Richard Karn did not expect his chemistry on Home Improvement alongside Tim Allen.
The cast of Home Improvementmade a fortune, as the sitcom almost ran for a decade. In truth, it could have continued longer had Patricia Richardson decided to stay onboard for a few extra seasons. Once she backed out, Allen decided it was time to end the show, but as we’ll reveal, he wasn’t exactly ready and didn’t feel a sense of closure.
In the following, we’re going to take a closer look at Allen’s relationship alongside his side-kick Richard Karn. The two had tremendous chemistry on Tool Time, but as it turns out, neither of the two expected their connection and didn’t think they would translate onto the show the relationship it did.
We’ll also take a look at how the two reunited in recent years on Assembly Required, and what it was like picking back up together after all those years.
Tim Allen Reunited With Richard Karn In The History Channel’s Assembly Required
Home Improvement was a classic sitcom from the ’90s, lasting 8 seasons and airing 204 episodes. A major reason for the show’s success had to do with Tim Allen and Richard Karn’s chemistry. According to Allen, that bond holds true today.
“He’s a consummate professional and a truly calm-hearted person.”
The two reunited for Assembly Required, and Allen was blown away by their chemistry, as it was like no time had gone by between the last time they acted together.
“This is the most unusual experience,” said the comedian. “But [Karn] was able to bring it back down and be exactly like we were at ‘Tool Time.’ It’s amazing how this is an expansion of that relationship.”
Allen was thrilled that Karn had accepted the offer when it was suggested by someone else to bring the actor back. It would be the first time they appeared together in over two decades.
“He jumped at the chance,” shared Allen. “It became the two of us, kind of a live version of ‘Tool Time,’ if you will.”
Although they shared obvious chemistry on the sitcom, it wasn’t like that at the start of Home Improvement.
Richard Karn Revealed That At The Start, He Didn’t Expect To Hit It Off With Tim Allen The Way They Did On Home Improvement
According to Karn, the connection between himself and Allen took place very much organically on Home Improvement, through the Tool Time segment. Karn states that it was really the audience and their reaction to them that created a bond both didn’t know existed at the start.
“When we started doing ‘Home Improvement,’ we had audiences watching ‘Tool Time’ that hadn’t seen the show at all,” Kern recalled. “Our kind of happened before we knew what relationship it was. We took our cues from audience reactions to us, but we didn’t know there was anything really outstanding about how we were playing off each other.”
Kern will also reveal that Allen stated Tim and Al will never be friends.
“We really weren’t in the same circle of friendship at that point, but they kept writing into it, leaning into it,” he added. “And as we got to know each other, I think that relationship just flowered.”
The connection was evident for eight seasons and lots of fans would love to see it continue on with some sort of reboot. A few years back, Allen admitted that a reboot wasn’t far away, but that might’ve changed in recent times.
Tim Allen Was Open To A Reboot Focusing On The Children, But Is Okay With Tim Taylor’s Legacy If It Doesn’t Take Place
Back in 2018, Allen felt optimistic about Home Improvement returning, especially given that he didn’t feel a sense of closure from the series.
“I never felt—and it’s come true—that this was done,” Allen said at the time. “It never felt right. During the time off, we got real close where we talked to everyone.”
Allen also discussed the possibility of a short-film, or even a reboot putting an emphasis on the children.
“The crew and cast of that show—we’ve always said that,” Allen said of a potential revival. “We wanted to do it as a short film for charity, I believe, and it was a matter of scheduling.”
“What I’d love to see is those boys grown up—what they’re doing grown up,” he explained. “I think that’d be an amazing piece of television.”
Ultimately, Allen suggests he was able to get some type of closure through Mike Baxter and his lengthy run on Last Man Standing.
“Tim Taylor, he kind of graduated in the TV world into Mike Baxter,” he explained. “He’s kind of a gag, and I think we did it on Last Man Standing—we showed the two together in a dream sequence. Tim Taylor kind of grew into Mike Baxter, as an actor and as a man.”
