from what america had been like in the 1960s and 1970s... the economy was booming... judge: congratulations sir. ethan alter: ...as the reagan era took hold, there was a rise in conservative values. patrick gomez: we saw american audiences losing interest in socially relevant sitcoms, and really the sitcom started to die away. gerrad hall: dramas had really taken over, those soaps were so big: dynasty, dallas, magnum p.i. patrick gomez: and so you saw the family sitcom really strived to find a new identity. alex: i can't believe you guys can watch this, you look ridiculous. sarah rodman: family ties has one of the great premises in sitcom history. steven: half a million people trying to stop a senseless war... you find that ridiculous? alex: i'm talking about the outfits. sarah rodman: these two flower children from the 60 's, grow up and then in the 80's suddenly find themselves with this young republican son.