Family Ties : Synopsis, Pictures, Photos, Trivia, Filming Locations

. Stars Michael Gross and Meredith Baxter share the same birthday: 21 June 1947. Gross was born in Chicago and Baxter was born in L.A.

. Series was set in Columbus, Ohio, USA.

. The producers originally wanted Matthew Broderick to play Alex P. Keaton, but the actor had to decline the role when his father became terminally ill.

. It was never revealed what the P in Alex P. Keaton stood for.

. Alex's hero is Richard Nixon.

. Ed O'Neill was considered for the role of Steven Keaton.

. The black labrador that appeared after the closing credits with the voice over Sit Ubu, sit was producer's Gary David Goldberg's dog, (Ubu).

. The show was modeled after producer Gary David Goldberg and wife Diane's real-life experiences as former 'hippies' transforming into suburban family life.

. Michael J. Fox added the P. in Alex P. Keaton as an ad-lib in his audition, the writers loved it and kept it. Michael J. Fox almost didn't get the role of Alex - due to the fact that NBC exec Brandon Tartikoff didn't find it believable that Meredith Baxter Birney and Michael Gross would have a son that was so short.

. According to Michael J. Fox's last _Spin City (1996)_ episode, Alex P. Keaton became a Junior Congressman from Ohio.

. One year before playing Michael J. Fox's father in Back to the Future, Crispin Glover played Alex P. Keaton's friend in the episode Birthday Boy.

. When Meredith Baxter became pregnant during the hiatus between the second and third seasons, her pregnancy was written into the show. However, she still was written out of several episodes after giving birth to twins in real life.

. Elyse's maiden name was Donelly.

. Tom Hanks played Elise Keaton's brother Ned.

. Alex was born in Africa when Elyse and Steven were serving in the Peace Corps.

. Skippy was adopted as a baby by his parents.

. Jennifer was born on Election Day 1972.

. The name of the public television station that Stephen Worked for was WKS.

. Alex attended leland university

. Alex, Mallory and Skippy attended Harding High School, Jennifer went to Rudolph elementary

. 'Michael J. Fox' 's first audition was deemed terrible by 'Gary Goldberg' because Fox came off too smart-aleck. Casting director 'Judith Wiener' really liked Fox and begged Goldberg to see him a second time. Fox took a different approach, the audition went great, and Fox was offered the part.

. The cast wanted to end the show with the entire Keaton family dying in a plane crash. They absolutely didn't want to do a reunion show in the future.

. The character 'Steven Keaton' was ranked #12 in TV Guide's list of the "50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time" (20 June 2004 issue).

. Throughout the series' run, exterior establishment shots of the Keaton home were never used in any of the episodes, which is very unusual for a family sitcom. The vast majority of all scenes were played out in the kitchen.