The actor quit political comedy Spin City in 2000 when the symptoms of his Parkinson’s worsened and semi-retired from acting.
During his time away from the screen he founded the Michael J. Fox Foundation, which is dedicated to finding a cure for sufferers of Parkinson’s disease while ensuring the development of improved therapies and raising public awareness of Parkinson’s.
He has also written three NY Times best-sellers: Lucky Man: A Memoir, Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future.
Although in recent years he has made appearances in Boston Legal and The Good Wife, his new untitled series is his first major role since Spin City.
In the new series Fox will play a husband and father of three dealing with family, career, and challenges – including Parkinson’s.
The show will air in the US on NBC, the network on which Fox first rose to stardom as Alex P. Keaton in Family Ties.
“To bring Michael J. Fox back to NBC is a supreme honor and we are thrilled that one of the great comedic television stars is coming home again,” said Robert Greenblatt, Chairman of NBC Entertainment..
“From the moment we met with Michael to hear his unique point of view about this new show, we were completely captivated and on board. He is utterly relatable, optimistic, and in a class by himself, and I have no doubt that the character he will create – and the vivid family characters surrounding him – will be both instantly recognizable and hilarious. Being in business with him is a supreme pleasure.”
“I’m extremely pleased to be back at NBC with a great creative team and a great show,” said Fox. “Bob Greenblatt and all the folks at the network have given me a warm welcome home, and I’m excited to get to work.”
The series will be executive produced by Will Gluck (Friends with Benefits) and Sam Laybourne (Cougar Town) and will begin filming this year for transmission next year.