For eight seasons from 1991 to 1999, millions of people tuned in every weeknight to watch Home Improvement. And for many of them, it was the show that introduced them to a whole new cast of characters and a new way to view their homes. Throughout the series, viewers got to know the Taylor family—aggressive oldest son Brad, wily middle child Randy and innocent baby Mark—and watched as they fought over petty issues and engaged in hostile acts of sibling rivalry.
The series also featured Tim’s Binford-sponsored home improvement show, Tool Time, a kind of show-within-a-show that featured his co-host and friend Al Borland (Richard Karn) and his “Tool Time girl”—first Pamela Anderson and then Debbie Dunning. During Tool Time, Tim would try out new gadgets and demonstrate his DIY prowess, which often led to him breaking things around the house. Al would remind Tim of safety regulations and practices, though Tim often ignored his advice. And then there were the recurring jokes about his beard, his love of bingo and his fanatical admiration for fellow home improvement television host Bob Vila.
While the bulk of Home Improvement was filmed on the soundstage at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California, the show sometimes went on location to stage massive set pieces for Tool Time and other scenes. These on-location shoots required a live studio audience, which made taping one of the hottest tickets in town.
It was also on-location where the producers found the actress they wanted to play Jill Taylor, the patient wife of Tim and mother to the Taylor boys. Frances Fisher, a talented dramatic actress who was best known for her six-year stint as detective Deborah Saxon on ABC’s long-running soap opera The Edge of Night, initially landed the role. But, according to her costar Richard Karn, the writers changed their minds about Fisher after just three days of rehearsals. “She’s a great actress, but she didn’t really connect with Tim,” Karn said. “She came off as a victim of his character.”
So, the producers cast Patricia Richardson as Jill. And although she admitted that she was nervous about the role at first, she says that she had no choice but to accept it after meeting with the show’s creators and hearing their vision for the character. “They told me they needed someone who was going to challenge Tim and be as much of a woman as he was a man,” she said. “And that’s what I think they got.”