Could aFamily Tiesrevival happen? While it’s not something that is being discussed currently, as far as we know, many classic shows are being revived by networks. As the television landscape becomes increasingly competitive, bringing back something familiar has proved that it can provide an edge. As such, it’s not impossible to imagine that something likeFamily Tiescould be in the revival discussion. So, what are the odds of that happening? Wetalked to Michael Grossabout that recently.
Michael Gross is currently promoting the upcoming release ofTremors 6: A Cold Day in Hell, though he won’t be involved in thenew Tremors TV show. We had the chance to speak with him and asked him about whether or not aFamily Tiesrevival would be possible. Gross admits that the chances are slim and that nobody seems eager to do it, but if the exact right thing came along, it wouldn’t be totally impossible. Here’s what he had to say about it.
“I think the chances of that happening are pretty remote. I’ll tell you why. First of all, our spirit guide, our heart and soul and spirit of the show, our executive producer passed away a number of years ago. It just doesn’t feel right to do it without him [Gary David Goldberg]. Now, if something were tremendously well written, it might be a possibility. But I’m not sure. Michael [J. Fox] does extremely well with hisParkinson’s. We’ve seen him do great work on The Good Wife and things like that, so I’m sure he could do it. I’m not sure if the interest is there from most of us though.”
Family Tieswent off the air in 1989, but in addition torevivals of classic TV shows, 80s nostalgia has really been a prevalent theme in pop culture as of late, in part thanks to shows likeStranger Things. So, even though Michael Gross doesn’t make it sound as though this is likely going to happen, one could see how NBC might look at a show likeFamily Tiesand think about bringing it back. The network is already looking at revivals ofThe Officeand30 Rock, which concluded much more recently. Gross continued, going so far as to say that he has actual nightmares about bringing the show back, concerned that it may not be as good as it once was.
“I do from time to time, I have to tell you, I have nightmares about doing Family Ties again. Not because I didn’t enjoy it, but because the dream I have is that it’s never as it was when we did it originally. It just isn’t right. It feels like it’s forced or something. We’re back and we’re trying to recreate the past and it doesn’t work and it just feels all wrong. So I have dreams about it, but they’re scary dreams. It’s never as good as the time we had. We left at a high point and I think we’d rather just let that sleeping dog lie.”
Recently, ABC foundhuge success with their revivalofRoseanne. There is also theWill and Gracerevival, which is getting another season and the news thatMad About Youis coming back. Point being, it wouldn’t be shocking ifNBCstarted kicking around the idea of bringing back the Keaton family for another run, but it sounds like they would have to do a lot to convince the cast to return.
