'The Grinder': Why the Rob Lowe comedy stands out from the pack
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Molly Driscoll Staff writer
The new Fox show 鈥淭he Grinder鈥� premieres on Sept. 29 on Fox, bringing 鈥淧arks and Recreation鈥� actor Rob Lowe to a new network.聽
Mr. Lowe's character is聽an actor who starred on a legal drama (got that?). When actor Dean Sanderson (Lowe)鈥檚 show ends, he decides to join the real-life legal practice of his father (William Devane) and brother (Fred Savage).聽
At the heart of the TV drama is the human tendency to 鈥渕ost covet what seems to come so easily鈥� for someone else, Mr. Savage said in an interview with . His character, Stewart, sees his actor sibling 鈥渁s someone who鈥檚 respected and admired and heard and appreciated and beloved.聽And [Dean] sees Stewart as someone who鈥檚 grounded and rooted and has a home and family that loves him and a place that he belongs. Both of us are the envy of each other, and that draws us together and is where a lot of the conflict comes from.鈥澛�
Lowe starred on several seasons of NBC鈥檚 鈥淧arks and Recreation,鈥� a sitcom that finished its run this past February.
"The Grinder" parodies legal dramas much as comedy 鈥淏rooklyn Nine-Nine鈥� satirizes cop shows.
That show stars Andy Samberg and centers on the members of the New York City police force. The program has found critical success with its comedic take on the police show genre. 鈥淏rooklyn鈥� won the 2014 Golden Globe for best comedy or musical TV series, and Mr. Samberg won a Golden Globe for best actor in a comedy or musical TV show. Co-star Andre Braugher has been nominated multiple times for the Emmy for best supporting actor in a comedy TV show.聽
Legal stories flourish across the television dial, from CBS鈥檚 鈥淭he Good Wife鈥� to NBC鈥檚 鈥淟aw & Order: Special Victims Unit,鈥� now in its 17th season.
Fox may be looking to NBC for a winning strategy. One of NBC鈥檚 recent hits was the show 鈥淭he Blacklist,鈥� which stars James Spader as a criminal who decides to aid law enforcement in solving crimes. Spader and Lowe are both actors who originally starred in some of the biggest movies of the 1980s 鈥� Spader most famously acted in the 1986 movie 鈥淧retty in Pink,鈥� while Lowe starred in the 1983 movie 鈥淭he Outsiders鈥� and 1985鈥檚 鈥淪t. Elmo鈥檚 Fire鈥� 鈥� and then proved their skills on television, with Spader starring in ABC鈥檚 鈥淏oston Legal鈥� and Lowe appearing on NBC's 鈥淭he West Wing.鈥� Both earned Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for those roles. Lowe then proved his comedic chops in 鈥淧arks.鈥澛�
Lowe's name recognition, like Spader's, may attract viewers who otherwise wouldn鈥檛 tune in for a new comedy.
