Home Improvement was a show with literally
universal appeal. It ran for eight years from 1991-1999 and was nominated for 34 Emmys, nine
Golden Globes, and four People’s Choice awards. The simple premise of a man trying to
do his best to run a home and business made it relatable. The wacky antics made it
entertaining enough for fans to keep coming back. They also distracted fans from the
secrets going on behind the scenes. Mistakes and interesting details
slipped right past their noses. Keep watching to learn why this
scene wasn’t edited, look again at the Home Improvement blooper.
The Idea Came from This Old House The idea for Home Imprveoment came from
the actual PBS home improvement show This Old House. It followed Bob Vila and his
friend Norm Abrams renovated houses. It also inspired other popular design shows such
as Property Brothers and Fix This House. Bob had no hard feelings about the inspiration.
He appeared several times on the show as Tim’s arch-nemesis.
The Working Title Home Improvement was originally going to be
called Hammer Time. It was in honor of MC Hammer’s one-hit-wonder Can’t Touch This.
That working title was funny but didn’t last long. It was changed to avoid confusion.
Stars and Guest-Stars Frances Fisher was the first choice to play Jill
over Patricia Richardson. She even appeared in the pilot but got low test scores with
screening audiences and was replaced. Ashley Judd almost became the Tool Time
girl. Show creator Matt Williams thought she was too talented for a minor role and
wanted to give her a more substantial one. She was replaced by Pamela Anderson.
Zachary Ty Bryan played the oldest brother Brad and Jonathan Taylor Thomas played the
middle child Randy. Jonathan was a month older, but their height difference made it work.
Richard Karn got on the show thanks to a happy accident. He was fined for making a rolling
stop through an intersection and sent to traffic school. His agent told him about the gig while
he was there and talked his way into an audition, even though he was technically already cast.
Being a guest star on Home Improvement was a way to improve your career, and there was
one guest they were dead-set on getting. They wanted Hilary Clinton, believing it would
make their show and her political career. Cars and Clothes
Tim’s clothes not only became a focal point of the show but were
authentic to the state of Michigan. He often wore a Detroit Lions jersey or jackets supporting
other local teams such as the Red Wings. That changed in one episode where he wore a sweatshirt
from Wolford College, which is in South Carolina. His cars were another point of interest since he
always seemed to have a new one each season. Tim owned at least one of them himself.
Seeing Wilson’s Face Wilson tops the list as one of the most beloved
characters that’s never fully seen on a show. The character was inspired by Tim’s past.
He remembered talking to a man across the fences who always only showed half his face
There was one blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment at the end of the episode The Karate Kid
where you could see him in full. It’s also special because it features a cameo
from The Beach Boys as Wilson’s cousins. Watch the episode in slow motion and pay
attention when Jill asks to sing with them. You’ll see Wilson’s face accidentally
revealed when one of the Boys leans forward. Other than that blooper, the gag went
on the entire series. It wasn’t until the final episode that he came out and
showed his face to the world on purpose. Klaus Was Real
There was another character that wasn’t seen on the show. Tim
would often call for a man named Klaus while filming Tool Time segments. He never showed up,
so many fans may have assumed he wasn’t real. The truth was that he couldn’t have been more
real. That was the actual first name of the show’s sound engineer, Klaus Landsberg. He joined up with
Tim again on his later sitcom, Last Man Standing. Turning Down Even More Money
Patricia Richardson decided not to return for the ninth season despite an
offer of $25 million. According to E! News, she didn’t want to take the gig for money alone.
Tim turned down an offer to star in a TV version of Dead Poets Society or Turner and Hooch. He
declined both because he thought they would fail. He also refused to continue with Home Improvement
despite an offer of $50 million because he thought it would fail without Patricia. He was also
ready to move on to bigger and better things. Like and subscribe for more on this
classic show. Keep watching to learn why this scene wasn’t edited, look
again at the Home Improvement blooper. Goofs and Bloopers
Area Codes Tim’s mistakes on Tool Time were a frequent source
of comedy. Al used cue cards to help correct them, but there was one that slipped through.
There was one episode where he put up a cue card with the address and phone number of the show. The
problem is that the number is 815-555-TOOL. That area code is for Illinois, not Michigan.
Accidental Reveals In the pilot episode, Tim blows up the
dishwasher. If you pause the scene right before the explosion, you can see the
cutout where the wall’s rigged to blow. There’s another special effects reveal in
that same episode. Look closer when Tim gives Brad a motorized wheelchair and runs
it through the fence. You can see a loose board fall right before he crashes through it.
The episode Karate Kid has an accidental reveal. It happens after Randy’s getting bullied and
Mark puts the bully in a storage closet. You can see the mall backdrop Shake as they run away.
The episode Growing Pains also has an accidental set reveal. Tim goes outside to set up a pulley
system for Randy’s school play. Wilson walks over the fence, but you can see the top of the
house set in the upper left corner of the screen. Reaction Mistakes
Home Improvement is one of Hollywood’s many examples of a stunt
almost going wrong. It’s also an example of a time you can see the actor’s fear on their face.
That happened during the episode Bye Bye Birdie. The skid steer loader Tim’s riding on is tilted
back. It went so far back that he believed he was in danger, and you can see it on his face.
Tim also had a strange reaction to a stunt in the episode Let’s Do Lunch. It happens when Al does
a blindfolded wood smell challenge. Tim pranks him by putting his sock on one of the beams.
Al gets grossed out and tosses the beam on the ground. You can see that it hits Tim’s left
foot, but he acts like his right foot is in pain. Crew Caught On Camera
At the beginning of Growing Pains, you can see a head moving behind Karen and Jill
while they watch a recording of Tool Time. If you look, you can see a crewmember’s arm in
the bottom left while Tim’s talking to Jill. The episode Arrivederci Binfor has perhaps the
most obvious crew reveal. After John Binford dies, Tim has a 21-nail-gun salute on Tool
Time for him who goes wrong. You can see a crew member with a rifle shooting the
set to create the bullet holes from the gun. Darker Secrets
Tim’s Checkered Past Tim was arrested in 1978 at a Michigan
airport for possessing over 650 grams of cocaine. He was a well-known dealer at the
time and got caught in a sting operation. He became an informant for other dealers but
spent two years and four months in prison. Tim says that time haunted him, but it didn’t
fully scare him straight. He got a DUI during Home Improvement’s run in May 1997. He got
helpencouragedrages others to go to Alcoholics Anonymous because it’s free and easy to find.
Tim vs. JT JT told people that he’d been acting since he
was eight and wanted to stop for a bit. He said, "I wanted to go to school, to
travel and have a bit of a break." Most of the cast supported his decision.
Patricia felt it was great that he wanted to go back to school and get an education.
Tim got angry when JT changed his goals. He started making films instead of going to
school. The two actors had such a major falling out that they didn’t even appear in
the final episode of the series together. Child Star Troubles
Zachary and Tyran are glad they escaped many of the troubles that other
child stars experience. In their own words; “People ask if you had kids would
you let them do the same thing? I would have to say probably no because I
think we got really lucky that -- well, first of all, we are still here and didn't
have to deal with too much --crazy drug problems or anything like that. For a lot of
the kids we grew up around, had problems.” Zachery did get into plenty of other kinds
of trouble. He was arrested on October 16, 2020, after allegedly assaulting his
girlfriend. He attempted to choke her and took the phone away when she tried to call 911.
He was arrested on charges of strangulation, assault, and interfering with a police
report. He was released on $8,500 bail and required to stay away from his girlfriend.
Taran Noah Smith played Mark, the youngest son on Home Improvement. He ran away from home at
17 and battled his parents in court until he gained control of his $1.5 million trust fund.
He then married 33-year-old Heidi Van Pelt, but she was after his trust fund. They divorced in
2007. His home went under foreclosure and he was arrested for a DUI and drug possession in 2012.
Taran fortunately reconciled with his mother in 2016. They wrote a book to help other families in
the entertainment business. He’s now an artist who assists in disaster relief.
Reboot Plans Fans like to look for any hint of a
reboot of their favorite shows. Home Improvement devotees have gotten plenty.
The cast appeared in a photo shoot for Entertainment Weekly in 2011, except for Pamela
Anderson and the late Earl Hindman. Tim and JT also showed they’d buried the hatchet when
he appeared on an episode of his sitcom Last Man Standing in 2016. That show was canceled in 2017.
Tim and Richard plan to start a building-themed reality show for the History Channel called
Assembly Required. He said there was no one better to join him on a show about the joy of building
than his “buddy from the old Tool Time days.” There is one cast member who’s not on board.
Patricia Richardson even went so far as to say “Tim lying to people and telling them that
I was on board and I didn’t know anything about it.” He apparently never asked her
or JT if they’d be interested in the idea. It would also be difficult to get some of
the stars, even if they were interested. Having the show with only two kids
and no Wilson wouldn’t be the same. Who’s your favorite male sitcom lead?
Let us know in the comments below.
