
Steven and Elyse Keaton, once 1960s radicals, now find themselves in Reagan-era American trying to raise a traditional suburban family. Son Alex P. Keaton is an ambitious young Republican, and his sister Mallory is a shallow victim of the corporate culture, obsessed with music, clothes and boys. Their only normal kid is young Jennifer, a bit of a tomboy. In later seasons, the Keatons add a fourth child, Andrew. Most of the comedy arose from the conflict between the liberal parents and the conservative children.

Elyse feels a sense of loss as Alex prepares to move to New York.

Elyse and Steven's participation in an anti-nuke rally on Thanksgiving lands them in jail.

Jennifer reflects on her past and future while in the hospital for a tonsillectomy.

The Spirit of Christmas visits Alex in a dream, as ghosts resembling Jennifer and Mallory reveal the past and the future.