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How NBC Won the Bidding War Over the New Michael J. Fox Comedy

Aug 21, 2012  •  Post A Comment

NBC made an offer that brought an end to the bidding war over a new comedy starring Michael J. Fox. NBC won the project, giving it a straight-to-series order, reports the Los Angeles Times’ Show Tracker.

Fox, 51, will star in a single-camera comedy that’s roughly based on his life: He will play a husband and father of three dealing with challenges including Parkinson’s, the story says.

As we reported last week, all four major broadcast networks were interested in the project and it was unclear whether any of them had an inside track. But NBC dramatically outbid its rivals for the program, reports Josef Adalian in New York Magazine.

The network also gave something that’s increasingly rare, Adalian notes: a 22-episode commitment before a pilot was filmed. NBC also agreed to tape the comedy in New York City, where Fox last taped his most recent full-time TV show, "Spin City." CBS was in the bidding until the last minute, with ABC and Fox dropping out earlier, according to Adalian.

The deal means a network reunion for Fox, who started out on NBC on "Family Ties" three decades ago.

"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,” NBC Entertainment Chairman Bob Greenblatt said in a statement.

Fox earned three Emmys and a Golden Globe for his work on "Family Ties," which ended in 1989 after seven seasons. He also starred in movies such as "Back to the Future." Fox has recently made guest appearances on show such as CBS’s "The Good Wife."

The new comedy is expected to debut in fall 2013.

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