'Last Man Standing' Boss on 'Bittersweet' Final Season and Origin of 'Home Improvement' Episode (Exclusive)
it'll be wrapping up in a surreal time — amid a pandemic, social and racial unrest and a heightened feeling of uncertainty. Though the current pandemic appeared to cement the upcoming ninth season as the last, it always felt like the half-hour sitcom, which follows Tim Allen's conservative-leaning Mike Baxter and his family, was ready to say goodbye.«Coming into it, I felt like it was a very high likelihood that it would be the last season just because at this point, the factors that usually keep long-running shows on the air are less important now,» executive producer and showrunner Kevin Abbott tells ET.