Michael J. Fox is ready to come back to TV, developing a semi-autobiographical sitcom

If there is anyone whose career should just never ever end, it's probably Michael J. Fox. So it's really great news that he's ready to come back to television full-time! Working with Sony Pictures Television, Fox is trying to find a home for a single-camera sitcom based on his own life. He's teaming up with Sam Laybourne (writer of Arrested Development and Cougar Town) and Will Gluck (director of Easy A), and surprise! The networks are very interested. In fact, it sounds like there is a full-on battle over who will get to put this show on the air.

Using the phrases "feeding frenzy" and "bidding war," Vulture says that according to "industry sources," one network is, apparently, ready to take this straight to series. (That almost never happens.) All of the major networks, however, are guaranteeing at least a pilot if they are the lucky network to get their hands on this project. Which means that Michael J. Fox is the most popular debutante at the TV ball -- as he damn well should be!

Honestly, in my life as an entertainment consumer, I don't think I've ever heard a negative thing said about him, except by Rush Limbaugh, who is commonly referred to as "UGH...Rush Limbaugh." After a successful career as a child television star (then playing America's own reluctant, 1980s time lord and a werewolf), Fox did the near-impossible and had an equally successful career in television as an adult. All while giving Parkinson's disease the finger the entire time. So, yes -- let's see Michael J. Fox on TV again. One Michael J. Fox makes up for, like, 17 Bravo Housewives.

Michael J. Fox plots TV comeback with comedy from 'Arrested Development' writer [The Hollywood Reporter]

• [OoerictoO]

  while undoubtedly as nice a guy as there can be in hollytown, the article (and summary) seem to imply that because of this, and the horrible situation he’s been dealt by his illness, he deserves, nay WE REQUIRE him, to get a huge new TV deal.

  i’d have thought it was because he was reasonably funny in the past and ostensibly there is evidence he can be entertaining, edifying, educational in the future.

  that being said, i wish him all the best and am totally rooting for him.

  • [Nathan Hornby]

    It’s quite a big deal, the reason he left TV was due to his illness, so this must be quite a brave move on his part.

• [snagglepuss]

  He was great on “Larry Sanders” last season, poking mean fun at overly-pitying and/or clueless insensitives. I wonder how much network-style dumbing down Fox will tolerate with this – Or should he just stick with HBO ?

  • [Petzl]

     I think you mean “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” And yes, he was.

  • [kaplanfx]

    Petzl is correct, and the main character in Curb is “Larry David” named after the actor who plays him.  Larry Sanders was an awesome character played by Gary Shandling back in the day.

    • [snagglepuss]

      Right, right – Sorry. Long day.

• [Robert Baruch]

  Heavy!

• [franko]

  we could do far worse. here’s hoping to a happy continuance of a long, long career.

• [Ramone]

  Given the physical decline he’s endured over the years, I wonder how long he’ll hold up under a regular series’ production schedule. That’s gonna’ be tough for sure. If anyone can do it though (both resources and sheer will) it’s going to be Mikey.

  • [Ryan_T_H]

     Depends on how they structure it. It’s specifically a single camera show, which I’m sure is a deliberate choice to allow for easier working around of his availability. It lets them shoot his stuff and then finish the rest of the scene with only the other actors.

    If it ends up as more of an ensemble production, he might be able to get away with as few as two days a week on set much of the time.

    • [L_Mariachi]

      Single camera also carries a hell of a lot more prestige than laugh-track staged sitcoms.

• [Antonio Carrasco]

  While I like Michael J Fox a lot, I would rather remember him as the dashing Marty McFly than some poor disease riddled guy desperately trying to cling to stardom. 

  • [show me]

    So when your mother starts getting gray hair, a wrinkled face and needs a cane to walk are you just going to lock her in a closet? Because she’s not the pretty young lady you want to remember her as?

    • [Antonio Carrasco]

      Michael J Fox did not give birth to me or raise me into adulthood. Obviously I have more emotional investment with a relative than I do some guy on TV. You are comparing apples to oranges.

      • [Thad Boyd]

        Funny story, though: Michael J Fox has kids too.

        Granted, I’m pretty sure he didn’t give birth to them.  But I still suspect they’d probably rather he continue to work and enjoy life than sit in the house with the blinds drawn to make sure he doesn’t disappoint you.

  • [dmc10]

    Strange logic. So anyone who has a disease, disorder, accident, or gods forbid — gets old, and isn’t handsome/pretty anymore should just go away and hide somewhere so you can maintain your nostalgia? Um, ok…

  • [millie fink]

    “Desperately trying to cling to stardom”? 

    That’s absurdly presumptuous. Who but MJF knows exactly what his motives are?

  • [bzishi]

    This sounds very much like a bias against the disabled. I hope I read your post wrong.

  • [Nathan Hornby]

    Dude that’s cold, and I’m sure completely unwarranted.

  • [Thad Boyd]

    I take it you’ve not seen anything he’s done recently.

    He had quite a good turn on Scrubs some years back (transforming his Parkinson’s into a character’s OCD).  And his books and talks have proven he’s still both funny and warm.

    You’d rather remember him as Marty McFly?  I think Back to the Future is great, but I’d rather remember him as Michael J Fox.  A real dude with real talent, who’s facing real problems with real grace, humor, and aplomb.

    • [Marc Mielke]

      He also did some very unexpectedly physical comedy with Denis Leary on “Rescue Me” a while back. Where IIRC he kicked Leary’s character’s ass. 

  • [Antinous / Moderator]

    We have a word for this kind of comment.

• [cymk]

  Awesome to hear he’s getting back into acting, but if his Parkinsons is in remission or if he has plateaued, where is the magic cure thats making him better? My wife and her family could use some of that miracle bottled.

• [milkman]

  Honestly, I have a problem with anyone believing his disease is any part of who he is as an actor or plays any role in him getting charity from networks.  He’s one of the most deserving actors I can think of to make huge bank on TV — more so than say Charlie Sheen, the Kardashians, Jersey Shore tards, any Housewife ever, or any other “me first” dipshit on TV right now.  It’s desirable to see him on TV, because he’s a good actor and easily liked.  Any movie he’s done he’s been good in it; the same for TV.  He can be funny (Family Ties, Back to the Future, Spin City, Scrubs, Rescue Me), he can be dramatic (Casualties of War, Scrubs…to some extent, etc…), so why is it he shouldn’t make a ton of money?

  • [cymk]

    How ever deserving MJF and any other actors may be, the studio heads are the ones churning out “reality TV” because its cheap to make and somebody always watches it.

• [efergus3]

  He’s on a new drug that lessens the tremors and misses working, so… 

• [dexitroboper]

  But Michael J Fox has no Elvis in him…

• [Antinous / Moderator]

  Hmm.  I didn’t think that I had ever seen him in anything, but I forgot that he was in Mars Attacks.   I won’t be able to look Hipster Kitty in the face now.

  • [jimh]

    Basically everybody except Kevin Bacon was in Mars Attacks. And Kevin Bacon was in A Few Good Men with Jack Nicholson, so it’s a great one degree move.

    • [Antinous / Moderator]

      The Ten Commandments of its time.

• [Jose]

  I’m surprised that no one has mentioned his recent work as a recurring character on The Good Wife, which was excellent, as I’ve come to expect from Mr. Fox.  Honestly, I think that the reason there is such interest in a new show starring MJF is because people have always enjoyed his work, and in the real world, he’s always come across as an exceptionally decent guy.  I really don’t think it’s a case of “tossing the poor guy a bone.”  If I ever come down with a major illness, I hope I can handle it with half the grace and aplomb of Mr. Fox (and Xeni).

• [Kerouac]

  I haven’t watched a sitcom in many years.  This, I will watch.