Short of stature and fresh of face, Michael J Fox, despite being in his twenties, played awkward teenager Alex P Keaton for seven years in eighties US sitcom 'Family Ties'. Although I don't recall the show ever being shown on terrestrial UK television, it became famous through word of mouth as Fox's springboard to success before the world knew him as Marty McFly.
This 1983 Christmas special opens with the entire Keaton family excitedly preparing for another Christmas, that is apart from Alex who complains strongly about the seasonal weather and what he believes are the false sentiments of the holiday. Shortly before heading to bed he declares he does not wish to nip out to pick up cough medicine for his younger sister, exchange gifts this year or, heaven forbid, take up his usual place in the Keaton family Christmas photo.
Having sent a quite clearly false band of carol singers packing, Alex settles down to bed with a 'Bah, Humbug!' Before he can close his eyes, however, he is visited by his little sister Jennifer, posing as the Ghost of Christmas Past. She whisks him clean away -- downstairs -- to the year 1973 to see a little boy, Alex himself, who really knew the true meaning of Christmas. Here it is disclosed that Alex himself began the tradition for the corny tree-hanging family photograph among other acts of seasonal goodwill that had, until now, seemed anathema to his older self.
Returning to the present, his other sister Mallory is waiting as the Ghost of Christmas Future. This time a trip to 2013 sees the Keaton family destitute (although strangely still living in the same impressive house) and having to make ends meet by washing the neighbourhood laundry and selling dirt from a wheelbarrow. Having become a barbaric, bald bigshot in New York, Alex visits the family fleetingly - taking the time to register his disgust and drop off a bundle of laundry. Meanwhile the teenage Alex completes his rehabilitation, pleading with his future self to show some compassion.
The next morning Alex nips out to the 7-11 (the only store open in town) and picks up the closest thing he can get to the biggest goose in the butcher's window - a coffee, beef jerky, a TV guide, as much cough medicine as his poorly younger sister can drink and a set of clothes cleaned and pressed each. It's all very mushy, all quite sentimental and it really does make you yearn for this era of sitcoms. One almost expects the continuancy announcer to say "Stay Tuned for a Perfect Strangers Christmas Special coming next."
Good old AnnieQC74 has uploaded the full episode to Youtube, so check it out below.
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHf14ZX1DIQ (starts around 1m 30s)
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNqKjR2Qb6o
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cN-KRi81iWU
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