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| Family Ties Season 5 : |
| This is a list of episodes from the fifth season of Family Ties. |
| Episode 1 - [Be True To Your Preschool] |
| Details : Alex shocks his parents when he visits his 3-year-old brother Andrew's very special preschool class decides the wrong values are being stressed and withdraws him from the school. Steven and Elyse had pulled strings to get Andrew into the special preschool. They are shocked when Alex announces that the school teaches anti-competitive values and argues that his brother should be taught in a more aggressive manner. |
| Guest Cast and Crew : Jennifer Salt | Marc Price | Joan McMurtrey | |
| Air Date : Sep. 25, 1986 |
| Episode 2 - [Starting Over] |
| Details : Distraught that his girlfriend Ellen has gone to Paris on a dance scholarship Alex desperately tries to find someone to take her place but finally realizes that falling in love again will take time. Alex mopes around the Keaton house pining for Ellen until Sharon a pretty waitress attracts his attention. Once on a date with her however Alex tries to transform her into another Ellen with disastrous results. |
| Guest Cast and Crew : Haviland Morris | Marc Price | John Putch | Robert Costanzo | Director : Steve Robman | |
| Air Date : Oct. 02, 1986 |
| Episode 3 - [The Freshman And The Senior] |
| Details : Mallory is teamed with 66-year-old Margaret Hollings on a college sociology project and fins that she has a lot to learn about honesty sensitivity and older people when she almost causes the woman to quit the class. As Mallory facves the fact that te widowed senior citizen has her own special problems as a college freshman Alex takes a special interest in the terms of the last wills and testaments of his parents. |
| Guest Cast and Crew : Julie Harris | Marc Price | Tracy Griffith | Director : Asaad Kelada | |
| Air Date : Oct. 09, 1986 |
| Episode 4 - [My Back Pages] |
| Details : When Steven is asked by an old college friend to help him re-establish a left-wing political magazine they had worked on 20 years before Steven realizes he is no longer in tune with the radical thinking it reflected and that his values are more middle-of-the-road than he had ever expected. When Matt Gilbert tells Steven he has the funds to revive The Scavenger Steven is excited about the opportunity to again express his viewpoints and to vividly recall the college days when he pursued Elyse. It only takes one story for him to realize however that he no longer represents the revolutionary left. |
| Guest Cast and Crew : Walter Olkewicz | Raymond Singer | Timothy Busfield | Janice Lynde | |
| Air Date : Oct. 16, 1986 |
| Episode 5 - [Beauty And The Bank] |
| Details : Alex is emotionally torn when he goes to work in a bank and finds that the vice president to whom he reports is Ms. Ryan a beautiful smart and self-confident woman and that he's growing more romantically interested in her each day. The Keaton family delights in Alex's taking orders from Ms. Ryan but their playfulness wanes when they discover his attitude toward her is taking a toll on his career and ego. |
| Guest Cast and Crew : Melinda Culea | Director : Asaad Kelada | |
| Air Date : Oct. 30, 1986 |
| Episode 6 - [Mrs Wrong Part 1] |
| Details : Nick and Mallory make sudden plans to elope when Steven and Elyse vehemently oppose their marriage plans and threaten to ground their teenaged daughter. During a quiet evening together Mallory pops the big question to Nick. They are ecstatic until they learn that the entire Keaton family is solidly against the idea. |
| Guest Cast and Crew : Scott Valentine | Director : Asaad Kelada | |
| Air Date : Nov. 06, 1986 |
| Episode 7 - [Mrs Wrong Part 2] |
| Details : Alex sees Mallory and Nick leaving the Keaton residence in the predawn hours to elope and unable to stop them follows them to New Jersey where he finds the young couple taking a hard look at their decision. After Nick bumbles around the outside of the house with a 16-foot ladder Alex makes a desperate attempt to keep his younger sister Mallory from marrying Nick. But they are too much in love to listen. It takes Erin and Mike another couple to give them perspective on their maturity. |
| Guest Cast and Crew : Scott Valentine | Alexandra Powers | Director : Asaad Kelada | |
| Air Date : Nov. 13, 1986 |
| Episode 8 - [The Big Fix] |
| Details : When Terry Bridgeman a colleague of Elyse's confides that he has broken up with his girlfriend Elyse decides to fix him up with a family friend the beautiful Liz Obeck. What Elyse doesn't realize however is that Liz has been seriously involved with someone else for two years. |
| Guest Cast and Crew : Scott Valentine | Terry Farrell | Director : John Pasquin | Writer : Michael J. Weithorn | |
| Air Date : Nov. 17, 1986 |
| Episode 9 - [My Brother's Keeper] |
| Details : Alex must choose between his friendship with Skippy and allegiance to his college fraternity when Theta Pi Sigma pledges Skippy with the idea of making him the object of a cruel prank. Skippy is desperate to become a member of a fraternity but in his zealousness he fails to recognize that he is the Big Stooge of the semester. |
| Guest Cast and Crew : George Newbern | Marc Price | Director : Asaad Kelada | |
| Air Date : Nov. 20, 1986 |
| Episode 10 - [High School Confidential] |
| Details : Nick faces a serious dilemma when he learns that to teach an art class he must have a high school diploma. Mallory volunteers to tutor him but it takes the skills of another Keaton to help him prepare for his final exam. When Mallory fails to make Nick understand grammar Alex finds a unique way to help him grasp the basics. |
| Guest Cast and Crew : Scott Valentine | Director : Mark W. Travis | |
| Air Date : Dec. 04, 1986 |
| Episode 11 - [Paper Lion] |
| Details : While assisting his economics professor in the final stages of an important research paper Alex faces a serious moral dilemma when he finds that his mentor's conclusions are not supported by the facts. On the threshold of winning the coveted Wilson Award for his work with economics professor Rhodes Alex is dismayed to discover that a major error in Rhodes' computations invalidates the professor's theory. |
| Guest Cast and Crew : Mason Adams | Director : Peter Baldwin | |
| Air Date : Dec. 11, 1986 |
| Episode 12 - [My Mother My Friend] |
| Details : When Mallory brings her new friend Allison King home with her to study little does she expect that Allison will find a kindred spirit in Elyse. Bound together by their love of architecture Allison and Elyse soon become fast friends with Elyse even becoming the subject of Allison's architecture research project. They study together shop together go to exhibits together always inviting Mallory to join them but unconsciously making her feel like a fifth wheel. Matters come to a head when Allison is invited to dinner at the Keatons after getting an A on her college architecture project. Mall unexpectedly vents her resentment and jealousy and storms out leaving her mother upset and confused. When Mallory finally does return home she and Elyse have to deal wtih the conflict that Allison's friendship has stirred. And together they reaffirm that blood is indeed thicker than common interests. |
| Air Date : Dec. 18, 1986 |
| Episode 13 - [O'brother Part 1] |
| Details : It's bad news for the Keatons when Uncle Rob arrives for a visit and announces that he and his wife Maureen have split up. News of Robert and Maureen's separation throws the whole Keaton family into an emotional tailspin despite Robert's insistence that the decision was a mutual one and long overdue. Having always looked up to his responsible and successful older brother as a role model Steven refuses to believe that Rob's 25-year marriage is really over. Rob in turn is dismayed about upsetting the family but also disappointed by their lack of support. |
| Air Date : Jan. 08, 1987 |
| Episode 14 - [O'brother Part 2] |
| Details : The emotional roller-coaster continues at the Keaton household with the arrival of Aunt Maureen Uncle Rob's estranged wife. It seems like Rob has been less than candid when he told his brother Steven that the marital separation had been a mutual decision. According to Maureen Rob left two months agowithout a word and has been on the road trying to sort out his life ever since. |
| Guest Cast and Crew : Julie Cobb | |
| Air Date : Jan. 15, 1987 |
| Episode 15 - [Higher Love] |
| Details : Mallory's relationship with Nick is put to the test when she joins a poetry reading group and becomes infatuated with its handsome and sophisticated leader English grad student Colin Spenser. Newly exposed to poetry and enormously flattered by Colin's persistent attentions Mallory begins to question the wisdom of being tied down to Nick. Despite a stern warning about Colin's sincerity from one of his former conquests fellow group member Joyce Mallory is swept off her feet by his gift of roses and poetry and agrees to join him for a special tete-a-tete following an evening's reading. Her perspective however is shaken up quite a bit when she realizes that she is in fact just the next girl in line for the all-too-smooth Colin. |
| Guest Cast and Crew : Scott Valentine | Marc Price | Penelope Ann Miller | Director : Debbie Allen | |
| Air Date : Jan. 22, 1987 |
| Episode 16 - [Architect's Apprentice] |
| Details : Steven and Elyse are forced to take a new closer look at Nick and his considerable artistic talents when they invite him to compete with other local artists to create a sculpture for the lobby of Steven's television station. Hired to re-design the lobby of the WKS building where Steven works Elyse is busy pouring over architectural drawings one evening when Nick arrives at the Keatons. As he studies her work he begins to suggest some of his own ideas and takes Elyse completely by surprise with his immediate grasp of what she is trying to achieve. When Steven comes home and announces that the station has agreed to sponsor a local art competition to produce the sculpture for the lobby Mallory instantly suggests that Nick be allowed to compete especially when she and Nick learn of the $2500 winning prize. A somewhat open-minded Elyse and a very skeptical Steven finally agree to interview Nick and allow him to enter the contest. When Steven ends up casting the deciding vote in anothe |
| Guest Cast and Crew : Scott Valentine | Walter Olkewicz | Marc Price | Director : Steve Robman | |
| Air Date : Jan. 29, 1987 |
| Episode 17 - [A Tale Of Two Cities Part 1] |
| Details : The Keaton's are a house divided over a major domestic issue whether to redecorate their old-fashioned but cozy kitchen. Elyse Mallory and Jennifer think the time has come to leave the familiar behind and opt for a new more modern look. Steven loves the kitchen's history and doesn't want to change a tile. Alex only half-heartedly joins the fray. His thoughts are elsewhere in Chicago to be exact. His employer Leland Trust is sending two representatives to the 15th Annual Midwest Banking and Financial Planning Seminar and Alex is already packing his bags. But he's in for a rude awakening when his boss Rebecca Ryan chooses the shy and retiring Matthews over Alex to accompany her to the conference. When Matthews becomes ill however Alex is pressed into action. This could turn out to be the professional highlight of his young career. It could also turn out to be the end of his brief career as he is obliged to room with his boss for the duration of the conference. |
| Guest Cast and Crew : Scott Valentine | Melinda Culea | Terry Wills | Marc Price | Director : Peter Baldwin | |
| Air Date : Feb. 05, 1987 |
| Episode 18 - [A Tale Of Two Cities Part 2] |
| Details : While Steven tackles the job of re-wallpapering the Keaton kitchen singlehandedly Alex is in Chicago with his boss Rebecca Ryan attending an important banking conference. Forced to share a tiny room due to a shortage of hotel space the two spend an awkward and uncomfortable nite together with Alex relegated to sleeping in the closet. Getting ready for the conference Rebecca becomes more and more nervous as she prepares to meet the Federated Bank President Charles Okun Jr. to try and facilitate a merger between his bank and Leland Trust. Unfortunately the champagne flows at the banquet and Rebecca proceeds to get thoroughly drunk. To Alex's surprise she ends up insulting Okun and his young wife totally blowing any prospects of a merger. Most embarrassing of all Rebecca ends up making a pass at Alex. |
| Guest Cast and Crew : Scott Valentine | Jonna Lee | Melinda Culea | Marc Price | Reid Shelton | Director : Peter Baldwin | |
| Air Date : Feb. 12, 1987 |
| Episode 19 - [Battle Of The Sexes Part 1] |
| Details : When Alex plays gentleman to his mother and two sisters and orders for them at a restaurant without even asking them what they want the battle begins with Elyse Mallory and Jennifer on one side and Steven Alex and Andrew on the other. Using clips from previous shows each side tries to prove its points on male bonding female bonding Nick Moore's special case and Alex's one time support of the Equal Rights Amendment. |
| Air Date : Feb. 19, 1987 |
| Episode 20 - [Battle Of The Sexes Part 2] |
| Details : As the battle continues more clips from past shows reveal the true nature of the Keaton family relationships. The clips includes Jennifer's jealousy over a boy who only has eyes for Mallory; a battle between Elyse and Mallory about a modeling contest; Alex's support of Mallory when she is jilted by her boyfriend and the time when Alex lost Jennifer in a card game. |
| Air Date : Feb. 19, 1987 |
| Episode 21 - [Band On The Run] |
| Details : As chairman of the entertainment committee for the Leland College 10th reunion Alex has big plans which include hiring some great bands to impress attending alumni in the music business. Jennifer finally talks a very skeptical Alex into letting her new all-girl band The Permanent Waves audition for the affair. At the audition Alex is thrilled with the unexciting Polka Boys but his fellow committee members are left cold until they hear The Permanent Waves. They are so good in fact that even Alex is impressed and not only books the group but convinces them to sign with him as manager. Once in charge Alex decides to completely revamp the look and style of the band. For the reunion performance he has the girls dress in evening gowns and changes the group's name to The Swinging Corporate Raiders persuading them to sing such golden oldies as Mr. Sandman. After being completely ignored the girls finally break into one of their own tunes and immediately win the crowd over. Unfort |
| Guest Cast and Crew : Rain Phoenix | Marc Price | Margaret Nagle | Christina Applegate | |
| Air Date : Feb. 26, 1987 |
| Episode 22 - [Keaton vs Keaton] |
| Details : Brother and sister go head-to-head when Steven announces a scholarship competition sponsored by his station WKS. A confident Alex scoffs as the family encourages a reluctant Mallory to enter the competition. In spite of Alex's arrogant comments Mallory prepares her fashion presentation for the competition and realizes that no matter what he says she really wants to try. Alex discovers that he may have grossly misjudged his sister's business acumen as well as her sense of fashion. When the winner is announced Alex and Mallory react to the news in a way that surprises even themselves. Andy loses his favorite toy Mr. Pig causing Nick and Skippy to begin a topsy-turvy search of the household to comfort the devastated three-year-old. After their attempt to pass off a newly-bought imposter Mr. Pig re-surfaces in a most unusual spot. |
| Guest Cast and Crew : Scott Valentine | Marc Price | |
| Air Date : Mar. 05, 1987 |
| Episode 23 - [A My Name Is Alex Part 1] |
| Details : When Alex's friend Greg dies in a car accident Alex is thrown into a state of shock and begins to seriously question the meaning and purpose of his own life. Having been asked to accompany his friend on the fatal trip and refusing because it wasn't convenient he is overcome by guilt. He tries to fathom why he was spared in the face of such selfishness and begins to have encounters with Greg's ghost. His family urges him to get help. Alex seeks the counsel of a monk Father Timothy about changing his life but ultimately decides against joining the order because of the chastity vow Still hallucinating and tortured Alex agrees to see a psychiatrist. In trying to come to terms with Greg's death he talks about his life-long love of money and experiences flashbacks which reveal periods of his selfish past. During these flashbacks Alex asks the various members of his family how they feel about their lives and about death and comes to a new appreciation of them as individuals. Thou |
| Guest Cast and Crew : Brian McNamara | Richard McGonagle | Meg Wyllie | Director : Will Mackenzie | |
| Air Date : Mar. 12, 1987 |
| Episode 24 - [A My Name Is Alex Part 2] |
| Details : When Alex's friend Greg dies in a car accident Alex is thrown into a state of shock and begins to seriously question the meaning and purpose of his own life. Having been asked to accompany his friend on the fatal trip and refusing because it wasn't convenient he is overcome by guilt. He tries to fathom why he was spared in the face of such selfishness and begins to have encounters with Greg's ghost. His family urges him to get help. Alex seeks the counsel of a monk Father Timothy about changing his life but ultimately decides against joining the order because of the chastity vow Still hallucinating and tortured Alex agrees to see a psychiatrist. In trying to come to terms with Greg's death he talks about his life-long love of money and experiences flashbacks which reveal periods of his selfish past. During these flashbacks Alex asks the various members of his family how they feel about their lives and about death and comes to a new appreciation of them as individuals. Thou |
| Guest Cast and Crew : Brian McNamara | Richard McGonagle | Meg Wyllie | Director : Will Mackenzie | |
| Air Date : Mar. 12, 1987 |
| Episode 25 - [D Is For Date] |
| Details : Jennifer develops her first major crush on science lab partner Tim Higgins the handsome star pitcher of the school baseball team. When Tim comes over to work on their science project Jennifer is thrilled but also embarrassed by his open admiration of her academic talents. Believing the adage that boys never like girls who are smarter than they are she decided the way to keep Tim interested is to play dumb. Much to her parents' dismay Jennifer begins to spend most of her time with Tim goofing off in Mr. Feinman's class at the expense of both her grades and his. When Steven and Elyse begin to question her actions Jennifer reacts sharply protesting that she's happier than she's ever been. It's only after she and Tim wind up with an F on their science project and Tim is suspended from the baseball team that Jennifer is forced to put aside her cute and dopey act and deal with Tim honestly. Meanwhile Nick gets a threatening letter from the IRS demanding payment for five years |
| Guest Cast and Crew : Wil Wheaton | |
| Air Date : Mar. 20, 1987 |
| Episode 26 - [Love Me Do] |
| Details : When Skippy falls head-over-heels in love with Mallory's new college friend Amy Sussman he's both startled and overjoyed to find himself in his first real romantic relationship. Just as Steven finishes an informal pep talk with the kids unraveling his fool-proof plan to throw Elyse a surprise birthday party Amy arrives to pick Mallory up for a study session. Skippy happens to drop by and is immediately taken with Mallory's shy and pretty friend. He's so smitten in fact he's rendered completely helpless and Mallory ends up arranging their first date. Amy is delighted and their relationship blossoms though not without some embarrassing moments. When she finally invites Skippy back to her dorm room to watch TV however he panics because of his inexperience with women and seeks Alex's advice. He tries to follow Alex's instructions but unfortunately his attempt to create a romantic atmosphere at Amy's results in a lamp catching fire and the arrival of the fire marshal. Later at |
| Air Date : Apr. 30, 1987 |
| Episode 27 - [The Visit] |
| Details : When Elyse's sister Michele and her family arrives for their annual visit Elyse is overjoyed while the rest of the Keaton clan brace themselves for a long hard week of togetherness. With the exception of Elyse who loves spending time with her sister each of the Keatons is hard pressed to be gracious about the situation. Steven is constantly being needled by Michele's husband Marv; Michele's daughter Monica becomes the resident prophet of doom and gloom; and Monica's brother Marv Jr. begins appropriating Alex's clothes. Oblivious to the Keatons' hospitality insomniac Marv serenades the household with bagpipe tunes late at night accepts collect calls from his business associates on the Keatons' phone and generally drives everyone crazy. It is only after he demolishes the back end of the Keatons' car however that the usually tolerant Steven jumps up to defend hearth and home. |
| Guest Cast and Crew : Jeff Cohen | Stuart Pankin | Director : Barbara Schultz | |
| Air Date : May. 07, 1987 |
| Episode 28 - [Matchmaker] |
| Details : When Mallory comes home from her sixth disastrous date in a row Alex tries to comfort and then help. He will find her a new and perfect boyfriend using a computer that the Keaton's have gotten for Jennifer's educational use. Yet when Roger and Mallory don't hit it off Alex refuses to give up on getting this perfect couple together. |
| Guest Cast and Crew : Director : Barbara Schultz | |
| Air Date : Jul. 23, 1987 |
| Episode 29 - [It's My Party Part 1] |
| Details : In her quest to become one of the popular kids Jennifer invites her trendy classmates to her thirteenth birthday party. When they become bored and begin grumbling at her lame party (which includes a traditional puppet show by her father) Jennifer takes drastic action. With Mallory's guidance she becomes a valley girl who then deserts her own party. Yet it's only a matter of time before Jennifer realizes she isn't having any fun and she rebels against her new friends. |
| Guest Cast and Crew : Marc Price | Director : Asaad Kelada | |
| Air Date : Aug. 06, 1987 |
| Episode 30 - [It's My Party Part 2] |
| Details : In her quest to become one of the popular kids Jennifer invites her trendy classmates to her thirteenth birthday party. When they become bored and begin grumbling at her lame party (which includes a traditional puppet show by her father) Jennifer takes drastic action. With Mallory's guidance she becomes a valley girl who then deserts her own party. Yet it's only a matter of time before Jennifer realizes she isn't having any fun and she rebels against her new friends. |
| Guest Cast and Crew : Tracy Pollan | Director : Asaad Kelada | |
| Air Date : Aug. 13, 1987 |