Tim Allen Hints at Return of 'Last Man Standing' After Fox Cancellations

Tim Allen gave a veiled hint at the possible revival of Last Man Standing just hours before Fox [...]

By Daniel S. Levine

Tim Allen gave a veiled hint at the possible revival of Last Man Standing just hours before Fox cancelled three of its fan favorite comedies.

"A strong wind just filled our main sail," Allen tweeted Wednesday night. Hours later, on Thursday afternoon, Fox cleared its schedule for the next season by cancelling The Last Man on Earth, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and The Mick.

Fans thought Allen's comment was confirmation that Last Man Standing is coming back, with may expressing their excitement.

"I am supper [sic] excited to see @LastManStanding coming back!! It is a great mixture of Home Improvement and All in the Family to a point. Tim... is a comic genius," one fan wrote.

"I hope this means what I think it means, the anticipation is killing me," another added.

The show, which was produced by 20th Century Fox TV, was cancelled by ABC last year after its sixth season. The network insisted Allen's conservative politics had nothing to do with the decision, which came after ABC scrapped its Friday comedy block. The show also commanded a sizeable licensing fee from 20th TV. That fee was also one reason why the revival attempt at CMT last summer did not work out.

"Politics had absolutely nothing to do with it — we have actors on our shows who have all sorts of different political views," ABC chief Channing Dungey said in August 2017. "Tim Allen is a valuable part of the Disney ABC family and has been for a very, very long time. Last Man Standing was a show that, several years running, kind of came up to the very end in terms of the renewal, which was the same case this year."

However, fans did not buy that reasoning, and rumors of Fox reviving the show following the success of ABC's Roseanne revival started in March. Sources told TV Line last week that the show was likely to be brought back for the 2018-2019 TV season with Allen ready to return.

Last Man Standing was created by Jack Burditt and featured Allen as Mike Baxter, a man whose masculinity is threatened by his wife (Nancy Travis) and their three daughters (Molly Ephraim, Kaitlyn Dever and Amanda Fuller). The show's original run included 130 episodes, with repeats airing on WGN America.

"The support from all the fans to bring back Last Man Standing is truly overwhelming to me and so appreciated," Allen said in a January statement to Page Six. "I, along with the talented writers, wonderful crew and terrific actors, would definitely entertain the idea of bringing the show back as there is so much gas left in the tank, more to be said and laughs to be had."

The former Home Improvement star continued, "I know fans would love nothing more than for us to take the cover off, fire up the engine, back this car out of the garage and get it back on the highway, full-throttle. My sentiment sits in the front seat beside you."

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