'Last Man Standing': When Season 9 Might Premiere

Fox still has not renewed Tim Allen's Last Man Standing for a ninth season, but even when the network does, it looks like it will be a long time until we get to see the next chapter of the Baxter family's story. The network announced on Monday that it does not expect to have any new episodes of scripted live-action content ready for this fall due to the coronavirus pandemic. This means shows like 9-1-1, 9-1-1: Lone Star and Last Man Standing might not return until midseason, or January 2021 at the earliest.

Last Man Standing's ninth season seems like a foregone conclusion, but fans have still been anxious to hear an official word. Season 8 ended without the real finale being filmed, so there was an unintended cliffhanger because Kristin (Amanda Fuller) had gone into labor at the end of the May 1 episode. Mandy (Molly McCook) also revealed she is pregnant with her and Kyle's (Christoph Sanders) first baby. Fans, who were already burned when ABC canceled the show after Season 7, would be disappointed if these stories were not tied up.

The show's cast would also be disappointed if they never get to film again, as they have all been enthusiastic about telling more Baxter family stories. In an interview with PopCulture.com, Amanda Fuller described the Season 8 finale as a "really special" episode. Allen also told TVGuide he hoped they could bring back Kaitlyn Dever, who only appeared in two Season 8 episodes as Eve Baxter, who is a member of the Air Force. "If she's a fighter pilot for the Air Force, we're not sure how much she's allowed to see us," Allen said. "She'd be in Europe. We'd have to schedule it around her flight training. But my guess is, as much as possible, we'd have her on. We love her and we love to honor our military."

Another storyline for Season 9 could build on Mike's (Allen) relationship with Kristin's husband Ryan (Jordan Masterson). The two are on opposite sides of the aisle politically, but Allen told TVGuide new episodes will show the two learning from each other. "You're going to find those kinds of examples growing," he said.

Without any new traditional scripted programming for the fall, Fox has come up with some unique solutions. The network secured the rights to broadcast L.A.'s Finest, the Bad Boys spin-off that was originally exclusive to Spectrum last year, reports The Hollywood Reporter. The Jessica Alba and Gabrielle Union cop drama will air Mondays at 8 p.m. ET, the slot usually occupied by 9-1-1. Plans to air the dramas Next and Filthy Rich this summer were scrapped, and they will instead debut this fall on Mondays and Tuesdays, respectively. Cosmos: Possible Worlds will also air on Tuesdays. The Masked Singer will still be back to give the network a fighting chance in the ratings against its competition. Fox also has WWE Friday Night Smackdown and Thursday Night Football this fall.