Home Improvement Seasons 1 8 is an American television sitcom starring Tim Allen.
The series centers on the Taylor family, which consists of father Tim (Tim Allen), his spouse Jill (Patricia Richardson) and their three children: the oldest, Brad (Zachery Ty Bryan), the middle child Randy (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) and youngest, Mark (Taran Noah Smith). The Taylors live in suburban Detroit, Michigan and have a neighbor named Wilson (Earl Hindman) who is often the go-to guy for solving Tim and Jill's problems.
Jill makes a decision about the Indiana job offer. Wilson and Tim take down their fence to make more room for Al and Trudy's wedding. Harry and Delores return for the happy occasion, while Benny, Marty and Jeff bet on the outcome.
The character Wilson of Home Improvement Seasons 1 8 is based on Tim Allen's childhood memories of when he was too short to see over a fence, and was therefore unable to see his neighbor. Originally, actress Frances Fisher was cast as Jill Taylor. During the filming of the pilot, audiences reacted poorly, saying that she made the character of Jill whiney and desperate. She was replaced with Patricia Richardson four days before the pilot episode was taped.
The show Home Improvement Seasons 1 8 was originally conceived under the name "Hammer Time", after the show Tim would host. Prior to filming the pilot, Tim's show was re-named "Tool Time" to avoid confusion with M.C. Hammer. Consequently, the show was re-named "Home Improvement" because the creators decided against naming the show after the show-within the show, to avoid confusing viewers.
"Home Improvement" only won one of the four awards it was nominated for at the 51st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. The only Emmy the show picked up was the award for "Outstanding Lighting Direction (Electronic) For a Comedy Series" category for "Mark's Big Break"--the episode in which Mark makes a "Greased Lightning" video for "Tool Time. This means "Home Improvement" has ended its eight-year run and never received the Emmy recognition it deserves. The win continues the show's long-running success in lighting categories.
