Family Ties (1982)

Comedy · Drama

Former 1960s flower children Steven and Elyse Keaton raise their conservative son Alex, daughters Mallory and Jennifer, and later, youngest child Andrew.

IMDb rating: 7.3 (22,535 votes)
Episode average: 7.3 matches the IMDb rating
Seasons: 7
Streaming (US): Paramount+
Language: EN
Type: TV series

Rating trend: this show's seasons do not settle into one shape. Rising Shows ranks whole shows by the shape of their rating trend rather than one average score, which is how you find a show that got better rather than a show that started well.

Browse shows by rating shape → Open in Rising Shows app → View on IMDb

Ratings refreshed Oct 3, 2026 · 7 seasons indexed

Cast

Seasons

Season 1 (1982)

7.18 avg 22 episodes 7.2 → 6.5 27 min avg

Season 1 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Pilot	7.2	381
2	Not with My Sister You Don't	7.2	294
3	I Know Jennifer's Boyfriend	6.7	254
4	Summer of '82	7.6	277
5	I Never Killed for My Father	7.4	245
6	Give Your Uncle Arthur a Kiss	7.6	263
7	Big Brother Is Watching	7.3	226
8	No Nukes Is Good Nukes	7.1	236
9	Death of a Grocer	7.4	236
10	Have Gun, Will Unravel	6.9	217
11	A Christmas Story	6.9	232
12	Oops	7.1	207
13	Sherry Baby	7.2	210
14	The Fugitive: Part 1	7.8	276
15	The Fugitive: Part 2	7.8	263
16	Margin of Error	7.4	206
17	French Lessons	7.0	204
18	I Gotta Be Ming	6.7	206
19	Suzanne Takes You Down	6.3	190
20	The Fifth Wheel	7.2	200
21	Stage Fright	7.7	222
22	Elyse D'Arc	6.5	175

Season 2 (1983)

7.27 avg 22 episodes 7.2 → 6.7 27 min avg

Rollercoaster

Season 2 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Tender Is the Knight	7.2	217
2	The Homecoming	7.0	181
3	The Harder They Fall	8.1	229
4	This Year's Model	6.9	189
5	Not an Affair to Remember	7.6	202
6	Speed Trap	8.4	240
7	Sweet Lorraine	7.4	200
8	Batter Up	6.9	183
9	A Keaton Christmas Carol	7.1	229
10	To Snatch a Keith	7.0	178
11	Birthday Boy	7.7	229
12	Go Tigers	7.6	193
13	'M' Is for the Many Things	6.6	165
14	Say Uncle	8.0	247
15	Ladies' Man	7.1	185
16	Ready or Not	7.2	175
17	Double Date	7.6	210
18	Lady Sings the Blues	6.7	175
19	Baby Boy Doe	7.1	178
20	The Graduate	7.5	177
21	Diary of a Young Girl	6.5	165
22	Working at It	6.7	160

Season 3 (1984)

7.31 avg 23 episodes 7.0 → 7.7 26 min avg

Mid-peak

Season 3 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	The Gambler	7.0	172
2	Here We Go Again	7.3	169
3	Little Man on Campus	7.5	175
4	Love Thy Neighbor	7.3	168
5	Keaton and Son	7.3	156
6	Fabric Smarts	7.3	159
7	Hotline Fever	7.7	181
8	4 Rms Ocn Vu	8.5	257
9	Best Man	7.2	169
10	Lost Weekend	7.2	157
11	Don't Kiss Me, I'm Only the Messenger	7.5	171
12	Help Wanted	7.7	186
13	Karen II, Alex 0	7.2	158
14	Oh, Donna	7.1	165
15	Auntie Up	7.2	173
16	Philadelphia Story	7.4	180
17	Birth of a Keaton: Part 1	7.3	159
18	Birth of a Keaton: Part 2	7.5	164
19	Cry Baby	6.7	148
20	Don't Know Much About History...	6.8	144
21	Bringing Up Baby	6.7	137
22	Cold Storage	7.1	151
23	Remembrances of Things Past	7.7	158

Season 4 (1985)

7.60 avg 24 episodes 8.7 → 7.6 28 min avg

Season 4 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	The Real Thing: Part 1	8.7	262
2	The Real Thing: Part 2	8.8	229
3	Mr. Wrong	8.6	194
4	Designated Hitter	7.5	154
5	Don't Go Changing	7.9	159
6	The Old College Try	7.5	146
7	My Tutor	7.9	199
8	Mr. Right	8.1	156
9	Just One Look	7.2	144
10	How Do You Sleep?	7.5	157
11	You've Got a Friend	7.4	145
12	Nothing But a Man	7.6	136
13	The Disciple	7.6	135
14	Where's Poppa?	7.6	144
15	Fool for Love	7.2	134
16	Checkmate	7.5	155
17	Engine Trouble	7.2	133
18	A Word to the Wise	6.6	131
19	A Word to the Wise: Part 2	6.7	133
20	Art Lover	7.2	130
21	Teacher's Pet	7.7	132
22	My Buddy	7.5	137
23	Once in Love with Elyse	7.4	138
24	Paper Chase	7.6	141

Season 5 (1986)

7.29 avg 29 episodes 7.3 → 7.4 26 min avg

Season 5 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Be True to Your Preschool	7.3	148
2	Starting Over	7.3	142
3	The Freshman and the Senior	7.4	131
4	My Back Pages	6.9	133
5	Beauty and the Bank	7.1	140
6	Mrs. Wrong: Part 1	7.7	127
7	Mrs. Wrong: Part 2	8.0	135
8	The Big Fix	7.2	133
9	My Brother's Keeper	7.6	126
10	High School Confidential	7.6	119
11	Paper Lion	7.2	130
12	My Mother, My Friend	7.3	127
13	O'Brother: Part 1	7.5	124
14	O'Brother: Part 2	7.3	128
15	Higher Love	7.2	126
16	Architect's Apprentice	7.0	123
17	A Tale of Two Cities: Part 1	7.2	128
18	A Tale of Two Cities: Part 2	7.2	124
19	Battle of the Sexes	6.6	113
20	Battle of the Sexes: Part 2	6.6	110
21	Band on the Run	6.6	161
22	Keaton vs. Keaton	7.8	132
23	A, My Name Is Alex	9.1	398
24	'D' Is for Date	7.1	125
25	Love Me Do	7.2	118
26	The Visit	7.2	124
27	Matchmaker	6.7	130
28	It's My Party: Part 1	7.0	148
29	It's My Party: Part 2	7.4	138

Season 6 (1987)

7.12 avg 27 episodes 7.5 → 7.3 30 min avg

Rollercoaster

Season 6 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	The Last of the Red Hot Psychologists	7.5	138
2	The Last of the Red Hot Psychologists: Part 2	7.4	128
3	Dear Mallory	6.9	132
4	The Other Woman	6.9	123
5	Dream Date	7.1	126
6	Super Mom	6.7	121
7	Walking on Air	7.0	115
8	Invasion of the Psychologist Snatchers	7.4	124
9	The Way We Were	7.5	131
10	Mister Sister	6.9	119
11	Citizen Keaton	7.2	116
12	Father Time: Part 1	7.2	122
13	Father Time: Part 2	7.2	124
14	The American Family	7.0	111
15	Anniversary Waltz	6.6	117
16	Miracle in Columbus	7.7	154
17	The Play's the Thing	6.4	116
18	The Spirit of Columbus	6.5	116
19	The Blues Brother	7.2	128
20	Read It and Weep: Part 1	7.9	135
21	Read It and Weep: Part 2	8.1	138
22	Quittin' Time	6.7	119
23	Spring Reminds Me	7.1	125
24	The Boys Next Door	6.6	122
25	Sign of the Times	7.9	149
26	Return of the Native	6.3	113
27	Father, Can You Spare a Dime?	7.3	132

Season 7 (1988)

7.20 avg 25 episodes 7.4 → 8.4 27 min avg

Season 7 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	It Happened One Night	7.4	128
2	Designing Woman	7.5	125
3	Truckers	7.2	121
4	Beyond Therapy	6.7	123
5	Heartstrings: Part 1	7.9	139
6	Heartstrings: Part 2	8.1	139
7	Heartstrings: Part 3	8.1	136
8	Basic Training	7.2	121
9	Deja Vu	7.0	121
10	Nick's Best Friend	7.6	133
11	Get Me to the Living Room on Time	7.1	120
12	The Job Not Taken	7.1	117
13	The Wrecker's Ball	6.6	119
14	My Best Friend's Girl	7.6	132
15	'Til Her Daddy Takes the T-Bird Away	6.7	119
16	Simon Says	6.9	130
17	All in the Neighborhood: Part 1	7.0	142
18	All in the Neighborhood: Part 2	6.9	138
19	They Can't Take That Away from Me: Part 1	7.0	125
20	They Can't Take That Away from Me: Part 2	7.4	131
21	Rain Forests Keep Fallin' on My Head	5.4	154
22	Wrap Around the Clock - Part 1	6.9	108
23	Wrap Around the Clock - Part 2	6.7	95
24	Mr. Keaton Takes a Vacation	7.5	110
25	Alex Doesn't Live Here Anymore	8.4	204