"Sometimes you find exactly what it is you're looking for and you aren't allowed to pursue it for literally no reason."
It's always fun to watch the premier of a new series, never knowing exactly what you're getting into. Will it be a forgettable, horrible, or the next big thing? Maybe it'll be the masterpeice no one was watching, but you were, and years later when it's a cult classic on Netflix you can be like, "Yeah, I watched that when it was on. Good shit." You know what I mean? The point is, it's worth it to dive blindly into something new.
So it was with tonite's newest sitcoms on Fox, a network that despite being notorious for its quick cancellations has produced a multitude of great shows over the years. Would it be that way with either of tonite's premeirs?
First up, we have Grandfathered, which features John Stamos in the role of a fifty-year-old ladies' man who owns an extremely sucessful restaurant and lives a carefree life. Suddenly one day, he is approached by the son he never knew he had, played by Josh Peck. But wait... it's gets zanier. It turns out that not only does he have a twenty-six-year-old son, but that son has a baby daughter. John Stamos, you just got GRANDFATHERED. Needless to say, I don't really like this premise. It's nice to see Stamos back in the spotlight (despite the fact that I don't really like Full House either, though I've likely seen every episode in reruns). It's good to see Josh Peck holding his own as well, having been all but absent from the sitcom scene since his Drake and Josh days (a show that I did actually like). The character-driven comedy is there in spurts, but the celebrity cameos are mostly pointless (save for one by a certain Fully House cast member who will remain nameless) and the soundtrack is overrun by popular songs to cover up for the fact that the story is lacking. While it certianly could get better, Grandfathered is likely going to fall into the "forgettable" column of TV shows by the end of its run.
After that, The Grinder aired its first episode, and the difference in writing style is striking. I was laughing my ass off within seconds of seeing a phony "previously on" segment from a fictional courtroom drama called "The Grinder." The spoof on drama shows in the current era was spot on, hitting every cliche and over-the-top melodramatic beat it could within the allotted minute or so it had to do it. From there, I was hooked. The Grinder is a show that features two brothers: one, played by Rob Lowe, is a famous TV actor who has been playing a lawyer named Grinder for eight years. The show has just ended and he's trying to figure out what to do with his life. The other brother, played by Fred Savage, is an actual lawyer who is sick of his dealing with his brother's constant attention for being on a mediocre show while he goes out into the much blander "real world" to work on actual cases. However, he isn't the best at articulating himself in court: that's where Rob Lowe comes in. Despite not being an actual lawyer, he's able to put on a hell of a show while Savage does more of the book work, making them a formitable team. While I wouldn't call it a "great" show by any means, The Grinder has a lot of potential. The writing is sharp and the cast is excellent, with Lowe and Savage sharing good chemistry. Do we have a classic on our hands? Only time will tell.
While I found Grandfathered to be less than stellar and The Grinder to be more amiable than hilarious, I will say that I was entertianed by both. It's difficult to make an original sitcom in the television world in 2015; most shows are serialized and planned out so that every little detail matters. Sitcoms traditionally take place as a series of isolated incidents. Is this style of TV dying out? I certianly still think there's a place for it. A memorable story is a memorable story. Whether or not either of these sitcoms have one to tell remains to be seen, but my money's on The Grinder if I were to guess which show will likely be seeing a Season Two.
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