PILOT REVIEW: The Grinder

THE GRINDER

Starring: Rib Lowe, Fred Savage, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Hana Hayes, Connor Kalopsis, and William Devane

Created by Jarrad Paul and Andrew Mogel
Written by Jarrad Paul & Andrew Mogel, Directed by Jake Kasdan

THE SYNOPSIS
Rob Lowe is back on TV as Dean Sanderson Jr., an actor fresh off a run on a hit TV show called "The Grinder" where he played a hotshot lawyer. He returns to his hometown and immediately is at odds with his brother, Stewart (Fred Savage), who is a real life attorney. Dean thinks he can become a real lawyer after his successful TV run and attempts to do so. Stewart lives with his wife, Debbie (Mary Elizabeth Eliis), daughter Lizzie (Hana Hayes), and son Ethan (Connor Kalopsis). Rounding out the main cast is Dean and Stewart's father, and head of the law firm, Dean Sanderson Sr. (William Devane).

THE REVIEW
I really enjoyed this pilot and it starts with the cast, which is absolutely top notch. Sometimes Rob Lowe can wear on me but he's having so much fun playing this type of character and it works extremely well. Just like John Stamos on Grandfathered, he has embraced a character that some people think is pretty close to true life and plays it with gusto and clear enjoyment. He is a perfect foil to Fred Savage and it's great to see Savage back in front of the camera. The two of them have instant chemistry as brothers and foils. The rest of the cast is promising especially with a veteran like William Devane, but this pilot and show are clearly about the two leads.

The legal theme for this show sets itself up extremely well because there will be endless stories to tell. It can essentially do a case of the week and milk different ideas with different guest stars for lots of comedy. One thing I'm curious to see is what the Rob Lowe character will look like in a year if it makes it that far. He can play the confident but ignorant TV star for awhile but if he stays in the legal field, he will inevitably figure things out more. Same with Savage and his inability to speak in court. The show can get a lot of laughs out of those two character elements at first but it can't last forever. They need to keep building the relationship between those two and other characters to allow the show to go somewhere in that realm. There will always be court cases to do but I'm curious to see where the relationships go.

FOX has given itself a very strong sitcom block on Tuesday nights. I just hope they will be able to survive in a tough slot. I thought The Grinder was the funnier show but it's a little less sure of the show it wants to be. That's not to say that it's not off to a great start, because it is. I just think it needs a little more ironing out, but the jokes are already there and the characters are already there. That is the DNA for the makings of a great sitcom.

WILL I WATCH IT AGAIN?
Absolutely. This might end up being my favorite new sitcom of the season.