THE THIRD MICHAEL J. FOX SHOW

[MyownPOV]

BEING A TV WRITER AND HAVING PARKINSONS, I WAS ROOTING FOR MJF TO PULL IT OFF. IT'S A DELICATE BALANCE TO PORTRAY A PERSON WITH A VERY VISABLE MOTOR PROBLEM ESPECIALLY MJF WHO WE ALL KNOW IS A GOOD GUY. TONIGHT I WATCHED THE THIRD EPISODE AND I'M SORRY TO SAY IT DIDN'T WORK. HIS BODILY MOVEMENTS ARE SO PRONOUNCED THAT THE INTENDED HUMOR OF THE SCENE GETS LOST. IT'S TOUGH ENOUGH TO WRITE A COMEDY. SOME PEOPLE WHO WATCHED THE SHOW PROBABLY FELT SORRY FOR MR FOX - I FELT SORRY FOR HIS WRITERS.

[shall1019]

I'm rooting, too but the program isn't very interesting. It's using themes that have been done so many times before.

[isis6361]

Does any of this do anything for Parkinson's? Or improve people's understanding of the condition? Or is it all just to be laughed at? Would it provoke more rearing? More funding? More people wishing to know about it?

[Hikoi in reply to isis6361]

Havent viewed it as not available here yet but yes i am all for any and all oportunities which get the public talking about Parkinsons. The show cant possibly be all things to all people but we live with the second most common neurological condition and yet who even knows about it. I dont care about content or purpose of the show, i want us to be visible, to be noticed, we are here and we are not just old people. Thanks MJF for striving to keep us in the public view.

[soup in reply to Hikoi]

I caught a few episodes while in Montreal. I enjoyed the show but I couldn't tell when it paused for a commercial break because everything seemed to be spoken at the same level of excitedness. I suppose that was due to the setting being in a newsroom. I shall reserve my critical skills for when it comes to the UK and is set differently.

However, I agree that Parkinson's needs to be made visible as so many people with the condition shrink away and become isolated. Somebody who can embrace publicity is OK by me.

[jonroberts]

Unfortunately, I don't see the MJF Show renewing for next season. I'm not a fan of the "Seinfeld" type humor. The last episode featured their teenage daughter photographing male nudes and then Mom posed new. Very unrealistic! Good opportunity for a teaching moment ignored by the writers! Be more real on the episode topics.

[Writer]

I too, was hoping that MJF's show would do well. I found his physical movements and his lack of facial expression really interfered with what the writers were intending to create as comedy. I also had trouble hearing all of his dialogue. I wish him well, he's a great advocate for Parkinson's and seems to be an all around nice person.

[PatV]

I can't believe the negative feedback from the PD community. This is the last time I'm going to chime in on the subject. I think it's great based on how well he did on the Larry David show, the Good Wife and Rescue Me. Ida thunk we'd support one of our own. Henceforth, no comment!

[MyownPOV in reply to PatV]

one of the criteria of good writing is to make your character fully fleshed out, like a real person would be, 3 dimensional. i thought MJF's character was one dimensional - his bodily movements buried any other character traits he tried to show. i hope they work it out. Admitedly, 3 episodes is not enough.

[judam9]

but it's supposed to teach the general public, and it isn't. they still don't know what parkinson's is. i have it , and i'm not sure i understand it.

i love michael j. fox. i really do, maybe it's time to get a little more serious about it. he still is number one on the list for me. but the show is so spotty. he's there and then he isn't . thanks mike for all you have done for the people with parkinson's . if it weren't for you , none of us would know about parkinson's. and having this group of experts whom i never would have known, have been extremely helpful. love you,

[MyownPOV in reply to judam9]

Ditto for me too. God Bless MJF. He's a wonderful giving human being, but Parkinsons as a sitcom didnt work for me. Perhaps as a drama it would work perfectly.

[arwenmark in reply to judam9]

Where did you get the idea that it is suppose to teach the public about PD? That was a hoped side affect of the show not the Main intension of it.

[isis6361]

The recent Montreal world Parkinson's conference was attended by over two thousand PWP and families . It was amazing and lead by them especially younger onset . It changed lives thoughts and beliefs more than any conference before. People are listening being made to look and see through Parkinson's movement

[MyownPOV]

I can see Mr. Fox as the Tony Shalub-like character, Monk. He can use the parkinson's symptoms to help solve crimes and catch terrorists and bank robbers.

Now thats a premise that can teach viewers about PD. When the producers realize

that i'm right, and need a writer who has Parkinsons............I'm right here.

[GregKS]

Like PatV, I also don't understand some of the comments here. Both Fox and I were diagnosed several years ago at young ages, (I'm older by about 5 years), so maybe its because I understand a little more of the humor used and especially appreciate what a young family goes through when the disease starts showing up and is diagnosed while some children still live at home. (Neither my mother or my mother-in-law liked it very much, but my wife and both of my sons loved it! Maybe the 4 of us just WANT to really love the show, but I think its more than that.) It may not be the most clever or original comedy ever produced and sometimes Fox is a little hard to understand (so am I at times), but I still laughed a ton and no other show has had the main character with the disease. And though PD hasn't yet been the main point in the first 3 shows, there have been moments that were SO real, I think it in fact gives a realistic view without making it sound like a death sentence. For example, in the episode where the daughter is making the video for a class project and at the end tells the audience about some of the realities for her dad...and the family...WOW!) For me...perfect balance of humor and a dose of reality. I'm personally tired of "How are you feeling?" or "I'm sorry" because of PD. Maybe if this show doesn't get canceled and stays on for several seasons, more people will get comfortable and won't be so afraid to ask me questions instead waiting until I'm out of earshot and asking my wife, "How is he REALLY doing?" Well...even though I'm doing pretty good after 10 years, it still sucks. But reality is...EVERYONE has or will have their thing that does hit and I'm better off than many! That's life...it's what you do after the "thing"...WHATEVER it is. Fox's show puts this in the right perspective for me.