Duck Dynasty stars flock to Last Man Standing season premiere

If your Duck Dynasty appetite is such that one half-hour episode a week just isn’t going to cut it, Friday’s season premiere of Last Man Standing will make you happy happy happy.

Two members of the Robertson clan —Willie and Uncle Si — will guest star in an episode called “Back to School,” and here’s the real treat: They won’t be playing themselves. I mean, yes, they’re going to look exactly like you’re used to seeing them on their stratospherically successful A&E reality show, clad in camouflage and all bearded out, but they’re going to actually be doing a bit of acting. Probably not Acting, but that’s OK. I doubt fans of either show will mind too much.

They play characters named Brody and Uncle Ray are regular customers of The Outdoor Man store where Mandy’s (Molly Ephraim) boyfriend Kyle (Christoph Sanders) works. They’re about to go on their annual moose hunt. So maybe that’s where the acting part comes in, moose instead of ducks. In any event, it will be a hoot to see Willie and Si interact with Tim Allen, who probably helped lay the groundwork for the recent redneck revival with his ’90s stalwart Home Improvement. Last Man Standing has taken awhile to forge its own identity, but it’s definitely a good sign that in its third season it is able to enlist stars from a cultural phenomenon like Duck Dynasty. (Although, given the broadcast vs. cable dynamic, they average roughly the same amount of viewers each week.)

If this stint goes well, hopefully we can see more Duck Dynasty cast members get in the mix. Jase feels like a natural, and Phil is always good for a stoic reaction shot.

Last Man Standing airs at 8pm Friday, Sept. 20, on ABC. Duck Dynasty is taking the week off and the next new episode will air at 9pm Wednesday, Oct. 2, on A&E.

Duck Dynasty Last Man Standing Willie Si Tim Allen

Photo: © 2013 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. Credit: Michael Ansell