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2 • September 27 - October 3, 2015 TVWeek By Kyla Brewer TV Media T he fall season is ripe with fresh faces on TV, but there's something so comforting about a familiar face.An old familiar friend is heading back to television, and his arrival is just around the bend. In the '80s and '90s, TV audiences got to know John Stamos as Uncle Jes- se in "Full House." Now, a whole new generation will get to know him as Jimmy Martino, a restaurateur who dis- covers he not only has a son, but a granddaughter as well, in "Grandfathered," which premieres Tuesday, Sept. 29, on Fox. Created by Daniel Chun, one of Variety's 10 TV Scribes to Watch in 2015, the series introduces Jimmy as the consummate bachelor. He's charm- ing, he's stylish, he's successful, but he's com- pletely frazzled when Gerald (Josh Peck, "Drake & Josh") shows up announcing that he's his son and introduces his own daughter, Edie, Jimmy's granddaughter. Paget Brewster ("Criminal Minds") plays Jimmy's ex-girlfriend and Gerald's mother, Sara, who seems less than impressed to have Jimmy back in her life. While Jimmy may not be well versed in taking care of a baby, he can help his son with one thing: Gerald wants desperately to win the affection of Edie's mother, Vanessa (Christina Milian, "Baggage Claim," 2013). Kelly Jenrette ("Audrey," 2014) and Ravi Patel ("Scrubs") round out the cast as Jimmy's as- sistant manager and chef. Fox has billed the series as "an unconven- tional, sophisticated comedy about coming of age — at any age." It's created quite a buzz in the industry, in no small part because of its seemingly ageless star, who also serves as an executive pro- ducer on the series. "Stamos has just been on our TV for the past 25 years," said executive producer Dan Fogelman in fox.com's sneak peek at the series. "He's a gigantic, gigantic star who's been kind of in people's living rooms and bedrooms. He finds out overnight that he not only has a son he never knew about, but also a granddaughter, turning him from George Clooney to Grandpa. ... He's try- ing to be a better man, and often failing." In the network's official trailer, Stamos's Jimmy is a delightfully charming fish out of water as he cares for his newfound granddaughter, even though he obviously has no idea what he's doing. Luckily, Stamos does. After all, this isn't the first time he's worked with children. At this season's Television Critics Association fall preview event, he explained that the secret to his success in working with children is whispering into their ears. "I made a couple of twins a lot of money," he joked, referring to his "Full House" co-stars Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. Though his TV credits include prime-time juggernauts such as "ER," "Glee" and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," Stamos got his start in the daytime drama "General Hospital" before landing the role of Uncle Jesse in the hit ABC sitcom "Full House," which ran from 1987 to 1995. In the "Full House" pilot, Jesse moved in with his brother-in-law, Danny (Bob Saget, "Entourage"), and Danny's best friend, Joey (Dave Coulier, "America's Funniest People"), to help raise his late sister's three daughters. As a motorcycle-riding, Elvis-loving, drum-playing uncle, he hardly seemed equipped to care for three young girls. But the role transcended the "pull-my-finger" TV uncle cliché, challenging the definition of contemporary family life in the same way "Grandfathered" is poised to do for modern- day grandfatherhood. "I think this is a new twist on a twisted family life," said Stamos in Fox's sneak peek presenta- tion. Incidentally, for those who just can't get enough of Uncle Jesse, Stamos is scheduled to reprise the role in the upcoming Netflix series "Fuller House," a spinoff of the original centering on recently widowed D.J. Tanner-Fuller (Candace Cameron Bure, "Dancing With the Stars") and her three sons. It's set to premiere on the popular streaming service in 2016. A talented drummer, Stamos also frequently performs with the legend- ary American band The Beach Boys, and serves as a spokesman for Project Cuddle, an organization dedicated to preventing baby abandonment. Stamos may be a suave Renaissance man, but Peck is equally likeable as Gerald in "Grand- fathered." Though a hands-on father with Edie, he still exudes a boyish charm that beautifully contrasts Jimmy's man-about-town persona. Interestingly, much like his character in "Grand- fathered," Peck reportedly grew up not knowing his own biological father. As a child, he attended a professional performing arts school in New York and made the transition to professional child ac- tor when he landed a role in Nickelodeon's "The Amanda Show" in the early 2000s. By 2004, he was a bona fide star with his own Nickelodeon show "Drake & Josh" opposite Drake Bell. He's since guested in several TV series and starred in a number of films, including the popular animated Ice Age franchise. Cover Story John Stamos and Josh Peck as seen in "Grandfathered" He's back: Stamos set to charm a new generation in Fox's 'Grandfathered' D - Danville V - Veedersburg H - Hoopeston O - Oakwood V - Veedersburg Ca - Cayuga Co - Covington W - Westville Communities listed A/Crossroads Church B/Vermillion House 1x2.5 Med Plus 1x1.25 ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS IN Call Advertising at 446-9400

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