Season Four of Family Ties gets to a shakey start with a pretty terrible made-for-TV movie that sees the Keaton family jetting across the ocean to England. Taking the family out of their sit-com environment where they can deliver messages, and important themes, and delve into ethical situations and putting them in a slapstick version of the real-world doesn’t do the characters any favours.

Written by series creator Gary David Goldberg, Marc Lawrence, Alan Uger, and Michael J. Weithorn Family Ties Vacation was broadcast on 23 September, 1985.

Alex (Micheal J. Fox) has gotten a temporary scholarship to Oxford University and the entire family decides to make a vacation out of it. Unfortunately, Steven (Micheal Gross) and Elyse (Meredith Baxter) find them enmeshed in a silly spy chase involving a hairbrush containing top secret microfilm, Jennifer (Tina Yothers) isn’t given much to do besides eat and talk about American and British food, and Mallory (Justine Bateman) begins a romance with Alex’s Oxford roommate, Jonathan (Guy Henry), who is actually a Lord.

Alex doesn’t quite get along with everyone at Oxford, and cultural differences cause a few clashes but he puts a positive face on it in his communications with his parents who wander London check out iconic locations and are pursued by a pair of inept spies.

It culminates in a silly chase involving the House of Lords, and judge costumes, and I’m sure none of the characters will ever mention the trip ever again.

As charming as the cast is, as much as Fox’s star was on the rise (Teen Wolf and Back to the Future had dropped over the summer) nothing can really save this entry in the series. Sure it’s fun to see these actors in great locations, but the script doesn’t quite stand up to too close of an inspection, and it all feels like it was simply cobbled together, throwing together ideas and just hope it all worked.

As much as I love the show, I can definitely go without seeing this entry in the series again. And honestly, I hope this isn’t a sign of what we can look forward to in season four. I do know that there are some important things coming for Alex, and more importantly for Fox himself as we are introduced to a new character that will have a profound effect on both of them.

So let’s put this one behind us and see what happens when I delve into the first episodes of season four next week.