Tim Allen’s Beloved Sitcom, ‘Home Improvement,’ is Coming to Netflix
Tim Allen’s beloved 1990s sitcom is finally coming to Netflix. Home Improvement ran for eight seasons on ABC, and was a hit with fans, who made it a ratings success for Disney. Even former President Jimmy Carter had a cameo on the show.
Home Improvement premiered in 1991 and followed the life of Tim “Tool Man” Taylor (Allen), the host of a local home improvement show who is married to Jill (Patricia Heaton) and raising three sons. The show ran until May 1999 and was created by Carmen Finestra, Matt Williams, and David McFadzean. It’s classic 1980s and 90s sitcom fare that became popular early on.
The characters are what made Home Improvement such a hit. Those on the Tool Time show brought plenty of laughs, including Richard Karn as his co-host, Al, and Pamela Anderson as Lisa, prior to her famous role on Baywatch.
Meanwhile, Taylor’s home life made for memorable episodes and characters. Heaton’s Jill held her own against Allen and his three sons, played by Jonathan Taylor Thomas (as Randy), Taran Noah Smith (as Mark), and Zachery Ty Bryan (as Brad). And Taylor’s neighbor, Wilson Wilson Jr. always dispensed great advice; he was played by the late Earl Hindman, who became a memorable TV character by wearing a bucket hat and with his face partially obscured by a fence.
Halfway through the series, Toy Story was released and became a massive box office and critical hit. Allen had the number one show, number one movie, and number one book (his autobiography) in one week in late 1995.
Allen is also famous for his turn in The Santa Clause and his post-Home Improvement TV show, Last Man Standing, ran for multiple seasons and nearly 200 episodes.
While Home Improvement is now streaming on Netflix and Disney+, Allen’s acting schedule is still fairly busy. He’s returning to the sitcom format with ABC’s Shifting Gears, which debuts on Jan. 8, 2025, and co-stars Kat Dennings (Two Broke Girls), Seann William Scott (American Pie), and Daryl “Chill” Mitchell (Galaxy Quest). The show is about Matt, a widowed classic car restoration shop owner (played by Allen), whose separated daughter, Riley (Dennings), and her children reunite.
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Additionally, Allen has also been busy voicing Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story 5, the long-awaited sequel to one of Pixar and Disney’s most endeearing film franchises. Allen spoke briefly about returning as Buzz (via Collider):
“I just did the first five-hour session for Buzz. It’s really, really weird to get back in it. It was really a struggle to get, and then maybe two hours in, I was doing Buzz. I’m so blessed to be Buzz Lightyear.”
Allen also explained that “it’s a very, very clever story. Had they not come up with a brilliant script, they wouldn’t have done it, and they wouldn’t have called me and Tom [Hanks].”
Long-time Pixar veteran Andrew Stanton (Wall-E) is writing the script and co-directing with McKenna Jean Harris (Luna). The film will open on June 19, 2026.
Home Improvement is now streaming on Netflix and Disney+.
- Release Date
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September 17, 1991
- Finale Year
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November 30, 1998
- Network
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ABC
- Seasons
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8
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