Fox announced on Friday that it would be reviving the former ABC sitcom Last Man Standing, starring Tim Allen.
Last Man Standing lasted six seasons in its initial run and centered on Allen's character being the only man in his house with his wife and three daughters. When ABC canceled the show, it was the network's second-highest-rated comedy after Modern Family, but also one of its most expensive, since Allen is a TV veteran.
Allen fueled speculation that the cancellation was due to his character being a conservative, and had said on Jimmy Kimmel Live that being one in Hollywood was comparable to living in 1930s Germany. Fans of the show and conservatives alike rallied behind his effort to save the show, with over 400,000 people signing an online petition to boycott ABC until the show was renewed.
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After Fox canceled Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Mick, and The Last Man on Earth Thursday, people started speculating that it was a sign that Fox was going to save Last Man Standing — and they were not happy about it.
How disgusting is this. Fox cancels three good comedies but has the money to revive Tim Allen's canceled garbage. Thanks, Roseanne. https://t.co/xU32dORQE9
Brooklyn Nine-Nine, a funny show with LGBT, POC and Latinx rep, is getting canceled to make room for Tim Allen's Last Man Standing, another show about a white, Trump supporting family. This sucks. #Brooklyn99
Do you think that Fox execs were eating expired Benadryls and huffing paint thinner when the decision was made to bring back unfunny dumpster fire Last Man Standing but not #Brooklyn99? https://t.co/fx3A4dPztj
After the rumors were confirmed Friday, many continued to be disappointed in Fox's choice to kill sitcoms to bring back a show that had already been canceled.
You wanna do a Red State-skewing multi-cam? GOD BLESS! But the aspiration in picking “Last Man Standing” off the scrapheap just because… whatever? It’s basically the lowest of aspiration.
Fox cancels what feels like half of its scripted programming and comes back with "but we're bringing back Last Man Standing!" Just ... wtf.
Let’s break it down. Fox has cancelled: -Brooklyn Nine-Nine -The Last Man On Earth -Lucifer -The Mick -Lethal Weapon* (Most likely next after firing the lead actor) Meanwhile, Fox has decided to revive Tim Allen’s Last Man Standing for political reasons. https://t.co/zLQRLNdrPw