The Michael J. Fox Show
American television sitcom (2013–2014)
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The Michael J. Fox Show is an American television sitcom starring Michael J. Fox, that aired on NBC from September 26, 2013, to January 23, 2014.[1][2] Fox made his regular return to television for the first time since he was on ABC's Spin City. It was his second NBC series, as he appeared on that network's sitcom Family Ties from 1982 to 1989 as Alex P. Keaton.
| The Michael J. Fox Show | |
|---|---|
.svg) | |
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Created by |
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| Starring | |
| Composer | Jeff Cardoni |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 22 (7 unaired in the U.S.) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 20 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | |
| Release | September 26, 2013 – January 23, 2014 |
On February 5, 2014, NBC pre-empted the series due to the 2014 Winter Olympics.[3] A representative for NBC later stated in regard to the show, "It's not cancelled. We are looking for a place on the schedule after April 3."[4] Despite this, the remaining episodes never aired in the U.S. and, on May 10, 2014, NBC officially cancelled the show after one season.[5] The remaining seven episodes were aired in Australia on Nine Network from March 12 to April 23, 2014.
Premise
After being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, Mike Henry had to give up his career as a news anchor for New York's WNBC and focus on his health and his family. Four years later, Mike decides to get back to work and struggles between family and career.
Cast and characters
Main
- Michael J. Fox as Michael "Mike" Henry
- Betsy Brandt as Annie Henry, Mike's wife
- Wendell Pierce as Harris Green, Mike's boss and best friend
- Katie Finneran as Leigh Henry, Mike's sister
- Juliette Goglia as Eve Henry, Mike's and Annie's daughter
- Conor Romero as Ian Henry, Mike's and Annie's elder son
- Jack Gore as Graham Henry, Mike's and Annie's younger son
- Ana Nogueira as Kay Costa, Mike's assistant
Recurring
- Anne Heche as Susan Rodriguez-Jones, Mike's coworker
- Jason Kravits as Doug, Mike's coworker
- Peter Vack as Andreas
- Brooke Shields as Deborah, Ian's girlfriend
- Craig Bierko as Bill, the Henrys' neighbor
- David Furr as Andy, the Henrys' doorman
- Alice Kremelberg as Reese, Ian's girlfriend (later ex)
Guest
- Tracy Pollan as Kelly, the Henrys' neighbor
- Christopher Lloyd as Principal McTavish, Annie's coworker
- Candice Bergen as Beth Henry, Mike and Leigh's mother
- Charles Grodin as Steve Henry, Mike and Leigh's father
- Richard Kind as Mr. Norwood, the Henrys' neighbor and a former mobster
- Vandit Bhatt as Kevin, Kay's ex-fiancé
- Sting as himself
- Chris Christie as himself
- Matt Lauer as himself
- Al Roker as himself
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | Prod. code | U.S. viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Pilot" | Will Gluck | Story by : Sam Laybourne & Will Gluck Teleplay by : Sam Laybourne | September 26, 2013 | 1001 | 7.50[6] |
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After retiring from working as a newscaster to focus on his health and to spend more time with his family, Mike Henry returns to work. Mike's daughter Eve makes a video project comparing the book The Grapes of Wrath to her father's returning to work. | ||||||
| 2 | "Neighbor" | Victor Nelli, Jr. | Lon Zimmet & Dan Rubin | September 26, 2013 | 1005 | 7.50[6] |
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Mike develops a crush on his new upstairs neighbor Kelly (Tracy Pollan, Fox's wife in real life), a newly divorced woman. Eve tries to become best friends with a girl (Alice Kremelberg) she thinks is a lesbian. Leigh pretends that Graham is her son to bond with other single mothers. | ||||||
| 3 | "Art" | Andrew Fleming | Amy Aniobi | October 3, 2013 | 1009 | 5.35[7] |
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Eve takes up nude photography, much to Mike and Annie's chagrin. Ian gets bad relationship advice from Harris, which Leigh tries to fix. Graham learns a technique to stay out of trouble. | ||||||
| 4 | "Hobbies" | Scott Ellis | Sam Laybourne | October 10, 2013 | 1002 | 3.86[8] |
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Mike and Annie try to get Graham into an afterschool hobby. Susan Rodriguez Jones (Anne Heche), a mean news reporter that Mike previously worked with, gets a job at WNBC. Ian and Leigh help Eve deal with a cyberbully. | ||||||
| 5 | "Interns" | Michael Patrick Jann | Emily Cutler | October 17, 2013 | 1007 | 3.56[9] |
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Eve gets an internship at WNBC working for Susan, which makes Mike jealous. Annie has a hard time telling Leigh that the teen novel that she is writing is terrible. With help from Graham, Ian interviews potential interns for his new upstart business. | ||||||
| 6 | "Teammates" | John Fortenberry | Ben Wexler | October 24, 2013 | 1003 | 3.76[10] |
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After Mike has apologized to a rude stranger for Annie's hot-headed behavior, she demands he be more of a team player. Harris hosts an office karaoke party. Leigh adopts a puppy with good intentions, but Eve is left in charge. Meanwhile, Ian, still stuck in Graham's tiny old bedroom, tries to convince his brother to switch back. | ||||||
| 7 | "Golf" | Fred Savage | Annie Mebane & Steve Basilone | October 31, 2013 | 1004 | 3.34[11] |
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Mike is asked to play in a charity golf tournament, so he and Annie decide to make it a romantic getaway weekend. Another celebrity golfer (Jason Jones) becomes the bane of his existence. The kids rent out their home to make money while their parents are gone. | ||||||
| 8 | "Bed Bugs" | Wendey Stanzler | Alex Reid | November 7, 2013 | 1006 | 3.45[12] |
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Mike's love for his sister, Leigh, is put to the test when a bed bug infestation forces her to move in with his family. Meanwhile, Eve has trouble getting out of a practical joke she's played on her brother Ian. | ||||||
| 9 | "Homecoming" | Tristram Shapeero | Maggie Bandur | November 14, 2013 | 1008 | 2.53[13] |
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Graham starts throwing away things his parents no longer use after they clear his room of toys that he no longer plays with. Ian plans for a high school dance instead of thinking of college. Eve tells Leigh a secret, which upsets Annie. | ||||||
| 10 | "Thanksgiving" | Alex Reid | Paul Mather | November 21, 2013 | 1010 | 2.89[14] |
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Mike's parents (Charles Grodin and Candice Bergen) visit for Thanksgiving, much to Leigh's, and later Annie's, discontent. Eve and Harris search for a can of cranberry sauce, finding out it's not as easy as it seems. | ||||||
| 11 | "Christmas" | Todd Holland | Ben Wexler | December 12, 2013 | 1012 | 3.00[15] |
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Mike and Annie compete to get each other the best Christmas gift. Eve thinks about converting to Judaism. Special guest: Sting. | ||||||
| 12 | "Party" | Eric Appel | Lelia Strachan | January 2, 2014 | 1011 | 2.50[16] |
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Mike throws a party for Harris to celebrate a journalism award, but he has to pretend Harris is engaged so his friends will attend. Meanwhile, Ian gets Eve to help him save Graham's party from Annie's overprotectiveness. | ||||||
| 13 | "Secret" | Michael Zinberg | Lon Zimmet & Dan Rubin | January 9, 2014 | 1013 | 3.11[17] |
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Mike's neighbor (Richard Kind) turns out to be a mobster on the lam who he has known for fifteen years. Harris and Leigh's relationship progresses. The kids try to find out what is in an owl the mobster neighbor left. | ||||||
| 14 | "Couples" | Ken Whittingham | Maggie Bandur | January 16, 2014 | 1014 | 1.99[18] |
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Mike and Annie befriend their new neighbors and Harris gets jealous. Eve pretends to have a very troubled family to impress a guy. Graham thinks Ian is a spy. | ||||||
| 15 | "Sochi" | Andrew Fleming | Paul Mather | January 23, 2014 | 1016 | 2.18[19] |
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Mike covers the Olympics. Eve joins a pageant. | ||||||
| 16 | "Surprise!"[20] | Jamie Sheridan | Steve Basilone & Annie Mebane | Unaired (United States) March 12, 2014 (Australia) | 1015 | N/A |
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Mike tries to surprise his sister on her birthday; Annie worries that a young teacher reciprocates Eve's crush. | ||||||
| 17 | "Co-op"[21] | Michael McDonald | Leila Strachan | Unaired (United States) March 19, 2014 (Australia) | 1017 | N/A |
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Mike enlists a neighbor to run against Annie for co-op president. Ian throws himself into work to recover from a recent breakup, while Leigh wonders how to approach her date with a literary agent. | ||||||
| 18 | "Biking"[22][23] | Andrew Fleming | Amy Aniobi | Unaired (United States) March 26, 2014 (Australia) | 1019 | N/A |
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While Mike teaches Graham to ride his bike for the first time, Ian is about to learn a thing or two from someone with a lot more experience. | ||||||
| 19 | "Health"[24] | John Fortenberry | Laura Kittrell | Unaired (United States) April 2, 2014 (Australia) | 1018 | N/A |
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It's a Back to the Future reunion, when Christopher Lloyd plays Annie's kooky new boss. | ||||||
| 20 | "Brandon"[25] | Scott Ellis | Sam Laybourne & Kristen Lange | Unaired (United States) April 9, 2014 (Australia) | 1020 | N/A |
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Mike and Annie try to keep Leigh from reuniting with an ex, Graham tricks Eve into spending more time with him, while Ian worries that an older woman only wants him for sex. | ||||||
| 21 | "Dinner"[26] | Victor Nelli, Jr. | Lon Zimmet & Dan Rubin | Unaired (United States) April 16, 2014 (Australia) | 1022 | N/A |
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While Mike and Annie are surprised by the age of the girlfriend that Ian brings home, Harris and Leigh struggle to be just friends and Eve experiments with marijuana. | ||||||
| 22 | "Changes"[27] | Andrew Fleming | Sam Laybourne & Alex Reid | Unaired (United States) April 23, 2014 (Australia) | 1021 | N/A |
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Annie and Eve square off when Ian plans to move out. Harris plans to propose to Leigh but hits a snag. | ||||||
Production and development
In August 2012, NBC gave a straight-to-series order for the series.[28]
Broadcast
In Australia, the series premiered on Universal Channel on January 15, 2014.[29]
Home media
On July 7, 2015, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released The Michael J. Fox Show - The Complete 1st Season on DVD in Region 1.[30]
Reception
Critical response
The show had a positive reception from critics, with many praising Michael J. Fox and Betsy Brandt's performances.[31][32] It was called one of six new shows to keep an eye on of the 2013-14 television season by Entertainment Weekly.[33] The New York Times found the show distinctly unfunny, remarking that something felt "off".[34]
In Australia the series premiered in double episodes, each scoring the highest rated overnight subscription television figures of the night (77,000 and 73,000 respectively).[35] However, successive episodes saw a significant drop in ratings.[36]
Awards and nominations
On June 25, 2013, the series was honored, along with five others, with the Critics' Choice Television Award for Most Exciting New Series. Fox was nominated for a Golden Globe.[37]