Michael J. Fox's ABC Special Airs Thursday Night

Those of us who grew up in the ‘80’s have a special place for Michael J. Fox in our hearts. Not only did he grace the small screen in Family Ties, playing Alex P. Keaton (resident republican and household black-sheep), but also played the heroic (that’s right, I said heroic) Marty McFly in Back to the Future. As we all know, Fox is living with Parkinson’s disease and in addition to continuing to do a little bit of acting work here and there, he’s also served as a sort of spokesman for the disease. His positive attitude about his life as it is now is truly inspirational, so it’s fitting that Fox would be starring in his own ABC special, set to air this Thursday, called Michael J. Fox: Adventures of an Incurable Optimist.

The special will air this Thursday (May 7th) at 10:00 PM and will feature Fox as he travels across the globe to explore the enduring strength of hope. Fox will talk to various people, including celebrities about optimism in general. Given the state of the economy, I’m sure there are plenty of us who could use a good dose of optimism.

Check out these video clips from the special: