I'm kind of shocked that he never did considering the NBC connection between Family Ties and SNL and the fact that his sister, Mary Gross (https://www.vulture.com/2012/09/saturday-nights-children-mary-gross-1981-1985.html) was a cast member (she was on there during the Eddie Murphy-Joe Piscopo-Julia Louis Dreyfus years). I know that Michael J. Fox, and Justine Bateman (https://www.thewickerbreaker.com/season-13/snl-s13e11-justine-bateman) hosted and if it counts, Courteney Cox. But I wonder if Michael Gross was just never asked.

Maybe he simply was not interested in doing it! From what I understand, he's a very methodical performer and live TV is something that has the potential to go from great to disaster on a dime so it wouldn't have been so easy for him to 'come back' had a gaffe or blooper happened live!

Maybe he was asked, but had better things to do.

I'm kind of shocked that he never did considering the NBC connection between Family Ties and SNL and the fact that his sister, Mary Gross (https://www.vulture.com/2012/09/saturday-nights-children-mary-gross-1981-1985.html) was a cast member (she was on there during the Eddie Murphy-Joe Piscopo-Julia Louis Dreyfuss years). I know that Michael J. Fox, and Justine Bateman (https://www.thewickerbreaker.com/season-13/snl-s13e11-justine-bateman) hosted and if it counts, Courteney Cox. But I wonder if Michael Gross was just never asked.

Michael Gross was never a big enough star to host SNL. IN fact, looking back in retrospect, I can't believe Justine Bateman hosted the show, as all she was really known for was being Michael J Fox's sister on a sitcom. Perhaps Lourne Michaels had a crush on her.

At any rate, the 1988 SNL episode with Bateman, was one of the lowest rated shows of the season.

SNL has had some questionable guest stars. Bateman was on par with the daughter, who was in Roxanne. It's obvious only Roseanne and John Goodman had any star power.

I recently watched the SNL hosted by Justine. It was mediocre. In all fairness, SNL opened with a very boring sketch involving the 1988 Republican caucus. Maybe viewers got turned off and decided to change the channel or go to bed.

I thought the SNL parody of Family Ties was ok, but not that funny. Later Justine was in some therapist sketch playing a teenager. I agree that she was lucky to have been asked to host SNL. Perhaps in real life, Justine really is similar to her Mallory character.