Why The Grinder Failed

With a whimper that was noticed by one or two diehard listeners, Fox Television pulled the plug on the 'Boise' based TV show 'The Grinder.'  The show had three big stars, Rob Lowe, Fred Savage, and William Devane, a quirky plot,  a less competitive Tuesday night  schedule.  So why did the Grinder fail?   Like many folks in the Treasure Valley, I was excited about the new Fox Show that promised to feature the city of trees.  I expected Boise to be put on the TV map like Scranton; Pennsylvania had during the show The Office.  Scranton was featured prominently during its many seasons on NBC.  That did not happen on the Grinder.  In fact, for the first few episodes, the cast did the unthinkable.  They pronounced the city Boi-zee.  Not that most folks in America knew the difference.

However, that was the first of many misfires.  Although Fred Savage was the only cast member who visited our area to get a vibe, he lacked the on-camera chemistry with Rob Lowe to make folks come back weeknight after weeknight.  Add to the fact that the plot seemed strange, and there was no 'unique' local flavor to it.  The scenes featured lead character Rob Lowe seemed as if he was talking to himself, ignoring everyone, including the audience.

Perhaps if the cast had adopted the Treasure Valley as the cast of The Office had Scranton, the show would've had enough folks for renewal.  Sadly this was not the case, and the Grinder's case was dismissed.