Fox has granted a second season to Last Man on Earth, the quirky comedy starring Will Forte as Phil Miller, the titular last man… only, as recent episodes showed us, that designation isn’t accurate anymore.
As the series began, Phil discovered that he wasn’t really the last person alive on the planet — an annoyingly proper woman, Carol Pilbasian (Kristen Schaal) survived, and persuaded Phil to commit himself to her because, well, she’s the last woman and he’s the last man, and… desperate times, etcetera, etcetera.
Fox showed critics the first few episodes of “Last Man” at the Television Critics Association’s Winter Press Tour in January, and at the time it was hard to imagine that this concept could be sustainable over the long term. However, a few twists in the story and the surprising addition of other characters, including the lovely Melissa Shart (played by “Mad Men‘s” January Jones), into Phil’s tiny-but-growing social sphere quickly evolved the show into a wildly absurd comedy of manners. The laughs grow out of Phil allowing his desire to be liked to keep him imprisoned in horrible situations of his own making — mainly his relationship with Carol.
According to Fox, “The Last Man on Earth” is the top new comedy among adults 18-34 and men in the 18-49 demographic, and is the top-rated comedy in the Sunday 9:30pm time period among adults 18-49, 18-34, and teens. (Note that that Fox has been doubling up “Last Man” episodes on Sundays, so its time slot actually begins at 9pm.)
