With Breaking Bad ending its run this summer, we have to start to think about the future for the rest of the cast. NO ONE is likely to ever top their stint on Vince Gilligan’s drama, so we’ll all invariably be a little letdown by their next projects (see, e.g., the entire cast of The Wire). I’m guessing Aaron Paul will go into feature films, Bryan Cranston will move behind the camera for a few years, Anna Gunn will land a premium cable drama, and Dean Norris will probably end up some chucklehead on a bad sitcom. So it goes. But at least we know where Betsy Brandt is going, and there is no surer bet than the sitcom role she has landed.
From Deadline:
Brandt is set as the female lead opposite Michael J. Fox on his NBC comedy, which has a 22-episode order for a fall 2013 launch. The single-camera comedy, from Sony Pictures TV and producer-director Will Gluck (Easy A), is inspired by Fox’s real life and stars him as Mike Burnaby, a husband and father of three in New York City juggling the challenges of family and career while dealing with Parkinson’s disease. A former lead anchor for a local NY station, Mike decides to go back to work after Parkinson’s forced him to take time off.
Who is not going to watch that show? It may end up being as mediocre as Matthew Perry’s Go On (although, with Will Gluck behind it, I suspect it’ll be better), but Michael J. Fox is the most likable guy in the history of television. I will watch that sitcom purely out of loyalty to Michael J. Fox, and if it’s good, all the better. What I guarantee, however, is that it gets huge ratings, and lasts at least a few seasons, probably long enough to get a syndication deal (Michael J. Fox is already 2 for 2 in the sitcom department). Basically, Betsy Brandt has just landed a role that will ensure she will retire comfortably, reaping syndication royalties from both Breaking Bad and Michael J. Fox’s sitcom for the rest of her life.
Also, if you need any further proof of how awesome Michael J. Fox is, look no further than this piece, where Michael J. Fox confirms that he wouldn’t want his son to date Taylor Swift.
(Source: Deadline)
…”so we’ll all invariably be a little letdown by their next projects (see, e.g., the entire cast of The Wire).”
You must not have seen Luther with Idris Elba. It’s pretty damn good.
I’ll second this.
Thirded!
You must not know what “next” means.
Where’s a “Peter griffin gets hypnotized by breaking bad” gif when you need it
That was precisely what I thought when I read that sentence. I wasn’t going to comment but seeing as how there’s a nice Luther party here, I thought I’d slip in the back and steal some beer while no one was watching.
Chalky White would like to have a word with you. Something about building bookcases…
Oh snap
The fact that Mr J Fox expects Ms Swift’s song about his son to be called “Sam, you piece of shit” just earned him, like, ninety cool points. Which puts him at about one million and ninety.
Michael J. Fox shouldn’t be a former news anchor dealing with Parkinson’s. He should be a former assassin with Parkinson’s who can’t snipe people from a mile away anymore, now he has to get up close and BADA BING blow their brains out all over their nice Ivy League suits.
I would watch every episode of this show four times, then buy copies of the boxed set for everyone I know.
Same here.
Bonus points if there’s a scene where he’s slitting someone’s throat and has an attack. That would be fucking BRUTAL. Brutal and Awesome.
That is a beautiful idea.
Is it too late to get NBC on the horn? Dammit that’s brilliant, anybody got a horn?
Holy shit, this sounds like an amazing show.
You’ve got two more years to develop hoverboard technology. If it doesn’t happen, I’m coming for you Michael!
Aaron Paul is already squandering his post Breaking Bad potential. whoever his agent is that convinced him it would be a good idea to star in the Need For Speed movie should be fired.
It may have just been a paycheck movie. *shrugs*
This does not make me more likely to watch the Michael J. Fox show. In fact, it makes it less likely.
Not sure if it’s the character or the actress but I can’t stand her. My wife finally told me “I understand your feelings but if you could just limit calling her an annoying cunt to once per episode that’d be great.”
I am also only allowed to point out her weird mouth once per episode (sometimes I slip an extra c-word in there on that one because marriage is a give and take).
With your inabilities to differentiate fantasy from reality, and control what comes out of your mouth, your wife must be pretty giving.
Not being able to tell whether it is the performance or the person giving it that is irritating is not the same as being unable to differentiate fantasy from reality.
I don’t know why I can’t stand her but I can’t, and I don’t think I will be able to watch her in anything else without finding her grating.
Marie is annoying, but I’ve never found Betsy Brandt to be any less than completely charming, in BB commentaries and other featurettes, and the Nerdist vs. Breaking Bad bowling video.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen her in anything else (at least not that I recall) which also impacts my ability to isolate my distaste.
I heart Betsy Brandt and Michael J. Fox. I look forward to it.
She was one of the worst actors on the show, Michael J Fox hasn’t been super great in recent years, but he doesn’t deserve to be partnered up with an awful actress in an awful-sounding comedy.