Michael J. Fox's new sitcom about dad with Parkinson's

The Associated Press

Posted: Aug 21, 2012 9:34 AM ET

Last Updated: Aug 21, 2012 11:11 AM ET

NBC has made it official: Michael J. Fox is coming back to series TV with a new comedy series, based loosely on his personal life.

NBC announced Monday it has a 22-episode commitment for the series set to premiere in fall 2013.

Michael J. Fox is shown June 15 at a speaking engagement in Lowell, Mass. Fox is planning a return to TV with a sitcom about a father dealing with family, career and Parkinson's. (Michael Dwyer/Associated Press)

The single-camera comedy, thus far untitled, will feature Fox as a husband and father of three from New York City who is dealing with family, career and challenges that include Parkinson's, the network said. No further casting was announced.

The executive producers and co-creators are Will Gluck (Easy A, Friends with Benefits) and Sam Laybourne (Cougar Town, Arrested Development), with Gluck producing through his Sony Television-based Olive Bridge Entertainment. He also will direct the pilot.

Reports of Fox's plans to return emerged last week.

Canadian-born Fox won stardom for his work as Alex Keaton on the hit comedy Family Ties, which began its seven-season run on NBC in 1982.

"To bring Michael J. Fox back to NBC is a supreme honor," said Robert Greenblatt, chairman of NBC Entertainment, "and we are thrilled that one of the great comedic television stars is coming home again."

He called Fox "utterly relatable, optimistic and in a class by himself."

"I'm extremely pleased to be back at NBC with a great creative team and a great show," Fox said.

The 51-year-old actor was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991. In 2000, he left his ABC comedy Spin City after four seasons, saying he intended to focus on helping find a cure for the disease.

He founded the Michael J. Fox Foundation, which is dedicated to finding a cure for sufferers of Parkinson's disease while promoting the development of improved therapies and raising public awareness of the disease.

Since then, he limited his acting appearances to guest shots on series including Rescue Me, Boston Legal, Curb Your Enthusiasm and The Good Wife. But in May, he told ABC News that a new drug regimen has helped him control the tics that are a result of the disease and could allow him to take on more acting roles.

His feature films include the Back to the Future trilogy, Teen Wolf, Bright Lights, Big City and Casualties of War. He has won five Emmy awards.

Stay Connected with CBC News

Big Box Advertisement

Blake Shelton, Toby Keith boost benefits for Oklahoma by Susan Noakes May. 23, 2013 4:07 PM There are no dates yet and no lineup, but plans are in the works for benefit concerts supporting Oklahoma and the town of Moore, where tornadoes left a swath of destruction this week. Stepping up to spearhead the fundraisers are two Oklahoma boys: Blake Shelton and Toby Keith, who will likely lure country music's brightest into their efforts.

Top News Headlines

Duffy says he wants to give Canadians 'the whole story'

Duffy says he wants to give Canadians 'the whole story': Senator Mike Duffy says he wants a "full and open" inquiry so Canadians can get all the facts about the scandal that has rocked the Senate and the Prime Minister's Office and that he has no plans to resign. more »

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford fires chief of staff: A week after bombshell allegations that Toronto Mayor Rob ford was videotaped smoking crack, the mayor's chief of staff was fired and Ford is continuing to stonewall reporters. more »
Federal Court won't remove MPs over robocall allegations: The Federal Court says it won't throw six MPs out of their seats over allegations of widespread vote suppression through automated robocalls in the 2011 federal election. more »
Alleged Ford crack video seller not responding to calls: The journalist who broke the story alleging Toronto Mayor Rob Ford was recorded on video smoking crack cocaine says he may never be able to get his hands on the evidence. more »
2nd suspect in Tim Bosma murder case to plead not guilty: The lawyer for Mark Smich says the Oakville, Ont., resident will plead not guilty to first-degree murder in the death of Tim Bosma, the Hamilton man who disappeared earlier this month after taking two men on a test drive of his truck. more »

Must Watch

Latest Arts & Entertainment News Headlines

Quebec film wins screenplay prize at Cannes

Quebec film wins screenplay prize at Cannes: Le Demantelement, a movie by Quebec director Sebastien Pilote, has won one of the main prizes of sidebar program Critics Week at the Cannes Film Festival. more »

K'naan tries his hand at filmmaking with Sundance workshop: Somali-Canadian rapper K'naan has long drawn musical inspiration from his troubled homeland. Now he says he's ready to make a film about his war-torn roots. more »
Boos for violent Ryan Gosling film at Cannes: The famously fickle Cannes audiences greeted Ryan Gosling's latest film, Only God Forgives, with boos, while Robert Redford received a standing ovation for All is Lost. more »
Pussy Riot member denied parole despite Paul McCartney plea: A Russian court has rejected parole for jailed Pussy Riot band member Maria Alekhina, despite a high-profile plea from former Beatle Paul McCartney and other top musicians. more »
Photographer Wayne F. Miller captured black lives in 1940s: Wayne F. Miller, the American photographer best known for his photo series The Way of the Northern Negro, which chronicled the lives of black Americans in Chicago after the Second World War, has died at the age of 94. more »

More Headlines »

Q Blog

Dan Brown's bizarre rituals May. 23, 2013 3:02 PM The author discusses his new novel, Inferno, and the ritual he performs when launching another book.

CBC Books

Juvenile inmates benefiting from Russian literature May. 23, 2013 4:21 PM A juvenile correctional facility in Virginia has seen the behavioural benefits of encouraging their inmates to read the works of classic Russian writers like Tolstoy and Dostoevsky.