Home Improvement (TV series): Difference between revisions

** Al. Originally, another character (Glen) was to be Tim's assistant, but actor Stephen Tobolowsky was busy with another project. To give him time to finish, producers hired Richard Karn for the pilot. When the series was picked up, Karn stayed on as a recurring guest star as Tobolowsky was still busy elsewhere. Soon enough, all parties agreed that between Tobolowsky's busy workload and Karn and Tim Allen's playing off each other so well, it was best to simply retain Al. Karn was added to the main cast by Season 2.

* [[As Himself]]: Bob Villa, George Foreman, Michael and Mario Andretti, and others.

* [[Back for the Finale]]: Pointed aversion; Randy did not return for the [[Grand Finale]] because Jonathan Taylor Thomas left the show under the pretense that he wanted to focus on his schooling. He alienated the producers because he immediately went off and filmed a movie, which ended with him not being invited for the finale.

** While those events did irritate Tim Allen and company, Thomas was reportedly still invited back. Same reports say he didn't return due to money issues. Allen feels that Thomas' management (and not Thomas himself) were being unreasonable.

* [[Banister Slide]]: When Tim's mother moves out of the house Tim grew up in, Tim reminisces about sliding down the bannister. His brothers comment that Tim was the only one brave enough to go down facing forward, to which Tim replies that he was able to have kids anyway. Later, he takes a "slide down memory lane," and answers the door with a falsetto voice.

* [[Bested At Bowling]]: In the episode "Up Your Alley".

* [[Early Installment Weirdness]]: In the first several episodes, Jill's cooking is actually good. Tim even remarks on how good the chili is in For Whom the Belch Tolls. It wasn't until later that Jill's reputation as a [[Lethal Chef]] became a running gag.

** Done intentionally in-universe when Tim shares the first episode of Tool Time with his audience for an anniversary. Tim has a beard, Al ''doesn't'', and the intro is played on piano by Ms. Binford, who has to prompt the audience to respond to 'Do you know what time it is?'. Oh, and Al trusts Tim's skill with a hammer.

* [[Emo Teen]]: Mark in the later seasons, but more extreme with his fellow [[Emo Teen]] friend.

** Mark came close to being a [[Perky Goth]]. He seemed so ''thrilled'' at the pointlessness of the world.

** Often to the point that many viewers think Al is the host.

{{quote|'''Tim''': Al is my assistant. HE assists ME.}}

* [[Everyone Is Jesus in Purgatory]]: Invoked in-show. Tim accidentally drops a beam on Jill's station wagon, and she later leaves his painstakingly restored hot rod uncovered in the snow. Since she's been working on a Psychology degree, she worries to Wilson whether she did it, on some level, on purpose. He suggests it's an accident, and they start matching each other quote for quote.

{{quote|'''Jill:''' "Remember what Freud said though, there are no accidents."

'''Randy''': That's right, we're the only ones who are allowed to call you a dork. }}

* [[I Always Wanted to Say That]]: Said by Al after he gets the chance to say "I told you never to call me here" in the episode "Bachelor of the Year".

* [[Idiot Ball]]: Tim and Al often take turns holding this when it comes to playing pranks on each other on Tool Time--for example, Al readily believing that a pair of ordinary sunglasses are virtual reality goggles.

** In another episode, Tim convinces Al that a small booth is soundproof, leading Al to openly mock Tim and then burst into [[Modern Major-General]]. It is not until Tim points out that Al can hear him that Al realizes [[Oh Crap|soundproofing is not a one way thing]].

* [[Important Haircut]]: Brad gets a ponytail for self-expression. Later on Mark in his [[Emo Teen]] years shaves his head following a break-up.

* [[I Need a Freaking Drink]]: In the episode "My Son, the Driver", Jill hastily asks for some liquor when she is worried about her son Brad driving by himself for the first time. In another instance, Tim gulps down his drink after he is [[Mistaken for Gay]] at a bar.

* [[Instrumental Theme Tune]]: As long as you count various versions of Tim Allen's grunt as an instrument.

* [[Interservice Rivalry]]: In "Ploys for Tots", Tim tries to get his father-in-law, who happens to be an army vet, to help him put up his Christmas display to beat his long-time rival, an eighty-something retired proctologist. He doesn't want to get involved in their rivalry until Tim mentions that the man was in the navy. Then he's only too eager to beat "that navy butt doctor."

* [[Invisible Subtle Difference]]: Tim and Jill are picking out bathroom tiles. Jill insists they're different colors, Tim sees them all as white. Al, however, agrees with Jill.

* [[Jerkass]]: Tim has quite a few moments of this but they are caused by his insensitivity and stupidity, he is not actually a mean person and usually recognizes what he did wrong by the end of the episode. Also, Brad and Randy are like this in the early seasons, especially towards Mark. This trait is dropped as the characters grow up, but in the last couple of seasons each of them take up another jerkass-like trait: Brad with [[Jerk Jock]] and Randy with [[Insufferable Genius]].

* [[The Klutz]]: Usually, Tim's screw-ups are due to his [[Tim Taylor Technology|signature brand of overclocking.]] However, there are sometimes when he gets into trouble out of just plain klutziness, especially on Tool Time.

* [[Lovely Assistant]]: ''Tool Time''had Lisa and her replacement Heidi.

* [[Macho Disaster Expedition]]: In one episode, a team of guys (a bunch of football players and Tim) think that they can construct a house better and faster than a team of women (plus Wilson and Al). Naturally, they've learned their lesson by the end of the episode.

* [[Made of Iron]]: Accident prone Tim has been to the emergency room so often they know him by name. '''AND''' he has his own coffee mug. When Tim starts worrying about his own mortality after Harry had a heart attack, Jill listed off some of the accidents he has been in and declared him practically [[Nigh Invulnerable]].

* [[Making Love in All the Wrong Places]]: After Tim gets a vasectomy, sex can be done anytime, anywhere. At the end of the episode, he and Jill choose a location they haven't done in a while: The bedroom.

* [[Man Hug]]: Tim talks about this in a ''Tool Time'' segment, and tells his guests that he's secure enough as a man to dare hug other men as a token of appreciation. The hug issue is very quickly dropped when Al remarks: "You know, Tim, in Europe, men kiss each other on both cheeks."

* [[Sequel Episode]]: In one episode, Jill meets a man at the gym that she becomes attracted to and starts dreaming about, causing her to worry about her relationship with Tim. Though the issue is seemingly resolved in that episode, it's brought up again a few episodes later when the same guy comes to work on the Taylor's kitchen and ends up kissing Jill.

* [[Sexy Santa Dress]]: Tim gets his wife to wear a skimpy Mrs. Claus outfit for a Christmas picture.

* [[He Who Must Not Be Seen|She Who Must Not Be Seen]]: Al's mother, presumably because the constant stream of jokes about her girth would humiliate any actress that actually ''played'' her. She ''was'' heard off-camera during Al's aborted wedding to Eileen.

** That episode however does reveal that she really is that fat. When she faints upon hearing the wedding is canceled the entire church shakes. The amount of padding necessary for any actress to play her would be astounding.

** You sort of see her in the funeral episode, {{spoiler|her coffin, the size of a Volkwagon Beetle, took about ten pallbearers.}}

** Jill's Mom was also supposedly enormous, which made for a joke that she lost so much weight and was played by a waif thin actress.

* [[Ship Tease]]: Al and Heidi in the episode "Futile Attraction". They also kiss passionately in one of the outtakes for "Family Un-Ties".

* [[Short Distance Phone Call]]: Tim and Jill are on the same line talking to Brad, but after Brad hangs up they continue talking over the phones. They continue oblivious until Randy enters the scene and gives a WTF? look that Tim notices.

* [[Show Within a Show]]: ''Tool Time''

* [[Signature Laugh]]: Tim's grunting "ohOhOH!"

* [[Sitcom Arch Nemesis]]: Tim's is Bob Vila, though the rivalry is not mutual.

* [[Skeleton Key Card]]: Used in one episode where Tim, attempting to show the efficacy of the anti-theft system he's installed, has a guest star thief try to break in. Moments after saying that he's engaged the system, the front door opens and the thief walks in. He explains that he used a credit card to slip the lock. Tim replies "Sure, if you don't mind destroying your credit card doing it" to which the thief says, "That's why I used yours" and hands Tim's wallet to him.

* [[Skippy Rules]]: A rule limiting the amount of Christmas lighting and electricity used in the neighborhood decorating contest is known as the "Tim Taylor Rule".

'''Jill:''' What exactly is Dad not doing?

'''Brad:''' He's ''not'' rewiring the vacuum. }}

* [[The Talk]]: A variation happens in one episode. Tim has already long given Brad [[The Talk]], being that he is supposed to be about 15, but things are a bit complicated when there is suspicion that Brad is active with his girlfriend. This leads to Tim having to specify concepts of safe-sex and things get even more awkward when Brad asks him about his first time. They have an honest discussion, which finishes with..

{{quote|Brad: "So, when will I know I'm a man?"

Tim: "Your Mom and I will tell you!" }}

* [[Therapy Backfire]]: Happens in one episode during a group session when the whole group sides with Tim instead of Jill.

* [[They Fight Crime]]: Al and Tim did this once to get Tim's oldest son's stolen car's stripped parts back.

* [[Trash Can Band]]: The guys at K&B Construction make one of these partway through the show, and perform a couple of times, including the finale.

* [[Trash the Set]]: Subverted in-universe in the series finale. The new management tells Tim to intentionally light the ''Tool Time'' set on fire as a ratings stunt. Tim acts like he's going along with it...until he reveals the management's plan to the audience and brings out the tool-themed band who sing about burning down the set while Al and Tim brandish lighters (but don't burn anything).

** This was discussed when Tim found some hints that Al and Heidi might have slept together when Heidi's marriage was in trouble, Tim just could not fathom a girl like her having interest in a guy like Al. The message at the end was to just let some things go, though at the end (they didn't actually have sex) Heidi did kiss Al and said he was exactly the kind of guy she could fall for.

* [[Unwanted Gift Plot]]: In one episode the boys gave Jill a very large bottle of very cheap and very pungent perfume.