Look, Family Ties was a beloved show in its day, and it has genuinely wholesome family values and smart writing about generational differences. Michael J. Fox is delightful, and the core message about loving family members despite ideological differences is timeless.

But let's be real: this is a 40+ year old sitcom with laugh tracks, slow pacing, and jokes that require you to know who Ronald Reagan was and why that mattered. The entire premise is 'what if hippie parents had a conservative son?'—which was fresh in 1982 but requires a history degree to appreciate now.

For modern kids, this is going to feel like watching paint dry, no matter how wholesome it is. If you're feeling nostalgic or want to show your kids what TV was like in your childhood, go for it. But don't expect them to binge seven seasons. There are plenty of modern shows that teach the same lessons about family and respect without requiring subtitles for cultural context.