Tim Allen Open to Reviving ‘Home Improvement,’ But Likely Not as a TV Show

Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor could return in one form or another, actor Tim Allen says. In an interview with TV Line this week, Allen said that he is open to a Home Improvement revival. However, with his new show Last Man Standing still on the air, Allen said Home Improvement does not necessarily need to be a TV series.

“I always think about it, because I still talk to everybody involved,” Allen said of Home Improvement.

Allen has plenty of fondness for Home Improvement, the the series that made him a household name from 1991 to 1999. However, he admitted that it shares a lot in common with his current show, Last Man Standing.

“The question I had was, ‘Is it still relevant? Is Tim Taylor relevant in the Mike Baxter world?’” he went on. “Because Mike Baxter is like a real version of Tim Taylor; he’s not such a joke. And the [Outdoor Man] vlogs are like Mike’s version of Tool Time done as a web series.”

Still, Allen feels that there is a place for Home Improvement in today’s media landscape, as long as it was clearly differentiated from Last Man Standing.

“I like the idea of doing it as a one-off, like a one-hour movie [versus a full-fledged revival series], I like the idea of doing it as a one-off, like a one-hour movie [versus a full-fledged revival series],” he said.

Allen added that a hypothetical Home Improvement revival would have to be set apart by its focus on those specific characters, and on the technological and cultural shift from the 1990s to today’s age.

“I like the idea of finding out where the boys are now, and where… Tool Time would be in today’s world. I just think it’s a marvelous idea, and all the actors think it’s a great idea,” he said.

Allen also acknowledged that any Home Improvement revival would be worse off for lacking actor Earl Hindman, who played the Taylor family’s next-door neighbor Wilson. Hindman passed away in 2003 following a battle with lung cancer.

“God rest him,” Allen said.

Right now, there is no Home Improvement reboot or revival in development, though with Allen on-board it could certainly be a possibility. The show ran on ABC in the 1990s, And Allen later worked with the network again for the firs few seasons of Last Man Standing. However, ABC canceled the show in 2017, leaving Allen frustrated until the series was picked up on FOX.

Last Man Standing is expected to return for Season 9 in the fall, which would officially mean it lasted longer than Home Improvement. Allen admitted that it would be exciting to hit that mark, but he has no favorite between the two sitcoms.

“I can’t even describe how cool it is, but I don’t want to take away from [Home Improvement‘s legacy],” he said. “It’s, like, ‘Who would’ve thought?’ I just can’t believe it.”