ABC head: Last Man Standing not canceled because of Tim Allen politics

Was the Last Man Standing cancellation last week something that came about because of star Tim Allen’s politics? Maybe it wasn’t a thought that everyone said allowed after the news broke, but it was certainly something floating around out there on the internet. There are not many shows scripted network shows out there (especially comedies) that cater to a more conservative crowd, and Allen had previously lamented the struggles of being a Republican in Hollywood.

Were it not for the ratings, this would be a discussion to shove by the wayside. Yet, Last Man Standing was a solid ratings performer, and one that also was making a good bit of money in syndication. Therefore, there are reasons for the conspiracy theory to be thrown around out there.

Nonetheless, ABC programming head Channing Dungey is now insisting that despite whatever theories or out there, Last Man Standing is not ending because of Allen’s own beliefs. Here is what she had to say on the subject (per TVLine):

“Look, sadly, a large part of these jobs [as network bosses] is managing failure. We have to make the tough calls and cancel shows that we otherwise would love to stay on the air. But I cancelled Last Man Standing for the same business and scheduling reasons that I cancelled The Real O’Neals, Dr. Ken, The Catch and American Crime.

“Last Man Standing was a challenging one for me, because it was a steady performer in the ratings, but once we made the decision not to continue with comedies on Friday, that was where we landed.”

It’s true that ABC is not airing comedies on Fridays this year, just as it’s also true that finding a natural home for the show elsewhere could be difficult because Last Man Standing is a very different show than Fresh Off the Boat or The Goldbergs. It also is a little pricier of a show than either of them (Allen receives a hefty paycheck for playing Mike Baxter), and it comes from 20th Century Fox TV rather than being a show that ABC produces in-house.

Ultimately, there’s little that can be said within this article to convince any conspiracy theorists that Allen’s politics played no role in the show’s cancellation. Maybe it did on a scheduling level. Yet, in between the finances of the show and ABC not having ownership of it in the way they do other comedies, there are some reasons why they may have opted to move forward without even looking at political beliefs. It just stinks for the fans who enjoyed the show.

What do you think about this cancellation in retrospect? Sound off now in the comments below! (Photo: ABC.)