Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
    • Television
      • TV by Decade
        • TV – 1950s
        • TV – 1960s
        • TV – 1970s
        • TV – 1980s
        • TV – 1990s
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • Kids TV
      • Variety
      • News & Sport
      • Advertisements
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • Music – 1950s
        • Music – 1960s
        • Music – 1970s
        • Music – 1980s
        • Music – 1990s
      • Artists – A to K
        • Artists – A
        • Artists – B
        • Artists – C
        • Artists – D
        • Artists – E
        • Artists – F
        • Artists – G
        • Artists – H
        • Artists – I
        • Artists – J
        • Artists – K
      • Artists – L to Z
        • Artists – L
        • Artists – M
        • Artists – N
        • Artists – O
        • Artists – P
        • Artists – Q
        • Artists – R
        • Artists – S
        • Artists – T
        • Artists – U
        • Artists – V
        • Artists – W
        • Artists – X
        • Artists – Y
        • Artists – Z
      • Artists – 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Playlists
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • Movies – 1950s
        • Movies – 1960s
        • Movies – 1970s
        • Movies – 1980s
        • Movies – 1990s
      • Movies – 0 to 9
      • Movies – A to K
        • Movies – A
        • Movies – B
        • Movies – C
        • Movies – D
        • Movies – E
        • Movies – F
        • Movies – G
        • Movies – H
        • Movies – I
        • Movies – J
        • Movies – K
      • Movies – L to Z
        • Movies – L
        • Movies – M
        • Movies – N
        • Movies – O
        • Movies – P
        • Movies – Q
        • Movies – R
        • Movies – S
        • Movies – T
        • Movies – U
        • Movies – V
        • Movies – W
        • Movies – X
        • Movies – Y
        • Movies – Z
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Television»Comedy
    Comedy TV Shows - 1990s 3 Mins Read

    Home Improvement

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    1 9 9 4 – 1 9 9 9 (USA)

    This smash hit US sitcom from Matt Williams (creator of Roseanne) was set in Detroit and starred Tim Allen as the gadget-crazy know-it-all presenter of a local cable DIY programme called Tool Time (“sponsored by Binford Tools”). The show is the fourth-highest-rated home improvement show in Michigan.

    Largely misread as a piece of macho posturing by UK critics (who advised British viewers to tune out), Home Improvement effectively and amusingly satirised the unreconstructed male – right down to the wife at home, Jill (Patricia Richardson), who truly held the power.

    homeimprovement4There were other notable comedic elements to the series: As with any domestic sitcom, there was a next-door neighbour.

    But in the case of Wilson, he was permanently hidden from view by the fence (pictured) and uttered mystic, Confucius-like sayings. The character was voiced by Earl Hindman.

    Tim Taylor offered advice to his viewers on how to fix various things around the house, and he peppered his advice with a lot of gentle humour. Tim’s co-host Al Borland (Richard Karn) usually knew much more about how to repair something than Tim did.

    The duo were assisted by a “Tool Time Girl” – initially Lisa (Pamela Anderson getting her break into TV) and later Heidi (Debbe Dunning) – whose main role was to introduce the pair at the beginning of the show (“Does everybody know what time it is?”) and to bring tools and such on to the set for Tim and Al during the show.

    As with Roseanne, the closing credits showed ‘bloopers’ committed by the cast.

    homeimprovement8

    The final episode had Jill gaining her master’s degree in psychology, and when a job opportunity came up for her to work at Family Practice in Indiana, Tim gave up his reluctance to move, and the home in which they lived was seen being transported to Indiana (by tugboat).

    One of ten children, comedian Tim Allen was arrested in 1978 for attempted drug dealing and sentenced to 28 months in jail.

    Upon his release he became a stand-up comedian, eventually attracting the attention of television producers.

    Home Improvement was based on a number of Allen’s handyman comedy routines from his stand-up act.

    Allen also became a successful movie actor and, as a result, his salary rose from $50,000 for Toy Story in 1995 to $5,000,000 for Toy Story 2 in 1999.

    He was also paid an astounding $1.25 million per episode for each appearance on Home Improvement during the 1999 season.

    Tim Taylor
    Tim Allen
    Al Borland

    Richard Karn
    Jill Taylor
    Patricia Richardson
    Brad Taylor

    Zachery Ty Bryan
    Randy Taylor

    Jonathan Taylor Thomas
    Mark Taylor

    Taran Noah Smith
    Wilson

    Earl Hindman
    Lisa

    Pamela Anderson
    Heidi Keppert
    Debbe Dunning

    Related Posts

    • Room For Two
      Room For Two
      1 9 9 2 - 1 9 9 3 (USA) 26 x 30 minute episodes Edie Kurland (Linda Lavin), a bossy,…
    • Check It Out!
      Check It Out!
      1 9 8 5 - 1 9 8 8 (Canada) 66 x 30 minute episodes This dire Canadian sitcom starred Don…
    • Normal Life
      Normal Life
      1 9 9 0 (USA) 14 x 30 minute episodes Novelist and playwright Max Harlow (Max Gail) and his wife Anne…
    • His And Hers
      His And Hers
      1 9 7 0 - 1 9 7 2 (UK) 20 x 30 minute episodes Sue Lloyd - and later Barbara…
    • Goodness Gracious Me
      Goodness Gracious Me
      1 9 9 8 - 2 0 0 0 (UK) 18 x 30 minute episodes Goodness Gracious Me began life as…
    • Home Free
      Home Free
      1 9 9 3 (USA) 13 x 30 minute episodes Lazy 22-year-old bachelor Matt Bailey (Matthew Perry) enjoyed a life of…
    • Father Knows Best
      Father Knows Best
      1 9 5 4 - 1 9 6 3 (USA) 203 x 30 minute episodes Father Knows Best was one of a…
    • Changing Rooms
      Changing Rooms
      1 9 9 6 - 2 0 0 4 (UK) 165 x 30/60 minute episodes With a time limit of…

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleMcHale’s Navy
    Next Article Goldbergs, The

    Comments are closed.

    Follow us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
    You May Also Like
    • Box The Jesuit
      Sydney-based Box The Jesuit formed in October 1986 from the […]
    • Tanks Are Coming, The (1951)
      The Tanks Are Coming follows the American 3rd Armoured […]
    • Mississippi Burning (1988)
      Feisty British director Alan Parker takes on the Ku Klux Klan […]
    • Chopper One
      1 9 7 4 (USA) 13 x 30 minute episodes Officers Don Burdick (Jim […]
    • Tab Hunter Show, The
      1 9 6 0 – 1 9 6 1 (USA) 32 x 30 minute episodes This NBC […]
    • Mr Belvedere
      1 9 8 5 – 1 9 9 0 (USA) 117 x 30 minute episodes Sports […]
    Twitter Feed
    Please note


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Popular Tags
    1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1975 1976 Action Figures Amicus Arcade games Australia Beach movies Beatles Blaxploitation Board games Britpop Canada Crime Disco Disney Doo-Wop Elvis Presley Girl groups Glam Goth Hammer Heavy Metal Irwin Allen Labels Merseybeat Mod revival Motown New Romantic New Wave NWOBHM Oi! One-hit wonders Power Pop Pub rock Punk Radio Scotland Ska Soul music Surf music
    Search Nostalgia Central
    Copyright © 1998, 2022 Nostalgia Central
    • About
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.