Mike Henry (Michael J Fox) is a multi Emmy award winning news anchor who after 20 years bowed out due to the onset of Parkinson's. He has spent the last five years directing his undivided attention towards his family, and he's been driving them nuts. An opportunity arises for him to return to work and his family are all for it. The city loves him and even after five years he's stopped on the street for photos and handshakes. The path to his return is greased by his family and friends and he slides back in as if he'd never left.

It could be easy to see this as a forced vehicle to allow Michael J Fox to get back onto TV but that would be so short-sighted as to be a crime. The series is co-created by Will Gluck, director of Easy A and the upcoming Annie remake, who also directs the pilot episode.

Obviously developed for, and with Michael J Fox the series and jokes don't just focus on his Parkinson's but the ones that do aren't cheap and are genuinely funny; they are honest and the years MJF has been vocal and in the spotlight regarding Parkinson's lets us comfortably in.

The pilot is tight, exposition is skilfully peppered and the characters realised enough that you get a feel for all of them and the cohesion of the family unit. Wendell Pierce (Treme, The Wire) plays Mike's boss and is so solid he's wonderful to watch playing off MJF.

Michael J Fox is fantastic and thanks to advancements in Parkinson's drugs over the last 5 or so years it has not stopped him. His comic timing is as taut as it always was and the magic in his eyes, where so much of his performance lay, still sparkles.

The show is called the Michael J Fox show for a reason. Michael J Fox is back and TV has been less without him.