A couple who were radicals in the '60s now face the problems of raising children in suburbia. With a young Republican for a son, one daughter that's only concerned with fashion, and another who is a tomboy, life is never dull in the Keaton household.

"Now a college sophomore, Alex falls in love with Ellen, a girl who's his total opposite. And Mallory falls for Nick, a junkyard sculptor who's her intellectual equal! But it's young Jennifer who feels off-balance, as she grows closer to mom Elyse but more distant from dad Steven now that she's becoming a teenager. But even with their older kids changing, and as baby Andrew's diapers still need changing, the Keaton parents know their four kids will...

The heart of this television series is the generation gap between former hippie parents and their square offspring. This season highlights the culture gap between Steven and Elyse Keaton and their three children: staunchly Republican Alex, fashion-mad Mallory and precocious Jennifer, as they tackle pre-marital sex, women's rights, and alcoholism.