Behind The Scenes Of Home Improvement

Find Out All The Scoop On Home Improvement

The television show Home Improvement was one of the most-watched series of the 1990s, and the reruns will forever live on. The show ran for a decade, reaching top ratings for years at a time. Whether it was Tim’s antics as the host of Tool Time, or his and Jill’s parenting struggles while raising three boys, audiences tuned in to watch what was next for the Taylor family.

The show was widely popular, in part becausethe entire family could sit down and watch Home Improvement together, with something for everyone. Who doesn’t love watching Tim fail miserably at his tool demonstrations or his banter with co-host Al? Even when he was home, Tim was still destroying everything in sight, with lawnmowers, leaf blowers, kitchen appliances, and car repairs.

The Taylor’s neighbor, Wilson, was always there to offer words of wisdom amid the chaos. His character and others were based on real people, which gave more authenticity to the show, and show-within-a-show.

Home Improvement also launched careers, including Tim Allen’s, Pamela Anderson’s, and Jonathan Taylor Thomas’. Some turned down other roles to stay with their TV family, while others moved on. And for one actor, fame arrived too fast, and their personal life suffered behind the scenes.

Here’s a look back on one of America’s favorite shows from the ’90s, including what the cast members are up to now, and how they landed the roles in the first place.

Pamela Anderson

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Before “Baywatch,” international celebrity Pamela Anderson played a role on the “Home Improvement” show, which helped launch her career. Anderson had a reoccurring guest role during season 1 and season 2 as Lisa, the Tool Time Girl. Anderson served as the eye candy for Tim Allen’s show within a show, as well as the eye candy for all of America during that time! That was, of course, before her infamous boob job. Anderson had a much more wholesome look on “Home Improvement.” Pam’s character Lisa managed to make construction boots and a tool belt sexy. See why Anderson didn’t appear on Home Improvement after season 2, revealed later.

Popular Dad

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The character ‘Tim Taylor’ was ranked #20 in TV Guide’s list of the “50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time” in one of the June 2004 issues. Other notable dads included Bill Cosby of “The Cosby Show” and Bob Saget of “Full House.” Everyone loves a fun and loving sitcom dad and Tim Taylor is one of the most popular! Like a typical American family, the Taylors lived in the suburbs. Tim was portrayed as a republican (which Tim Allen is in really life) who loves his hobbies including power tools, cars, and sports. The mother, Jill Taylor, has her hands full with a house full of boys. Tim and Jill have a happy marriage, and only get into mild arguments. Sometimes Jill can be seen visibly annoyed from all of Tim’s jokes. Although shown as a stay at home mom, Jill later chooses to go back to college to study psychology.

Binford Tools

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Binford Tools, the company that sponsors the “Tool Time” show, is named after a friend of the family of one of the producers. The Binford Tools products that are featured on “Tool Time” all start with the product number 6100. The Binford name became so popular that people often went out to hardware stores to try and buy the tools, even after watching the shenanigans that Tim Taylor would get into while operating the machinery, giving the audience and viewers product demos and how-to’s on home improvement projects. One of Tim’s most common antics including electrical shortages, blowing things up and electrocuting himself, which always entertained the audience. Other accidents including automated power drills shooting tips at the audience, falling through roofs, shattering windows, and catching the set on fire.

Ashley Judd

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American Actress / Political Activist Ashley Judd auditioned for and originally won the role of Lisa the Tool Girl. However, her agent urged her to pursue movies instead of a television career, and she pulled out days before the original pilot was to be taped, resulting in the casting of Pamela Anderson. The two seasons that Anderson played the Tool Girl role led her to fame, and a spot on Baywatch in 1992. Judd ended up joining television entertainment anyway, acting in two episodes of “Star Trek” and 32 episodes of “Sisters.” It appeared that drama was more up her alley anyway. It also takes a specially trained actress to be able to endure for the chaos of Tim Taylor and “Tool Time” anyway. Also as an outspoken democrat (she supported Barack Obama’s presidential campaign in 2008) she may have clashed with Tim Allen’s Republican views.

Cast Changes

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Stephen Tobolowsky was the original choice to play Al Borland; but due to a commitment to a film that Tobolowsky was acting in, Richard Karn got the part of Al after filming four episodes. Karn became one of television’s most beloved sidekicks and was a very popular character on the show. Plus with Al’s beard and flannel becoming his trademark lumberjack look, we couldn’t imagine anyone else playing the role! Tobolowsky’s career wasn’t hurt by leaving the role, however. His list of films and television series he acted in could stretch from floor to ceiling, and then some. He’s acted in 200 films alone! His most memorable roles include playing Ned Ryerson, the insurance salesman in “Groundhog Day” and Sammy Jankis, an amnesiac in Christopher Nolan’s “Memento.” He also co-wrote the film “True Stories” and directed “Two Idiots In Hollywood” based off a play he wrote with the same name.

The Youngest Brother

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The youngest brother of the Taylor family, Mark, was played by actor Taran Noah Smith. Mark’s middle name isn’t mentioned directly during the series, however, in one post-finale interview, Tim said Mark’s middle name was Jason. No one knows if this was true or just something Tim made up. Smith began his role as Mark when he was only seven years old, and played the character for the eight seasons that the show ran. During that time he played a few other parts, including Peter McKinley on the hit series “7th Heaven” and the voice of Rat Boy in “Batman Beyond.” However, when “Home Improvement” wrapped up filming, Smith stepped away from acting. He was quoted saying, “I started ‘Home Improvement’ when I was 7, and the show ended when I was 16. I never had the chance to decide what I wanted to do with my life. When I was 16, I knew that I didn’t want to act anymore.”

Tool Time Toy Story

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Binford Tools was featured in the highly popular animated film Toy Story, which starred Tim Allen as the voice of Buzz Lightyear. Binford Tools can be seen in the scene when Woody is trying to help Buzz escape from Andy’s evil next door neighbor Sid’s room. Woody pushes a red toolbox off the side of the counter and when the toolbox comes into shot you can see the Binford logo on the toolbox! Allen returned to do the voice of Buzz is Toy Story 2 and the Buzz Lightyear movie. In October 2007 Empire readers voted Buzz Lightyear No. 1 in the list of Top 29 Greatest Pixar Characters, and 94th greatest movie character of all time. The character became so popular that in 2008 astronauts even took an action figure of Buzz into space with them on the Space Shuttle “Discovery” to use as part of an educational demonstration recorded for kids.

Reasons Why the 9th Season was Denied

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According to Tim Allen, the show’s ratings were still good enough for it to be renewed for a ninth season, but financial squabbles were one of the biggest reasons that it was canceled. In particular, Patricia Richardson wanted her paycheck to match Allen’s, who was earning twice as much as her. In the end, Allen said that as much as he loved the show, he didn’t want to continue with it if it was “just going to be about the money.” Jonathan Taylor Thomas, who played the middle son, left in order to pursue his education. Taran Smith who played the youngest son, Mark, decided he no longer wanted to act. Smith was also going through legal battles with his parents, attempting to be legally emancipated from them at age 16, in order to gain control of his trust fund of earnings of the show. Shortly after the show wrapped up, at the age of 17, he married a woman 16 years older than him.

JTT Drama

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Jonathan Taylor Thomas was initially approached to return for the very last episode, and he said he would do it, but he later backed out. Patricia Richardson said “I was just really confused…I never understood what happened.” The creator of “Home Improvement” says that he doesn’t blame Thomas, but he blames his “people,” who allegedly brainwashed Thomas and were responsible for him eventually saying no to the finale. Thomas had left the show in season 8 (1998) to focus on his education. After he left the show, the actor made guest appearances on a few shows, and was the voice of the main character, Simba, in The Lion King. Although many have speculated that Thomas may have had differences with cast members or members of the crew, it doesn’t appear that he had any bad feelings with Tim Allen, since he later made appearances on Allen’s show “Last Man Standing.”

After the End of the Show

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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. Tim Allen presented his own favorite clips from the show, insider’s tips, personal reflections and a question and answer session with the live audience. The special is included on the Season 8 DVD set. In 2013, when interviewed, actress Patricia Richardson, who played Jill Taylor, said there would never be a reunion. “Never. No.” She told TMZ. “Earl [Hindman] died. We can’t have one without Earl.” However, it didn’t appear that there was any bad blood between any of the cast members, causing them to not want to come together for a reunion. And as previously mentioned, JTT and Zachery Ty Bryan made guest appearances on Tim Allen’s Show “Last Man Standing” so it appears that their friendships are still in tact!

Reboot

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In 2015, it was reported that Tim Allen and Richard Karn had admitted talking about getting back together as a cast for a “Home Improvement” for a reboot or reunion show. Although it would have been over 20 years since the show had first aired, “Home Improvement” still proved to hold a special place in every cast member’s heart. Richard Karn was quoted 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!” Maybe Allen and Karn should join forces to bring “Tool Time” back to life at least. More than likely there are several networks who would pick up that show! However with Allen’s “Last Man Standing” TV show still a hit, and reaching Netflix, it would be a stretch to see the actor walk away.

Cold Open

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Beginning in Season 2, “Home Improvement” began each episode with a cold open, which kicks off the episode jumping straight into the show, without playing a theme song or showing the credits first. This prevents viewers from clicking away to another show. Other top television shows that used this “cold open” format include “Bewitched,” “The Beverly Hillbillies” and “Hawaii Five-O.” Since the ’60s and ’70s, generally, television shows began adapting to an opening that would include summarizing previous episodes. However, in the ’90s cold opens were still popular for comedy sitcoms, like “Home Improvement.” The hit show “Saturday Night Live” still uses a cold opening for their long-running show. Following the cold open is the title card, 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.

Cast Changes – Jill

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The first filmed pilot for “Home Improvement” was produced in April 1991, with Frances Fisher playing Jill Taylor, Tim’s wife and the mother of their three boys. During her time filming “Home Improvement,” she was also dating Clint Eastwood, her co-star from “Pink Cadillac.” Fisher, primarily known as a dramatic actress, went on to play serious roles in “Titanic,” “Laws of Attraction” and “Resurrection.” There’s no doubt that Fisher was well qualified for the co-starring role but she was viewed by the studio audience as missing the element of comedy, and for being too serious in her line delivery. It was also said that she didn’t have chemistry with Tim Allen, and that the two weren’t convincing as a couple on screen. The producers tried to work with Fisher on adapting to the situation comedy setting, but shortly after the pilot wrapped post-production, they decided to recast her.

Wilson!

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The character of Wilson was based on Tim Allen’s childhood memories of when he was too short to see over a fence and was therefore, unable to see his neighbor. Wilson is usually shown from the nose or eyes up behind the backyard fence. There are other times when he is shown with various other props to hide his face. The audience would laugh as Wilson dodged behind books, harmonicas, and yard tools while Tim sometimes moved quickly to catch him off guard, and see his face. Like a good neighbor, Wilson was always there to be a sounding board for Tim’s family problems, and to offer words of wisdom. There’s also something to be said about how often this guy worked in his yard, it must have looked fabulous! His character became a favorite on the show, and made for a great Halloween costume in the ’90s.

Earl Hindman

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Actor Earl Hindman played the Taylors’ neighbor, named Wilson. Before joining the cast of the show in 1991, Hindman had previously played the roles of villains in ’70s thrillers “The Taking of Pelham One Two Three” and “The Parallax View.” He was Detective lt. Bob Reid on the ABC daytime drama “Ryan’s Hope” for an outstanding 16 years, and was also cast in a few soap operas. He played Wilson on “Home Improvement” for the entire eight years that the show ran, and he had a great chemistry with Tim Allen and the rest of the actors on the cast. The only time his full face was shown was in the series finale curtain call. Many fans were hoping to one day see his face and when it was shown, it made for a great ending to the show! A long time smoker, sadly, Hindman was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2003 and passed away from the disease later that year.

Accident

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Tim Allen is shown to be an excellent salesman and TV personality, but Tim is spectacularly accident-prone as a handyman, often causing massive disasters on and off the set. Everyone involved with the show had to pay special attention when Allen was operating tools or doing stunts. While all of these shennanigans would make for great entertainment television, it’s a wonder that the “Tool Time” show was allowed to stay on air. Their insurance policy would cost a fortune! The list of Tim’s accidents at home, while trying to be handy, include rewiring the house phone and causing it to smoke and spark, playing music on the new stereo system so loud that it shatters every window in the home, getting electrocuted by his rooftop Christmas display, falling through the attic door, falling through roofs, falling off of roofs, and many more. Basically, a lot of falling, fire setting and breaking things around the home, much to his wife’s displeasure.

Tool Time Tool Accidents

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Many “Tool Time” viewers assume that the accidents on the show are done on purpose, but most of Tim’s accidents are caused by his devices being used in an unorthodox or overpowered manner, designed to illustrate his motto “More power!” This popular catchphrase would not be uttered after “Home Improvement’s” seventh season, until Tim’s last line in the series finale. Accidents on the “Tool Time” set, which may or may not be staged, occurred regularly, and include electrocuting Al, super gluing his own head to a table, using a magnet to single-handedly destroy the camera and sound equipment, crashing a motorcycle on set, losing control of a forklift, putting his hand in a mouse trap, dropping a wine cellar through the floor, falling from a second story window… the list is endless. Let’s just say that the crew should always have several fire extinguishers on hand. And to play it on the safe side, probably an ambulance too.

This Old House

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“Tool Time” was conceived as a parody of the PBS home-improvement show “This Old House.” Tim and Al are parodies of the two main cast members of “This Old House,” host Bob Vila and master carpenter Norm Abram. You can see a lot of similarities when you watch both shows! “This Old House” was a well known show on cable tv, and won 17 Emmy Awards during its 36 seasons. Bob Vila has a good sense of humor about it though, and he’s even made a guest appearance on “Tool Time.” In one episode, the sponsor of “Tool Time” Mr. Binford, tells Tim Taylor that Bob Vila is in town, and going to be a guest on the show. Al announces that he met him earlier that week to get his copy of Vila’s book signed, and says “I can’t believe I actually got to talk to the pioneer of home repairs!” Taylor’s competitive spirit is heated, and chaos ensues with Vila on the set.

Bad Dad

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Although Tim Allen’s TV persona was squeaky clean, in real life Tim Allen has a checkered past. Between filming “Home Improvement” while possibly visiting family, Allen was arrested in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, for drunk driving in May 1997 with a BAC level of 0.15, which is nearly two times over the legal limit. The judge sentenced Allen to one-year probation, and went to a court-ordered rehab clinic for alcohol abuse. Way before his days as Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor, Allen spent 28 months in jail after being arrested for attempted drug dealing in 1978. He was arrested at Kalamazoo / Battle Creek international Airport when he was found in possession of over 650 grams (nearly 1.5 pounds) of cocaine. He pled guilty, and after naming the higher up drug dealers, his sentence was reduced to three to seven years, instead of the possibility of life in prison. Allen would have led a much different life!

Men vs. Women

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Tim Allen’s stand-up routine consisted of jokes comparing the differences between men and women. This theme continued on his television series “Home Improvement.” Many of the comparison jokes played out with the banter between Tim and show wife Jill. Jill usually got the last laugh with most of the conversations. Some of the jokes include:

Tim: I don’t want you making jokes about my job, or about me getting hurt and screwing things up. Anything that makes me look bad. Randy: What is left to joke about? Tim: Mom.

Jill: Do you really think I can do this thing? Tim: Yes, of course; you can do anything you want, Jill. Nobody thought you could land me as a husband, and… [he grins widely]Jill: Well, that’s certainly inspirational.

Mark: I have a woman – Mommy. Randy: Your mommy can’t be your woman, doofus. Tim: A lot of men pay a psychiatrist a lot of money to figure *that* one out.

Cast Reunited

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In 2011, the main cast members reunited (everyone except Earl Hindman, who had passed away due to Lung Cancer) for Entertainment Weekly magazine, including Jonathan Taylor Thomas, whom the cast hadn’t seen since 1998. (Jonathan Taylor Thomas had previously left the show to pursue his academic career.) A candid photo of the cast from Entertainment Weekly was posted online and fans went nuts! The “Home Improvement” cast members were happy to see each other as well. ”I have all girls, so they are like my sons,” Tim Allen told EW. ”It’s kind of creepy how much I like them.” Patricia Richardson was excited to see her former TV sons too, telling EW, “It was so cool. We hung out for hours and talked. They are such interesting guys, and so smart! These three are my other kids in some strange way and always will be”

Amateur Radio

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Tim Allen’s character on “Last Man Standing” Mike Baxter, is an avid amateur radio operator. In September 2014 Tim Allen (in reality) took and passed the Technician Class exam to become a real ham radio operator himself. His FCC issued license call sign is KK6OTD issued under his real name, Tim Dick. Over 25 members of the “Last Man Standing” crew pursued their license after being inspired by the character on the show, and they went from creating a basic shack for his character to operate from to using vintage equipment that is fully operable. It’s not clear what Allen’s plans are for what he will do with his newly acquired license, maybe have his own amateur radio show? If so, fans of “Home Improvement” will be the first to tune in to hear what the funny man says (and can get away with) on air.

Tim’s Personal Quotes

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Tim Allen first became a comedian in 1975. He started out doing local stand-up comedy routines and grew to take on roles in commercials and cable comedy shows. Some personal quotes include, “Women now have choices. They can be married, not married, have a job, not have a job, be married with children, unmarried with children. Men have the same choice we’ve always had: work, or prison.”“Men are liars. We’ll lie about lying if we have to. I’m an algebra liar. I figure two good lies make a positive.”“Men are pigs. Too bad we own everything.”“Someone should come out with a man-woman dictionary, like those English-French ones.”“Real men don’t use instructions, son. Besides, this is just the manufacturer’s opinion on how to put this together.”“Men look at women the way men look at cars. Everyone looks at Ferraris. Now and then we like a pickup truck, and we all end up with station wagons.”

Tool Time Unseen Character

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While taping some episodes of “Tool Time,” the host Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor sometimes looks off stage, and asks an unseen character, Klaus, to play music for “Tool Time” segments. Klaus is an actual person, Klaus Landsberg, who worked in the sound department on “Home Improvement.” Klaus has been in the entertainment industry for decades, as part of the production team for other shows such as “American idol” and “The Drew Carey Show.” He was nominated many times at the Grammy Awards for “Outstanding Sound Mixing for a comedy Series” in the ’90s. Referencing Klaus was just another example of how Tim Allen used his talent as a stand-up comedian to interplay real life, the tv show he played on, and the tv show within in TV show. Although the audience couldn’t tell whether Klaus was a real person or a character, it became a running joke for the cast of “Home Improvement.” No one would know exactly what the comedian would play off of next.

Patricia Richardson’s Other Roles

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In her role of Jill Taylor on “Home Improvement,” Patricia Richardson was nominated four times for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series and twice for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical. Before her role on the hit tv series, Richardson understudied the part of young ‘Gypsy Rose Lee’ in Angela Lansbury’s production of “Gypsy” on Broadway. After “Home Improvement” Richardson appeared on other television series like “Strong Medicine,” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “The West Wing” as Sheila Brooks, and Tim Allen’s “Last Man Standing” for two episodes as Helen Potts. She also played a role in movies, including Connie Hope in “Ulee’s Gold,” for which she was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female, “California Dreaming,” “Beautiful Wave,” and “Snow Bride.” She has also been a executive producer of the video documentary “Long Story Short.”

JTT

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Jonathan Taylor Thomas has said that he doesn’t like the nickname JTT. He doesn’t understand why people just can’t say his whole name. In the 1990s, the letters JTT were synonymous with Jonathan Taylor Thomas and he was considered to be one of the hottest young stars on television. Girls across America went nuts for him! He starred in films like “Man of the House,” “Tom and Huck,” and “Wild America.” After he left “Home Improvement” a season before the show officially ended, Thomas mainly played voice roles for animated series. His most memorable role is Simba’s voice on “The Lion King.” He also had a role on “The Wild Thornberrys,” “The Oz Kids,” and one episode of “The Simpsons.” Thomas also had guest appearances on “Smallville,” “8 Simple Rules,” “Veronica Mars,” and like some of his other former cast mates, “Last Man Standing.” Overall, Thomas has stayed out of the media spotlight and doesn’t promote his personal like on social media like other celebrities.

JTT Awards

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Jonathan Taylor Thomas was the first actor to win the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards in 1999 for his memorable seven-year role as Randy Taylor on “Home Improvement.” He also claimed the Kids’ Choice Awards for Favorite Television Actor in 1998, for “Home Improvement” and the Hall of Fame Award at the Kids’ Choice Awards in 1999. During the 1990s, Jonathan’s career was steady and thriving, and he had many starring movie roles as well as the voice of Simba in Disney’s “The Lion King” for which he was nominated for Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor and Young Artist Awards for Best Performance by a Young Actor in a Voiceover. We’re not sure who ended up claiming those awards, but Thomas had to be a top nominee! In 1996 he did come up top for the ShoWest Award for Young Star of the Year.

Go Jill!

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Patricia Richardson has commented on how at the start of “Home Improvement,” her character Jill was a very one-dimensional mom character with no story lines of her own. Richardson went to bat with the producers and writers of the show to make Jill a more dynamic and powerful female character. She won that battle and her character went on to become an integral part of the show! They also had Jill develop from a full-time housewife to a career-focused working woman. She is seen going back to college and majoring in psychology. And opposite to her husband, who is a republican, Jill is portrayed as a democrat. Jill has made the list of most memorable moms on tv by critics, and Richardson has been nominated four times for Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series and two nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy for her role in “Home Improvement.”

Mark Drama

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Taran Noah Smith, who played youngest brother Mark on the show, filed a lawsuit and a request for a temporary injunction against his former wife and business partner, Heidi Van Pelt in February 2007. He accused her of channeling funds from their business Playfood Inc. into her own business called Playfood Manufacturing LLC. The couple married when Smith was only 17 years old, and she was 33 years old, just a year after “Home Improvement” wrapped up. The couple moved into the mansion that Smith’s parents had purchased from the $1.5 million he earned while working for the show. He ended up losing the home and is now battling Van Pelt for control over Playfood Inc. To add to the drama, his mother wrote a book about her experience raising a child actor. Smith was approved for legal emancipation from his parents at age 16, worried they would take his earnings.

Nice Boy Brad

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Zachery Ty Bryan, who played the oldest son Brad on “Home Improvement,” volunteers for several charities to help children with AIDS and cancer, as well as those to benefit underprivileged children. He, along with JTT, became household names during their time on “Home Improvement.” The youngest brother Mark did not fare so well in the star department.

Jill Got Skill

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Around the time Patricia Richardson began her career in television she sidetracked with commercial work appearing in ads for brands like Wendy’s, Lipton, Chef Saluto Pizza, Jell-O, and Kraft Foods. Her breakout role came later on in life with her playing the character of Jill Taylor on “Home Improvement.” Richardson is best known for this role and it made her a household name in America.

Long-Lasting Legacy

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“Home Improvement” has a big fan base still today! The DVD box sets of “Home Improvement” have sold millions of copies and the show runs in syndication around the world. “Home Improvement” shot most of the main actors to stardom and led to many other television roles and movies. However, today many of the stars’ on-camera appearances have dwindled, but “Home Improvement” still lives on!

Tool Time Audience

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The audience for Tim’s Tool Time show within a show is the actual live studio audience. The camera will often cut back and forth from Tim to the audience to show their interaction. This made being a studio audience guest of “Home Improvement” a fun and interactive experience, as most other shows of the time did not do this. “Tool Time” was included in every episode of “Home Improvement” which is called a “meta-program.” Each show started with Heidi asking the audience, “Does everybody know what time it is?” The show was filmed at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California. Many episodes of “Tool Time” show Tim the Tool Man Taylor haphazardly misusing tools, causing destruction while commanding, “More power!” His coworkers and family would warn him to be careful, but he tended to do what he wanted. The meta-program was a parody of a show on PBS named “This Old House.”

Tim Allen Passed Up Some Big Roles For His Own Show

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Tim Allen was a nightclub entertainer in 1991, but was approached by Disney executives and offered two different roles in sitcom spin-offs based on popular films. In a Los Angeles Times interview, Allen explained: “They offered me two sitcoms: ‘Turner & Hooch’ or ‘Dead Poets Society’ in the Tom Hanks role or the Robin Williams role,” Allen said. “And I thought they got the wrong guy. I told them, ‘I’m the one you saw on stage doing the men thing, grunting like a pig. Without being disrespectful, wouldn’t that seem like an odd idea?’

JTT Tumblr

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Did you know that there is a Tumblr dedicated to photos of Jonathan Taylor Thomas holding random objects? The site is, appropriately enough, called “F*** Yeah JTT Holds Things.” We have no idea where this started, but it’s literally a collection of JTT just holding things, such as flowers, pets ,teddy bears… you name it.

The Three Brothers

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In the show the oldest brother, Brad, is 13 months older than the second brother, Randy. However, in reality, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, who played Randy, is older by a month and a day than Zachery Ty Bryan, who played his older brother. Confusing, yes it is! But JTT had that baby face that made him look younger! Brad was known as the brother who was popular and athletic, with a much bigger frame than the other boys. He was known for getting intro trouble by acting before thinking. The middle brother was Randy, who was the smart alek and known for getting into trouble in more mischievous ways. The youngest brother was Mark, who had the sweetest personality of the three boys, and was portrayed to be somewhat of a mama’s boy. Later Brad takes up an interest in working on cars like his dad, while Mark turns gothic, wearing all black clothing. Randy, played by JTT was said to be in Costa Rica, while JTT left the show to go to college.

Happy Birthday, From The Simpsons

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In an episode reminiscent of an early “Simpsons” plot line, Tim and the boys have overlooked Jill’s birthday. Brad and Randy dupe Mark out of his allowance with a story about a “little brother tax,” and purchase a huge bottle of cheap perfume for their mom.

Audience Favorite

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One poll shows that the “Home Improvement” episode called “Love’s Labor Lost” is a definite fan favorite. The title is based on William Shakespeare’s play “Love’s Labour Lost,” and involves a great mix of drama and comedy as Jill negotiates some scary medical issues. Audiences really cared for the show’s characters.

Hillary Clinton Almost Appeared on the Show

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Yes, you read that right. Bill Clinton was President during the height of “Home Improvement’s” popularity, the show courted Hillary, then-First Lady of the United States. Lisa Caputo, White House Press Secretary at the time, wrote in a memo: “The outreach would be enormous and it would present Hillary in a very likeable light I believe. Although I have some concerns that it diminishes the role of first lady by going on a TV sitcom, it is probably worth weighing it against what we believe we might be able to gain by such an appearance politically and image-wise. You probably know that Rick is 100 percent in favor of Hillary pursuing this project.”

Richard Karn Really Lucked Out

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You hear about people being in the right place at the right time, but check out the story of how Richard Karn landed his role on “Home Improvement.” He got a ticket for blowing a stop sign while he was en route to rehearsal for a production of “Macbeth.” While in traffic school, Karn met an agent who told him about the upcoming show and scored him an audition.

Acting Chops, Brains, and a Social Conscience

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JTT has it all! He graduated (with honors) from Chaminade College Preparatory School in California in 2000. The motivated young man then enrolled at Harvard University. He majored in philosophy and history. He even studied abroad in Scotland, at St. Andrews University, for a year. He’s also a long-time vegetarian!

The Show Spawned a Huge Hit Film

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IMDB reports that ratings were so good for “Home Improvement” that its producers contemplated turning it into a film. The premise would be that Tim and Jill split up and that Tim dressed as a nanny and applied for a job taking care of the boys… sound familiar? Yes, “Home Improvement” led to the hit Robin Williams film Mrs. Doubtfire after Allen rejected the idea.

Program Debut

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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. During the eight years, the cast filmed 204 episodes and was one of the most watched sitcoms of its time. It launched the careers of many of the well-known actors today and was a show that the whole family could watch.

Earl Hindman

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Earl Hindman, who played the Taylor’s concealed neighbor Wilson, appeared in several films throughout his career. His acting resume includes Greased Lightning, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, Who Killed Mary What’s ‘Er Name?, The Brink’s Job, Taps, and The Parallax View. In two of those films he played villains – a far cry from his friendly, neighborly character on “Home Improvement”! Hindman was a longtime smoker and died from lung cancer on December 29, 2003.

Halloween Special

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Another audience favorite episode, “The Haunting of Taylor House,” was a Halloween special that originally aired on October 28, 1992. Brad hosts a party, and he and girlfriend Jennifer are supposed to dress as Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy. However, Jennifer shows up in a different costume and with Brad’s enemy, and things get… scary.

The 9th Season

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According to E’s “True Hollywood Story,” Tim Allen was offered $50 million to do a ninth season of the show, while Patricia Richardson was offered $25 million. Neither Allen or Richardson agreed to the offer, and a ninth season of the show was never filmed. The eighth season, which wrapped up in 1999, would be the last season for “Home Improvement” to film new episodes. However, fans could still enjoy their favorite TV show, as the show went to syndication. The show began airing syndicated episodes as early as 1995, and continued to air them until 2007. Episodes aired on multiple channels, including TBS, WGN America, Nick at Nite, TV Land, The Hallmark Channel, and the Disney Channel. The syndication also continued in Canada, Germany, Austria, New Zealand, and an Asian network. In Germany and Austria the show was named Hor mal wer da hammert which translates to “Listen who’s hammering.”

“Home Improvement” the Game

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A Super Nintendo video game was based on the television series. The majority of the instruction manual was blanked out with the words “REAL MEN DON’T NEED INSTRUCTIONS.” The game was only loosely based on the show and featured Tim fighting through different television sets in the Tool Time studio. The plot is that Tim is about to reveal the line-up of power tools that Binford created and put his name on. The Tim character goes to get the tools and sees that they’ve been stolen and held for ransom. Tim reads a note left in their place tell him to go pick them up. The character proceeds to use other tools, such as a nail gun, blowtorch, and a chainsaw to fight dinosaurs, robots and mummies in order to get his tools back. Although the game was said to be fun in the reviews, it proved to be not challenging enough for hard core gamers.

“It Happens”

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Taran Noah Smith and his mother Candy Bennici co-wrote an advice book called “Stardom Happens: Nurturing Your Child in the Entertainment Business in 2001. The sage business advice they doled out might not have benefitted Smith too much, judging from the spousal money strife he ended up dealing with a few years after the book’s publication.

Pamela Anderson Leaves Show

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After two seasons Pamela Anderson left her role on the show to play her most memorable character, Casey Jean “C.J.” Parker on “Baywatch.” Debbe Dunning took over the role as Tim’s assistant on the show, playing Heidi. It turned out to be the right choice for Anderson, as Baywatch became an international hit, and propelled her career to become a household name. See more about which babe replaced her next.

Debbe Dunning

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Actress Debbe Dunning played Tim’s scantily-clad Tool Time assistant Heidi on “Home Improvement.” Duning was a cheerleader in high school and was also crowned Homecoming Queen. She later went on to win the title of “Miss Burbank 1984.” Since her role on “Home Improvement” Debbe has had several smaller roles including in the 2000 psychological thriller “The Spiral Staircase” and 2006 telenovela “Wicked Wicked Games.” Today, Dunning is married to a volleyball player and has two children.

Debbe Today

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Fans of Heidi the “Tool Girl” can also follow Debbe on her Instagram (@debbeduning) to keep up with the actresses’ life. Debbe chronicles her adventures in raising her kids, surviving 30 years of marriage, as well as her biggest passion: golf. There are even several posts featuring her “Home Improvement” co-stars having mini reunions!

Stalker! Scary!

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In 2002, Tim Allen had to deal with a scary stalker situation. A 34-year-old man stole the actor’s custom 1996 Chevy Impala and drove it 1,000 miles from Los Angeles, California to Denver, Colorado. Weird, right? It gets even weirder: the man later claimed that he’s Allen’s adopted son. O-K.

Bloopers

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As with any long-running series, “Home Improvement” was bound to have some bloopers and continuity problems along the way. One common gripe among die-hard fans is the sound that the kids made when they were supposed to be out playing in the yard. Instead of the rustling of grass, the audience hears the sound of feet pounding on a wooden set floor.

College Appeal

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Students and faculty of University of Michigan, Michigan State, and other Michigan colleges who were fans of the show, sent “Home Improvement” star Tim Allen sweaters and T-shirts to wear on the air, and he did. The television show was set in Detroit, Michigan, and Allen loved to show his support for the state. He was born in Colorado but moved to Michigan in high school. His show within the show, “Tool Time” was said to be on channel 112, and the fourth most popular cable-based tool show in the state of Michigan. In his “Tool Time” show Tim Taylor would hold up a card, directing fans of the show to write in, to their address located in Detroit. However, the phone number they would show people featured an 815 phone number, which is the Northern Illinois region. The fact that colleges and universities sent him t-shirts to wear shows what a beloved show this was during its run!

Family Feud

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One of Richard Karn’s best-known roles after “Home Improvement” ended was as the host of the long-running game show “Family Feud, ” which he did from 2002-2006. The iconic show’s other hosts include: Richard Dawson, Ray Combs, Louie Anderson, John O’Hurley, and Steve Harvey. Karn was brought aboard to replace Anderson.

Deep Space Homer

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“The Simpsons” spoofed “Home Improvement” in Season 5, episode 96. NASA is in the process of searching for “average” Americans to join their latest mission. Here’s the discussion they had:

Assistant: Well, here are the most popular personalities on television, or “TV”.

[Turns on “Home Improvement”]

Taylor: I did it! I supercharged my riding mower.

[Makes his normal grunting noises and backs mower through a fence]

Oh, no! I’ve killed Wilson. Looks like it’s back to jail for me.

That’s Dedication

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To this day, there are plenty of “Home Improvement” fan sites out there, dedicated to all things related to the show. Artwork, fan fiction, and ongoing discussions – you name it and there’s a die-hard fan doing it.

One such site asked the question “Home Improvement (TV show) If the show “Tool Time” was real, would you watch it?” Responses:

81% Of course I would, but just for the laughs

19% Umh, I think I’ll pass

Middle School Sweethearts

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Zachery Ty Bryan, the “youngest” of the Taylor boys, continued his acting career after “Home Improvement.” In 2006, he appeared as a spoiled high school student in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. His most important role, however, is as the spouse of his middle school sweetheart, Carly Matros. They tied the knot in 2007. They have twins together!

Patricia Richardson’s Career

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The “Home Improvement” mom and “Gypsy” actress went on to play roles in other television shows, including “The West Wing” and “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.” Richardson has been nominated for four Emmy awards. She was also nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for her part in the Robert Redford film Ulee’s Gold.

The Disney Connection

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Tim Allen provided the voice of Buzz Lightyear in Disney’s Toy Story, and Jonathan Taylor-Thomas provided the voice of Simba in The Lion King. Both these Disney animated films are at the top of the charts for best-animated films of all time and have were so popular as to elicit sequels to both films!

Number One

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“Home Improvement” went to No. 1 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 movie (“The Santa Clause”). “The Santa Clause” film was so popular as to garner follow-up films, turning it into a profitable franchise for both Tim Allen and the films’ producers.

Hammer Time

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“Home Improvement” had been in the works between Tim Allen since the summer of 1990. Originally, the project’s proposed title was Hammer Time, both a play on the catchphrase made popular by artist MC Hammer and the name of the fictional fix-it show within the series, which was also called Hammer Time.