Family Ties Vacation (TV Movie 1985)

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Meredith Baxter

Elyse Keaton
(as Meredith Baxter Birney)

Michael Gross

Steven Keaton

Michael J. Fox

Alex P. Keaton

Justine Bateman

Mallory Keaton

Tina Yothers

Jennifer Keaton

Derek Nimmo

Gwyn Davies

John Moulder-Brown

William Clive-Hopkins

Charles McKeown

Frederick Weiss

James Saxon

Luther Broder

John Westbrook

Earl of Cureton

Philip Hynd

Markham

Richard Huw

Michael

Guy Henry

Jonathon

John Gillett

Inspector Wyman

Lockwood West

Professor Hardy
(as Harry Lockwood West)

Stuart Saunders

Lord #1

Charles Lewsen

Lord #2

Paul Cooke

Student

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Did you know

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Trivia
This was one out of four films with Michael J. Fox in them that came out in 1985. (Family Ties Vacation, Teen Wolf, Poison Ivy, and Back to the Future.)

Quotes
Mallory Keaton: Do they have toast in England?
Alex P. Keaton: Yeah, I think a boat load just came in this morning.
Mallory Keaton: Alex, you don't have to be so sarcastic, okay? We are in a foreign country. We don't know for sure if they have toast here.
Alex P. Keaton: Mallory, the United States was started by people from England. They had toast before we did.
Mallory Keaton: Oh yeah? Who invented it?
Alex P. Keaton: Alfred Toast.

Alternate versions
The original movie has been separated into 4 parts for airing in syndication. Interestingly, at least on TBS, the wrong opening credits are used for these (from the final seasons, where Brian Bonsall is credited as Andrew; he wasn't even on the trip), and the syndicated versions air after the last episodes of the TV run are shown, instead of during the middle of the run.

Connections
References A Yank at Oxford (1938)

I haven't seen this for quite some time but I do recall that this TV movie (the Keatons travelling to London) - released at the height of the show's popularity - was considered a disappointment.

The film was not only frivolous but downright silly at times, especially with some nonsensical plot about the Keatons accidentally carrying some 'spy film' (located in a hair brush iirc) that had the London authorities chasing after them.

The real letdown was that it didn't accurately convey the strongest features about 'Family Ties'; not just the humour and memorable characters like Alex P Keaton, but the intelligence and sophistication that the show displayed in its best episodes.

That this effectively felt like a 'dumbed down' version of the show was a real waste, and not a worthy reflection of the TV series.