Still Standing!
Tim Allen fills Us in on the new season of his Fox hit
It’s rare for a sitcom to pass the 100-episode mark — and rarer still for one actor to star in two shows that have hit that milestone.
But Tim Allen isn’t just any actor. Best known as Tim Taylor on Home Improvement, Allen tells Us what’s in store for Last Man Standing’s Baxter family ahead of its season 8 premiere (Jan. 2, 8 p.m.).
Q:
How does the new season begin for Mike Baxter and his girls?
It’s a bit of an empty nest. [My daughter] Eve [Kaitlyn Dever] is at the Air Force Academy, and Kristin [Amanda Fuller] is having a baby. My wife, Vanessa [Nancy Travis], and I are involved in their lives in a peripheral way but no longer hovering parents, and we have to investigate what our relationship is about. We’re this really cute couple who admire each other, but we don’t agree on stuff. It’s almost a new show for us. Q:
Why do you think the series has staying power?
It’s the same thing as with Home Improvement: It’s all about the relationships — we don’t get into topical stuff. But [on Last Man Standing] I’ve just got girls, so you see how a man differs in his perspective when he has so many strong women around him. It’s an affectionate family, and we never make fun of each other. Q:
Did you foresee the show’s being this successful?
The word that keeps me alive is “grateful.” I love what I do. I get far more enjoyment out of entertaining people than anything monetary. I love the live audience we have. I tell them every night, “This is old-school stuff, what television and broadcast started with.” I don’t know the future, but this [show] is rare.