With the final season of Last Man Standing forthcoming this January, fans will want to get their hands on as much of the show as they can.
The Tim Allen-led comedy follows the character Mike Baxter as he tries to take charge in his female-dominated family. Cue the hilariousness!
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Ready to learn more about the show? Here are 10+ random facts.
1. Tim Allen has paid homage to his home state.
Since the actor grew up in Birmingham, Michigan, he has worn a lot of Michigan-based apparel on the show. This ties his average joe look together!
He did the same thing when he was on Home Improvement .
2. There have been several nods to *Home Improvement*
For one, Richard Karn and Jonathan Taylor Thomas have both appeared on the show. This tied both series together.
Then, at one point, Tim and Jonathan even acted as though they knew each other.
3. Molly Ephraim left the show after it was initially canceled.
After ABC canceled the show, FOX saved the day by picking it up.
But when the show returned, fans were devastated to find that the Mandy they knew and loved was gone.
Since she learned that the series was over, she picked up other contracts.
So when the show got saved, she was unable to continue on with the show.
Thankfully, fans were able to see her in shows like Modern Family and The Act .
4. There is a *Toy Story* poster in Ed’s basement.
Tim sure loves paying homage to his former projects!
Ed’s basement isn’t shown too much, but the next time it is, check out his viewing room. You’ll see the Toy Story poster featured prominently in the middle.
5. Tim is a lot like his character on set.
Just like the characters he portrays, Allen has been known to be equally funny and charming when out of character.
Jonathan Adams, Allen’s co-star, told FOX : ”I love Tim! He’s funny. He’s interesting–I have a really, really great relationship with Tim.”
6. The show is loosely inspired by *All in the Family*.
If you notice a lot of similarities between Mike Baxter and Archie Bunker, there is a reason for that.
On Norm Macdonald Live , Allen said that he wanted his the character to be a “version of that guy.”
7. Tim believed that political views got the show canceled.
In an interview on Norm Macdonald Live , Allen said that his conservative character, Mike Baxter, was dangerous.
“He is mitigated on the show by a family of women who had a difference of opinions, but [Mike Baxter] was a likable guy and a principled guy about work and ethics and all this stuff, I think,” he said
8. Mike’s dad is only 12 years older than him in real life.
Although Tim Allen and Robert Forster (Bud Baxter) play father and son on the show, they aren’t that far off.
We wonder if this made filming a little weird for them!
9. Bill Engvall, who played a pastor, was on the show three times.
There is certainly a pattern of guest actors already knowing the actors on the show!
For instance, Bill once starred on another show with Nancy Travis, who plays Vanessa.
10. The show being canceled actually helped the show.
While it was a major shock when ABC canceled the show, showrunner Kevin Abbott told IndieWire that this gave the cast a crew a “renewed appreciation.”
This allowed them to play with storylines in a new way.
11. The show is basically *Home Improvement* but with girls.
Allen said it himself!
“It isn’t rocket science, what I’m doing,” Allen said before the show premiered. “Instead of tools, it’s sporting goods and guns and ATVs and boats, and I come home to four women.”
12. The critics praised Allen for saving the show.
Can’t go wrong with Tim!
Even though Last Man Standing isn’t known for its notorious ratings, critics always said that Allen carried the laughs during episodes that were deemed not funny.
13. The show expected the backlash over replacing Mandy’s charcter.
When Molly Ephraim was no longer able to play Mandy Baxter, executive producer Kevin Abbot said that he “ fully expected ” the backlash.
But replacing Mandy with Molly McCook turned out to be a great decision as the audience grew to enjoy the performance.
14. Tim gets frustrated over people confusing Mike’s political views as his own.
“My constant comment is, Bryan Cranston isn’t actually a meth dealer. Keanu Reeves didn’t kill 109 people. These are actors,” Allen once said in an interview with IndieWire .
If anything, Tim said that Mike reminds him of his grandmother.
