'IMPROVING' ON "HOME IMPROVEMENT"
A Sneak Peek At The Second Season
How do you improve on a comedy series that finishes as the #1 newcomer of the '91-'92 season (#5 rated prime time series overall), is selected as The People's Choice for Favorite New Comedy, and grabs an Emmy nomination for Best Comedy along the way, all in its first year?
"Home Improvement" Executive Producers Matt Williams, David McFadzean and Carmen Finestra are working on it, and here's what they have in store for a "new, improved 'Home Improvement'" when the show debuts Wednesday, September 16, 9:00 PM (ET/PT) on ABC:
- Look for Jill Taylor to finally get out of the house and get a job: she may start part-time, but by mid-season, she'll be a full-time research assistant at a fictional monthly magazine loosely based on "Detroit Monthly." Still a devoted and savvy Mom, much of her work will de done at home and some will involve her dragging along a reluctant Tim to various Detroit restaurants and other points-of-interest for her job.
- Tim Taylor may wish he was out of a job when he has to confront Old Man Binford's daughter -- as his new boss! Yep, John Binford, founder of Binford Tools and long-time producer of Tim's 'Tool Time' show, will turn over the reins to his daughter Maureen. It's bad enough that Tim has to have a boss at all ... but a woman?!
- Jill gets a Mom this year, too. Probably around Halloween. Look for a typical mother/daughter relationship in which they heartily disagree over how to get things done the most efficiently.
- As for the kids, Randy (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) gets to fly -- sort of -- as Peter Pan in a school play that Tim nearly destroys. And, Brad (Zachery Ty Bryan) turns 12, bumping smack into the teen years and all the little rebellions which that entails. Not an easy year for Mom.
- Location, location, location ... "Home Improvement" goes all the way to the back lot at the Disney Studios in Burbank, where the once and former "Down and Out in Beverly Hills" house will become a 'project' house for Tim Taylor and his indomitable sidekick, Al Borland (Richard Karn).
- And yes, Tim's hot rod will be back in the garage for multiple episodes in which we'll see it progress from last season's rather primitive beginnings into a nearly-finished "thing of beauty." (Tim's words, not ours!)
With "Home Improvement" airing on a new day and time this season, Executive Producer Carmen Finestra points out, "We're re-doubling our efforts to make the show even better this year; we'll have new people watching and we want to make sure we're doing the same show, only 'improved!'"
He adds, "Now that the audience knows our characters, we're free to explore their makeup a little more deeply; we don't have to worry that the audience doesn't know why they act the way they do, so we'll have the chance to do stories that we couldn't do last year."
Written and executive-produced by Matt Williams (creator of "Roseanne" and Carol & Company"), David McFadzean ("Roseanne," Carol & Company"), and Carmen Finestra ("The Cosby Show"), "Home Improvement" is an irreverent and free-wheeling look at the things that bug men and women: Why didn't you know what I meant?!"; How was I supposed to know you wanted to leave?!"; and the classic "You weren't listening, were you?!!"
"Home Improvement" is produced by Wind Dancer Productions, Inc. in association with Touchstone Television.
Touchstone is part of Walt Disney Pictures and Television.
