First Impressions: The Michael J. Fox Show ‘Pilot’/’Neighbor’ – This Never Happens to Aquaman

At times, it feels like The Michael J. Fox Show wants to be NBC’s Modern Family – without the racial stereotypes, of course – and while there’s nothing wrong with that per se, it’s clear there is a smarter, subtler show underneath the two episodes that premiered on NBC tonight. It has moments to shine through in both ‘Pilot’ and ‘Neighbor’, particularly when it’s focusing on the marriage at the heart of the show between Mike and Annie Henry (played by MJF and Betsy Brandt, respectively). The rest of it needs some tweaking (and I could do without the faux-documentary format the show shoves into the ends of both episodes), but there’s certainly potential for this show to grow through its already-guaranteed 22-episode freshman season.

The big hook to The Michael J. Fox show is that it is MJF’s return to network comedy, and a show that deals with his Parkinson’s disease as a living entity. And the show does a great job with it, both using it to comedic effect and treating it as part of everyday life (his life basically revolves around his pill schedule, which affects his behavior and allows him to control some of the shaking that comes with Parkinson’s). It doesn’t feel like the gimmick one might expect it to feel like, even in the awkward B-plot of the pilot, which sees his daughter Eve (Juliette Goglia, in a role I fully expect her to own when the writers figure her out) learning some handy life lessons about herself when making a video for class about her father (trying to tie it to Grapes of Wrath, a joke the show kind of bails on when it goes for the preachy voiceovers and camera testimonials.

Although both episodes are really rough with their minor characters (the two sons of the family are not very well written yet, as is Mike’s sister Leigh, who doesn’t really have a place in the show), the first two episodes hit their stride with Mike and Annie’s relationship. Brandt and Fox are both terrific, and their chemistry on-screen overshadows a lot of heavy-handed testimonial scenes (a gimmick the show needs to drop immediately). The pilot’s plot is particularly clever: with Annie the working parent, the pilot watches as Mike struggles with empty nest syndrome, unable to gather his busy family around the table for one meal that happens sitting down. I could do without Mike’s voice over explaining what the scene means in the grand scheme of life, but there are moments of nuance proceeding both episode’s resolutions that suggest a better show waiting past the first few episodes, which naturally have to go out of their way to define themselves to appease networks and attract audiences (Wendell Pierce is also fantastic as Mike’s co-worker and resident ladies man, like a clean version of the bunk: but then again, I’ll watch Wendell in anything and love him).

It’s not a guarantee that The Michael J. Fox Show will figure out its rhythms and realize that overwrought dialogue does not make for a pleasant, emotionally poignant resolution – but what’s life if we can’t live it with a little bit of hope. MJF has a number of solid elements working for it – great cast, lots of support from NBC, comedic writing that doesn’t need to try hard or pander to be funny – it just feels like a work in progress right now (‘Neighbor’ in particular is a pretty hot mess until the last five minutes or so). But it’s confident, funny, and heartfelt: and at the end of the day, these are the most important components in a family comedy, right?

‘Pilot’ – B

‘Neighbor’ – C

The Michael J. Fox Show

Created and written by Sam Laybourne & Will Gluck

Pilot directed by Will Gluck

Airs Thursday nights at 9pm on NBC