"Family Ties" Cast to Reunite on "Stars in the House"
by Denise Petski
November 5, 2020


"Family Ties" original cast members Meredith Baxter (Elyse Keaton), Michael Gross (Steven Keaton), Michael J. Fox (Alex P. Keaton), Tina Yothers (Jennifer Keaton), Marc Price (Irwin “Skippy” Handelman) and Scott Valentine (Nick Moore) will reunite Tuesday on "Stars in the House" benefit series for The Actors Fund.

Hosted by Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley, the Nov. 10 episode, airing at 8 PM ET, will feature the cast reminiscing about their time on the beloved sitcom.




“We’re so thankful that our audiences continue to generously donate to StarsInTheHouse.com, which goes directly to The Actors Fund, helping anyone in the artistic community with essential needs like financial support to buy groceries, pay rent and pay doctor’s bills. We’re overwhelmed with gratitude that we raised over $15,000 during Tuesday’s all-day ‘Vote-a-thon’ broadcast,” said Rudetsky and Wesley.

“During this time of what seems like unending national stress, we find that our audiences are drawn to reunions of what we call ‘comfort tv,’ those tv shows from yesteryear that brought us all so much joy,” they added. “Some of our most popular episodes featured TV shows like Taxi, Frasier, and Melrose Place, and we have no doubt the Family Ties reunion is going to be one of our most viewed!”

https://deadline.com/2020/11/family-ties-cast-reunite-stars-in-the-house-meredith-baxter-michael-j-fox-michael-gross-1234609973/

No Mallory? Justine, where are you?!

Seth Rudetsky is very irritating and obnoxious, easily the worst of the Sirius XM hosts I have heard. I'll pass!

Couldn’t Michael J Fox convince Tracy Pollan to join? She did star in the show’s best season.

ghHQsMKCDlQ

I got home from work 10 minutes after it started - watched the start later. So no mention of Justine not being there?

Mike said Tracy was in California while he was in New York.

I was shocked to see Brian Bosnall, he was not announced before. The cast seemed surprised too. He seemed to be ok. I know he had his problems.

Tina Yothers is awesome! Just like Jennifer as a teen.

Family Ties stars reunite and recall having a lack of drama behind-the-scenes (https://people.com/tv/family-ties-reunion-things-we-learned/)

Michael J. Fox, Meredith Baxter, Michael Gross, Tina Yothers reunited for one segment of a two-part Stars in the House reunion (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghHQsMKCDlQ) Tuesday night. Marc Price, Scott Valentine and Brian Bonsall reunited for the second part. During their discussion, Gross remembered the show having a drama-free set. "I think I took some of how great we were together for granted," he said, according to People. "I didn't know how contrary some shows could be and how some casts quarreled the way they did. I mean, I just thought it was all perfection the way ours was and I didn't really understand that things don't always go this particularly well — that there was no controversy, not a lot of problems." Baxter went on to explain something that the cast "would do" to make guest stars feel welcome on set. "We made a point of any time we had a guest actor on — because I had been guests on shows and it's hard, it's hard to come in from outside and come into a group that's really tight and funny and they've got their own tricks and stuff and you're sitting around on the outside. And we really made a point of pulling them in and showing them craft services and just playing with them too just so they felt as ease. And I think that always worked for us."

No Mallory? Justine, where are you?!

Of course, I don't absolutely know for sure. But some theories that I've been reading online suggest that Justine is likely worried she's going to get more nasty comments about her physical appearance and how she's apparently aged badly (https://www.google.com/search?sxsrf=ALeKk00tbA_xTr_RegYLjPBLowt08TupEg%3A1605083058569&ei=sp-rX-D-Iez25gL2_4L4Cw&q=justine+bateman+aged+badly&oq=justine+bateman+aged+badly&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQAzoFCAAQyQM6BwgAEBQQhwI6AggAOgIILjoGCAAQFhAeUIc2WPY_YNVBaABwAHgBgAH0AogB4QySAQgwLjEwLjAuMZgBAKABAaoBB2d3cy13aXrAAQE&sclient=psy-ab&ved=0ahUKEwjgn6msiPrsAhVsu1kKHfa_AL8Q4dUDCA0&uact=5). Like when she was interviewed by Megyn Kelly (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2v1s_xYgwYk) on The Today Show. Another suggesting is that Justine among everybody else has a what could be considered a "love/hate relationship" with Family Ties. Apparently she wanted to go to college at the end of Season 3 or 4 and thought the show would be able to write around her absences. But the producers told her no because she was too popular to only be on half the shows each season. She stayed, but didn't enjoy doing as much as she once did.

I have a hard time believing Justine having a serious love/hate relationship with the show. Or that was why she could not participate. She has been involved in every single reunion before this. TV interviews and magazine photo shots.

There is a lot going on in the world right. It could have been personal issues like health involving her or family or friends. Look Marc Price barely was involved because of technical issues because he was on vacation. Also look how many times Meredith needed to log off because she could not hear everybody.

It could have been a number of things she had no control of and did not want to make public. She was announced for it, so she’s did originally agree to do it.

I have a hard time believing Justine having a serious love/hate relationship with the show. Or that was why she could not participate. She has been involved in every single reunion before this. TV interviews and magazine photo shots.

There is a lot going on in the world right. It could have been personal issues like health involving her or family or friends. Look Marc Price barely was involved because of technical issues because he was on vacation. Also look how many times Meredith needed to log off because she could not hear everybody.

It could have been a number of things she had no control of and did not want to make public. She was announced for it, so she’s did originally agree to do it.

When NBC held its 75th anniversary special back in 2002, Justine was noticeably absent also. So it isn't exactly correct that she's been involved in every single Family Ties reunion before this:
https://cdnph.upi.com/pv/upi/730f9970f251b5726a69446deae007e1/NYP2002050605.jpg

Ok, I have no memory of that at all. Not just her absence but that special. I never saw it. I still stand by previous statement - we have no way of knowing why she did not participate on this recent one. If she had a track record of repeatedly avoiding these things, I could understand assuming it was ambivalence towards the show. But she has done many other events.

I could see fear of people criticizing her appearance being a factor. Obviously they all appeared from their homes. None of them had professionals to make them up like a normal tv appearance. Notice most of them need glasses but started without even though it meant struggling to see what was on their computers. Because wearing glasses which they need in private that is not their usual public images.

These Zoom video reunions are not how these things were ever done before this year. This is a very unique time in history for everyone.

Michael Gross replied to a question in the chat. He said that Justine isn’t a fan of the virtual reunion format and declined and that “we miss her.”

Couldn’t Michael J Fox convince Tracy Pollan to join? She did star in the show’s best season.

Maybe she didn't want to take any spotlight off her husband. Michael J. Fox did have a habbit of dating his TV/Movie girlfriends in real life. Considering he and Tracey have been married more than 30 years, they must have done something right.

I adore the fact that Tina stole the Tiffany lamp from the Keatons' living room, as well as the whatever-it-is item that hung in the kitchen. Michael G's clapperboard is pretty cool, too.

It was great seeing them all, Nick, Marc, and especially Brian, who I think doesn't normally do FT events. So that was a nice surprise. Great seeing now that he has a son of his own. Nice also seeing Tina's children.

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