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Gary David Goldberg, Creator of ‘Family Ties,’ Dies at 68
NYT ^
| 6/24/2013
| BRUCE WEBER
Posted on 06/24/2013 7:29:48 AM PDT by Borges
Gary David Goldberg, a writer and producer who created warmhearted television shows, most notably Family Ties, a leading comedy of the 1980s that propelled Michael J. Fox to stardom, died Sunday at his home in Montecito, Calif. He was 68.
The cause was brain cancer, said his daughter Shana Silveri.
Mr. Goldberg came to writing relatively late, after a peripatetic young adulthood in the 1960s and early 70s that involved dropping out of colleges, waiting on tables in Greenwich Village, hitchhiking around the world with the girlfriend who would become his wife and starting a day care center with her in Northern California.
The rebellious flower child sensibility that informed these adventures was the spur for Family Ties, which captured the culture clash between parents of the hippie generation and children growing up during the Reagan administration.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: chitchat
1
posted on
06/24/2013 7:29:48 AM PDT
by
Borges
To: Borges
To: Borges
Family Ties became a hit simply because it accidentally made fun of kooky liberals. They developed this somewhat as a more pronounced theme which led to it's greater success and then sharply backed away from making fun of liberals towards the end of the series run. In fact, they appeared rather repentant near the very end and that's why the show went into decline, because they lost that edge that made fun of liberals and it just became another dumb sitcom.
3
posted on
06/24/2013 7:35:35 AM PDT
by
Obadiah
(Inside of every Liberal beats the heart of a fascist yearning to reveal their true nature.)
To: Obadiah
It was also the first nuclear family on TV in a long time.
4
posted on
06/24/2013 7:40:40 AM PDT
by
Borges
To: Obadiah
In fact, they appeared rather repentant near the very end and that's why the show went into decline, because they lost that edge that made fun of liberals and it just became another dumb sitcom.
On one of the last shows, Alex tried to talk his dumb friend out of joining the Marines. The friend “Boner” explained that he wasn't smart, like Alex. Alex could do anything but he was so dumb that the Marines was his best choice.
The narrow mindedness of liberals shouldn't surprise me anymore...
5
posted on
06/24/2013 7:45:22 AM PDT
by
Rides_A_Red_Horse
(Why do you need a fire extinguisher when you can call the fire department?)
To: Rides_A_Red_Horse
I think you may be combining Family Ties and Growing Pains.
6
posted on
06/24/2013 7:48:40 AM PDT
by
mknj
(Western Civilization is worth defending)
To: Rides_A_Red_Horse
Me thinks you are mixing together a couple of different shows.
But your point is still valid and correct.
7
posted on
06/24/2013 7:50:40 AM PDT
by
Nik Naym
(It's not my fault... I have compulsive smartass disorder.)
To: mknj
Could be. I pretty much quit watching TV when I reached High School.
8
posted on
06/24/2013 7:54:40 AM PDT
by
Rides_A_Red_Horse
(Why do you need a fire extinguisher when you can call the fire department?)
To: Obadiah
Family Ties became a hit simply because it accidentally made fun of kooky liberals.
As with those who claim All in the Family "accidentally" made fun of kooky liberals (Meathead and Gloria, primarily), there was nothing accidental about it. The creators/writers/producers of these shows wanted the largest audience possible, so they put out a product that both liberals and conservatives would watch, while still tipping the scale toward liberalism.
Note that I used the past tense. In today's much more fractured television landscape, it is all about audience segmentation, so appealing to demographic slices (and their purchasing power) is what matters on TV today.
9
posted on
06/24/2013 8:28:01 AM PDT
by
drjimmy
To: Borges
I always thought that it was ironic that the Mom and Dad were supposed to be this liberal couple living conservative family values. Their kids weren’t on drugs, didn’t smoke, were respectful to their parents, and had strict rules to follow, which they did. The parents were loving to each other and were faithful to each other, held down respectful jobs, and on and on.
10
posted on
06/24/2013 8:52:24 AM PDT
by
murron
(PIt'roud Mom of a Marine Vet)
To: drjimmy
It’s good dramatic art to see the flaws (and virtues)in every character. BTW Goldberg created a show called ‘Brooklyn Bridge’ (set in the early 1960s) which was wonderful and would certainly appeal to conservatives. It lasted barely two years.
11
posted on
06/24/2013 9:40:04 AM PDT
by
Borges
To: Borges
Family Ties was just another liberal puke-fest against conservative values in America.
To: Borges
Goldberg created a show called Brooklyn Bridge (set in the early 1960s) which was wonderful and would certainly appeal to conservatives. It lasted barely two years. "Brooklyn Bridge" was one of my favorite shows. It reminded me so much of my own childhood growing up in my mostly Jewish neighborhood in Chicago in the '50s-'60s.
13
posted on
06/24/2013 10:19:08 AM PDT
by
Charles Henrickson
(Native Chicagoan, north side of the city)
To: Buffalo Bob
How so? The conservative character eventually became the most sympathetic character and the center of the show.
14
posted on
06/24/2013 10:27:39 AM PDT
by
Borges
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