'We Are Back!' Tim Allen's Family Comedy 'Last Man Standing' Returning to the Airwaves
The Tim Allen-led family comedy series "Last Man Standing" will be returning to television for a new season, a year after its surprise cancellation.
Allen announced the news last Friday on his official Twitter account, with the Fox network channel picking up the television program.
"Thanks to all you guys for the support. We are back!" declared Allen on Twitter.
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Gary Newman and Dana Walden, chairmen and CEOs of Fox Television Group, put out a statement noting that the show "ended too soon and the outcry from the fans has been deafening."
"We've wanted to put the show back together since its final taping a year ago, and Tim never gave up hope either. Thanks to its millions of devoted viewers and the irrepressible Tim Allen, we haven't seen the last of LAST MAN STANDING," stated Newman and Walden.
Initially airing on ABC, "Last Man Standing" centered on the character Mike Baxter, played by Allen, a family man with three daughters trying to maintain his "manliness" in a world increasingly dominated by women.
Debuting in 2011, the series initially ran for six seasons and was noted for bringing in strong ratings as well as portraying conservatives in a positive light.
In May 2017, ABC announced that they canceled "Last Man Standing" along with other, more liberal shows. News of the program being discontinued shocked many, leading some to accuse the network of ideological bias.
"If comedy 'remains a priority' for the network, as it said on Tuesday's call, why would it cancel its second-highest-rated comedy series?" asked Breitbart.com last year. "Is there any other show in history that has not only retained its audience but has beaten most other comedies of its type that has been canceled as abruptly? Ever?"
Others, however, including The Daily Banter, argued that the decision to cancel Allen's show had nothing to do with politics and everything to do with good business practices.
"According to 'Vox,' the show was getting increasingly expensive with each season, and it was popular with audience members over 50, which isn't the most profitable advertising demographic," read the 2017 column.
"On top of that, ABC's recent acquisition of 'American Idol' blew a sizable hole through their programming budget and schedule forcing them to axe several other shows as well."
