Home Improvement was one of the most popular sitcoms of the ’90s and launched the careers of its stars. The show’s cast – which included Tim Allen, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Zachery Ty Bryan and Richard Karn – has kept busy since the show went off the air 22 years ago.
Allen has hinted in the past that he’s open to the idea of rebooting the hit ’90s series. In 2018, he told Entertainment Tonight that he is “very interested” in reviving the show, and that talks about a potential spinoff are ongoing.
The hit ABC sitcom starred Allen as Tim Taylor, a do-it-yourself handyman with an uncanny ability to make things go awry. The show revolved around his family life, specifically his relationship with wife Jill (Patricia Richardson) and their three sons – the aggressive older Brad, the wily middle child Randy and the innocent Mark. The show also featured Tim’s Binford Tool Company-sponsored home improvement television show, Tool Time. Each episode featured Tim and his co-host, Al Borland (Richard Karn), working on a home improvement project. The show also featured a “Tool Time girl” – first Lisa (Pamela Anderson) and later Heidi (Debbe Dunning). Lisa’s main duties were to introduce Tim and Al at the beginning of each episode and to hand them any tools they requested.
Tim is an overly ambitious and accident-prone know-it-all who often gets himself into trouble, particularly when he ignores safety regulations and practices. He often falls off of roofs or other raised surfaces while working on a project, and he frequently fails to secure his work area with a safety harness. This is admittedly funny in the context of a TV comedy, but could be dangerous in real life.
In addition to his brash demeanor, Tim is a skilled craftsman who can construct almost anything. However, he often takes on too many projects at once or doesn’t finish his work before the deadline. He’s also prone to procrastinating, which causes him to put off projects for far too long.
The show often satirized the political climate in the United States and featured cameos by politicians, including President Clinton. During the 1992 Presidential election, Clinton’s handlers believed that appearing on Home Improvement would help humanize her and make her more likable to voters. It didn’t work out that way.