NBC’s Michael J. Fox Comedy Casts ‘Treme’s’ Wendell Pierce

With Treme coming to a close, co-star Wendell Pierce has found his next gig.

The actor, who plays Antoine Batiste on the HBO New Orleans-set drama, has joined the cast of NBC’s upcoming Michael J. Fox series, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

Inspired by the former Family Ties actor’s life, NBC ordered 22 episodes of the untitled single-camera comedy starring Fox as a husband and father of three from New York City dealing with family, career and challenges — including Parkinson’s disease.

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Fox will play Mike Burnaby, a former lead anchor at a local station in New York City who decides to go back to work after Parkinson’s forced him to take time off. Pierce will play Harris Green, Mike’s close friend and old boss at WNBC’s 5 O’Clock News. He’s described as being perennially single who is proud that he’s dodged settling down. He’s got a good heart underneath his ratings-concerned, status-driven exterior who would rather be enjoying an outdoor hobby than doing anything else.

The comedy hails from Sony Pictures Television, with Arrested Development and Cougar Town scribe Sam Laybourne on board as a writer. Easy A director Will Gluck is on board to executive produce and direct the project, from Gluck’s Olive Bridge Entertainment. Olive Bridge’s Richard Schwartz will co-exec produce, with Gluck directing the pilot. 

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Production on the Fox comedy is due to begin soon for a fall 2013 premiere.

Pierce, repped by Paradigm and Essential Talent, also starred on The Wire. Production on the five-episode fourth and final season of Treme started in November.

Email: Lesley.Goldberg@thr.com; Twitter: @Snoodit