Why Did CMT Back Out From Reviving ‘Last Man Standing’ After ABC Cancellation?
All hope could be lost for the cast, execs and fans of “Last Man Standing.”
Following ABC’s decision to axe the series after six seasons, there were reports that CMT is eyeing a revival on their network. But The Hollywood Reporter just confirmed that CMT will no longer be the new home for Tim Allen’s show. The network did not say exactly why they backed out from the project, but CMT is already airing reruns of “Last Man Standing.” It is also possible that their reasons are similar to that of ABC’s.
Read: “Last Man Standing” canceled on ABC after six seasons
Last month, ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey explained their decision to cancel the series, which Allen said stunned him. “‘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 Fridays, that was where we landed,” Dungey said.
Dungey also talked about the cost of production for “Last Man Standing” and the fact that it was being produced by an outside studio, 20th Century Fox TV. Prior to the show’s cancellation, Allen was also requesting for an increase in his pay check. “There are many factors that go into the decision-making process: ratings, critical acclaim… and of course we look at ownership structure. I wouldn’t say that was the deciding the factor,” she said.
The network exec also held a conference call with reporters a day after the cancellation of “Last Man Standing” to clarify that their decision did not have anything to do with Allen’s politics. “Look, sadly, a large part of these jobs as network bosses is managing failure. We have to make tough calls and cancel shows that we otherwise would love to stay on air. But I canceled ‘Last Man Standing’ for the same business and scheduling reasons that I canceled ‘The Real O’Neals,’ ‘Dr. Ken,’ ‘The Catch’ and ‘American Crime,’” she said.
Meanwhile, 20th Century Fox Television’s Howard Kurtzman spoke with The Hollywood Reporter after the upfronts and said that they were also disappointed by the cancellation. “If there’s a way to bring it back, we will explore those opportunities,” he said.
Kurtzman added that the axing of “Last Man Standing” easily became the most surprising and disappointing pass for the production company.
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