16 ‘Family Ties’ Facts All Michael J. Fox Fans Should Know

10. Scott Valentine got three pilots…that all failed

Nick Moore became one of the more popular characters on the show even though he was initially only supposed to last a single episode. Later they attempted three different spin-off shows, including one called The Art of Being Nick, but all three pilots failed.

11. Tracy Pollan and Michael J. Fox met on the show

She was only on the show for one season, but her role as Alex’s girlfriend Ellen changed both of their lives forever. The two later married and had four children, but at their first meeting Tracy has admitted that she thought he was a little full of himself. “He was feeling good about himself. I think I thought he was kind of full of himself. And then we started to work together and I got a completely different impression and how completely opposite from that he was—just funny and so smart, and just all of these other things came through those first two weeks we worked together.”

12. Michael immediately liked her

Michael has said that he immediately had a crush on Tracy and actually credits her for winning his first Emmy. “I had this moment where I was looking at her and thinking, ‘She’s really good.’ She was so present. I really learned the importance of presence. I’d been having a lot of fun playing this guy for laughs, but I really felt, ‘Now I gotta work here. I gotta show up and do this because this actress is really the real thing.’ It was a profound moment for me, in a way.”