‘Last Man Standing’ executive producer Kevin Abbott I think there’s nothing more dangerous now than a likable conservative character.” “Because he was mitigated on his show by a family of women that had different opinions - but the guy was a likable guy, a principled guy, just about work and ethics and all this stuff. That was the most dangerous thing,” he said. “There’s nothing more dangerous to me, especially in this climate, than a funny, likable conservative. In an interview on Norm MacDonald’s podcast after the cancellation, Allen wondered aloud if the show got the axe because of his and his character’s politics. Still, the Last Man Standing revival is a peculiar test case for the ways in which we’re still unprepared to process conservatism on scripted television and family entertainment, and our allergy to any fictional Trump support that mirrors a large part of the country. “The only similarities we have with the Roseanne show is that we’re a family sitcom and that the central character has more conservative views.” “I look at the Roseanne audience and I think, Jesus, if we’d had gotten that kind of promo on ABC we would’ve gotten that kind of audience,” Abbott said. ( ABC has denied this.)Īs for the direct comparisons to Roseanne, while it seems perfectly logical to view the resuscitation of Last Man Standing as due to its success, the latter’s creative team seems to be trying to distance itself from comparisons. So when Fox decided to cancel fan-favorite comedies like Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Last Man on Earth and bring back Last Man Standing, many viewed it as a cynical move to cash in on the Roseanne ratings, especially since when Last Man Standing was canceled, a common narrative held that it was because of the show’s conservative bent. Unsurprisingly, the revival’s success triggered what’s been ruled “the Roseanne effect,” with networks hurrying to greenlight more conservative-friendly programming. Following its blockbuster season premiere, Donald Trump even personally called Barr to congratulate her. More, a major factor behind that success was presumed to be that the character of Roseanne Connor was a Trump supporter, echoing the politics of Barr herself. Not only has there been more news out of Donald Trump’s presidency than could be possibly recounted, but the revival of Roseanne became a ratings juggernaut the likes of which most TV execs thought couldn’t happen in our current era of splintered viewership. The show, a family sitcom seen as a descendant of Allen’s Home Improvement, had been a solid performer for ABC for six seasons and over 120 episodes when it was surprisingly-and abruptly-canceled in 2017. Tim Allen on his ‘Last Man Standing’ character The reason this is such a heated topic of conversation is because of the outrageous circumstances behind Last Man Standing’s return to TV this fall. Production on the new season of Last Man Standing officially starts next week. It echoed what FOX chairman and CEO Gary Newman had said earlier in the day at the TCA conference, though Newman had an interesting addendum: “Of course, that could change during the season,” he said. But the character itself, I don’t think we’re going to address it one way or another.” “I don’t think we’re going to comment specifically on Mr. Whatever is good for his business and good for the state of Colorado.”Įxecutive producer Kevin Abbott jumped in. If it’s helping his business, he’s probably pro-Trump. There’s really no reason to get him out of the pilot seat until he lands. “I think the best line I heard is actually from Cranston from Breaking Bad. “I think the guy’s kinda a centrist,” he continued. “It’s a legitimate question,” Allen said, referring to whether his character, who voiced his displeasure with then-President Barack Obama many times during Last Man Standing’s original run on ABC, would be openly MAGA. That series was so popular before its scandal-induced cancellation that many critics, reporters, and couch surfers cynically assumed it had led to Fox’s decision to bring Last Man Standing back from the dead. At least not now, and certainly not with the blatant, headline-grabbing pride that Roseanne Barr’s character on Roseanne did in that series’ controversial revival. While Allen admitted that, at least in some respects, his character Mike Baxter probably supports certain aspects of President Trump and his administration, he and the comedy’s executive producers say that there is no specific plan to vocalize that support. That was Tim Allen, co-star Nancy Travis, and the Last Man Standing cast and crew’s reaction when-yes, right off the bat-a reporter at the Television Critics Association conference in Los Angeles asked whether Allen’s character will be a Trump supporter on the series’ unlikely revival. BEVERLY HILLS, California- “Right off the bat!”
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