Aging heartthrob showdown

How to tell Rob Lowe and John Stamos apart

We don’t blame you if you’re already getting these two stars confused. They both have piercing blue eyes; they’re both in their early 50s. They also both came to prominence more than 30 years ago: Stamos on the soap “General Hospital” and the longrunning sitcom “Full House,” and Lowe in the films “The Outsiders” and “St. Elmo’s Fire.” And now they’re each in new series, debuting back-to-back on the same night on Fox. How to tell them apart then? Easy: Lowe is on the better show. “The Grinder” is a hilarious comedy about an actor who played an attorney on television. When his show is canceled, he wants to continue playing that role in the family law firm, where he is convinced he can make a contribution despite his complete lack of credentials. Stamos stars on “Grandfathered,” a mostly tired sitcom about Jimmy Martino, a restaurateur and aging bachelor who meets Gerald (Josh Peck), the grown son he never knew he had, in the first episode. While the shock registers, Gerald introduces Jimmy to his infant granddaughter, Edie (played by twins Layla and Emelia Golfieri). Jimmy is a variation on the role Stamos played on “Full House,” the child-rearing Jesse Katsopolis, and you can see the setups coming a mile away. Jimmy has to baby-sit: uh-oh. What will he do when he has to change the kid’s diaper? And so forth.

In the battle of the ex-teen heartthrobs, Lowe has the creative edge.