Precious Keaton Family Moments

A fan page dedicated to the television series Family Ties

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Do you know the goofy Keaton neighbor "Skippy" Handelman's (played by Marc Price) real name? He reveals what he believes to be his birth name on countless occasions throughout the duration of the series: "Irwin Handelman". We find out in the sincerely heart-wrenching "Baby Boy Doe" episode (S2E9), that Skippy was adopted and his real name, as inscribed on his found birth certificate, is simply "Baby Boy Doe". If that's not upsetting enough, the scene where he visits his real mother and she tells him she never wants to see him again is  incredibly intense. The Handelmans should have told him before he found out on his own.

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Did You Know? Actors Michael Gross and Meredith Baxter Birney, who played Stephen and Elyse Keaton respectively, were both born on the same exact day! ( June 21, 1947 ). 

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In S4E3 "Mr. Wrong", Mallory brings home her new boyfriend, Nick. The confusing part about this episode is that Elyse and Steven don't like the artsy, long haired punk at all. I always found this to be a bit of a plot hole seeing as the Keaton parents have always been funky liberals. Maybe a new writer for the show didn't do his or her homework, but mom and dad should've welcomed this weirdo with open arms. Ayeeee.

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Almost Family: Did you know that Ed O'Neill was an early choice for Steven Keaton's character? Also, Matthew Broderick would've been APK had his real life father not fallen ill. Honestly, I love the show Married with Children just as it turned out and who honestly dislikes the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off? Things happen for a reason...

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Recycled!  In S2E16 "Ready or Not", Mallory's Boyfriend, Rick tries to  pressure her into having sex in his dorm room. The set used for Rick's dorm can be seen again in S5E17/18 "A Tale of Two Cities Pt. 1 and 2" when Alex and his boss Rebecca are forced to share a hotel room while on a business trip to Chicago. No actual love making goes down in either episode although both episodes are highly recommended!

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In S1E11, "A Christmas Story", we find out where the first three Keaton children were born. One of the more interesting stories is that Alex was actually born in Africa, during a rainstorm brought on by a local tribe's rain dance. 

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In the first season, the opening sequence of the show introduces us to couple Elyse Donelly and Steven Keaton via clippings of them as protesting hippies. In one scene Steven Keaton is shown handing something over to Elyse. At first glance it appears to be a peace pipe, but if you were quick, you noticed that it was just a paint brush! (See red paint canister at bottom of the screen). Editors decided to take most of the intro the following season including the infamous "Hit this, Elyse" scene. 

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Did You Know? The Keatons LOVE orange juice. Alex definitely drinks the most orange juice out of anyone in the family, but on certain occasions the other members of the family partake as well. Alex has been known to sneak down in the night for a glass of orange juice, and he often pours himself a glass when he's nervous (and he NEVER actually drinks any!). 

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Then and Now: People thought it was strange when baby Andy Keaton went from being a newborn to a four year old in just one season, but have you seen what baby Andy (played by Brian Bonsall) has morphed into now! 

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Did You Know? At the beginning of each episode, during the intro sequence Alex P. Keaton hits his bed and raises his hands in perfect synch with "Without Us", the show's theme song. Try it along with the music sometime! 

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Thank you for finding my website. It will be here that you will be able to find semi-regular ramblings on my favorite television show of all time, Family Ties.