There's no more reliable engine for comedy than the differences between men and women; Home Improvement puts that topic front and center. Launched from the stand-up comedy of Tim Allen (The Santa Clause, the voice of Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story), this sturdy sitcom rests on the endearing, befuddled machismo of Tim Taylor (Allen), the host of a how-to-build-stuff show called Tool Time, who finds raising three sons and being a supportive husband isn't always as easy as sanding down a door frame. In the show's first season, the tried-and-true domestic plotlines (for example: wife wants to have a romantic dinner, husband wants to watch the big game--the fodder of every family sitcom since the dawn of television) are given a fresh spin by Home Improvement's embrace (and gentle mockery) of the men's movement that flourished in the early '90s. Tim's neighbor Wilson (Earl Hindman), whose face is always obscured by the fence between their yards, proves to be a font of Iron John-style wisdom--wisdom that Tim comically garbles when he puts it into practice. Allen and Patricia Richardson (as Tim's prickly but tolerant wife, Jill) immediately established a cozy but smart banter with enough bite to rise above the bland bickering of too many sitcoms. Some jokes degenerate into schtick--Tim's manly grunting becomes rote by the second episode--but Allen and his writing team consistently found surprises in this familiar territory. The capable supporting cast also includes Tim's sensitive and woefully single assistant Al (Richard Karn), his three cute sons (Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Zachery Ty Bryan, and Taran Noah Smith), and Tool Time's eye-candy (future Baywatch sex bomb Pamela Anderson).

 

 

Plug in the power drill and break out the socket wrenches! Tim Allen hammers home the laughs as Tim "The Toolman" Taylor in HOME IMPROVEMENT'S hilarious second season. Tim and his level-headed wife, Jill, undertake the challenge of raising three young, mischievous boys. It's a tough project, but with insightful advice from his wise (and only partially seen) next door neighbor, Wilson, they're able to get the job done.

 

Someday someone's going to write an academic thesis titled, "The Guy Behind the Fence: Home Improvement and Tim Allen's Deconstruction of Manliness." You wouldn't think masculinity was a rich enough topic to provide fodder for 25 episodes of a sitcom--let alone eight years of one--yet in almost every episode Wilson (Earl Hindman), the never-fully-seen neighbor of TV host Tim Taylor (Allen), spins out some new bit of earthy wisdom (fondly parodying the homilies of Iron John author Robert Bly), which gives Tim some skewed perspective on his latest domestic muddle.

The second season of Home Improvement had a few recurring plotlines (Tim's show, Tool Time, gets a female producer, played by a pre-News Radio Vicki Lewis), but most episodes follow the classic sitcom format of introducing a problem and resolving it in twenty minutes, with plenty of punchlines along the way. Tim's wife Jill (Patricia Richardson) gets annoyed because Tim can't keep from glancing at other women (in this case, future Tool Time babe Debbe Dunning); Tim wants his youngest son Mark (Taran Noah Smith) to take karate classes because other boys keep pushing Mark around; when Jill gets a job at a women's magazine, she creates a spouse-compatibility quiz that inspires Tim to create a quiz of his own. The competitive urge--be it with his long-suffering assistant Al (Richard Karn) or over neighborhood Christmas lights--constantly gets Tim into trouble, culminating in a riding lawn mower race with real-life home improvement guru Bob Vila. Like most sitcoms, Home Improvement offers comfort food comedy; despite minor conflicts, the Taylors' family life is dependably functional and warm. Fortunately, Allen's humor has just enough sting to keep from sinking into treacly sentimentality. The cast also includes Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Zachery Ty Bryan as Tim's older sons and Pamela Anderson, who left after this season to become an international sex symbol on Baywatch.

Season 3

In its hilarious third season, millions of fans made HOME IMPROVEMENT the #1 sitcom in America. Tim Allen and the cast laid the foundation for one of the funniest series in television history, and audiences everywhere loved it! Also a hit with the critics, season three garnered a Golden Globe nomination for Best TV Series in the Comedy/Musical category, and Tim Allen was nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a TV Series in the Comedy/Musical category. Jill, Wilson, and your other favorite characters are back, and joining them are some new faces -- including the new Tool Time girl, Heidi.

In its third season, Home Improvement settled into a comfortable and hugely popular groove. Tim Taylor (Tim Allen, The Santa Clause, the voice of Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story) banters fondly with his wife Jill (Patricia Richardson, Ulee's Gold) at home, snipes at his assistant Al (Richard Karn, Sex and the Teenage Mind) on his TV show Tool Time, and discusses manly troubles with his philosophical neighbor Wilson (Earl Hindman), while his three sons (Taran Noah Smith, Zachary Ty Bryan, and Jonathan Taylor Thomas, who was the voice of the young Simba in The Lion King) run amok. In just about every episode Tim garbles Wilson's Iron John-esque advice; in just about every episode he mocks Al for being a lonely oversensitive guy, even after Al finds a girlfriend; in just about every episode Tim and Jill tiff over the differences between the sexes...and yet the cast, though sheer warmth and enthusiasm, makes it feel consistently fresh--or if not fresh, cozy.

Not that the season was without a few new faces: Debbe Dunning replaces Pamela Anderson as the Tool Time girl; Al gets a girlfriend, Ilene (Sherry Hursey); several episodes features some new neighbors (Mariangela Pino and Robert Picardo, later the Doctor on Star Trek: Voyager); the great M. Emmet Walsh (Blood Simple) appears as Jill's father; and a number of sports figures, shuttle astronauts, and former President Jimmy Carter make guest appearances as themselves. This is solid sitcom comfort food; dependable and satisfying, familiar but still lively. If you're not a fan of Allen's humor, this season won't change your mind, but many couples will see a little of themselves in Tim and Jill's relationship, and that's not a bad thing. More power!

Season 4

Power up for season four of the Emmy(R) Award-winning hit comedy HOME IMPROVEMENT! Tim Allen is back as Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor, a loving husband and father who spends his days as the accident-prone host of the popular television show "Tool Time." The fourth season fires on all cylinders, earning five Emmy(R) Award nominations, including Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Patricia Richardson). Season Four contains some of the most memorable moments ever as Jill returns to college, Al is named one of Detroit's Most Eligible Bachelors, and Wilson goes on his first date in 20 years! Featuring guest appearances by Dave Chappelle, Michelle Williams, and Lucy Liu.

In the fourth season of Home Improvement, the Taylor family faces some important milestones. Tim (Tim Allen) turns 40. Jill (Patricia Richardson) is laid off from work and pursues her master's degree. And youngest son Mark (Taran Noah Smith) slowly begins to outgrow precocious middle brother Randy (Jonathan Taylor Thomas). (Oldest sibling Brad, played by Zachery Ty Bryan, remains pretty much the same confident kid he always was.) As for their inner circle, Tim's Tool Time buddy Al (Richard Karn) gets an ego boost when he's named one of Detroit's hottest bachelors, and little seen but often heard neighbor Wilson (Earl Hindman) goes on his first date in two decades. Add Debbe Dunning, who replaces Pamela Anderson as the new Tool Time girl, and you've got the makings of another solid season. When the ABC sitcom aired during the 1994-1995 TV season, it did well enough to place in the Top 5 for the fourth consecutive year. And aside from some pop culture giveaways (Jill's clothes; Randy's use of a floppy disc to backup his computer), the warmth and humor exuded in this 25-episode, 3-disc set hold up remarkably well.

Like Everybody Loves Raymond minus the screeching mother-in-law, Home Improvement is driven by the classic combination of a sensible wife married to a silly man-child husband who thinks about himself first, even when he doesn't intend to. When Jill wants to go back to school so she can become a therapist, Tim isn't supportive. At first it appears he just doesn't want any changes. But he later confesses he's worried she'll lose interest in him if she returns to school. After she reassures him that this would never be the case, he says, "If your dream is to work with nuts, you should go back to the world of macadamia." Look for an appearance from a very young Michelle Williams (Brokeback Mountain, Dawson's Creek), guest starring as Brad's makeup-savvy girlfriend who advises him on how to cover up his pimple. As for Lucy Liu (Charlie's Angels, Ally McBeal), her blink-and-you'll-miss-her spot as a woman interested in Al is little more than a glorified cameo.

Season 5

Comedy Superstar Tim Allen returns as Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor in Season Five of the Emmy(R) Award-winning hit comedy HOME IMPROVEMENT. Some of the most memorable episodes ever, along with exclusive insights from Emmy(R) Award nominated star Patricia Richardson. Join the Taylor family, along with neighbor Wilson and Tim's faithful sidekick Al for 26 hilarious episodes. The laughs are in full gear in Season Five as Tim lets an honorary degree go to his head, Jill's success in school leads her to begin doling out psychiatric "help," and Tim must make a stand when his new boss tries to replace Al.

Season 6

Get ready for some high-octane humor in the hilarious sixth season of the Emmy(R) Award-winning HOME IMPROVEMENT. Tim Allen and Patricia Richardson return in the classic sitcom about friends, tools and the "power" of family. This year, Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor pulls out all the stops as he attempts to break Bob Vila's steamroller record, and things at home get out of hand when Jill's wild sisters visit to plan their parents' 50th anniversary. Laugh along with every unforgettable moment.

Season 7

Emmy Award®-nominated actors Tim Allen and Patricia Richardson are back for more "powerful" family fun in the hilarious seventh season of the critically acclaimed sitcom Home Improvement. It’s a year to remember as Tim’s quest for more power blacks out a Thanksgiving football game, and Brad floors his parents with a wedding announcement. The biggest surprise is yet to come, however, as Tim considers walking away from Tool Time. Experience every fall-down-funny moment with TV’s most accident-prone host. With great guest stars, including Dan Aykroyd and Grant Hill, this is a must-own collection for every Home Improvement fan. 

Season 8

In its eighth and final season, classic sitcom Home Improvement holds up pretty well. Sure, plenty of recurring bits have gone stale--one imagines that star Tim Allen is looking forward to the day when he'll never have to grunt again, and hiding the face of neighbor Wilson (Earl Hindman) seems more like an obligatory chore than an entertaining game--but when the show focuses on the sitcom bedrock of marriage and family, it's not only still funny but sometimes even moving. The centerpiece of the whole season is a two-part episode that starts with an abundance of jokes about Tim's discomfort with female biology--then takes a jolting turn with the revelation that Jill (Patricia Richardson) has to get a hysterectomy. What follows is both comic and refreshingly honest as it captures Jill's anger and frustration, as well as a quietly touching portrait of how spouses support each other in times of trouble. Polly Holiday (Flo on Alice) boosts this episode with a strong appearance as Jill's mother.

The rest of the season goes up and down, suffering from some pointless celebrity appearances (Morgan Fairchild, Jay Leno, Oprah Winfrey, magicians Penn & Teller) and stunt-casting (Playboy playmate Jenny McCarthy as a mechanic Tim flirts with), and the departure of Jonathan Taylor Thomas (whose teen heartthrob career never quite launched) throws off the long-established family dynamic. But even otherwise rote episodes have satisfyingly funny moments (in a Halloween episode, there's a nice bit of slapstick when Tim, dressed as a flying monkey from The Wizard of Oz, can't get his wings through a doorway). The comfortable interplay among the seasoned cast ensures that longtime fans will find much to enjoy.