MICHAEL J. FOX Has a SHOW Again

Article first published as THE MICHAEL J. FOX SHOW Review on Seat42F.

Michael J. Fox (Back to the Future, Spin City) is such a beloved star whom viewers have so long yearned to see return to television in a regular series role that this fall’s THE MICHAEL J. FOX SHOW on NBC may just be the year’s most anticipated new comedy. In it, Michael plays Mike, a newscaster with Parkinson’s disease who leaves his job as a popular newscaster, but then decides to return to work, much to the relief of his family. It’s semi-biographical.

Most people don’t know a lot about Parkinson’s, but the obvious symptom is the incessant shaking. Like Fox himself, Mike suffers from this ailment, which makes it easier for the actor to inhabit the role. It takes very little time, though, to see Mike as any other person, and get past the disease. In the twenty-two minute “Pilot,” this is possible early on, a credit to Fox.

The character should please those looking for the comeback, as Mike has the wit and charm we’re accustomed to seeing from Fox. It’s easy to see why everyone loves him so much, both the actor and the character, and not just because of the bravery he has at fighting his illness.

The Parkinson’s is not ignored. Quite the opposite, really. THE MICHAEL J. FOX SHOW plays on the perception others have of Fox, and the things they think about him or say to him. People on the street feel empowered enough to make comments and share stories of their own afflicted relations, and his boss at news network, Harris (Wendell Pierce, Treme), is happy to take advantage of the situation when advertising for Mike’s triumphant comeback. All of this makes Mike uncomfortable, but it’s just something he has to deal with, which he does with grace.

Inside his home, however, he is not worshipped and fawned over. Like most families, Mike’s doesn’t see him as anything special, though they love him. Daughter Eve (Juliette Goglia, Easy A) thinks nothing wrong with milking Mike’s condition for a school project, which thankfully the teacher sees right through. Mike’s sister, Leigh (Katie Finneran, Wonderfalls), mooches off of him for an apartment, then complains when it’s in the basement. No one will sit down and eat together as a family. Everyone wants Mike out of the house during the day.

And that’s actually the problem with THE MICHAEL J. FOX SHOW: it’s just a normal family sitcom. There isn’t any special or notable about their interactions. School assignments, avoiding college, a broken dishwasher, sparring (then bonding) siblings, kids who thinks their father is lame; these are things faced in many others shows on the air, and this one handles them in much the same, familiar manner. It’s just like beloved classics like Everybody Loves Raymond, Full House, and Home Improvement.

I understand it is hard to find a fresh take on this genre at the moment, which so few have managed to do, but if it can’t be done, it shouldn’t be attempted. Fox is an accomplished performer with many great credits to his name, but this seems to be a waste of his talent. Perhaps the type of show he is most familiar with, Spin City and Family Ties, has just grown stale, and he needs to make a bigger departure, like he has during his recurring stint on The Good Wife these past years. The writing is just way too mediocre here.

Which is not to say that people won’t watch it. It does feel quite good to see Fox back in my living room, doing what he does best, even if the material is lackluster. He deserves a good show, and even if this isn’t it, perhaps it’s a stepping stone to something better. In the meantime, the novelty of his comeback combined with the sympathy many feel for him may just be enough to keep THE MICHAEL J. FOX SHOW going.

I would like to say I was impressed with what Betsy Brandt brings to the role of Mike’s wife, Annie, not necessarily because she stands out among the others, but because she blends in so well. Annie is nothing like Brandt’s recent role of Marie in the extremely popular series Breaking Bad, and so it’s cool to see that she can differentiate herself even in two characters that could potentially be very similar. She melds well with Fox and their television children.

THE MICHAEL J. FOX SHOW premieres Thursday, September 26^th on NBC.

I Hate My Teenage Daughter - "Pilot"

     FOX premiered I Hate My Teenage Daughter this week. In the "Pilot," Annie (Jaime Pressly, My Name is Earl) and Nikki (Katie Finneran, The Inside, Wonderfalls) are shocked to learn that their daughters, Sophie (Kristi Lauren) and MacKenzie (Aisha Dee, The Saddle Club), locked a handicap kid in the bathroom. When Annie's ex, Matt (Eric Sheffer Stevens, As the World Turns), Matt's brother, Jack (Kevin Rahm, Desperate Housewives, Mad Men), and Nikki's ex, Gary (Chad Coleman, The Wire), imply that the moms won't do anything about it, Annie gets it into her head to ban the girls from attending their first high school dance. A teary apology and explanation makes the moms have a change of heart, but when that is exposed as a lie, the parents go for the next best punishment: public humiliation. 

     I Hate My Teenage Daughter has a lot going for it. The concept, that Annie and Nikki were geeks, so they give their daughters everything they didn't have, only to see the girls turn into the type of mean bullies the moms hated, is interesting. Finneran is a fine actress, and Pressly is a comedy queen. Add to the mix Rahm and Coleman, and it's sure to be a hit. Plus, while the mean girl drama is prevalent on TV today, it's refreshing to see it told from the mother's perspective.

     Except it isn't. Not even close. The "Pilot" of I Hate My Teenager Daughter may just be the worst one so far this year, and in the last few years. There are a lot of problems, but the biggest is that Annie is the only good, fully developed character. Pressly struggle mightily to save the poor writing by giving some real layer to Annie. But she is surrounded by Finneran, who is reduced to mere slapstick goofiness, and Dee and Lauren, who come across as highly interchangeable stereotypes. If the series has any chance of doing well, all three other females need a serious make over, quick!

     Also, while divorce rates are high in America, and raising mean girls with women who are co-dependent on their best friend is surely tough, how come Annie and Nikki are both divorced? Gary seems like a decent father, so it's weird when nothing that went wrong between he and Nikki is expounded upon at all in "Pilot." Matt seems like a clueless loser, so Annie's split from him is more acceptable. However, the arrangement takes a turn when Annie clearly has feelings for Matt's brother. Yes, a woman could easily be attracted to two siblings. But the ick factor involved in wanting to date one's ex-brother-in-law trumps whatever sweet romance may lie in store, even if Jack acts as a better dad to Sophie than her actual one.

     The plot of the "Pilot" is actually pretty good, and sets up the series fine. It's culmination, when the girls are exposed as manipulative liars and the mothers dance terribly at the function is perfect. Too bad it's too little, too late. If I Hate My Teenager Daughter is to be good, there needs to be some growth in Nikki, and a determined effort by Annie and Nikki to fix the obvious problems with their daughter. Despite the bad "Pilot," and it is really bad, this series deserves a second chance because there is enormous potential with highly relatable material. Unfortunately, judging by most network television, it will squander such a chance.

     I Hate My Teenage Daughter airs Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. ET on FOX (for now).

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