Family Ties: The Second Season

Alex Keaton was TV's original compassionate conservative, whose staunch Republican beliefs often comedically confounded his former hippie parents. In Family Ties's sophomore season, Alex (winningly portrayed by Michael J. Fox), became the series' breakout character, much like Fonzie before him—and, like the Fonz, he ended up a certified TV icon (#35) as recently ranked by Entertainment Weekly. Family Ties wrestled with issues that the Bradys never had to confront. In “Not an Affair to Remember,” patriarch Steven (Michael Gross) is tempted by the attentions of a female co-worker. In “Speed Trap,” Alex pops amphetamines to cope with his midterm workload. In “Ready or Not,” daughter Mallory (Justine Bateman) is pressured by her collegiate boyfriend to have sex. And in “Say Uncle,” Alex discovers that his beloved Uncle Ned (future Oscar-winner Tom Hanks) has a drinking problem. Of course, like the Bradys, there is no crisis here so great that it can't be resolved within 30 minutes. But the really special episodes in this season poignantly address changes in the family dynamics. In “Birthday Boy,” Alex defies his mother (Meredith Baxter) on his 18th birthday, celebrating with friends in a West Virginia bar. Family Ties never met a punchline it didn't like (especially when delivered by precocious nine-year-old youngest sibling Jennifer, played by Tina Yothers), but this ensemble's genuine chemistry keeps the series grounded. Unlike the first season release, this 1983-84 set compiling all 22 second season episodes contains several entertaining DVD extras, including a series retrospective with creators and cast members (save for Bateman and Baxter), an interview with Fox about “The Best Gig in the World,” and a featurette on the addition of a beard to Gross' character. Recommended. (D. Liebenson)