It might be hard to believe, but today we celebrate the 35th anniversary of one of television’s all-time greatest sitcoms: “Home Improvement.” It was on this date in 1991 that Tim Allen’s stand-up comedy routine came to life in the form of Tim Taylor, his family, and his show-within-a-show, “Tool Time.”
“Home Improvement” was an instant hit with audiences, became one of the most popular sitcoms of the ’90s, and remained a top 10 show for its first seven seasons before falling to 11th place in its final season. The show also produced one very short lived spinoff, while Allen would go on to create “Last Man Standing,” a series that he said was a flip-flopped version of “Home Improvement.”
While the show originally relied heavily on Allen’s stand-up routines about the male perspective on life, it soon grew into a more traditional family sitcom — one that wasn’t afraid to delve into serious topics like teenage drug use, the loss of a family member, and cancer. And in case you’re wondering: “Home Improvement” may live on as one of the more memorable sitcoms of the ’90s, but that’s likely where it will stay. Tim Allen once said that he’d mulled over the idea of a reboot, but nothing seems to have come of it.
The cast of Home Improvement almost looked very different
While Tim Allen was always slated to be the star of “Home Improvement,” many of his supporting cast members weren’t. The role of his wife, Jill, was at first given to Frances Fisher, who was best known for playing more dramatic roles. During rehearsals, producers worried that she wasn’t quite right for the part; speaking on “Pod Meets World” years later, Richard Karn recalled the show’s creator, Carmen Finestra, saying that “she wasn’t getting the right laugh.” So, Patricia Richardson came in to replace her. “It was like she was his equal,” Karn said. “It wasn’t a victim to Tim. She was his equal. And that’s why it worked.”
Karn himself also benefited from a casting change. Originally, Tim was going to be paired with a character named Glen on “Tool Time,” played by Stephen Tobolowsky. Unfortunately, Tobolowsky was busy filming a movie at the time, so producers decided to create a character that would stand in for Glen until Tobolowsky’s schedule opened up. During that hiring process, they came upon Karn, who was cast as Al. But Al was a hit, Tobolowsky kept making movies, and Glen never saw the light of day.
Even Tim’s neighbor received a facelift — or at least, half a facelift. The show devised a running joke in which only the top half of Wilson’s head would be visible as he peered over the fence he shared with Tim. That role was originally given to John Bedford Lloyd, but Lloyd backed out when he found out his face would be mostly hidden. The role was given to Earl Hindman instead, and Wilson went on to become one of the most popular characters on the show.