Michael J. Fox: NBC is ‘crazy’ for giving him new sitcom

According to Michael J. Fox, the secret of his success lies in NBC being "crazy."

Appearing on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" this week, the 51-year-old Canadian actor discussed his new NBC series, which will see him return to television full time for the first time in 11 years. Fox famously quit his hit ABC sitcom "Spin City" after revealing he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

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In this week's interview, DeGeneres expressed surprise that NBC bought 22 episodes of Fox's as-yet-untitled comedy without even having seen a script.

"They're crazy," Fox replied. "It was a big leap of faith."

The new single-camera show has the Edmonton native playing a New York dad of three who not only must deal with his family and his career but also with Parkinson's.

After NBC announced that it had bought the series, network chairman Robert Greenblatt explained its decision, calling Fox "utterly relatable, optimistic, and in a class by himself."

Since leaving "Spin City" in 2001, Fox has appeared on the small screen numerous times, with guest appearances on "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and recurring roles on "Scrubs." He most recently played the conniving lawyer Louis Canning on the CBS drama "The Good Wife."

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The actor was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991 and founded the Michael J. Fox Foundation in 2000, which has since raised $300 million to help find a cure for the disease.

In May, Fox told ABC News that he planned to start acting regularly again after finding a new drug cocktail that controls his dyskinesia, the movement disorder caused by his disease.

"Once that had been tackled, I thought, 'There's no reason not to work,'" he said.

Fox's new show is set to premiere in fall 2013.