‘Last Man Standing’ Pays Tribute to Late Behind-the-Scenes Talent

At the end of the Last Man Standing Season 8 premiere, the show paid tribute to two members of the show’s family. Lighting technician Wayne Lee and production accountant Lyle Brummett died between seasons of the show. The Last Man Standing family also recently lost Robert Forster, who played Tim Allen‘s father on the show.

Lee worked on the series from 2011 to 2013, when Last Man Standing aired on ABC. Lee also worked as a lighting technician on other sitcoms, including Whitney, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Parks and Recreation.

Brummett was a production accountant on Last Man Standing from 2013 to 2017 and Reba from 2001 to 2003.

Back in October 2019, Forster died after a battle with brain cancer. Forster was not included in the post-show card Thursday.

Forster was 78 years old. The Oscar-nominated actor had a recurring role on Last Man Standing as Bud Baxter, the father of Allen’s Mike Baxter.

“So very sad at [Robert’s] passing, he was a gift to me personally and a emotional part of our show,” Allen tweeted after hearing the news. “Prayers and condolences to his beautiful wife and family.”

“A truly gifted actor and one of the loveliest people I have ever had the pleasure of working with. RIP Robert,” Nancy Travis, who plays Mike’s wife Vanessa, tweeted as well.

Forster played Bud in 10 episodes, and made his final appearance in the Season 7 episode “Man vs. Myth.” The episode featured Mike coming to terms with his father’s death and the difficult relationship they had.

Last Man Standing Season 8 is its second season on Fox, which revived it after ABC canceled it back in May 2017. This is the first year the show is airing on Thursdays instead of Fridays, since Fox is now airing wrestling Friday nights.

The show is also undergoing a big chance, as all three daughters no longer live with Mike and Vanessa. “Empty nest syndrome” will be a big story for the new episodes. In the first episode of the season, Mike brought his daughters to the house, and Kristin (Amanda Fuller) revealed she is expecting a second baby.

“It kind of changes everything,” showrunner Kevin Abbott Abbott told TVLine before the season premiere. “We play on the fact that there are no longer any children in the house throughout the first 10 or 11 episodes.”

New episodes of Last Man Standing air on Fox at 8 p.m. ET Thursdays.

Photo credit: Fox