Season 3

Season 3
Episodes	24
Premiered	September 20, 1984
Concluded	March 28, 1985
Episode Duration	23-25 minutes
First Episode	"The Gambler"
Last Episode	"Remembrances of Things Past: Part 2"
Navigation
← Previous	Season 2
Next →	Season 4

Season 3 of the sitcom Family Ties aired from September 20, 1984 to March 28, 1985 on NBC.

Plot

Elyse is stricken with gambling fever on a business trip to Atlantic City. While on a roll with Alex's "foolproof" blackjack system, she's oblivious to her family and job.

Cast

Starring

• Meredith Baxter - Elyse Keaton
• Michael Gross - Steven Keaton
• Michael J. Fox - Alex P. Keaton
• Justine Bateman - Mallory Keaton
• Tina Yothers - Jennifer Keaton

Co-Starring

• Marc Price - Skippy Handelman
• Geena Davis - Karen Nicholson
• Jeff Cohen - Dougie Barker

Episode Guide

#	#	Image	Title	Code	Writer	Director	Air Date
45	1		"The Gambler"	046	Alan Uger & Michael J. Weithorn	Will Mackenzie	September 20, 1984
Elyse is stricken with gambling fever on a business trip to Atlantic City. While on a roll with Alex's "foolproof" blackjack system, she's oblivious to her family and job.
46	2		"Here We Go Again"	047	Ruth Bennett & Alan Uger	Will Mackenzie	September 27, 1984
The news that their mother is pregnant sends the three Keaton kids into an angry outburst resulting in a family battle.
47	3		"Little Man on Campus"	050	Michael J. Weithorn	John Pasquin	October 4, 1984
Alex is thrilled to be taking a college course taught by one of his personal heroes, Professor Ephraim Bronski. In his eagerness to impress the teacher he gets off to a bad start and is humiliated by his idol when he fails the first class assignment.
48	4		"Love Thy Neighbor"	054	Rich Reinhart	Will Mackenzie	October 11, 1984
Little Jennifer is thrilled about getting a visit from her former neighborhood pal, Scott, whom she hasn't seen in five years.
49	5		"Keaton and Son"	052	Lissa Levin	Will Mackenzie	October 18, 1984
Alex reluctantly accepts a part-time job with his father at the non-profit station, and his dad is bursting with pride to have him following in his footsteps.
50	6		"Fabric Smarts"	048	Lloyd Garver	Will Mackenzie	October 25, 1984
Mallory's enthusiasm for her part-time job at a boutique causes her grades to slip even lower than usual.
51	7		"Hotline Fever"	055	Marc Lawrence	John Pasquin	November 1, 1984
As an economics student, Alex finds it demeaning to be forced into a public service position, but his experiences at the crisis center gives him a new outlook on life.
52	8		"4 Rms Ocn Vu"	057	Alan Uger & Lawrence Uger	Lee Shallat	November 8, 1984
While Steven and Elyse are away on vacation, Mallory accidentally crashes her parents' car into a telephone pole. The kids need to raise money for auto repairs and decides to turn the Keaton house into a hotel.
53	9		"Best Man"	051	Alan Uger	John Pasquin	November 15, 1984
Alex cannot accept the fact that he and everyone around him are growing up, and desperately clings to his old ways.
54	10		"Lost Weekend"	049	Ruth Bennett & Michael J. Weithorn	Will Mackenzie	November 22, 1984
Steven and Elyse plan a nostalgic weekend with the kids before the baby arrives, and are crushed to discover that the children are not at all interested in reminiscing about old times-they'd rather be with their friends.
55	11		"Don't Kiss Me, I'm Only the Messenger"	053	Ruth Bennett	Will Mackenzie	November 29, 1984
Alex plays Cupid to help his shy pal Skippy get together with Jane, the girl of his dreams, but his good intentions go awry when the girl falls for him instead.
56	12		"Help Wanted"	056	Ruth Bennett & Michael J. Weithorn	Will Mackenzie	December 6, 1984
Alex hires a housekeeper with no experience who meets his special criteria.
57	13		"Karen II, Alex 0"	058	Lloyd Garver & Michael J. Weithorn	Lee Shallat	December 13, 1984
Alex's chances for acceptance into a smug college fraternity are dependent upon him having a knockout date for the pledge dance.
58	14		"Oh Donna"	060	Alan Uger	Will Mackenzie	January 3, 1985
Alex is a stand-in at a Lamaze class for a pregnant, single, college students. Alex's natural over-enthusiasm gets the best of him as he envisions nurturing a relationship with a girl named Donna and her unborn child, and leading it into marriage and a family. It takes Elyse to set him straight ... and even alert him to the possibility that Donna may not want to keep the baby.
59	15		"Auntie Up"	059	Lawrence H. Levy	John Pasquin	January 10, 1985
Mallory's beloved Aunt Trudy suffers a fatal heart attack. Mallory falls into a deep depression, but matters are compounded when the family brushes her off to tend to what they feel are more important matters.
60	16		"Philadelphia Story"	061	Michael J. Weithorn	Will Mackenzie	January 17, 1985
While doing a term paper for history class on colonial times, Alex suffers from some cold and falls asleep. In a dream, Alex becomes a Philadelphia stable boy who, with his friend Skipford, experience the events leading to the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Michael Gross doubles as a Steven Keaton-inspired Thomas Jefferson.
61	17		"Birth of a Keaton: Part 1"	062	Lloyd Garver	Will Mackenzie	January 24, 1985
It's Pledge Week again at Steven's TV station but Alex, Mallory and Jennifer are not very enthusiastic about it this year. But after Steven is called home to deal with plumbing problems, Elyse performs on-air...and then goes into labor.
62	18		"Birth of a Keaton: Part 2"	063	Alan Uger & Marc Lawrence	Will Mackenzie	January 31, 1985
With Steven, Skippy, and the plumber stuck in the massive snowstorm, Elyse remains at the TV station in the final stages of labor.
63	19		"Cry Baby"	064	Bruce David & Bruce Helford	Sam Weisman	February 7, 1985
Newborn Andrew's arrival has been hard on the Keatons, with everyone going without sleep. Jennifer has taken the bundle of joy the hardest, eventually screaming that she hates Andrew and wishes he had never been born. Now the family have to decide how they can properly balance their time with Andrew and not alienate Jennifer. Finally realizing that she had done wrong, Jennifer apologises and ends up starting to get used to living with Andrew.
64	20		"Don't Know Much About History"	065	Marc Lawrence & Michael J. Weithorn	Sam Weisman	February 14, 1985
Rival tutors Alex & James both fall for an attractive student they are tutoring. Their ill will toward one another explodes at a poetry reading, and they continue to verbally spar.
65	21		"Bringing Up Baby"	067	Andrew McCullough	Rich Reinhart	February 21, 1985
With two careers, three bickering children and one demanding baby, Steven and Elyse can't seem to find any time for each other. But when they do finally take the time for a quiet evening alone, they find out that they actually miss all of the chaos.
66	22		"Cold Storage"	066	Marc Lawrence	Lee Shallat	March 7, 1985
Skippy accidentally locks himself in the basement with Mallory while the rest of the Keatons are away visiting some of the acquaintances made at their past Lamaze classes. Mallory clashes at first over Skippy's unrequited feelings for her, but soon she realizes that, despite his quirks, he has been a kind and good friend to her.
67	23		"Remembrances of Things Past: Part 1"	068	Gary David Goldberg & Alan Uger	Sam Weisman	March 28, 1985
The Keatons visit Grandma, who has put her house up for sale now that Grandpa has died. But Steven's unresolved issues with his father continue to haunt him.
68	24		"Remembrances of Things Past: Part 2"	069	Gary David Goldberg & Alan Uger	Sam Weisman	March 28, 1985
Steven and his brother disagree about whether to accept the offer on their mother's house. Meanwhile, Steven visits his father's grave in order to make peace.