The Greatest 2 minute 48 second video ever...aka Uncle Ned on Family Ties

I can't believe I found this video. This is the ending of the "very special" episode of Family Ties where Tom Hanks plays "Uncle Ned". Little does the family know that Uncle Ned is a raging alcoholic and goes so far to as to drink vanilla extract (seen earlier in the episode). To this day if I'm out of beers, I'll half think of drinking vanilla extract although I'm not exactly sure what vanilla extract is. I hope this doesn't mean I'm an alcoholic.

In any event, this is the last 3 minutes of this particular episode. Uncle Ned has just failed a job interview because he showed up drunk (hence the suit) and now Alex and Mr. and Mrs. Keaton are trying to help him realize he has a drinking problem. You have to stay with this one. Follow along...




0:00-0:30 - Two future acting legends aka Marty McFly and Forrest Gump show off their chops as Alex shows his momentos he's kept out of love and admiration he's had for his Uncle since he was a little kid. Uncle Ned responds by trying to burn them in the fireplace.

0:32 -0 :34 - The slap heard round the world. How did Micheal J. Fox get flung back so far? Seriously, watch it again. That was some amazing acting. I love the "LEAVE ME ALONE" Uncle Ned yells.

0:35 - 0:36 - Yes, the Dad gets fired up...gotta love the "What the hell are you doing???" line as his wife tries to retrain him.

0:38 - 0:42 I love this moment...Tom Hanks is doing his laughing/crying thing and the way he says "I don't know" the first time is the way I enunciate it when I got into trouble. The things you absorb as a child.

0:42 -0:44 - Michael J. Fox seals up the Emmy award for 1985 with that close up.

0:45 - 1:05 - Mr. Keaton, aka Michael Gross, does a little warmup for his future role as the gun toting local in the Kevin Bacon classic movie Tremors.

1:06 - 1:37 - More award winning work from these two acting legends. Although Alex shied away from Uncle Ned touching his knee in hatred, I'd shy away from ANY relative if they tried to grab my leg like Uncle Ned did.

1:40-1:45 - I love how they bring the laugh track back into play as Uncle Ned walks to the phone to call AA. If I was in the studio audience watching this, I'd be afraid to laugh.

2:00-2:08 - Tom Hanks shows why he will will two Oscars and be nominated for many more with the way he says the "drinking problem" line.

2:10 - end... roll credits. I forgot about the sax version of the "How About Us" theme song. Too bad Mallory and Jennifer weren't there to witness Uncle Ned's meltdown or even better, have Uncle Ned slap the youngest child Andrew in the face. That would have awesome.

WOW!!! You don't see stuff like this on TV anymore, that's for sure.