TV Show Review: Home Improvement - Season 6

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Laughs and fun

Cons: Attempts to try new things don’t work well

The Bottom Line:

Sitcom tries new things

Funniest in classic mode

Season is still fun

“Hammers are from Venus; Pliers are from Mars”

Shows walk a fine like when they reach season six.  If they’ve been on the air that long, they have a loyal fan base who expect to see what they love when they tune in each week.  Yet if they don’t try new things, people will get bored with the show.  For season six of Home Improvement, the show tried a few new things.  Unfortunately, not all of them worked out well.

Don’t worry, the basis of the show remains the same.  It follows the life of Tim Taylor (Tim Allen), the host of the local show Tool Time where his co-host is Al Borland (Richard Karn).  At home, he is surrounded by his wife, Jill (Patricia Richardson), and three sons, Brad (Zachery Ty Byan), Randy (Jonathan Taylor Thomas), and Mark (Taran Noah Smith).  And, if he needs advice, there’s his next-door neighbor Wilson (Earl Hindman).

The fun starts off with a bang as Tool Time goes on location to the USS Constitution, with predictable results as Tim runs amok.  Tool Time girl Heidi (Debbie Dunning) goes into labor while on a road trip.  Plus she struggles when original Tool Time girl Lisa (guest star Pamela Anderson) return for a visit.  Everyone gets pulled into a Halloween prank war.  Jill’s decision to use an inheritance to buy a car drives Tim crazy in some unexpected ways.  Brad’s first job turns into a distraction from school while Randy spends time this season trying to ask a girl out.  Al is finally set to marry his long-time girlfriend Ilene (guest star Sherry Hursey).  Or is he?  And Jill’s father passes away after she lies to him about something.

Honestly, these and other episodes in the season work.  They provide the laughs we expect from characters we’ve come to love.  I appreciate the fact that they’ve expanded the storylines.  Yes, Tim is still a clueless man at times, but he’s not always the only clueless character.  Sometimes, someone else in the family is the reason there is an issue in the episode, and Tim can be wise and caring when the need arises.

Also fun is the fact that the writers and set people have found more creative ways to get Wilson out of his backyard.  Don’t worry, we still never see all of his face, but they hide him behind more than just his fence.

But there are some episodes that pushed things too far, like an episode where Tim and Jill imagine themselves old, or one where everyone becomes Claymation.  The episode with the Swedish investors looking at Tool Time took a fun idea and stretched it too far.  Even the first episode got a little awkward as a storyline involves Brad’s relationship with his girlfriend.  The end scene for that story is fun, but before that things were just awkward.  And don’t get me started on the 3D episode of Tool Time (especially when watching in 2D).

There are some fun guest stars this season, like Drew Carey and the Beach Boys.  They work well with the cast, who are all in top form.  No matter what the writers throw at them, they rise to the occasion to milk the script for every laugh they can.

The DVD set features all 25 episodes of the season on three discs.  The show is in its native full screen and Dolby stereo sound.  This was a 1990’s sitcom after all.  The only bonus feature is a blooper reel, which is fun since very few of the episodes seem to have bloopers this season.

I appreciate the writer’s trying new things, but this season is best when it sticks to what the show does best.  Even so, there are plenty of laughs to go around in Home Improvement’s sixth season.