NBC Blew it with "The Michael J. Fox Show"

Have you seen Michael J. Fox's new, self-titled sitcom?  The one where he plays a guy with Parkison's disease?  Is it a dark humored, edgy comedy?  No.  It's Family Ties with Parkinson's disease.   And while that might be a funny SNL parody skit,  when fleshed to a half hour, it is dreadful.

Watching Michael J. struggling to hold it together while spitting out trite punchlines is too painful to watch.   He is trying his best, but let's face it - his situation is not funny.  I kept thinking, "Why is he doing this?"

Because he's an actor! 

As I considered that, I realized the problem is not with the actor, but with the program.   He was placed in the wrong vehicle.  Here's my suggestion, NBC.  When you're ready to revamp, e-mail me:

Michael J. Fox plays half of a private detective team.  His deductive powers are sharp as ever, despite his debilitating disease.  Larry David is his partner.  Or Tracy Morgan. Or insert funny actor here.  They're retired cops, both divorced, their personal lives a wreck - a bit Jim Rockford, a bit Gregory House.  Partnering Fox up would take some of the work load off of him, and give him a sidekick to play off.  But the show itself is NOT a comedy, but an old-fashioned detective, who-done-it like Columbo.  There would be comedic interaction between Fox and his partner, but the plots are straight.  Maybe they improv a little.  But none of that sitcom banter.

Going with a mystery format will take even more of the load off of Fox as far as screen time goes, as characters involved in the mystery are established, and the murder is set up for the viewers.

Ideally, the audience gets sucked into solving the mystery at home, enjoying the chemistry between two detectives, one of which, incidentally, has Parkinson's disease.    

That's my pitch.

-Steve