The Cast of "Family Ties" Hated Each Other

Huh?

Very uninformative post. Where's a link? How do you know this? What specifically has been said?

Nah. Gross and Baxter were close. He even did her infamous Oprah show where she weeped about how cruel David Birney was to her (he once criticized her turkey at Thanksgiving and then they once had a fight on a trip and he left the restaurant and went back to the hotel) You could almost feel Oprah thinking we advertised abuse and confessions and this is all you give us you crazy late in life lesbian.

The cast of "The Facts of Life" hated OP

Michael J. Fox was known to be a jerk. I remember Danny Pintauro tell Joan Rivers that Fox told him when he was a kid that he would never make it as an adult actor. (even then the implication seemed to be was that he was too gay.)

So was he wrong?

Pintauro in leading man roles? Fox must've SHUDDERED at the thought...oh, wait...

Not true. There was tension between MJ Fox and MB Birney because she was meant to be the star of the show, and he quickly became the focus.

But, you know, she got over it, and everyone collected their checks

So untrue about Michael Gross! I worked with him in the theater a couple of times in the late 1970s and he was the sweetest, kindest guy. Everyone loved him. He was purportedly straight but always flirted with me!

But WEHT?? Seems like he left the business many years ago.

r9, he owns a fireplace/spa store in University Place Washington, just outside of Seattle.

R9, IMDB is easy to search

R8 didn't a similar thing happen when the kid Urkel on Family Matters also ended up becoming the accidental star of the show?

r12 Urkel completely dominated Family Matters and wasn't even on the show from the beginning, whereas Alex was always a character.

Alex certainly got many of the big stories on the show but all cast members got stories.

For me, watching the show again, Michael Gross was the MVP of the show. His comic timing was/is impeccable.

R9 Yeah, I saw an interview one time with Reba McEntire talking about how great he was to her on Tremors, her first acting job. She was going on about how kind and sweet he was. I don't think I've ever heard anyone bad mouth him.

Justine Bateman hated Michael J. Fox. There was a rumor about her going to his dressing room door and yelling "faggot"

[quote][R8] didn't a similar thing happen when the kid Urkel on Family Matters also ended up becoming the accidental star of the show?

Please. Things like that NEVER happen.

R16 Exactly, where do people get these stupid ideas from?

WHET Scott Valentine?

I hated "Family Ties". I only watched it a few times and couldn't be bothered again.

I know Family Ties was a staple in our house growing up but I have zero nostalgia for it and would be hard pressed to name a specific episode. I mostly remember that obnoxious song “At This Moment” being overplayed on the radio because it was used on the show.

Well, R20, if you also happen to not like Jimmy Fallon then prepare to be doubly annoyed as he and The Roots recently covered this tune that they fondly associated with Family Ties.

They all seem pretty civil with each other so I doubt that's true, OP. I think the first two years were really good, but once they added the other kid and Nick it went downhill. The funniest episode was when Elise punched Alex's obnoxious teacher, Mr. Tedesco.

Ugh, that SONG. "At This Moment." Played when Alex P. Keaton broke up with whatever the hell the Courtney Cox character's name was. It was on the radio every two minutes. Over and over and over. I hated it then and hate it know. Ruined it for me.

Courtney Cox? Wasn't that the song played when he met the character who was played by his now wife?

Yes, r24, sorry. It was HER character. It's been so long that I had forgotten which bitch the character was dating.

Would Alex be a Trump supporter?

I thought Michael Gross was sexy.

R25 that's okay. I forgot that Courtney Cox played one of his gfs.

I hated how Alex dumped Lauren like that for no reason. It really was cold.

You know his sister is SNL alumna Mary Gross, right?

Michael Gross looked so much better after he grew a beard.

Sexy daddy.

I hated that show. I hated that the parents liked each other and never screamed at the kids and they didn’t worry about having enough money for things they needed and they all seemed so oblivious of their privilege.

There were other shows about affluent intact families on TV at the time, but the Keaton’s really bugged me for some reason, the way the others didn’t.

I never cared for Tina Yothers until she appeared on a season of Celebrity Fit Club. Really cool and down to earth.

The "breakout star" thing has been happening since the dawn of TV. Fonzie on Happy Days. What's his face on Good Times. Jason Bateman on Valerie. Urkel on Family Matters. On and on. I'm surprised Baxter was even fazed by it.

Surprised to hear Fox is a jerk though. Always thought he was one of the nice ones, like Tom Hanks.

The show went downhill once Helen Lawson joined the cast.

R18

I loved Family Ties because Michael J Fox wasn't Kirk Cameron. I found dumb Mallory and her boyfriend Nick relatable.

R35, Happy Days is the "dawn of TV"? Care to give earlier examples?

I don't think they hated each other but they all hated Ubu.

It's true that the show was intended as a vehicle for Meredith Baxter, but Michael J. Fox became the breakout sensation and it caused bad riffs, and Baxter grew bitter. This was even alluded to on the "reunion" show in the late 80's (early 90's?) when Baxter and Fox hugged and the audience cheered. I wonder if I can find this.

Baxter had some odd career moves after the show. Remember that made-for-TV film she did where she played a dowdy divorcée who nabs the leader of a pedophile ring?

I always loved the Family Ties house set. All that dark wood and plants everywhere.

The last season of the show Tina Yothers' character had a new wave band called Permanent Waves (with a very young Christina Applegate on synth). This was actually a semi-real life move for Yothers, as she wanted to become a singing star. She released several 12" dance songs and I think an album? Many years later she would appear on stage (in the UK?) as Linda Lovelace in the Deep Throat series.

Justine Bateman went on to become a famous Twiter-er.

I loved their kitchen.

^So did I.

R26 Absolutely.

I loved their orange juice container and glasses.

Elyse should have pulled a Betty Broderick on Judith Light's character Stacy Hughes for going after her man so brazenly like that.

Michael Gross was hilarious. "There was a kangaroo . . . in my living room . . ."

[quote]I loved Family Ties because Michael J Fox wasn't Kirk Cameron.

Always thought it was funny how both ended up marrying the actresses who played their girlfriends on the show (and still married to them till this day).

[quote]It's true that the show was intended as a vehicle for Meredith Baxter, but Michael J. Fox became the breakout sensation and it caused bad riffs, and Baxter grew bitter.

I heard one of them say once that they were acting out their true feelings in that scene in the final episode when Alex and Elyse had their big fight (and that they felt better when they hugged it out in the end).

what did they do bay-bay without love?

Was there no nothing they couldn't see each other through?

What did they do bay-bay?

Sha-la-la-la!

Baxter did a stint on Y&R as Kelly and Stitch's mom; she was a wreck and cried her eyes out, her character dealt with the same abuse that Birney inflicted on her so her performance was especially raw.

Ironically, she was nominated for a daytime emmy in the guest category but she lost even tho there was a three way tie with Ray Wise, Donna Mills and Fred Willard all winning.

Baxter used to pick up fox early on in the show. The feud is overblown and they got along pretty well. Meredith had a clause in her contact that ended up paying her as much as fox made when he became a superstar so she wasn’t THAT upset.

She said Birney physically abused her and her kids backed her, including one of the twins she had with David birney.

Bridget Loves Bastard

MBB was so boring on that show, hard to believe she was supposed to be the star. I remember she was in a movie of the week playing a bulimic.

She also dated David Cassidy and his donkey dick

In her book Meredith doesn't have anything bad to say about Fox. She said he deserved to be the breakout star because he was so good, but that she was a little put out by it because she was supposed to be the star. But they all had episodes that focused on their characters. It's not like it was the Michael J. Fox show.

R55 for all intents and purposes it was the MJF show after Back To The Future was a huge hit for him. They certainly gave him more screen time and storylines. But the show was a big hit so everyone shut their mouths and cashed their checks.

[quote]Justine Bateman hated Michael J. Fox. There was a rumor about her going to his dressing room door and yelling "faggot"

I told that story; it was a friend of mine on the set who saw that. He was MJF's drug buddy/fuckbuddy for a while. Justine Bateman didn't yell it, just glared at them across the soundstage and mouthed it.

Shortly after that MJF was filming "Family Ties" by day and one of the "Back to the Future" movies by night, and there were stories about his incredible work ethic. My friend said something like, "Yeah, his cocaine work ethic."

Mallory ruined Elyse's opportunity with the Sir Penguin commercial,

Such a baby.

Just like she tanked Alex's college interview.

Fox had nothing but good things to say about Justine, said her timing was as good as Vivian Vance.

My family had the same Pfaltzgraff plate and the kitchen looks so cozy. I'm an 80s kid and it makes me smile.

Total BDF at r31. Does anyone have verficatia?

I loved the episode when Mallory almost doesn't graduate high school.

So true about Gross being MVP

He made the most of the material and lifted them all up with his impeccable timing and facial expressions

I hated that show. Boring as sin - but everybody watched it and my parents were religious about seeing every episode. I was quite young, but remember hearing that Justine Bateman (Jason's sister obviously) was supposed to be some huge break-out star. That never happened of course. MJF was an annoying shrimp in every role that he ever played (TV, movie or otherwise). How he was seen to be some sort of sexy stud in the Back to the Future films is beyond me. I never did get his appeal but I do of course feel for him and his struggles now.

MJF wasn't supposed to be seen as a sexy stud. He was framed as the cute, funny boy-next-door type.

R35 he was and is one of the nice ones. Don’t listen to whatever the ridiculous fan fic on here.

Because of that favored nation clause, MMB was the highest paid actress on TV the last season of FT. She got 120k per episode. More than Joan Collins. Just for some perspective The Golden Girls (Bea & Betty) at that time were getting around 50k.

I realize that this show originated before I was old enough to ride a bike and I totally believe you guys, but the thought of a vehicle to make a "super-star" out of Meredith Baxter is...well......interesting. God love her, but she was no fucking Donna Mills, Joan Collins or Victoria Principal. No hate here, I am just perplexed.

R67 she was actually a quite good and underrated actress. She wasn’t really meant for sitcoms, though.

R67 has clearly never seen "A Woman Scorned."

Baxter is right up there with Streep and Judy Dench.

A stah!

r35 Tom Hanks is a jerk too.

My favourite dialogue delivery from Michael Gross was when ‘Elyse,’ tells him she’s pregnant (Andrew).

He built this great segue of dialogue - worrying about how old he’d be when the baby was born, started school, grad school.

Elyse finally brings his panic under control by saying when the baby’s 30, it won’t be a baby anymore.

R71 people forget that (even though the show was better before Andrew, or at least before he was a toddler) adding Andrew was not any kind of desperate attempt, it was purely bc MMB was pregnant (with twins, mind you).

Years ago someone on a gossip group (maybe Usenet) said they'd heard rumors that Michael J Fox and Woody Harrelson HATED each other on "Doc Hollywood" to the point of getting into a fistfight, causing Fox to have injuries that needed to be covered with makeup. They even said you could see where he was punched in the movie, and I think you maybe can?

Gross and Baxter were born on the same day and the same year.

I remember when it started, the show was suppose to be about the culture clash between the gentle hippie patents and the Reaganite kids -- a reversal of All in the Family, perhaps.

I never cared for the show, but by all accounts I've heard, MG is a very nice man.

[quote]"There was a kangaroo... in my living room"

Did hilarity ensue?

MJF was a notorious pussy hound. Even after he married. His illness slowed him down though and he's supposedly a real nice guy.

I waited on Tina Yothers (and her dad manager I think). For a tip they left four tickets to her rock show. They went right in the garbage.

My friend was at a party and said Justine Batemen took the foulest stinkiest shit of all time.

That is all.

My boss farted once. Right in front of my boyfriend.

He laughed.

R77, I love stories like this!

Was Nick loved or hated??

Didn't someone on here claim to jerk off with Skippy?

No... I think it was Jif

I got to go to a taping when I moved to LA soon after college; it was a JENNIFER centric show but Alex had the 'B' story. I think it was Jennifer working at a fast food place and the B story was a little girl having a crush on Alex.

MJF went up in the scene with the little girl and quipped she was the pro, not him. He came off warm and gracious.

The warm up guy, one of the writers, was giving away a signed t-shirt so of course my hand shoots right up; and then he says all you need to do is sing the theme song; my hand goes down; but then up again as I figured this is my only chance. I knew the song in my head but couldn't think of how it exactly started. Fortunately, the warm up guy brought another audience member, a girl, down to sing with me. She starts off 'I bet we've been together for a million years...' and then I go 'oh, are we starting NOW?' so I jump in. I even sang 'baby' like 'bay-BAY' as Denice Williams did. (That got a laugh).

Anywho, it was fun; and yes, I still have the signed t-shirt.

I think it’s Lil Andy who ended up the toothless trump soldier

They were probably all glad that he got Parkinson's.

Justine was supposed to break out in 1988 with her rock n roll movie SATISFACTION, but the movie bombed and it didn’t happen. Consequently, MJF starred in his own rock flick that same year with Joan Jett, LIGHT OF DAY.

Nobody would wish Parkinson's on anybody.

I like Michael Gross' L&O appearances. He really enjoys playing the bad guy. His Criminal Intent character is crazy, but the SVU character is totally fucking nuts. He goes on a murder spree to fund his senior-citizen sex spree.

And he played Chrissy's father too!

Wasn't there a rumor about MJF having sex with Bruce Willis in a limo at the Emmy's?

amazing if MJF is gay; because he got married and had kids anyway. He and Tracy seem to have a great marriage.

Who knows if he pushed all those feelings down or had a guy on the side.

R91 I highly doubt it.

MJF would have made a perfect pass around bottom back in the day.

His wife is no stunner.

I never see this show on any of the classic sitcom syndicated packages

Is that because it hasn’t held up well?

It has been on Antenna TV for the last several years.

It was much better acted than most family sitcoms.

Apple pie shows like this, Growing Pains, etc., were never laugh out loud funny. They’re too cloying and aww-shucks to be genuinely funny.

r97 Thanks so much!

Bonsall also played Worf's son Alexander on Star Trek TNG.

I think he is a methed out freak now, though.

Tina Yothers actually tried to tip a waiter with 4 tickets to her show?

Was that while she was fronting the Swinging Corporate Raiders?

[quote]Apple pie shows like this, Growing Pains, etc., were never laugh out loud funny. They’re too cloying and aww-shucks to be genuinely funny.

True. So many of the shows that I used to never miss back in the '80s -- "The Cosby Show," "Family Ties," "Who's the Boss," "Growing Pains," and "Facts of Life" among them -- I cannot stand to sit through now primarily for the reasons cited above. In contrast, I think the main reason I still like "Gimme A Break" (which could also be cloying at times) was the fact that Nell was such a volatile presence and the scenes of her confrontations with her full-of-hell mother can still be laugh-out-loud funny. And of course "The Golden Girls" is still and will remain an all-time favorite simply because it was miles above everything else I just mentioned.

r102 Great points. Although I still enjoy Family Ties, the first few seasons are the best but it is a lot more watered down than I remember.

But you're so right about Gimme a Break. I remember I bought the box set here in Canada and loved watching it (save for the dreadful last season). It still holds up and, like you said, Nell's volatile presence makes the show. She was loving but she had a wicked tongue. Between her and the Chief, they were both disciplinarians (with different styles) and it was fun to see them fly off the handle. Not to mention when Nell would cut up Angie and Addy.

I still miss Scott Valentine.

R102/r103 I agree as a general point but I do think - like I’ve said - that FT was a step or two up from those shows (certainly Growing Pains good God) in terms of both the writing and the acting. Especially the first couple of seasons. And that’s actually why Brandon Tartikoff kept it on even before it hit big in the ratings, because it was considered a critical darling, of sorts.

I wouldn't lump Facts of Life with those other Apple pie 80s,sitcoms.

Facts EARLY seasons were quite edgy, it was a Norman Lear show after all and both Facts and One Day at a Time shared writers and producers

The pilot episode of Facts dealt with a character who might be a lesbian (Cindy) in 1979!

The show got watered down though around the time George Clooney showed up (1985).

r105 for sure. I thought the dynamic between Alex, Mallory and Jennifer was the best in the first few years. As MJF became a movie star, I think Mallory and Jennifer became less interesting. Mallory was written too dumb especially in her last few years as they made her and Nick the dumb couple, Yothers just became... awkward. They didn't know what to do with Jennifer. Alex and Lauren were not as interesting as Alex and Ellen, in my opinion.

Justine Bateman was totally unhappy and very difficult the last 3 years of Family Ties. She had been accepted to an Ivy League University, and assumed the show would let her out of her contract. Or at the very least work around her school schedule.

Despite Justine playing an airhead, she was very serious about her schooling. Thus she was shocked when the show refused to accommodate her request, and her last three years she basically sulked through her job, Just very annoyed at the producers stopping her from going to school

Ironically decades later from 2012 to 2016 she decided to go to UCLA to finish the job she wanted to start all those years ago.

BTW when Sara Gilbert (Roseanne) wanted to go to school in NYC, Roseanne accommodated her by pre-taping her scenes and then later building a set in NYC so Sara could do her scenes on the East coast. Can't remember how they explained why she was separated from the rest of the cast, but think of Chrissy in that last year of Three's company.

r108 interesting I didn't know that. That would explain why her character regressed in the last few years. I never thought of Mallory as stupid. Yes, she liked shopping and clothes and going to the mall but she was a teenager and she showed intelligence. But when she became an adult, she was written as an airhead and her pairing with Nick, while it had funny moments, did nothing to develop her character.

I think the actress who played Jane Curtain's daughter on "Kate & Allie" also went off to college during the show's run and only made occasional appearances thereafter. She may have even left the show altogether at some point -- I don't recall her being around anymore at all during K&A's final season.

If you want to see something intense see the horror anthology "Holidays". Michael Gross does the voice of the father in the "Father's Day" vignette. Watch it with headphones on. CREEPY AS FUCK.

Sorry, my bad -- I think it was the actress who played SSJ's daughter on the show, not Jane's.

Tina Yothers actually had a pin-up poster at one point....

What was she modeling: car covers?

I loved the 2-3 episodes with Gena Davis as the family's housekeeper. I think her name was Karen - she was completely incompetent but the whole family loved her.

"If that had been a pop-tart, we'd be dead now..."

I have the box set of Gimme A Break! too! The first two seasons were slow and the last was bad but the three middle seasons are great . The fights between Nell and Addy and her mother are hysterical.

The writing on this show WAS better than any other cornball 80s family sitcom

They even won the Best Writing Emmy one year

It shouldn't be lumped with dreck like Growing Pains, Who's The Boss or, God forbid, the TGIF lineup of horror from the late 80s/early 90s

He’s diapering a doll?

He played warm and nurturing in FT, but Michael Gross was also very effective at channeling his inner Beth Jarrett if a role required him to be icy and withholding.

Which show was lamer?

Family Ties or Wonder Years?

I vote Wonder Years. Christ, that shit was lame.

He also tried to murder Tori Spelling, so there's that.

r120, leave The Wonder Years alone!!!

Was Wonder Years ever funny?

Family Ties never got an updated 80s theme song with electric drums and synths or a remodeled house bathed in pastels.

I hate the Wonder Years.... especially Fred. His acting was atrocious, arching his brow and pausing before he said his lines. But the mannerisms, like an elementary school version of Paul Muni.

I remember the Wonder Years episode where the sister's boyfriend was stalking her and Hollywood writers still thought that was romantic

Then, Rebecca Shaffer was killed...

If this is true, MJF should have got up and kicked Justine Bateman in the Cunt!

"Oh, and once when my friend visited him on the "Family Ties" set (to deliver coke, I imagine), he sat and chatted with Fox for a while near the set -- and said Justine Bateman sat across from them, mouthing the word "Fag-got, fag-got" at MJF.

BULLIES!

Justine looks very harsh for 52.

Drugs?

R108 yes, but what was more interesting was that they didn't do the same to accommodate Lecy.

Remember when someone decided to cast Tina Yothers in a TV Movie where she was a Laker Girl?

Has this been posted?

Same here r102. When I was a kid in the 80s I watched all the family sitcoms. Now, if I happen to catch one in a rerun I can't stand to watch even three minutes. God, they are so fucking awful. I can't believe I used to watch all of them back then.

I do agree about Gimme A Break, that can still be funny. Also, the Jeffersons still holds up.

When Jason Bateman was on Howard Stern's show a few years ago he said that he and Justine are not close, even though they live only a mile away from each other. He has nothing to do with Justine's kids, either.

Two funny FT stories:

1. Tina Yother's father was my "acting coach" for the two seconds I wanted to act when I was like 13. He was SO weird and boastful about his famous daughter. And I terrible acting coach. Oh, his house was a shrine to her.

2. More recently, Justine Bateman tried to buy my partner's house. She was batshit insane and my partner refused to accept her offer. He liked his neighbors too much.

I actually loved the show. And, yes, MG was my favorite part. I have a daddy thing and he did it for me. Just the right parts funny, goofy, sexy, and smart.

I’m blind!

Does "a link" prove anything R2? I can link to anything. So all you "like please?" trolls can fuck straight off. Here's a link: fuckyouarestupid.com

Justine is a good actress but god, she was awful in Satisfaction. She was charisma-free. And then Julia Roberts stole the movie with her charismatic performance. That ended JB's film career swiftly (not to mention "singing" career).

R129 Justine B. has had an eating disorder for decades now (look at her shoulders in the picture you linked. It looks like she left the hanger in her clothing!) and that will age you like nothing else.

Justine also gave a YouTube diatribe about how she wanted to have wrinkles and not be beautiful and be like European actresses and all this pretentious shit. I think she enjoys looking haggard.

I think r135 is right - she's batshit insane.

Someone mentioned early FoL seasons as being more “real” but that Uncle Arthur episode from season 1 still creeps me the fuck out. There were also some pretty “real” exchanges with the parents as far as sitcoms go, like Alex and Elyse on his 18th birthday.

I totally enjoy FoL (and in its own way was underrated) but FT was a much better show - at least most of the time.

I did notice even during the original run that MMB became much more abrasive as a character in the later seasons. Knowing what we know now, that’s interesting.

Link please? I DEMAND a link to prove anything stated anywhere on this thread is true. Link or it's all lies. Link now! LINK!!!

I loved the episode where Tom Hanks played the alcoholic uncle. His bulge and bubble butt in those tight jeans were a sight to behold.

JUST THE TEN OF US was a show that got it right. It was a spin-off of GROWING PAINS, but was a much funnier show than GP in that it too could be sappy, but any sweetness was undercut with enough bawdy humor that you never rolled your eyes at the sweet moments. It’s too bad network politics were the reason behind its demise. The ratings were good, but network brass wanted an all Miller-Boyett TGIF line-up, and we got the short lived GOING PLACES as a replacement.

I loved shows that were the antithesis of the too-perfect Keatons, Huxtables, Seavers, etc. “Married...With Children” is a perfect example of that.

R145 you rang??

Yes, Roseanne too. Her show was totally realistic, unlike FT, GP, etc.

[quote] When Jason Bateman was on Howard Stern's show a few years ago he said that he and Justine are not close, even though they live only a mile away from each other. He has nothing to do with Justine's kids, either.

Wow, I’m actually really surprised by this. Anyone have a transcript of this portion of the interview? I always perceived them as being close, almost unnaturally so.

This is the whole Jason Bateman Stern interview. He talks about his family (he's not close to his parents either) somewhere in here, I can't remember exactly which part of the interview.

R140, well she succeeded then. She's ugly and has a ton of wrinkles.

Here's a Link!

Jason talks about his dad/sister around the 1 hour:37 minute mark in r149’s video. Regarding his dad, he doesn’t own up that there has been any kind of family riff though Howard tries hard to push in that direction. The closest thing he says is that they don’t talk regularly since they live far apart. About Justine he doesn’t say too much - mentions she has gone back to school (UCLA) and is the mother of two beautiful kids.

It’s s long interview so I didn’t listen to the whole thing. That’s all I could find.

Weird if Justine and Justin don't get along... didn't he get her a spot on Arrested Development?

Weren't they both substance abusers at one time?

Isn’t she a born again?

Yes, I remember an ET interview where Justine said she was a born again Christian. Of course that was years ago.

Jason Bateman has talked about abusing drugs and alcohol in the 90s. He's (allegedly) been sober for a long time.

What do you people have against Christians? Not all Christians are homophobes. Justine certainly has never given any indication that she is.

Nobody did ‘very special episode’ better than the Keatons!

I WAS ALMOST RAPED!!!

Oh, yeah?

Well... I was almost raped by ‘Uncle’ Morty backstage at the PBS pledge drive!

Shut up or I'll abort both of you!

Shut up all three of you privileged white bitches!

Does no one care that I was fondled!! AND MY FRIEND HAS THE AIDS!!!!!

Oh, Sandy.

I'll see all your rapes and diseases and raise you one dead offscreen friend!!! I spent the whole episode in a black box ferchrissakes!!!

Quit yer belly aching, APK!

You never mentioned him before or after you were blackboxed!

[quote] What do you people have against Christians? Not all Christians are homophobes. Justine certainly has never given any indication that she is.

Someone was triggered!

My Aunt Trudy is dead!!!

R158 exactly, I have plenty of Christian friends who at pro gay, a couple of them even went to pride this year, I alkso know a few PRACTICING and openly gay Christians, One who wrote a book about being gay and Christian

And he lets me be seen with him in public!!

Go back to the post that triggered this Christian tangent and find where anyone said anything negative about Christians. You may be surprised.

I know one deeply believing, born-again Christian who has a doctorate in psychotherapy and is not a backwards reactionary cunt in any way, so there you go. Other than that every born-again I've ever met is a useless sack of shit censor who has never taken "judge not lest ye be judged" as seriously as they should have done since it's supposedly their thing.

p.s. DL grammar/spelling queens - backward/backwards, how does one know when to use what?

So we can bash ALL Christians as homophobic , which is a huge percentage of Americans particularly Hispanic and blacks, but we can't bash ALL Muslims as homophobic?

Ok I got it

You bitches all need to STFU lest you get your back burned by an iron!

R175 I love Florida Evans and Good Times and that family was definitely CHRISTIAN

But according to the DL, only white redneck types are Christian and they love Trump and hate gays

Nevermind the FACT that the Clintons also identify as Christians and Hillary has talked about her faith numerous times

I don't know about Bill but Hillary was always considered quite genuine in her faith, at least until the Rethugs tried to turn her into the anti-christ.

Please stop

I hated the depressing, Emmy bait episodes like when Mallory's friend killed herself and Justine Bateman and Constance McCashin hammed it up for 22 minutes.

How very dare you, R179!

Mallory had a higher IQ than Alex, right?

I think Meredith Baxter Birney deserves some credit

She grew up with the Hollywood mom Whitney Blake

then she survived that abusive marriage to David Birney

Was this the show that ended with "Sit, Ubu, sit!"

And a picture of a black lab, not sitting

Can't remember is this was that production company or another

[quote]I hated the depressing, Emmy bait episodes like when Mallory's friend killed herself and Justine Bateman and Constance McCashin hammed it up for 22 minutes.

We hated that episode too.

r158 Do you not know how to read? She is a homophobe. r127

MBB lookin ugly as fuck with her saltNpepper spiked butch cut and man’s suit. Those weird beady blue eyes and buck teeth.

HEY! MBB gets a pass on the DL for her timeless portrayal of Mrs. Betty Broderick in not one but *two* spectacular television movies.

She will always be respected and remembered for this thespian achievement.

Don’t forget me!

I remember when she first came out and she tried to act Butch.

Her wife is very patient.

I watched "Gimme A Break" on Youtube a couple of years ago. I appreciated even more this time around. Nell Carter had the "it" factor, and she had so much energy. I loved her clashes with the Chief. The physical comedy was great; one time she body slammed Addie on the sofa. There was at least one pro-gay episode.

Nell Carter was a bull, too.

R183 Yes it is.

Any Dolph Sweet dish?

[quote]I remember the Wonder Years episode where the sister's boyfriend was stalking her

David Schwimmer? I've only seen a few episodes so he's the only boyfriend I know of.

[quote]Weird if Justine and Justin don't get along... didn't he get her a spot on Arrested Development?

I was going to make the same comment, she had a one episode stoyline where she was the Bluth Company prostitute and Franklin Delano Bluth was her pimp.

[quote]I was going to make the same comment, she had a one episode stoyline where she was the Bluth Company prostitute and Franklin Delano Bluth was her pimp.

In an episode titled, "Family Ties."

Jason. Not Justin.

Did Jason ever guest-star on Family Ties?

They so wanted Jason Bateman to be the next MJF that they gave him the lead in the abominable Teen Wolf Too.

Jason ended up having the better career.

I don’t know about all that

Remember when Meredith got all huffy towards Charlotte Rae at the TV Land awards because she said something like she was happy her girls all stayed straight? I think Meredith misunderstood what Charlotte meant.

Is this show completely forgotten? No one talks about it, I never see it on reruns, it's never talked about as being either groundbreaking or one of the greats.

It was hugely popular in its time, but yes it's pretty much forgotten now.

Whoever thought that The Facts of Life would still be so beloved decades later?

Elyse should have been more upset with Steven when he nearly had a fling with his underling at PBS.

I hated the cast of Family Ties.

R205 = Joanna Kerns

r205 I hear they weren't too fond of you, either.

I loved the episode with Jennifer and the "cool" kids.

DILF so hard.

Excuse me r160 - r169? Please move to the side and be seated.

I actually really like that ep but mainly because of Darlene and Dan.

R210

Meredith seemed so sad in this interview craving her husband's love.

I think they only hated Tina Yothers, and even then, they didn't actually "HATE" her, they just couldn't stand the site of her.

r203

I'm responsible for that. In fact, I'm responsible for Mrs Butterworth STILL being the number 1 selling syrup.

Wait--gossip about the cast of a show from 30 years ago, who no one cares about?

Let us wait while all those who contribute to this thread die and their 100 cats slowly eat them.

R213, Who can blame them? Who'd want to come to work and look at that hideous mug?

Didn't that poor homely creature suffer a bad fate?

She looks fine.

r218

Yes we all think she looks fine

Michael Gross, Justine Bateman and Meredith Baxter-Lesbian all had much more talented relatives.

Justine was the exact opposite of her sunny character.

They made me all I am today

What a coincidence to see this thread. I've been binge watching on Amazon. I loved this show as a child and I love it now. They are all great actors with great comic timing,

Read Meredith's book and it may put you off her forever.

R224 why? I know she bitches about being abused but whatelse?

She just seems like an inherently unlikeable person tbh and as the seasons of FT went on it seemed like her “Real” personality was coming out more. She was a decent to good actress though.

Do you know that the last couple of seasons of the show she was the highest paid woman on television? Talk about a trick question. That favored nation clause she had really did her wonders.

I went to Interlochen Arts Camp three summers (1989-91) and in the second year, I wanted to play the Emcee in Cabaret but was cast as the piano player. I spent all summer learning the music (I'm not a very good pianist) but I also put a lot of work into my character's backstory and then how he evolved throughout the show as he joined the Nazi party. Meredith Baxter-Birney, an alum, came to a performance and pulled me aside afterwards to say she noticed all the work I had done in my performance and it was impressive. That made my summer. Meant the world to me and made me get over not being the Emcee.

R226, I will always remember that story. Makes me like her more that she would encourage a fellow (not C list) actor like that.

Shit, Ubu, shit.

....

I knew all about Meredith Baxter before she was gay.