This is the season in which Geena Davis guest stars.
9) "Best Man." Alex behaves unreasonably (and jealously) when his best friend announces he's getting married.
10) "Lost Weekend." Michael and Elyse plan a bonding weekend before the new baby arrives, but Elyse doesn't do much bonding with Jennifer and Mallory, and Steven and Alex don't exactly do the guy thing either.
11) "Don't Kiss Me, I'm Only the Messenger." Skippy has a crush on Mallory's friend, but she's more interested in Alex. Yep, there are a couple similar episodes this season.
12) "Help Wanted." Without the family's knowledge, Alex takes it upon himself to hire a housekeeper who just happens to be incompetent AND gorgeous. Geena Davis guest stars.
13) "Karen 11, Alex 0." Alex asks their housekeeper if she'd accompany him to a fraternity party . . . with disastrous results.
14) "Oh Donna." This pre-birth episode has Steven and Elyse holding Lamaze classes at the house, where Alex meets an unwed mother.
15) "Auntie Up." Mallory's favorite aunt visits, but when tragedy strikes, no one seems to be as grief-stricken as her. Edith Atwater guests.
16) "Philadelphia Story." Thomas Jefferson puts Alex to sleep. Or at least writing about Jefferson for a paper sends him (and this episode) into dream-mode.
17-18) "Birth of a Keaton," Pts. 1&2. After Elyse goes into labor on public TV, a snowstorm complicates their drive to the hospital.
19) "Cry Baby." Jennifer starts acting like a baby when her new brother arrives.
20) "Don't Know Much about History . . ." Alex and a friend open up a tutoring service.
21) "Bringing Up Baby." Juggling careers, older kids, and a baby takes its toll on the Keatons.
22) "Cold Storage." Mallory and Skippy get locked in storage while everyone else is off at a Lamaze reunion.
23-24) "Remembrance of Things Past," Pts. 1&2. After Steven's father passes, the family goes to Grandma's house, where they try to help her prepare for her new life.
Video:
As with all the shows in the Eighties, "Family Ties" is presented in 1.33:1 aspect ratio in color that looks pretty good more than 25 years later. There's very little fading and only a little graininess throughout. Nice picture.
Audio:
The audio is a nothing-fancy Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono. But at least there's little in the way of distortion. It's a nice, clear-sounding track that works well enough because the show is all dialogue . . . and audience laughter.
Extras:
The only bonus features this season are a gag reel and episode promos.
Bottom Line:
Like "The Cosby Show," "Family Ties" offered situations that could really happen and characters that seemed warm enough to be real. Credit the directors, too, for limiting the reaction shots that kill so many comedies with their "aren't I cute" self-consciousness. You end up believing the Keatons are a typical Ohio family, and that's one big reason why the show ran for seven seasons. Season 3 offers solid entertainment.
10) "Lost Weekend." Michael and Elyse plan a bonding weekend before the new baby arrives, but Elyse doesn't do much bonding with Jennifer and Mallory, and Steven and Alex don't exactly do the guy thing either.
11) "Don't Kiss Me, I'm Only the Messenger." Skippy has a crush on Mallory's friend, but she's more interested in Alex. Yep, there are a couple similar episodes this season.
12) "Help Wanted." Without the family's knowledge, Alex takes it upon himself to hire a housekeeper who just happens to be incompetent AND gorgeous. Geena Davis guest stars.
13) "Karen 11, Alex 0." Alex asks their housekeeper if she'd accompany him to a fraternity party . . . with disastrous results.
14) "Oh Donna." This pre-birth episode has Steven and Elyse holding Lamaze classes at the house, where Alex meets an unwed mother.
15) "Auntie Up." Mallory's favorite aunt visits, but when tragedy strikes, no one seems to be as grief-stricken as her. Edith Atwater guests.
16) "Philadelphia Story." Thomas Jefferson puts Alex to sleep. Or at least writing about Jefferson for a paper sends him (and this episode) into dream-mode.
17-18) "Birth of a Keaton," Pts. 1&2. After Elyse goes into labor on public TV, a snowstorm complicates their drive to the hospital.
19) "Cry Baby." Jennifer starts acting like a baby when her new brother arrives.
20) "Don't Know Much about History . . ." Alex and a friend open up a tutoring service.
21) "Bringing Up Baby." Juggling careers, older kids, and a baby takes its toll on the Keatons.
22) "Cold Storage." Mallory and Skippy get locked in storage while everyone else is off at a Lamaze reunion.
23-24) "Remembrance of Things Past," Pts. 1&2. After Steven's father passes, the family goes to Grandma's house, where they try to help her prepare for her new life.
Video:
As with all the shows in the Eighties, "Family Ties" is presented in 1.33:1 aspect ratio in color that looks pretty good more than 25 years later. There's very little fading and only a little graininess throughout. Nice picture.
Audio:
The audio is a nothing-fancy Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono. But at least there's little in the way of distortion. It's a nice, clear-sounding track that works well enough because the show is all dialogue . . . and audience laughter.
Extras:
The only bonus features this season are a gag reel and episode promos.
Bottom Line:
Like "The Cosby Show," "Family Ties" offered situations that could really happen and characters that seemed warm enough to be real. Credit the directors, too, for limiting the reaction shots that kill so many comedies with their "aren't I cute" self-consciousness. You end up believing the Keatons are a typical Ohio family, and that's one big reason why the show ran for seven seasons. Season 3 offers solid entertainment.
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[release]23627[/release]