NBC.... we have to talk. I know you guys have been struggling to recapture the glory days since Seinfeld left the throne and his steady ratings behind on Thursday nights. I had high hopes when I heard that Robert Greenblatt was hired to be the chairman for NBC entertainment. After all, this was the man who gave us gems like Dexter and Nurse Jackie and Californication when he was the head of programming at Showtime. So what's the deal with bringing Michael J Fox back into the fold as a mere punch line? He has Parkinson's I get it. The main thrust of the marketing campaign for Fox's new NBC show seems intent on using his physical ailments to get cheap laughs. First it was Fox standing there shaking like a leaf while trying to conduct a breakfast gathering with his latest TV family. Yuck yuck. This morning, another long promo surfaced. This one involves Fox trying to conduct a welcoming party for his NBC line up mate Sean Hayes. Hayes is seen standing there waiting for Fox to try put some sort of entree into his mouth. The promo ends with Hayes opining that he has more food on his face than in his mouth. Is this what NBC has come to? Is NBC so devoid of ideas that they have to green light a lazily written series that just wants to exploit someone's obvious disability? Is the new regime at NBC intent on pumping out comedies that are nothing but exploitive?
Maybe someone at NBC creative can develop another howler about a former Hollywood star trying to come back from a traumatic brain injury? Maybe the promos can center around this former star trying desperately to remember where they live? I know, maybe one of the promo's can play up the fact that this star with the brain injury can't find the NBC studio where the pitch is. Now that's just plain hilarious. ABC. CBS. FOX. You're. On. Notice.
It's not even the promos for Mister Fox's new show that bother me. It's the fact that NBC creative seems be to taking glee in using someone's disability as a punch line. Do we really need to shine a flashing light on the fact that Michael J Fox is being ravaged by Parkinson's disease? The first promo should've been enough. You got your laugh, move on. But hey, maybe NBC creative is onto something. Amanda Bynes is fair game, why doesn't NBC creative develop a show that makes light of the fact that she's quickly losing her mind? I see a promo ala Twelve Monkeys; Bynes walking around LA screaming at inanimate objects while flashing each passerby. Cue the NBC jingle and flash that peacock proudly, we have a winner. NBC equals genius.
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