Home Improvement: The Complete Third Season

Review By: Rocco Passafuime
RoccoPassafuime@TheCinemaSource.com

Click here for the Season Two review
Click here for the Season One review

By 1993, the sitcom Home Improvement solidified itself as the U.S.’s favorite among family audiences. In the two years since it premiered, it had developed a formula for success, traditional family themes mixed with Midwestern slapstick and topical humor revolving around gender behavior. This, by now, fairly well-oiled machine continued to chug along with Home Improvement: The Complete Third Season, now available on DVD.

Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor (Tim Allen) is the host of the cult cable TV “home remedy” program Tool Time. He frequently causes mishap on set and along for the ride are his pragmatic co-host Al Borland (Richard Karn) and their newly-minted and gorgeous announcer Heidi (Debbe Dunning).

Tim is most successful in his life at home as husband and father. He is married to his no-nonsense wife Jill (Patricia Richardson) and parents boys Brad (Zachary Ty Bryan), Randy (Jonathan Taylor Thomas), and Mark (Tarah Noah Smith). And whenever Tim went into jam, he always had his unusually wise and mysterious neighbor Wilson (Earl Hindman) to turn to for help.

Home Improvement: The Complete Third Season pretty much cements the formula of the series, and as a result, is a fairly mixed bag in terms of what it has to offer in material. With the family aspect of the show pretty much went through the traditional motions, the creative team wisely focuses more on the elements that appeal most to fans.

First, the world of Tool Time is shown with greater frequency, allowing for more moments of Tim’s hilarious on-set tool disasters to be focused on. With Richard Karn providing a great comedic complement to Tim Allen, his character is fleshed out this time around and is given a more tender element with the introduction of girlfriend Ilene Markham (Sherry Hursey).

The most noticeable change is the addition of Debbe Dunning as new Tool Time girl Heidi to the cast. While the Tool Time girl role still does very little at this point, Dunning’s more understated presence would lead her to become a fan favorite and lead the character to gain greater development in later years.

Despite the signs of a progressive slowdown setting in this season, the creative team does not disappoint and offers many episodes that show the sitcom at its most amusing and interesting. One is the rather affectionate episode “Arrividerci Binford” where Tim has trouble finding a way to deal with the death of his boss, Mr. Binford.

The best episodes are during the most over-the-top situations, like in the holiday episodes “Crazy For You”, “Frozen Moments, and “Twas The Blight Before Christmas” and in the absolutely nutty “The Great Race II”, involving Tim and a rivalry with real-life tool man Bob Vila. Despite the staid setting in of the formula, the series is still consistently enjoyable thanks to the continued spirited performances of Tim Allen and his fellow cast members.

The ...