TMC
11-01-2014, 02:17 AM
http://www.twcc.com/articles/2014/10/31/t/tv-mvps-tim-allen-and-nancy-travis
Last Man Standing is in its fourth season on ABC, and its continued popularity can be attributed to its two stars: Tim Allen and Nancy Travis. Many viewers tune in for Tim, as this show follows a similar formula to that which made his Home Improvement such a big hit back in the 1990s. Allen, however, has also become something of a legend thanks to his roles in the Star Trek-like spoof, Galaxy Quest, and especially as the voice of Buzz Lightyear, the overly-confidant spaceman action figure of the Toy Story franchise. Nancy Travis may not have quite the top of the line credentials that Allen has, but she is no newcomer either. Travis has a long list of film and television shows to her credit, notably for her roles in Three Men and a Baby and its sequel. As Allen’s wife on Last Man Standing, she is a tough, sexy and comedic foil for his usually out-of-touch and out-of-date sitcom dad.
Last Man Standing airs on ABC Fridays at 8pmET/7pmC
Tim Allen: Home Improvement Deja Vu?
The harried, perplexed, unapologetic all-man dinosaur of a dad who means well but who always puts his foot in his mouth is something that Tim nailed down over 20 years ago, and which he continued to perfect not just in Home Improvement but in the Santa Clause franchise and in other films. Last Man Standing owes a lot to Home Improvement, and there at times watching the show makes viewers feel like they have been transported back in time to ABC’s old TGI Friday sitcom lineup (even though Home Improvement aired on Tuesdays). The bumbling dad is a classic sitcom character, and if Allen is guilty of playing in his comfort zone and skirting the stereotype, he does manage to keep it fresh and entertaining — if a little predictable.
Tim Allen became an almost instant TV star back in September 1991, and his Home Improvement show remained high in the ratings until its run ended in 1999. The show provided Allen with a jumping off platform for a career in movie comedies, most notably his three outings as Santa in the three Santa Clause films for Disney. He had the lead in a long list of less notable but usually at least entertaining films after that (Christmas With the Kranks, Joe Somebody, etc.), although his Kirk-like captain in Galaxy Quest won him eternal fame with Trekkies, Trekkers and many other sci-fi fans. When he voiced Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story, however, it opened up a whole new world for Allen, who turned 61 this year. Buzz rejuvenated and reinvigorated Allen and his career, and it is a character Allen continues to work on in projects that are still taking them both “to infinity, and beyond!”
Nancy Travis: One Hot and Funny Mother
Three Men and a Baby was Nancy Travis’ big break — and she got it just a couple of years before Tim Allen made his mark on Home Alone. She has aged very well, and has played comedic love interests in many films, perhaps most famously in So I Married an Axe Murderer. Her filmography is impressive and spans three decades, and includes a number of films where she played opposite Robert Downey, Jr. (Air America, Chaplin). She was also in the very popular Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and the charming Jane Austen Book Club, as well as numerous lesser films. Ms. Travis also appeared in the Showtime series, Fallen Angels, and was a member of the sitcom Becker in its final seasons.
Nancy is famous for her lovely locks and long legs, but has never played up her sexiness except to get a good clean laugh, as she does quite frequently on Last Man Standing. Her modern working mom is the perfect counterpoint to Tim’s not quite with-it older dad, and like so many sitcom moms and wives before her, Nancy almost always gets the last word — and the last laugh in Last Man Standing.
Last Man Standing is in its fourth season on ABC, and its continued popularity can be attributed to its two stars: Tim Allen and Nancy Travis. Many viewers tune in for Tim, as this show follows a similar formula to that which made his Home Improvement such a big hit back in the 1990s. Allen, however, has also become something of a legend thanks to his roles in the Star Trek-like spoof, Galaxy Quest, and especially as the voice of Buzz Lightyear, the overly-confidant spaceman action figure of the Toy Story franchise. Nancy Travis may not have quite the top of the line credentials that Allen has, but she is no newcomer either. Travis has a long list of film and television shows to her credit, notably for her roles in Three Men and a Baby and its sequel. As Allen’s wife on Last Man Standing, she is a tough, sexy and comedic foil for his usually out-of-touch and out-of-date sitcom dad.
Last Man Standing airs on ABC Fridays at 8pmET/7pmC
Tim Allen: Home Improvement Deja Vu?
The harried, perplexed, unapologetic all-man dinosaur of a dad who means well but who always puts his foot in his mouth is something that Tim nailed down over 20 years ago, and which he continued to perfect not just in Home Improvement but in the Santa Clause franchise and in other films. Last Man Standing owes a lot to Home Improvement, and there at times watching the show makes viewers feel like they have been transported back in time to ABC’s old TGI Friday sitcom lineup (even though Home Improvement aired on Tuesdays). The bumbling dad is a classic sitcom character, and if Allen is guilty of playing in his comfort zone and skirting the stereotype, he does manage to keep it fresh and entertaining — if a little predictable.
Tim Allen became an almost instant TV star back in September 1991, and his Home Improvement show remained high in the ratings until its run ended in 1999. The show provided Allen with a jumping off platform for a career in movie comedies, most notably his three outings as Santa in the three Santa Clause films for Disney. He had the lead in a long list of less notable but usually at least entertaining films after that (Christmas With the Kranks, Joe Somebody, etc.), although his Kirk-like captain in Galaxy Quest won him eternal fame with Trekkies, Trekkers and many other sci-fi fans. When he voiced Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story, however, it opened up a whole new world for Allen, who turned 61 this year. Buzz rejuvenated and reinvigorated Allen and his career, and it is a character Allen continues to work on in projects that are still taking them both “to infinity, and beyond!”
Nancy Travis: One Hot and Funny Mother
Three Men and a Baby was Nancy Travis’ big break — and she got it just a couple of years before Tim Allen made his mark on Home Alone. She has aged very well, and has played comedic love interests in many films, perhaps most famously in So I Married an Axe Murderer. Her filmography is impressive and spans three decades, and includes a number of films where she played opposite Robert Downey, Jr. (Air America, Chaplin). She was also in the very popular Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and the charming Jane Austen Book Club, as well as numerous lesser films. Ms. Travis also appeared in the Showtime series, Fallen Angels, and was a member of the sitcom Becker in its final seasons.
Nancy is famous for her lovely locks and long legs, but has never played up her sexiness except to get a good clean laugh, as she does quite frequently on Last Man Standing. Her modern working mom is the perfect counterpoint to Tim’s not quite with-it older dad, and like so many sitcom moms and wives before her, Nancy almost always gets the last word — and the last laugh in Last Man Standing.