An Iconic Sitcom
Home Improvement is an American television sitcom starring Tim Allen that aired on ABC from September 17, 1991 to May 25, 1999 and was one of the highest-rated sitcoms for almost the entire decade.
It 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 film (The Santa Clause).
Award-Winning Show
With a total of 204 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons, it was one of the most watched sitcoms in the United States in the 1990s, winning many awards.
In fact, the series received a whopping 43 awards and 62 nominations, including six Primetime Emmy Awards and a few Golden Globe nominations. Can you guess which actor earned a Golden Globe for his role in the show?
It Launched Allen's And Anderson's Career
The series launched Tim Allen's acting career and helped him become one of the highest-paid actors on TV. His brilliant portrayal of Tim Taylor earned him his first Golden Globe in 1995, together with 4 other nominations.
However, this series was also the start of the television career of Pamela Anderson, who was part of the recurring cast for the first two seasons. Now, do any of you remember what the show is about?
The Cast
The series centers on the Taylor family, which consists of Tim (Tim Allen), his wife Jill (Patricia Richardson) and their three children: the oldest child, Brad (Zachery Ty Bryan), the middle child, Randy (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) and youngest child, Mark (Taran Noah Smith).
The Taylors live in suburban Detroit, and have a neighbor named Wilson (Earl Hindman) who is often the go-to guy for solving the Taylors' problems. However, out of all the Taylors, Tim is the one who steals the spotlight.
The Typical American Male
Tim is a stereotypical American male, who loves power tools, cars, and sports. An avid fan of the Detroit professional sports teams, Tim wears Lions, Pistons, Red Wings, and Tigers clothing in numerous instances, and many plots revolve around the teams.
He is a former salesman for the fictional Binford Tool company, and is very much a cocky, overambitious, accident-prone know-it-all. Witty but flippant, Tim jokes around a lot, even at inappropriate times, much to the dismay of his wife. As you probably know, most of the show centers on him.
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).
The Tool Time girl's 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.
More Power!
Although revealed to be an excellent salesman and TV personality, Tim is spectacularly accident prone as a handyman, often causing massive disasters on and off the set, to the consternation of his co-workers and family.
Many of Tim's accidents are caused by his devices being used in an unorthodox or overpowered manner, designed to illustrate his mantra "More power!". This popular catchphrase would not be uttered after the show's 7th season, until Tim's last line in the series finale, which are the last two words ever spoken.
It Was Meant As A Parody
Many Tool Time viewers assume that the accidents on the show are done on purpose to demonstrate the consequences of using tools improperly, but did you know that this whole show-within-a-show was all meant to be a parody?
As a matter of fact, 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.
Guest Stars
Al Borland has a beard and always wears plaid 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. But aside from Tool Time, what else does the show focus on?
Family Life
The show also follows the misadventures of Tim's family, namely his wife and kids. Family life is boisterous for the Taylors with the two oldest children, Brad and Randy, tormenting the much younger Mark, all while continually testing and pestering each other.
Such play happened especially throughout the first three seasons, and was revisited only occasionally until Jonathan Taylor Thomas left at the beginning of the eighth season. There's one character, however, that we've barely talked about so far, and that's Tim's wife, Jill!
Top TV Mom
Jill is loving and sophisticated, but not exempt from dumb moves herself. She goes from being a stay-at-home mother to a career-focused and independent woman, and she's pretty much the voice of reason of the Taylor family.
Jill was played by Patricia Richardson and it happened to be the role of her lifetime. Not only did it earn her two Golden Globe nominations, but it was thanks to Jill that she was recently been dubbed as one of TV's "most memorable" moms. But did you know that the role of Jill was nearly played by someone else?
Tim Taylor's First On-Screen Wife
Given that Tim Allen and Patricia Richardson made a totally perfect couple, it may come as a shock to find out that she wasn't Tim's first on-screen wife.
A few months before the network executives begged Richardson to play Jill, the producers had cast actress Frances Fisher for the role. But what happened? Why was Jill recast?
A Household Name
When the first version of the show’s pilot was shot, Frances Fisher played the family matriarch. By that time, Fisher had already made a name for herself after landing the role of Deborah Saxon in ABC’s crime drama The Edge of the Night.
However, Fisher had also become a household name for dating Hollywood icon Clint Eastwood. The two actors met on the set of Pink Cadillac in 1989 and were together for 6 years ever since then. Everybody thought she would be perfect for the role of Jill, but what went wrong?
She Didn't Fit The Role
Even though Fisher was a talented actress, it wasn’t long before the casting directors realized she wasn’t fit for the role. According to actor Richard Karn, Fisher’s rather dramatic record didn’t quite fit with the show’s boisterous sense of humor.
Consequently, after the third day of rehearsals, the writers and the creative team settled on finding a replacement for Fisher. "Frances is a great actress, but in this role with Tim, she came off more as a victim to him than his equal", Karn said.
No Hard Feelings
Even though Fisher had been keen on playing the role of Jill, she was left with no hard feelings once the creative team changed their minds and went for Richardson. One thing's for sure though, and it's that nobody should feel sorry for Fisher, as she went on to become one of the highest-paid TV actresses out there.
You've probably seen Fisher play rather serious and dramatic roles in famous series like The X-Files, Grey's Anatomy, Watchmen and Fargo. But hey! What happened once the Home Improvement writers changed their minds about Fisher?
Richardson Wasn't Convinced
Once Fisher was out of the table, Richardson was everyone's next choice, but the fellow actress proved to be hard to catch. Richardson was initially reluctant to take on the role, mainly because she had just given birth to twins.
Apart from that, she was already working on another show and was supposed to get back to shooting later that year. But what made her change her mind? You'll definitely be surprised!
She Made Up Her Mind
Richardson set some ground rules before taking on the role. First and foremost, she demanded they wait for her until she was done breastfeeding her twins, which the crew agreed to. But do you know what really convinced her to accept the role?
What finally convinced her was that Home Improvement’s producers had also worked on her favorite show ever, Roseanne. On top of that, her husband, Ray Baker, also pushed her to saying yes. "This is the show you're going to do for seven years", Baker envisioned.
They Just Clicked
Both Richardson and Allen have recognized that their chemistry on set was instant. "Tim was so hilarious and we just clicked right away. It was a really fast five or six days [when] we did the pilot", the actress said in an interview.
In fact, once the show came to an end, Richardson admitted that she found it weird seeing her former co-star having other on-screen wives in other sitcoms. But here's another behind-the-scenes fact you were never told: can you believe Richardson considering leaving the show after season 7?
Time To Move On
Once the show's seventh season was shot, Richardson started feeling it was time for her to move on, but she had already promised the crew she would come back for an eighth season. Therefore, she vowed that the eighth would be the last.
In fact, Richardson's reluctance to staying for a ninth season was one of the main reasons why the series got canceled. ""I really just felt like... I need to get out of this show and have a life again and see my children and maybe have a date, because I had gotten divorced halfway through", the actress confessed.
Our Favorite TV Mom
Decades have passed since we first met the Taylor family, and we can't imagine Tim Allen's character being married to any other than her cool and smart wife Jill, starred by Patricia Richardson.
Would the show have been equally successful had Fisher been cast for the role of Jill? It's hard to tell, but one thing's for sure, and it's that Patricia Richardson is definitely one of the top TV moms in American history!