I thought it would be interesting to discuss each character's good/bad qualities, and to compare them to each other.

Many people have complained about Alex's money obsession. I don't think it was that bad.. he never stole any, and always seemed sensitove except when he was getting carried way. (which happens to everyone)
Mallory I think is interesting. She was one of the most moral characters. She was only mean to Skippy.. and then sometimes she felt sorry for him.
I don't have a whole lot to say about Jennifer. She never seemed to express much feeling.
Steven.. hmm.... he was very encouraging, I guess. I don't know that I have much to say about him.
Elise was a bit harsh sometimes, but seemed to try her best, I guess.
Andy wasn't really old enough for me to have anything to say about him.

Alex even though he always seemed money obsessed and uncaring always came through for his sisters and Andy like in the episode when he gives up the WKS scholarship for Mallory.

Mallory seemed like a caricature in that after a while her intelligence or lack of it wasn't funny anymore. However, she was always a very kind, caring person.

Jennifer seemed to have the best qualities of both Mallory and Alex and none of their faults. She was really smart like Alex, but she was also a very nice person like Mallory. Toward the end, she turned into a sort of activist with the environmental stuff and stand she took on censorship.

Steven was good at verbal comebacks, but he could never get his family interested in his "old-fashioned", hairbrained whims.

Elyse was a hard working mom who always gave advice when needed, but she was also kind of clueless.

Alex loved his family and was always there to help them out, whether they wanted it or not; but he despised his family at the same time. (Or at least ridiculed them for not being the brightest people on the planet.)

Mallory's dense personality never lost its comic effect. You could always count on her for a laugh, but she wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed. (Mentally speaking, that is.)

Jennifer was kind of a pawn in the family. She didn't seem to have much of a role in Family Ties (no offense, Tina fans) except for filling in the age gap and occasional comic relief. She was also a bit on the extreme side.

Andy idolized his big brother. (Which is the way it should be; I have a younger brother who looks up to me for everything.) He was just a little guy, but as big headed as Alex.

Jennifer, I think, had no bad qualities... but no good either. She wa never on the extreme mean side like her older siblings occasionally were, but she never showed to be very sensitive.

I thought Jennifer's good qualities were that she was like Alex in that she was smart, but she was liberal instead of conservative. She could also be sarcastic.

Originally posted by FamilyTiesFan
I thought Jennifer's good qualities were that she was like Alex in that she was smart, but she was liberal instead of conservative. She could also be sarcastic.

How is being Liberal good?

Well personally I think being liberal is good but that is not what I meant. I liked the fact that she was liberal because then at least one of the children agreed with the political beliefs of Elyse and Steven. I don't think it would have been as interesting if all the kids had been as conservative as Alex. Actually, I have no idea what Mallory's political beliefs were since she didn't really seem to care about that stuff, but she was probably more of an independent.

Andy was half and half, Mal just disagreed w/ Alex, who wuz conservative?

Well, only Alex, but they only really dealt with the political beliefs of Jennifer and Alex. Besides, he was basically the focus of the show.

It's interesting that they did make Alex the only true conservative. However, if I were discussing the issue of morality, I would say they should all be conservative. :p

Why do you think it is more moral for a person to be conservative than liberal? Personally I would think that it would be the other way around.

Would you really like to debate politically?

Originally posted by MJFfan
Would you really like to debate politically?

Okay, I love debating with Republicans.

Another debate on the Family Ties board? :(

The morality of someone depends on the person, it doesn't go by what "party" they belong to.

Originally posted by GoldenFamilyTies
Another debate on the Family Ties board? :(

The morality of someone depends on the person, it doesn't go by what "party" they belong to.

Yes and no. The morality of a person does depend on their beliefs on certain issues, which are probably similar for the people belonging to a certain party. For example, MJFfan thinks that abortion is wrong and many more Democrats support it than Republicans.

Originally posted by FamilyTiesFan


Yes and no. The morality of a person does depend on their beliefs on certain issues, which are probably similar for the people belonging to a certain party. For example, MJFfan thinks that abortion is wrong and many more Democrats support it than Republicans.

:eek: OMGosh!! I'm agreeing w/ a democrat!! :eek:
Anyhow, I do agree w/ that. The morality of a person depends on what they think of certain things... often connected to their party.

Originally posted by GoldenFamilyTies
Another debate on the Family Ties board? :(

Don't worry. It's a friendly debate. Anyhow, if it's going to get in the way of this topic we might need to move it to private messaging..

Hey MJF fan, great subject, thanks for coming out with it. First I want to start with Alex. The only flaw I really saw with his character was that the show spent so much time focusing on him that the other characters didn't get enough opportunities to shine. That wasn't his fault of course, but that's the only flaw I could think of for him.

Now Elyse in my eyes could do no wrong. She played that character so well that I sometimes forgot she was acting.

I think that Steven was the most underrated character on the show. I heard Michael J. Fox say this once on entertainment tonight that Michael Gross was so incredibly funny, and smart. Just spend a few episodes watching his reactions and facial expressions and you'll see just how funny he was. His only fault to me was sometimes he could be a little corny, but maybe that was just his character.

I always felt bad for Jennifer. Everyone always says she was the weak link on the show but iv'e always felt that if she'd been given more time in the spotlight she would have been more respected. The only fault with her character was it didn't seem to be used right.

And finally Justine Bateman. Her biggest fault atleast to me was that sometimes I sensed hostility with her character. I'm probably wrong but I sometimes got the feeling that she wasn't happy doing certain scenes. If you watch her you'll see that she rolls her eyes an awful lot when others are talking. That might have just been her character, but i'm not sure. Maybe she was just having a real tough time with her anorexia, and that's why sometimes she seemed grumpy.

Overall though Family Ties was one of those shows that was nearly perfectly cast. It's hard to come up with faults for such a great show.

FT- studies in character

Alex- without question was the most interesting character as he embodied the most contradiction and juxtaposition out of all characters which of course made the machine work. The character of Alex was fully realized during the "ellen period" and peaked with the 2 part whimsical, play oriented episode when Alex's friend dies in a car accident (the Abbey Road of the series). Ideally the series should have quit here...there was nothing left to say really, and the old comic/dramatic devices which followed were telegraphed, lazy, and played out.

Steven- firstly,always thought Michael Gross had excellent comedic delivery and timing. He always cracked me up, and for a while there (around 84,85) would almost steal the show from MJ Fox. As for character- he always made me feel comfortable without being too benign...very laid back and even keeled...he was a cool dad.

Mallory- as the show matured her character was no longer just a joke for alex to play off of- as she struggled to find an identity, and a struggle to balance her kind and giving nature without being taken advantage of.
There were more than a few episodes were Justine really showed some dramatic chops- she could get really intense and convincingly so. She's underrated as an actress I think, and of course a beauty.

Jennifer- a very half baked character...was she necessary?- in some ways yes...but the character of Jennifer was never really formed- I don't think the writers knew what to do with her as she matured, and she wound up forgettable really.

Elyse- she was there to counter balance Steven's softness, and was actually more of a masculine character than the father...but Meredith Baxter always bugged me- not a likeable character at all, more because of her forced and heavy handed acting rather than the writing. She also seemed too cold and distant.

Skippy- a true classic...he had some great moments.

Nick- very funny at the beginning, but wore thin after a year or so.

Ellen- great character- the chemistry with MJ Fox was obvious- there should have been more material here. I don't know why she left the show ( in real life I mean) her time on FT was way too short...but maybe that's why she's so great??- wasnt on too long to get played out...a possibility.

Courtney Cox- I don't even remember her character's name...I think I stopped watching the show when she appeared...something about her in my opinion that just doesnt do it for me...yeah she's good looking, but...something really fake?- dunno

Andy- can't really dis a little kid, but the preciousness was way too sappy...anyway the show was a sinking ship when he started talking...like 88 89?...

Anyway...my 2 wooden nickles...

Iv'e been hearing an awful lot from people about how Elyse was cold, and distant in the show. I have never noticed this. Can anybody out there give me a few examples of episodes where she was cold and distant, or where her acting was forced?

Actually, I really liked the character of Elyse and never found her cold or distant. She just wasn't the traditional sit-com mom like the Brady Bunch mom or something; but that's actually why I like her, she wasn't a stereotype.

Enough Elyse bashing!!!!!:mad: Given that the writers was throwing everything and the storylines at MJF's direction the character of Elyse Keaton was not given enough depth. I have posted this in other discussion. If you would have seen her in the TV series Family she was given more depth in her character Nancy than her role on FT as Elyse Keaton. On Family she was a supporting actress and on FT she was supposed to be the star of the show. Maybe about five episodes a season especially after the 4th season where you saw Elyse in more depth as a wife, mother and an architect. After the fourth season she became more of a reactor to MJF's character. To be frank I can see why Meredith Baxter was pissed off.

I don't think Elyse was cold and distant. I think Meredith Baxter-Birney did very well as that part.

Cool Discussion!
Elyse was a bit masculine as someone previously mentioned and if you watch her walk out of scenes she does have a bit of a "manly walk" and she was a little naive to her kids tales.. I think that was the liberal hippie in her, but overall she was a good mom who always said the right thing. Elyse was definately the head of this household.

Steven would be the kind of husband I could live with and I think he was a great dad, he had the perfect mix of being funny but laying down the law. Michael Gross was a very good straight man, he is at his funniest in the episode where they open the hotel in the house while he is away, and also the episode where Alex dates the older woman Lorraine, Michaels timing is perfect in his reaction.

Alex was very different from what he thought he was, he turned out to be a very caring person and always seemed to be surprising himself. The original press for this show describes all the children as being conservative but in reality only Alex was.

In her own way Mallory did have an impact on the show. She had her episodes where she quietly roared, she had more depth than the show gave her credit for. And if you noticed, she was not a "ditzy" character in the pilot episode, they must have decided later to make her flighty.

Jennifer finally got a personality by the end of the series. She turned out to have a very good mix of Alex's savvyness, Mallory's fashion and art sense and her parents liberal "save the planet" views.

To answer RamOnTheRun: Tracy Pollan lived in NY at the time and did not want to commit to an L.A show for 2 years, thats why Ellen dissapeared, hey but she got her man...
AC

Alex was a playboy,and too republican(I am too like crazy)
Mallory was a bit stupid(Duh...)
Jennifer was mean(Didn't see to be a buddy to siblings)
Andy....was all good(No bad things about my fav)