Cancellation is a natural part of the TV circle of life — unless that show is Last Man Standing, that is, in which case the cancellation is proof of a vast liberal conspiracy aimed at kicking outspoken Hollywood conservative Tim Allen off network television.
That seems to be the underlying belief driving a petition calling for ABC to un-cancel the sitcom, which won’t be returning to the network lineup after a six-season run. The show aired on CMT in Canada.
REALTED: Tim Allen’s ‘Last Man Standing’ cancelled after 6 seasons
The petition, which calls for a boycott of the entire network if Last Man Standing isn’t returned to the network schedule, has garnered more than 94,000 signatures at time of writing.
“Last Man Standing stands out in the sea of network television sitcoms. It is a show that appeals to a broad swath of Americans who find very few shows that extol the virtues with which they can identify; namely conservative values,” reads the petition.
“Last Man Standing was not just selling conservative ideals though, as some of the characters in the show are clearly of the liberal persuasion, yet the characters on the show all manage to get along and take care of one another, despite their politically opposed views,” the petition continues, adding that the sitcom is one of the few shows on television “that is not constantly shoving liberal ideals down the throats of the viewers. And sadly, that is likely the real reason the show has been canceled.”
The sitcom was doing fairly well over its first five seasons, but in its sixth, it started to see a slight dip in ratings. A specific reason for the cancellation wasn’t provided by 20th Century Fox TV, the show’s production studio, but both financial and “show substance” theories have been floated.
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Called the “perfect sitcom for the Donald Trump era,” Last Man Standing was one of the only shows on TV featuring this right-wing point of view, and some sources believe that this may have been the reason for its cancellation, since its ratings were decent throughout its run.
Hopes that ABC may change its mind have likely been bolstered by shocking turn of events surrounding Timeless, with NBC cancelling the Vancouver-shot time-travel drama and then reversing its decision the following morning, a move that took even cast and producers by surprise.
—With files from Chris Jancelewicz
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