A, My Name is Alex

"A, My Name Is Alex"
Family Ties episode
Episode no. Season 5
Episode 23 & 24
Directed by Will Mackenzie
Written by Gary David Goldberg & Alan Uger
Produced by Gary David Goldberg
Original air date March 27, 1987 (1987-03-27)
Running time 60 minutes
Guest appearance(s)

Brian McNamara as Greg
Richard McGonagle as Brother Timothy (pt. 1)
David Wohl as Psychiatrist (voice)
Meg Wyllie as Mrs. Leahy (pt. 2)
Marc Price as Irwin 'Skippy' Handelman
Scott Valentine as Nick Moore (pt. 2)

"A, My Name Is Alex" is a two-part hour-long very special episode of the NBC television series Family Ties. The episodes aired on March 12, 1987, as an hour long commercial free episode. The episode garnered a Primetime Emmy Award, a Humanitas Prize and a Writers Guild of America Award for writing as well as a DGA Award.

Plot

Part 1: Alex's (Michael J. Fox) friend, Greg (Brian McNamara), has a fatal car accident. As the family grieves, Alex is overcome with a variety of emotional challenges that he tries to hide unsuccessfully.

Part 2: Steven (Michael Gross) and Elyse (Meredith Baxter) attempt to help Alex deal with his emotion by getting him professional help. This enables him to confront the issues that he must deal with resulting from his friend's untimely fatality. Alex is able to reassess his own life.

Production

The episode "My Name Is Alex" originally aired on NBC as a special one part episode and was promoted heavily by the network as "Commercial-free".

Reception

Awards

The episode won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series at the 39th Primetime Emmy Awards, a Humanitas Prize for 60 Minute Network or Syndicated Television at the 13th annual ceremony held in 1987 and a Writers Guild of America Award for Best Screenplay - Episodic Comedy at the 40th annual Writers Guild of America Awards 1987 ceremony held in 1988 for writers Gary David Goldberg & Alan Uger.[1] It also won the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Comedy Series at the 40th Directors Guild of America Awards for director Will Mackenzie.[2] It also earned a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series nomination for Will Mackenzie. In addition it won an Outstanding Technical Direction/Electronic Camerawork/Video Control for a Series Emmy for Parker Roe (technical director), Paul Basta (cameraperson), Tom Dasbach (cameraperson), Richard Price (cameraperson), John Repczynski (cameraperson), and Eric Clay (senior video control).

References

Notes

  1. ↑ "The Writers Guild Foundation Library Catalog". Writers Guild of America. Archived from the original on 2012-02-26. Retrieved 2012-03-17.
  2. ↑ "Winner and Nominee Search". Directors Guild of America. Retrieved 2012-03-17.
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