( CNN ) -- Michael J . Fox 's return to TV with NBC 's `` The Michael J . Fox Show '' is an exciting and inspiring move -- there 's no argument there . But will his decision help boost NBC 's comedy slate to its once-untouchable highs ? That 's a question with a less straightforward answer . After leaving TV over a decade ago to manage his escalating Parkinson 's disease , the 52-year-old industry icon has signed up for his first weekly starring role since `` Spin City . '' Instead of trying to work around Parkinson 's , he 's chosen to work with it : The premise of NBC 's new `` Fox Show '' has the actor portraying a New York news personality named Mike Henry , who also left TV due to Parkinson 's , but has made a recent return , much to his family 's relief . Michael J . Fox 's triumphant return to TV . Executive produced by Fox , Will Gluck , Sam Laybourne and Richard Schwartz , `` The Michael J . Fox '' show was easily one of the most anticipated debuts of the 2013 fall TV season . And yet , says The New York Times , `` it does n't take long to realize that something is off in 'The Michael J . Fox Show . ' `` The critic , Mike Hale , found `` very little '' in the show 's pilot episode that `` will force you to laugh . ... The show is more concerned with making ( Fox 's character ) a saint than it is with making him funny . '' The Hollywood Reporter said the show yields `` mixed results , '' and not only because the humor -- which includes jokes about Parkinson 's -- is uneven . `` The pilot is asking you to , in a sense , laugh at Parkinson 's jokes and the man suffering from its effects . The unspoken agreement is that if it 's fine with Fox , then it should be fine with you . But that does n't make it any less uncomfortable , '' THR said . `` It 's clear that tone and direction on 'The Michael J . Fox Show ' have n't been completely worked out yet . What is n't clear is what the audience reaction will be -- especially when patience needs to be the primary one . '' If you disagree with that assessment of the pilot 's comedy , Time magazine 's James Poniewozik is right there with you . The `` ways in which the comedy uses his experience , irreverently but not snarkily , is by far the most remarkable part of the show , '' Poniewozik said . `` The problem with 'The Michael J . Fox Show ' is how unremarkable everything else in it is . '' Given how strong Fox is as an actor , fans should n't lose hope with the series as it finds its voice . `` The Michael J . Fox Show '' does use the same documentary-style approach that shows like `` The Office '' have used to success , which means many critics felt it was trying too hard to be like ABC 's critically acclaimed `` Modern Family . '' With patience , though , `` The Michael J . Fox Show '' may be able to stand out in its own right . `` The best part about 'The Michael J . Fox Show ' is Michael J . Fox , who is still as sharp , sarcastic and on-point as ever , '' critiques E ! . `` That 's what makes this show so likable , even though the jokes about his Parkinson 's might make some viewers uneasy . ... ( I ) f the show can figure out where that fits in , it 's golden . It 's striving to be 'Modern Family , ' when it should be working on highlighting its strengths . ''
Michael J . Fox returned to TV on Thursday night . He stars in the new NBC comedy `` The Michael J . Fox Show '' Critics had mixed feelings about the first few episodes . Fox is still great , but the series itself needs some work .