Spin City

Michael J. Fox's final episode contained numerous references to his earlier series, "Family Ties (1982)," including a cameo appearance by Michael Gross (who played Fox's father in the earlier series), the doctor he played has a secretary named Mallory, which was Fox's sister's name on the show, a reference to a Republican Senator named "Alex P. Keaton" (Fox's earlier character). Also, Meredith Baxter appeared as his mother in earlier episodes, and also was his mother in "Family Ties (1982)."

In the episode "A Star is Born" [1.6], there are 2 different primetime versions, one with a storyline involving Ashley Shaffer trying out to be a televion anchor and a second verson completely without her. The differences between these 2 versions are as follows:

• The original opening sequence features Ashley on a Sunday talk show. In the second version, the footage is replaced with Mike, Nicki and Carter betting on the Super Bowl.
• The second version's press conference sequence replaces Ashley's lines with those of a different reporter's.
• The original version has a sequence in which Ashley talks with Mike while walking down the hallway. In the second version, she's replaced with Stuart.
• The original version contains a sequence where Mike and Ashley are in their apartment watching television, followed by a closing sequence where they make out off camera. In the second version, all of the footage is replaced with a completely different storyline in which Nicki and Carter interview a guy named "Guy" at a focus group meeting, whom both Nicki and Carter develop feelings for. They argue over what Guy's sexual preference is and ask him back to find out for sure, to which he replies that he is gay, but not interested in Carter.

Featured in 54th Golden Globe Awards (1997)