Tim Allen’s sitcom “Last Man Standing” will be coming to a close on Thursday night after a nine-season run and one network change. Ahead of the final episode, Allen thanked fans for their support and commitment over the years.
“I don’t want to wrap up this story,” Allen said in the video he shared on Twitter.
Allen’s co-star, Nancy Travis, said that we will remember the great time she had throughout the years.
“I will just take away the memory of having a great time,” she said.
Join me #tonight pic.twitter.com/rk2DwcWJkZ
— Tim Allen (@ofctimallen) May 20, 2021
Speaking with Fox News, Allen said he had to hold back tears when shooting the final episode.
“Our prop guy said, ‘Which of these did you want to take?’ and it was pictures of the family from the hallway that was going away,” Allen said. “I walked in and looked at Nancy and [I’m] literally surprised I got through that scene.”
“She really looked at me [and said], ‘Are you OK?’ and I was not OK,” he added.
Nancy Travis said that somber departures are part of working on a long-running show.
“It’s the nature of what we do,” she said. “But this job, in particular, we just all formed such close bonds and relationships.”
“We just tried to portray a family and the nuances of a family, and the relationships within a family. To be able to bring that into somebody’s living room every single week is pretty incredible,” she added.
The show endured an unexpected hiatus in 2018 following ABC’s abrupt cancellation of the program despite solid ratings and a loyal fanbase. Speculation at the time was that parent-company Disney axed the show because it centers on a Christian conservative patriarch that says politically incorrect things.
Regarding President Donald Trump, Allen, an outspoken conservative, told Entertainment Weekly in 2018 that he never classified himself as a “Trump supporter” (he endorsed Kasich) while imploring people to calm down and look at the great work Trump had done with the economy.
“I’ve met [Trump] at the charity event years ago, and that certainly doesn’t fit with the man who tweets. I’ve met a lot of people in private whose public persona is a bit off. My perception is ‘let’s see what he gets done,’” Allen said. “Let’s stop banging on the pilot’s door and trying to pull the guy out of his seat while he’s still flying. You might not like how he’s flying the plane but let’s let him land it.”
Allen also suggested that maybe some of Trump’s style could just be theater, as he gets the results people have long been waiting for.
“Do I like him or agree with him? … I don’t know. Somebody got this NAFTA thing done. How did that happen? It’s like a sleight of hand with this dude,” added Allen. “There’s this smoke and smelly food but over here he just fixed a pothole. The theater of this is fascinating.”
“He doesn’t do it very attractively but you don’t even realize the economy is doing better,” Allen continued. “Is it? There’s so much drama. Maybe it took this type of guy to get stuff done because it was so stuck in the mud. I’m just watching the theater of it and trying to keep my personal opinions out of it. What difference does it make whether I like him?”