NBC’s launch of “The Michael J. Fox Show” was one of the fall’s biggest TV stories. It not only marked Michael J. Fox’s first starring series gig since “Spin City,” but also his first headlining TV role since the onset of his Parkinson’s disease, which has been incorporated into the sitcom’s storyline.
NBC, anticipating big things, gave the show a full-season order, sight unseen, and programmed it on Thursday nights at 9:30, following “Parks & Recreation.”
Thus far, “The Michael J. Fox Show” has struggled to find an audience, averaging 4.4 million viewers each week, while adding roughly 1.4 million viewers per episode via “Live+7” numbers (DVR viewership, etc.). While that brings the number to nearly 6 million weekly viewers, it’s mediocre at best. Insiders point to the fact that the sitcom is, on average, building on its adults 18-49 numbers — so important to advertisers — and that it’s the only 9:30 p.m. network comedy to do so thus far, season-to-date. Still, you have to wonder if NBC has considered moving “The Michael J. Fox Show” to a different timeslot, a different night or both — where it might benefit from a stronger lead-in. (Network officials are mum.)
The next original episode of “The Michael J. Fox Show,” entitled “Christmas,” airs Thursday, Dec. 12. Betsy Brandt, Wendell Pierce, Katie Finneran, Juliette Goglia and Conor Romero co-star.
Graham gives the skinny
If “MasterChef” judge Graham Elliot looks a lot slimmer on the Fox series these days, that’s because he’s dropped a ton of weight — after embarrassing his son, Mylo, at his kindergarten field day. “Some kids put a soccer ball under their shirts saying, ‘Look, I’m Mylo’s dad!’ ” Elliot tells People magazine in its Dec. 4 issue. “Seeing how embarrassed my son got was a slap in the face. I thought, ‘I need to get this fixed.’”
Elliot, 36, underwent a sleeve gastrectomy last July, in which 80 percent of his stomach was removed — and he’s since shed 123 pounds.
Last, but not least …
“Turbo Fast,” the first Netflix series for kids (it’s animated), premieres Dec. 24 . . . The “Soul Train Awards” snared nearly 4.6 million viewers Sunday on BET and Centric . . .Powerhouse agency APA has beefed up its newly launched physical production division with a team of new agents led by Jay Gilbert, Gil Harari, Matt Birch and Ralph Berge, to become one of the largest in the industry . . . Marianne Romano (Sony) is in town from LA.