"It's My Party, Pt. 1" is the twenty-ninth episode in the fifth season of the NBC family sitcom Family Ties. It originally aired on August 6, 1987, and is the hundred-and-twenty-first episode of the series overall.
Synopsis[]
On her 13th birthday Jen gets obsessed with a group of `cool girls' at her school and starts behaving unlike herself.
Plot[]
Jennifer's birthday is coming up and Steven wants to plan a party. She and her friend Chrissy make plans to try to join the popular girls at school. They invite them to Jennifer's party (and shun some of their usual friends). They finally agree to come to the party, but social disaster ultimately ensues (especially when the puppet show begins). In an effort to fit in, Jennifer leaves her own party and goes off with the popular girls.
Cast[]
Starring[]
- Meredith Baxter as Elyse Keaton
- Michael Gross as Steven Keaton
- Michael J. Fox as Alex P. Keaton
- Justine Bateman as Mallory Keaton
- Tina Yothers as Jennifer Keaton
- Garrett and Tyler Merriman as Andrew Keaton
Guest Starring[]
- Marc Price as Skippy Handelman
- Tracy Pollan as Ellen Reed
- Amy Lynne as Chrissy
- Heather Hobbs as Stacie Connors
- Stephanie Dizon as Holly
- Alyson Croft as Brooke
- Nicole Nourmand as Beth Hooper
Co-Starring[]
Quotes[]
Trivia[]
- This two-part episode features Ellen, as it was filmed in Season 4 (credits say 1986). Andrew is still a baby.
- Last appearance of 1975 Paramount Television logo.
- Ellen is wearing a "Mondale - Ferraro" T-shirt (probably filmed a year after the 1984 election). She gives one to Jennifer and says, "They were on sale." [Note: Alex's girlfriends tend to be more liberal. See Lauren's T-shirt in "It Happened One Night".]
- Ellen and Alex go to the Susan B. Anthony Library
- Jennifer's oft-spoken-of friend Chrissy (played by Amy Lynne) makes her only appearance.
- The popular girls talk like Valley Girls (so popular at this time in the 80s). For example. (Like..., I would just die ...)
- According to the filming, this probably was filmed in the winter or spring, so football would not be going on. However, Steven gets tickets to the Steelers-Bengals game. They played in Cincinnati (Riverfront Stadium) on October 27, 1985. For the record, the Bengals won 26-21. (The episode reports the score as 31-28 Bengals). He mentions a Packers game that didn't happen that year.
- Jennifer says they don't have MTV, but in "Once in Love with Elyse", Mallory wants to watch it.