Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Fox Fall Pilot Review: The Grinder - Premieres Tuesday, Sept. 29; TeenNick Launches The Splat Block with Classic Nick Series

Grandfathered

The Grinder - Tuesdays at 8:30PM ET/PT on Fox
Premieres Tuesday, September 29, 2015 at 8:30PM ET/PT


by Skees

Stewart Sanderson and his father are the perfect father-son team when it comes to running their law office. They also have the experience and hard work to back them up. But things abruptly change when Stewart's brother Dean (who decided to become an actor instead of a lawyer, though he played one on TV) rolls into town following the cancellation of his hit series. Things change even more when Dean decides that he too wants in on the family business, and that he knows how to be a lawyer because he played one on TV... and he is going to become part of that family business whether Stewart likes it or not.

Cast Details:

Rob Lowe as Dean Sanderson, Jr.
Fred Savage as Stewart Sanderson
Mary Elizabeth Ellis as Debbie Sanderson
William Devane as Dean Sanderson, Sr.
Hana Hayes as Lizzie Sanderson
Connor Kalopsis as Ethan Sanderson

Rob Lowe (Dean Sanderson, Jr.) is an established star with appearances in films such as The Outsiders, St. Elmo's Fire, and Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, but he has also had plenty of supporting roles in series such as The West Wing, Brothers & Sisters, and Parks and Recreation. He also starred in the short-lived series The Lyon's Den, where he played an attorney.

Fred Savage (Stewart Sanderson) is best known as Kevin Arnold from The Wonder Years. He also appeared in the films Little Monsters and The Wizard. In recent years, he hasn't been doing quite as much acting, and has shifted his focus to directing TV series, where he has directed episodes of series such as Modern Family, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, 2 Broke Girls, and many other series. However, he did appear in the short-lived sitcom Crumbs.

Mary Elizabeth Ellis (Debbie Sanderson) is best known for her role on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. She also appeared as a regular in the NBC series Perfect Couples.

William Devane (Dean Sanderson, Sr.) is best known for his role of Greg Sumner on the long-running primetime soap opera Knots Landing. After that series ended, he starred alongside Judith Light in the ABC sitcom Phenom. He also appeared in short-lived sitcoms including The Michael Richards Show and Crumbs (another series in which he played the father of a character played by Fred Savage).

Natalie Morales (Claire) is best known for her roles in The Middleman, White Collar, and Parks and Recreation.

Hana Hayes (Lizzie Sanderson) is a 16 year old actress who has appeared in Criminal Minds, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Mercy, and Grey's Anatomy.

Connor Kalopsis (Ethan Sanderson) has appeared in several episodes of Days of Our Lives.

Pilot Plot:

"Pilot" (Airs September 29 at 8:30PM ET)

Dean Sanderson Jr. plays the lead role of a powerful attorney in the fictitious series The Grinder, but the series has ended after a long run, and now he finds himself back in his hometown in Idaho. Back home, his father and brother are attorneys, but not necessarily the best, as they prefer to settle cases out of court to avoid having to go to trial. Now, Dean wants in on the family business, and he is convinced that he can get the job done perfectly while aggressively fighting cases in the courtroom... based solely upon his experience from playing an attorney on television.

Analysis:

So many series that are out there these days are just a new look at a series that existed before it. A nice thing about this series is that it is something sort of fresh and new. That can often tend to be risky when developing a series, since there haven't been any similar series with proven success, but fortunately, this series has a cast that will at least garner some attention at the beginning.

The pilot is funny, but the comedy is by no means a fast-paced "big laughs" comedy. There is a lot of subtle humor and things are rather slow-paced, but there is enough comedy in the mix that you know that you're watching a sitcom. The biggest laughs in the pilot came from Dean's action in the courtroom as an attorney... or at least playing his role in real life.

I really like the cast, and the roles are cast perfectly. In particular, Rob Lowe's character of Dean reminds me quite a bit of his role as Chris Traeger on Parks & Recreation, in the sense that he is a sort of cartoonish person living a different reality from everybody else around him. Fred Savage is perfect in his role of Stewart, playing the guy with great book smarts (but not so much street smarts). The remainder of the cast didn't seem to have a chance flourish much in the pilot, which is understandable since the stars are the two brothers, but from what was seen in the pilot, everybody seemed to be well cast.

One thing I have to wonder about, though, is that if this series is a hit, how long will Rob Lowe want to stick around? He has been lucky enough to have roles on three hit series so far, and he has left all of them before they ended. Maybe things will be different here since he is essentially the star of this series (he wasn't on the other three) and since he is executive producer, but of course, the series would first have to prove to be a success before we can even think about this.

Conclusion:

It's hard to make any strong conclusions about this particular series based upon the first episode. I sort of liked the pilot, but it isn't clear yet exactly where the series is headed. In particular, I wonder how the series will deal with the fact that Dean isn't a real lawyer. It seems that in order for the series to proceed and for him to truly play his role, he'll have to become a lawyer, but some of the comedy in the pilot came from the fact that he wasn't a lawyer.

This isn't really a flashy show, but it sort of has the charm that seems like it could work for the Fox lineup. The nice thing about having previously-established cast is that it will at least give the show some attention for the first episode or two and will be given a fair chance by fans before the future is decided.

Final Numbers (out of 5 stars):

Watchability: 3.5/5
Funniness: 2.5/5
Overall: 3/5

Discuss the show after you watch it on Tuesday, September 29, 2015 at 8:30PM ET/PT on our message board.

Related Links:

  • Fox.com Official Site
  • TV.com
  • epguides.com
  • Internet Movie Database
  • Wikipedia
  • The Grinder Photo Gallery

    Preview:





  • The Splat

    Millennials who crave the iconic Nickelodeon shows of their childhood, including Kenan & Kel, Rugrats, Hey Arnold! and more, can rejoice. Starting Monday, Oct. 5, Nickelodeon will throw back to the '90s every day with the launch of "The Splat," a new multiscreen content destination spanning television, seven social media platforms and a dedicated web site aggregating the most loved Nick content from the 1990s and beyond. "The Splat" will dive deep to create a retro experience filled with landmark Nickelodeon programs; classic programming stunts like Nick or Treat, U-Pick and Super Toy Run; the recreation of specific days of programming as they aired in the '90s; and original promos and interstitials, including the Doo-wop Dinosaurs and the Opera Lady. "The Splat" will roar to life across all platforms on Monday, Oct. 5, launching that night on television on TeenNick from 10 p.m. - 6 a.m. (ET/PT). The TV block will be an eight-hour rotating TV lineup airing daily on TeenNick from 10 p.m.-6 a.m. (ET/PT). "The Splat's" rotating TV lineup on TeenNick will have weekly themes and monthly programming stunts featuring hit '90s animated and live-action series including All That, Angry Beavers, Are You Afraid of the Dark, CatDog, Clarissa Explains It All, Hey Arnold!, Hey Dude, Kenan & Kel, Ren & Stimpy, Legends of the Hidden Temple, Rocko's Modern Life, Rugrats, Salute Your Shorts and The Wild Thornberrys, with additional series rolling out throughout the year. At launch, "The Splat" will feature themed weeks and stunts like:

    · First Time for Everything (week of Oct. 5) - first two episodes of fan-favorite animated and live-action series and game shows
    · Rugrats Reptar Takeover (week of Oct. 12) - best of Rugrats episodes featuring Reptar
    · Hey Arnold! Live from the Stoop (week of Oct. 19) - Stoop Kid-centric episodes
    · Nick or Treat (week of Oct. 26) - call-in event where lucky callers get 40 seconds to choose from six doors, collecting tricks and treats along the way, plus scary and spooky themed animation episodes.


    Sitcoms Airing Tonight

    Wednesday, March 29

    The Conners - "Stuck in the Middle and Stuck in the Past" (ABC, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
    Darlene and Ben get into a fight and ignore Becky’s boundaries in the house. Elsewhere, Dan accuses Jackie of losing all of their home videos.

    The Conners - "New Pipes and Old Secrets" (ABC, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
    Darlene has issues with Dan’s plumbing work in her new house. Elsewhere, Jackie tries to find a caregiver for Bev.

    Abbott Elementary - "Fundraiser" (ABC, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
    Barbara organizes a candy-selling fundraiser to raise money for a school field trip to the science museum. When sales don’t go as planned, Ava steps in to teach the students new, unconventional selling tactics. Elsewhere, Mr. Johnson and Jacob butt heads about how to take care of a cat found in the janitor’s closet.

    Not Dead Yet - "Not a Tiger Yet" (ABC, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
    As Nell tries to settle into her new job, she gets increasingly annoyed by her latest ghost. Meanwhile, Edward works on a project that sparks Nell’s journalistic curiosity.

    Tyler Perry's House of Payne - "Just Payne Trippin" (BET, 9:00PM ET/PT)
    The family has trouble adjusting to Jazmine's new found independence. Miranda gets an offer that Calvin would like for her to refuse.

    Tyler Perry's Assisted Living - "Houston, We Have a Karen" (BET, 9:30PM ET/PT)
    When an old white woman moves into Pleasant Days, her Karen behavior throws everyone for a loop; Reginald fears an escaped convict he put in prison has plans to take revenge.

    Complete TV Listings


    Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of March 27)

    Wednesday, March 29

    • Jason Bateman (Arrested Development/George and Leo/Chicago Sons/Simon/The Hogan Family/It's Your Move/Silver Spoons) - Watch Jason on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
    • Ali Wong (Big Mouth/American Housewife/Are You There, Chelsea?) - Ali appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
    • Jay Pharoah (White Famous) - Jay is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC. He talks about taking his impressions to the next level in the new film Spinning Gold on The Kelly Clarkson Show, so check your local listings.
    • Adam Scott (Party Down/Ghosted/Parks and Recreation) - Adam will be on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
    • Fred Armisen (Los Espookys/Forever/Final Space) - Fred sits-in with the 8G Band on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
    • John Leguizamo (The Brothers Garcia) - John guest hosts Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm.
    • Brendan Hunt (Ted Lasso) - Brendan is a guest on The Talk on CBS at 2pm ET/1pm CT-PT.
    • Ali Wentworth (Nightcap) - Ali guest co-hosts LIVE! with Kelly and Ryan, so check your listings.
    • Juliette Lewis (Camping/I Married Dora) - Juliette appears on The Kelly Clarkson Show, so check your local listings.
    • Dwayne Johnson (Young Rock) - Dwayne is a guest on The Kelly Clarkson Show, so check your local listings.
    • Kim Fields (The Upshaws/Living Single/The Facts of Life/Baby, I'm Back) - Kim chats about the new season of the hit comedy The Upshaws on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
    • Judy Gold (All-American Girl) and BD Wong (All-American Girl) - Judy and BD discuss their new play Yes, I Can Say That! on Tamron Hall, so check your local listings.
    • Zach Braff (Scrubs/Alex, Inc.) - Zach Braff is telling Drew about the real-life inspiration behind his new film, working on it with Florence Pugh and why he got his pilot's license on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
    • Jason Ritter (Another Period/The Class) - Jason will be on The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
    • Reba McEntire (Reba/Malibu Country) - Reba is a guest on The Jennifer Hudson Show, so check your local listings.
    • Alex Borstein (Family Guy/Getting On/The Cleveland Show), Tony Shalhoub (We Are Men/Wings) and Marin Hinkle (Two and a Half Men/Speechless) - Alex, Tony and Marin talk about The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am.
    • Lena Waithe (Master on None) - Lena talks about A Thousand and One on CBS Mornings sometime between 7-9am and on Sherri, so check your local listings.
    • Paula Newsome (Barry/Conrad Bloom) - Paula chats about CSI: Vegas on Sherri, so check your local listings.
    • Nancy Travis (Last Man Standing/The Bill Engvall Show/Work with Me/Almost Perfect) - Nancy talks about Hallmark Channel's Ride on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
    • Gabriel Basso (The Big C) - Gabriel talks about Netflix's The Night Agent on Access Daily with Mario & Kit, so check your local listings.
    • Kyra Sedgwick (Call Your Mother) - Kyra talks about Space Oddity on ABC's GMA 3: What You Need to Know at 1pm.
    • Peyton Elizabeth Lee (Andi Mack) - Peyton will be on PIX11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:40am.


    New on DVD/Blu-ray (November-March)

    Frasier - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) Ghosts - Season One Hogan's Heroes - The Complete Series (Blu-ray) The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Complete Season Ten Growing Pains - The Complete Series

    11/08 - Frasier - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
    11/08 - Young Rock - Season Two (Blu-ray) (DVD)
    11/15 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Complete Season Seven / The Complete Season Eight
    11/22 - That '70s Show - The Complete Series (Mill Creek)
    11/29 - Ghosts - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
    12/06 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - 70th Anniversary Ultimate Christmas Collection
    12/13 - And Just Like That... - The Complete First Season
    12/13 - Hogan's Heroes - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
    01/03 - Andy Richter Controls the Universe - The Complete Series (2023 Release)
    01/27 - Master of None - Season Three / The Complete Series
    02/21 - The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet - The Complete Season Nine / The Complete Season Ten
    02/28 - Growing Pains - The Complete Series
    03/28 - Rick and Morty - Season 8 (Blu-ray) (DVD)
    More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD Releases / DVD Reviews Archive / SitcomsOnline Digest


    Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts

    03/28 - Platonic Gets Premiere Date on Apple TV+; SNL April Guest Hosts and Music Guests
    03/27 - ABC Summer 2023 Schedule, Includes Return of The Wonder Years; HBO Max's Clone High Details
    03/26 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of March 27, 2023)
    03/25 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Arrested Development Staying on Netflix (and Leaving Hulu); Grey's Anatomy Gets Season 20 Renewal
    03/24 - Rewind TV Celebrates Mork & Mindy's 45th Anniversary on Earth Day; Disney's 6th Season of Raven's Home on April 9
    03/23 - Antenna TV's Earth Day My Favorite Martian Marathon; Neil Patrick Harris Returns on How I Met Your Father
    03/22 - Game Show Network Orders Tom Cavanagh Hosted Game Show; A Black Lady Sketch Show Returns for Season 4
    03/21 - All That Stars to Reunite for Good Burger 2; Jim Belushi Returns For Another Season of Growing Belushi
    03/20 - 2023 90s Con Recap in Hartford; Bel-Air Gets Season 3 on Peacock
    03/19 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of March 20, 2023)
    03/18 - SitcomsOnline Digest: New Sitcoms for Terry Crews and Wendi McLendon-Covey; Zachary Levi Holding Out Hope for Chuck Movie
    03/17 - AXS TV Acquires The Monkees for Retro Night Block; HBO Max's The Other Two Returns in May
    03/16 - Monk Returns with One Final Case on Peacock; John Mulaney Gets 3rd Netflix Comedy Special
    03/15 - Apple TV+ Orders Comedy with Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey; CBS 2023 Season Finale Dates
    03/14 - Disney+ Comedy American Born Chinese Premieres May 24; Tim Robinson Comedy to Return May 30 on Netflix
    03/13 - New Girl Coming to Hulu and Peacock; Apple TV+ Renews Shrinking for Season 2
    03/12 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of March 13, 2023)
    03/11 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Beavis and Butt-Head Gets Second Season Renewal; Roles Cast in Bedrock Series
    03/10 - Act Your Age Opens as Biggest Launch in Bounce History; Starz Comedy Blindspotting Returns April 14
    03/09 - Mary Tyler Moore Film Premieres This May on HBO; Mike Judge's Beavis and Butt-Head Returns for Season 2
    03/08 - HBO's Barry Returns April 16; Schmigadoon! Trailer for Season 2
    03/07 - American Dad! Season 18 Premieres March 27; Hulu's Tiny Beautiful Things Launches April 7
    03/06 - Antenna TV Spring 2023 Schedule; Rewind TV Spring 2023 Schedule
    03/05 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of March 6, 2023)
    03/04 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Rachael Ray to End After 17 Seasons; Fox Renews Krapopolis for Third Season
    03/03 - The Thundermans Return; TMZ's New Game Show
    03/02 - Fox Renews Krapopolis for Season 3; Disney Channel's New Comedy Saturdays
    03/01 - HBO Max Chuck Lorre Comedy Sets Production; New Shonda Rhimes White House Series
    02/28 - Apple TV+ Releases Trailer for Ted Lasso S3; More on Chris Rock's Netflix Special