Tim Allen: Last Man Standing's ABC cancelation helped boost ratings for the Fox revival

TV Insider

"In a peculiar way, the cancellation helped," he says. "We got this victim/underdog thing, like, 'They shut the door on the quiet majority!' Baxter has a strong point of view — you can like or dislike it." Co-star Nancy Travis adds of this season's ratings success: "There isn’t another character on TV right now like Mike Baxter. That people came back after the yearlong hiatus is a testament to our fans. Plus, the show’s been in syndication, so it’s got a new audience too."