is dismayed when the only toy Andy will play with is a doll Ellen gave him.
81	13	"The Disciple"	Will Mackenzie	Rich Reinhart	January 9, 1986	089
Alex helps Jennifer with her speech project, but Alex's intellect takes over the whole assignment, so that Jennifer's school is very impressed with the finished project but Jennifer does not understand a word of it herself.
82	14	"Where's Poppa"	Will Mackenzie	Susan Borowitz & Marc Lawrence	January 16, 1986	090
Alex sets up a reunion with Ellen and her father, Franklin (Ronny Cox), who was absent for most of Ellen's childhood.
83	15	"Fool for Love"	Lee Shallat	Marc Lawrence	January 23, 1986	091
Skippy refuses to let go of feelings for Mallory, despite her dating Nick.
84	16	"Checkmate"	Sam Weisman	Michael J. Weithorn	January 30, 1986	092
Alex competes in the Chess match finals against Russia's top player, Ivan Rozmirovich (Albert Macklin). However, things start to go awry when Alex figures out that his opponent is attempting to throw the match.
85	17	"Engine Trouble"	John Pasquin	Ruth Bennett	February 6, 1986	093
When Alex and Elyse have to walk home after the car breaks down, they decide they should take a class in mechanics, but Alex soon turns it into a battle of the sexes. Meanwhile, Steven continuously denies that he is ill, although it clearly shows.
86/87	18/19	"A Word to the Wise"	Will Mackenzie	Susan Borowitz & Marc Lawrence	February 13, 1986	087/088
The Keatons reminisce in flashbacks to Ellen about Alex's previous shenanigans and faux-pas, although Alex becomes concerned Ellen won't want to see him anymore.
88	20	"Art Lover"	Andrew McCullough	Bruce Helford	February 20, 1986	094
Mallory becomes suspicious when a wealthy and beautiful older woman (Christine Belford) takes a special interest in Nick's artistic creations.
89	21	"Teacher's Pet"	John Pasquin	Marc Lawrence	March 2, 1986	095
Alex gets a position as an assistant professor at the college and convinces Ellen to enroll in the class that he is teaching. In the subplot, Steven wants to enroll a too-young Andrew into preschool, which Elyse opposes.
90	22	"My Buddy"	Sam Weisman	Alan Uger	March 6, 1986	096
Steven has to learn to accept that Jennifer is growing up. The only way he can get any time with her is to take her to her Sunflower Girls meeting, where he sticks out like a sore thumb. Meanwhile, Alex goes out early on a Saturday to fight a traffic ticket he feels he didn't deserve.
91	23	"Once in Love with Elyse"	Sam Weisman	Michael J. Weithorn	May 1, 1986	097
Elyse must deal with Paul (Peter Scolari), a young architect associate who has fallen in love with her.
92	24	"Paper Chase"	Sam Weisman	Susan Borowitz	May 8, 1986	098
Mallory faces the possibility of not graduating high school unless she passes a tough final exam. Note: This was the last episode featuring Tracy Pollan as Ellen Reed, although she will appear in the season 5 2-part episode "It's My Party", which was originally produced for Season 4.

Season 5 (1986–87)

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Production code
93	1	"Be True to Your Preschool"	Sam Weisman	Marc Lawrence	September 25, 1986	100
Steven and Elyse enroll 4-year old Andrew in preschool, but it soon becomes clear that Alex objects to the school's values of sharing and cooperation. First appearance: Brian Bonsall as Andrew Keaton.
94	2	"Starting Over"	Steven Robman	Alan Vejar	October 2, 1986	103
Ellen breaks up with Alex and leaves for France. Distraught, Alex tries coping by re-entering the dating scene too soon ... and meeting a girl that looks very much like Ellen.
95	3	"The Freshman and the Senior"	Sam Weisman	Ruth Bennett & Marc Lawrence	October 9, 1986	104
Mallory is teamed with 66-year-old Margaret Hollings (Julie Harris) on a college sociology project. Meanwhile, Alex is very interested to know what Steven and Elyse have written in their wills.
96	4	"My Back Pages"	Sam Weisman	Ruth Bennett	October 16, 1986	099
Steven's old college roommate comes for a visit and reveals he wants to re-launch their old magazine.
97	5	"Beauty and the Bank"	Asaad Kelada	Stephen J. Curwick	October 30, 1986	105
Alex gets his dream job at the Harding Trust, only to find out his boss is an attractive woman named Rebecca (Melinda Culea).
98	6	"Mrs. Wrong, Part 1"	Sam Weisman	Alan Uger	November 6, 1986	101
Nick and Mallory's relationship is about to head in a new direction ... down the aisle and to the altar. When Steven and Elyse refuse to give their blessing to the young couple, Mallory rebels by stating her intention for her and Nick to elope.
99	7	"Mrs. Wrong, Part 2"	Sam Weisman	Alan Uger	November 13, 1986	102
The Keatons learn that Nick and Mallory are about to elope and try to stop the young couple from making a mistake. As every trick in the book fails, Nick and Mallory conspire to leave in the pre-dawn hours for New Jersey to marry. With Alex following behind, will the young couple eventually realize that they are taking things too quickly?
100	8	"The Big Fix"	John Pasquin	Michael J. Weithorn	November 17, 1986	084
Elyse plays matchmaker when she tries to fix up a lonely colleague with her neighbor's daughter Liz Obeck (Terry Farrell).
101	9	"My Brother's Keeper"	Asaad Kelada	Susan Borowitz	November 20, 1986	107
Alex gets Skippy an interview with the Grant chapter of his fraternity, only to find out they plan to make Skippy the butt of a humiliating practical joke.
102	10	"High School Confidential"	Mark W. Travis	Ruth Bennett	December 4, 1986	112
In order to teach an art class at the local youth center, Nick must get his high school diploma with help from Alex and Mallory.
103	11	"Paper Lion"	Peter Baldwin	Wendy Aaron	December 11, 1986	106
Alex works on an important paper with his Economics professor, only to find out that their hypothesis is wrong. His professor goes ahead with plans to present the paper anyway.
104	12	"My Mother, My Friend"	Lynn Hamrick	Kate Boutilier	December 18, 1986	113
Mallory brings home a friend who has more in common with Elyse than Mallory herself. Mallory then becomes jealous of the attention her mom lavishes on the girl.
105	13	"O'Brother, Part 1"	Sam Weisman	Alan Uger	January 8, 1987	108
Steven's brother, Rob, with whom he has a strained relationship, arrives with news that he and his wife, Maureen (Julie Cobb), have filed for divorce.
106	14	"O'Brother, Part 2"	Sam Weisman	Alan Uger	January 15, 1987	109
Tensions rise as Rob's wife, Maureen, tells a different version of their separation.
107	15	"Higher Love"	Debbie Allen	Susan Borowitz	January 22, 1987	116
Mallory begins to fall for the leader of her poetry group.
108	16	"Architect's Apprentice"	Steven Robman	David Tyron King	January 29, 1987	117
Nick convinces Steven to let him enter a contest to pick the sculpture for the newly remodeled lobby of WKS.
109	17	"A Tale of Two Cities, Part 1"	Peter Baldwin	Marc Lawrence & Alan Uger	February 5, 1987	114
Alex and his boss, Rebecca, travel to Chicago for the Midwestern Banking Convention. Back home in Columbus, there is talk of remodeling the kitchen.
110	18	"A Tale of Two Cities, Part 2"	Peter Baldwin	Marc Lawrence & Alan Uger	February 12, 1987	115
During the convention, Rebecca has a few too many drinks and embarrasses both herself and Alex.
111/112	19/20	"Battle of the Sexes"	Andrew McCullough & Sam Weisman	Stephen J. Curwick	February 19, 1987	110/111
This episode looks back on the competitions between the Keaton men and women.
113	21	"Band on the Run"	Andrew McCullough	Susan Borowitz & Marc Lawrence	February 26, 1987	118
Jennifer and her band, The Permanent Waves, try out for the homecoming dance at Leland College. They do so well Alex sees a chance to make money, and convinces them to let him be their manager.
114	22	"Keaton vs. Keaton"	Sam Weisman	Stephen J. Curwick	March 5, 1987	123
Alex and Mallory compete for a new $2,500 WKS scholarship.
115/116	23/24	"A, My Name is Alex"	Will Mackenzie	Gary David Goldberg & Alan Uger	March 12, 1987	119/120
Alex's close friend, Greg (Brian McNamara), is killed in a car accident, and Alex begins seeing a therapist as he struggles to deal with Greg's death. Notes: This two-part episode won the 1987 Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series. In 1997, TV Guide ranked this episode number 68 on its '100 Greatest Episodes of All Time' list.[1]
117	25	""D" is for Date"	Sam Weisman	Susan Borowitz	March 20, 1987	122
Jennifer plays dumb in order to date a good-looking jock named Tim (Wil Wheaton).
118	26	"Love Me Do"	Sam Weisman	Marc Lawrence	April 30, 1987	121
Skippy falls in love with Amy, a friend of Mallory's. Meanwhile, Steven plans a surprise birthday party for Elyse.
119	27	"The Visit"	Sam Weisman	Marc Lawrence & Alan Uger	May 7, 1987	124
Elyse's sister, her obnoxious husband (Stuart Pankin), and their bratty children come for a visit. Note: The obnoxious son is played by Jeff Cohen, who played the annoying kid with the clapping hands hat in the episode "4 Rms Ocn Vu".
120	28	"Matchmaker"	Barbara Schultz	Bruce David & Bruce Helford	July 23, 1987	072
Mallory—having recently broken up with Rick (rather than Nick, this episode was filmed 2 years prior and breaks continuity)—comes home after yet another disastrous date. Alex, determined to get Mallory to forget Rick and find her a boyfriend, uses Jennifer's computer to snare the perfect guy. But how will Alex respond when Mallory doesn't like the guy the computer chooses for her?
121	29	"It's My Party, Part 1"	Asaad Kelada	Susan Borowitz	August 6, 1987	077
Jennifer, desperately seeking popularity, wants to make some new friends, and ends up falling in with a group of snobbish rich girls.
122	30	"It's My Party, Part 2"	Asaad Kelada	Susan Borowitz	August 13, 1987	078
Jennifer begins spending more and more time with her new "cool" friends, which leads to serious repercussions when she stays out past curfew, begins disrespecting her parents and is caught skipping school, prompting Steven and Elyse to ground Jennifer indefinitely.

Season 6 (1987–88)

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Production code
123/124	1/2	"The Last of the Red Hot Psychologists"	Sam Weisman	Marc Lawrence	September 13, 1987	126/127
Alex meets Lauren Miller (Courteney Cox), a psychology major at Leland College, and the two become friends ... then much more ... when Alex participates in Lauren's study of overachievers. Also, Andy goes to his first day of Kindergarten and Jennifer goes to her first day of high school.
125	3	"Dear Mallory"	Sam Weisman	Alan Uger	September 20, 1987	125
Mallory is hired as advice columnist for the Columbus Shopper's Guide.
126	4	"The Other Woman"	Asaad Kelada	Susan Borowitz	September 27, 1987	130
Andrew feels ignored when Alex begins spending time with Lauren at the expense of brotherly bonding sessions.
127	5	"Dream Date"	Andrew McCullough	Katie Ford	October 4, 1987	129
Jennifer uses a nerdy boy who has a crush on her as a stepping stone to win the heart of a teen heartthrob.
128	6	"Super Mom"	Matthew Diamond	Alan Uger	October 18, 1987	132
Elyse must choose between working on a prestigious architectural account or spending time with her family.
129	7	"Walking On Air"	Andrew McCullough	Katie Ford	October 25, 1987	131
Steven gets a reluctant Mallory a new job at WKS. Meanwhile, Alex leads the rest of the family on a cereal-sponsored search contest for $5,000.
130	8	"Invasion of the Psychologist Snatchers"	Matthew Diamond	Marc Lawrence	November 1, 1987	133
Alex becomes insecure of Lauren's visiting ex-boyfriend.
131	9	"The Way We Were"	Will Mackenzie	Gary David Goldberg	November 8, 1987	128
The Keatons get a first-hand lesson on Alzheimer's disease when Aunt Rosemary (Barbara Barrie) comes to visit and behaves erractically.
132	10	"Mister Sister"	Kent Bateman	Susan Borowitz	November 15, 1987	134
Nick gets a job as the janitor at Mallory's sorority house, which leads to friction between them. Meanwhile, Steven and Alex try to teach Andy basketball.
133	11	"Citizen Keaton"	Sam Weisman	Susan Borowitz & Marc Lawrence	November 22, 1987	135
Mallory runs for student body president of Grant College, and Alex agrees to be her campaign manager.
134	12	"Father Time, Part 1"	Sam Weisman	Alan Uger	November 29, 1987	136
After Rob and Maureen finalize their divorce, Rob and his children, Marilyn and Jonathan (Tammy Lauren and Blake Soper), visit the Keatons. It soon becomes clear that Marilyn is having a very tough time dealing with the divorce, and her emotions quickly implode on the Keatons.
135	13	"Father Time, Part 2"	Sam Weisman	Alan Uger	December 6, 1987	137
Steven and Rob fear the worst after Marilyn fails to come home after her date.
136/137	14/15	"The American Family"	Sam Weisman	Katie Ford	December 13, 1987	138/139
Lauren does a term paper on the typical American family, culling memories from the Keatons on their past.
138	16	"Anniversary Waltz"	Sam Weisman	Alan Uger	December 16, 1987	035
Steven and Elyse argue for a week about their upcoming 20th anniversary party, leading the kids to remind them of their love for each other.
139	17	"Miracle in Columbus"	Lynn Hamrick	Rob Okun	December 20, 1987	141
Alex gets a job as a mall Santa, where he finally gets the spirit of Christmas after he hears a young girl's wish for her father to come home.
140	18	"The Play's the Thing"	Debbie Allen	Diane Dixon	January 10, 1988	140
Steven tries to stage a radical play he wrote in the '60's, but Elyse is reluctant to play the lead role.
141	19	"The Spirit of Columbus"	Sam Weisman	Charles J. Schlotter	January 17, 1988	143
Nick sells one of his sculptures and so Alex starts to believe that Nick's art is worth something. So he makes Nick make 35 more of them to sell.
142	20	"The Blues Brother"	Matthew Diamond	Burt Pretlusky	January 24, 1988	142
Alex encourages former blues musician Eddie Dupree (Brownie McGhee) to come out of retirement.
143	21	"Read It and Weep, Part 1"	Sam Weisman	Marc Lawrence & Alan Uger	February 7, 1988	144
It's book report time in Jennifer's American Literature class, and instead of going along with her classmates and do a report on books concerning Yogi Berra, she chooses "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn". The problem: The book is on the school's banned book list for its use of racial slurs. Jennifer is warned by her stern high school principal (Bibi Besch) not to review the book or face serious consequences, but she stands her ground and gets suspended.
144	22	"Read It and Weep, Part 2"	Sam Weisman	Marc Lawrence & Alan Uger	February 14, 1988	145
Jennifer fights her suspension as the fate of her book report—and the status of "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" being on the school's banned book list—are left in the hands of the court system.
145	23	"Quitting Time"	Matthew Diamond	Susan Borowitz	February 21, 1988	147
When Lauren quits work on her psychology thesis, Alex begins to find her less interesting.
146	24	"Spring Reminds Me"	Matthew Diamond	Katie Ford	February 28, 1988	146
Evelyn Mitchum (Constance McCashin), a former neighbor and mother of Mallory's childhood best friend Rosalie, who had committed suicide, visits the Keatons and reveals that she still has difficulty coping. Meanwhile, Steven unearths his old kit of magic tricks and starts driving the family crazy with them.
147	25	"The Boys Next Door"	Sam Weisman	Trish Vrandenberg	March 6, 1988	148
Elyse's nerdy high school friend visits in hopes that she will be his date to the class reunion.
148	26	"Sign of the Times"	Asaad Kelada	Matthew Monaher	March 13, 1988	150
Andy becomes friends with a new student who is deaf. But when the other kids start teasing him, Andy decides not to talk.
149	27	"Return of the Native"	John Pasquin	Lloyd Garver	March 20, 1988	071
Cousin June (Danielle von Zerneck) returns to the United States after three years abroad in England. She has lots to tell, but the entire family has stories of their own.
150	28	"Father, Can You Spare a Dime?"	Andrew McCullough	Ben Cardinale & Peter Schreider	May 1, 1988	149
Nick is hurting for money after he is rejected for a bank loan, but he doesn't think his estranged father (Dan Hedaya) is the right person to lend him money either.

Season 7 (1988–89)

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	Production code
151	1	"It Happened One Night"	Matthew Diamond	Marc Lawrence	October 30, 1988	154
Steven, Elyse, and Andy go camping and Jennifer, Alex, and Mallory stay home. After realizing they should have gone with them, Jennifer, Alex, Nick, and Mallory head to the campground. But the car breaks down in the middle of nowhere and they must camp outside.
152	2	"Designing Woman"	Matthew Diamond	Katie Ford	November 6, 1988	155
Mallory gets a job a fashion designing store but finds out her co-worker is stealing her designs.
153	3	"Truckers"	Andrew McCullough	Shannon Gaughan	November 13, 1988	156
Alex feels neglected when Andy would rather spend time with Nick's nephew than with him.
154	4	"Beyond Therapy"	Sam Weisman	Katie Ford	November 27, 1988	158
Lauren encourages Alex to join a therapy group to express his feelings more.
155	5	"Heartstrings, Part 1"	Sam Weisman	Alan Uger	December 4, 1988	151
Steven suffers a major heart attack in the living room of his home. At the hospital, the Keatons pass the time in two ways: recalling when Steven and Elyse met and supporting Mr. Meyers and Mrs. Hobart (Richard Kuss and Christina Pickles), whose spouses are also suffering from heart-related health issues.
156	6	"Heartstrings, Part 2"	Sam Weisman	Alan Uger	December 11, 1988	152
Steven's surgery goes longer than expected, but spirits are lifted when Mr. Meyers' wife pulls through her surgery successfully. Just minutes later, the Keatons get a scary reminder of what still might be when Mrs. Hobart's husband suddenly dies, even after it had appeared that his health had improved greatly.
157	7	"Heartstrings, Part 3"	Sam Weisman	Alan Uger	December 18, 1988	153
Steven recovers from surgery and returns home, but is terrified of his future. In the end, Elyse has to put her own fears aside to help calm Steven's and help him adjust to life after his heart attack.
158	8	"Basic Training"	Sam Weisman	Susan Borowitz	December 25, 1988	157
Desperately seeking direction in life, Skippy decides to enlist in the Army. But is the Army the best career path for him? Meanwhile, Steven is not allowed to eat fattening foods because of his recent heart attack.
159	9	"Deja Vu"	Matthew Diamond	Susan Borowitz	January 8, 1989	160
Jennifer starts dating Mallory's ex-boyfriend's younger brother, Josh. But when Mallory finds out that Josh wants to follow in his brother's footsteps, she thinks that he will dump Jennifer just like Jeff dumped her.
160	10	"Nick's Best Friend"	Sam Weisman	Katie Ford	January 15, 1989	159
Nick is reunited with his old dog Scrapper after his mother moves into an apartment that does not allow pets. But after the dog is struck by a car and critically injured, Nick is forced to make a heart-wrenching decision.
161	11	"Get Me to the Living Room on Time"	Sam Weisman	Matthew Monaher	January 29, 1989	161
Andy becomes friends with two senior citizens at a retirement home, Joseph and Eva. Steven decides to make them the focus of his new documentary. While the documentary is being recorded, Joseph proposes to Eva, who accepts. But Joseph's son, David, does not approve of their marriage.
162	12	"The Job Not Taken"	Andrew McCullough	Marc Lawrence	February 5, 1989	162
When Alex's friend, Paul Corman, gets Alex a job, Paul gets fired. Alex starts to feel guilty, so he quits.
163	13	"The Wrecker's Ball"	Sam Weisman	Douglas Wyman	February 12, 1989	163
When the first building Elyse designed faces the wrecking ball, the entire family rallies behind her attempts to block the demolition.
164	14	"My Best Friend's Girl"	Sam Weisman	Bruce Helford	February 19, 1989	165
Lauren tries to play matchmaker for Skippy as a favor to Alex, but Skippy ends up falling in love with her. Steven and Elyse both think they can teach Jennifer to drive better, so they compete.
165	15	"'Til Her Daddy Takes the T-Bird Away"	Matthew Diamond	Susan Borowitz	February 26, 1989	166
Mallory's plans to buy a car from Nick's father's used car lot are stalled when Steven refuses to co-sign her loan.
166	16	"Simon Says"	Matthew Diamond	Katie Ford	March 5, 1989	164
Jennifer and Simon get jobs at a fast food restaurant.
167	17	"All in the Neighborhood, Part 1"	Matthew Diamond	Ruth Bennett	March 12, 1989	167
When a longtime African-American co-worker of Steven's moves into the neighborhood with his family, tensions rise over the fear of falling property and home values. Things come to a boil when the new neighbors' home is vandalized.
168	18	"All in the Neighborhood, Part 2"	Matthew Diamond	Ruth Bennett	March 19, 1989	168
The Keatons and their neighbors are pressed into action after their new neighbors' home is vandalized. Through the process, the neighbors really get to know one another, as deep-seated feelings of racism begin to surface in the neighborhood.
169	19	"They Can't Take That Away From Me, Part 1"	Matthew Diamond	Marc Lawrence	April 2, 1989	171
Alex becomes attracted to a young music student named Marty (Jane Adams) even though he is still dating Lauren.
170	20	"They Can't Take That Away From Me, Part 2"	Matthew Diamond	Marc Lawrence	April 9, 1989	172
Alex must choose between Lauren and Marty.
171	21	"Rain Forests Keep Falling on My Head"	Rita Rogers	Bruce Helford	April 16, 1989	173
When Jennifer becomes obsessed with saving the environment, she makes everybody use things that are not a hazard. Steven and Elyse suggest she see the school counselor.
172/173	22/23	"Wrap Around the Clock"	Matthew Diamond	Katie Ford	April 23, 1989	169/170
The Keatons look back on pleasant memories while filling in Andy's time capsule.
174	24	"Mr. Keaton Takes a Vacation"	Sam Weisman	Shannon Gaughan	May 7, 1989	174
Steven finally expresses his true feelings about Nick when he moves in with the family for a week.
175/176	25/26	"Alex Doesn't Live Here Anymore"	Sam Weisman	Susan Borowitz, Katie Ford, Marc Lawrence & Alan Uger	May 14, 1989	175/176
When Alex lands his dream job in New York, everyone (except Elyse) is delighted for him. At the end of the show, the cast and the show's creator Gary David Goldberg come out for a final curtain call. Note: In 2011, the entire two-part finale was ranked #24 on the TV Guide Network special, TV's Most Unforgettable Finales.[2]

See also

• List of Family Ties writers

References

1. TV Guide Book of Lists. Running Press. 2007. p. 186. ISBN 978-0-7624-3007-9.
2. "TV's Most Unforgettable Finales" – Aired May 22, 2011 on TV Guide Network

External links

• List of Family Ties episodes at TV.com