Posted on 05/12/2018 6:17:57 AM PDT by Kaslin
When ABC cancelled "Last Man Standing" after its sixth season last year, the show was at the top of its game, with millions of loyal viewers and perched behind only "Modern Family" at the number two ranking among the network’s comedy shows.
To say fans were disappointed is an understatement. Although ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey tried to blame the network’s decision on the show’s high price tag rather than star Tim Allen’s political affiliation or, worse, his support of President Trump, not many were buying it, particularly Allen.
"I always wanted "Last Man Standing" to be like ['All in the Family's'] Archie Bunker," said Allen last September, according to THR. "Archie Bunker;pushed boundaries, but Carroll O'Connor was not that guy at all. I am a version of that guy. But there is nothing more dangerous, especially in this climate, than a funny, likable conservative character. He is mitigated on the show by a family of women who had a difference of opinions, but [Mike Baxter] was a likable guy and a principled guy about work and ethics and all this stuff."
There’s the rub, of course. Progressives, being the type of folks who want to dominate every aspect of our lives, are certainly used to controlling what the public is ‘allowed’ to watch, and they do it with gusto, filling countless broadcast hours with what essentially amounts to poorly produced leftist propaganda.
To them, it doesn’t matter that Baxter’s wife on the show, along with at least two of his daughters, lean liberal and represent many liberal viewpoints with class. The fact that a title character on the show, and a likeable one at that, is a conservative and represents many of OUR viewpoints with class was simply a bridge too far, and "Last Man Standing"had to go.
I don’t have any inside proof for that, of course, but knowing what I know about how liberals, particularly those with acute cases of Trump-Derangement Syndrome, think, I don’t think it’s a bridge too far.
Except, conservatives have money too, and green is hard to ignore.
Enter "Roseanne," another show geared toward working class America that helped fill the void left by "Last Man Standing" in a yuge way by dominating its time slot and skyrocketing to the top of the Nielsen ratings. Its portrayal of a working-class grandmother who openly supported President Trump because “he talked about jobs” was refreshing to Trump-supporting, working-class America.
Considering that Roseanne is the only conservative character on the show and many of the other storylines and characters are more reminiscent of a show like "Modern Family" than "Leave it to Beaver," it actually says a lot about what beaten-down conservatives in America are willing to tolerate for their entertainment these days. Sadly, sometimes it’s enough just to have someone on television openly declaring their support for President Trump and not be portrayed as a monster.
So when conservatives took the bone they tossed us with "Roseanne" and devoured it like a starving wolf, it couldn’t have hurt the prospects of bringing back "Last Man Standing", and now the series has officially been revived for a seventh season by Fox.
Allen will be back, as well as stars Nancy Travis, Jonathan Adams, Christoph Sanders, Amanda Fuller, and Jordan Masterson. And the Trump-supporting star couldn’t be happier.
"Excited? Team LMS was in the sixth inning, ahead by four runs, stands were packed and then for no reason, they call off the game. It leaves you sitting in the dugout, holding a bat and puzzled. Now we get the news from Fox that it’s time to get back out on that diamond — hell yes, I’m excited!" Allen said in a Friday statement. "When I heard the offer to create more episodes of 'Last Man Standing,' I did a fist pump so hard I threw my back out. It’s the fans! I could not be more grateful for the fans who wrote petitions and kept up the passion and incredible support for the show. And a fist pump, ouch, for Dana Walden and Gary Newman at Fox for not only listening to the fans, but for making the bold move to bring Last Man Standing back. I’m sure audiences will be curious to see what we look like after all these years. Oh, has it only been one year? Well, just goes to show you — a lot can happen in a year.”
My kids couldn’t be happier either. They loved the show, and my wife and I loved watching it with them. Politics aside, there are few shows these days that are classy, clean, well produced, well acted, and hilarious to boot.
Here’s to watching Tim Allen and "Last Man Standing" hit home runs for many years to come!
Have it on right now. Lookin forward to new episodes!
I have mixed feeling about LMS. Mike Baxter is certainly an adorable, conservative character on the show, but I find he often caves. I understood completely why it was cancelled during election season - the Hillary/Obama/Democrat jokes were great. I have no doubt ABC received a call.
It is in constant replay on national cable channels including WGN, CMT and Hallmark along with a local OTA channel in my market
First Roseanne, now this - the progressives must be heading for their safe spaces.
BTW I used to watch the old Roseanne Barr show.
I watched that too
Who was Mandy?
Yes, and the wife and I have watched and re-watched every episode...so glad to hear it is returning.
You can watch the grass grow for all I care.
We never watched this show other than a couple of random episodes until it started in syndication. Now we watch it all the time including binge watching on Hulu. I am glad to see it coming back and not just for the Mike Baxter character. It is a really funny show that is well written with good characters throughout. My wife is going to be thrilled that there will be new episodes to watch. Way to go Fox!
My son got me in watching the show, but at the time it had been playing already for a couple of seasons so I missed the first two or 3? I recorded the shows that I missed and watched them later. Once I find out when the new shows are on Fox Channel I plan to record the show and watch it later. I don’t normally watch the regular Fox channel.
"Hilary Clinton was once a Goldwater girl."
"Satan used to work for God, what's your point?"
It is shocking to hear jokes that mock liberals. Very refreshing.
I am aware that Tim is a real conservative; my comment was related to the media “buzz” about these shifts in television programming. Regardless of whether Roseanne Barr is sincere in seeking a broader audience, the leftists don’t like it one bit.
Eh, I would classify Allen as a moderate Republican (he was a Kasish cheerleader during the primary, then switched to Trump in the general election because he didn't want Hillary) and Roseanne Barr as a loose-cannon who is hard-left on social issues (it wasn't long ago that she was given a prime time speaking slot at the Green Party convention, then ran as the far-left Peace & Freedom Party ticket with Cindy Sheehan as her running mate) but voted Trump for whatever reason made sense to her at the time.
In short, they have little in common aside from both voting for Trump in 2016.
If they were reviving Home Improvement instead of Last Man Standing, I'd check it out. Home Improvement was very popular in the 90s and a lot more wholesome than the Roseanne show. I thought the sitcom itself was just OK, but the show-within-a-show Tool Time segments were hilarious. I don't recall hearing about Last Man Standing in the news until it was cancelled, but now I'm hearing people retroactively claim it was super popular and beloved.
I watched a few episodes of Roseanne back in the 90s. John Goodman is fun but that's the LAST program I'd watch to see "conservative values". I find it amusing when conservatives try to pretend it is. Apparently some FReepers checked out the new Roseanne and found out the hard way that she loves to promote socially "progressive" stuff like transgenderism.
Assuming this will be next fall? Anyone know what night it will be on?
She's not a conservative. She's a Trump supporter. There's a difference.
So, where are Mandy and Eve and Mr Alzate? They moved on?
A conservative man living with 4 women, 2 libs, one middle of the road and one conservative.
Lib daughter married to a lib vegetarian son in law, middle daughter is ditzy (hilarious) married to another ditz who worships Mike, and youngest daughter is rock rib Trumpian/Reaganite who wanted to go to West Point but didn’t get in.
Kind of hard to describe the show in a few words.
I watched it once (Last Man), IIRC 2 hot daughters, one was a good conservative like dad the other a lib.
The ratings were good and it was a surprise cancellation.
Haven’t seen Home Improvement since I was a kid.
I suppose we'll have to find out when Fox Channel brings the show back. I plan to record the show once it comes back on.
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