One of TV’s sharpest and funniest sitcoms, “Family Ties” cast Meredith Baxter Birney and Michael Gross as Elyse and Michael Keaton, two liberal baby boomers from Ohio whose children in the 80s exhibit very different attitudes than their parents did in the 60s. Alex (Michael J. Fox) is a republican, Mallory (Justine Bateman) is self-obsessed, and Jennifer is a cynical tomboy.