‘Last Man’ won’t say whether Mike is a Trump man
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – Mike Baxter of Fox’s “Last Man Standing” is a conservative Republican, but Fox’s revival of the comedy won’t address whether he backs President Donald Trump.
“Last Man,” which aired on ABC for six seasons, has become more of a focus of political conversation since the revival of “Roseanne,” which starred Roseanne Barr, and its cancellation in May after her racist tweet.
The comedy follows Mike, an affluent sporting-goods store executive and married father of three. Its cancellation drew backlash, with some fans suggesting ABC was motivated by star Tim Allen’s conservative politics.
“I think the guy is kind of a centrist,” Allen told the Television Critics Association press tour last week. “Mike’s a practical guy, and he owns a big business, and if it’s helping the business, he’s probably pro-Trump. He probably doesn’t defend him. … Whatever is good for his business, good for the state of Colorado, he’s going to go with.”
“Mike’s a practical guy, and he owns a big business, and if it’s helping the business, he’s probably pro-Trump.”
Executive producer Kevin Abbott clarified Mike’s political position: “He’s a conservative, he’s a Republican. He holds those ideals. The character, I don’t think we address one way or another” whether he supports Trump.
Allen said he doesn’t believe ABC canceled “Last Man” for political reasons, but he said the network probably wouldn’t have admitted it if it had. (He also name-dropped an upcoming project with ABC owner Disney: “‘Toy Story 4’ is going to be great.”)
“I’ve worked for ABC for years. I know these people,” he said. “If it was political motivation to move that show, they certainly wouldn’t … ever show that side of themselves. I don’t believe that it was. I think it was a financial decision on ABC’s part. I think it was way too early. We’re here because of it.” (“Last Man” is owned by 20th Century Fox Television, and ABC cited low ratings and economics in its decision to cancel the series.)
Allen also explained that he’s not Mike Baxter.
“I’m not the character I play. … Keanu Reeves didn’t murder 120 people in ‘John Wick.’ He’s not actually a killer,” he said. “If you want to know what I believe in, come see me at the Mirage in Las Vegas. … What’s interesting to me is I like personally (ticking) people off. You get into conversations.”
Trump’s victory in 2016 did affect Allen’s stand-up routine. “The night that Trump won, forget the politics. Those of us in the comedy business went ‘Shoot!’ because we lost all the pantsuit jokes.”
Executive producer Matt Berry drew a contrast with “Roseanne,” the top-rated show on TV for its oneseason revival. “The only similarities with the ‘Roseanne’ show is we’re a family sitcom and the central character has a more conservative view. The ‘Roseanne’ reboot was an issue-ofthe-week kind of thing. We don’t do issues of the week. We consider ourselves a family show with a traditional character at the center.”