TV REVIEW: THE MICHAEL J. FOX SHOW [NBC]

IN TWEET: MICHAEL J. FOX RETURNS TO HIS TV ROOTS IN A CHARMING NBC SERIES. IT’S ONE OF THE FEW NEW FALL COMEDIES THAT WORKS.

Full disclosure: my dad has Parkinson’s so it’s a subject matter that hits pretty close to home. He also has a killer sense of humor and would be the first person to tell you to leave your pity and platitudes at the door. It’s a mindset I find both refreshing and inspirational. That’s why it’s especially nice to see a major television network give a vote of confidence to a series that could help destigmatize the disease.

If you’re avoiding THE MICHAEL J. FOX SHOW (Thursdays at 9:30PM E/P on NBC with next day streaming on Hulu) because you think it’s going to be a Parkinson’s pity party, you can rest easy. It’s anything but. If, however, you have yet to tune in solely because you’re worried about being uncomfortable watching Fox, that’s a real shame. This charming series is one of the few new sit-coms that generates any real laughs.

Fox plays Mike Henry, a popular New York news anchor who retired after his condition became too much of a distraction on air. He wasn’t forced into mothballs. It was a decision he made following an embarrassing “rolling chair” incident during a live broadcast.

Now a stay-at-home dad, Fox is driving his family up a wall. What he sees as innocent attempts to encourage his wife and kids to eat a meal together or enjoy some quality bonding time, end up going over like lead balloons. They love him but prefer a “less is more” approach to familial togetherness.

After some backdoor maneuvering by his wife Annie (Betsy Brandt) and Harris Green, his hilarious lothario of a former boss (Wendell Pierce), Mike reluctantly heads back to his old TV stomping ground. Brandt and Pierce do uniformly excellent work here. Neither overplays it and both create endearing characters. It’s especially fun to watch Pierce cut loose in a major departure from his signature roles in THE WIRE and TREME.

It’s also a nice touch that the key players look and dress like real people. Sure, they’re a well off family living in New York City but their environs feel authentic and appropriately lived in. For a show with three younger actors in lead roles (the Henry children), there is admirable restraint in the "precocious kid" department. This isn’t FULL HOUSE with Parkinson’s. Thank goodness for small screen favors.

The “talking to camera” structure will feel familiar to MODERN FAMILY viewers but things are much more grounded here and less self-conscious. The creators aren’t taking a screwball approach to the proceedings. Production values are exceptional for a single camera comedy with nice use of outdoor city locations and real NBC studio space.

THE MICHAEL J. FOX SHOW feels like a warm down comforter with some added loft via a front and center depiction of day to day life with Parkinson’s. This is a show that earns its frequent laughs and feels like it has long term potential if it can find an audience. It definitely deserves one.

RONTHINK GRADE: B+

CLIPPED/SE: NEW FALL SERIES [NBC]

IN TWEET: A SPECIAL EDITION OF “CLIPPED” FEATURING EXTENDED TRAILERS FOR SIX OF THE NEW SERIES COMING TO NBC THIS FALL.

It’s Upfronts Week! The annual dog and pony show where West Coast network execs fly to New York City, series stars in tow, in order to convince East Coast media buyers that the new shows they just picked up don’t suck out loud. The mission: book as many ad dollars as you can in advance of the upcoming Fall season.

Sound fun? It’s not. The only people who like it are the newbies who enjoy a free lunch and presentations devoid of any spontaneity. Alas, like going to a wake for that strange uncle you never really felt comfortable with, it’s just something you gotta do. Why? Ah, sweet mystery of media life!

As the broadcast networks release promos and footage of their new series for this Fall, I will be posting them in special editions of CLIPPED. I’m not going to get too hung up on schedule information at this point because networks juggle and tweak quite a bit during and after Upfronts. Up first: NBC.

THE BLACKLIST

THE BLACKLIST is an international thriller starring James Spader. The plot borrows liberally from ALIAS, SILENCE OF THE LAMBS and ARROW (seriously, watch the trailer and see if you can pick out all of the lifts from other sources). It’s slick, moody and looks wholly unremarkable in every way. The main attraction here is, of course, Spader who can be really great or a scenery-chewing bore (a-la BOSTON LEGAL).

VERDICT: Looks dicey. Has THE VOICE as a lead-in but I’m not sure that’s going to make for a smooth audience hand-off. Barring any schedule changes, THE BLACKLIST will also compete with established hits CASTLE on ABC and HAWAII FIVE-O on CBS. Tough slot for another crime-themed series.

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THE MICHAEL J. FOX SHOW

THE MICHAEL J. FOX SHOW stars, guess who, Michael J. Fox. It’s one of the funniest promos I’ve seen since MODERN FAMILY. Fox plays Mike Henry, a beloved New York news anchor juggling family, a return to his profession and serious health issues. Hilarity ensues…really. The trailer has more than its share of laugh-out-loud moments and pulls no punches when it comes to Fox’s own real-life struggles. Parkinson’s is not only part of the plot, it’s also the punchline for many jokes. My dad has Parkinson’s so this hits close to home…in a very good way.

VERDICT: Should be a hit for NBC. America loves Michael J. Fox and the show looks very strong.

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IRONSIDE

IRONSIDE is a remake of the classic TV series of the same name. This time it’s Blair Underwood in the wheelchair instead of the late, great Raymond Burr. The promo isn’t great but Underwood usually is so, that makes this at least a show worth checking out when it debuts. Plus, when you first hear the snippet of the iconic IRONSIDE theme song, it does trigger a visceral wave of nostalgia.

VERDICT: I don’t think this will be NBC’s HAWAII FIVE-O but could be a sleeper hit for the network even if it does only marginal numbers.

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SEAN SAVES THE WORLD

SEAN SAVES THE WORLD features the return of sit-com vets Sean Hayes and Linda Lavin. That’s pretty much where the good news ends. Based on the trailer, it looks like a tired mash-up of dinner theater humor and a Neil Simon play. Even the promo art looks “been there, done that.” Hayes is playing a less-flamey version of his WILL & GRACE character, here a single dad trying to “parent” with unwelcome help from his mother (Lavin).

VERDICT: Have you seen THE NEW NORMAL?

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DRACULA

DRACULA is NBCs attempt to cash in on the vampire craze…two years after the craze has passed. While it does star Jonathan Rhys Meyers, has an impressive production pedigree and looks quite lovely, it is DRACULA in name only. It’s one of those “cherry pick a mythos” tales that will probably piss off more fans than it attracts. Still, I was wrong about ELEMENTARY and ended up loving that show.

VERDICT: It’s on NBC and scheduled for Fridays after GRIMM. Clearly enough people watch that show to get it renewed. This could make a good companion series. 60/40 chance in favor of DRACULA.

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WELCOME TO THE FAMILY

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY brings NBC back to the diversity well after the miserable failure that was THE NEW NORMAL. Here it’s out with the gay and in with Viva Latino! OK, that’s a slight exaggeration and, from the looks of the trailer, there is the potential for a solid performer here. The cast is uniformly strong, with Mike O’Malley, Ricardo Chavira, Mary McCormack and Justina Machado in the lead roles. This could be the show that finally gives the criminally underrated O’Malley, Machado and Chavira a chance to shine.

VERDICT: Big potential here. Where THE NEW NORMAL beat us over the head with gross stereotyping, this looks like a more gentle, warm and loving take on what really is the NOW normal across this country.

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