The Grinder

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.

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?

"The Grinder" was a one-season series that starred Rob Lowe as a TV lawyer who comes home to his family and decides to practice law with his brother (Fred Savage) and father (William Devane).

Dean Sanderson worked for eight seasons on a hit TV show, "The Grinder," whose final words in court were "The Grinder rests." Back home in Idaho, his brother, Stewart, has his own law firm and practices with their dad. All is well until Dean, the fair-haired, can-do-no-wrong son, comes home, moves in with Stewart, his wife (Mary Elizabeth Ellis), father, and two children, and wants to practice law.

Very funny show that for some reason didn't make it. Rob Lowe is great as a delusional, over the top actor given to dramatic statements. Savage does a wonderful job as his hapless brother who has to put up with people befriending him to meet his brother, judges allowing Dean to talk in court, and his father encouraging Dean's legal fantasies. The office people - Natalie Morales and Steve Little -- are very funny, Morales who can't take Dean seriously, and Little, who loves him.

At one point, the network brings on Timothy Olyphant to play The Grinder's brother.

Each episode begins with a scene from "The Grinder."

Clever, excellent acting, entertaining, sorry this was only one season.

There seems to be a trend at the moment for comedy shows (particularly those from out cousins across the pond) to show situations that are painfully embarrassing for the protagonist, and then dragging those moments out far too long to remain interesting or even amusing - they're just painful and sad.

This show is different. Sure, there're similar moments, but they remain funny by not being overly laboured and they're mixed in with other types of humour - I have a smile on my face throughout, and genuinely laugh out loud frequently - that's not typical for me; I'm really enjoying this show.

The basic premise is, of course, utterly ridiculous, and is both ridiculed and legitimised by other characters in the show. It's predictable, but in the most delightful way, doesn't demand too much of the viewer, but still doesn't come across as dumb, or that it expects the viewer lacks the intelligence for more sophisticated humour. It just works, and after watching an episode I feel entertained, happier, more upbeat; it does everything a comedy show should, and I can't wait for the show's return in the new year.

I'm watching The Grinder on Netflix and it all of a sudden ended. It didn't continue to the next episode or the next season. That was it. I couldn't believe that's all Netflix had.

Then I came to IMDB to check it out, to see how many seasons there are to look forward to when Netflix loads the rest.

And then it hit me, there's only a total of 22. I mean, can this be real? Why did they only make 22? Was Rob Lowe needed for bigger and better things?

I am so disappoint.

It was truly funny and I laughed my way through every episode. I know it was corny but it was a WELL DONE corny. I don't watch many sitcoms so I was pleasantly surprised when I found this.

I'm so sad so what can I go on to watch now to give me a laugh?