Breaking Bad's Betsy Brandt Joins Michael J. Fox's NBC Comedy

Pretty much any news that involves one of the regulars from Breaking Bad joining another TV show is good news. With Breaking Bad down to its last eight episodes this year, we'll hopefully be hearing more about the cast's future projects. For Betsy Brandt, it's a starring role in Michael J. Fox's new comedy series for NBC.

NBC has already given Fox's single-camera comedy project the green light for next fall. Inspired by his life, Fox stars as a husband and father of three living in New York City. In addition to the usual challenges of marriage and parenting, Fox's character Mike also has Parkinson's disease. The plot has him returning to work as a local news anchor after a new medication helps him deal with some of the side effects of his illness.

TVLine says Brandt will play Mike Barnaby's wife in the show. She's described as his "tough, blunt, deeply loyal wife of 20 years." Among some of her other characteristics, she doesn't like constantly being "celebrated as 'the rock'" in her husband's life, and she gets worked up over little things like people who steel parking spots or hog the armrest on the airplane. I like her already. (And I'm also wondering if any of these traits apply to Fox's real wife Tracy Pollan).

Brandt's fantastic, so this is great casting news. Breaking Bad fans know her as the sometimes-thieving but ultimately well-meaning Marie Schrader in the AMC drama. Her other TV credits include appearances in Parenthood, No Ordinary Family, Private Practice and Boston Legal. But it was the AMC drama that really shined a spotlight on her talent and now it looks like we'll be seeing even more of her after Breaking Bad wraps up this summer, when Fox's show debuts this fall.

In addition to Fox, Brandt joins Kate Finneran and Wendell Pierce in the cast of this new series.