Home Improvement

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ABC (ended 1999)
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Show Summary

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Home Improvement is a sitcom about Tim Taylor, the accident prone host of a Detroit, Michigan television program about tools, who raises his dysfunctional family. Main Characters: Dr. Timothy "Tim" 'The Tool Man' Taylor is the accident prone host of Tool Time who teases his co-host Al. Jillian "Jill" Taylor is Tim's wife who wants to be a psychiatrist. Dr. Wilson Wilson, Jr. is the Taylors' strange neighbor who enjoys learning about other cultures and never shows his entire face. Albert "Al" Borland is Tim's flannel-wearing co-host. Heidi Keppert is the attractive Tool Time girl from season three through season eight, who is married with one child. Bradley "Brad" Michael Taylor is the Taylors' eldest son who is hoping for a soccer scholarship. Randall "Randy" William Taylor is the Taylors' middle child who is off at an environmental research study in Costa Rica. Mark Taylor is the youngest son who is frequently tortured by his older brothers. Tool Time: Tim's show themed around tools and cars. Tool Time aired between 1989 and 1999 with host Tim Taylor, assistant Al Borland and Toolgirl Heidi Keppert. Tool Time airs on Channel 112 every day @ 4:30. Tool Time can be seen on Channel 97 everyday @ 3:00 in Alpena,MI. Tool Time can be seen nationally via Comcast satellites! El Tiempo del instrumento se puede ver los sbados en 4:30 en el canal 97 Runtime: 30 min (204 episodes, 8 years) Glenview Road: The Taylors' and Wilson's street. Recurring Characters: Marty and Jeff Taylor are Tim's brothers. Lucille Taylor is his mother. Nancy is Marty's ex-wife. Claire and Gracie Taylor are Marty's twin daughters. Lisa is the attractive Tool Time girl in seasons one and two. Bud Harper is Tim's boss. Tim's friends include Harry, Benny Baroni, Eddie McCormack, and Felix Myman. Delores is Harry's wife. Marie Morton is the Taylors' neighbor and Jill's friend. Carrie is Jill's sister. Jill's other friends include Patty, Marge, and Karen. Lillian Patterson is Jill's mother. Willow Wilson is Wilson's niece. Dr. Ilene Markham is Al's girlfriend in seasons three through six. Trudy Borland is Al's girlfriend and wife in season eight. Jennifer Sudarsky is Brad's girlfriend in seasons one and two. Angela is Brad's girlfriend in seasons five and six. Jason is Brad's friend. Ronny is Mark's friend. Lauren is Randy's girlfriend in seasons six through eight. Rock Lannigan, Pete Bilker, and Dwayne Hoover are all construction workers for K&B Construction and frequent guests on Tool Time. Milton is a construction worker and frequent Tool Time guest. George "Sparky" Henderson is a mechanic and another frequent Tool Time guest. Antonio is a waiter at a restaurant frequently visited by the Taylors. Home Improvement Rating History 1991-92: Ranked 5th among All TV Programs (4th among non-news programs), First Season. 1992-93: Ranked 3rd among All TV Programs (2nd among non-news programs), Second Season. 1993-94: The #1 Non-News Program in the Nation, 2nd only to "60 Minutes", Third Season. 1994-95: Ranked 3rd among all TV Programs, Fourth Season. 1995-96: Ranked 7th among all TV programs, 5th-highest sitcom, Fifth Season. 1996-97: Ranked 9th among all TV programs, 7th-highest sitcom, Sixth Season. 1997-98: Ranked 11th among all TV programs, 6th-highest sitcom, Seventh Season. 1998-99; Ranked 10th among all TV programs, 5th-highest sitcom, 8th & Final Season. ABC Broadcast History September 1991-August 1992---Tuesdays-8:30 p.m. August 1992-September 1994---Wednesdays-9:00 p.m. March 1994-May 1994---Wednesdays-8:00 p.m. September 1994-May 1999---Tuesdays 9:00 p.m. Trivia for Home Improvement The "Tool Time" audience is "Home Improvement"'s actual live studio audience. While taping some episodes of Tool Time, Tim sometimes asks an unseen character Klaus to play music for Tool Time segments. Klaus Landsberg worked in the sound department on "Home Improvement". Colleges and universities in Michigan sent star 'Allen, Tim' sweaters and T-shirts to wear on the air, and he did. The name Binford Tools, the company that sponsor's the Tool Time show, is named after an anthropologist who made several new discoveries regarding stone age and tools. There is a running gag regarding the Taylor's neighbor, Wilson; his face is always concealed from about the nose down. In most episodes, Wilson was being shot from behind a fence, but in later episodes where he got out more often, camera shots, actor movements, and prop placements were carefully orchestrated so that his full face was not revealed. In fact, during all the curtain calls for the show (except the series finale curtain call, where his entire face was shown), actor Earl Hindman, who played Wilson, would bring a miniature picket fence to hold in front of his face so that it would remain hidden from view. The character Wilson is based on Tim Allen's childhood memories where he was too short to see over a fence, and was therefore unable to see his neighbor. Originally, actress Frances Fisher was cast as Jill Taylor but was replaced with Patricia Richardson 4 days before the pilot episode was taped. Richard Karn's wife, Tudi Roche, would occasionally make appearances on the show as Jill's sister Carrie. The full names of the older two Taylor boys were Bradley Michael Taylor and Randall William Taylor. (Mark's full name isn't mentioned during the series.) The label "WLS" was frequently used to cover up real corporate logos. WLS is the Chicago affiliate of ABC. While meeting with Bud Harper, Tim is told "...Heidi tested better than Santa Claus." Tim Allen played Santa Claus in Santa Clause, The (1994). As a running gag, whenever Tim enters the basement, he always bangs his head on a large pipe hanging overhead. The character 'Tim Taylor' was ranked #20 in TV Guide's list of the "50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time" (20 June 2004 issue). Awards and Nominations Won the 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1995, 1994, 1993, and 1992 ASCAP Award for Top TV Series (Dan Foliart) Won the 1999, 1998 and 1997 Emmy Award for Outstanding Lighting Direction (Electronic) for a Comedy Series (Donald A. Morgan - "Mark's Big Break" (1999) and "A Night To Dismember" (1998)) and nominated for the same award in 1997 (I Was A Teenage Taylor). Won the 1996, 1995, 1994, 1993, and 1992 Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Lighting Direction (Electronic) for a Comedy Series (Donald A. Morgan - "Room Without a View" (1996), "My Dinner With Wilson" (1995), "Twas the Blight" (1994), "Bye Bye Birdie" (1993), and "Luck Be A Taylor Tonight" (1992)) Nominated for the 1999 Emmy Award for Outstanding Music and Lyrics (Dan Foliart songs, "We've Got It All") Nominated for the 1999, 1998, and 1997 Emmy Award for Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy Series or a Special ("Love's Labor Lost, Part 1" (1999), "A Night To Dismember" (1998), and "Wilson's World" (1997)) Nominated for the 1996, 1995, and 1994 Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Comedy Series or a Special ("A Taylor Runs Through It" (1996), "Don't Tell Momma" (1995), and "5th Anniversary Show" (1994)) Nominated for the 1999, 1998, 1996, 1995, 1994, and 1993 Emmy Award for Outstanding Technical Direction/Camera/Video for a Series ("The Long And Winding Road, Part 3" (1999) and "A Night To Dismember" (1998), "The Longest Day" (1996), "Tool Time After Dark" (1995), "5th Anniversary Show" (1994), and "Rites and Wrongs of Passage" (1993)) Nominated for the 1998, 1997, 1996, and 1994 Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Patricia Richardson) Nominated for the 1996, 1995, 1994, 1993, and 1992 Outstanding Individual Achievement in Editing for a Series - Multi-Camera Production (Roger Berger (1994-1996), Alex Gimenex (1992-1993) Marco Zappia - "The Longest Day" (1996), "Don't Tell Momma" (1995), "It Was the Best of Tim's it Was the Worst of Tim's" (1994), "Build or not to Build" (1993), and "Stereo Typical" (1992)) Nominated for the 1995, 1993, and 1992 Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series (Gayle S. Maffeo and John Pasquin (1992-1993)) Nominated for the 1993 Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (Tim Allen) Nominated for the 1997, 1996, 1994, and 1993 Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series - Comedy/Musical (Tim Allen) and Tim Allen won the same award in 1995 Nominated for the 1995 and 1994 Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a TV-Series - Comedy/Musical (Patricia Richardson) Nominated for the 1995 and 1994 Golden Globe Award for Best TV-Series - Comedy/Musical Nominated for the 1998 Golden Satellite Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical (Tim Allen) Won the 1999 TV Guide Award for Favourite Actor in a Comedy (Tim Allen) Nominated for the 2000 Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series - Supporting Young Actress (Courtney Peldon) and for Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series - Young Performer Age Ten or Under (Ashley Trefger and Lindsey Trefger) Won the 1999 Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series - Guest Starring Young Actress (Ashley Trefger and Lindsey Trefger) and for Best Performance in a TV Drama or Comedy Series - Leading Young Actor (Zachery Ty Bryan) Nominated for the 1999 Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series - Guest Starring Young Actress (Courtney Peldon) and for the 1999 Young Artist Award Best Performance in a TV Drama or Comedy Series - Leading Young Actor (Taran Noah Smith) Won the 1997 Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Comedy: Guest Starring Young Performer (Courtney Peldon) Won the 1996 Young Artist Award for Best Performance by a Young Actress: Guest Starring Role TV Series (Kimberly Cullum) Won the 1995 and 1993 Michael Landon Award Won the 1994 Young Artist Award for Outstanding Youth Ensemble in a Television Series (Zachery Ty Bryan, Taran Noah Smith, and Jonathan Taylor Thomas) Nominated for the 1993 Young Artist Award for Best Young Actor Starring in a Television Series (Zachery Ty Bryan and Jonathan Taylor Thomas), for the 1993 Young Artist Award for Best Young Actress Recurring in a Television Series (Jessica Wesson), and for the 1993 Young Artist Award for Outstanding Actor under 10 in a Television Series (Taran Noah Smith) Won the 1992 Young Artist Award for Exceptional Performance by a Young Actor under Ten (Taran Noah Smith) Nominated for the 1992 Young Artist Award for Best New Family Television Series Won the 1999 YoungStar Award for Best Performance by a Young Actor in a Comedy TV Series (Zachery Ty Bryan) Nominated for the 1998 and 1997 Best Performance by a Young Actor in a Comedy TV Series (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) Home Improvement is now airing in syndication. Check your local listings! In Memory of Earl Hindman (1942-2003)moreless
8.7
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Episode Guide

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S 8 :  Ep 29 Aired 5/4/03
S 8 :  Ep 28 Aired 5/25/99
S 8 :  Ep 27 Aired 5/25/99
S 8 :  Ep 26 Aired 5/25/99
S 8 :  Ep 25 Aired 5/18/99

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Fan Reviews (127)

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  • This show was ok but if Tim Allen wasn't funny who knows how low this score would've been

    6.5
    "Fair"
    By dude57, Dec 31, 2011
    The old ones were the classic ones of the show but when the boys were grown up thats when the show began to suck. OK this show is about a man named Tim who has his own show named Tool time with his assistant Al. Now the good things about this show was the beginnig when the boys were little and they did a lot of crazy funny stuff and Tim Allen was in it and they had more jokes avalabe. But the new ones is when they've used a lot of the jokes in the book and the boys were older and thats when the girlfriends came. Now there have been some good episodes in the new ones and some bad in the old. Overall 6.5/10.moreless

  • Pretty Decent

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By futuramarama, Oct 25, 2011
    Time "The Toolman" Taylor is a host of his own show, Tool Time, where him and his friend Al talk about tools a lot. At home, Tim has a loving wife, kids, and has insight whenever he messes up from his neighbor Wilson, who is a very intelligent man.

    This show is pretty good, but I do think it is repetitive joke-wise. Almost every joke is about how much Tim gets hurt, which yes, can be funny, but I don't find it funny when it is joked about so much. So, my overall grade is about an A- I think.moreless

  • Home Improvement is one of my favorite shows ever!

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By GemiSantana, Oct 25, 2011
    This is one of the best series to ever air on tv. Tim Allen plays the accident prone and host of Tool Time, Tim Taylor. Every episode has Tim getting hit in the head, lighting himself on fire, gluing himself to something and on and on. The rest of the cast was equally funny.
    I always watch this show and remember that old days memory. Now, as a young adult and watching this show on DVD, I must really say that it still holds up well. Very few things are outdated, thanks to the good writing and acting. For a modern sitcom, it's very clean (of course many 90s shows were) and very enjoyable. Good, wholesome family fun, which can't be said of many sitcoms today (unfortunately).

    I give the show a 9 out of 10, simply because nothing is perfect, and Home Improvement has never claimed to be perfect, but it sure is a lot of fun.moreless

  • What is up with this show?

    5.0
    "Mediocre"
    By woahwoah678, May 03, 2011
    I don't like this show.Even if it is a funny comedy.I don't even think it's funny after all.Tim Allen is not even funny on this show.Nick At Nite is not having a good idea for putting this show on their channel.It's not even funny than all of the comedys,Family Matters is better than this lame stuff.I don't even like this show and it's not evn funny.It's not even better than any comedy show that's very funny.It's one of the worst comedy shows ever.I can grade this show a C because it was kind of funny,but it wasen't that funny than anythng.moreless

  • Tim Taylor is a host on a cable show and when he's not messing things up there he's usually messing things up at home...

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By Peterb3291, Jan 15, 2011
    Home Improvement was the show that basically launched Tim Allen's career as an actor, and he did a great job on the show. While the series tends to be formulatic and has some unfunny bits it also has a lot of funny bits and a lot of heart too boot. While Tim messes up a lot he ackowledges he was wrong and sets out to find Wilson and find out what he did and how to make it right. The actors/actresses give good performances and the writers do a good job of keeping wit in the show. My recommendation watch the first season atleast.moreless
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