Before Tim Allen went to infinity and beyond as the voice of Buzz Lightyear or decked the halls in The Santa Clause, he was on the quest for “more power” as Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor in TV’s Home Improvement. In 1990, Tim copyrighted a general description formatting his idea for a show based on his standup comedy and presented it to Disney. Almost immediately after it debuted on this day in 1991, the show drilled its way into the hearts of the audience, finishing in the top 10 in ratings its first season, topping all other series.
Tim had the show’s Tool Time set reassembled at his speed shop in Burbank . . .
Here are some fun facts we fixed up for your enjoyment. The fictional show that Tim Taylor hosted, Tool Time, was originally called Hammer Time, until the name became associated with rapper MC Hammer. The role of Jill Taylor initially went to actress Frances Fisher, but after a week of rehearsals she was replaced by Patricia Richardson—just a few days before the pilot was taped. Richard Karn was initially meant to be a temporary fill-in for Al until they found the right actor. For sentimental reasons, Tim had the show’s Tool Time set reassembled at his speed shop in Burbank and it resides there today.
