Rob Lowe and Fred Savage will be on the grind a little longer than they originally planned: Fox has upped its order for Tuesday sitcom “The Grinder” to a full season, adding nine additional episodes.
Season-to-date, “The Grinder” has delivered year-over-year gains, lifting Fox’s average in the time period by 70 percent in the important adults 18-49 demographic versus last fall.
“The Grinder” and its Tuesday lead-in “Grandfathered” previously received an order for six extra scripts apiece. John Stamos‘ “Grandfathered” seems likely to get more episodes as well, though there has been no official movement there yet between the network and studio.
“Scream Queens,” which follows “The Grinder” at 9, was originally ordered as a limited-run series. Fox does not seem in any rush to announce a renewal there.
“‘The Grinder’ is the perfect combination of razor-sharp wit and relatable family dynamics — two hallmarks of successful comedies,” said David Madden, president, Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company. “The critics have embraced this original, fresh and funny show, and the talented cast – led by Rob Lowe and Fred Savage — have done such an incredible job infusing it with biting humor and heartfelt moments.”
“We are so excited about the storylines that these fantastic producers have planned for the rest of the season,” he concluded.
On Tuesday’s episode, “A Bittersweet Grind (Une Mouture Amer), just as Dean (Rob Lowe) prepares to give up on what he thinks is a hopeless search for love, he is reunited with Gail (Christina Applegate), an old flame who restores his belief in romance. Meanwhile, Deb (Mary Elizabeth Ellis) encourages Stewart (Savage) to change his strict ways and let Lizzie (Hana Hayes) have a supervised date with Joel Zadak (Johnowen Lowe). “The Grinder” airs at 8:30 p.m. ET.
“The Grinder” is produced by 20th Century Fox Television. The series is created and written by Andrew Mogel and Jarrad Paul. The series is executive-produced by Mogel, Paul, Nicholas Stoller, Melvin Mar, Ben Wexler, and Lowe. Jake Kasdan serves as both director and executive producer.