'Last Man Standing' to Return on Fox

The success of the reboot of Roseanne has apparently emboldened execs at Fox, who seem to think that the conservative fans of Tim Allen's Last Man Standing are worth pursuing. Allen's sitcom was cancelled last year by ABC, spurring Allen to speculate that it was his right-wing views - and the right-leaning makeup of his audience - that made him a target for cancellation.

The truth is, Last Man Standing had seen a ratings decline of more than half from its first season to its last on ABC, and its final-season ratings, though solid, were nothing to write home about. The Roseanne reboot, too, has seen a precipitous ratings decline since its huge premiere, making it look like banking on the pro-Trump crowd to deliver a ratings hit is a big gamble.

Via Page Six.

Tim Allen, you can probably thank Roseanne for this: “Last Man Standing” is getting a new lease on life — and it appears the revival will stick this time around.

A year after its controversial cancellation at ABC, the Allen-fronted comedy is poised to be resurrected by Fox for the 2018-19 TV season, TVLine has learned. Allen has, per sources, signed a deal for a potential Season 7 and conversations are underway with key cast members and EPs from the original incarnation to join him.

“Last Man’s” axing after six seasons caused a bit of an uproar last May, with some speculating that Allen’s well-vocalized right-wing beliefs may have been a factor. Allen himself added fuel to the conspiracy theory last fall, telling “Norm Macdonald Live,” “There’s nothing more dangerous, especially in this climate, than a funny, likable conservative.” ABC’s top exec, Channing Dungey, disputed the claim, however, insisting the sitcom was axed after “we made the decision not to continue with comedies on Friday.”

Cable network CMT later entered into preliminary discussions with owner 20th Century Fox TV to rescue the series, but those talks eventually fell apart over money.

Get the rest of the story at Page Six.

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