ABC has canceled “Last Man Standing” a sitcom starring Tim Allen after six seasons, even though the ratings for the series were second only to “Modern Family.” Fans of the show have expressed outrage, expressing the opinion that the action was taken in retaliation for Allen’s outspoken conservative beliefs and his support of Donald Trump as president of the United States. Calls for a boycott of the network are starting to be heard as a result of the cancellation.
What was ‘Last Man Standing’ about?
The series centered around Allen’s character, Mike Baxter, who is the senior executive of a sporting goods chain based in Denver, Colorado.
Baxter is a rare character on episodic TV in that he is a political conservative who is neither a bigot nor a terrorist. He lives with his wife, a former geologist, science teacher, and Hillary Clinton supporter, his three daughters, and his grandson. Baxter’s family and friends are a diverse ensemble cast. The comedy in “Last Man Standing” comes from interpersonal relationships. Surprisingly, the conservative and liberal characters get along with one another.
Was it Tim Allen’s conservative politics that got the show canceled?
Allen has always been a rare Hollywood conservative, though, up until last year he did not have any problems getting work. He was the star of a previous long-running sitcom, “Home Improvement” as well as films such as “Galaxy Quest” and the “Toy Story” series that also stars Tom Hanks.
However, the election of Donald Trump seems to have unhinged many people in America, especially in the entertainment industry. Many fans of “Last Man Standing” believe that Tim Allen is being blacklisted for his mild support of Trump.
Fans mount boycott of ABC
Whatever the motives of ABC for giving “Last Man Standing" the ax, fans of the show are mounting a boycott.
A petition on change.org has already garnered more than 10,000 signatures. Fans believe that Hollywood, not shy about advancing liberal politics and values in its programming, is discriminating against audiences that lean more to the right in their beliefs. Gov. Scott Walker, R-Wisconsin, has tweeted in support of the idea that the cancellation was politically motivated.
Neither Tim Allen nor ABC have responded to the controversy. However, it looks like the network has a public relations disaster on its hands. Whether the suits at the network like or hate the current president, they are going to have to deal with the fact that tens of millions of his supporters watch TV and their desires should be taken into account if ABC cares for its bottom line.
