Whatever Happened To: The Cast Of "Home Improvement"

Home Improvement was the ABC sitcom about the Taylor family, that ran from September 17, 1991 to May 25, 1999. Standup comic Tim Allen, who specialized in macho humor, brought his act to television in this comic saga of a man and his tool belt.

On the show, Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor was a local celebrity in Detroit with his cable TV show Tool Time, a cheerful mix of fix-it advice and humor sponsored by Binford Tools. His answer to every problem: more power!

At home he was a bit of a klutz, however, and when he strapped on his tool belt and whipped out his drill like a six-shooter, the kids cleared out. Frustrated wife Jill tried to keep him away from the appliances but to no avail; sons Brad, Randy, and winsome little Mark offered varying degrees of help; and neighbor Wilson, never clearly seen over the backyard fence, philosophized about the meaning of everything.

Al was Tim's knowing helper on Tool Time, along with Lisa, the buxom “tool girl” played by Pamela Anderson in her first big break in the acting business. The producers took one look at her and quickly realized she’d be perfect as the Tool Time girl. Of course, she left after two seasons for Baywatch (succeeded by Heidi in 1993).

A bit of controversy emerged among the Home Improvement family when Jonathan Taylor Thomas decided to leave the show in its final season. Thomas said it was to focus on his education, and the writers had his character leave to go to Costa Rica to explain the absence. However, Tim Allen later noted that Thomas “said it was about going to school, but then he did some films.”

After 8 seasons the cast had enough.  Apparently, Patricia Richardson (Jill) was offered $25 million to do a ninth season while Tim Allen was offered $50 million. The two declined the offer and the series came to an end as a result.

In the highly-rated series finale, Tim quit Tool Time after a fight with Binford Tools; Al married his new love, chubby Trudy, in the Taylors' backyard; and Jill accepted a position at a clinic in Bloomington. When she wavered over leaving their beloved home, Tim came up with an ingenious solution: they jacked up the house, and took it with them! The biggest surprise, however, came at the close of the show, as the cast took their bows and viewers, at last, got to see Wilson's face.

So what happened to the original cast?

We always ❤️this show and Tim Allan has said that he’s “VERY INTERESTED” in bringing back the show and that he’s spoken to the other cast members and guess what.. they’re on board too, so maybe we have not seen the last of the Taylor Family...and we ❤️that.  XOXO