I mean, this is the get. THE get. After an intense bidding war, according to Vulture, NBC has landed rights to Michael J. Fox’s sitcom, a single-camera comedy inspired by his own life. To do so, NBC had to give Michael J. Fox a giant deal and guarantee him something that’s virtually never guaranteed: A commitment to promote the ever-living crap out of it, and a contractual promise to air at least 22 episodes. That’s a fairly big commitment to a show that hasn’t even filmed a pilot. But it’s worth it, and here’s why:
Right now, the only things keeping NBC solvent are The Voice and Sunday Night Football. Remove The Voice from the equation, and the biggest hits on NBC primetime are a sitcom in a creative and ratings tailspin, The Office, and a stale reality show, The Biggest Loser. They just canceled their most watched scripted drama (Harry’s Law, which had dismal ratings in the 18-49 demo), and they’ve pinned their hopes for the 2012-2013 season on a mediocre Matthew Perry sitcom, Go On, and a sh*tballs retarded post-apocalyptic drama, Revolutions. I’ve seen all of NBC’s new sitcom pilots, and Go On is the best one they have (and that’s not saying a whole helluva lot).
To get a network back in the game, you need an anchor. You need a Seinfeld or Modern Family or American Idol or Big Bang Theory, something you can build around. Michael J. Fox’s sitcom can be that anchor. The pilot episode, which won’t air until 2013, is guaranteed huge ratings. If the show is even better than decent, viewers will return.
Why? Because Michael J. Fox, that’s why. Put aside the Parkinson’s, which will of course draw a huge initial crowd based on curiosity alone, and you’ve still got one of the most likable people in show business. How many bad Michael J. Fox movies — Doc Hollywood, The Hard Way, Secret of My Success — have you watched MULTIPLE times simply because of Michael J. Fox’s presence? Like Tom Hanks, he’s got something that very few people have in Hollywood: Our unconditional affection. Combine that with our strong desire for him to succeed, and it almost becomes self-fulfilling.
It doesn’t hurt that, even with Parkinson’s, he’s an incredibly gifted actor, as anyone who has seen him on Scrubs, Boston Legal, Rescue Me, Curb Your Enthusiasm, or The Good Wife can attest. He’s got five Emmy nominations since his Parkinson’s diagnosis. Emmy voters love him.
This guy is going to kill it, and NBC has finally made a winning decision.
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This is going to be a fun post to come back to this time next year when the new Fall season starts and this show fails miserably. NBC can’t do anything right.
How is The Tonight Show keeping them solvent? Didn’t you just do a story about how they cut staffers and Leno took a paycut because it was losing money?
They weren’t “losing money” as much as they were “not maximizing profits” or whatever. Either way, it’s been edited for clarity.
I think we’re giving NBC too much credit. Let us not forget that NBC is the one network that COULD screw up a Michael J Fox show.
Also, I know I’m probably beating a dead horse…but can Jean-Ralphio PLEASE get a supporting role?
Yeah I agree. If anything, this will just prove how inept NBC is at everything.
For the time being, I’m going to eschew NBC-bashing and put on my optimist’s hat, because I really want this show to do well. Michael J. Fox is a national treasure.
I’ll be tuning in, but I’ll also believe that NBC has made a good decision when I see it.
“Michael J. Fox is a national treasure” – even if he is Canadian.
I didn’t say whose nation.
damn right Stallonewolf
Single camera? I hope the camera operator has a steady hand……
damn you…
ooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh snap!
If Doc Hollywood is bad I don’t want to be good. Also, fun fact, the main character was Dr. Ben Stone, the same name as Seth Rogen’s character in Knocked Up.
…..I’ll see myself out, thank you.
Ben Stone?
THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE!
The Hard Way has the most generic script ever, but Woods and Michael J Fox make that movie awesome, in the same way John Ritter is so funny he makes even the dumbest episode of Three’s Company funny. So what i’m saying is: 1. This show will be fun to watch even if they decide to have it be michael j fox on an undecorated sound stage reading aloud the scripts to episodes of “Out Sourced” and “Inside Schwartz”. 2. Can we get James Woods involved in this show?
Seconded
its gonna be weird when they try to fire him from the show in season 3.
Anyone else hoping they cast Rush Limbaugh as the annoying next-door neighbor?
He’s already got a cool dance move.
I really just pictured Rush having a stroke every episode and cuing the laugh track. The only instance of a laugh track in the show.
I’m a big fan of MJF and no matter what he’s in I’ll watch it. So there is at least one confirmed viewer at this point.
I hope it’s not awkward.
They really need to schedule this show for the same night as Parks & Recreation. That show DOES have mainstream appeal, but not many people have seen it. I would suggest they schedule 30 Rock and Community for the same night as well, but we know both those shows are ending sooner rather than later.
I hope they cast the show well around him, so that he doesn’t have to carry the load himself. I’d hate to see him have to bow out of a promising show if he’s overworked by having to be in every scene.
The sinking NBC ship just might stay afloat after all. I still have my reserved doubts, but with Fox on board to deliver a good show we may just have a reason to actually watch NBC again.
Dammit, and I was soooo close from being able to completely stop watching NBC.
I heard it will be called Parkinson Recreation.
Haaaaaaaaaaa.
Well played.
Doc Hollywood wasn’t all that bad.