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Michael J. Fox left acting in 2000 after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. At the time he was the star of ABC’s Spin City, and he left because he was worried that viewers would feel sorry for him.
He wrote in his memoir, “Would they still go along for the ride, or would they be watching for symptoms and feeling sorry?” The bottom line, he wrote, was this: “Can sick people be funny?”
Now The New York Times is reporting that Fox has a new drug regimen, and it has helped him manage the tics and tremors associated with the disease. So much so, that Fox has decided to return to the small screen.
His new comedy on NBC is loosely drawn from Fox’s real life, including writing Parkinson’s into the script. NBC won the bidding war between the major networks, and has already ordered a full season, 22 episodes, of the untitled show. The network plans to premiere the show in the fall of 2013.
As NBC tries to redefine its brand, Fox is a touchstone to many viewers who watched NBC in the ’80s,” said Diane Gordon, the publisher of the TV industry newsletter The Surf Report. Although those viewers are older now, she said, “NBC knows the public already loves him and is interested in him.”
“I’m extremely pleased to be back at NBC with a great creative team and a great show,” Mr. Fox said. “Bob Greenblatt and all the folks at the network have given me a warm welcome home, and I’m excited to get to work.”
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