"Family Ties relied a bit more on dramatic beats than most sitcoms of the day, leading to a proliferation of what might be called “very special episodes” today, though they generally weren’t billed that way at the time. But “Say Uncle” definitely qualifies. So join me now for a look back at a very special Family Ties, wherein very special guest star Tom Hanks struggles with the dark demons of alcoholism."

“Unlike the Tom Hanks appearance, ‘Help Wanted’ cannot be classified as a ‘very special episode’ in any sense of the term, because it deals with absolutely no touchy subjects. In fact, this is one of those rare Family Ties episodes that’s genuinely funny, thanks mostly to Geena Davis’ warm and lovable screen presence.”

NBC takes time out from comedy to make a training film for academic administrators. Read the recap and then break into discussion groups.

“I’m guessing the producers of Family Ties felt bad for Tina, seeing as how they made her go on TV during the most awkward years of her adolescence, and dressed her like a linebacker, and added a younger kid to the cast when she stopped being cute, so they figured they might as well throw her a bone and let her do one of her terrible songs on the show.”

“I don’t think anyone under the age of 25 can fully appreciate how much hype and anticipation there was surrounding this episode when it originally aired. ‘A, My Name is Alex’ was going to break genre boundaries. ‘A, My Name is Alex’ was going to smash the fourth wall. ‘A, My Name is Alex’ was going to give us all totally new insights into the nature of existence itself. ‘A, My Name is Alex’ would be all that, and oh yes, it would also be the bag of chips.”