FOX's 'Last Man Standing' says goodbye after 9 seasons
Stars Tim Allen and Nancy Travis join FOX's Ashley Dvorkin to discuss the long-running sitcom's series finale
Tim Allen is lamenting the ending of "Last Man Standing" as the series’ nine-season and nearly 10-year run draws to a close on Thursday night.
The stand-up comedian sent fans reaching for tissues ahead of the finale episode when he shared a tribute video on Twitter that included cast members issuing their final farewells to each other and them thanking fans for their longtime support which endured "Last Man Standing" being canceled and then brought back from the TV grave.
The show began its run in 2011 on ABC before the series was axed by the network in May 2017 after six seasons. It then enjoyed a huge resurgence on FOX in 2019 and was revived for its final three seasons.
The quick tribute video featured behind-the-scenes footage of Allen and his co-stars enjoying each other’s company on the set and during their final episode taping.
"I don’t want to wrap up this story," Allen, 67, said from the familiar living room couch. Allen’s co-star Nancy Travis, 59, said in the video that she’s "going to miss everything" the series has brought her and others for so many years.
"I will just take away the memory of having a great time," Travis added.
'LAST MAN STANDING' STARS TIM ALLEN, NANCY TRAVIS REFLECT ON SERIES COMING TO AN END
In the final episode, the prized truck owned by Allen's Mike Baxter goes missing and the family gathers to wish it farewell.
During a virtual panel at FOX’s summer press tour last week, Allen said one of the ideas that was pitched for the final episode was that his character’s truck would be wrecked but joked that the storyline, fortunately, didn’t make it to script.
Tim Allen reprised his role as Tim Taylor from 'Home Improvement' for an episode of 'Last Man Standing.' (FOX)
Allen has owned the truck for over two decades.
In speaking with Fox News, Allen said shooting the final scenes of the show was a struggle as he and many others fought back tears getting through the episode’s taping.
"Our prop guy said, ‘Which of these did you want to take?’ and it was pictures of the family from the hallway that was going away," Allen recalled. "I walked in and looked at Nancy and [I'm] literally surprised I got through that scene."
He continued: "She really looked at me [and said], ‘Are you OK?’ and I was not OK."
Meanwhile, Travis took a steadier approach to the ending and simply explained that while longevity is part of the business, so too are somber endings.
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"It's the nature of what we do," she said. "But this job, in particular, we just all formed such close bonds and relationships."
She added of the show’s dynamic: "We just tried to portray a family and the nuances of a family, and the relationships within a family. To be able to bring that into somebody's living room every single week is pretty incredible."
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"Last Man Standing" will air its one-hour series finale on Thursday at 9 p.m. EST on FOX.
FOX's Ashley Dvorkin contributed to this report.
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