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Family Ties S1E20 — The Fifth Wheel
7.2
Family Ties•Season 1•Episode 20

The Fifth Wheel

7.2/10 · 201 votesMar 27, 198325 min

Ranked #13 of 22 in Season 1•matches the season avg

Discussion

Alex gets stuck babysitting for his little sister Jennifer, who is fed up with feeling in the way at his poker game and decides to disappear.

Written byMichael J. Weithorn
Previous episodeE19 · Suzanne Takes You DownNext episodeE21 · Stage Fright (a.k.a. Video Jitters)
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Seasons7

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Season 1 Episodes22

Pilot stillE1 7.2

Pilot

Not With My Sister You Don't stillE2 7.2

Not With My Sister You Don't

I Know Jennifer's Boyfriend stillE3 6.7

I Know Jennifer's Boyfriend

Summer of '82 stillE4 7.6

Summer of '82

I Never Killed for My Father stillE5 7.4

I Never Killed for My Father

Give Your Uncle A Kiss stillE6 7.6

Give Your Uncle A Kiss

Big Brother Is Watching stillE7 7.3

Big Brother Is Watching

No Nukes Is Good Nukes stillE8 7.1

No Nukes Is Good Nukes

Death Of A Grocer stillE9 7.4

Death Of A Grocer

Have Gun, Will Unravel stillE10 6.9

Have Gun, Will Unravel

A Christmas Story stillE11 6.9

A Christmas Story

Oops stillE12 7.1

Oops

Sherry Baby stillE13 7.2

Sherry Baby

The Fugitive (1) stillE14 7.8

The Fugitive (1)

The Fugitive (2) stillE15 7.8

The Fugitive (2)

Margin Of Error stillE16 7.4

Margin Of Error

French Lessons stillE17 7.0

French Lessons

I Gotta Be Ming stillE18 6.7

I Gotta Be Ming

Suzanne Takes You Down stillE19 6.3

Suzanne Takes You Down

The Fifth Wheel stillE20 7.2Now viewing

The Fifth Wheel

Stage Fright (a.k.a. Video Jitters) stillE21 7.6

Stage Fright (a.k.a. Video Jitters)

Elyse D'Arc stillE22 6.5

Elyse D'Arc

Cast5

Meredith Baxter

Meredith Baxter

Elyse Keaton

Michael Gross

Michael Gross

Steven Keaton

Michael J. Fox

Michael J. Fox

Alex P. Keaton

Justine Bateman

Justine Bateman

Mallory Keaton

Tina Yothers

Tina Yothers

Jennifer Keaton

Crew1

M

Michael J. Weithorn

Writer

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Episode Summary

"The Fifth Wheel" is episode 20 of Family Ties season 1. It scored 7.2/10 from 201 votes, ranking #13 of 22 episodes this season (season average 7.2). Written by Michael J. Weithorn, it aired on March 27, 1983.

Next: E21 · Stage Fright (a.k.a. Video Jitters)Best of Season 1