Season 1

Home Improvement - Season 1

The first season of Home Improvement aired from September 17, 1991 to May 5, 1992 on ABC in the US.

Season 1 Summary

The season introduces the Taylors, the average American family, that really aren't so. Tim Taylor, the man of the house, has his own Tool TV show entitled "Tool Time" with a bachelor co-host Al Borland. Tim is also found to be accident prone and often wanting to rewire and fix things around the house and at work. Jill Taylor is Tim's loving wife, but continually gives him grief over some of the trouble he causes. Tim and Jill have three sons Brad, Randy and Mark. Each son have their own quirks, Brad is into sports, Randy is smart, and Mark is the younger sensitive brother. They all live together in Detroit, Michigan. As said before, Tim often causes mayhem around with machines as well as his marriage. He often goes to his neighbor, Wilson, who is known to give very profound and helpful advice. Wilson is always found in backyard behind Tim's fence.

Cast

Main Cast

Tim Allen - Tim Taylor

Patricia Richardson - Jill Taylor

Earl Hindman - Wilson Wilson Jr.

Zachary Ty Bryan - Brad Taylor

Jonathon Taylor Thoms - Randy Taylor

Taran Noah Smith - Mark Taylor

Recurring Cast

Richard Karn - Al Borland

Pamela Anderson - Lisa

Noble Willingham - John Binford

Episode List

#	Episode title	Writer(s)	Director	Original air date	Prod. code
1 - 1	"Pilot"	Carmen Finestra David McFadzean Matt Williams	John Pasquin	September 17, 1991	101
Jill has a job interview and tells Tim not to touch and wreck the dishwasher in the meantime. Nevertheless he does, gets an electrical shock, and destroys the dishwasher. Jill doesn't get the job. Taking Wilson's advice, Tim apologizes in a subtle manner on his next Tool Time episode, and Jill forgives him.
2 - 2	"Mow Better Blues"	Elliot Stern	John Pasquin	September 26, 1991	105
After Mark breaks one of Tim's oldest tools, he fears the worst when Brad and Randy take control of his guilt and fabricate a story about the traded son "Peter". Tim modifies his riding lawnmower. This episode title is a parody reference to the 1990 Spike Lee film Mo' Better Blues. Note: This episode aired at a special time on Thursday night, September 26.
3 - 3	"Off Sides"	Marley Sims	John Pasquin	October 1, 1991	103
Jill can't find a babysitter, so she hires a magician, and he messes up during a trick and locks himself in a trunk. During Tim and her romantic dinner, Tim is distracted by a football game involving the Detroit Lions. Absent:Richard Karn as Al
4 - 4	"Satellite on a Hot Tim's Roof"	Allison M. Gibson	John Pasquin	October 8, 1991	106
Tim tries to put up a satellite that has 200 channels, and is jealous when Jill's teacher comes to the house and promptly starts making romantic advances on Jill
5 - 5	"Wild Kingdom"	Susan Estelle Jansen	John Pasquin	October 15, 1991	104
Tim hears a rustling in the basement and dismisses it as a rat, but Wilson thinks it's a snake, which Tim has a strong paranoia about. Notes: The opening theme from "Home Improvement" is used as the special closing theme of this episode. The initial title for this episode was "Wild Thing", after the Chip Taylorsong of the same name; the episode title appeared in TV Guide, early ABC airings, and the original shooting script as such. Upon airing in syndication from 1995–Present, the alternate title of "Wild Kingdom" is used.
6 - 6	"Adventures in Fine Dining"	Peter Tolan	John Pasquin	October 22, 1991	102
Jill makes a bet with Tim that he cannot teach the kids some manners after they are kicked out of a pizza place. If Tim cannot teach the boys manners, he will be attending the opera for an entire year with Jill.
7 - 7	"Nothing More Than Feelings"	Peter Tolan	John Pasquin	October 29, 1991	107
Jill drives with the oil light on and Tim expresses this on Tool Time and Jill gets angry at Tim. Randy believes his hands are just like a girl's hands.
8 - 8	"Flying Sauces"	Billy Riback Elliot Stern	John Pasquin	November 5, 1991	110
Workers from the K&B Construction Site come and show how to cook food using tools. Brad and Randy make up a story to Mark that everybody around him are aliens. To get back at the boys, Tim, Jill, and Mark dress as aliens and scare them. First appearances of: Dwayne, Pete, and Rock, the "boys from K&B Construction" Absent:Earl Hindman as Wilson
9 - 9	"Bubble, Bubble, Toil and Trouble"	Susan Estelle Jansen	John Pasquin	November 19, 1991	111
Tim tries to renovate his and Jill's bathroom, and involves Tool Time to make it free. The project turns out to take longer than expected, taking 18 days, much to Jill's dismay. Brad attempts to ask out Jennifer. First appearance of: master plumber Felix.
10 - 10	"Reach Out and Teach Someone"	Allison M. Gibson	John Pasquin	November 26, 1991	112
Tim and Jill get in an argument after Tim tries to teach her plumbing. To prove he can be a reasonable teacher, Tim invites women on Tool Time to teach plumbing. Meanwhile, Brad thinks he'll do terribly on a test when Randy calls him an idiot. Tim begins working on his hot rod.
11 - 11	"Look Who's Not Talking"	Billy Riback	John Pasquin	December 10, 1991	108
Jill has to present a speech to the Library Association, and is beginning to have stage-fright. Tim and Mark dress up as women to help her practice while trying to clean the house. Note: The opening theme from "Home Improvement" is used as the special closing theme of this episode.
12 - 12	"Yule Better Watch Out"	Billy Riback	John Pasquin	December 17, 1991	113
Tim is competing in the neighborhood's annual Christmas Decoration Contest, and is trying to outdo his rival, Doc Johnson. Brad and Randy tell Mark Santa Claus is dead but a mysterious Santa (Earl Hindman) gives him his wish. Brad and Randy participate in a Christmas play as meager parts.
13 - 13	"Up Your Alley"	Billy Riback Elliot Stern	John Pasquin	January 7, 1992	115
It's family night, and Tim decides to take the family bowling. Jill believes Tim gets too competitive during bowling, so doesn't keep score, but soon it turns into an all out brawl. Brad and Randy encounter an arcade bully.
14 - 14	"For Whom the Belch Tolls"	Sheila M. Anthony	John Pasquin	January 14, 1992	109
Stu Cutler, Tim's old college buddy, comes to town, and visits the Taylors. Unfortunately, Stu starts to annoy Tim and Jill and is stuck in the past a when he and Tim were in college, and Tim has to set him straight. Guest Star: Christopher McDonald as Stu Cutler.
15 - 15	"Forever Jung"	Carmen Finestra David McFadzean Matt Williams	John Pasquin	January 21, 1992	114
Karen, Jill's friend, visits, and Tim has to tolerate and stand up to her constant comments about his masculinity and tool show. Because of this stress, Tim accidentally glues his forehead to a table. Meanwhile, Jill teaches Brad how to dance, for Jennifer's parents' anniversary.
16 - 16	"Jill's Birthday"	Rosalind Moore	John Pasquin	February 4, 1992	116
When Tim finally thinks he has the perfect birthday gift for Jill, it backfires, and he must find a new one. In order to fund Jill's present after blowing their money on a baseball card, Brad and Randy lie to Mark about a "Little Brother's Tax" and they take all his money.
17 - 17	"What About Bob?"	Susan Estelle Jansen	John Pasquin	February 11, 1992	118
Bob Vila is going to be a guest on Tool Time, and is going to participate in a game called, "Stump the Toolman", with Tim. Randy gets in trouble for picking on a kid at school, and Jill forces him to invite the boy over, only to realize he is as annoying as Randy claims. First appearances of: Bob Vila and John Binford. Guest Star: Bob Vila as Himself
18 - 18	"Baby, It's Cold Outside"	B.K. Taylor	John Pasquin	February 18, 1992	119
Tim and Jill's romantic getaway is ruined when John Binford demands Tim take his family camping using the new Binford camping gear, and share clips of their time, on Tool Time. The trip doesn't go quite as Tim planned it would. Brad competes with another boy for Jennifer's Valentine's Day heart.
19 - 19	"Unchained Malady"	Billy Riback	John Pasquin	February 25, 1992	120
Tim throws out a chain letter from Al, and receives bad luck continuously. Randy breaks his bike after participating in a dare. George Foreman guest stars as himself on Tool Time. Guest Star: George Foreman as Himself
20 - 20	"Birds of a Feather Flock to Taylor"	Marley Sims	John Pasquin	March 3, 1992	121
When Jill tells Tim they're going to an opera fundraiser, he has no recollection of Jill mentioning it. This prompts an all out argument between the two. All the while, Tim helps Mark build an elaborate bird house. Guest Star: Ernest Borgnine and Jack Elam Note: First episode featuring Big Mike's
21 - 21	"A Battle of Wheels"	Laura Eve Anderson	John Pasquin	March 17, 1992	122
Jill begins pottery class, and begins to practice in the garage where Tim is working on his hot rod. This causes friction between the couple, but it all gets worked out, in part because of Wilson's advice. Meanwhile, after embarrassing Al following a mistake during an episode, Tim lets Al be the host of Tool Time for a day. It doesn't end well, and the two switch back to their normal roles.
22 - 22	"Luck Be a Taylor Tonight"	Allison M. Gibson Marley Sims	John Pasquin	April 7, 1992	117
Tim's all-men-poker-night is ruined when Jill's sister and her husband come and have a big fight, thus causing disruptions in the game. (Donald A. Morgan (director of photography) won an Emmy Award in 1992 in the category "Outstanding Individual Achievement in Lighting Direction (Electronic) for a Comedy Series" for this episode. First appearance of: Jill's sister Robin (Amy Ryan). Guest Star: Tom Verica as Charlie, Robin's husband.
23 - 23	"Al's Fair in Love and War"	Elliot Stern	John Pasquin	April 28, 1992	123
Al wants to ask Greta Post out, but screws up, so Jill suggests he invite her to a barbecue that Tim could put up, and Tim gives Al advice that leads him to lose Greta. Tim tries to get a foothold on Jill's college diary. Jill discovers something about the effects of Jenifer and the boy's manners.
24 - 24	"Stereo-Typical"	Carmen Finestra David McFadzean Matt Williams	John Pasquin	May 5, 1992	124
Tim purchases a new stereo set, which causes many complications with the volume and Jill's paranoia for new gadgets. (The editors Alex Gimenez, Marco Zappia were nominated for an Emmy Award in 1992 in the category "Outstanding Individual Achievement in Editing for a Series - Multi-Camera Production" for this episode.)