Is Fox set to release the ninth season of Last Man Standing this year?
In 2011, ABC green-lighted the situational comedy, Last Man Standing, created by Jack Burditt and starring Tim Allen in the lead. This became the second collaboration between Allen and ABC network after the hugely popular 1991 sitcom, Home Improvement. Despite not getting critical acclaim, Last Man Standing managed to gain the favour of the audience and saw strong ratings throughout its run. After six seasons, ABC cancelled Last Man Standing, which led to Fox picking it up. On May 19, 2020, Last Man Standing was renewed for a ninth season. So, when can we finally expect it to air?
Highlights:
- Everyone’s favourite family – The Baxters
- Last Man Standing revival: Fox to the rescue
- Did Fox just reveal the release dates for season 9?
Everyone’s favourite family – The Baxters
The multi-camera sitcom stars our very favourite Baxter family that has its Ronald-Reagan loving traditional patriarch, Mike (Tim Allen), his lovely wife, Vanessa (Nancy Travis), and his three daughters, Kristin (Amanda Fuller), Mandy (Molly Ephraim) and Eve (Kaitlyn Dever) along with Kristin don Boyd. Kristin is the oldest daughter and is shown to be a teen mom, Mandy is the middle child and has a keen interest in fashion and Eve is the youngest one and is Mike’s favourite. The series follows Mike, a Republican at heart and the marketing director for a sports equipment store chain called Outdoor Man, as he heads a family of females and evolves as a person along the way.
The series eventually involves the partners of his daughters, on whom he also has a profound influence. He uses the idea of ending every episode with Mike’s vlog, which he uses to publicize sports goods from an outdoor man while making use of events from his personal life. The series is funny, witty and relies heavily on the importance of standing with your family through thick and thin. The series aired on ABC for six years before being abruptly cancelled and was eventually revived by Fox.
Last Man Standing revival: Fox to the rescue after ABC’s surprise withdrawal
During its span of six seasons, the series was one of the most-watched sitcoms on ABC, which is why its sudden cancellation in 2016 came as a shock not only for the audience but also the cast. The series is also produced by 20th Century Fox Television and there was a contract between ABC and 20th Century Fox Television as per which, they negotiated the production fee, but ABC decided to cancel the show instead of getting into any negotiations. Also, the contract as per which 20th Century Fox Television was supposed to pay for the production had come to an end and if ABC would have continued the show, it would have had to pay for all the expenses which it wasn’t willing to do.
Lead actor Tim Allen expressed his displeasure with the sudden cessation of the show stating, “Stunned and blindsided by the network I called home for the last six years.” Fans started a petition for its revival in 2017, which by 2018 had 438,000 signatures. Seeing the response, executives at 20th Century Fox Television became more determined to find it a home, and thus, in July 2018, Fox announced that a season 7 reboot was finally happening.
Did Fox just reveal the release date for season 9?
Season 8 of Last Man Standing was huge. The season saw [*SPOILER*] both Mandy and Kristin revealing their pregnancy. Kristin goes into labour in the last episode and the series ends on a cliff hanger as the birth was not shown. The season was supposed to have one more episode but was cut short due to the onset of the coronavirus.
Even though the show-runners confirmed a season 9 of Last Man Standing, they have not been able to give it a date yet because of the ongoing pandemic. The production of the sitcom was stalled during its last season, so there is no way it comes back with another season this year. It is being said that the syndicated series will most likely return in 2021. Executive producer Kevin Abbott was quoted saying, “The world has changed. Everything we had planned has gone out of the window.”
However, what we do know is that we will definitely get more babies in the next season. Mike and his son-in-law, Ryan, will also be seen getting along in the upcoming season, understanding each other better.
With story-lines being planned afresh, it will be exciting to see what the Baxter clan has in store for us next. Are you excited about the upcoming season? Are there any story-lines you think the makers will explore this season? Write to us in the comments section below.
