Sounds Like Ending Last Man Standing Has Been Really Rough On Tim Allen
The month of May is always a sore spot for TV fanatics, with so many big season finales popping up in primetime and beyond. It's even worse when beloved shows are bowing out for good, which is the case with Tim Allen and Nancy Travis' Last Man Standing on Fox. The long-running sitcom will conclude on May 20 after nine seasons, and it sounds like saying farewell to the Baxters has had big impact on Tim Allen's mental and physical health.
Okay, so it's probably less about saying goodbye to the show's fictional family, and more about Tim Allen knowing he'll no longer be filming episodes with the cast and crew that had become a metaphorical second family for the star. Appearing along with other Last Man Standing actors and executive producers for a Fox press event, Allen was asked if the show's previous cancellation at ABC made the process any easier at Fox, and here's how he put it:
For Tim "Not a Feelings Guy" Allen, saying goodbye to Last Man Standing was apparently in the realm of being too hazardous for his health, as the massive release that followed the final episode's production had him feeling quite under the weather in one way or another. I suspect its similar to a parent dropping a child off at a faraway college, knowing there won't be anymore instant and constant communication with other loved ones. But at least with family, you know you'll see them again during special occasions, while the same luxury can't be shared by a TV series' entire cast and crew.
Even if Fox delivers a 10-year reunion or something similar for Last Man Standing, it obviously wouldn't bring everyone back together. And sure, Tim Allen might one day star in another project with the likes of Nancy Travis, Kaitlyn Dever, or Jay Leno, but that would also not quite compare to the LMS experience. And considering he already knew the mournful feelings that come with series finales, Allen apparently took special care to walk around and take in his surroundings as much as possible in the final weeks, knowing he would only be able to make new memories for a certain amount of time.
To that end, as much as he wanted to savor all the moments that he could with the Last Man Standing posse, Tim Allen acknowledged that part of him wanted that whole process to be done with the quickness. In his words:
To that last point, Tim Allen and Last Man Standing's showrunner Kevin Abbott also talked about this sitcom being one of the few shows where the cast and crew members' differing political ideologies drew focus from audiences and the media, and how that wasn't a hindrance to the series. To the contrary, both men (and others at the panel) appreciate such differences, and how they never got in the way of bringing storylines to life on screen, even when it came to elections and the pandemic. I think it's safe to assume, however, that everyone agreed that a Home Improvement revival would be amazing.
With Kaitlyn Dever's Eve set to appear in a limited capacity, Last Man Standing will air its two-episode series finale on Fox on Thursday, May 20, at 9:00 p.m. ET, so be sure to keep watching after that first episode wraps up. Hopefully fans won't miss Mike Baxter's shenanigans too much with all the big premieres coming to the 2021 Summer TV schedule.
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Nick is a Cajun Country native and an Assistant Managing Editor with a focus on TV and features. His humble origin story with CinemaBlend began all the way back in the pre-streaming era, circa 2009, as a freelancing DVD reviewer and TV recapper. Nick leapfrogged over to the small screen to cover more and more television news and interviews, eventually taking over the section for the current era and covering topics like Yellowstone, The Walking Dead and horror. Born in Louisiana and currently living in Texas — Who Dat Nation over America’s Team all day, all night — Nick spent several years in the hospitality industry, and also worked as a 911 operator. If you ever happened to hear his music or read his comics/short stories, you have his sympathy.