Michael J. Fox on New Show as Newscaster With Parkinson's Disease
New Comedy is 'Incredible,' Says NBC Entertainment President
Michael J. Fox is on a new show playing a newscaster struck with Parkinson's disease, according to reports. The comedy premieres on NBC this fall, and mirrors some of the actor's real life struggles with the debilitating disease.
Michael J. Fox's new show is currently untitled, but some details about it have been revealed. Fox's character, a respected newscaster, is diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, forcing him to quit his job. Soon, though, a new medical regimen and drugs help him control the symptoms, and he returns to his job.
"It's an incredible show," Jennifer Salke, president of NBC Entertainment, said at the 2013 Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour. "Michael came in and pitched us the show and it was basically completely inspired by his life as a husband and father and family man who's grappling with his disease."
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NBC executives seemed to have been inspired as well, as the show will go straight to series. The family comedy show's Fox's character raising two teenage children and a younger boy, and showing that relationship exposes the newscaster as a "regular guy," Salke was quoted by the Huffington Post.
"It's a family show that has him dealing with work and office relationships as welling as dealing with kind of his public persona, which is very real," the NBC President explained. "He's sort of been put up on this pedestal by the country and the world, really. He's just a regular guy, who gets frustrated, who gets mad at having to sit at home."
The pilot was written by Say Laybourne of comedy hits like "Arrested Development" and "Cougar Town," and the new show will be directed by executive producer Will Gluck.
Despite Fox not starring in a show since 2001- his diagnosis forced him to leave "Spin City"- he has managed to keep acting, especially after new treatments for Parkinson's disease became available. Fox has guest starred on "Scrubs," "Curb Your Enthusiasm," and "The Good Wife" since then.
