But as seen in the pilot, this isn't a show about a man's struggle with Parkinson's disease. It's a show about a man who's trying to balance family, work, and the quirky cast of characters in his life, and that man just happens to have Parkinson's disease. And while it's certainly a decision-maker for him—the fear of his tremors on live television is what initially encouraged him to retire from being a news anchor—you can't really say that the show is about Parkinson's and its effect on a family. It's just about the family.
The storyworld surrounding Mike Henry is one of warmth and good intentions. People stop Mike on the street because they miss his presence on TV. They try to commune with him by recounting their tales of family members with degenerative disorders (even if they're not remotely related to Parkinson's). When his family sneakily convinced him to go back to work—because his idleness in retirement was driving them crazy, no less—the news stories were about things like budget misappropriation (and a fire). Thankfully, and this has to be by design, there is such a lack of pity from those closest to Mike that you start to not even notice it. Generally, people are behaving themselves and treating him like the person he is and not the disease he exhibits.
Beyond the unconventional lead character, the rest of the cast is basic sitcom fare. Betsy Brandt sheds the purple anxiety of (Marie Schrader in Breaking Bad) for Annie, a more self-assured and sarcastic better half to Mike. There's the college-aged son who's living at home (and trying to start his own search engine), a high-school age daughter blossoming into womanhood, and a precocious youngest son. Annie's best friend and aunt to the Henry children (Katie Finneran from Wonderfalls!) is your typical trainwreck type. And Mike's work family is just as warm (and typical of the family comedy genre), with Wendell Pierce (The Wire, Treme, Suits)as its centerpiece in the role of Harris, Mike's best friend and boss. The plot is standard sitcom fare. There's potential for growth in all these areas, but there are currently no surprises here. Although the story of Mike Henry making a comeback after taking a break from the spotlight is fitting.
And I don't say any of that in an effort to turn you off. Just because the show isn't an innovation doesn't mean it won't be sharply written or heartwarming or entertaining. Michael J. Fox is fun to watch, tremors and all. I'm glad to have him on my TV screen and, even if the plot doesn't focus on Mike Henry's Parkinson's, the show does offer a different perspective from the rest of TV. I'm looking forward to more.
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