“The Last Man on Earth” will live on at least a little longer: Fox has renewed the Will Forte Sunday night comedy for a second season.
“We knew we had something special with ‘The Last Man on Earth.’ It’s one of those rare shows that continues to add depth and dimension to its unique premise, week after week,” said David Madden, president of Entertainment at Fox Broadcasting Company. “We are so thrilled that this incredibly bold, original and inventive series has been embraced by both fans and critics, and we cannot wait to see where the creative genius and inspired vision of Will, Phil and Chris take us in Season 2.”
The good news announcement comes with a minor comedy bummer: Season 2 will likely delay “MacGruber 2,” per TheWrap‘s interview with Forte earlier this year, during which the former “SNL” funnyman said that a “Last Man” renewal would mean having to push the feature-length sequel.
Still, Forte fans probably aren’t complaining, as his Fox comedy has been well received by them and by critics. It hasn’t set the world on fire per its Live + Same Day ratings numbers, but it does well in delayed viewing and on the network’s Fox Now app.
“The Last Man on Earth” is this season’s No. 1 new comedy among adults 18-34 and men 18-49, Fox touted. It also wins its Sunday 9:30 p.m. timeslot among the advertiser-sought adults 18-49 demo.
The sitcom comes from writer/producer Forte and directors/producers Chris Miller and Phil Lord. “The Last Man on Earth” is produced by 20th Century Fox Television. Seth Cohen is also an executive producer.
The post-apocalyptic comedy follows average guy Phil Miller (Forte), who finds himself alone and alive in Tucson. The series also stars Kristen Schaal, January Jones and Mel Rodriguez. Mary Steenburgen was announced months ago as a cast member, though we’ve yet to see her character appear.
The two-part season finale for “The Last Man on Earth” airs Sunday at 9 p.m. on Fox.