Why has time forsaken Home Improvement? - Page 2 - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TMC · 09-05-2018, 08:21 PM

Home Improvement also has a ton of jokes that haven't aged well, mostly in regards to sexism and toxic masculinity. It's covered in 'guys do this, women do that'.
All men like beer and tools and cars and grunting and all women like the opera and art and talking about their feelings.

In fairness, some of the show's themes are centered on Tim not really being one with the world around him. Tim is frequently the butt of a joke or a lesson to be learned for being too traditionally conservative. On the same token however, Wilson is presented as a wise sage, sensitive, well read, and often politely admonishing Tim's behaviors. However, Tim is still the protagonist and the show isn't as self aware of what it does, even with Wilson's direction.

icecream · 09-05-2018, 08:27 PM

I am getting sick and tired of you bashing Home Improvement on its show board. If you have nothing good to say, butt out! It is against SO rules to keep bashing a show on its board, that is for the fans. And leave politics out of it as well, while Tim Allen's character on Last Man Standing is political, his Home Improvement character has nothing to do with politics.

MA · 09-08-2018, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catsrule

I am getting sick and tired of you bashing Home Improvement on its show board. If you have nothing good to say, butt out! It is against SO rules to keep bashing a show on its board, that is for the fans. And leave politics out of it as well, while Tim Allen's character on Last Man Standing is political, his Home Improvement character has nothing to do with politics.

I agree with you catsrule on that.

stevea · 09-08-2018, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TMC

Home Improvement also has a ton of jokes that haven't aged well, mostly in regards to sexism and toxic masculinity. It's covered in 'guys do this, women do that'.
All men like beer and tools and cars and grunting and all women like the opera and art and talking about their feelings.

In fairness, some of the show's themes are centered on Tim not really being one with the world around him. Tim is frequently the butt of a joke or a lesson to be learned for being too traditionally conservative. On the same token however, Wilson is presented as a wise sage, sensitive, well read, and often politely admonishing Tim's behaviors. However, Tim is still the protagonist and the show isn't as self aware of what it does, even with Wilson's direction.

Just enjoy the show and forget analyzing it for political correctness. Lost in all of this analysis--it's a FUNNY show. It's a sitcom, not Dr. Phil.

MA · 09-08-2018, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevea

Just enjoy the show and forget analyzing it for political correctness. Lost in all of this analysis--it's a FUNNY show. It's a sitcom, not Dr. Phil.

Consider the values of the show as well such as family.

TMC · 10-06-2019, 02:56 AM

Not to repeat what I said before but one big reason why Home Improvement arguably hasn't aged well, doesn't have a high rewatchability factor, or isn't as popular in reruns today like its contemporaries (such as Seinfeld and Roseanne) is that episodes were just so formulaic.

As I think I said before, if you've seen one you've seen them all. Tim says or does something insensitive (usually to Jill) before the midway mark, Tim is left befuddled until he talks with Wilson at the backyard fence, Wilson gives him sage advice as always, Tim apologies to Jill (usually botching the quote or reference Wilson gave him), Jill accepts, knowing that she married a dummy and his screwups go with the territory, end episode.

Thrown in the mix is a Tool Time segment, often where Tim would damage something and/or injure himself.

TMC · 08-23-2020, 03:24 AM

I wonder if one reason why "time has forsaken" Home Improvement because none of the cast really went on to "bigger and better things" (thus, helping keep it within the public's consciousness) after the series went off the air. Patricia Richardson only had one series afterwards and was mostly off of TV for the last decade. Richard Karn went on to host Family Feud for a few seasons and did infomercials. The only time the kids show up on TV (especially the supposed breakout star, Jonathan Taylor Thomas) is to guest star on other Tim Allen sitcoms. It has bounced around in reruns from TBS to Nick at Nite to TVLand and Hallmark Channel. It now airs on something called Laff TV.

TMC · 02-08-2021, 06:03 AM

I've been reading this discussion elsewhere about presumably heavily promoted shows that have since vanished from the face of the earth. In the case of Home Improvement, it's hard to fathom now, but the show during its initial run, was a massive hit. It routinely beat Seinfeld head to head in the ratings to put things into proper perspective.

Some possible alternative theories for why the show may have loss some steam is a combination of Jonathan Taylor Thomas (who was a big teen idol during the show's heyday) kind of leaving the public consciousness and Tim Allen burning his good will with people (I personally presume in no small part, due to him becoming more outspoken with his political beliefs). I suppose that you can also argue that Last Man Standing's existence just kind of puts a lot of people off of the idea if that makes sense.

TMC · 06-26-2022, 05:55 AM

Somebody on Reddit who hails from Australia, about four months ago, actually inquired to others about whether or not they had heard of Home Improvement. The main point is that unlike Seinfeld or Friends (which were the other two big American sitcom hits of the '90s), you never really ever really see any pop culture references or hear people talk about Home Improvement these days.

TMC · 05-14-2023, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevea

For awhile, time did forsake HI. It was very popular in the early 2000s--it was on WGN, TBS, TV Land, and local syndication. A few years ago it suffered a decline, and essentially disappeared for awhile. Hallmark gave it a go a couple of years ago, and it did not last long. This recent go on Hallmark must be successful--they do not stick with lack of success for more than a few weeks. There is probably a whole new generation of people discovering the show.

I recently read the observation that argued that Home Improvement was really at the end of the day, a show that was "just there". While it's true that Home Improvement was hugely successful in the ratings during its run, even beating Seinfeld along the way, it still wasn't exactly genre busting like Seinfeld was. Nor was Home Improvement, really a water color show.

It simply put, had a formula that worked and it made them money. But it was still when looking back, kind of just there. Wings, Just Shoot Me, and Caroline in the City were other supposedly successful '90s sitcoms that were really just there.

JO Sweet Heart · 05-15-2023, 10:31 AM

^^^ I don't know if I would go that far. Home Improvement and the other shows on the TV back in the day in my opinion were there because enough people liked them enough to keep tuning in for them. If the ratings weren't as good as they were, none of them would've remained on TV as long as they were there. They also never would've gotten the ability to be acquired by other networks later on and added to their program schedules.

God bless you always!!!

Holly

icecream · 05-15-2023, 06:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TMC

But it was still when looking back, kind of just there. Wings, Just Shoot Me, and Caroline in the City were other supposedly successful '90s sitcoms that were really just there.

Good grief! Home Improvement was a smash hit all 8 seasons it aired with several overall top 5 and top 10 finishes. The other three shows were long-running utility players at best that were hardly on the same ratings level. Wings was high quality but never had strong ratings. Just Shoot Me was a timeslot hit never strong enough to anchor a night, and Caroline in the City didn't even make it to season five. Your bias against Tim Allen makes you drop it down to the just there level of three other shows that never had its impact first-run, especially Caroline in the City.

TMC · 10-19-2023, 05:47 AM

Home Improvement may have also in retrospect, had too much of a masculine edge. This arguably didn't work in the long run because it was a family show that really didn't have a strong appeal for a female audience.

JO Sweet Heart · 10-19-2023, 10:00 PM

^^^ I am a female and I love the show.

God bless you always!!!

Holly

TMC · 11-09-2023, 04:18 AM

I wonder if Home Improvement was in the long run, held back by the fact that it was a video taped sitcom as opposed to one that was shot on film like Friends or Seinfeld. So it's without question, that a video taped show comes across as a tad bit more dated than it otherwise should be.

I mean, multi-camera sitcoms today, are not shot on video tape anymore. There's really no reason to do so with the advent of digital cameras.

09-05-2018, 08:27 PM	#17
icecream Cat-tastic and Whiskerlicious Forum Celebrity Join Date: Sep 01, 2006 Location: The Catacombs Posts: 20,606	I am getting sick and tired of you bashing Home Improvement on its show board. If you have nothing good to say, butt out! It is against SO rules to keep bashing a show on its board, that is for the fans. And leave politics out of it as well, while Tim Allen's character on Last Man Standing is political, his Home Improvement character has nothing to do with politics.
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08-23-2020, 03:24 AM	#22
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 124,401	I wonder if one reason why "time has forsaken" Home Improvement because none of the cast really went on to "bigger and better things" (thus, helping keep it within the public's consciousness) after the series went off the air. Patricia Richardson only had one series afterwards and was mostly off of TV for the last decade. Richard Karn went on to host Family Feud for a few seasons and did infomercials. The only time the kids show up on TV (especially the supposed breakout star, Jonathan Taylor Thomas) is to guest star on other Tim Allen sitcoms. It has bounced around in reruns from TBS to Nick at Nite to TVLand and Hallmark Channel. It now airs on something called Laff TV.
	Last edited by TMC; 06-26-2022 at 05:46 AM.

05-15-2023, 10:31 AM	#26
JO Sweet Heart Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Mar 11, 2012 Location: East Tennessee Posts: 7,821	^^^ I don't know if I would go that far. Home Improvement and the other shows on the TV back in the day in my opinion were there because enough people liked them enough to keep tuning in for them. If the ratings weren't as good as they were, none of them would've remained on TV as long as they were there. They also never would've gotten the ability to be acquired by other networks later on and added to their program schedules. God bless you always!!! Holly
	__________________ Go here to check out my most favorite singer, James Otto, when you can!

09-05-2018, 08:21 PM	#16
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 124,401	Home Improvement also has a ton of jokes that haven't aged well, mostly in regards to sexism and toxic masculinity. It's covered in 'guys do this, women do that'. All men like beer and tools and cars and grunting and all women like the opera and art and talking about their feelings. In fairness, some of the show's themes are centered on Tim not really being one with the world around him. Tim is frequently the butt of a joke or a lesson to be learned for being too traditionally conservative. On the same token however, Wilson is presented as a wise sage, sensitive, well read, and often politely admonishing Tim's behaviors. However, Tim is still the protagonist and the show isn't as self aware of what it does, even with Wilson's direction.

10-06-2019, 02:56 AM	#21
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 124,401	Not to repeat what I said before but one big reason why Home Improvement arguably hasn't aged well, doesn't have a high rewatchability factor, or isn't as popular in reruns today like its contemporaries (such as Seinfeld and Roseanne) is that episodes were just so formulaic. As I think I said before, if you've seen one you've seen them all. Tim says or does something insensitive (usually to Jill) before the midway mark, Tim is left befuddled until he talks with Wilson at the backyard fence, Wilson gives him sage advice as always, Tim apologies to Jill (usually botching the quote or reference Wilson gave him), Jill accepts, knowing that she married a dummy and his screwups go with the territory, end episode. Thrown in the mix is a Tool Time segment, often where Tim would damage something and/or injure himself.

02-08-2021, 06:03 AM	#23
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 124,401	I've been reading this discussion elsewhere about presumably heavily promoted shows that have since vanished from the face of the earth. In the case of Home Improvement, it's hard to fathom now, but the show during its initial run, was a massive hit. It routinely beat Seinfeld head to head in the ratings to put things into proper perspective. Some possible alternative theories for why the show may have loss some steam is a combination of Jonathan Taylor Thomas (who was a big teen idol during the show's heyday) kind of leaving the public consciousness and Tim Allen burning his good will with people (I personally presume in no small part, due to him becoming more outspoken with his political beliefs). I suppose that you can also argue that Last Man Standing's existence just kind of puts a lot of people off of the idea if that makes sense.

06-26-2022, 05:55 AM	#24
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 124,401	Somebody on Reddit who hails from Australia, about four months ago, actually inquired to others about whether or not they had heard of Home Improvement. The main point is that unlike Seinfeld or Friends (which were the other two big American sitcom hits of the '90s), you never really ever really see any pop culture references or hear people talk about Home Improvement these days.

10-19-2023, 05:47 AM	#28
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 124,401	Home Improvement may have also in retrospect, had too much of a masculine edge. This arguably didn't work in the long run because it was a family show that really didn't have a strong appeal for a female audience.

10-19-2023, 10:00 PM	#29
JO Sweet Heart Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Mar 11, 2012 Location: East Tennessee Posts: 7,821	^^^ I am a female and I love the show. God bless you always!!! Holly

11-09-2023, 04:18 AM	#30
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 124,401	I wonder if Home Improvement was in the long run, held back by the fact that it was a video taped sitcom as opposed to one that was shot on film like Friends or Seinfeld. So it's without question, that a video taped show comes across as a tad bit more dated than it otherwise should be. I mean, multi-camera sitcoms today, are not shot on video tape anymore. There's really no reason to do so with the advent of digital cameras.