TV Review: The Last Man Standing (ABC)
By adjusting some of the characters and the role they play in the family mix, LAST MAN STANDING picks up where HOME IMPROVEMENT left off.
Mike Baxter (Tim allen) has cut down on his work, so he’s off the road and spending more time at home. Vanessa Baxter (Nancy travis), wife and mother, has just been promoted in her new job, which opens the door for Mike to play Mr. Mom. Mike and Vanessa’s three children are: Mandy Baxter (Molly efraim), the oldest still living at home and a single mother of her son Boyd; Kristin Baxter (Alexandra krosney), who has the typical middle child syndrome, trying to earn the respect of adults while clinging to the child inside; and Eve Baxter (Kaitlyn dever), the youngest who still has Daddy’s girl card. Mike works at “Outdoor Man,” the shop where men can be men with everything from hunting and fishing gear to beef jerky. Ed (Hector Elizondo) is Mike’s boss who needs to make changes within his company to keep up. Kyle (Christoph sanders) is the Chuck Wagon of the workplace, often doing anything to please his boss Mike and owner Ed.
The dialogue continues with good shows like ROSEANNE, GRACE UNDER FIRE, THE NANNY and FAMILY MATTERS. Forgiving the laugh track, there’s hope that a live studio audience may soon be able to validate the show. The ads for the hour-long premiere were misleading, as they were two episodes played one after the other. Clearly, there was a lot of time between filming the pilot and the next episode; just look at Kyle’s hair. It took a second thought to be sure that it was the same actor who was playing the role.
Christoph sanders is the key to hardcore comedy in this cast with his ability to take what the writers give him and just blend into each scene. At 23 he takes a great direction and then allows himself to do everything possible. The pilot episode gave a stronger picture of his youthful looks, where the second episode looks more like something out of a GRATEFUL DEAD revival.
Nancy and Tim have great on-screen chemistry, letting the lines rule every scene. Body language comes naturally to both actors, and years of experience in comedy come in handy. Children are an advantage, as they make writing a fluent task. The full cast is why this show could become a Tuesday night staple.