Home Improvement (TV series)

Show background

Based on the stand-up comedy of Tim Allen, Home Improvement made its debut on ABC on September 17, 1991, and was one of the highest-rated sitcoms for almost the entire decade. It went to No. 2 in the ratings during the 1993–1994 season, the same year Allen had the No. 1 book (Don't Stand Too Close to a Naked Man) and film (The Santa Clause).

Beginning in season 2, Home Improvement began each episode with a cold open, which features the show's logo during the teaser. From season 4 until the end of the series in 1999, an anthropomorphic version of the logo was used in different types of animation.

Episodes

Plot details and storylines

Taylor family

The series centers on the Taylor family, which consists of Tim (Tim Allen), his wife Jill (Patricia Richardson) and their three sons: Brad (Zachery Ty Bryan), Randy (Jonathan Taylor Thomas), and Mark (Taran Noah Smith). The Taylors live in suburban Detroit, and they have a neighbor named Wilson.

''Tool Time''

Each episode includes Tim's own Binford-sponsored home improvement show, called Tool Time, a show-within-a-show. In hosting this show, Tim is joined by his friend and mild-mannered co-host Al Borland (Richard Karn), and a "Tool Time girl"—first Lisa (Pamela Anderson) and later Heidi (Debbe Dunning)—whose main duty is to introduce the pair at the beginning of the show with the line "Does everybody know what time it is?" In reply, the audience yells, "TOOL TIME!" The Tool Time girl also assists Tim and Al during the show by bringing them tools.

Tool Time was conceived as a parody of the PBS home-improvement show This Old House. Tim and Al are caricatures of the two principal cast members of This Old House, host Bob Vila and master carpenter Norm Abram. Al has a beard and always wears plaid flannel shirts when taping an episode, reflecting Norm Abram's appearance on This Old House. Bob Vila appeared as a guest star on several episodes of Home Improvement, while Tim Allen and Pamela Anderson both appeared on Bob Vila's show Home Again.

Wilson

A running gag on the show concerned Tim's neighbor, Wilson W. Wilson Jr (played by actor Earl Hindman). Tim (and sometimes other family members) would chat with Wilson over the backyard fence that separated their two properties, meaning that Wilson was only seen mostly from his eyes (and sometimes his nose) upward, with the rest obscured by the wooden fence. In later episodes, as Wilson was also seen in other environments, part of his face would always be obscured -- he would be wearing a mask for a costume party, or a balaclava in fierce snowy weather, or standing in such a way that the view of his face was partially blocked by something in the room. In the entire run of the show, Wilson is never once seen full-face.

Characters

Main

Recurring

Production

The series ended after eight seasons in 1999. Richardson was offered $25 million to do a ninth season; Allen was offered $50 million. The two declined the offer and the series came to an end as a result.

Michigan college and university apparel

Throughout the show, Tim Taylor would often wear sweatshirts or T-shirts from various Michigan-based colleges and universities. These were usually sent by the schools to the show for him to wear during an episode. Because Allen considered Michigan his home state, the rule was that only Michigan schools would get the free advertising. There were two notable exceptions. During the episode "Workshop 'Til You Drop" Tim wears a Wofford College (South Carolina) sweatshirt. And in "The Wood, the Bad and the Hungry" he is seen wearing an Owens Community College (Ohio) sweatshirt.

Syndication

In the United States, Home Improvement began airing in broadcast syndication in September 1995, distributed via Buena Vista Television (now Disney–ABC Domestic Television) and continued to be syndicated until 2007, in a manner similar to Seinfeld and The Simpsons after they began airing in broadcast syndication. Episodes of Home Improvement were not aired in order of their production code number or original airdate. On cable, the series started airing in 2002 on superstations TBS and WGN America. It later ran on Nick at Nite, and its sister network TV Land and eventually the Hallmark Channel in 2013. The show's creators brought a lawsuit against Disney in 2013 alleging that Disney sold the syndication rights for the show at "well below market value" including offering the syndication rights in New York for "no monetary compensation". The lawsuit was settled in 2019. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

Home media

Buena Vista Home Entertainment has released all eight seasons on DVD in Regions 1, 2, and 4. Season 8 has the "Backstage Pass" (which immediately followed "The Long and Winding Road, Part III")

On May 10, 2011, Walt Disney Studios released a complete series box set entitled Home Improvement: 20th Anniversary Complete Collection on DVD in Region 1. The 25-disc collection features all 204 episodes of the series as well as all special features contained on the previously released season sets; it is encased in special collectible packaging, a Home Improvement toolbox with a Binford "All-In-One Tool" tape measure.

The series became available on Netflix on February 1, 2025.

Awards and nominations

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Home Improvement

Post-series events

Tim Allen, Richard Karn, Casey Sander and Debbe Dunning had a reunion in a television special named Tim Allen Presents: A User's Guide to Home Improvement in 2003 (a terminally ill Earl Hindman did voice-overs, befitting his never-seen persona of Wilson; Hindman died shortly after the special aired). Allen presented his own favorite clips from the show, insider's tips, personal reflections and a question and answer session with the live audience.

On August 3, 2011, in Pacific Palisades, California, the surviving main cast members reunited for Entertainment Weekly magazine, including Jonathan Taylor Thomas, whom the cast had not seen since 1998.

Karn guest starred in two episodes of Tim Allen's 2010s ABC/Fox sitcom Last Man Standing in 2013. Thomas has also appeared on Last Man Standing, and has directed episodes of the series.

In 2015, Patricia Richardson guest starred on Last Man Standing in the episode "Helen Potts", playing the episode's titular character. Thomas made a cameo in the episode, playing Richardson's son.

On May 5, 2015, Hollywood Life reported that Allen and Karn had admitted talking about getting back together as a cast for a Home Improvement reboot or reunion show. Karn was quoted as saying, "There is always a chance, absolutely. Would I be on board? Yeah, I think so! I would love to see what the story lines could be, it could be very funny!"

On February 18, 2020, CinemaBlend reported that Allen wants to bring back Home Improvement for a revival:

In January 2021, Allen reprised his role of Tim Taylor in an episode of Last Man Standing titled "Dual Time".

Premiering in February 2021, Tim Allen and Richard Karn, teamed up with YouTuber DIYer April Wilkerson, on History Channel unscripted competition show Assembly Required; where home handymen/makers/DIYers/inventors, compete to build souped up home tools a la Tool Time from Home Improvement, with supplied parts and pieces, and some of their own junk at home.

Premiering in June 2022, Allen and Karn again teamed up with Wilkerson on another History Channel documentary series More Power; where the hosts cover the history of tools, again a la Tool Time from Home Improvement.

In a 2024 podcast interview, Richardson debunked Allen's claims of a reunion and denied interest in one. She cited Earl Hindman's death, Zachery Ty Bryan's legal issues, and the retirement of both Taran Noah Smith and Jonathan Taylor Thomas from acting as further reasons.

References

References

1. Cerone, Daniel. (September 17, 1991). "Tim Allen's Power Tools: Television: The comic who had Disney and cable executives abuzz parlayed his luck to develop 'Home Improvement.'". Los Angeles Times.
2. Lowry, Brian. (November 21, 1996). "Program Suppliers Pulling the Plug on Low-Rated Longshots". [[Los Angeles Times]].
3. "Home Improvement Season 1 episodes". TVGuide.com.
4. "Tim Allen".
5. Petrozzello, Donna. (May 27, 1999). "POWER RATINGS FOR 'HOME'". NY Daily News.
6. "Home Improvement".
7. (February 2009). "This Old House: An Oral History". Boston Magazine.
8. (February 2009). "This Old House: An Oral History".
9. "Visiting Tim Allen at Home".
10. "Pamela Anderson Lee on Home Improvement".
11. "Earl Hindman as the fence guy".
12. Cormier, Roger. (September 17, 2016). "14 Sturdy Facts About 'Home Improvement'".
13. "Home Improvement".
14. (October 23, 2015). "Bet You Didn't Know This About Home Improvement! - DirectExpose".
15. "Home Improvement: Wofford University".
16. "Home Improvement: Owens Community College".
17. (December 22, 2015). "Home Improvement: Alpena Community College".
18. (April 24, 2015). "Home Improvement: Aquinas College".
19. (January 11, 2016). "Home Improvement: Baker College".
20. (December 13, 2015). "Home Improvement: Bay College".
21. (May 5, 2015). "Home Improvement: Calvin College".
22. (April 27, 2015). "Home Improvement: Central Michigan University".
23. (July 29, 2015). "Home Improvement: Cornerstone Athletics".
24. (December 16, 2015). "Home Improvement: Davenport College".
25. (September 28, 2015). "Home Improvement: Eastern Michigan University".
26. (December 15, 2015). "Home Improvement: Eastern Michigan University".
27. (January 24, 2016). "Home Improvement: Eastern Michigan University Construction Management".
28. (April 28, 2015). "Home Improvement: Ferris State University".
29. (May 29, 2015). "Home Improvement: Grand Valley State".
30. (July 28, 2015). "Home Improvement: Hillsdale College".
31. (December 24, 2015). "Home Improvement: Hope College Soccer".
32. (January 4, 2016). "Home Improvement: Kellogg Community College".
33. College, Kellogg Community. (January 8, 2016). "Tim Allen wore a KCC sweatshirt on "Home Improvement" in the 1990s".
34. (July 9, 2015). "Home Improvement: Lake Superior University".
35. (December 17, 2015). "Home Improvement: Lawrence Tech".
36. (December 18, 2015). "Home Improvement: Madonna University".
37. (July 2, 2015). "Home Improvement: Marygrove College".
38. (April 30, 2015). "Home Improvement: Michigan State".
39. (May 14, 2015). "Home Improvement: Michigan State".
40. (February 18, 2016). "Home Improvement: Michigan Tech".
41. (January 9, 2016). "Home Improvement: Mott College".
42. (April 25, 2015). "Home Improvement: Northwood University".
43. (May 28, 2015). "Home Improvement: Northern Michigan University".
44. (December 20, 2015). "Home Improvement: Northwestern Michigan University".
45. (May 1, 2015). "Home Improvement: Oakland University".
46. (January 9, 2016). "Home Improvement: Owens Community College".
47. "Tim Taylor: Saginaw Valley State".
48. (January 28, 2018). "13 Reasons to Get Excited for the Super Bowl to End". TV Fanatic.
49. (December 14, 2015). "Home Improvement: University of Michigan".
50. (January 12, 2016). "Home Improvement: University of Michigan".
51. (January 22, 2016). "Home Improvement: Michigan Football".
52. (January 15, 2016). "Home Improvement: Michigan XXL".
53. (April 29, 2015). "Home Improvement: Walsh College".
54. (June 25, 2015). "Home Improvement: Wayne State University".
55. (January 6, 2016). "Home Improvement: Wayne State University".
56. (May 7, 2015). "Home Improvement: Western Michigan".
57. "Home Improvement: 6x02 Future Shock". Share TV.
58. (January 20, 2016). "Home Improvement: Western Michigan University".
59. (February 7, 2016). "Home Improvement: Western Michigan University".
60. (January 5, 2016). "Home Improvement: Wofford University".
61. "Hallmark Channel Acquires Rights to 1990s Comedy HOME IMPROVEMENT".
62. (July 24, 2019). "Disney settles lawsuit over 'Home Improvement' profits".
63. O'Rourke, Ryan. (December 11, 2023). "'Home Improvement' Heads to Netflix in 2025".
64. (May 4, 2003). "Tim Allen Presents: A User's Guide to 'Home Improvement' (TV Movie 2003)". IMDb.
65. Barrett, Annie. (September 8, 2011). "'Home Improvement' cast reunites for photo – EXCLUSIVE".
66. "Listings – LAST MAN STANDING on ABC (#209) "Attractive Architect"". TheFutonCritic.com.
67. "Listings – LAST MAN STANDING on ABC (#217) "The Fight"". The Futon Critic.
68. [https://people.com/tv/jonathan-taylor-thomas-tim-allen-on-last-man-standing-first-look/ Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Tim Allen Reunite on Last Man Standing] Retrieved March 20, 2013
69. "Listings | TheFutonCritic.com".
70. "Listings | TheFutonCritic.com".
71. Abrams, Natalie. (September 26, 2014). "'Last Man Standing' to stage another 'Home Improvement' reunion".
72. Longeretta, Emily. "[INTERVIEW] 'Home Improvement' Reboot Coming? — Tim Allen & Richard Karn Are In – Hollywood Life". Hollywood Life.
73. Venable, Nick. (February 18, 2020). "How Tim Allen Wants To Bring Home Improvement Back For A Revival". CinemaBlend.
74. Schwartz, Ryan. (January 7, 2021). "Last Man Standing Boss Breaks Down the Big Home Improvement Crossover".
75. (August 25, 2020). "Tim Allen, Richard Karn Reunite for Building Competition Series 'Assembly Required' at History". Variety.
76. Joel Keller. (February 23, 2021). "Stream It Or Skip It: 'Assembly Required' On History, Where 'Home Improvement' Stars Tim Allen And Richard Karn Reunite As Reality Show Judges". Decider.
77. Aidan King. (June 6, 2022). "'More Power': 'Home Improvement' Stars Tim Allen and Richard Karn Reunite for History Channel Show". Collider.
78. "EPISODE #213: Home Improvement with Patricia Richardson".