Tim Allen Says Last Man Standing Revival Isn’t Just for Conservatives: ‘We Want Both Sides to Think It’s Funny’
Tim Allen is famous for being a rare Hollywood conservative… but don’t expect his Last Man Standing character Mike Baxter to plant a Trump 2020 sign on the lawn.
“I think the guy is kind of a centrist,” Allen — the star of Fox‘s sitcom revival, debuting this fall — told reporters at the Television Critics Association summer press tour on Thursday. “This guy’s a practical guy… if it’s helping his business, I think he’s probably pro-Trump. [But] he probably doesn’t defend him.”
In fact, Allen reveals that he and the Last Man writing staff were actually disappointed when Hillary Clinton lost to Trump in the 2016 election… because they had so much material saved up. “We had a bank of stuff” already written assuming that Clinton would win, Allen says — “pantsuit stuff,” as he puts it. But he emphasizes that the show won’t play political favorites: “We want both sides to think it’s funny.”
“I don’t think we’re going to comment specifically on Donald Trump,” showrunner Kevin Abbott added. While he concedes Mike Baxter is “a conservative Republican,” he says Trump’s administration and policies won’t be a topic of conversation on the show: “I don’t think we’re going to address it one way or the other.”
Roseanne enjoyed a ratings boom when it returned to ABC this spring — and also had an outspoken conservative star — but Abbott drew a distinct line between that show and Last Man Standing: “The Roseanne reboot handled a lot of topical issues… we don’t really do issues of the week. We consider ourselves a family show with a traditional character in the center of it.”
Earlier in the day, Fox co-chairman and CEO Gary Newman said Allen’s personal politics wouldn’t affect his Last Man Standing character: “The producers’ plans are simply not to address whether or not he might be a Trump supporter… That could change during the season, but there are no plans at this time… Clearly he’s a character with a conservative viewpoint.”
Last Man Standing started out on ABC, ending a six-season run there last year. At the time, Allen blamed the cancellation on Mike’s politics (and his own), saying “there’s nothing more dangerous… than a funny, likable conservative.” Fox swooped in to revive the show for a seventh season in May.
I really used to like Tim Allen… I miss the days when I was young and naive.
Same.
I’m liberal and dislike Trump, but I’m looking forward for this show to return.
You know it’s possible to be conservative and not like Trump or so I’ve been told.
It’s definitely true, I know lots of them!
Yes there are a few of them, unfortunately many don’t speak out about it. I won’t be watching because I never found Allen to be entertaining. He doesn’t make me laugh, nothing to do with politics.
Sorry Tim but your history of hate said otherwise
Stupid,Fox! Such a stupid move picking this garbage up and cancelling The Mick and The Last Man on Earth. I hope this tanks.
The problem with this show was never the politics, it was that it just wasn’t funny. Lazy sitcom writing that hasn’t left the 90s and thinks “omg only dude in a family of LADIES” is the height of humorous situations.
Comedy is in the eye of the beholder. If a show makes you laugh–then it’s accomplishing it’s goal. Not everyone will like it–different strokes for different folks–but, it isn’t a crime to like this show either. Too bad some people can’t appreciate that fact–but, what else is new…
Politically funny and partisan humor are two different talents, sadly Tim Allen doesn’t have both.
Spoiler Alert: It wont be, and it is.
I wish more shows wanted to make both sides laugh.
They couldn’t pay me to watch this. Tim Allen hasn’t been funny for awhile now.
That’s how I always felt about this show. I never felt it leaned so Republican as to be political or even commentary on politics. It was more commentary on different viewpoints making up America. I always liked the show and found it funny despite being quite anti-Trump.
I don’t know why any sitcom would incorporate Trump into it. Trump has a bad TV reality show going weekly at his rallies. Have you seen those bad actors who attend.
I used to like him. His comments are not funny. They are racist and show no empathy for people who are not rich, but he is a Republican and that’s how most of them are. I will not watch this show again or anything any of the actors on the show are in again. If they are associated with him they are condoning his behavior.
I don’t think I’ll watch the show because it was getting old when it was on before… To me the show started jumping the shark a long time ago… It was just home improvement with girls instead of boys…. And when 2 of the main characters aren’t going to be coming back I don’t think there’s much to watch…you just reach a point where a show has been on long enough…. And the show reached that point a long time ago for me
He had no problem bashing Obama but now you want everyone to watch your show because you won’t bash Trump! Stick it where the sun don’t shire. Nope!
Some of the best comedy is the comedy that makes you laugh at yourself.
The Roseanne revival wasn’t a hit because of her politics, it was more of a nostalgia kick for people who remember the show and it’s characters’ quirky lives due to the daily grind of their lower middle class existence. The politics garbage reared it’s ugly head in the newer version but I wouldn’t credit that stuff with whatever success it had in it’s comeback.
I just can’t get into Last Man Standing because Tim Allen’s character reminds me too much of a d bag neighbor I have who’s always has a sarcastic comment about everyone who doesn’t agree with his insular world. That, and there are plenty of other far more entertaining shows to watch as well, IMHO.
“We don’t want to alienate the audience already alienated by this unnecessary revival!”
Good to hear that the show will toe the line on conservative viewpoints! Stick to the family comedy stuff that makes the show work and it could be a big hit again!
Typical…if the Democrat wins, “we had mountains of material”. Though, with Dumb Donald in the White House (providing enough material to block out the sun) the producers “probably won’t address” the issues surrounding it. I grew tired of Allen’s Obama whining after a couple seasons and stopped watching.
Seriously..they don’t need to make fun of Trump..he manages that fine all by himself.If they tried that..they’d fit no other material in the show.I am bigly pleased he won’t be mentioned much