ABC announced in May the shocking decision to cancel their hit-show Last Man Standing after six seasons, despite good ratings. Some wondered if it was because the show contained conservative, Christian characters. That includes star Tim Allen, who describes himself as having a “curious relationship with God.” He had previously tweeted he was “stunned” and “blindsided” by the decision.
Stunned and blindsided by the network I called home for the last six years. #lastmanstanding
— Tim Allen (@ofctimallen) May 16, 2017
During his Tuesday interview for Norm MacDonald Live, Allen acknowledged that there was “nothing more dangerous… than a funny, likable conservative.” He also noted his character was “principled” and had a “work ethic.” He had “no idea why they did what they did” when it came to canceling the show.
In August, ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey addressed the cancellation. She praised and acknowledged the comedy was a “high quality show” and claimed “politics had absolutely nothing to do with it.” According to Dungey, it was about scheduling. The show had aired on Friday night, a difficult night for television shows, and yet still did well. She noted that “once we made the decision not to continue with comedies on Fridays, that was where we landed,” about the cancelation.
READ: Still Mad ABC Canceled ‘Last Man Standing?’ ABC Exec Addresses Outrage Over Decision
It wasn’t merely that the show was doing well on Friday. Allen mentioned that it was the “second biggest show” and that “we won Friday,” calling it a “big night for us, big night for them,” suggesting that they could “use us just to launch shows, if nothing else.”
The convenient excuse hasn’t seemed to quell or pacify those who believe it had to do with politics, as fans have threatened to boycott the network, and have launched a petition, which has over 411,000 signatures. The entertainment industry is also known for it being liberal, and perhaps the comedy, especially one featuring a conservative, Christian character, whom they dared to make likable, was too much for the network. There is hope for the show to be picked up by CMT, though further details have yet to emerge recently.
Allen is one of those still unhappy about the decision. “You couldn’t have handled this worse,” he said while on MacDonald’s show. “It was handled very badly.” It looks as if speculation will remain.