This title-less pilot marked humble, pleasant beginnings for the long-running sitcom, getting a fair amount of mileage out of the clash between liberal ex-hippies Steven (Michael Gross) and Elise Keaton (Meredith Baxter) and their conservative son Alex (Michael J. Fox). Key to its success is the fact that the characters are all engaging in their own way; the performances are likeable and the laughs are fairly consistent.
The story line here has Alex determined to impress a vapid rich girl named Kimberly (Cindy Fisher, "The Stone Boy"). He accompanies her to a posh, exclusive country club, and Steven has strong misgivings about this since the club has a history of bigotry. He even makes a (mild) scene, showing up at the place to try to change Alex's mind. Ultimately, he realizes his mistake, knowing that he'll need to let Alex live his life and make his own choices.
This viewer liked the main theme of a parent attempting to find that line between being protective, and actually interfering in their childs' life. Overall, this is pleasant, funny, and a decent start for the series.
Seven out of 10.
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