Shrinking creators Bill Lawrence and Jason Segel on kind comedy and Michael J. Fox's return

Bill Lawrence and Jason Segel say Shrinking's third season opens with a wedding and leans into themes of forgiveness and empathy, and Michael J. Fox appears in a small role this season.

Shrinking, the therapy-centred comedy co-created by Bill Lawrence, Jason Segel and Brett Goldstein, has returned to Apple TV for a third season. The season opener begins with the wedding of Paul (Harrison Ford) and Julie and continues to focus on characters working through grief and reconciliation. Creators describe the show as intentionally kind and concise in its conflicts rather than extending tension for dramatic effect. Michael J. Fox appears in a brief role this season, which the creators say followed a chance conversation and felt like an affirmation of the show's portrayal of Parkinson's disease. Key points: - The third season opens with Paul and Julie getting married; Harrison Ford plays Paul. - The series emphasises forgiveness and empathetic characters, including Jimmy (Jason Segel) befriending Louis (Brett Goldstein) despite a shared tragic past. - Michael J. Fox has a small role this season, his first television appearance since 2020, and creators noted his involvement as meaningful to the show's depiction of Parkinson's. - Creator Bill Lawrence's earlier shows include Spin City and Scrubs; the Scrubs revival is scheduled to air on ABC (and CTV in Canada) later this month. Summary: The third season keeps Shrinking's focus on kind, character-driven comedy and uses personal experiences as inspiration for some storylines. Michael J. Fox's cameo was presented by the creators as a sign that the series is handling Parkinson's respectfully. The season is currently airing on Apple TV and related revival programming is set to appear on broadcast networks; Undetermined at this time.