jimbokwright
I really enjoyed this show and looked forward to each new episode. The cast was great and the writing was clever. Why wasn't it renewed?
SnoopyStyle
Dean Sanderson (Rob Lowe) leaves his TV show The Grinder portraying a lawyer to return home to Boise, Idaho and his family's law firm. His father (William Devane) is happy but his brother Stewart Sanderson (Fred Savage) is leery of the non-lawyer playing law expert. Stewart's family, wife Debbie (Mary Elizabeth Ellis), kids Lizzie (Hana Hayes), and Ethan Sanderson (Connor Kalopsis) are more accepting. Co-worker Claire Lacoste (Natalie Morales) is dismissive and Todd (Steve Little) is a sycophant.This is better than the regular stuff from the networks. The Lowe Savage pairing is fun and endearing. Lowe gives the perfect delivery. Dean is a great character. It is a real disappointment that the show got canceled after one season.
MotoMike
So, let's face it ... we all have seen too much bad TV, too many cookie-cutter legal dramas, too many predictable cop shows, way too many sitcoms that were forgettable. The Grinder is the reward, and Rob Lowe knows it; every time he looks out into the distance and says " (pause) ... or ... is it!?", he knows he earns a gold star. He's the center of a very good cast that teams him with Fred Savage; their chemistry as contrasting brothers is so effortless that it's a pleasure to watch. But Mary Elizabeth Ellis is also a major pleasure as Savage's wife, and his two kids also nail it.So this is a show ("subtextually", as Toby Loobenfeld might be told) not only about a family (how original is that?) but about bad TV, and bad acting and - shudder - how the ad that starts with "I'm not a doctor, though I play one on TV" can be transmuted into someone believing in their identity as a glamorous TV star. (Wasn't that the basis for "Sunset Boulevard"?). Rob Lowe is the perfect choice for this role, but the writing is what makes this show a very particular pleasure. I have no idea whether it will last, but every episode is a gem.
drjgardner
I enjoyed the pilot but thought I'd wait for a few episodes before reviewing. Often the pilot is the best episode you're going to see, so I don't like to jump in too soon. But this series just keep getting better and better. Strong acting from everyone, including relative newcomer Mary Elizabeth Ellis who plays the wife. I say "relative" because with such TV staples as William Devane, Rob Lowe, and Fred Savage it's hard to steal a scene, but Ellis does a great job. Let's hope they keep up the good work.This latest episode had a guest appearance from Timothy Oliphant, one of my favorite actors ("Hitman", "Justified"). It was good fun and let's hope they have more guest appearances, perhaps from past cast members from "Parks and Recreation" or "The Wonder Years".