Pilot Review: Last Man Standing

Last Man Standing (ABC)
Premiered October 11 at 8pm

I’m not sure there was anyone clamoring for Tim Allen to get a new series, but one of the biggest television stars of the 1990s deserves a chance at a comeback. The good news is that the show isn’t entirely awful, but the bad news is that it isn’t that great either. It’s peculiar that ABC, which is succeeding well with a two-hour comedy block on Wednesdays, would produce a generic laugh-track sitcom that, quite honestly, feels like it’s from the 1990s, aside from all the deliberate technology references. Tim Allen isn’t playing Tim Taylor, and he hasn’t just traded three sons for three daughters. Mike Baxter has a mean streak to him, putting him somewhere between characters typically played by Tom Hanks and Denis Leary. It’s hardly as appealing a role, but it’s clear that this show is meant to be different from “Home Improvement.” The male supporting characters are Hector Elizondo, whose presence has not boded well for a new series for over a decade now, as his boss, and former “Ghost Whisperer” star Christoph Sanders as underling and punching bag Kyle. Nancy Travis, currently pulling double duty recurring on “Hart of Dixie,” gets mostly alcohol jokes and little else as Mike’s sarcastic wife Vanessa. The daughters have the most fun. Alexandra Krosney, who didn’t do too well “Surviving Suburbia” on ABC several years ago, shines as eldest daughter and young mother Kristin. Relative newcomer Molly Ephraim gets the juicy part as the tantrum-prone Mandy, whose misadventures include learning how to change a tire and getting a part-time job to pay for her expenses. Kaitlyn Dever, who impressed in season two of “Justified,” is youngest daughter Eve, who serves as the smart, sensible one. This show is hardly as bad as most will make it out to be, but it’s not overly funny either. I laughed a few times in the pilot, specifically during Mike’s speech to Kyle about his daughter, and episode two had some memorable moments, like Mike and Vanessa telling Mandy that she’s poor and Ed telling stories about the accidents that got him his battle wounds. The childproofing plot took a bit longer than necessary, but it wasn’t terrible. Overall, this show could be enjoyable, but it’s hardly essential viewing.

How will it work as a series? With a reliable cast of seven players, there should be more than enough to do around here, whether each of the kids has their own plotline or they’re all rallied around one. I think the show should be rich in material and this could well be a successful 1990s sitcom in a new decade.
How long will it last? The pilot ratings were extraordinarily high for ABC, completely trouncing “No Ordinary Family” from the same time slot last year. Despite generally unfavorable reviews, I think ABC is going to want to hold on to this one for a while, so a second season renewal shouldn’t be far away.

Pilot grade: B-