Well the second season was released and I eagerly added season 2 of Family Ties to the queue. In this season it is becoming apparent that the writers were centering more and more of the episodes on the talent of Michael J. Fox, and although the other cast members never had as major of a role as he did, the show definitely seems to change. We get to see Skippy in this episode, although I sadly found out that Nick doesn't show up until season 4 - so we have a little more of a wait until we see the lovable Nick show up. Also Steven Keaton (the dad) has grown a beard with no explanation as to "why?". Alex also seems to be yearning for adulthood and struggling to relate to his mom in an honorable way in one of the episodes. Although I can't endorse every episode in this season, the show still has a lot more going for it than many sitcoms today. As I was watching some of the episodes I came up with a list for what makes a good sitcom:
1. Likeable Cast - probably one of the most important ingredients to a good sitcom. If people don't like the characters, they probably won't watch the show.
2. Relatable Situations - I can't speak for everyone, but the more I can relate to the situations and dialog, the more likely I will keep watching the show.
3. Well written punch lines and humor (script in general). Unfortunately, many shows seem to skip this ingredient lately, and put the cheesiest lines into the script with the hope that canned laughter will make the line funnier. Sorry, that only works so far. A good show will be funny without canned laughter in my opinion - simply because the actors are so good at delivering the lines. However, please note I am not saying that canned laughter is no help at all.
Well that about sums it up for ingredients to a good sitcom. I recommend renting "Family Ties" when you want a taste of the 80s that is still funny today.
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