Still Standing

 

I first got to know Mike in 2011 and quickly discovered that I could relate to him on a lot of levels.

We both believe in this glorious country we live in, and we believe that it offers everyone the opportunity to achieve anything they want, are capable of, and are willing to work for.  Yes, we both believe that everyone should work for what they get and nobody owes anyone anything.  We agree that society has gravitated toward babying people and that a lot of folks could benefit from the development of thicker skin.

That’s why I was perturbed when I found out that Mike had lost his job, or rather, WHY he lost it.

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Mike Baxter is one of the main characters on a TV show named, Last Man Standing which aired on ABC for six seasons.  Comedian Tim Allen, who previously starred as Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor for many years on the popular television series Home Improvement, played Mike.

Baxter is the director of marketing for Outdoor Man, a sporting goods chain that one could be forgiven for confusing with Bass Pro Shops.  On the show Outdoor Man even looks like my favorite store.

Mike Baxter is curmudgeonly and opinionated and intelligent enough to verbalize his conservative views.  Oh, and he is witty enough to explain his beliefs in a humorous and entertaining way.

While decrying political correctness, Baxter’s close friend and business partner, Ed Alzate (played by Héctor Elizondo) is Basque.  Another close friend, Chuck Larabee (Jonathan Adams) is black.  On at least one episode he has a close, friendly relationship with a lesbian motorcycle enthusiast.  His son-in-law, Ryan Vogelson (Jordan Masterson) is a very vocal, diehard liberal.  While virtually hating Ryan at first for abandoning his pregnant daughter, Mike has developed a respect for Vogelson who has returned to take responsibility for his son.

Mike may object to political correctness but he sounds pretty accepting of people from different backgrounds and beliefs.  Well, begrudgingly accepting in some cases.

So why did he lose his job?

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First I have to explain that Mike didn’t actually lose his job, Tim Allen did.  Mike just kind of ceased to exist, except in syndication.

TV fans may not like it but we understand when a show’s popularity wanes and it stops being profitable for the network to produce it.  It happens.

The problem is, Last Man Standing never waned in popularity.  In fact, it was ABC’s second-highest rated sitcom for the 2016-17 season…its final one.  It was named ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards’ Top Television Series in 2011, 13, 14, and 15 as well as receiving several other awards.

So what was the problem?

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In an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live! real-life conservative Tim Allen said that being a Republican in Hollywood is, “like 1930s Germany. You gotta be real careful around here, you know. You’ll get beat up if you don’t believe what everybody believes”.

Considering his simile, it’s interesting what a verbal beating Allen took in the media over comparing the liberal mainstream in Hollywood to Nazi Germany.

A few months after the interview Last Man Standing was cancelled.

Interesting timing, huh?

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Despite his earlier statement, Allen seemed surprised by the cancelation.  On May 16, 2017, he tweeted, “Stunned and blindsided by the network I called home for the last six years.”

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ABC quickly went into damage-control mode.  Jori Arancio, senior vice president of ABC Entertainment and ABC Studios said, “This was a scheduling decision.”  Evidently they had decided to dedicate Friday nights (when the show aired) to dramas.  One source said that the series may have been the second most popular show on ABC but that it didn’t track well with the 18-49 age group, their target demographic.

But the show’s many fans didn’t care.  They weren’t ready to attend a funeral for a fictional character they loved and related to, and they certainly didn’t like the appearance that their demographic wasn’t important enough to the network.

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ABC president Channing Dungey tried to explain, “Last Man Standing was a challenging one for me, because it was a steady performer. Once we made the decision not to continue with comedy on Friday, it was just kind of that’s where we landed.”  She went on to mention studio ownership, future creative direction, ratings and viewer engagement as all factors in her decision.

Fans weren’t buying it.

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Social media exploded with outraged fans calling for another network to pick up the show.  Some viewers started a petition on the website Change.org calling for ABC to bring Last Man Standing back.  By earlier this year the petition had received almost half-a-million signatures.

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On May 3, 2018, Tim Allen tweeted that a return “just might be a reality” and encouraged the show’s supporters to “keep it up”.   TVLine reported that Fox was “poised to” resurrect Last Man Standing for the 2018–19 TV season, adding that Tim Allen is “officially on board”.

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The long and short of it all is that, on Friday, September 28, Fox will air a brand new episode of the show that is so near and dear to so many of us.  It looks like conservatives and open-minded people everywhere will have one of our favorite spokesmen back on TV.

And the last man is still standing.

 

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(above and below) Some examples of the humor on the show.

(above) Mike gets a little strong in his vlog for this clip.

(below) An announcement that Last Man Standing had been cancelled.  Also some explanations for the cancellation.

 

(below) A preview of the new season, which starts Friday, September 17 on Fox.