Not content to let NBC and The CW have the full programming spotlight on the Thursday (May 7) before upfronts, FOX made its first comedy and drama series pickups of the spring.
On the comedy side, FOX has given a series order to “The Grinder,” starring Rob Lowe, while the Morris Chestnut procedural “Rosewood” is going to series on the drama side.
“Rosewood” and “The Grinder” join the Ryan Murphy anthology horror-comedy “Scream Queens,” which was ordered straight to series last fall, and the six-episode return of “The X-Files,” announced in March.
“The Grinder” stars Lowe as an actor best known for playing a beloved TV lawyer. When his hit series comes to an end, he decides to return to his hometown thinking that his TV pedigree makes him qualified to take over his family's law firm. Fred Savage, most recently plying his trade as a prolific TV director, makes his return to regular series acting as the brother to Lowe's character.
Written by Jarrad Paul & Andrew Mogel, with Jake Kasdan directing the pilot, “The Grinder” also stars Mary Elizabeth Ellis, William Devane and Hana Hayes.
[Looking at the picture above, I think Rob Lowe's character has DirecTV, but I'm not completely sure.]
“Rosewood” stars Chestnut as Dr. Beaumont Rosewood, Jr., Miami's top private pathologist. Rosewood is wealthy and brilliant and owns a sophisticated state-of-the-art crime lab. He also has an optimistic view on life that causes him to bump heads with Jaina Lee Ortiz's Detective Villa, the more cynical officer he's often paired with.
Tom Harthan created with series, with Wyck Godfrey & Marty Bowen executive producing for Temple Hill Entertainment. Emmy winner Richard Shepard (“Ugly Betty”) directed.
Both “Rosewood” and “The Grinder” traveled the short distance from 20th Century Fox TV to FOX.
And find out where “Rosewood” and “The Grinder” fit into FOX's schedule when the network has its upfront presentation on Monday.
Stay tuned for more pre-upfronts fun.
Either one interest you?