Tim Allen has perhaps always been most known for his role as Tim “The Toolman” Taylor in the hit ABC sitcom Home Improvement. That role, which Allen portrayed for all of the show’s eight seasons, rocketed the comedic actor to the status of a household name. He has had many other roles that have won over audiences, such as his iconic portrayals as Buzz Lightyear in the Toy Story franchise and Santa Claus himself in Disney’s Santa Clause series of films. However, few have meant as much to the audience, or Allen himself, as the role that started it all for the comedian. Perhaps this is why it meant so much when the 67-year-old actor was recently able to once again take on the role of Tim Taylor in his newer sitcom, Last Man Standing. Join Facts Verse as Tim Allen gets emotional over reprising his Home Improvement role in Last Man Standing.
Tim Allen was born Timothy Alan Dick in 1953, on June 13. He grew up in Denver, Colorado, and decided to become a stand-up comedian. After gaining some success performing stand-up comedy, he was eventually offered a show on the ABC network. That show would become Home Improvement. That show, which first aired in 1991, would go on to be a huge success. Allen would use the success of Home Improvement to get some notable roles in feature films. These roles include his portrayals as Buzz Lightyear in Disney’s Toy Story franchise and Santa Claus in the Santa Clause series of films, also made by Disney. Despite the immense success of these films, Home Improvement still holds an unmatched place in Tim Allen’s heart.
Home Improvement first aired on the ABC network in 1991, on September 17. In the show, Tim Allen portrayed what many would consider to be a fictional version of himself, Tim “The Toolman” Taylor. Instead of entertaining through his stand-up comedy like Tim Allen, Tim Taylor entertains through his home improvement educational show, Tool Time. One of the cast members of the show within the show was portrayed by Pamela Anderson, who would also be rocketed to stardom via her role. Home Improvement, like Tim Allen’s stand-up routine, stood for old-fashioned and traditional values. This made the show a huge hit with family audiences. Adults and children alike could appreciate the humor without any fear of dangerous or edgy jokes. It was perhaps this unique factor that helped the show find it’s immense success. Home Improvement lasted for eight seasons, running from it’s 1991 premiere date all the way to May 25 of 1999.
Tim Allen was likely ready for his departure from the role after eight long years, though both the show and his character continued to hold an immense place in his heart. He would go on to reprise both of his iconic film roles in numerous further entries of both the Toy Story and Santa Clause franchises. 1999’s Toy Story 2 was released just months after the Home Improvement finale. This was followed by two more sequels, one in 2010 and one in 2019. Both of these saw Tim Allen returning to portray the voice of the iconic character Buzz Lightyear.
Disney’s The Santa Clause saw two sequels, one in 2002 and one in 2006. Meanwhile, Tim Allen would try his hand at some more challenging roles, including a more adult role in 2002’s Big Trouble. While his branching out wasn’t met with us as much critical or financial success, audiences would always keep a place in their heart for Allen and his most iconic roles. In his heart, though, Allen knew that his true passion lied on television. This is likely why he was so grateful to take the opportunity to get back into the sitcom game in 2011. This came in the form of another ABC sitcom, Last Man Standing. If you’re enjoying this video so far, be sure to hit the like button to show your support for future content! As well, subscribe to Facts Verse to be among the first to know when more videos are on their way!
Although the show wasn’t created by Tim Allen himself, Last Man Standing proved to be a perfectly-formulated vehicle for it’s starring man. It saw Allen take on the role of an executive for a chain of sporting good stores that was headquartered in Denver, Colorado. For those who remember, this was Tim Allen’s hometown. The formula for Last Man Standing may seem fairly familiar to those who watched Home Improvement. It features the same love for wholesome and traditional family values. However, there is a gender reversal in the children, as the three sons of Home Improvement have been replaced with three daughters. Unsurprisingly, Last Man Standing‘s emulation of this successful formula lead to some notable success in it’s own right. Audiences were glad to see Tim Allen back in a familiar role. Also, just as they had been back when Home Improvement first appeared, audiences were glad to have the chance to escape into a sitcom that exemplified old-fashioned American values.
Although Last Man Standing found a lot of success with both audiences and critics alike, ABC declined to continue it after it’s sixth season. This was due to production agreements that ABC had with other companies, including 20th Century Fox Television. Thankfully, 20th Century Fox Television took it upon themselves to keep the show afloat, seeing it’s ratings potential. After running on ABC from 2011 to 2017, the show would be moved over to the Fox network for a seventh season starting in 2018. The show would find similar success on the Fox network, leading to an eighth season being announced later on. However, when the ninth season was announced for 2021, it was announced with the caveat that it would be the final season of the show. Still, when all is said and done, this can be considered a major success for both Tim Allen and 20th Century Fox Television. Last Man Standing may certainly be considered the last man standing, as it managed to last one season longer than even Home Improvement.
Given that it was going to be Last Man Standing‘s last year on the air, the producers felt that a special event was in order. This is why they pitched the idea to have Tim Allen reprise the role of Tim “The Toolman” Taylor for a part in an episode. Although Allen is incredibly protective over his Home Improvement role, he agreed to take on the dual duties in Last Man Standing‘s new season. Tim Allen’s characters from Home Improvement and Last Man Standing will finally get to meet, and Allen is keen to point out that their relationship will be slightly antagonistic. Besides it being difficult for the two characters to get along in-universe, Allen has said that it was slightly difficult for him to step back into his iconic role. He expressed that stepping back into the shoes of Tim Taylor was a slightly “weird [and] creepy” experience. This was not only because Tim Allen was having to portray both his old character and his new character in the same scene, but because he hadn’t portrayed Tim Taylor in such a long period of time.
“It was very peculiar… [and] challenging for me to do both parts,” Allen would say, “and [also] kind of emotional.” The emotions came as a result of both the actor being directed to portray his old character, as well as from scenes involving the character of Wilson. For those who don’t remember, Wilson was Tim Taylor’s neighbor in Home Improvement. The character would appear over the fence so only the top half of his face was visible, but he would still become one of the most beloved character on the show. He would often offer sage-like advise and wisdom to the struggling Tim Taylor as he navigated being both a father and a husband. The actor who originally played Wilson, Earl Hindman, passed away in 2003. This made references to the character a little bit of a difficult subject for Tim Allen on the set of Last Man Standing. Still, Allen was able to give input on how his late friend should be referenced, leading to what many fans will likely consider a touching tribute to both the character of Wilson and the late actor who portrayed him.
Fans of both Last Man Standing and Home Improvement have been anxiously awaiting the premiere of this crossover event. Hopefully, the end of Last Man Standing will pave the way for much more success in Tim Allen’s future, regardless of what character he is portraying! Comment down below if you’d like to share your favorite classic Tim “The Toolman” Taylor moment, or if you’d like to share some love for the more unsung moments from Allen’s career outside of television. As always, like the video to support more content in the future, and subscribe and hit the notification bell to be among the first to know when that content is one the way!
