Remember When Tom Hanks Was An Alcoholic on ‘Family Ties’?
What’s more shocking: that Tom Hanks once played Michael J. Fox‘s uncle, or that he was a raging alcoholic who downed a bottle of vanilla extract when he couldn’t find a drink?
Such was the case in “Say Uncle,” a very special episode of Family Ties that first aired on Jan. 26, 1984. In the episode, Alex P. Keton (Fox) is excited that Uncle Ned (Hanks) is coming to town. Alex wants his dad, Steven (Michael Gross), to get Uncle Ned a job in the city, but Elyse (Meredith Baxter) is worried about his chances, since her brother once embezzled four and a half million dollars — a callback to the two-part episode, “The Fugitive,” from Season 1.
But when Ned arrives, he’s in such a sorry state. He’s slurring his words; he’s shoddily dressed, and there’s something clearly wrong. It all becomes apparent when Ned takes a six-pack of beer and begins to drink them, one by one.
Steven tells his brother-in-law that he got him a job interview, which prompts another celebration — and another beer.
The episode’s most iconic moment comes next: Alex comes down to the kitchen for a snack, as he’s pulling an all-nighter while studying for an economics final. He finds his Uncle Ned sitting alone in the dark. Ned tries to convince Alex to go with him on a beer run, but the stores are closed (and Alex is underage). Thus, Ned raids the pantry for all the cooking supplies that contain alcohol, ultimately downing a whole bottle of vanilla extract.
Alex is shocked to see his hero in such a state, and when he confronts Ned about being drunk, his uncle explodes. It’s a tense moment, as Ned shows flashes of violence, remorse, love and sadness, all while under the influence.
Paramount Television/Courtesy: Everett Collection
When Alex first brings up Ned’s problems to his parents, Elyse doesn’t want any of it. She shrugs it off until Alex mentions the vanilla incident. Elyse’s fears are confirmed when she sees her brother pour some vodka into his orange juice. When Ned says he can quit anytime, she dares him to do it. Ned obliges by pouring the cocktail down the drain, but the problems are just starting.
Ned shows up to the job interview hammered, embarrassing Steven and blowing the chance at getting the job.
In the episode’s climax, Alex, Steven, and Elyse stage an intervention. Alex shows that he carries newspaper clippings of Ned’s past accomplishments, which Ned takes to throw in the fire. When Alex tries to stop him, Ned slaps his nephew in the face.
Steven tells his brother-in-law that either he gets some help or “you get the hell out of my house.” The episode ends with Ned picking up the phone and calling Alcoholics Anonymous.
Unfortunately, that was the last appearance of Uncle Ned on Family Ties. That year, Hanks’s movie career took off with the success of Splash. His focus shifted to the big screen, and he finished out the decade starring in movies like The Money Pit, The ‘Burbs, Big, Turner & Hooch and Joe Versus The Volcano.
Family Ties ran for five more years (seven seasons in total). Michael J. Fox’s career was skyrocketing at that time, thanks to movies like Teen Wolf, The Secret of My Success, and Back to the Future.
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