It’s one season and out for Fox’s 2015-2016 batch of half-hour new comedies. The network has decided not to bring back The Grinder, Grandfathered, Cooper Barrett’s Guide to Surviving Life, or the animated comedy Bordertown for second seasons. While Cooper Barrett and Bordertown‘s cancellations were sure bets, there was actually reason to hope Fox would stick with The Grinder and Grandfathered for another season. Both comedies starred long-time fan favorites – Rob Lowe on The Grinder and John Stamos on Grandfathered – and both shows debuted to decent although not outstanding numbers. But as the first season went on, neither show grew its audience despite Stamos and Lowe continuously plugging their shows on talk shows and via other outlets (and despite The Grinder being one of their better comedies to appear in years).
Grandfathered‘s ratings for season one showed the comedy featuring Stamos as a playboy who discovers he’s actually a grandfather was averaging in the 4 million range. The Grinder was only managing 3.4 million viewers on average. Still, The Grinder‘s numbers were better than either Bordertown and Cooper Barrett’s. Seth MacFarlane’s animated Bordertown never found an audience, kicking off quietly and never gaining any traction. Cooper Barrett‘s numbers were a ratings disaster and no one expected the series to earn a season two renewal.
#TheGrinder was not renewed by @FOXTV It was unapologetically original, smart, funny and had a murder's row of talent. #GrinderRests.
— Rob Lowe (@RobLowe) May 12, 2016
Underdogs from the start! What a tremendous year. I love these guys. Long live #CooperBarrett pic.twitter.com/gfv574Pbup
— Charlie Saxton (@charliesaxton) May 13, 2016
