For eight seasons and 203 episodes, millions of Americans tuned in to watch Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor struggle with family life and wrangle with home improvement problems. The fictional show was set in a middle-class American neighborhood where Tim, wife Jill, and their sons dealt with issues that many people face in their everyday lives. The real-life mistakes that the characters made each week were the defining characteristic of the show, making it a true sitcom gem.
One of the most iconic gags from Home Improvement (and one of the reasons it was such a success) is Tim Taylor’s penchant for falling off of high places. Whenever the character is working on something that can’t be reached from the ground, he invariably gets strung up in some makeshift rope harness and then falls off, much to the audience’s amusement. In reality, such a stunt would be dangerous and could cause serious injury or even death.
Another common theme of the series was a love for power tools and an inability to use them safely. This was a good way to demonstrate that while powerful tools can help you get jobs done quickly and efficiently, they must be used properly to avoid injury and damage to the work materials.
Last Man Standing fans were treated to a special treat Thursday when Tim Allen, who played the role of Home Improvement’s Tim Taylor, guest appeared on the Fox sitcom. The episode featured a meta crossover between the two shows that celebrated an anniversary and alluded to the series finale, which is fast approaching.