Thursday was not kind to FOX’s freshmen comedies. “The Grinder,” “Grandfathered,” “Cooper Barrett’s Guide To Surviving Life,” and “Bordertown” were all canceled in advance of the network’s upfront presentation.
While none of the cancellations is surprising in a conventional ratings context, some felt critical acclaim might have been enough to save “Grandfathered” and/or “The Grinder.” The network, unfortunately, did not feel the positive buzz was enough to compensate for the low ratings — even in today’s viewership-starved television climate.
Beyond their critical acclaim, “The Grinder” and “Grandfathered” both featured high-profile leads — Fred Savage and Rob Lowe for the former and John Stamos for the latter.