Michael J. Fox and Betsy Brandt of NBC's "The Michael J. Fox Show"
TV stars might not want to hear this, but the dramatized version of their lives is rarely as interesting to the rest of us as it is to them.
That said, Michael J. Fox could be among the handful who can make it work.
“The Michael J. Fox Show,” which marks his welcome return to a regular network series, isn’t an instant classic.
But it does a lot of things right. It recognizes that humor comes from characters we like, not vice versa, so it starts by creating and building those characters.
Fox plays Mike Henry, a former New York TV newsman who retired after he was diagnosed with Parkinsons.
He’s now at home with his supportive and likable if quirky family. Betsy Brandt plays his wife, Annie, joined by Katie Finneran, Conor Romero, Jack Gore and Juliette Goglia.
Wendell Pierce plays Harris Green, Mike’s boss at his old job.
The setup, as Fox fans would expect, is traditional family comedy, good-natured and mercifully light on cheap sex jokes. Parkinson’s is on the table from the beginning, treated with a “hey, it’s here, what are you gonna do?” attitude.
When it takes Mike forever to pass the food at dinner, someone eventually just grabs it from him before everyone starves.
The initial story line has everyone subtly pushing Mike to return to work, Harris because he wants him back and the family because Mike is driving them nuts with his nervous energy and micromanagement.
The material could wear thin here. But it could also get richer as we get to know these folks better. With Fox leading a strong cast, his new show has a better than average shot.
dhinckley@nydailynews.com
No comments:
Post a Comment