Around this time each year, the air begins to cool, the leaves begin to abandon their branches, and our TVs fill up with a bunch of sitcoms that are going to be canceled very, very soon (and, OK, a few that won’t). What makes one network sitcom more viable than another? Hell, if I knew that I’d be getting money foot rubs from Les Moonves, or at least from the person he pays to give money foot rubs to people. The answer should be that the sitcoms that are funny survive and the ones that are not funny (aka the vast majority) are canceled after three episodes. Alas, if life were that simple we wouldn’t still be having our senses assaulted by The Big Bang Theory.
The GrinderPremieres Tue 9/29 at 7:30 PM Here’s a fun drinking game: every time someone says the word “lawyer” during the pilot, take a drink. I actually just played it while watching the trailer online, and I’m already hammered. Fred Savage and Rob Lowe star as brothers; one is a lawyer (Savage) and one plays a lawyer on TV (Lowe). And hey, once you’ve done it on TV, you can do it in real life! At least that’s the entire premise of this show. Shenanigans are sure to ensue! Lowe, the obvious favorite son, brings his dramatic courtroom skills to his hometown. I’m really looking forward to this show’s spin-off, The Slicer, in which an actor played by Emilio Estevez becomes a brain surgeon. —Brianna Wellen
AND COMING AT MYSTERIOUS POINTS IN THE FUTURE . . .
Coach Premiere TBA on NBC Back by popular demand among people who are Craig T. Nelson’s friends and family! Actually, I really liked Coach growing up, but that was before I found out CTN is a right-wing a-hole. Anyway, word has it Dauber’s coming back so that’s good. (Also Jerry Van Dyke is still alive—good job, Jer!) —Gwynedd Stuart
