The Grinder (TV series)

The Grinder
Genre Sitcom
Created by
Starring
Composer(s) Jeff Cardoni
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 1
No. of episodes 22 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)
Producer(s) Niki Schwartz-Wright
Cinematography Rhet W. Bear
Editor(s)
  • Jeremy Cohen
  • Tara Timpone
  • Josh Drisko
  • Steve Welch
Camera setup Single-camera
Running time 21–24 minutes[1]
Production company(s)
Release
Original network Fox
Picture format 720p (16:9 HDTV)
Original release September 29, 2015 (2015-09-29) – May 10, 2016 (2016-05-10)
External links
Website

The Grinder is an American single-camera legal comedy television series created by Jarrad Paul and Andrew Mogel. The show was picked up to series by Fox on May 8, 2015[2][3] and premiered on September 29, 2015.[4] On October 15, 2015, Fox ordered six additional scripts for the first season, potentially increasing the season order to 19 episodes.[5] On October 27, 2015, Fox ordered a full season of 22 episodes for the first season.[6]

Despite being acclaimed by critics and viewers, the show never achieved high ratings. The Grinder was cancelled by Fox on May 16, 2016.[7]

Plot

The series follows television actor Dean Sanderson, Jr. (Rob Lowe), who returns to his hometown of Boise, Idaho after his long-running television series, The Grinder, ends. Though Dean is not a lawyer, he believes that his experience playing one on television makes him qualified to practice law. He decides to join his family's law firm, Sanderson & Yao, much to the chagrin of his younger brother Stewart (Fred Savage), who is a real-life lawyer.

Cast

Main

Recurring

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code		U.S. viewers
(millions)
1"Pilot"Jake KasdanJarrad Paul & Andrew MogelSeptember 29, 2015 (2015-09-29)1AYV014.98[10]
Dean Sanderson, Jr. is a famed actor who starred in the legal drama series The Grinder for eight seasons. After the series ends, he is left wondering what to do with his life, while temporarily living with his lawyer brother Stewart and his family. With his brother and father both being lawyers, and his experience "practicing law" on television, Dean feels he has what it takes to be an actual lawyer. In doing so, he assists Stewart in a case involving a couple being wrongfully evicted from their apartment building.
2"A Hero Has Fallen"Jake KasdanJarrad Paul & Andrew MogelOctober 6, 2015 (2015-10-06)1AYV023.15[11]
Dean encourages the law firm to take the case of a couple that was fired from their job for violating a no-dating policy. Stewart notices that an annoying character from The Grinder is very similar to him, so he decides to be more lenient about life.
3"The Curious Disappearance of Mr. Donovan"Jay ChandrasekharDominic DierkesOctober 13, 2015 (2015-10-13)1AYV042.53[12]
When confidential information on a case that the firm is working on leaks, Dean believes that Claire, who is newly hired by Sanderson & Yao, is the mole. Dean then learns that Todd (unintentionally) leaked the information, but he tries to hide it from Stewart because he doesn't want to admit he was wrong. Meanwhile, Ethan and Lizzie refuse to fess up on who deleted an episode of Ray Donovan from the family DVR.
4"Little Mitchard No More"John HamburgHayes DavenportOctober 20, 2015 (2015-10-20)1AYV032.86[13]
Dean continues to make romantic advances on Claire and tries to meet common ground with her by helping her work on a case involving a school bully. Stewart thinks that his snooty neighbors, the Gerharts, Lyle (Nat Faxon) and Vanessa (Alexie Gilmore), are only being friendly with him and Debbie because they are related to Dean.
5"A Bittersweet Grind (Une Mouture Amer)"Matt SohnSean ClementsNovember 3, 2015 (2015-11-03)1AYV052.52[14]
In an effort to perk up Dean's love life and get him to move out of their house, Stewart and Debbie set up Dean with Gail Budnick (Christina Applegate), an old high school girlfriend. Stewart and Debbie then become worried that Dean is jumping into his relationship with Gail too fast, with him already considering himself the surrogate father of Gail's adult son. Elsewhere, Lizzie gets upset when Stewart and Debbie allow Ethan to bring a girl over, feeling it is a double standard because they won't allow her to date.
6"Dedicating This One to the Crew"Phil TraillGuy Endore-KaiserNovember 10, 2015 (2015-11-10)1AYV082.56[15]
The school play is coming up and Stewart encourages Ethan to join the crew, as he did back in school, but it appears that Ethan would rather follow in the footsteps of his Uncle Dean. When Ethan does not get the role despite Dean's coaching, Dean learns that the drama teacher is a former classmate who still holds a grudge.
7"Buckingham Malice"Christine GernonJulius SharpeNovember 17, 2015 (2015-11-17)1AYV072.37[16]
Dean becomes tired of getting special treatment because he is a celebrity, and wants to be treated like a regular person. His new way of life leads to him demanding that a cop give him a traffic ticket for running a stop sign, something he would have gotten away with in the past, only to learn that "normal people" often fight their traffic tickets in court. Debbie deals with an incompetent new secretary, whom she does not want to fire after already recently firing two previous secretaries, feeling it will look bad on her.
8"Giving Thanks, Getting Justice"Jamie BabbitNiki Schwartz-WrightNovember 24, 2015 (2015-11-24)1AYV062.25[17]
Dean is looking forward to a real family Thanksgiving, and is disappointed when Stewart says the family no longer celebrates it. After some digging, Dean learns it is because Stewart caught his mother and Yao, his dad's law firm partner, in the bedroom five years ago on Thanksgiving, and he hasn't yet told their dad. Making things worse, Dean Sr. indulges his son and decides the family will celebrate Thanksgiving this year, and he invites Yao (Clyde Kusatsu) to attend. Meanwhile, Dean has flashbacks to his final episodes of The Grinder, and his arguments with writer-director Cliff Bemis (Jason Alexander) that led to him departing the series.
9"Grinder Rests in Peace"Max WinklerSally Bradford McKennaDecember 1, 2015 (2015-12-01)1AYV092.41[18]
Cliff Bemis shows up in town wanting Dean to reprise his role as Mitch Grinder in the spin-off series The Grinder: New Orleans, starring Timothy Olyphant as Mitch's brother Rake. Dean is excited about returning, only to later learn that he is being invited back so that his character can be killed off. Dean proposes a different storyline to Bemis, wherein Mitch starts a new life in Key West. Stewart is more than happy to help Dean look for loopholes in his TV contract, seeing this as an opportunity to get his brother out of the house and out of the law firm.
10"The Olyphant in the Room"Gail MancusoSean Clements & Dominic DierkesJanuary 5, 2016 (2016-01-05)1AYV132.13[19]
Claire's relationship with Timothy Olyphant continues to grow, with a jealous Dean taking the lead in a vandalism case trying to connect Olyphant as the culprit even though both situations have nothing do with each other. A newspaper reporter follows Stewart around for a story, however, the story's focus then takes a turn to be about Dean.
11"The Exodus (Part 1)"Jeremy GarelickJustin NowellJanuary 19, 2016 (2016-01-19)1AYV101.97[20]
When Stewart and Debbie ask Dean about his "future plans", he assumes they are kicking him out and takes it badly. Seeing Dean down in the dumps, a rival law firm tries to convince him to come and work for them.
12"Blood is Thicker than Justice (Part 2)"Tristram ShapeeroBridget Kyle & Vicky LuuJanuary 26, 2016 (2016-01-26)1AYV112.00[21]
Dean begins working for the law firm Rozz & Landy, and goes up against Stewart in a divorce case. It soon becomes clear to Stewart that Rozz & Landy hired Dean for his celebrity status so he can entertain and impress clients, and Dean eventually catches on. Todd thinks that he and Claire will be he new "will they/won't they" couple in the office with Dean gone, and Claire has some fun playing along. In the end, Dean returns to the firm and drops a bombshell on Stewart and Debbie at home...he has bought and leveled the houses adjacent to their back yard, and plans to build his dream home there.
13"Grinder vs. Grinder"Eric AppelBen WexlerFebruary 2, 2016 (2016-02-02)1AYV121.65[22]
With Timothy Olyphant now dating Claire, he starts showing up at the law office. When Olyphant gives legal advice based on one of his TV episodes and Stewart says it could actually work, Dean becomes unnerved. Stewart and Claire plot to bring Olyphant back the next day in hopes that it will show Dean how ridiculous he is himself, which leads to Dean and Timothy arguing over who is closer to being a real lawyer. Todd then suggests they hold a mock trial between the two actors to put the issue to rest.
14"The Retooling of Dean Sanderson"Dean HollandDan SterlingFebruary 9, 2016 (2016-02-09)1AYV141.91[23]
Stewart says that if Dean is going to be a member of the firm "for the long haul", he needs to me more rooted in reality. He suggests Dean book a session with his therapist, Jillian (Maya Rudolph), but that backfires when Dean shares Jillian's confidential words and advice with Debbie and Stewart. Meanwhile, Dean Sr. gets a letter stating a former client is suing Sanderson & Yao for malpractice.
15"The Ties That Grind"Nicholas StollerBridget Kyle & Vicky LuuFebruary 16, 2016 (2016-02-16)1AYV151.68[24]
Jillian convinces Dean to finally leave The Grinder character and its associated drama behind, but all Stewart sees is that Dean is being dramatic about NOT being dramatic. At the office, Dean Sr. insists on taking the lead in the malpractice suit, shunning Stewart's attempts to help. Meanwhile, Debbie is already bored only a few days after quitting her job, so the family suggests that she be the one to help her father-in-law get organized and prepare for the case.
16"Delusions of Grinder"Chad LoweNiki Schwartz-WrightFebruary 23, 2016 (2016-02-23)1AYV161.61[25]
Dean, who is now sleeping with Jillian, takes on the role of an intern at Sanderson & Yao, stating he realizes he's not a lawyer and must start at the bottom. Meanwhile, Stewart is wowed at how prepared malpractice plaintiff Cory Manler (Kenny Lucas) is and suggests he's secretly getting help from another lawyer. His attempt to prove it, however, makes the family and Jillian think he's delusional and just dreaming up conspiracy theories to fill the "drama void" left by Dean.
17"From the Ashes"Andy AckermanGuy Endore-KaiserMarch 1, 2016 (2016-03-01)1AYV171.61[26]
Dean Sr. finally agrees to let Stewart help on the malpractice case, but only if he teams up with his brother. Stewart reluctantly enlists the help of Jillian and Cliff Bemis to manipulate Dean into returning to his Grinder persona, but Dean has moved on to taking some college law classes and insists he can no longer be associated with his character. In the end, Dean breaks up with Jillian (as a therapist and a girlfriend), and the next morning, the staff arrives to find the Sanderson & Yao offices have been trashed.
18"Genesis"Christine GernonJustin NowellMarch 15, 2016 (2016-03-15)1AYV181.53[27]
Stewart, with Todd's help, fabricates a scenario that the law firm was ransacked in order to get Dean back in his Grinder mode again and assist in the ongoing case of Dean Sr. getting sued for malpractice. Also, Dean looks back on his struggling acting career ten years ago, when he was living with his then-girlfriend Kelly (Jenna Fischer), who strongly discouraged Dean's aspirations of an acting career. With encouragement from Benji (Chris Klein), another struggling actor, Dean agrees to audition for The Grinder.
19"A System on Trial"Jay ChandrasekharJamie Block & Michael LevinApril 12, 2016 (2016-04-12)1AYV191.56[28]
As Stewart tries to prepare Dean Sr. to be cross-examined on the stand in the malpractice trial, he gets frustrated while his dad just gets angry. Dean remembers the focus groups that were used for screenings of The Grinder, and decides to bring one into the firm. While Dean begins to have doubts about whether or not focus groups are truthful, the situation does get Dean Sr. to admit he made a mistake during Cory Manler's original defense. Meanwhile, the concept of focus groups makes everyone else in the Sanderson family re-evaluate their lives.
20"For the People"Jamie BabbitSean ClementsApril 19, 2016 (2016-04-19)1AYV211.50[29]
Lenore (Anne Archer), Stewart's and Dean's mother, pays a surprise visit. Dean Sr. wants to show her he's moved on, so he quickly has Lizzie and Ethan create his online dating profile, where he is set up with a much younger woman named Calista (Chloe Bridges). Knowing that Lenore favors Stewart for settling down and having a family, Dean pretends he's engaged to Claire. Lenore later reveals the real reason she came to town: her 45-year old second husband has left her and she wants to rekindle her relationship with Dean Sr. Meanwhile, Stewart and Debbie both scramble to cover up the fact that each forgot their anniversary.
21"Divergence"Andy AckermanSally Bradford McKennaMay 3, 2016 (2016-05-03)1AYV201.51[30]
After watching a Grinder episode where a side story helps Mitch solve the episode's main case, Dean becomes convinced that he needs a real-life side story to solve the mystery that still surrounds Cory Manler's malpractice suit. Thus, he agrees to help Joel, Lizzie's ex-boyfriend, whom she says was wrongly accused of trashing the principal's office. Meanwhile, a number of strange occurrences cause Stewart to keep delaying a meeting with Manler to sign the settlement papers, which Dean and the family see as a sign that Stewart subconsciously wants to take Manler to court rather than settle.
22"Full Circle"Jay ChandrasekharDominic DierkesMay 10, 2016 (2016-05-10)1AYV221.59[31]
Dean figures out that Leonard (Kumail Nanjiani), the prosecutor he humiliated by defeating him in the Pilot episode, is the counsel behind Cory Manler's lawsuit, and that the lawsuit is primarily an act of revenge for Leonard. Just as the case goes to trial, Stewart is suspended by the judge when video surfaces of him breaking into Manler's apartment. Stewart selects Claire to take over first chair, but Dean Sr. overrules him and puts Dean in charge. It appears Leonard is about to win the case when, from the sidelines, Stewart is able to discover a secret about Manler that keeps his dad from being convicted.

Reception

Critical reception

On Rotten Tomatoes the season has a rating of 93%, based on 57 reviews, with an average rating of 7.4/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "The Grinder's humor is buoyed by Rob Lowe and Fred Savage's chemistry as a hilarious new odd couple."[32] On Metacritic, the season has a score of 71 out of 100, based on 23 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[33]

As the first season progressed, the show began to become more popular with critics. Many critics compared The Grinder to shows such as Arrested Development, Community, and Better Off Ted, all of which were shows that had small audiences in their time slots on broadcast television, but received largely positive critical reception because of their characters and writing.[34][35][36][37]

Accolades

Year Association Category Nominee(s) Result
2016 6th Critics' Choice Television Awards[38] Best Actor in a Comedy Series Fred Savage Nominated
Best Guest Performer in a Comedy Series Timothy Olyphant Won
73rd Golden Globe Awards[39] Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy Rob Lowe Nominated
42nd People's Choice Awards[40] Favorite Actor in a New TV Series Rob Lowe Nominated
Favorite New TV Comedy The Grinder Nominated

References

  1. ↑ "The Grinder". Amazon.com. Retrieved January 5, 2016.
  2. ↑ Development Update from The Futon Critic (May 7, 2015)
  3. ↑ "Shows A-Z – grinder, the on fox". The Futon Critic. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
  4. ↑ "TV Premiere Dates 2015: The Complete Guide". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  5. ↑ Ausiello, Michael (October 15, 2015). "Fox's Grandfathered, The Grinder Receive Order for 6 Additional Scripts". TVLine. Retrieved October 15, 2015.
  6. ↑ Ausiello, Michael (October 27, 2015). "The Grinder Scores Full-Season Order". TVLine. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
  7. ↑ "'Grinder', 'Grandfathered', 'Bordertown' & 'Cooper Barrett' Canceled By Fox After One Season". Deadline. Retrieved May 13, 2016.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Fox Announces New Primetime Series for 2015-2016 Season". Fox. May 11, 2015. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Meet The Cast Of The Grinder". Fox. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  10. ↑ Dixon, Dani (September 30, 2015). "Tuesday Final Ratings: 'The Voice', + 'NCIS', Adjusted Up; 'Best Time Ever' Adjusted Down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
  11. ↑ Porter, Rick (October 7, 2015). "Tuesday final ratings: 'The Muppets,' 'NCIS' and 'Scream Queens' adjusted up, 'Flash' and 'iZombie' hold". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
  12. ↑ Porter, Rick (October 14, 2015). "Tuesday final ratings: 'The Flash' and 'NCIS' adjusted up, 'Chicago Fire' holds". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 14, 2015.
  13. ↑ Porter, Rick (October 21, 2015). "Tuesday final ratings: 'NCIS' and 'Limitless' ajdusted up, 'Chicago Fire' adjusted down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 21, 2015.
  14. ↑ Porter, Rick (November 4, 2015). "Tuesday final ratings: 'Fresh Off the Boat' and 'Best Time Ever' adjust up". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
  15. ↑ Porter, Rick (November 11, 2015). "Tuesday final ratings: 'Chicago Fire' adjusts down, 'NCIS' adjusts up". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved November 11, 2015.
  16. ↑ Porter, Rick (November 18, 2015). "Tuesday final ratings: 'Flash' and 'NCIS' adjust up, 'Chicago Med' premiere holds". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
  17. ↑ Porter, Rick (November 25, 2015). "Tuesday final ratings: 'NCIS' adjusts up, everything else steady". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
  18. ↑ Porter, Rick (December 2, 2015). "Tuesday final ratings: 'Fresh Off the Boat' and 'Rudolph' adjust up". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
  19. ↑ Porter, Rick (January 6, 2015). "Tuesday final ratings: 'NCIS' and 'NCIS: New Orleans' adjust up". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
  20. ↑ Porter, Rick (January 21, 2016). "Tuesday final ratings: 'Chicago Fire' and 'Hollywood Game Night' adjust up". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
  21. ↑ Porter, Rick (January 27, 2016). "Tuesday final ratings: 'Chicago Med' adjusts up". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved January 27, 2016.
  22. ↑ Porter, Rick (February 3, 2016). "Tuesday final ratings: 'The Muppets' adjusts up, 'iZombie' adjusts down". Retrieved February 3, 2016.
  23. ↑ Porter, Rick (February 10, 2016). "Tuesday final ratings: 'Muppets,' 'iZombie,' 'NCIS: New Orleans' and 'Grinder' all adjust down". Retrieved February 10, 2016.
  24. ↑ Porter, Rick (February 17, 2016). "Tuesday final ratings: 'Hollywood Game Night' and 'iZombie' adjust down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
  25. ↑ Porter, Rick (February 24, 2016). "Tuesday final ratings: 'Agent Carter' adjusts up". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved February 24, 2016.
  26. ↑ Porter, Rick (March 2, 2016). "Tuesday Final Ratings: 'New Girl' adjusts up". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved March 2, 2016.
  27. ↑ Porter, Rick (March 16, 2016). "Tuesday Final Ratings: 'Crowded' adjusts down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  28. ↑ Porter, Rick (April 13, 2016). "Tuesday final ratings: 'The Voice' adjusts up, 'Game of Silence' and 'Beyond the Tank' adjust down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved April 13, 2016.
  29. ↑ Porter, Rick (April 20, 2016). "Tuesday Final Ratings: 'NCIS' and 'The Flash' adjust up, 'Containment' adjusts down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
  30. ↑ Porter, Rick (May 4, 2016). "Tuesday final ratings: 'The Flash' and 'Beyond the Tank' adjust up, 'The Real O'Neals' adjusts down". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 5, 2016.
  31. ↑ Porter, Rick (May 11, 2015). "Tuesday final ratings: 'NCIS' and 'NCIS: New Orleans' adjust up". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
  32. ↑ "The Grinder (2015)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
  33. ↑ "The Grinder: Season 1 reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
  34. ↑ Plante, Chris (January 19, 2016). "The Grinder is turning into a worthy descendant of Arrested Development". The Verge. Vox Media.
  35. ↑ "TV Review: The Grinder loses, but not really". The A.V. Club.
  36. ↑ Rivera, Joshu. "The Grinder Recap: … What Did You Just Say?". Vulture.
  37. ↑ "Standard Of Review: 'The Grinder' Improves By Focusing On . . . 'The Grinder'". Above the Law.
  38. ↑ Tim Gray. "2016 Critics' Choice Award Nominations: 'Mad Max,' 'Fargo' Lead Race - Variety". Variety.
  39. ↑ "Golden Globes 2016: Complete List of Nominees". LA Times. December 10, 2015. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
  40. ↑ "42nd People's Choice Awards Winners and Nominees". People's Choice Awards. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
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