What would NBC do, baby, without Michael J. Fox?

Three decades after Family Ties’ debut on the Peacock network, NBC bypassed the pilot process altogether and ordered 22 episodes of a new semi-autobiographical family sitcom starring the former Alex P. Keaton.

Written by Cougar Town scribe Sam Laybourne and produced by Will Gluck (The Loop), the New York-based single-camera comedy — which sparked a heated bidding war among nearly all the major broadcast networks — will find Fox playing a husband and father of three dealing with family, career, and challenges (including Parkinson’s) all loosely based on the actor’s life.

“To bring Michael J. Fox back to NBC is a supreme honor and we are thrilled that one of the great comedic television stars is coming home again,” said NBC president Robert Greenblatt in a statement. “From the moment we met with Michael to hear his unique point of view about this new show, we were completely captivated and on board. He is utterly relatable, optimistic, and in a class by himself, and I have no doubt that the character he will create — and the vivid family characters surrounding him — will be both instantly recognizable and hilarious. Being in business with him is a supreme pleasure.”

Added Fox: “I’m extremely pleased to be back at NBC with a great creative team and a great show. Bob Greenblatt and all the folks at the network have given me a warm welcome home, and I’m excited to get to work.”

This will mark Fox’s first full-time series gig since he passed the Spin City reins on to Charlie Sheen in 2000.