TIm Allen has been a TV dad for so long that all of his Home Improvement “kids” are older than his current Shifting Gears offspring, as played by Kat Dennings. (I admittedly didn’t do the math for his Santa Clause rugrats.) With age comes wisdom, as it often goes, and Allen acknowledged that, while he had a great relationship with his trio of TV sons, he was able to serve as a better father-figure mentor to his Last Man Standing co-star Kaitlyn Dever.

With the already wrapped Shifting Gears Season 2 currently airing amidst the 2026 TV schedule, Allen talked with US Weekly about how his on-set presence behind the scenes has evolved over the years from project to project. He addressed his closeness with Dever, who actually stopped by the set of his latest sitcom in 2025, saying that their shared sense of humor was a stepping stone to taking a more active mentoring role. As he put it:

As a parent, one of the most rewarding feelings can be when a child utilizes past advice and wisdom without having made it obvious that they took it to heart. Dever obviously isn’t his real daughter — despite him amusingly referring to his TV co-stars as his wife and daughters — but that just makes it all the more meaningful that she made mental notes of his guidance. Kids are supposed to listen to parents, but not everybody gives their co-workers’ thoughts validation.

Allen talked about the difficulties that came when she exited the cast, as he did truly miss her like one would a close relation. Which just made her infrequent returns as Eve Baxter all the more celebrated on the set.

In contrast, Home Improvement turned Allen from a stand-up comedian popular on the talk show circuit into a household TV superstar. Understandably, it wasn't the most natural behavior to take any kind of a parental role at the time. As he put it:

Certainly worthy of noting is that Last Man Standing debuted in 2011, a whopping 22 years after Home Improvement took over the ratings with the Taylor family. Looking back to that point in his life and career, Allen wasn’t yet in the right headspace to bring any mentoring energy to the young cast.

Thankfully, it's not like it was either his or Patricia Richardson's responsibilities to raise Zachary Ty Bryan, Jonathan Taylor Thomas or Taran Noah Smith into upstanding citizens. Allen gave props to their real-life guardians in that respect, saying:

Allen has indeed stayed close with Jonathan Taylor Thomas over the years, even as the former teen heartthrob shifted into directorial duties (on top of the occasional Last Man Standing cameo). He’s also interested in having him show up on Shifting Gears, but we’ll have to see if that happens. But what would be cooler than having Thomas and Kaitlyn Dever guest-starring in the same episode? Probably nothing.

Shifting Gears airs Wednesday nights on ABC at 8:00 p.m. ET, with episodes streaming the next day via Hulu subscription.

Unless you live in the middle of the woods, you likely have neighbors. and most of the time (at least from my experience), our neighbors unfortunately tend to be more like Homer Simspson than Ned Flanders (whom I know quite a bit about as a Simpsons superfan).

However, as somebody who has watched a lot of sitcoms in my day, I can tell you that not all TV neighbors are created equally. In fact, most neighbors, for comical reasons, are the kinds who I would NEVER want to live next to – And I’ve included them on this list.

That said, there are a few who I would love to sing, “Would you be mine? Could you be mine? Won’t you be my neighbor?” to. So, here’s a list of both kinds of neighbors.

Would Welcome: Ned Flanders (The Simpsons)

As already mentioned, Ned Flanders is the ideal neighbor (and undoubtedly one of the best Simpsons characters who has been in some of the best episodes). Sure, he’s a little preachy, but his heart is ALWAYS in the right place. Not only that, but he’s also always looking out for people – even when they’re at their worst (like Homer).

A two time widower, Ned is also a devoted father who is doing his best to raise his children right. He brings great value to Evergreen Terrace, never tries to get in anybody’s way, and I would trust him with babysitting my kids, which is always a plus.

If there’s any one issue that I have with Ned (and this is a me thing), it’s that he seems like the kind of neighbor who likes to host events that the whole neighborhood is invited to. And, I’m more of a, “Hello, how are you doing?” kind of neighbor who is just creating small talk and doesn’t really care about how you’re doing. But again, that’s more a me thing.

Would Make Me Miserable: Cosmo Kramer (Seinfeld)

Oh, God. Seinfeld’s exasperating neighbor, Kramer (Michael Richards) would be an absolute nightmare to live next to. For one thing, since he can’t just barge into my house like he does with Jerry (I lock my doors, you see), he’d probably hide in my bushes and rush out when he’d see me coming.

He also seems to attract weirdos, like Newman, and before you know it, I’d have him knocking on my door (“Hello, Newman.” “Hello, Richard.”). Kramer is also perpetually needy, as he’s always asking for something and then promising to give it back (sometimes to worse results).

However, the worst thing about Kramer is that he doesn’t seem to realize just how annoying he can be. Sure, Kramer plays a prominent role in a lot of the best Seinfeld episodes, and he’s certainly had some of the funniest moments, but that’s on TV. Let Kramer stay Jerry’s problem!

Would Welcome: Wilson (Home Improvement)

Honestly, when it comes to neighbors on this list, Wilson (Earl Hindman) from Home Improvement might be the very best for me personally. For one thing, as an introvert who occasionally likes talking to people, Wilson would seemingly be there whenever I’m in the mood to talk, which is selfish, I know, but important for me.

He’s also always doing something interesting outside, and almost always has something insightful to say. Not only that, but he’s a real bon vivant, sharing stories about where he’s been around the world, and all manner of fascinating things.

Wilson is by far one of the most ideal neighbors in sitcom history, and I’d love to go over to my fence to talk to him. I mean, I love my real neighbors (They have a cool dog named Knight…no relation), but Wilson just seems perfect. Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor is so lucky to have him!

Would Make Me Miserable: Bruh-Man (Martin)

Oh, bother. Now, here's the thing. Similar to Kramer, I probably wouldn’t even have a problem with Bruh-Man (Reginald Ballard) since I live in a house, and not in an apartment. But, let’s just say that Bruh-Man from Martin (Which is one of the best Black sitcoms from the ‘90s) did live in a house next door. What would I have to deal with then?

Well, I’d probably have to deal with constantly seeing him on my Ring Camera, since Bruh-Man (from the fifth ‘flo) is always somehow around Martin. Not only that, but he’d probably go through my drawers or raid my fridge if I ever invited him inside. Maybe both.

And, the thing is, he wouldn’t even see anything wrong with this. He’d just say, “Oh, was I not supposed to rifle through your business?” and he’d mean it! Because he’s not being malicious or anything like that. He just doesn’t understand the meaning of personal space, which would drive me insane! Chill, Bruh-Man, chill!

Would Welcome: Fred And Ethel Mertz (I Love Lucy)

Now, as somebody who doesn’t like being in uncomfortable situations, a part of me feels like I might regret wanting Fred and Ethel Mertz (William Frawley and Vivian Vance, respectively) to be my neighbors. And, that’s because they would often bicker quite a bit and not even worry that Lucy and Ricky were literally just sitting right there.

But then, I think about all of the silly antics that Fred and Ethel would get into, and I kind of change my tune. Because Fred and Ethel seem like they’d be really fun neighbors. They’re the kind who can teach you how to dance, or join you for chocolate dipping just because they want to be there for you.

They’re also entirely unpretentious and seem like they would genuinely just enjoy being around you. The only issue is that they’re kind of a package deal. But, that’s fine when they’re both so much fun to be around.

Would Make Me Miserable: Quagmire (Family Guy)

One kind of person I would not want to live next to is a sex offender, but that’s pretty much Quagmire. And look, I’m not trying to kink shame, but I’m a little too old to be living next to a sexaholic.

Plus, while I respect that he doesn’t hit on Peter’s wife, it's not cool that Quagmire immediately hit on Meg once she turned 18. I mean, who does that? Quagmire. That's who.

That said, a part of me feels like Quagmire would probably leave me alone since I wouldn’t be the kind of neighbor who finds his impulses funny, unlike Peter. Even so, I prefer not feeling like there’s somebody always peeking through their blinds at women walking down the street, thank you very much.

Would Welcome: Penny (The Big Bang Theory)

Do you know why I love Penny (Kaley Cuoco)? It’s because she’s so down to earth. She lives next to geniuses, but they all come to her because she’s kind-hearted and a great listener. She also pretty much befriends anyone she meets.

I also love her personality and the fact that she’s such a go-getter. When life deals her a blow, she pushes through it, which is a unique trait.

I mostly want her as a neighbor though because she’d be the type to just wave and go inside her house, which is truly my perfect neighbor.

Would Make Me Miserable: Steve Urkel (Family Matters)

Lastly is Steve Urkel (Jaleel White), who I would absolutely dread. It’s not that Steve is a bad kid, as he’s sweet and plays the accordion. Who could hate that?

But, he’s also really annoying. And clumsy! Two things that don’t go well together. I’d also have to worry about him always coming around, which I can’t take. I need quiet, please! Also, nobody needs a potential cheese thief.

Despite all that, Steve is a nice kid, and it’s really not him. It’s me!

But, how about you? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Home Improvement is once again making headlines, thanks in large part to Tim Allen’s current ABC sitcom Shifting Gears, whose star-studded Season 2 premiere will have the comedian sharing the screen anew with former co-stars Patricia Richardson, Richard Karn and Debbe Dunning. Ahead of the episode airing, though, Allen had a convo with his old pal Howie Mandel and recalled a rather freaky stalker situation that he dealt with early on in his sitcom years.

Appearing on the podcast Howie Mandel Does Stuff, which the AGT judge co-hosts with his daughter Jackelyn Shultz, Tim Allen got into a real stream of consciousness that began with a yelling-at-clouds run over his own daughter’s compulsion to stare at her phone at all hours of the day. Which then led to Allen recalling getting a Twitter account for the first time and how much he only paid attention and responded to the negative comments.

Which then led to Allen sharing the reason why he had to rely on security during Home Improvement in the first place. In his words:

A sentence like that, without any jest involved, is worth at least 1,000 red flags. But instead of getting overtly freaked out and avoiding that person at all costs, Allen instead decided to respond. As he put it:

The story was news to Mandel and Schultz, with the former initially thinking Allen may have been riffing on a bit. Of course, they asked what happened next, and that's when the Home Improvement fan's mental issues became more apparent. Although not to the security guards on the Disney lot, unfortunately.

I can see how, as a celebrity who isn't accustomed to that kind of fan reaction, Tim Allen might think it was a helpful move to point out to the guy that he was confusing a TV family with real life, even despite the guy's initial message being so judgmental about his fictional parenting. However, this was not a case where intervening ended up helping anyone.

The Last Man Standing vet continued, sharing how his exchange with the security guards went:

Thankfully, Allen said that nude studio incident was the last time he had to deal with that particular stalker, who seemingly didn't try anything else afterward. However, Allen said situations like that have "been a reoccuring thing sometimes." But considering he still responded to some of his more prominent haters on Twitter years ago, it doesn't seem like he took the "don't engage" advice permanently to heart.

At least it doesn't seem like Home Improvement's writers turned that incident into a Tim Taylor storyline the way it's happened with other incidents. Debbe Dunning shared one of her Home Improvement horror stories, so to speak, recalling a point when Tim Allen wanted to bring Pamela Anderson back to the show, and how much that stressed her out as a sleep-deprived new mom. Which, if it sounds familiar, is because the writers turned that emotional trauma into the Season 6 finale, which did indeed feature an appearance from Anderson.

As well, Taran Smith spoke months prior about accidentally learning first-hand that his character Mark’s goth storyline was directly inspired by the head writer’s son. Because he actually ran into the teen, and Smith's on-screen wardrobe mirrored the other teen's real-life outfit.

With hopefully zero awkward or harassing fan encounters involved, be sure to check out Shifting Gears' Season 2 premiere on ABC on Wednesday, October 1, at 8:00 p.m. ET (available to stream the next day via Hulu subscription).

Shifting Gears' return to the 2025 TV schedule won't just be your average sitcom season finale, as fans will get to see a three-pronged Home Improvement reunion for Tim Allen. (I wonder if Matt was watching in the ‘90s.) One-third of the premiere’s guest stars is Debbe Dunning, whose Heidi was the helpful female voice on "Tool Time" for the bulk of the hit sitcom’s run after Pamela Anderson’s exit. The actress reflected on the not-quite-fun fact that she suffered some anxiety in a later season over Anderson’s potential return.

As many fans of Tim Allen's first sitcom remember, Anderson did indeed return for a fun reunion episode in Season 6, which will come up a little lower. But as Dunning put it when talking to EW, there was a point earlier where learning about Allen's interest in bringing the Baywatch superstar back into the fold had quite a disruptive effect. The actress said her co-star was talking on-set about having met up with Anderson in Las Vegas over the weekend, at which point she entered the convo. As she put it:

In a perfect world, welcoming an international star back onto a network series would be seen as a grand gesture by all involved. But as the person whose on-screen time would theoretically shrink the most if Anderson's Lisa returned on a regular basis, Dunning's worries are already easy to understand before learning another reason why she was perhaps on more of an emotional edge than at other points in life. She continued:

Yep, that combination of post-childbirth hormones and the stress of raising an infant can heighten the most minutely negative weather update into a Greek tragedy. So for Dunning to hear something so legitimately game-changing, something that would affect her job, she understandably fretted pretty heavily over it in the immediate short term.

Her stress levels were translated pretty clearly via her actions, which set off the stage manager's alarm bells. The woman warded off Dunning's worries by saying they wouldn't actually being teaming the two female "Tool Time" characters together, and in the midst of the conversation, Dunning had cried enough to warrant a trip back into makeup so that filming could recommence.

Before the actress could continue working herself up into too much of a downward spiral over the issue, a producer reached out to Dunning and gave an additional guarantee that Allen's comments were off-the-cuff and didn't reflect the reality of the future. At least not entirely, as the producer had a request.

I guess it worked for the sitcom's advantage, but getting Debbe Dunning to agree to fictionalizing her genuine angst for the sake of comedy doesn't seem like the best move, at least not during a conversation where that angst is still dissipating.

Home Improvement's Season 6 finale, "The Kiss and the Kiss Off," featured Pamela Anderson's Lisa getting an open invitation back onto "Tool Time," which causes new-mom Heidi to quit the show. Tim eventually convinces her to return, so all was well going into Season 7, but wow, if there's ever a behind-the-scenes story that can change one's lens for a TV episode, this was it.

To be sure, Dunning treasures her time co-starring on one of the best sitcoms of all time, and her life wouldn't be the same without it. Neither would fans', and I think many of those Home Improvement fanatics will be tuning into Shifting Gears' Season 2 premiere when it airs on Tuesday, October 1. (Or will at least be streaming it the next day via Hulu subscription.)

If Dunning, Patricia Richardson and Richard Karn aren't enough, what about other guest stars like Lilly Singh, MLB Mookie Betts, stand-up superstar Gabriel Igalsias or Shark Tank beast Lori Greiner.

TV characters may often lead more exciting lives than the average person, but they're just as susceptible as anyone to relaxing on the couch while watching their own televisions. Most of the time, those shows-within-shows are completely fictional, as not to cause any copyright friction, which can lead to some hilariously weird and inspired creations.

So, in the vein of fake bands we love listening to, fictional brandings we love promoting, and commercials for faux products, let's now celebrate fake TV shows that might just be as watchable as the real ones.

Married...With Children - "Psycho Dad"

Perhaps Al Bundy's favorite TV show, the "simple saga of a guy run amok in the Old West" was somehow a PBS series (and then a Fox one), despite being one of the most violent shows on TV, which the theme song alludes to. Didn't stop the spinoff Psycho Mom from happening, though.

Gravity Falls - "Duck-tective"

If it walks like a duck and solves mysteries like a detective, it can only be Gravity Falls' fine-feathered sleuth Duck-tective, who heads up the titular mystery series that relies heavily on bad puns and cheap effects, like so many shows of the '80s and '90s.

Community - "Inspector Spacetime"

Despite Community's Abed having once worn a Doctor Who T-shirt, his preferred sci-fi time-travel saga is Inspector Spacetime, a very on-the-nose homage to the long-running UK fave. (The American version introduced years later was portrayed by Luke Perry.) I'd wager I.S. has more canonical backstory than almost any other show-within-a-show, with lots of background for fans, real and otherwise, to dig into.

South Park - "The Terrance And Phillip Show"

Two of the biggest celebrities within South Park that aren't parodies of real-world celebs are Sir Phillip Niles Argyle and Sir Terrance Henry Stoot, best known to the Canadian comedy lovers as Terrance and Phillip, who have their own TV show that's a real gas...gas...gasssss.

Extras - "When The Whistle Blows"

One of the funniest things about Ricky Gervais satirizing BBC sitcoms in HBO's Extras is how little it feels like a parody, and how believable it would be as a real-world series with its lowest-common-denominator jokes, forever cementing "Are you 'avin' a laugh?" into the annals of love-to-hate TV catchphrases.

Saturday Night Live - "TV Funhouse"

Saturday Night Live has featured loads of fake movie trailers, songs, TV shows, etc., but perhaps the only applicable recurring sketch to get spun off with its own shows-within-a-show concept was "TV Funhouse," as created by Robert Smigel. Later a standalone series on Comedy Central, the OG run gave the world the Ambiguously Gay Duo, "Bambi 2002," and other SNL classics from the '90s and 2000s.

The Big Bang Theory - "Professor Proton"

I'd have to imagine Big Bang Theory's Sheldon Cooper would have loved Mr. Wizard's World or Beakman's World if he were real, as his favorite small-screen personality was the science educator Professor Proton (real name: Arthur Jeffries). For viewers, Proton's excellence was naturally due to comedy legend Bob Newhart being cast. And you can't forget his puppet pal Gino the Neutrino, even if it's best not to bring up the puppeteer.

Parks And Recreation - "The Johnny Karate Super Awesome Musical Explosion Show"

Chris Pratt's Andy Dwyer brought Johnny Karate to life initially as a guitar-playing act for children's birthday parties, but that just wasn't musical or explosive enough, so of course he got his own inspirational TV show. Johnny may have been a doofus, but alter-alter ego Jonathan Karate is the one who has it all together.

Rocko's Modern LIfe - "Meet The Fatheads"

Within Rocko's Modern Life, the Bigheads' lives were fictionalized as The Fatheads, a family sitcom centered on pretty awful and stereotypical characters. Amusingly enough, the revival special Static Cling also featured the in-universe revival of The Fatheads, which not everyone was a fan of.

Home Improvement - "Tool Time"

One of TV's ultimate "How-Not-To" characters, Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor somehow kept his job hosting the Detroit-set series "Tool Time," despite being shockingly consistent at destroying property and electrical equipment with ease. It's just as shocking that co-host Al Borland didn't quit or suffer grave injuries during that run.

Only Murders In The Building - "Brazzos"

No one remembers the detective series "Brazzos" as well as Only Murders in the Building's Charles-Haden Savage, the actor who donned the iconic hat for its surprisingly long run. (Okay, perhaps his loyal stunt double Sazz remembered it just as fondly.) But who else could have spun these banal words into an oft-ish-repeated catchphrase: "This sends the investigation into a whole new direction." So many new directions for this guy.

Rugrats - "Oodles The Talking Poodle"

As an avid Rugrats fan during the NickToons era, it's been 30+ years since I've been able to hear the world "poodle" without hearing a light "ding" behind it, as it goes in the talking dog's theme song. "OOdles. OOdles the TALking POOdle. Ding." How is this not a movie by now?

Stargate SG-1 - "Wormhole X-Treme"

While Stargate SG-1 didn't always show off its funny bone so directly, the self-spoofing 100th episode "Wormhole X-Treme," which focuses on the action-geared sci-fi series that provided the ep's title. I wish every show I love had a parody as faithful and fan-friendly as this one.

The Simpsons - "The Krusty The Clown Show"

If not for Krusty the Clown's quality-questionable variety show, Bart, Lisa and Simpsons fans around the world might never have been introduced to the hyperviolent "Itchy and Scratchy Show," which superceded its own source clown's popularity, with former sidekick Sideshow Bob amassing more notoriety.

Murderbot - "The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon"

It's easy to see why Alexander Skarsgård's sentient SecUnit just wants to spend all day, all 397 (at least) episodes of the sudsy space opera "The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon." With legit talents like John Cho, Clark Gregg and DeWanda Wise heading up the How to Get Away with Murder-esque series, this is easily worthy of a standalone spinoff to keep viewers rapt.

Young Justice - "Hello, Megan!"

Who knew superheroes would get into such normalcy as the sitcom "Hello, Megan!" A by-the-books sitcom from 1979-1980, the show follows a pretty cheerleader, her BFF, hunky boyfriend, and parents, and not even for large-scale adventures, but just everyday plots like taking care of the school frog. Okay, fine, I completely understand why everyone is obsessed.

Channel Zero - "Candle Cove"

The worst kind of TV show, I think we can all agree, is one that inevitably brings you harm just by watching it. So it goes for the first season of the excellent horror anthology Channel Zero, where "Candle Cove" is a pirate-based puppet show that may only exist in the minds of its viewers. Watch out for The Skin-Taker, that's all I'm saying.

Steven Universe - Crying Breakfast Friends

If you don't know the value of watching "Crying Breakfast Friends," then I don't suggest mentioning it to Steven Universe's titular crystal being. He adores watching the various food items, leaking both tears of joy and tears of sorrow. Glum Glass and Weeping Egg Cup are all of us, really.

Supernatural - "Ghostfacers"

Supernatural, a show that legitimately crossed over with the animated Scooby-Doo gang, brought an equally silly spin to the never-ending number of paranormal investigator series that took over cable in the 21st century. Founded by the Ghostbusters-homaging Harry Spangler and Ed Zeddmore, the Ghostfacers appeared quite a few times over the years, and even sparked a web series of shorts.

BoJack Horseman - "Horsin' Around"

For as dramatically serious and maudlin as BoJack Horseman could get, none of that was to be found in the cornball hijinks of the in-series sitcom "Horsin' Around," centering on three kids adopted by a horse, obviously. It fights right alongside fare like Punky Brewster, with a slew of wonderfully groan-worthy lines perhaps best exemplified by the pun "Now, that's a horse of a different...crueller."

Twin Peaks - "Invitation To Love"

Oh, to explore around inside David Lynch's brain to see all of the things he might have been thinking about for the expertly crafted soap opera "Invitation to Love," which was a favorite amongst some of the characters inhabiting Twin Peaks' titular town. The fact that the storylines reference the characters' lives only makes it more interesting.

Seinfeld - "Jerry"

While Seinfeld's show-within-a-show "Jerry" really only existed as a pilot and not as a fully ordered network-aired series, given the actions of its characters, its ridiculous plot is enough to make it one of the more memorable faux TV series out there. Jerry gets into a car accident, and the other insurance-less driver has to become Jerry's butler, making "Because he's MY butler" one of the more logically accurate fake TV catchphrases.

Family Guy - "Jolly Farm Revue"

With an aesthetic that mashed up the Teletubbies with other pastoral children's fare, Family Guy's faux UK series "Jolly Farm Revue" became an obsession of Stewie's, as he believed its characters actually existed, only to find them to be less real than his teddy bear Rupert. I prefer the American remake with that li'l cutie Karina Smirnoff.

Arrested Development - "Mock Trial With J. Reinhold"

Arrested Development's melting pot of humor is well-exemplified by Michael Bluth having a legal case heard as part of a courtroom reality show fronted by Judge Reinhold (who definitely isn't a real judge), with a theme song sung live on-set by William Hung and a backing band. Should this have turned into an actual series? "I'm going to allow it," even if it pretty much rips on a gag from Clerks: the Animated Series.

SpongeBob SquarePants - "Mermaid Man And Barnacle Boy"

Not only was the superhero series "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy" a fun show-within-a-show for SpongeBob SquarePants' characters, but the titular characters were a treat outside of their televised exploits as well. For one, they were originally voiced by legends Ernest Bornine and Tim Conway, and later boasted '60s Batman icons Adam West and Burt Ward in the respective hero and sidekick roles at one point or another.

30 Rock - "MILF Island"

A fake TV show that will likely exist before this sentence is finished, 30 Rock's reality TV-aping romance competition MILF Island was sold with the disturbing tagline "25 Super-Hot Moms, 50 Eighth Grade Boys, No Rules." Okay, maybe we should just keep this one hidden behind a locked door back in 2008.

Lost - "Exposé"

Lost's storylines didn't just flash backwards, forwards and sideways. They also went internal for the show-within-a-show Exposé, a '70s-esque action-adventure series in which Kiele Sanchez's Nikki was guest-starring. (With Billy Dee Williams as the lead of the faux show.) We see just enough to make me want more, although that would never happen, as audiences' dislike of Nikki and Rodrigo Santoro's Paolo was strong enough to get them killed off during the same season in which they were introduced.

DuckTales - "Ottoman Empire"

A TV parody that is too close to the real thing to be entirely comedic, DuckTales' "Ottoman Empire" centers on two twin rooster brothers, Johnny and Randy, who design custom ottomans for customers. It's like Property Brothers with a punnier title, and you know, roosters.

Drake And Josh - "Drew And Jerry"

Drake & Josh entered sitcom doppelgänger territory in Season 2 when Drake Bell and Josh Peck's namesake characters took a friendly break from each other, only to befriend someone else with the exact same personality. By the end, the titular teens were buds again, while their "others" were somehow given their own TV show that looks exactly like D&J. Presumably with its own Season 2 doppelgänger plot.

My Name Is Earl - "Estrada Or Nada"

We're at a point where real-life game shows are about as ridiculous as anything fictional, but My Name Is Earl's "Estrada or Nada" is still pretty special. Basically, anyone can challenge the CHiPs star to any imaginable challenge, from shooting basketballs to eating hot dogs to looking like Erik Estrada.

Futurama - "Everybody Loves Hynotoad"

I love Hypnotoad. You love Hypnotoad. Everybody loves Hypnotoad. Everybody loves Hypnotoad. Good show.

Garfield & Friends - "The Binky Show"

Hey, kids! No fake TV clown seemed quite as intent on waking everyone in the hosue up as Garfield & Friends' Binky the Clown, whose show seemed to be on at literally all hours. Because it was of such high production value, I can only assume.

In its first season, Tim Allen’s latest network outing Shifting Gears tipped its oil-stained hat to the comedian’s prior sitcom Last Man Standing by bringing in Nancy Travis for a fun role, as well as getting Jay Leno in the mix. For Season 2, Allen’s classic sitcom Home Improvement will be fueling that nostalgia factor, with not just one, not just two, but three former co-stars coming together once again to kick off the ABC comedy’s sophomore debut on the 2025 TV schedule.

It’ll almost be like watching an episode of Tool Time and then some. According to Deadline, the Season 2 premiere dropping on October 1 will feature guest-starring roles for:

• Patricia Richardson (Jill Taylor)
• Richard Karn (Al Borland)
• Debbe Dunning (Heidi Keppert)

[The enusing paragraph was completely drowned out by the sound of happy-grunting and a capella version of the Home Improvement theme song]

Ahem. I don't know where all that grunting came from. There must be a window open. In any case, here's what we can look forward to seeing.

The details are light at the moment, possibly to keep the final product a surprise until closer to airing, but Patricia Richardson, Richard Karn and Debbe Dunning will all show up on Shifting Gears as character who will be supporting Allen's character Matt in one way or another.

Character specifics haven't been unveiled yet, which has the potential to lead to some interesting reveals, assuming the reasoning there isn't just "They're playing generic townspeople." Because let's not forget that Tim Allen's own Tim Taylor appeared in a crossover episode of Last Man Standing, which was teased and promoted pretty directly ahead of the episode's airdate. Perhaps Richardson, Karn and Dunning will also be paying homage to their Home Improvement characters in some way. Or maybe they'll be tied more to RIley's story.

Whatever the case may be, it'll be fun watching Allen sharing scenes with his former-costars again in front of a live audience. I'm still a bit shocked that all three were grouped together for a single episode, as opposed to spreading the love out. Maybe that means we can look forward to seeing Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Taran Noah Smith and Pamela Anderson in later episodes. Or maybe he'll factor in more of his Last Man Standing family members, though he may want to steer clear of Kaitlyn Dever after what she did to the Internets Daddy in The Last of Us.

Richardson previously reunited with Tim Allen twice in Last Man Standing, while the latter and Richard Karn worked together on not just LMS but also a pair of unscripted History Channel series, Assembly Required and More Power.

Stay tuned for hopefully more details about the sitcom trio's arrival on Shifting Gears. Season 2 will air on ABC on Wednesday, October 1, at 8:00 p.m. ET.

The world of dating can often amount of a slog of predictable frustrations marked by pit stops of happiness and arousal. In less dismal cases, though, it can make for the sweet and sour symphony of pure chaos that one TikToker has brilliantly wrought upon society. Or more specifically, on the dating app Hinge. You know who knows a thing or two about hinges? Home Improvement vet Tim Allen. [Trio of immaculately voiced grunts.]

Anyone even remotely familiar with Allen’s work in the all-time classic TV sitcom or his stand-up act — or younger generations more attuned to the universal Internet soundboard — can pick out the comedian’s higher-register grunt from a mile away during a thunderstorm a night. Which makes it a bizarrely perfect litmus test for TikToker Kathenn25 to give potential suitors seeking a potential connection on Hinge, and also highly watchable video fodder. Here’s how this Experiment of the Gods started earlier in the year:

The 4B Movement refers to the feminist movement that originated in South Korea, and the reference is obviously made in a joking manner. But there’s no joke about how funny that idea is, and the response was big enough that Kathenn25 followed it up with several other videos of the same grunt-filled ilk.

To say that this hyper-specific motivation is genius would be undercutting the definition of genius. With apologies to Albert Einstein, time should now be relative to the amount of grunt-filled messages this woman gets. If she ever plots out a secondary request for others to follow, I can only hope that it's making dude's do the "Wah-ah-ah-ah" from the band Disturbed's song "Down with the Sickness."

Until that does or doesn't happen, throw your hands together for a compilation video of the best of the best grunts. Would Tim Allen be proud? That's for you to decide, dear reader.

To stop at JUST the best ones would be doing a disservice to one's assumption that all people are truly made equal. Because that doesn't seem to be the case here.

Since one commenter's reply to the "Worst Of" video made me snort for all the reasons, I'll drop it here:

I wouldn’t be surprised if Netflix paid the TikToker a lump sum for this concept and somehow turned it into a reality dating show that I would definitely watch at least once to see how much I loved it. I don’t believe it’d be anything super-valuable or meaningful dating show like Love on the Spectrum or something on that level, but if there was ever a left-field way to revive Love Connection…

It’s been 26 years since Home Improvement ended (with Patricia Richardson sharing some strong claims about why it ended), though Allen technically reprised Tim Taylor, grunts and all, on Last Man Standing opposite himself. If Kathenn25 starts asking guys to recreate those sitcom scenes, I think it would create a universal ouroboros that would destroy all matter. So none of that, please. Maybe.

If Allen’s Matt enters the dating scene again for Shifting Gears Season 2 when it hits the 2025 TV schedule, maybe he’ll try out a dating app where he asks female suitors to make specific engine start-up noises if they want to date him. On second thought, that sounds way more perverse with a guy doing it in a sitcom. So keep on keeping on, Kathenn25, doing your duty to humankind.

Despite being one of several Family Feud hosts that preceded Steve Harvey's extended run, Richard Karn will likely always be best remembered for his eight seasons as the flannel-adorned TV handyman Al Borland on Home Improvement. To the point where fans are still clamoring for Tim Allen & Co. to revive what was once the biggest sitcom on TV, with hopes of Al having a son.

If such a narrative ever came to light, it might just feel like a full-circle experience for Karn himself, who spoke to People about the key inspiration behind his portrayal of Tim Taylor's loyal and not-as-disaster-prone second banana, saying:

That admission makes so much sense in thinking about Al Borland's arc and behavior on Home Improvement, which was very much warm and supportive most of the time, with sporadic doses of stern guidance and anger. Not that Tim was his actual child, but I don't think anyone would say Tim's behavior was never childish. And his own parenting choices were quite questionable at times.

Would Mark's whole goth storyline would have happened if he was Al's kid? I think not. Although now I really want to see Karn all decked out in The Crow cosplay.

In any case, Richard Karn said that not only did he embody his own father within the role of Al, but his pops did indeed enjoy it. Noting that his dad "really liked the show," the actor went on to pinpoint what sounds like the ultimate form of parental criticism:

I guess standing next to a nutso character like Tim Taylor, anyone would look totally professional in comparison. But his point is obviously valid. To earn a compliment from someone who inspired a role is already meaningful, but I can only assume the emotional weight is compounded when that influence is one's near and dear parent.

So if there ever is a point where Home Improvement returns to the small screen and shows off future generations of its established characters, it would be awesome to see Karn's real-life son step into the role of Al's kid and keep the fatherly inspiration alive.

As a forever endearing sign of just how influential Al Borland was to generations of viewers, check out this video of a young hockey fan playfully trolling Tim Allen with Al's most-repeated quote:

Anyone wanting to relive Richard Karn's performances can rewatch Home Improvement episodes streaming with a Hulu subscription and a Netflix subscription.

The 1990s gave us all-time great sitcoms like Home Improvement and Friends, iconic crime dramas like Law & Order and Oz, and so many other legendary shows considered “must-see TV” by millions of people week in and week out. And while those shows gave us unforgettable characters, side-splitting and shocking moments, and jokes that are still being told decades later, they also had some outrageously nonsensical or head-scratching moments.

That said, here’s one ridiculously unrealistic thing about 32 ‘90s TV shows…

There's No Way Danny Tanner Could Afford That House (Full House)

There’s so much ridiculousness going on with Full House, but one question that remains just as baffling now as it did decades ago is “How did Danny Tanner afford a historic house in the heart of San Francisco?” The math just doesn’t work when you have a local news anchor and a pair of part-time jingle writers paying the mortgage and other expenses for an ever-growing household.

Mr. Feeny Teaches The Main Characters Through Multiple Grades And Several Schools (Boy Meets World)

There’s nothing wrong with Mr. Feeny on Boy Meets World; in fact, William Daniels’ take on the beloved teacher and neighbor was one of the show’s greatest strengths. However, this educator stays with Corey Matthews and his friends through middle school, high school, and college. The guy was either teaching above his level or dumbing it down early in his career to spend more time with those kiddos.

Steve Urkel Cloned Himself (Family Matters)

Let’s face it, Steve Urkel was a mess on Family Matters. This guy built outrageous machines, destroyed the Winslow house countless times, and went to space, but the most unrealistic thing he ever did was clone himself. Not only does human cloning not exist, but his clone, Stefan Urquelle, was just too cool (and not in a good way).

There's No Way Tim Taylor Could Survive All Those 'Tool Time' Mishaps (Home Improvement)

You’ve heard of cats having nine lives, but what about TV show hosts from Detroit? How many do they have? Well, Tim “The Toolman” Taylor must have had at least 50 on Home Improvement because he survived being crushed, electrocuted, burnt, you name it.

The Midnight Society (A Group Of Kids) Is Able To Meet In The Middle Of The Night (Are You Afraid Of The Dark?)

The various stories told during Are You Afraid of the Dark? were intense and fantastical and terrifying at times, but that’s not the unrealistic part. Instead, what’s up with “The Midnight Society,” the group of kids and teenagers who would sneak out of their houses in the middle of the night to tell scary stories in the woods? Where are the parents?

Monica's Apartment (Friends)

Sure, it is later revealed there was a loophole that allowed Monica to have a cheap apartment in Manhattan throughout Friends, but this whole rent-control aspect is so unrealistic.

That Time Scully Had An Alien Baby (The X-Files)

The X-Files was one wild show where anything and everything could happen. But what about when Scully got pregnant with the help of aliens? Yeah, this is a show that doesn’t live within the constraints of reality, but this is a stretch.

The Gang's Extracurricular Activities Go Unnoticed By Red Forman (That '70s Show)

Red Forman is a no-nonsense and tough-as-nails father who doesn’t seem like a guy who would like to be tricked, lied to, or misled… especially in his own home. Are you honestly saying he didn’t know what Eric and his friends were up to down in the basement? Really?

Jack McCoy's Success Rate (Law & Order)

Law & Order is one of the great crime/legal dramas in the history of TV, but the one thing that’s always been baffling (especially during the show’s glory days) is Jack McCoy’s success rate in the courtroom. This guy is constantly collecting wins in high-profile cases, so much so that it seems too good to be true.

The ER Doctors Are Jacks Of All Trades (ER)

ER will forever be remembered as one of the most popular medical dramas to ever grace the small screen, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t have its problems. The biggest of those has to be the fact that some of the doctors were jacks of all trades. Sure, they are in the emergency room at a trauma center, but they were all like five doctors in one at various points throughout the series.

The Way The Teenagers Talk About Politics, Cinema, And Poetry (Dawson's Creek)

Have you gone back and watched Dawson’s Creek? What’s up with the cast of teenagers shooting out dialogue that sounds like it was an AI-generated version of a first-year English major’s diary? They talk about politics, cinema, poetry, and music like they’re adults, not sappy teenagers living in a fictional Massachusetts town.

The Dancing Baby (Ally McBeal)

The CGI dancing baby from Ally McBeal became one of the biggest memes of the ‘90s when the popular legal drama series introduced the uncanny youngster. Though the baby can be seen as the manifestation of Ally’s inner turmoil, the thing looked so bad, so random, and so out of place.

Dr. Mark Sloan's Uncanny Ability To Solve Crimes (Diagnosis: Murder)

There were so many oddball crime shows in the ‘90s in the wake of Murder She Wrote. One of the most absurd has to be Diagnosis: Murder, which saw Dick Van Dyke play a doctor that – you guessed it – helped solve homicide cases. But here’s the thing: he was better at it than the detectives who do this every day of the week.

Angel Grove Constantly Being Destroyed And Rebuilt (Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers)

Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers, one of the best kids shows for those who grew up in the ‘90s, was absolutely bonkers looking back. But you know what’s crazier than teenagers turning into masked fighters to take on a witch from the Moon? Well, it has to be the fact that Angel Grove gets destroyed and rebuilt like nobody’s business each episode, and no one seems to notice.

Zack Morris Being Able To Graduate Despite Never Being In Class (Saved By The Bell)

Zack Morris, pretty much the king of Bayside High, did everything he could at school to not going to class, and he was mostly the class clown when he was in class. But somehow, someway, he was able to graduate with his friends and go on to college. Maybe, he should have been held back; we at least wouldn’t have had to sit through Saved by the Bell: The College Years.

Warden Leo Glynn Not Being Canned Or Sent To Prison Himself (Oz)

Anyone who’s watched a single episode of Oz knows that the prison at the center of the landmark HBO series wasn’t the best place to be. Despite riots, inmates sneaking in guns, inmates trapping people behind walls, and all sorts of madness, Oswald Pentitentiary Warden Leo Glynn kept his job. Make that make sense.

Can We Talk About The Serial Killers And Supernatural Phenomena (Picket Fences)

Remember Picket Fences, the CBS drama series about life in a seemingly quiet small town filled with serial killers, supernatural phenomena, and a variety of other strange and distressing occurrences? This show had it all, except for maybe a realistic view of the world. Pure madness.

Ranger Cordell Walker Is Seemingly Bulletproof (Walker, Texas Ranger)

Insert Chuck Norris joke here. Seriously, his titular character from Walker, Texas Ranger was pretty much the bulletproof cowboy. Between the dodging bullets, scores of roundhouse kicks, and other heroics, it seems like it’s all too good to be true.

Bike Cops Do What Normal Officers Can't (Pacific Blue)

Pacific Blue, a show that was often the lead-in for Monday Night Raw on Monday nights, followed bicycle cops as they went about their days. But here’s the thing, they often pulled off feats (and bike stunts) that normal cops couldn’t match.

The Lifeguards Do Way More Than Save People At The Beach (Baywatch)

The last time we checked, lifeguards watched over the beaches for drowning swimmers, shark attacks, and missing kids. But if you watch Baywatch, you’ll see them do that plus defeat terrorists, help out in wrestling matches, and run on the beach in slow-motion. Not very realistic, right?

No One Thinks Angels Interfering In Everyday Life Is Odd (Touched By An Angel)

Everybody’s grandma’s favorite show, Touched by an Angel, followed a group of three heavenly visitors who helped people back on Earth make incredible decisions that mostly saw them take a more righteous path. But the fact that angels could interfere in people’s lives and not cause a stir (or end with a trip to the mental ward) is hard to believe.

Will Gets Into Princeton After Solving A Rubik's Cube (The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air)

Though he ended up not going to the Ivy League institution, the fact that Will received an offer to attend Princeton in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is just wild. But you know what’s crazier? It wasn’t the “Fresh Prince’s" charisma that impressed his interviewer, but instead his skill with a… Rubik’s Cube.

All Kinds Of '90s Tech And Luxuries In The Age Of The Dinosaur (Dinosaurs)

Okay, Dinosaurs was a meta deconstruction of the sitcom format with a family of dinos in place of the standard nuclear family. But, the thing that has always been so wild is the fact that the Sinclair family has all kinds of modern tech – TVs, radios, construction equipment, you name it, and it’s there.

Dylan's Dad Dying In A Car Bomb Explosion (Beverly Hills, 90210)

What started as a show about uber-rich kids living in one of the most exclusive zip codes in the world turned into a wild exploration of pretty much every TV genre by the time it was all said and done. One of the most insane plotlines in Beverly Hills, 90210 was the one involving Dylan’s dad being blown up in a car bomb explosion, which would lead to the character played by the late Luke Perry trying to get to the bottom of the mystery.

Unaccompanied Minors Going On With Their Lives (Party Of Five)

Though the eldest of the five Salinger siblings in Party of Five was technically an adult, Charlie wasn’t that responsible, leaving his younger (and underage) brothers and sisters to do a lot of the heavy lifting.

The School/Band Balance Is Not Sustainable (California Dreams)

Do you remember the ‘90s teen comedy California Dreams? No? Well, imagine Saved by the Bell, but the main characters also have to balance school with being in a successful rock band. Somehow, they’re able to balance both worlds while not getting too stressed out or falling behind. Anyone who has been in a band before knows this is a dream.

How Is Al Bundy's Family Not In Serious Debt? (Married... With Children)

Before Married… with Children jumped the shark, it gave TV viewers some of the funniest (and most uncomfortable) moments. But one thing that has always been baffling is the fact that Al Bundy was able to have a decent-sized house, raise two kids, and have a shopaholic wife by working at a shoe store. How did they not go into debt?

How Did The Family Afford That Disney Trip? (Step By Step)

Despite being one of the greatest TGIF comedies, Step by Step was a show with a lot of problems. Not to harp too much on finances, but how did that massive family afford to go on an all-inclusive trip to Disney? How many people was that again?

How Many Moral Dilemmas Can One Family Face And Overcome? (7th Heaven)

The Camden family had one moral dilemma after another over the course of 7th Heaven’s 11-season run, so much so that it got exhausting by the time the show ended in 2007. At times, it felt like this family had a black cloud hanging over them or was placed under some kind of curse.

The Origins Of Alex Mack's Powers (The Secret World Of Alex Mack)

The Secret World of Alex Mack was a massive ‘90s Nickelodeon show about a young girl who gains some wild powers after coming in contact with a mysterious substance. How does she come in contact, exactly? Well, she is nearly hit by a truck containing the stuff in a company town owned by her father’s employer. What year is this again?

The Whole ‘High School On A Demonic Portal' Aspect Of The Show (Buffy The Vampire Slayer)

Everyone loves Buffy the Vampire Slayer here, so no judging. One thing that’s always been so funny about the show is the fact that Sunnydale High School was built over the Hellmouth, a literal portal to a demon realm. Why not just close the school down?

Kel's Constant Destruction Has No Consequences (Kenan & Kel)

Following the success of All That, Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell got their own show: Kenan & Kel. It’s impossible to count how many times Kel’s character caused massive amounts of damage to houses, stores, restaurants, and schools, facing little to no consequences.

Tim Allen’s network TV comeback in the 2025 TV schedule proved to be a success. The actor’s new ABC comedy, Shifting Gears, was renewed for a second season, but it’s not so surprising given his track record with his previous successful comedies, Home Improvement and Last Man Standing. For Home Improvement, Allen pulled from personal experiences and for Shifting Gears, he made one big request that's a personal one. And there's an additional way Matt Parker is different.

When Home Improvement premiered in 1991, and Tim Allen had no sitcom knowledge. Although not a favorite with critics, fans surely took a liking to it. The ABC comedy wound up airing for eight seasons and over 200 episodes. It really jump-started his TV career, and Allen told WIVB in Buffalo how Home Improvement came about, and how it essentially changed his life and television career moving forward:

Since Home Improvement is taken from his act, it would make sense that a lot of it is taken from his real life, no matter how big or small. The same thing goes for Shifting Gears. Even after all these years, Allen is still pulling from his real life, and Matt is “much closer” to who he is. That being said, Matt Parker is still pretty different from Tim Taylor and Mike Baxter, and Allen explained that Matt is an artist who had to leave his dreams behind:

Not only did Matt have to leave school, but his wife passed away, and his daughter left home and got pregnant at a young age. Plus, it’s not as squeaky clean as his characters on his previous shows. However, there is still that fixing aspect that is certainly similar to Home Improvement and even Last Man Standing that really ties Shifting Gears together:

Of course, Tim Allen can’t always play the same character on the same show over and over again. Having him be happily married with three kids and doing what he wants to do can get old, no matter how great the show is. Shifting Gears really sets Matt Parker apart from Tim Taylor and Mike Baxter, and it’s honestly refreshing. It’s been interesting seeing Allen play this role as a widow, single father, grandfather, and auto shop owner because there are so many layers.

With Season 2 of Shifting Gears on the way, there will be much more to come from Matt, and there is no telling what’s in store. In the meantime, all episodes so can be streamed with a Hulu subscription. More information on Season 2’s release should be announced in the coming months.

Despite some initial reports claiming Tim Allen’s Shifting Gears might not get renewed for Season 2, ABC quelled all fears and officially ordered more episodes that'll debut later in the 2025 TV schedule. Fans are hoping this show matches up with his previous efforts, Last Man Standing and Home Improvement, and the stand-up comedian, who turns 72 in June 2025, reflected on achieving sitcom stardom so quickly without any experience, and topping another broadcast television icon in the process.

Anyone hooked on network sitcoms in the 1990s no doubt sat down for untold hours of multicam family fun with both Home Improvement (1991-1999) and Roseanne (1988-1997 initially) crushing the competition at the time, inspiring a host of other half-hour comedies offered to stand-up comedians. In an interview with Closer, Allen reflected on diving into making a TV show without any real experience or expectations. When asked about treasured memories, he replied with:

Before landing Home Improvement, Allen amassed more than a dozen years working stages as a stand-up comedian, making his very first on-screen movie appearance as a baggage handler in Ciro Durán’s 1988 drama Tropical Snow, co-starring David Carradine. Despite that achievement, and despite fronting two comedy specials in 1990 and 1991, Allen was completely out of his element when it came to memorizing episodic scripts and other responsibilities that became second-nature for him down the line.

One of the biggest advantages that Home Improvement had over a lot of its competition in 1991 and beyond was its key time slot, which was nestled in between Full House and Roseanne for its first season. Incredibly enough, Tim Taylor & Co. managed to tie with Cheers as the #4 show of the 1991-1992 TV season, with Roseanne Barr's long-running fave sitting comfortably at #2.

But that Tuesday night pairing wasn't meant to last, as ABC capitalized on Home Improvement's successful first season by giving it the 9:00 p.m. anchor slot on Wednesday nights, and it rose to #3 during its second-season outing. But it was with its third year that the Detroit-set sitcom claw-hammered its way to becoming the #1 scripted show on TV, albeit still at #2 behind 60 Minutes. Meanwhile, Roseanne fell to #4 behind another stand-up star's smash hit, Seinfeld.

Though he might not have been extremely prepared during those earliest production days, Tim Allen definitely grew accustomed to being a mega-TV star across Home Improvement's eight seasons. (He boasted having the #1 TV show, #1 book, and #1 movie box office in 1994.) Though he pointed out that the machismo-driven comedy also set the stage for a pattern of audience-pleasing hits that were not so easily embraced by critics. As he put it:

I would love to know the current headspace of the person who claimed that Tim Allen's signature grunts couldn't keep the show afloat. I wonder if they also thought a silly Fox animated show about a spiky-haired kid would never get off the ground.

Those salad days of the early '90s are far behind us, although ABC is currently airing the final season of the Roseanne follow-up The Conners, which kicked off the week after Shifting Gears wrapped its first season with a romantic-leaning finale. The more things change, the more they stay vaguely similiar, with different titles. Stay tuned for more details about when Allen's Matt and Kat Dennings' Riley will return.

You know those ill-behaved sitcom kids and bullish older brothers and sisters from family shows whom you are supposed to find funny? Well, to be perfectly honest, I do not find their irritating quirks very funny and sometimes even dread the moment they will appear on screen and highly anticipate their eventual exit. Here are some examples of the annoying TV siblings I am talking about.

Megan Parker (Drake & Josh)

In most episodes of Nickelodeon's Drake & Josh, the trouble the titular stepbrothers (played by Drake Bell and Josh Nichols) would regularly get into was of no fault but their own. However, they still faced a great deal of torment at the hands of their younger sister, Megan (Miranda Cosgrove), whose early pranks were adorably mischievous but later proved to be surprisingly sophisticated and even life-threatening, also making her a fictional child you should not mess with.

Bobby Brady (The Brady Bunch)

To be frank, I think each one of the kids from The Brady Bunch has their own annoying characteristics. However, Bobby was a bit of a special case, and not just because he was the youngest boy, but because he would come up with new ways to annoy the others in multiple episodes.

Trina Vega (Victorious)

Trina Vega (Daniella Monet) – the older sister of Victoria Justice's Tori Vega, the central character from Nickelodeon's Victorious – is a perfect representation of the exact kind of person I am most infuriated by. Her aggressively selfish delusions about her looks and talent have robbed her of any humility, convincing her she is justified in putting down anyone she believes is lesser than her, which is just about everyone she encounters.

Sue Heck (The Middle)

The Middle is a sitcom that gives you reason to find any of the central family's children annoying, but many seem to be especially perturbed by Sue Heck (Eden Sher). While some fans admire the brace-faced middle child's unbridled optimism, others feel she could take things down a notch.

Stephanie Tanner (Full House)

I think any fan of Full House would agree that the sitcom's most annoying character is not any member of the blended central family, but D.J.'s best friend, Kimmy Gibbler (Andrea Barber). However, among the Tanners, middle daughter Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin) would have to take the cake, especially in the earlier seasons when she displayed overdramatic and bratty tendencies and would withhold important information because "nobody asked" her about it.

Brad Taylor (Home Improvement)

Just about every character in the Home Improvement cast has something to like about them, but I think the one with the least criteria is Tim (Tim Allen) and Jill (Patricia Richardson)'s oldest son, Brad Taylor (Zachary Ty Bryan). In early seasons, he was the most notorious for tormenting his youngest and most meek brother, Mark, and his intelligence only seemed to regress as he got older.

Pim Diffy (Phil Of The Future)

The Diffy family from Disney Channel's sci-fi sitcom, Phil of the Future, would often come closest to revealing their true identities as a 22nd-Century clan trapped in the past because of the eponymous teen's younger sister, Pim (Amy Bruckner). Not only was she prone to relying on her family's futuristic gadgets for personal gain, but she also aspired to use them to take over the world.

Caillou (Caillou)

While the titular 4-year-old from Caillou had a younger sister named Rosie, he was easily the biggest baby of his family by behavior alone. I remember, even as a youngster, feeling so annoyed by the kid's crybaby temperament that I could not bring myself to watch PBS' adaptation of the illustrated Canadian children's books any longer.

Tonya (Everybody Hates Chris)

Tonya (Imani Hakim) from Everybody Hates Chris serves as a definitive representation of what happens when you spoil your children, just like her father, Julius (Terry Crews), did. As a result, the Rock Family's youngest turned out to be a mercilessly controlling bully, especially to the titular eldest kid (Tyler James Williams, a former child star who still acts today).

Reese (Malcolm In The Middle)

There are plenty of reasons why you could argue that the most annoying child character in the Malcolm in the Middle cast is Dewey (Erik Per Sullivan). However, his intelligence and temperance significantly outweigh that of the second oldest brother, Reese (Justin Berfield), who seemed to thrive on insubordination, made worse by his hopelessly foolish instincts.

Candace Flynn (Phineas And Ferb)

The titular stepbrothers from Disney Channel's beloved animated series, Phineas and Ferb (voiced by Vincent Martella and Thomas Sangster), want nothing more than to make every day of their summer vacation the best day possible. Thus, I find it genuinely distressing that their older sister, Candace (Ashley Tisdale), constantly goes out of her way to ruin their fun for vague and selfish reasons when she should just learn to relax.

Stewie Grffin (Family Guy)

Honestly, out of all these annoying TV siblings, I think I do enjoy Stewie Griffin (voiced by Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane) because the sophisticated infant is pretty funny. However, I have never understood why he is so committed to murdering his mother, Lois (Alex Borstein).

Kyra Rockmore (Kenan & Kel)

Something I noticed while rewatching Kenan & Kel as an adult is that Kenan Rockmore's (future long-running SNL cast member Kenan Thompson) younger sister, Kyra (Vanessa Baden), only has one defining character trait: her ridiculous crush on Kel Kimble (Kel Mitchell). The fact that the writers of the otherwise hilarious Nickelodeon sitcom never bothered to develop her beyond that quirk is truly what makes her annoying to me.

Ferguson Darling (Clarissa Explains It All)

What did Clarissa Darling (Melissa Joan Hart's first starring role, in Clarissa Explains It All) do to deserve a younger brother as snooty, pretentious, and invasive as Ferguson? I cannot help but wonder if Jason Zimbler's years playing such an annoying kid on the Nickelodeon comedy inspired the former child star to walk away from the spotlight and become a software engineer (according to The Sun).

Carrie Ingalls (Little House On The Prairie)

In the earlier years of Little House on the Prairie's run, Carrie (played by twin sisters Lindsay and Sidney Greenbush) and her struggles to pronounce comprehensible lines of dialogue was one of the most adorable aspects of the period family drama. However, as the series adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder's autobiographical novels went on, the third Ingalls child never really seemed to grow up, and viewers were not too charmed by her immaturity.

Henry Finnerty (Grounded For Life)

After actor Jake Burbage moved away from the set of Grounded for Life with his family, his character, Henry Finnerty, disappeared from the show's fifth and final season. I must admit, I was pretty relieved that I did not have to see any more of Sean (Donal Logue) and Claudia's (Megyn Price) third child – an incessant chatterbox with a tendency to stir up trouble in the household for no reason other than, perhaps, because he wants to watch the world burn.

Erica Sinclair (Stranger Things)

I can understand why some Stranger Things fans believe that Dustin Sinclair's (Caleb McLaughlin) younger sister, Erica (Priah Ferguson), and her unbridled boisterousness makes her the acclaimed Netflix sci-fi TV show's real MVP, especially in Season 3. However, let me just say that if I had her as a sibling, I would not know what to do with myself.

Matt McGuire (Lizzie McGuire)

Fun fact about myself: Lizzie McGuire first started airing on Disney Channel around the time my sibling was born. After getting pretty fed up with the ridiculously antagonizing rivalry between Hilary Duff's eponymous teen and her mischievous younger brother (played by Jake Thomas), I promised to never let my relationship with my sister evolve into anything remotely similar. So, I guess I have Matt to thank for that.

D.W. Read (Arthur)

Young aardvark Arthur Read turned out to be such a decent kid and yet, it seems that barely any of those same values were passed down to his sister, D.W. While the 4-year-old is might not be the most annoying character on the beloved animated series, her spoiled attitude and brutal honesty is jarring, especially for a PBS Kids show.

Cory Baxter (That's So Raven)

While That So Raven's Raven Baxter (Raven-Symoné) has the ability to see the future, she can't seem to notice that she can be deeply self-centered and bossy. However, her younger brother, Cory (Kyle Massey), is described in the first episode of the hit Disney Channel series as "a master in deceit and the art of psychological manipulations" and would typically apply these skills purely for his own benefit and to the detriment of others.

Dee Dee (Dexter’s Laboratory)

I will admit, the unusually intelligent and deeply arrogant title character of Dexter's Laboratory is someone I often had trouble warming to. On the other hand, I did empathize with him having to deal with his overactive and ditzy older sister, Dee Dee, and her tendency to make waste of his experiments on many occasions.

Ross Gellar (Friends)

Who says this list has to be exclusive to kids when there are also grown-up TV siblings as irritating as the most annoying character in the Friends cast, Ross Gellar? There are many reasons why David Schwimmer's character is just the worst and why his younger sister, Monica (Courteney Cox), is easily the more mature sibling. He is incessantly needy, hypocritical, and, perhaps worst of all, possessive over Rachel (Jennifer Aniston).

Sarah (Ed, Edd N Eddy)

With the exception of, maybe, Nazz, just about all of the unsupervised youngsters from Ed, Edd n Eddy were a handful, especially the dim-witted Ed (Matt Hill). Of course, even he was an absolute prize when compared to his younger sister, Sarah (Janyse Jaud), who is one of the most terrifyingly short-tempered kids on the cul-de-sac.

Laurie Forman (That ‘70s Show)

If it were not for Red (Kurtwood Smith) showing her favoritism, Laurie Forman would have taken a lot more heat from him and Kitty (Debra Jo Rupp) than her younger and meeker brother, Eric (Topher Grace), did on That '70s Show. Originally played by the late Lisa Robin Kelly before a casting shake-up brought in Christina Moore, Laurie constantly bullied her brother and belittled her mother, seduced Kelso (Ashton Kutcher) into cheating on Jackie (Mila Kunis) with her, and was even unfaithful in her green card marriage to Fez (Wilmer Valderama).

Timberly Johanssen (Hey Arnold!)

Some of the most distressing predicaments and misadventures that Arnold and Gerald went through on Hey Arnold! were caused by Gerald's younger sister, Timberly. For instance, there was the time the best friends tried their hand at selling chocolate turtles but lost all of their product when Timberly ate them, forcing them to make them from scratch.

Kelly Bundy (Married... With Children)

If Bud Bundy (David Faustino) was not blessed with a far higher intelligence than his aggressively selfish older sister, Kelly (Christina Applegate), I might be inclined to call him the more annoying child from the iconic blue-collar TV show, Married... with Children. Either way, these siblings were already destined for ruin growing up in a household run by Al (Ed O'Neill) and Peg (Katey Segal).

Debbie Thornberry (The Wild Thornberrys)

On Nickelodeon's The Wild Thornberrys, the central character, Eliza (voiced by Lacey Chabert), always showed gratitude for the opportunity her parents gave her to travel the world and learn about different cultures and animal species. The same cannot be said about her conceited older sister, Debbie (Danielle Harris), who always had something to complain about on their many adventures.

Wayne Arnold (The Wonder Years)

Growing up in the late 1960s and early 1970s did not look easy from the perspective of Kevin Arnold (Fred Savage), especially when you have an older brother like Wayne. Jason Hervey's character from The Wonder Years was TV's definitive nightmare sibling during its six-season run from 1988 to 1993.

Cindy Brady (The Brady Bunch)

For her naivety and tendency to tattle on her siblings, Cindy (Susan Olsen) is among the young characters from The Brady Bunch I would least like to have as a sibling.

Alan Harper (Two And A Half Men)

Back when I watched Two and a Half Men, I always had empathy for Alan Harper (Jon Cryer) as a divorced father with perpetual struggles to find love and financial stability. However, for his hypocritical tendencies, sniveling pretentiousness, and for being a freeloader, I have more sympathy for the guy who has to live with him: his older brother, Charlie (Charlie Sheen).

Liv Rooney (Liv And Maddie)

One of the reasons why Liv and Maddie is one of the best TV shows for Dove Cameron fans to watch is her impressive, Daytime Emmy-winning performance as both of the titular sisters, who could not be more different. While Maddie is smart and kindhearted, Liv is absent-minded and completely full of herself.

Max (Max & Ruby)

Both of the titular rabbit siblings from the Canadian children's program, Max & Ruby, have their faults, considering the older Ruby's bossy nature. However, the three-year-old Max and his rambunctiousness and overeagerness were known to test her patience quite often.

Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Shifting Gears episode "Gummies." Stream the episode with a Hulu subscription and read at your own risk!

After recently bringing Nancy Travis onto Shifting Gears, Tim Allen welcomed another Last Man Standing co-star in the latest episode. Jay Leno showed up playing himself, and while I expected him to refer to the previous series like Travis did, the ABC comedy hit us with a curveball by referencing another one of Allen's earlier projects: Home Improvement.

In what was his second network television sitcom appearance since his voice cameo in Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage, Jay Leno played himself as a client of Allen's character, Matt Parker. Their brief conversation made it sound like the two were pretty friendly, at least enough for Leno to rib him about his resemblance to a television character.

Jay Leno Made A Vague Reference To Home Improvement

Jay Leno showed up toward the end of the episode, arriving at the auto shop to pick up one of his cars that he'd "forgotten about." He then briefly talked to Matt, and recalled a voicemail he sent him the night prior where he wasn't making much sense. The voicemail didn't make sense because Matt had taken a marijuana edible, but rather than admit that, he instead said he was doing a comedy bit. Leno bought the excuse, and it jogged his memory of something else he'd seen the night before:

While the series wasn't directly mentioned, Shifting Gears made a pretty clear reference to Home Improvement. It's a fitting nod considering the classic series aired on ABC, for those old enough to remember before it was available with a Disney+ subscription or on other platforms. As someone who was totally expecting another reference to Last Man Standing, it was fun to have my expectations subverted.

Will Home Improvement Stars Make Their Way To Shifting Gears?

Now that Home Improvement has been mentioned, I have to know when we'll start seeing the former stars of the sitcom join Tim Allen and Kat Dennings. After hearing the origins of the "Goth Mark" storyline, I would love to see Taran Noah Smith show up and play a character on Shifting Gears, if only to make a joke about that.

And am I the only one who would love to see Richard Karn play a character that opens up a competing auto shop on the other side of town? After watching Karn play Tim Allen's best friend Al on Home Improvement, seeing the two as bitter enemies in the new series would be hilarious. Let's get these two in a show again because that History Channel series wasn't enough.

We'll see what actors from Tim Allen's past will show up on future episodes of Shifting Gears, which air on ABC on Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. This sitcom is one of the top shows so far on the 2025 TV schedule, so be sure to catch up if you haven't already.

When you think about the best sitcoms of all time, it’s incredibly likely that your mind will go back to several shows that focused on families. And whenever you have a family comedy, you will usually get to the floundering teen years of at least one character, which is exactly what happened on the Tim Allen classic, Home Improvement, when Mark Taylor (the youngest son) went goth. While that storyline was considered a bit awkward by many, you can bet it pales in comparison to how Mark’s portrayer found out what inspired it.

What Inspired Goth Mark On Home Improvement?

While Home Improvement lead Tim Allen has gone on to star in two other family sitcoms (the also long-running Last Man Standing and the 2025 TV schedule entry Shifting Gears), few can forget the popular ‘90s comedy that put him on the map. The show featured Allen as a married father of three boys, with his character’s youngest son being Mark, who was played by Taran Noah Smith.

Fans will likely remember that Mark went through a change for part of his teen years, when he became “Goth Mark.” This phase definitely worried his parents, and felt rather sudden for fans, but it was even more awkward for Smith, once he was confronted with the inspiration for his character’s attitude adjustment. As he recently told the Outgrown podcast:

Mark had always been portrayed as being the most artistic and introspective of the boys, who was considered dorky by his older brothers and was pranked/tormented by them on an incredibly regular basis. Eventually, Mark’s teenage years saw him befriend a goth kid named Ronnie, which led to him starting to wear all black, painting his fingernails black (he flirted with black lipstick at one point, as well) and even wearing a dog collar and shaving his head for a time.

As Smith noted, when he became the “little” brother who’d actually outgrown his older siblings, it didn’t quite work as well to have him be, essentially, bullied by them anymore. But, who could have guessed that Mark’s sudden shift was prompted by the head writer having a son who’d also had the same goth turn in real life. Can you imagine just hanging out backstage and being confronted with your mirror image and both of you realizing what was happening? I’m getting second-hand embarrassment just thinking about this situation!

By the time Home Improvement ended (with some behind the scenes controversy), Mark was well back to being his old self, and turned out just fine. And, I hope the same is true for that writer’s kid, whether he’s still rocking that dog collar or not.

For its ability to bring both football obsessives and non-sports fans together, the Super Bowl is regarded as a national holiday. Thus, just like with any other major day of celebration, there are plenty of movies and special TV show episodes that make “The Big Game” a focal point of the plot. These are some of the best examples of small and big screen favorites that were clearly ready for some football!

Heaven Can Wait (1978)

Heaven Can Wait is actually a remake of the 1941 drama Here Comes Mr. Jordan, in which a boxer is sent back to Earth in another body after he is taken before his time. Co-writer, co-director, and star Warren Beatty's version makes Joe Pendleton a football player who aspires to bring the Los Angeles Rams to the Super Bowl when he is sent back to Earth in a new body and ultimately succeeds.

"Monday Night Football" - How I Met Your Mother (2007)

In Season 2 of How I Met Your Mother, the gang misses the Super Bowl to attend a MacLaren's employee's funeral but still decides to honor their annual tradition of watching it together by recording the Big Game for the following night. The catch is that they want to keep the outcome of the game a surprise and jump through hoops to prevent spoilers, from Ted (Josh Radnor) wearing the "Sensory Deprivator 5000" while picking up wings from a sports bar and Robin (Cobie Smulders) bribing her producer to avoid any mentions of the winning team in her news broadcast.

American Underdog (2021)

In 2000, Kurt Warner achieved his lifelong dream of playing in the Super Bowl at 29 years old and became the third oldest quarterback at the time to do so for the first time, with the St. Louis Rams. The inspiring moment was dramatized in the sports biopic, American Underdog, starring Zachary Levi as the two-time Most Valuable Player winner.

"Death Has A Shadow" - Family Guy (1999)

The very first episode of Family Guy, called "Death Has a Shadow," features a pivotal scene taking place at the Super Bowl. It is where Peter Griffin (creator Seth MacFarlane), with Brian's help, attempts to get rid of the excess money he has received from his welfare fund by dumping it from the sky in a blimp.

Black Sunday (1977)

Not to be confused with a horror movie from 17 years earlier, Black Sunday is an espionage thriller based on the novel by Thomas Harris. It follows an Israeli commando who works with the FBI to prevent a terrorist plot involving an explosive device mounted to a Goodyear blimp that is scheduled to fly above a packed stadium during the Super Bowl.

"The Label Maker" - Seinfeld (1995)

"Re-gifting" is a phrase introduced in Seinfeld in Season 6's "The Label Maker," in which Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld), after he is invited to a wedding, gives up his Super Bowl tickets to his dentist, Tim Whatley (Bryan Cranston), who thanks him by giving him a "Label Baby Jr." However, when the wedding is called off, he tries to get the tickets back to no avail, which makes him especially mad after learning Whatley regifted the label maker, which he originally received from Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus). After Whatley and Elaine make up, Jerry ends up going to the Big Game but has to sit next to Newman (Wayne Knight).

The Replacements (2000)

Director Howard Deutch's The Replacements stars Keanu Reeves as one of several football players hired to fill in when a team's regular members go on strike. The sports dramedy, also starring Gene Hackman as the Sentinels' reinstated head coach, is loosely based on the true story of how the Washington Redskins managed to win Super Bowl XXII in a season with replacement players during an NFL strike.

"Sunday, Cruddy Sunday" - The Simpsons (1999)

Fox aired a special Season 10 episode of The Simpsons that involved the Big Game right after the network broadcasted Super Bowl XXXIII. "Sunday, Cruddy Sunday" sees Homer Simpson (Dan Castellaneta) traveling to see the event until they discover their tickets are counterfeit, forcing them to sneak into the stadium.

Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994)

One of the best Jim Carrey movies (or, at least, the one featuring his definitive, star-making performance) is director Tom Shadyac's Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. In the uproarious comedy, the goofy eponymous sleuth is given the assignment of his life when he is tasked with finding the Miami Dolphins' beloved mascot, Snowflake, before the team plays on Super Bowl Sunday.

"Band Geeks" - SpongeBob Squarepants

To be fair, "Band Geeks" – a classic episode of the beloved animated series, SpongeBob Squarepants – does not actually revolve around the Super Bowl, but the undersea equivalent, the Bubble Bowl. Squidward attempts to upstage longtime rival Squilliam Fancyson by putting together a marching band to play at the game which he assumes will be a trainwreck until he sees their truly victorious performance of "Sweet Victory."

"Super Bowl Fever" - Home Improvement (1995)

Tim Taylor (Tim Allen) and his nigh-obsessive love of football has been known to get him in trouble on a few occasions on Home Improvement. However, the trouble in "Super Bowl Fever" stems from his wife, Jill (Patricia Richardson), coming down with the flu on the day he invites his friends over for a Super Bowl party at the house.

80 For Brady (2023)

In the tradition of comedy films that include a famous athlete's name in the title – such as Like Mike and Bend It Like Beckham – we have 80 for Brady, which is inspired by a true story and features a cameo by the real Tom Brady as himself. The film takes place in 2017 during Super Bowl LI, in which a quartet of older women (played by Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno, and Sally Field) travel to see and root for their beloved New England Patriots quarterback.

"Super Bowl Sunday" - All In The Family (1978)

The Season 8 All in the Family episode "Super Bowl Sunday" fittingly followed CBS's broadcast of Super Bowl XII and told a story related to the big event. Archie Bunker (Carroll O'Connor) anticipates that the game will bring great business to his bar, only for it to become the site of a robbery.

Kelce (2023)

Director Don Argott's Kelce follows Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce as he wrestles with the decision to retire after 13 seasons. The climax of the Amazon Prime original documentary sees him compete against his own brother, Kansas City Chiefs' Travis Kelce, at Super Bowl LVII, which came to be known as the "Kelce Bowl."

"Our Parents, Ourselves" - Frasier (1999)

A Season 6 episode of Frasier – a series equally as good as the show it spun off from, Cheers – called "Our Parents, Ourselves" sees the titular psychiatrist (played by Kelsey Grammer) attempting to play matchmaker for his father (John Mahoney) and Roz's (Peri Gilpin) mother. So, he invites the woman to his Super Bowl party at his apartment to surprise Martin, only to discover that he cannot stand her.

"Easy Com-mercial, Easy Go-mercial" - Bob's Burgers

For some people, the best thing about the Super Bowl is the commercials, especially if you are one of the businesses advertising during what is, typically, the most-watched television event of the year. The Season 4 Bob's Burgers episode, "Easy Com-mercial, Easy Go-mercial," reflects on that with a story that sees the Belchers attempting to film an ad for their restaurant with the hope that it will air during the Big Game.

"My Name is Bev" - Roseanne (1995)

Roseanne's Super Bowl-themed episode touches on the serious topic of drunk driving, which Roseanne's (Roseanne Barr) mother, Beverly (Estelle Parsons), is caught doing and is forced to attend an AA meeting. Later on in the show, she appears at Dan's (John Goodman) Super Bowl XXIX party, which prompts Roseanne to tell the guests to hide their keg.

A Saintly Switch (1999)

Directed by Peter Bogdanovich, A Saintly Switch is a family film made for ABC's The Wonderful World of Disney series in which two children cast a spell that causes their bickering mother (Vivica A. Fox) and father (David Alan Grier), who recently started playing for the New Orleans Saints, to switch bodies. The story concludes with the father, having returned to his own body, playing in the Super Bowl just as his pregnant wife has gone into labor.

"Super Bowl" - Everybody Loves Raymond (2001)

Of course, there would be an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond in which the titular character (Ray Romano), who makes a living as a sports columnist, goes to the Big Game. In the aptly titled, "Super Bowl," Ray acquires a pair of tickets to the event and opts to take his friend, Gianni (Jon Manfrellotti), much to his family's chagrin.

The Great Brady Heist (2020)

There are quite a few movies where some interesting criminal activity takes place during the Big Game, but it is all just make-believe, right? Well, there was one amusing instance in which New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady's game jersey was stolen from his locker during Super Bowl LI, as covered in the Fox Sports original documentary, The Great Brady Heist.

"Super Bowl" - Aqua Teen Hunger Force (2003)

Even in the bizarre world of Adult Swim's hit series, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, such a thing as the Super Bowl exists. In a Season 2 episode of the popular animated TV show, Master Shake (Dana Snyder) and Carl (Dave Willis) bow to Meatwad's (also Willis) every will in hopes that he will pick one of them to accompany him to the Super Bowl after he wins two tickets.

"The Eskimo" - Boy Meets World

In a classic episode of Boy Meets World, Mr. Feeny (William Daniels) assigns Shawn (Rider Strong) the challenge of getting Super Bowl tickets, Cory (Ben Savage) the challenge of helping him succeed, and Topanga (Daniell Fishel) to avoid helping either of them in any way. Shawn does find a way to score the tickets, which requires him to sit at the top of a billboard in freezing temperatures for as long as possible.

“Super Bowl” - George Lopez (2003)

To some people, the Super Bowl is more important than even family, as expressed in a Season 2 episode of George Lopez. It follows George (Geoge Lopez) and his wife, Angie (Constance Marie), attempting to convince his mother, Benny (Belita Moreno), to reconcile with the dying Uncle Joe (Ismael 'East' Carlo). She agrees, but only because she really just wants to get her hands on his tickets to the Big Game.

"Rooferman, Take One" - Smart Guy

In the underrated WB sitcom, Smart Guy, a commercial for Floyd's (John Marshall Jones) roofing business airs in the wee hours of the morning, prompting T.J. (Tahj Mowry) to sneak into the network's studio and try to get the ad a better time slot. Much to his surprise, he accidentally schedules it during the Super Bowl, helping his father's business immensely but also getting himself into trouble.

"Lisa The Greek" - The Simpsons

In "Lisa the Greek," Homer enlists his bright daughter, Lisa, to help him predict the outcome of football games. The episode marks one of several mysterious instances in which The Simpsons correctly predicted future events, having aired just days before Super Bowl XXVI and foretold that the Washington Redskins would win.

Natural Born Killers (1994)

Director Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers is a disturbing crime thriller that has nothing to do with sports, save one small connection. Robert Downey Jr's overzealous journalist Wayne Gale convinces notorious murderer Mickey (Woody Harrelson) to participate in a live interview that would air after the Super Bowl.

"Super Sunday" - The Middle (2011)

One of the multiple storylines in this episode of ABC's hit sitcom, The Middle, involves Mike (Neil Flynn) encouraging Brick (Atticus Shaffer) to take an interest in football right as the Super Bowl is impending.

Maybe This Year (2019)

It was not until Super Bowl LII that the Philadelphia Eagles finally became season champions. Kyle Thrash and Jenifer Westphal's documentary, Maybe This Year, chronicles that journey from the perspective of the team's famously passionate fans.

You're In The Super Bowl, Charlie Brown! (1994)

Originally airing on NBC and later distributed on VHS through Shell Gasoline, You're In The Super Bowl, Charlie Brown! is a fun, 25-minute special in which Charlie Brown and the other kids from Peanuts try to win tickets to the Super Bowl by participating in a football punt pass kick contest.

Superdome (1978)

Superdome follows various dramatic storylines occurring around the Super Bowl, including a killer running amuck during the game. The star-studded cast of this ABC movie of the week includes David Janssen, Edie Adams, Tom Selleck, and more.

"Rabbit Or Duck" - How I Met Your Mother (2010)

This Season 5 episode of How I Met Your Mother was cleverly promoted during the Super Bowl as faux footage of the real game which was also featured in the cold open. The B-plot sees Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) struggling to balance the excess of female attention he receives after attending the Super Bowl and holding up a sign displaying his phone number.

The Sum Of All Fears (2002)

To be fair, the nuclear attack on U.S. soil from director Phil Alden Robinson's The Sum of All Fears, starring Ben Affleck as Jack Ryan, merely takes place at a typical pro football game in Baltimore. However, in Tom Clancy's 1991 novel that inspired it, the tragedy takes place at the Super Bowl, so it technically counts.

It’s not too much of a stretch to say that we’ve all been in a position where we put off folding laundry for so long we’re left with a giant mound of clothes, sheets, towels, and orphaned socks. What do you do in that situation? Put on a show that is perfect for background noise, of course!

With some of the best cartoons of all time, one or two of the greatest sitcoms ever made, or random docuseries and educational programs, here’s a list of 32 shows that are perfect for background noise while folding laundry.

Law & Order (1990 - 2010; 2022 - Present)

Law & Order, with its 500-plus episodes, has made the laundry-folding process a little better for decades now thanks to its grisly murders, captivating courtroom sequences, and too many “Jack McCoy” moments to count. This isn’t a knock on the show, but you don’t even really have to pay attention all that much to know what’s going on.

How It's Made (2001 - 2019)

Okay, you might get distracted by the manufacturing processes for things like Crayons, crackers, pillows, bowling balls, and thousands of other items featured on this long-running educational program, but How It’s Made makes for some great background noise. The soothing narration, that catchy music, and endless shots of everyday items being made make this a perfect option.

Home Improvement (1991 - 1999)

Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor (Tim Allen) probably never folded a shirt in his life (at least not properly), but that doesn’t mean Home Improvement is a great option for the laundry-folding machine in all of us. If you’re folding one basket, or two baskets, or trying to save your room from the pile that never goes away, this beloved ‘90s TV show will help you pass the time.

The Simpsons (1989 - Present)

With countless characters we love to hate, all kinds of zany situations, and more than 700 episodes to choose from, The Simpsons is one of those shows you can have on in the background in any situation. So, it’s not all surprising that this is a great option for laundry day.

The West Wing (1999 - 2006)

Considered one of the “peak TV era” shows, The West Wing was a staple of network television in the late ‘90s and early 2000s. That said, it’s not hard to imagine that at least a few people have gone through much of the Bartlet Administration while folding and pressing their laundry.

Friends (1994 - 2004)

When you have an episode with a title like“ The One with the East German Laundry Detergent,” you know Friends is going to be a great show to have on while folding your clothes. The landmark sitcom is pretty much the TV equivalent of a warm blanket, so it makes total sense.

Unsolved Mysteries (1987 - Present)

One of the greatest true crime shows to ever hit the small screen, Unsolved Mysteries has been there for many of us for years. First, the classic episodes hosted by Robert Stack helped us pass the time and eat snacks after school. Now, those very same episodes (as well as the Netflix revival) are there for… laundry. Where all these clothes come from is the real unsolved mystery in households around the country.

Scrubs (2001 - 2010)

Bill Lawrence’s Scrubs is one of the best comedies set in a hospital and one of the best medical shows of all time. That said, it’s also a perfect show to watch while folding laundry. Well, unless you experience one of J.D.’s elaborate daydreams while sorting socks. Maybe that explains where those missing socks have gone.

Cheers (1982 - 1993)

No judging here, but some of us have a certain stack of clothes that are pretty much like Norm from Cheers at this point. You know that the laundry will be there tomorrow like it was there today and yesterday (and the day before that).

Planet Earth (2006)

Planet Earth is one of those shows that’s perfect for just about any task around the house, especially with David Attenborough’s comforting narration perfectly explaining everything on the screen. And who knows, maybe you’ll go through the entire docuseries and its various sequels and spinoffs by the time you finish.

Burn Notice (2007 - 2013)

Aziz Ansari’s cousin Harris loves Burn Notice, but does he love watching the USA Network original show while folding his clothes? We’re kind of afraid to ask. Regardless, this spy series starring Jeffrey Donovan, Gabrielle Anwar, and Bruce Campbell is one of those shows that feels tailor-made for the mindless task of laundry sorting.

Trailer Park Boys (2001 - 2007; 2014 - 2018)

Trailer Park Boys probably isn’t the first show that comes to mind when you’re trying to be productive, but this Canadian comedy series about the residents of Sunnyvale Trailer Park is the very definition of mindless, crude entertainment. Sure, you won’t want the kids around with the show’s profanity, but this would be great for a late-night laundry session.

30 Rock (2006 - 2013)

With seven seasons and nearly 140 episodes to watch, 30 Rock has more than enough laughs and crazy moments to get you through even the biggest of laundry piles. With its cast of characters working on the fictional TGS sketch comedy series, this beloved NBC comedy will do the trick.

Full House (1987 - 1995)

What would Danny Tanner do? Well, he probably wouldn’t let his laundry situation get out of hand, despite having an ever-growing group of roommates. All jokes aside about the Full House patriarch’s obsession with cleanliness and order, this long-running sitcom has gotten millions of people through laundry baskets over the years. Join in on the fun.

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia (2005 - Present)

Now, there’s a chance you get distracted by all those absurd It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia side characters (or even the main cast), but this FX comedy series is peak-laundry folding material. Just make sure you don’t come up with some ridiculous scheme to hide the clothes or pass the task on to someone else.

The Office (2005 - 2013)

Though the series did “jump the shark” near the end, The Office is still one of the best American sitcoms ever made. With a total of 201 episodes and thousands of hilarious and iconic jokes, there’s more than enough to keep you entertained while you work your way through that basket of socks that’s been taunting you for years.

Pawn Stars (2009 - Present)

With more than 650 episodes, all kinds of remarkable and odd pieces of memorabilia and historical artifacts, Pawn Stars has been one of the most popular shows on the History Channel for years now. And while we would love to be able to say “I know a guy” who can handle all these clothes, Rick Harrison and company at Gold & Silver Pawn Shop will help make the folding process a little more entertaining.

American Pickers (2010 - Present)

Like a lot of other great History Channel shows, American Pickers is one of those series perfect for background noise. You don’t really have to follow along to the finer points of the reality program, which is perfect when you’re about halfway through a load of clothes that you really need to finish.

Seinfeld (1989 - 1998)

Who would have thought that a show about nothing would be perfect for laundry? Well, that’s the case for Seinfeld. Sure, you’re probably going to get distracted, put mismatched socks together, or accidentally merge the “keep” and “give away” stacks on the foot of the bed, but it’s worth it.

Parks And Recreation (2009 - 2015)

Though it’s unlikely that Ron Swanson would be too fond of spending hours folding clothes, Parks and Recreation is a show that is perfect for the task. Sure, you may be stuck in a pit of clothes that were washed weeks ago before you finally pull yourself out, but it’s all about the journey.

Family Guy (1999 - Present)

Family Guy, one of the best-animated series of the 21st century, is also a great show to have on in the background while doing just about anything. This includes doing laundry. Sure, there are things we’d rather be doing than folding clothes, but this long-running Fox show certainly makes the task less mind-numbing.

Gilmore Girls (2000 - 2007)

Lorelai and Rory Gilmore guiding us through the ups and downs of small-town life is a great way to make doing laundry a lot more fun, or at least more melodramatic. With seven seasons, 153 episodes, and so many romances to explore, this is definitely a great option for folks who’ve put on laundry for like two months.

The UnXplained (2019 - Present)

How did this stack of clothes get so big? Is this clean, cleanish, or dirty? Does William Shatner fold his own clothes? These are questions with no answers, but The UnXplained will distract you from those mysteries while you search for that missing sock or No Country for Old Man bootleg t-shirt that disappeared in the wash.

Suits (2011 - 2019)

From 2011 to 2019, few shows reached the heights experienced by Suits. This USA Network drama about the high-stakes world of corporate law introduced viewers to all kinds of characters and intense situations along the way. And while few, if any, of those managing partners and ladder-climbing associates did their own laundry, they can help you do yours.

The X Files (1993 - 2002; 2016 - 2018)

A show that made it more than 10 seasons, The X Files was one of the most well-known and watched series of the ‘90s. If you want to mix things up with the laundry and imagine a world in which aliens and other paranormal creatures appear (and possibly help fold those fitted sheets), this landmark sci-fi show will do the trick.

The Great British Baking Show (2014 - Present)

The Great British Baking Show, or The Great British Bake Off as it’s known in its native United Kingdom, is one of the most delicious, hilarious, and watchable cooking shows to ever grace the small screen. While we typically prefer seeing these delectable creations (or disasters) in all their glory, maybe folding clothes will distract and prevent you from mindlessly eating as you watch.

Modern Family (2009 - 2020)

There’s nothing dysfunctional about the Dunphy and Pritchett families from Modern Family, right? Well, maybe a little. This long-running sitcom is one the best options when you’re trying to fold clothes, or really do anything around the house. You’ll be so fixated by Phil coming up with some scheme, Cameron and Mitchell having a meltdown, or Jay being over it all that you’ll forget you’re doing laundry.

Somebody Feed Phil (2018 - Present)

Somebody Feed Phil, a show that follows Everybody Loves Raymond co-creator Phil Rosenthal as he travels the globe to eat anything and everything in his field of view. With so many seasons, so many culinary explorations, and some hilarious moments involving a man loving food way too much, there’s a lot to enjoy.

House (2004 - 2012)

House is one of those shows you can start watching halfway through an episode and still get a lot of enjoyment out of it. One of the best medical dramas of the 21st century, this show starring Hugh Laurie as Dr. Gregory House will allow you to solve all sorts of medical problems and mysteries as you fold your kids' clothes that never really seem to get clean.

Grey's Anatomy (2005 - Present)

Since its debut in 2005, Grey’s Anatomy has combined elements of the medical drama genre with romance and sometimes action to create an experience like no other. If you’re looking for hundreds of hours of TV to help make the laundry go from a mound of madness to a stack of clothes you’ll soon forget to put away, this is the stuff.

MTV True Life (1998 - 2017)

MTV True Life was a long-running documentary series that chronicled pretty much every aspect of life for teenagers, adults, and everyone else. With dozens of episodes about everything from wrestling to odd obsessions, you’ll have a lot of variety when you’re folding the sheets.

How I Met Your Mother (2005 - 2014)

How I Met Your Mother has nine seasons of romance, bromance, chaos, and more twists and turns than anyone can count. That’s why it’s such a darn good show for the weekly (or monthly) laundry experience. Watch Ted Mosby fall in and out of love and back in it again as you contemplate your own life, or at least laundry decisions.

If you have been watching Shifting Gears since it hit the 2025 TV schedule, you’ll know there are some differences between Tim Allen’s character in the new ABC series and his character in previous network sitcoms. He’s no longer a tool man (like Home Improvement) or an outdoorsman (like Last Man Standing), but a car man. He’s no longer a married husband but a grieving widower. He’s no longer a dad but also a grandad to older kids. And he recently revealed why his character is very different on his new show with Kat Dennings.

Namely, when the project was being pitched, Allen said he had one request about his character if he were to return to network TV. He wanted a character that was “closer” to his real personality, and we’re not just talking about his signature grunts.

After Allen made his request known, it sounds like the writing team got to work and crafted a character who really is like the actor. His love for classic cars shines in Shifting Gears, as Matt owns an auto shop and Allen even told CinemaBlend the show is using some of his cars! He's a funny guy who uses humor to cut through grief, a response the actor could access because he has dealt with sadness in his personal life.

Furthermore, Allen told Us Weekly one thing he wanted to hammer home is that Matt Parker is “not a ‘man’s man’” just like himself in real life. Allen grew up in a household of women, and had two daughters in his marriages to Laura Deibel and Jane Hajduk (women who are not to be confused with his "TV wife" Nancy Travis).

Ultimately, it's working. Kat Dennings is a great live studio audience sparring partner, and the two of them have a real-life commonality as well. Shifting Gears already hit a milestone at ABC, so here's hoping it stays on the air long enough to reach a future where there's some sitcom crossover like on Last Man Standing.

Personally, I've always kind of felt that Tim Allen as a comedian is accessing a part of himself in every role he's taken on, but in this case it definitely sounds like Matt Parker was specifically designed to hit closer to home. After 30+ years in the industry, the actor deserves it.

As the man himself has said, Tim Allen is the Tom Brady of sitcoms. His return for Shifting Gears, which is airing on the 2025 TV schedule, further proves that fact, as he’s about to embark on his third round of family-centered laughs and snark. That fact isn’t lost on the veteran of such network hits as Home Improvement and Last Man Standing, which is why when he was approached for this new ride, he had a very specific request in mind.

During his recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the comedy icon talked about how he got a little introspective when stating what he wanted to do for Shifting Gears. There were actually two aspects that Tim Allen wanted to tie into Matt Parker, his new character, but as you can see, he tied both together with a common theme he was keen to explore:

As far as the profession goes, Shifting Gears' having Tim Allen working with cars and tools almost feels like the last piece of a triangle of ruggedness that the man has embodied over decades of TV. Previously, Home Improvement had Allen play Tim “The Toolman” Taylor, while Last Man Standing’s Mike Baxter was a sporting goods mogul.

That past history only further helps the Santa Clause actor’s request to be a widower dealing with grief, as he teams with fellow sitcom star Kat Dennings. Again, when you’re the Tom Brady of sitcoms, you don’t want to just play the same game on the same team.

Strangely enough, that dedication led to Tim Allen doing “reverse restorations” on his own cars. That passion for restoration apparently works both ways, as the use of Allen’s autos on Shifting Gears has given Matt Parker some stuff to tinker with throughout this season, and potentially beyond.

It may be too early to talk out what Shifting Gears’ premiere ratings have to say about the show’s potential longevity. In the same breath, it should be noted that the first-year ABC comedy did come close to the numbers pulled in by NBC’s Chicago Med. That’s a pretty impressive feat when going up against an established medical drama of ten seasons and counting.

While the critical reactions to Shifting Gears were a mixed bag of notes, this initial response from viewers could be an early sign that Allen’s championship run of sitcoms could keep going. That being said, taking a look at videos like the time Tim Allen pulled a very meta reveal on the show’s set is probably the furthest thing from this gearhead's mind.

If you’re ready for Shifting Gears, you can catch it as it airs on ABC, Wednesdays at 8 PM E.T. Hulu subscription holders are able to watch new episodes the day after they air, so try not to spoil too much from the jokes that drop fresh each week. Oh, and if Tom Brady’s reading this - you should honestly think about some sort of cameo in a future episode. It’s only fitting to have a meeting of the G.O.A.Ts.

Tim Allen has made a career out of being a sitcom dad on Home Improvement and then Last Man Standing, and now he’s back for a third time with Shifting Gears, which premiered last week on the 2025 TV schedule. As Allen’s character Matt Parker navigates his relationship with estranged daughter Riley (Kat Dennings), it sounds like Allen is thinking about re-teaming with another of his TV children. The actor talked about Jonathan Taylor Thomas possibly appearing on Shifting Gears, and that’s one reunion I’d definitely be tuning in for.

Shifting Gears (available to stream with a Hulu subscription) premiered January 8 on ABC, but apparently Tim Allen wasn’t the only one who returned to the Home Improvement lot. Jonathan Taylor Thomas, who played middle child Randy on the ‘90s sitcom, apparently paid a visit to set, so does that mean we’ll see JTT reunite with his TV dad? Allen told US Weekly:

It would be a pretty big deal if Jonathan Taylor Thomas were to appear on Shifting Gears. The former child actor ultimately left Hollywood behind after exiting early from Home Improvement’s final season and hasn’t done much acting since, outside of a few guest appearances on series including 8 Simple Rules, Smallville and Veronica Mars in the early aughts.

JTT did, however, notably reunite with Tim Allen for four episodes of Last Man Standing, and he even directed three, so it certainly seems like the two have remained in contact over the years. When saying that he “raised” Jonathan Taylor Thomas on set, Allen also referenced his other TV sons, Zachery Ty Bryan and Taran Noah Smith (who played Brad and Mark, respectively) and seemed to comment on Bryan’s legal issues when he said:

Zachary Ty Bryan has a history of assault allegations, with the most recent domestic violence arrest occurring January 2 of this year. He also has been arrested for driving under the influence five times over the years, with two DUI arrests in 2024 alone. As for Taran Noah Smith, he — like JTT — quit acting following Home Improvement.

Given the fact that Jonathan Taylor Thomas worked with Tim Allen on Last Man Standing and was apparently hanging around the Shifting Gears set, it doesn’t seem out of the question that he might join his former TV dad on another project — either in front of or behind the camera. As for an actual Home Improvement spinoff, however, I’m not holding my breath.

While Tim Allen has said he’s talked to Jonathan Taylor Thomas and his on-screen brothers about an idea he has, his TV wife Patricia Richardson shot down talk of a reboot in 2024 and said Thomas had also denied talking to Allen about it.

It sounds like Tim Allen’s new ABC sitcom might be our best chance at a reunion. Shifting Gears premiered to middling reviews, with critics noting lots of generation gap jokes and commentary on what’s wrong with kids these days — no surprise to those familiar with Allen’s brand of comedy. If you want to check out the show and keep an eye out for a JTT reunion, Shifting Gears airs at 8 p.m. ET Wednesdays on ABC and streaming on Hulu the next day.

Tim Allen has been a household staple in the TV network sitcom game since the early ‘90s, and he’s not stopping anytime soon. The Last Man Standing star has a new series coming titled Shifting Gears, which he is co-starring in with Kat Dennings, set to premiere on our 2025 TV schedule. Now, while I’m quite excited to see Tim Allen take on this new family dynamic, the self-proclaimed Tom Brady of sitcoms was recently reminded of where it all started, and it turns out he was hitting some huge career milestones exactly 30 years ago.

In a nostalgic set of coincidences, the Shifting Gears pilot was filmed on the same lot as Home Improvement, Allen’s first long-running sitcom that aired on ABC for 8 years in the ‘90s. That was a big decade for the Toy Story actor, but it turns out this week in particular marks some major accomplishments. That was proven by a graphic shared on his Instagram that shows him holding down multiple #1 spots exactly 30 years ago, including top book, movie, and TV show, all at once. So it would seem congratulations are in order. Take a look:

Whether you are a fan of Allen or not, you have to admit that’s pretty impressive.

However, what really shocked me was the fact that The Santa Clause came out 30 years ago?? It’s always been a family favorite Christmas movie in my house, and it's a film that inadvertently spurred a whole franchise, including a Disney+ reboot, despite Allen being on the naughty list during the first film.

Honestly, seeing this massive accomplishment from 30 years ago has me feeling nostalgic. While all three films and the recent Santa Clauses series are available on Disney+, the streaming home for Tim Allen’s greatest hits, I’ll always remember getting so excited to see them live on TV as part of ABC Family’s 25 Days of Christmas.

Unlike The Santa Clause, it would seem Allen’s other top project from the ‘90s will not be getting a reboot. While there were rumors of a Home Improvement revival, tensions between the cast seem to have put rumors to bed. Sometimes it's better to let things rest than to dig them back up again. Plus, it seems the Christmas With The Kranks actor would agree, as he hopes “three's a charm” with this new show Shifting Gears.

Overall, 30 years is a long time. While Tim Allen appears to be in great shape, he still is 71 years old. Shifting Gears could potentially be the last sitcom he works on before retirement depending on its ratings and longevity. Will it be the career-defining project he’s hoping for? Clearly, he had a golden age in the ‘90s, and Home Improvement will be hard to beat with its multiple Emmy wins and Golden Globe award for Tim Allen himself. But only time will tell.

You can stream both Home Improvement and The Santa Clause with a Disney+ subscription.

Even the best shows need to end, and some of the classics had endings that are still remembered to this day. Apologies if you don’t see some of your favorites like Lost or The Sopranos on this list, as those series ended outside of the “classic” cutoff of 2004. But now, let’s get into some comfort shows, cult favorites, and overall stunners, and see how they all ended.

Cheers

In “One For The Road,” Sam Malone (Ted Danson) was this close to running off one last time with Diane Chambers (Shelley Long). But after the couple decided they’re better apart, Sam heads back to Cheers, in a finale that would become one of the highest rated TV episodes on IMDb, and surely wouldn’t be undone by any future guest appearances on a Frasier Crane spinoff.

Newhart

After eight seasons, Newhart’s series finale “The Last Newhart” seemed to have sold the entire town the Stratford Inn resided in… save for that respite run by Dick Loudon (Bob Newhart). However, in one of the most ingenious endings of TV history, the entire series turned out to be a dream in the mind of The Bob Newhart Show’s Dr. Robert Hartley (also Newhart). Now that is a proud member of the club for TV shows that ended well.

The Mary Tyler Moore Show

WJM-TV's Six O'Clock News gang is fired… except for everyone’s favorite blowhard Ted Baxter (Ted Knight). With The Mary Tyler Moore Show’s cast of comedic ringers sharing a famous final hug, and the same box of tissues, our friends send the long running sitcom out during “The Last Show” the exact way it came in: with heartfelt laughs.

Friends

“The Last One” is, thankfully, not on the list of the most ridiculous Friends episodes. And how could it be, with the two-part finale seeing the gang finally move into their own lives. Ross (David Schwimmer) and Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) finally agree to set their relationship status to “they will,” and sweethearts Monica (Courteney Cox) and Chandler (Matthew Perry) move to suburbia to start their family’s life.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Sunnydale’s Hellmouth finally collapses… taking the entire town Buffy The Vampire Slayer called home with it. But not before claiming the lives of Spike (James Marsters) and Anya (Emma Caulfield), and helping Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) realize that there are plenty of other Slayers that she can assist in a world still filled with supernatural danger. And of course Angel (David Boreanaz) and Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) return, to make “Chosen” a proper send off.

The Dick Van Dyke Show

Rob Petrie (Dick Van Dyke) writes a memoir, which sends us into The Dick Van Dyke Show’s flashback laden finale “The Last Chapter.” Unfortunately for him, the publisher isn’t as pleased with the results as his wife Laura (Mary Tyler Moore). That’s ok, Alan Brady (Carl Reiner) plans to adapt it into a TV show; which puts a beautifully funny bow on this sitcom classic.

Angel

Angel (David Boreanaz) finally seems to defeat the forces of evil at Wolfram & Hart, with several of Angel’s gang of misfits surviving the aptly titled “Not Fade Away.” Unfortunately for fans, the spinoff to Buffy the Vampire Slayer ends on a pumped up cliffhanger that doesn’t feel like the end of a series. Not to mention the death of Wesley Wyndam-Pryce (Alexis Denisof) probably still rubs some fans the wrong way; especially when creator Joss Whedon admitted to the A.V. Club that the former librarian would have survived… if the show hadn’t been canceled.

Roseanne

While ABC’s Roseanne would not only find itself revived, but also spun off into the sequel series The Connors, the original run of Roseanne Barr’s hit sitcom ended on a rather odd note. After a final season of increasingly weird and out of place twists, Roseanne Conner was revealed to have become a writer, and husband Dan (John Goodman) had actually died… a decision that would be retconned in a series revival decades after the fact.

Frasier (NBC)

Everyone Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) knows and loves is moving on in their lives, with the Cheers mainstay having his own new lease on life waiting for him in Chicago. Moving to the Windy City for a new job and the woman he loves, “Goodnight, Seattle” was a finale that was sure to have the final say, and not be undone by a future Paramount+ revival series.

Blackadder

For four seasons Blackadder saw Rowan Atkinson and a who’s who of British comedians, including but not limited to Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Rik Mayall, and Miriam Margolyes, sending history up with a laugh. But in the series finale “Goodbyeee,” the World War I centered story ended with our heroes engaged in one final push into combat, which somberly transitioned to a field of poppies. Lest we forget.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Leave it to Star Trek: The Next Generation to show us once more that “All Good Things…” do indeed come to an end. With Q (John DeLancie) resuming the prosecution of humanity he began in the series’ premiere, the finale sees Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) become the species’ greatest defender. The captain finally joins the ship’s regular poker game, with a future of motion picture and legacy-quels awaiting.

ER

Cook County General Hospital’s life on TV ended pretty much the way it started. As ER finally said goodbye with the episode “And In The End…” Dr. Carter (Noah Wylie) and his colleagues were swamped with cases that came from the same industrial accident. Ushering in what looks like the start of Rachel Greene (Hallee Hirsh) and her medical career, and with a recent reunion of old friends lingering in the air, life goes on.

Seinfeld

You’d be hard pressed to find a finale as controversial as Seinfeld’s “The Finale.” Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld), George (Jason Alexander), Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), and Kramer (Michael Richards) are all tried and convicted for violating the Good Samaritan law in Massachusetts, thanks to a parade of character witnesses who claim they are indeed the worst. It’s ok, Curb Your Enthusiasm’s series finale would relitigate, and seemingly correct this choice, in the funniest way possible years later.

Beverly Hills, 90210

One of the mainstays of ‘90s TV fittingly said farewell in 2000, as Beverly Hills, 90210 struck up “Ode To Joy” and sent West Bev’s finest fully into adulthood. Don’t worry: Kelly (Jennie Garth) and Dylan (Luke Perry) finally committed to each other in the end, in a decision that surely wouldn’t be undone by a CW legacy-quel series decades after the fact.

M*A*S*H

“Goodbye, Farewell and Amen” wasn’t just the last episode of M*A*S*H, it was a two and a half hour TV movie sending the men and women of the 4077 into that good night gracefully. The gang commemorated the end of the Korean War, and their eventual returns to civilian life. But not before ​​B.J. Hunnicutt (Mike Farrell) sends Hawkeye Pierce (Alan Alda) a final message that would live in television history.

The Fugitive

“The Judgment” finally brought an end to The Fugitive’s search for the One Armed Man, with Dr. Richard Kimble (David Janssen) being exonerated for the murder of his wife. In a two-parter that was staggered between two weeks of airtime, Part II was billed as “The Day The Running Stopped,” with Dr. Kimble and his dogged pursuer Lt. Philip Gerard (Barry Morse) parting ways as friends.

St. Elsewhere

St. Elsewhere’s Season 8 finale "The Last One" implied the entire series to be the creation of Tommy Westphall (Chad Allen), the autistic son of series regular Dr. Donald Westphall (Ed Flanders). That decision led to what Unsupervised Nerds dubbed “The Tommy Westphall Universe,” which implies that other series like Cheers, Homicide: Life on the Streets, and even Law and Order: SVU exist in that same sphere, thanks to various crossovers and references.

The Golden Girls

“One Flew Out of the Cuckoo's Nest” saw The Golden Girls closing the Lanai one final time, thanks to Dorothy (Bea Arthur) marrying Lucas (Leslie Nielsen), uncle to fellow housemate Blanche (Rue McClanahan). The two-part episode ended the seven season run of the network TV mainstay, while leading to one of the great TV spin offs you might have forgotten, The Golden Palace.

Dinosaurs

While Dinosaurs seems rather short-lived when compared to some of these other titans of TV, ABC’s four-season sitcom still landed a crushing blow with its series finale “Changing Nature.” As a chain of events doomed Pangea to perish in a freshly begun ice age, we see Earl Sinclair (Stuart Pankin) and his family struggling to find hope in the bleakest of situations.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’s series finale, the two-parter entitled "I, Done," spawned a meme thanks to the moment where Will (Will Smith) looks around at the mansion he called home for six seasons one last time. As the Banks family move on to the next chapters in their lives, the West Philadelphia transplant actually stays in California, ready to get an education and finally make a name for himself.

Family Matters

For a series that started with Steve Urkel (Jaleel White) as a secondary comic relief, Family Matters’ final episode “Lost in Space Part 2” showed how far the series had shifted in nine seasons. With Steve actually engaged to Laura Winslow (Kellie Shanygne Williams), and a mission to space ending in what felt far from a series finale, the show that switched networks from ABC to CBS during its run saw its nosy neighbor become the star of the show.

Star Trek

Star Trek’s initial five-year mission actually only lasted three seasons on the NBC network, and “Turnabout Intruder” showed just how abruptly this cancellation was carried out. In what seemed like another day aboard the USS Enterprise, Captain Kirk (William Shatner) switched bodies with former lover Dr. Janice Lester (Sandra Smith), who then proceeds to try and kill Kirk to assume his command. By the end, everyone’s back in their own bodies, with a future in the motion pictures just around the corner!

Home Improvement

The three-part epic “The Long and Winding Road” saw Home Improvement end on a note that was both bittersweet, and totally bonkers. With Tim (Tim Allen) and Jill (Patricia Richardson) deciding to stay in Detroit after watching Al (Richard Karn) getting married in their backyard. While Jonathan Taylor-Thomas’ Randy would be a no-show for the finale, the series ended with the Tool Man’s ultimate hare-brained scheme: towing and tugging the family home to wherever they might choose to move to in the future.

The Wonder Years

In an act that resembles the bittersweet nostalgia The Wonder Years always embodied, "Independence Day" provides us with closure through one last narration from older Kevin (Daniel Stern). Young Kevin (Fred Savage) and Winnie (Danica McKellar) weren’t the endgame we all expected, family wounds were healed, and life went on.

Quantum Leap

Say the words, "Sam Becket never returned home" to any Quantum Leap fan, and they’ll probably glare at you as if you’d kicked their puppy. But that’s exactly how NBC’s sci-fi fan favorite ended in the episode “Mirror Image: August 8, 1953.” Dr. Sam Beckett (Scott Bakula) was doomed to this horrific fate, and a misspelled name in the final title card, before sadly never returning.

Dallas

In a series as wild as Dallas, a crazy finale was all but assured. Sure enough, the Season 14 two-parter “Conundrum” saved the nuttiest for last, as J.R. Ewing (Larry Hagman) saw what life would have been like if he had never been born… and then was assumed to have shot himself after seeing the result. Five years later, the TV movie Dallas: J.R. Returns would prove that he didn’t shoot himself, allowing the Texas oil man to continue his reign of soapy terror.

The Cosby Show

After 8 seasons and 201 episodes, The Cosby Show saw “And So We Commence” closing the book on the Huxtables once and for all. What starts with Cliff (Bill Cosby) getting into another comedic scrape over graduation tickets eventually gives way to his son Theo (Malcolm-Jamal Warner) graduating from college. As the show drew to a close, our last image was of Cliff and wife Clair (Phylicia Rashad) dancing to the tune of a freshly fixed doorbell.

ALF

“Consider Me Gone” saw ALF ending after four seasons on NBC in a cliffhanger that was initially labeled “To Be Continued…” As ALF/Gordon Shumway (Paul Fusco) attempted to return home to Melmac, the nefarious Alien Task Force intercepted him at the last minute, and that was it. At least until the sequel movie Project ALF would provide a fitting, if not disappointing end, six years later, naming our alien wisecracker an official ambassador of Earth.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

The two-part episode “The Seven Wonders of the World Affair” drew The Man from U.N.C.L.E. to a close, with Napoleon Solo (Robert Vaughn) and Ilya Kuryakin (David McCallum) achieving the following result: "The battle (between good and evil) ends once and for all in favor of good." If only Guy Ritchie’s fan favorite film adaptation could have gotten the same ending.

Benson

Benson never intended to have a cliffhanger ending, but that’s exactly what “And the Winner is…” gave fans at the end of Season 7. Salon actually revealed that three different endings were filmed… with a tie being the most likely choice, leading into the hypothetical Season 8. But as it stands, Benson (Robert Guillaume) and Governor Gatling (James Noble) will forever be in a tie for the governorship.

Get Smart

In an ingenious spoof of Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels, Get Smart ended in a way similar to how The Man with the Golden Gun started. In “I’m Curiously Yellow,” Maxwell Smart (Don Adams) is brainwashed by an evil KAOS agent to sabotage his home agency CONTROL. But, as you might expect, the day was eventually saved… in an ending that kind of felt like another day at the office.

Freaks And Geeks

Nobody wanted to see NBC’s Freaks and Geeks end after just one season of magic, but alas that’s what "Discos and Dragons" did. After eighteen episodes of adolescent dramedy, Linda Cardellini’s Lindsay Weir ditched an academic event to follow the Grateful Dead on tour. Honestly, that feels like a rather poetic, if still unfortunate, way for creator Paul Feig’s beloved series to end.

Moms are strong by nature but TV's toughest moms rule their roost with high standards, great expectations and strong discipline. From sitcom staples like Roseanne Conner and Clair Huxtable to dramatic dames like Cersei Lannister and Cookie Lyon, these iron-fisted mamas don't get the credit they deserve when it comes to their strict and stern parenting styles. Here are 32 of our favorites. 

Roseanne Conner (Roseanne)

The fierce working-class "domestic goddess" at the center of the ABC sitcom Roseanne was always crazy-quick with a wisecrack and was never one to hold back an opinion. But though known for her loud, sarcastic and domineering nature, Roseanne Conner (Roseanne Barr) was always loving and protective towards her four kids, daughters Becky (Lecy Goranson and Sarah Chalke) and Darlene (Sara Gilbert), and sons D.J. (Michael Fishman) and Jerry (Cole and Morgan Roberts).

Clair Huxtable (The Cosby Show)

Despite having to juggle raising five children, maintaining a household and continuing a successful law career, The Cosby Show's Clair Huxtable (Phylicia Rashad) was always a vision of class and composure. While her husband Cliff was the more fun-loving and boisterous parent, Clair was the disciplinarian of the Huxtable residence and was assertive in teaching her kids about responsibility and respect. 

Peggy Bundy (Married... With Children)

With her refusal to cook, clean or cater to her boorish husband Al (Ed O'Neil), Peggy Bundy (Katey Sagal) from the beloved blue-collar comedy Married... with Children was TV's ultimate anti-housewife. Where other small-screen moms used their iron fist to ensure order and discipline, Peg unapologetically prioritized her own couch-sitting, Oprah-watching "Me Time" over traditional parenting and domestic work. But that doesn't mean she didn't regularly make time to voice her opinions about her lackluster hubby and kids Kelly (Christina Applegate) and Bud (David Faustino).

Wilma Flintstone (The Flintstones) 

When you're married to a literal caveman, it's no surprise that Wilma Flintstone had to be level-headed and strong-willed for the sake of her family. Throughout the classic cartoon series The Flintstones, the Stone Age mama was tender and caring to her hubby Fred and daughter Pebbles but was known to utilize a firm hand — and a frying pan — when things got a little too rambunctious in her household. 

Claire Dunphy (Modern Family)

Often regulated to being the strict mom opposite goofy dad Phil (Ty Burrell), Claire (Julie Bowen) is the hardworking and often anxiety-ridden head of the Dunphy household. In trying to wrangle her husband and three children — Haley (Sarah Hyland), Alex (Ariel Winter) and Luke (Nolan Gould) — The Modern Family matriarch can regularly be neurotic and controlling but every ounce of that effort clearly comes from a place of love. 

Jessica Huang (Fresh Off The Boat)

Just as her husband Louis (Randall Park) described her, Jessica Huang (Constance Wu) from the ABC sitcom Fresh Off the Boat is "aggressive yet elegant." No-nonsense, traditional and very competitive, she pushes both her spouse and their sons Eddie (Hudson Yang), Emery (Forrest Wheeler) and Evan (Ian Chen) to succeed in their careers and academics, respectively. For example, she's plenty pleased with Evan's future plans of becoming "doctor/president," but less so when Eddie reveals that he wants to go to culinary school instead of college.

Cersei Lannister (Game Of Thrones)

Like many things in her life, Cersei Lannister's (Lena Headey) relationship with her children throughout Game of Thrones was often fueled by her own pride and need for power. However, that doesn't mean that Cersei wouldn't kill for her kids — and she did. When it came to the safety of Joffrey (Jack Gleeson), Myrcella (Nell Tiger Free) and Tommen (Dean-Charles Chapman), she parented with a leonine fierceness, to the danger of her enemies. 

Florida Evans (Good Times)

First introduced as a feisty maid in Maude, strong-willed Chicago mother Florida Evans (Esther Rolle) is the heart and soul of the original Good Times. Despite considerable financial issues and a never-ending list of chores and responsibilities, Florida always kept her household in line, offering up stern but loving discipline and instilling valuable morals in her three children J.J. (Jimmy Walker) Thelma (Bern Nadette Stanis), and Michael Evans (Ralph Carter). 

Lois Wilkerson (Malcolm In The Middle)

As the mother of five highly mischievous and unruly young boys, we really can't blame Malcolm in the Middle's Lois Wilkerson (Jane Kaczmarek) for being a touch stubborn, overbearing and hotheaded. Lois genuinely cares about her children, but her idea of discipline is jokingly dubbed "sadistic" by the boys: "Your punishment isn't over until that bathroom floor is so clean you'll be eating off it. Which is what you'll be doing for the next three weeks," she memorably punished son Reese in Season 6. 

Norma Bates (Bates Motel)

Now, we're certainly not suggesting that Norma Bates (Vera Farmiga) had a healthy parenting style throughout the A&E horror drama Bates Motel, but she certainly was a devoted, if domineering, mother to Norman (Freddie Highmore). Norma can be clingy and critical of her son — and has especially harsh opinions about the girls Norman hangs out with — but she always does everything in her power to protect him. 

Emily Gilmore (Gilmore Girls)

It seems like the only people Emily Gilmore (Kelly Bishop) is more judgmental of than her own daughter Lorelai (Lauren Graham) — no picnic in the mom department, herself — are her maids, who she seemingly hired and fired every other episode of Gilmore Girls. The wealthy matriarch of the eponymous family is known for her high standards, snooty attitude and controlling nature: a textbook example is forcing Lorelai and granddaughter Rory (Alexis Bledel) to attend Friday night dinner at her home every week, no exceptions. 

Debra Barone (Everybody Loves Raymond)

A classic example of a TV mom having to play the "bad cop" to a "fun dad" type is Debra Barone (Patricia Heaton) from Everybody Loves Raymond. While husband Ray (Ray Romano) often gets up to nearly as many hijinks as their kids Ally (Madylin Sweeten), Geoffrey and Michael (Sullivan and Sawyer Sweeten), Debra is all business. She's responsible, hardworking and not afraid to speak her mind — except, it seems, when it comes to her meddling mother-in-law Marie (Doris Roberts). 

Harriette Winslow (Family Matters)

The matriarch of the Winslow family (largely played by Jo Marie Payton but replaced with Judyann Elder in Family Matters' final season) knows order and discipline: she left the police force when she became pregnant with her eldest, Eddie (Darius McCrary). Raising three kids, Harriette is regularly the voice of reason in the Winslow household but is a sharp-tongued disciplinarian when she needs to be. 

Colleen Donaghy (30 Rock)

Portrayed by the legendarily brash Elaine Stritch, the mother of Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) always dishes out tough love when it comes to her son. With just one of her many characteristically biting quips (“Don’t talk to me like that Jack. I breastfed you for nine years!”) Colleen is able to instantly turn her slick, successful businessman of a son into a fearful little boy. 

Beverly Goldberg (The Goldbergs)

The Goldbergs' Beverly (Wendi McLendon-Covey) puts the "mother" in "smother" — hugs are mandatory and she can often be found meddling in various areas of her kids' worlds, from school to sports to social life. But the snuggies-loving matriarch can be strict, tough and opinionated, not only when it comes to her children Erica (Hayley Orrantia), Barry (Troy Gentile) and Adam (Sean Giambrone) but also herself: "I have failed as a mother!" is the character's main catchphrase. 

Galina ‘Red’ Reznikov (Orange Is The New Black)

Yes, even prisoners need a mother figure and Litchfield Penitentiary has Red (Kate Mulgrew). Compassionate but very cunning — this is a woman who was in cahoots with the Russian Mafia, after all — she rules her block of the prison with a watchful eye, explicitly prohibiting her girls from partaking in drugs whilst running a well-oiled smuggling ring to get them the contraband goods they need. 

Vivian Banks (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air)

Firstly, we're specifically talking about Aunt Viv as portrayed by Janet Hubert for the first half of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. (Daphne Maxwell Reid took over the role in season four after Hubert was dismissed from the show.) As no-nonsense as she was nurturing, Hubert's take on the character was more fiery than her successor, a strong, confident university professor who wasn't afraid to lay down a hard lesson to her three children, her students or her troublemaking nephew (Will Smith). 

Marge Simpson (The Simpsons)

Marge is the blue-haired, bee-hived moralistic center of the Simpsons family. With a fam that includes an oafish husband like Homer, a notorious prankster like Bart and an eternal infant like Maggie, The Simpsons matriarch has to run a tight ship to maintain order in her antics-filled household. She doesn't approve of the kids' violent video games or cartoons, has followed Bart's whereabouts through his cell phone and is always pushing her family to go to mass. As Homer says of his wife: "If it were up to [Marge], all we would ever do is work and go to church."

Violet Crawley (Downton Abbey)

Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess of Grantham (played by Dame Maggie Smith), is not exactly known for being a cuddly grandmother sort. Instead, the stately Downton Abbey matriarch is defined by her dry wit, direct nature and deep investment in maintaining the family's traditions, honor and legacy. 

Barbara Howard (Abbott Elementary)

Barbara Howard (Emmy winner Sheryl Lee Ralph) didn't just raise kids of her own at home — she's raised whole classrooms full of impressionable youngins as a kindergarten teacher at Willard R. Abbott Elementary School for the past two decades. Super old-school (no, she will not be learning that new teaching technology, thank you very much) and strictly religion, she's the kind of teacher who quiets rowdy classrooms the second she steps foot into them. 

Tami Taylor (Friday Night Lights)

As both a mother to teen daughter Julie (Aimee Teegarden) and little Gracie Belle (Madilyn Landry) and a counselor at Dillon High School to countless students, Connie Britton's tough yet compassionate Tami Taylor regularly guided the youth with equal parts firmness and fairness. Through five seasons of Friday Night Lights, she was a sounding board and a calm authority, but always with a little bit of Southern sweetness sprinkled on top. 

Jill Taylor (Home Improvement)

The lion-hearted leading lady of the Taylor family, Jill (Patricia Richardson) raises her three sons Brad (Zachery Ty Bryan), Randy (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) and Mark (Taran Noah Smith) with a stern hand and Type-A attitude while also remaining lovingly perceptive and good-naturedly allowing for silly moments. However, you know that when she addresses her husband Tim (Tim Allen) or her sons by their full name, somebody is definitely in trouble. 

Cookie Lyon (Empire)

Talk about one tough cookie: Empire's queen bee Cookie Lyon (Taraji P. Henson) tells it like it is, demands respect and doesn't tolerate nonsense in any aspect of her life, including when it comes to her children Andre (Trai Byers), Jamal (Jussie Smollett) and Hakeem (Bryshere Y. Gray). She can be extremely headstrong and brash, but she definitely has a caring and compassionate side and she always puts her family first. 

Sophia Petrillo (The Golden Girls)

Sarcasm and sass certainly seem to be genetic in the Petrillo household: both mom Sophia (Estelle Getty) and daughter Dorothy Zbornak (Bea Arthur) possess each personality trait in spades. As Dorothy's actual parent and the surrogate mother of her roommates Blanche Devereaux (Rue McClanahan) and Rose Nyland (Betty White), Sophia doles out wisecracks and criticisms often — about Dorothy’s lack of love life, Blanche’s promiscuity and Rose’s stupidity — but beneath all of her hilarious put-downs beats a lot of love. 

Nalini Vishwakumar (Never Have I Ever)

Never Have I Ever's Nalini (Poorna Jagannathan) can be hard on her teen daughter Devi (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) but her overly strict and at times overbearing nature stems from not only her traditional Indian upbringing but also her sheer love and concern for her child. (As fans no doubt remember, Nalini lost her husband to a heart attack before the start of the series, a trauma which sparked temporary paralysis in her daughter.) Sometimes it's hard for her to show tenderness, but her heart is always in the right place. 

Olivia Walton (The Waltons)

Yes, Olivia Walton (Michael Learned) is an exceedingly sweet and compassionate lady, but there's one area of her life in which she does not play around: her parenting. She prompts all seven of her children (John-Boy, Jason, Mary-Ellen, Ben, Erin Walton, Jim-Bob and Elizabeth) to have good manners and posture, requires them to read the Bible and never miss Sunday service, and will resort to scolding her children if they misbehave. 

Carmela Soprano (The Sopranos) 

Steely and steadfast, Carmela Soprano (Edie Falco) is like any good Italian-American mom: she's armed with a deep sense of obligation to her family, works hard to create a (somewhat) stable environment for daughter Meadow (Jamie-Lynn Sigler) and son A.J. (Robert Iler), and can make a mean lasagna. With her husband Tony (James Gandolfini) busy with Mafia business, Carmela does the lion's share of the parenting and when it comes to chastising her children, she's proven to be just as formidable as her spouse.

Thelma Harper (Mama’s Family)

Known simply as Mama, Thelma Harper (Vicki Lawrence) from the NBC sitcom Mama's Family headed her household with a sharp wit, an acid tongue and a quick temper. Bluntly outspoken and hilariously grumpy, the series version of the character was actually reportedly softer-edged than the original iteration conceived for The Carol Burnett Show. And despite Mama's frequent bickering and bad attitude, all of her cooking, cleaning and curmudgeonly care is clearly out of love.  

Gemma Teller Morrow (Sons Of Anarchy) 

A more hard-edged mama than her other famous TV mom character Peg Bundy, Katey Sagal's Gemma Teller Morrow is unapologetic about how protective she is of not only her son Jax (Charlie Hunnam) and grandchildren but also her surrogate family, the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club. Equipped with equal parts savagery and vulnerability, she's adapted to her gritty environment and can be tough, competitive and manipulative in the lengths she'll go to to defend those she loves.

Penelope Alvarez (One Day At A Time)

Don't let her quirky, fun-loving demeanor fool you — as One Day at a Time's main madre Penelope Alvarez (Justina Machado) is quick to remind you, she's a "total badass." As a single Cuban-American mother, a nurse practitioner and a former Staff Sergeant in the United States Army, "Lupe" has a strong work ethic and sense of discipline, which she makes sure to instill in her children Elena (Isabella Gomez) and Alex (Marcel Ruiz).

Evelyn Harper (Two And A Half Men)

Son Alan Harper (Jon Cryer) doesn't jokingly call her "the queen of darkness" for nothing. Yes, the wealthy and five-time-widowed Evelyn (played by Holland Taylor) can be quite cold, callous and critical when it comes to her sons Alan and Charlie (Charlie Sheen) and grandson Jake (Angus T. Jones). She majorly disapproves of Alan's failed marriages as well as Charlie's personal hobbies — granted, the latter is drinking, gambling and womanizing, so she might be onto something. 

Lynette Scavo (Desperate Housewives)

Having to deal with four demanding children (Porter, Preston, Parker and Penny) as a stay-at-home mom while her husband Tom (Doug Savant) is at the office every day, Lynette (Felicity Huffman) is understandably stressed much of the time, which tends to manifest itself as a neurotic and controlling nature. She also often tends to go over the top when it comes to disciplining her children — for example, she once ditched her kiddos on the side of the road to teach them about following orders. 

Sometimes the younger characters on a TV comedy are the heart and soul of the show. However, there are plenty of other sitcom kids who might be the reason you stop tuning in... or refuse to have children of your own. 

We will admit that it took a good chunk of time to sift through the greatest sitcoms ever and find characters who really earned the right to be called "horribly misbehaved" and, in fact, you might find some of our choices a bit controversial. Please bear with us as we look back on the sitcom kids that really need a time-out.

Louis Stevens (Even Stevens)

The role that made Shia LaBeouf a star was Louis Stevens, who is the central focus of the hit Disney Channel original comedy series, Even Stevens. However, the sometimes well-meaning seventh grader is the pariah of his family, due to his severe lack of responsibility and reputation for pulling childish, yet impressively elaborate, pranks.

Zack Morris (Saved By The Bell)

Out of all the main teens from Saved By the Bell, the fourth-wall-breaking Zack Morris seems like the one you would most likely want to identify with, from his confident demeanor to his ability to stop time. Yet, a series by Funny or Die called Zack Morris is Trash has since convinced the world, including Zack actor Mark-Paul Gosselaar, how problematic his character was by pointing out his smug ignorance and self-serving ambitions.

Dennis Mitchell (Dennis The Menace)

Everything you need to know about Dennis Mitchell (Jay North) is in the title of his late '50s, early '60s sitcom inspired by the eponymous comic strip, Dennis the Menace. Of course, to be fair, George Wilson's young neighbor never sets out to start trouble but has issues following rules, which often causes accidents at other people's expense.

Eddie Haskell (Leave It To Beaver)

The precocious title character of Leave It to Beaver (Jerry Mathers) and his older brother, Wally (Tony Dow), certainly got themselves into trouble on many occasions but their overall behavior was saintly compared to Eddie Haskell (Ken Osmond). Wally's best friend would try to hide his rudeness and scheming nature by putting on a mild-mannered front, but Mrs. Cleaver (Barbara Billingsley) could still see right through him.

Zack Martin (The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody)

After years of sharing the same role (such as Julian in Big Daddy), Cole and Dylan Sprouse each got to play their own half of the titular brotherly duo from Disney Channel's The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. While future Riverdale cast member Cole played the intelligent and more mature Cody, Dylan got the role of the more self-centered and rebellious twin brother, Zack, who was typically the brains behind any troubling circumstances they would find themselves in.

Eric Cartman (South Park)

The inciting incident in many of the most outrageous episodes of South Park often has something to do with Eric Cartman. Anything and everything the loud-mouthed bully says and does is a reflection of his hateful personality that goes wildly beyond childish misbehavior. Perhaps more people would respect his "authoritah" if he was not such a despicable human being.

Bam-Bam (The Flintstones)

Both of the kids from Hanna-Barbera's The Flintstones are irresistibly cute, but we much would rather be in Fred and Wilma's place and raise Pebbles. We do not envy Barney and Betty, who should have never given Bam-Bam his signature club in the first place and should have taken it away many, many times.

Reese (Malcolm In The Middle)

All of the boys in the Malcolm in the Middle cast, even including Frankie Muniz's unusually intelligent title character, had their moments of impertinence, but no one else was on the same level as Reese. Justin Berfield's character seemed to live for insubordination, despite probably not understanding what that word means.

Megan Parker (Drake & Josh)

In Nickelodeon's Drake & Josh, Josh Nichols (Josh Peck) gained both a stepbrother in Drake Parker (Drake Bell) and a stepsister in Megan (Miranda Cosgrove), who now had two targets to torment. However, the pre-teen girl's "pranks" went far beyond anything that could be considered cute and childish and often bordered on life-endangering. 

Bart Simpson (The Simpsons)

Where do we begin with Bart Simpson, who opens every single episode of The Simpsons by writing a different incriminating activity on the school chalkboard during detention? We could mention just one example of his many pranks that did not end well, such as when he handed Homer (Dan Castellaneta) a Duff can be shaken so vigorously that it blew the roof off of their house.

Darlene Conner (Roseanne)

In the early seasons of Roseanne, Darlene Conner (Sara Gilbert) especially boasted a relentlessly smart mouth and perpetual laziness. However, you could say that she was not much different from her own mother (Roseanne Barr) when you really think about it.

Kelly Bundy (Married... With Children)

The real problem with the elder Bundy child, Kelly (Christina Applegate), from the iconic blue-collar TV show, Married... with Children is her aggressive selfishness and hopeless absent-mindedness. As far as any misbehavior in her life goes, she only has our sympathies, considering the people who raised her.

Mateo Villanueva (Jane The Virgin)

Mateo Villanueva (Elias Janssen) came from humble beginnings, being the son of the chaste Jane (Gina Rodriguez) and Rafael Solano (Justin Baldoni) after an accidental artificial insemination. However, even some of the biggest fans of Jane the Virgin believe that the child turned out to be something of a spoiled brat for the most part.

Axl Heck (The Middle)

Rarely is the oldest child from a sitcom family the one that starts the most trouble, but the Hecks' first-born son, Axl (Charlie McDermott) has earned it. The reason, in particular, is the awfully rude and belittling way he treats his younger sister, Sue (who almost got a The Middle spin-off led by Eden Sher), on a nearly constant basis

Ben Gellar (Friends)

A young Cole Sprouse was once part of the Friends cast in the role of Ross Gellar's (David Schwimmer) first child, Ben, whom we discover enjoys pulling gross and even harmful gags on his father, mother Carol (Jane Sibbett), and stepmother Susan (Jessica Hecht). Then again, it was Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) who gave him the idea for some of these pranks, so she might be the one to blame after all.

Pearl Krabs (SpongeBob SquarePants)

It appears that Mr. Krabs' (Clancy Brown in one of his best roles) selfish and demanding personality not only rubbed off on his (probably) adoptive daughter, Pearl (Lori Alan), but also made her much worse. The teenage whale throws uproarious temper tantrums over the smallest inconveniences which, given her size, often cause damage.

London Tipton (The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody)

Before Brenda Song became known for her relationship with Macaulay Culkin, she was a Disney Channel star, stealing the show in The Suite Life of Zack & Cody as London Tipton. All you really need to know about the dim-witted teen heiress to a hotel magnate is in her catchphrase: "Yay me!"

Brad Taylor (Home Improvement)

There are not too many unlikable characters in the Home Improvement cast, but our default choice for the "misbehaved kid" from the long-running sitcom would have to be Brad. For years, the most definitive personality trait for Tim (Tim Allen) and Jill (Patricia Richardson)'s oldest son (played by Zachary Ty Bryan) was the cruel treatment of his youngest brother, Mark, often with help from middle sibling Randy (Jonathan Taylor Thomas).

Miley Stewart (Hannah Montana)

She may have been the protagonist of the smash hit Disney Channel comedy, but the power and influence that Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus) gained from her secret life as a pop music sensation clearly went to her head, based on her often rude disposition toward her own family members or even to strangers. In fact, her problematic behavior was the driving force of the plot for 2009's Hannah Montana: The Movie.

Candace Flynn (Phineas And Ferb)

Voiced by High School Musical's Ashley Tisdale, Candace Flynn might argue that her eponymous younger brother and stepbrother were really the ill-behaved ones in her family. However, any true fan of Phineas and Ferb knows that Phineas (Vincent Martella) and Ferb (Thomas Sangster) made summer better with all of their wildly inventive activities and she wasted a lot of time trying to ruin their fun when all she needed to do was chill out.

Beans (Even Stevens)

The only young character on Disney's Even Stevens who was more mischievous than Shia LaBeouf's Louis was his little buddy, Bernard Aranguren, whom he dubbed "Beans." Played by Steven Anthony Lawrence, the bacon-loving menace could be a reliable friend, but his devotion to the Stevens family could be seen as blatant free-loading.

Bud Bundy (Married... With Children)

David Faustino's character on the risque family sitcom Married... with Children was much smarter than his sister, or his father, Al (Ed O'Neill), and mother, Peg (Katey Segal), for that matter. If only he would apply his intelligence toward things other than half-baked schemes or his own libido, we might be proud of him.

Kenan Rockmore (Kenan & Kel)

When rewatching Kenan & Kel recently, it occurred to us that, while the accident-prone and absent-minded Kel (Kel Mitchell) is often blamed for the trouble he and Kenan (Kenan Thompson) get into, it is really not his fault. The true troublemaker is Kenan, who is practically addicted to the rush of pulling off crazy schemes that always blow up in his face.

Trina Vega (Victorious)

On Nickelodeon's Victorious, Victoria Justice's central character, Tori Vega gets accepted into a performing arts college after years of living in the shadow of her older sister, Trina (Daniella Monet), who is not quite as worthy of the honor as she thinks. If only Trina were more humble and not aggressively oblivious of her shortcomings, she might not use her belief that she is more attractive and more talented than literally anyone else around her as an excuse for constant put-downs.

Cory Baxter (That's So Raven)

In the very first episode of Disney's That So Raven, the psychic title character (Raven-Symoné) describes her younger brother as "a master in deceit and the art of psychological manipulations." There is no doubt that Cory (Kyle Massey) was highly intelligent for his age, but applied his brains to lies and schemes to take the easy way out of things and try to get rich.

Liv Rooney (Liv And Maddie)

One of the best TV shows for Dove Cameron fans to watch is her breakthrough Disney Channel series in which she plays both titular roles from Liv and Maddie. It is no wonder why Cameron earned a Daytime Emmy for her dual performances for the way she seamlessly differentiates the two, with Liv Rooney being the polar opposite of her smarter and far more selfless twin sister.

 Pim Diffy (Phil Of The Future)

On Disney Channel's Phil of the Future, teenage Phil Diffy (Raviv Ullman) and his family try to hide that are from the 22nd Century secret while trapped in the mid-2000s. However, the one who typically came closest to spilling the beans and getting in the most trouble was Phil's younger sister, Pim (Amy Bruckner), who was not just an adorable menace but had genuine ambitions for world domination.

Arnold Jackson (Diff'rent Strokes)

The late Gary Coleman's endearing performance on Diff'rent Strokes made him one of the adored child stars of his generation. If not for his charming demeanor, that might not have been the case as his character, Arnold, should have gotten in trouble far more often for his mouthy habits.

Kate Sanders (Lizzie McGuire)

There are some moments from Disney Channel's Lizzie McGuire, which almost got a Disney+ revival, that hints at a time when Lizzie (Hilary Duff), Miranda (Lalaine), and Gordo (Adam Lamberg) were friends with Kate Sanders (Ashlie Brillault). It is hard for them, and for us, to believe that they could have ever had a cordial relationship with the uproariously bullish and prissy student who practically seems to dedicate her life to belittling the trio.

Vanessa Thomkins (The Bernie Mac Show)

Most of Vanessa Thomkins' (Camille Winbush) interactions with her eponymous uncle on The Bernie Mac Show involved her talking back to him and undermining his every attempt to be a parent to her. In her defense, her rebelliousness is likely a symptom of her abandonment issues and tougher home life before being taken in by Bernie and Wanda. 

Sam Puckett (iCarly)

We always felt that the pairing of Janette McCurdy's iCarly character, Sam Puckett. and Ariana Grande's Cat Valentine from Victorious was way too unlikely when they got their own Nickelodeon sitcom. However, when you think about it, it is honestly hard to believe at times that someone as kind and thoughtful as Carly Shay (Miranda Cosgrove) would become such great friends with an unashamed bully like Sam.

Caillou (Caillou)

Admittedly, the animated adaptation of the Canadian illustrated children's book series is not a sitcom. However, the titular four-year-old from Caillou was so ill-tempered, that he even irked viewers from PBS Kids' target demographic.

It’s been 25 years since Home Improvement ended (due to salary disagreements), but fans still can’t get enough of the ‘90s ABC sitcom. With many shows getting the reboot and revival treatment, the rumor mill has suggested that the beloved comedy may be making a comeback. Even lead actor Tim Allen shared ideas for a spinoff last year. More recently, one fan shared their thoughts on who should play the son of Richard Karn’s Al Borland should the project come to fruition. But the actor himself then shared his own perfect idea.

Richard Karn portrayed the master plumber, licensed contractor, and Tool Time co-host for the sitcom’s entire eight-season run. While his character never had a kid on the show, Al and Megan Cavanagh’s Trudy tied the knot in the series finale. So, depending on the potential reboot’s setting and who's included, it’s very possible that the Borlands have a kid or two by this point. After blondejoev suggested on X that Haley Joel Osment “would make a great Al Borland, Jr.,” Karn provided a candidate who's a bit closer to his heart:

It certainly wouldn’t be the first time that real-life family members have played kin on screen, and it's worked in many cases. Whether or not the Karns will actually team up for a sequel series is unknown, but it is fun to think about. Of course, part of that would depend on whether Karn’s son, Cooper, would be up for the job. Though I'd like to think that he'd probably be intrigued, at the very least, by the prospect of working with his dad on a TV show.

Of course, it should also be mentioned that Haley Joel Osment wouldn't be a bad pick, either. He certainly favors Richard Karn's character from a physical standpoint, and he also has great comedic chops.

If a reboot were to happen, it probably wouldn’t be for a while, though. Tim Allen is working on a new ABC sitcom that is actually being shot at the same studio lot as Home Improvement. The new show, Shifting Gears, has yet to receive a series order from ABC, as it's only in the pilot phase. So that means that there's a possibility that it doesn’t move forward at the network. However, Allen obviously has a long relationship with the company, and he's proven that he's still a draw on the small screen. So I'd say there’s a good chance it moves forward.

There have reportedly been real discussions of an HI reboot, according to Tim Allen, but his on-screen wife, Patricia Richardson, claimed earlier this year that she hadn't heard anything. And the same was apparently true of the pair's co-star, ‘90s teen heartthrob Jonathan Taylor Thomas, who also wasn't in the know when Richardson reached out to him about the supposed show. All the while, fellow series alum Zachery Ty Bryan has had legal troubles over the past few years, which would made his involvement in this theoretical production challenging.

Considering the enduring popularity of Home Improvement, I wouldn't be surprised if a reboot were to happen. Should it occur and Richard Karn's Al has a son, I'd hope to see Cooper Karn playing the role. In the meantime, fans can stream the classic multi-camera comedy with a Hulu subscription.

If anything, being a TV legend like comedian Tim Allen means at least one thing: when your show ends, people are always hopeful that you’ll return to the small screen on a weekly basis. So, when fans heard that the Home Improvement and Last Man Standing star was heading back to his sitcom home at ABC for a new pilot after nearly three years away, they were undeniably excited. Well, Allen was “geeked” also, and now that he’s returned to the lot that housed the comedy that made him famous to film that pilot, you can see the sweet pic he took to remember the occasion. 

What Picture Did Tim Allen Share After Returning To The Home Improvement Lot To Film His New Pilot?

Famed funny man Tim Allen, who’s been described as “darkly” comic, was of course, the star of the hit alphabet network comedy Home Improvement (which you can revisit with a Disney+ subscription) from 1991 to 1999. It was that show that really launched his career into the Hollywood stratosphere, leading to beloved movie roles aplenty and his eventual return to ABC for Last Man Standing (check that one out with a Hulu subscription) in 2011. 

Though that show moved to Fox for its last three seasons and wrapped in 2021, it’s clear that the actor (who wants to see an “emotional” Toy Story 5 plot) is proud of the work he did on his prior network for so many years. After shooting the pilot for his potential new series, Shifting Gears, on the same lot recently, he shared a sweet picture on X of his reunion with the sitcom studio home that helped turn him into a megastar. Take a look!

As you can see, not only is the sometime-Santa Claus very happy to be back, but there’s no way that anyone on the Disney lot could forget or go unaware of the history that was made on that particular set with Allen and the rest of the cast and crew of the long-running hit. I wonder, does every successful show get a plaque to commemorate the set where it filmed?

While we’ll likely have a while to wait yet before we know if or when Shifting Gears will become a full-fledged TV show, we do know a lot more about it than the title, main star and where it’ll film. The family comedy will see Allen star as a widower named Matt who owns a body shop that specializes in restoring and painting classic cars. 

For years, he’s been estranged from his now-grown daughter, Riley, who left home to marry her high school sweetheart, very much against Matt’s wishes. Now divorced and with her two teenage kids in tow, Matt and Riley have to find a way to get along when she and her children move into Matt’s home.

Riley will be played by 2 Broke Girls and occasional MCU star Kat Dennings, who’s also acting as a producer on the project, along with Allen exec producing with several other behind-the-scenes Last Man Standing alums. The story sounds like the perfect set up for some hilarious and heartfelt conflict that’ll lead to solid family bonding in an atmosphere that sounds sure to please fans of both of Allen’s previous sitcoms. All we have to do now is wait to see if he’ll be returning to his Home Improvement home for more than just this pilot.

You think you know the story, but do you? After eight years on the air Home Improvement ended. It was sudden, and while not at the height of its popularity, tens of millions of viewers were still tuning in each week. If things had gone just a bit differently, the ABC sitcom could have been renewed for a ninth season. It all boiled down to behind-the-scenes power and egos on set, as well as a cool $2 million per episode. Here’s the real reason Home Improvement ended.  

Patricia Richardson is probably most known for her work as the longtime matriarch on Home Improvement and Tim ‘The Tool Man’ Taylor’s wife Jill. During Home Improvement’s run, Jill was unlike a lot of other sitcom wives at the time. She had a serious voice on the show and was a fully fleshed out character, capable of both making wise choices for the Taylor family and mistakes in those dynamics, as well --one reason the actress feels Home Improvement doesn't get enough credit years later. 

Per Richardson, her character was a “big reason why women were watching” the comedy throughout its run, but she was paid far less than her TV husband on the series. This didn't really sit well with her, and by the time the show was ready to wrap, she was ready to say goodbye.  

$2 Million Dollars, Or How Patricia Richardson Tried To Renegotiate Her Contract To Make A Point

By Season 8 of Home Improvement, teen heartthrob Jonathan Taylor Thomas had left Hollywood and the series, and it seemed as if the show would be ending. Then, the network had a change of heart just a few months before the finale that year. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times Richardson recalled head honchos at ABC offering her $1 million per episode, while Allen was offered a cool $2 million. 

This was a lot of money, and previously, she said she’d only been paid ⅓ of what Tim Allen made during their run on the show. $1 million per episode would put her at ½ of Allen’s pay – but it was still quite a large discrepancy. Yet, if she’d taken it, there would have been a 25-episode Season 9 of the hit series and she would have been among the highest paid actresses on TV ever.  

Now, you could argue Home Improvement was largely Allen’s show. You could argue that Richard Karn’s Al was the second or third lead on that show as well, and that the kids in the Taylor family got a chunk of screen time, too. However, for Richardson, the discrepancy with what she felt was her co-lead was too much. She was ready to leave the show after working her “ass off,” and she told the outlet the only way she wanted to stay was if the network threw her equal pay. She said she knew they wouldn't go for it. 

She was right the network didn't want to pay her that much, and she was OK with the show ending. But she also said it made her the "bad guy." 

Why Tim Allen Was Allegedly Upset 

On paper, $2 million dollars per episode for 25 episodes is a huge deal. In fact that's more than the behemoth $1 million per episode salaries the cast of Friends and, later, The Big Bang Theory garnered headlines over. Before taxes, the deal would have netted Allen $50 million dollars, while Richardson got $25 million for less than a year's work. Because of that, the later Last Man Standing actor was reportedly down to continue with the show into Season 9. Richardson disagreed, and It led to problems between the comedian and his TV wife. The actress was candid about what happened next, noting:

So, the show was officially ending. Could it have gone on without Patricia Richardson? Of course. Two and a Half Men famously went on after Charlie Sheen exited for a while, killing off his character and signing on Ashton Kutcher in his stead. But it’s not something the producers really considered, per Carmen Finestra, who felt like the relationship dynamics were key to making the comedy work. 

The sitcom wrapped just a couple of months later, and Allen and Richardson left the money on the table. Years later, there was a bit of public discord again when the former TV mom spoke about how Allen had posited there could be a Home Improvement spinoff when she felt that absolutely couldn't be the case. She has said it's "weird" the actor has been open to talking about a reunion, when he's never, ever said anything to her about it. For his part, Allen has spoken about doing a show featuring the kids' kids called Home Re-improvement, so there is a fully fleshed out idea. 

Allen has not commented publicly on this reported brouhaha or his lack of harmony with Richardson over a maybe, one-day possible spinoff. In fact, most of his comments about his time on Home Improvement have been positive. Without his perspective, it may all go down as a bit of a mystery, like why Wilson always hid his face behind the fence on the series. But it absolutely sounds like a case of could have, would have. 

Throughout the ‘90s, avid TV viewers were treated to a host of sitcoms that are still beloved even now. ABC, in particular, dropped some iconic comedies, including Growing Pains, Family Matters, Step by Step and Roseanne. Another notable hit show from that decade is Home Improvement, which was fronted by Tim Allen and co-starred Patricia Richardson as his on-screen wife. The series arguably earned a solid following during its run, but Richardson doesn’t think it receives as much love today as some of its contemporaries. Just recently, she discussed the show’s legacy and rationale for her viewpoint while also throwing shade at a TGIF classic. 

Patricia Richardson recalled her time on the family situation comedy while discussing her career during an interview with the Los Angeles Times. Among the topics discussed were the creative disagreements she sometimes had with the writers as well as the circumstances that led to the show’s conclusion. As for how the program is viewed by the public today, Richardson did not mince words. The star, who played Jill Taylor throughout all eight seasons of the program, even went as far as to say that “Hollywood hates” the series: 

Home Improvement debuted on the Alphabet Network in the fall of 1991, and it proved to be a ratings powerhouse for most of its run, which ended in 1999. It didn’t receive much critical acclaim like some of the other shows of that era, though it did notch some notable award nominations and wins. Patricia Richardson herself earned four Primetime Emmy nominations and two Golden Globe nods during its run. The multi-cam comedy also launched Tim Allen’s acting career and turned Jonathan Taylor Thomas into a teen heartthrob. 

Still, the West Wing alum argues that the family comedy hasn’t had the staying power that fellow titles have had. She further explained to the LA Times that when she looks over listicles that lay out the best sitcoms of the ‘90s, she’s particularly disappointed whenever fellow ABC show Full House tops her own. Believe it or not, that apparent disdain goes back to the actress’ time filming with Tim Allen and co.: 

Tell us how you really feel, Patricia Richardson. She is right, though, in that the other sitcom – which starred John Stamos, Bob Saget, Candace Cameron Bure and more – was extremely popular. It also differed from Richardson’s show in that it didn’t shy away from being schmaltzier at times. Today, it’s considered one of the best shows from ABC’s TGIF block, and its enduring popularity also arguably led to the sequel series, Fuller House, which can be streamed with a Netflix subscription. As for why she thinks Home Improvement hasn’t received the same amount of love, Richardson pointed to a specific element:

Despite the reception and the purported way that Tim Allen (who has a new ABC show on the way) impacts it, the Strong Medicine star doesn’t look at the legacy in a negative way. She’s certainly apparent that there are people who loved the show back then and still enjoy it now:

It is fair to say that these days, Home Improvement isn’t talked about as much as Full House or Boy Meets World, though the exact reason for that could definitely be debated. Regardless, like all of the most popular shows from that time, Patricia Richardson and Tim Allen’s show does have its merits. Richardson doesn’t expect a reboot to ever happen though, at the very least, there’s always a chance that the OG series might catch on with modern viewers sometime down the road. In the meantime, though, if you’d like to give it a watch yourself, it’s available to stream with a Disney+ subscription.

Hollywood is going through a bit of a reboot/revival/spinoff phase right now, which has seen more than a few beloved TV series make comebacks. One that’s yet to do that is Home Improvement, the Tim Allen-led family sitcom that aired for eight seasons on ABC in the ‘90s. Nevertheless, Allen has been talking about plans to bring back the beloved series for some time now. At one point, he even claimed that the purported production could indeed become a reality and that his former castmates were all up for it. However, fresh comments shared by his on-screen wife, Patricia Richardson, refute that claim. She also opened up about a phone call she had with another co-star, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, after Allen made the claims. 

Patricia Richardson played the role of Jillian “Jill” Taylor for the entire duration of HI’s run from 1991 to 1999. As she explained during her recent appearance on the Back to the Best podcast, the work wasn’t always easy due to creative clashes early on or contract negotiations. However, she seems to have a genuine level of affection for the show. That being said, the 73-year-old actress revealed that she was taken aback when Tim Allen – who played Tim Taylor on the sitcom – announced that a reboot of sorts was being considered, with the cast aiming to return. Richardson’s confusion ultimately led her to call her on-screen son, Jonathan Taylor Thomas and, on the podcast, she recalled how that chat played out: 

If I’m being honest, I would also find it “weird” if I were an actor and a former co-star were talking up a theoretical project and saying I’m involved and in reality, I’m not. I’d imagine that the chat Patricia Richardson and (now-42-year-old) Jonathan Taylor Thomas had was a bit awkward. However, it sounds like the two were of one accord. In a clip from the podcast that was shared to YouTube, Richardson went on to say that Home Improvement’s leading man made a claim about another spinoff, which supposedly involved her character: 

We, of course, can’t speak to Tim Allen’s rationale when making such statements, but what can be said is that the 70-year-old comedian has been hyped about bringing the Taylor family back. In 2020, Allen discussed a Home Improvement revival that would theoretically bring back the cast and, at that time, he said that “all the actors think it’s a great idea.” He shared another HI spinoff idea in late 2023, which would focus on the children of Tim and Jill Taylor’s three sons, Mark, Randy and Brad. When discussing a theoretical title, he coined the moniker Home Re-Improvement. 

Surely, there are plenty of fans who would love to see what the Tool Time host as well as his friends and family are up to now. However, Patricia Richardson doesn’t think such a series would work for a few reasons: 

She’s certainly correct in saying that a reboot would look very different from the OG series. On paper, it’s hard to say for sure whether it truly would or wouldn’t work. Regardless, the chances of it actually happening are probably slim, though, especially since Tim Allen is headed back to TV for a new show on ABC called Shifting Gears. As the actor recently stated, he’s “geeked” about getting a third chance at a sitcom. 

So, with that in mind, I’m not sure Patricia Richardson or Jonathan Taylor Thomas will be getting official calls from ABC or their former co-star in regards to a Home Improvement reboot. Nevertheless, based on Richardson’s comments, she’s fine with the OG show standing on its own, and Thomas wants to get into directing. Hopefully, both get the opportunities they desire, as their former scene partner gets his. All the while, you can still stream all eight seasons of the classic ‘90s sitcom using a Disney+ subscription.

Tim Allen seemingly has no problem landing a job, which is why he’s worked within the TV space on a relatively consistent basis over the years. At this point, the veteran actor has been away from network TV for a few years, since the conclusion of his ABC/Fox sitcom Last Man Standing. However, he’s now heading back to the alphabet network for a new show and, after it was announced, he opened up about getting a third major chance at headlining a comedy. While sharing thoughts, he also recalled his stints on LMS and Home Improvement. 

ABC ordered a pilot for a brand-new show called Shifting Gears, which will see the 70-year-old actor play a widow and classic car shop proprietor. The somewhat stubborn man eventually finds his life turned upside down when his estranged daughter and teenage grandkids move in with him. After the series was reported to be in the works, ET caught up with the leading man and tried to get some details. The sentiments he shared suggest that he’s grateful to get in front of the camera again:

There are plenty of notable sitcom stars that have had the opportunity to headline one very successful comedy, but it’s rare that you get the chance to lead multiple hits. (Seriously, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Mary Tyler Moore are unicorns.) So Tim Allen seems to understand the significance of being granted another opportunity. During his conversation with the news outlet, he went on to tell the news outlet what led to him landing his new gig:

No one should probably be surprised that the star is teaming up with the network yet again, considering the long working relationship they have, thanks to his two former sitcoms. Fans also seem to be looking forward to seeing more of the comedian, who’s been noted for his “really dark” sense of humor by his peers. Interestingly enough, commentators were all asking for Home Improvement revival after Shifting Gears was announced. I’m not sure whether that’ll happen, but Tim Allen did have an idea for a HI spinoff not too long ago.

It’s currently unclear as to when the new show will ultimately premiere, though chances are it might debut this fall as part of the 2024 TV schedule. Since I’ve obviously yet to see any of it, it’s hard to say whether the series will be as successful as the star’s former small-screen vehicles. Still, considering his track record, there’s hope, and it definitely sounds like he’s ready to roll up his sleeves and get back to work.

As you await updates on Shifting Gears, stream Home Improvement and Last Man Standing using a Hulu subscription.

Tim Allen is reportedly headed back to Disney after it was announced that he might return to ABC with a new comedy pilot. Of course, the network and Allen’s relationship goes back to the days of family sitcom juggernaut Home Improvement. Now, the longtime Home Improvement fans are sharing their excitement for the new show from the comedian and ABC.

For any 1990s TV fan, the ABC sitcom took the Santa Clause star from working stand-up comedian to TV comedy royalty. Allen took to his Twitter account to make the surprise announcement, writing:

The new comedy will mark Allen’s ABC return after Fox revived Last Man Standing following the network's cancellation of the family comedy.

Of course, fans were excited to hear the TV and film star is making his network TV comeback after LMS ended in 2021. However, they couldn’t help but reminisce about his classic ABC sitcom. Check out these Home Improvement comments from some diehard fans below:

• Can’t wait for this one. Need a Home Improvement reboot too.
• Damn home improvement was such a great show when I was a kid, can't wait to see this new show you’re bringing out !!
• Looking forward to it! Watched Home Improvement as a kid and fell in love with LMS as an adult. Good luck and godspeed!
• I just recently started watching "Last Man Standing". I like it, funny. I've seen "Home Improvement" multiple times. I look forward to seeing this new one.

The reach of Home Improvement knows no bounds despite ending its original run in 1999. (Of course, viewers can still watch the classic '90s sitcom through a Disney+ subscription.) Watching the series was appointment TV for many families as Tim Taylor, his family, and friends got into weekly hijinks (mostly of Tim’s doing). So, it seems like the kids who watched the series now watching it with their kids, and they can't wait for the comedian to come back to ABC.

However, the prevailing narrative is that Home Improvement fans want a reboot. Talks of a revival have been swirling around for years with Tim Allen even pitching an idea for a possible spinoff. Viewers got small Home Improvement nods on Allen’s Last Standing Man with guest spots from former co-stars and a Tim Taylor cameo in the Fox comedy’s final season. Fans also got a mini-reunion with Richard Karn (aka Al Borland) through their docuseries Assembly Required and More Power. Of course, getting a reboot off the ground might be hard as The Home Improvement cast is doing other things right now.

In the meantime, Tim Allen hasn’t been away from TV for long, because he has two seasons of the Disney+ series The Santa Clauses under his belt. You can check our 2024 TV schedule to see when the Christmas-themed series will return. Plus, he has this new show on the way. To get updates on Tim Allen’s new project, return to CinemaBlend for more.

Have you ever been asked to picture your favorite character from your favorite TV show, but no picture came to mind? There is actually no shame in admitting that because we don’t even know what many of our own favorite TV characters look like. Take a look back at some of the most iconic characters on television that we never got any screen time, or were, at least, kept partially hidden.

Charlie Townsend (Charlie's Angels)

On Charlie's Angels, the Angels never physically met their boss, Charlie Townsend, who was voiced by John Forsythe in the original series and the first two cinematic spin-offs. The reason the retired detective never revealed his appearance and only communicated by via intercom was out of protection for his agents.

Vera Peterson (Cheers)

At Cheers, everyone knew Norm Peterson (George Wendt), but no one knew his wife, Vera… or, at least, what she looked like. She was often mentioned on the long-running, Emmy-winning NBC sitcom, but was rarely seen with her accountant husband, save one time when she was covered by a pie accidentally thrown in her face by Sam (Ted Danson).

Bob Sacamano (Seinfeld)

Outside of the main four Seinfeld cast members, Cosmo Kramer (Michael Richards) had friends like Newman (Wayne Knight) and Mickey Abbott (Danny Woodburn). His one buddy we never met was Bob Sacamano, but the seminal sitcom dropped enough hints in conversation about his scheming behavior and terrible luck that he was just as memorable as the former two.

Stan Walker (Will & Grace)

For the first few seasons of Will & Grace, Karen Walker (Megan Mullally) was married to the wealthy Stanley, before his affair, imprisonment, and death hoax caused issues. We never actually saw what the man looked like -- save a few shots of his hands and feet and the outline of his silhouette — but we know he is a heavy-set toupee-wearer.

Danny Valladeo (The X-Files)

While investigating cases on The X-Files, Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) would reach out to an FBI agent named Danny. Fans have theorized that this Danny and another unseen character on the hit sci-fi show named Danny Bernstein are the same person, but creator Chris Carter has confirmed that this particular Danny’s last name is “Valladeo.”

Robin Masters (Magnum P.I.)

Even though some Magnum P.I. fans — and Tom Selleck’s titular private investigator himself — suspected John Hillerman's Johnathan Higgins was the real Robin Masters, the elusive novelist was officially billed as the voice of Orson Welles for six episodes. The character would be expanded in the Jay Hernandez-led modern reboot, in which he employs Magnum as a consultant, but still remains unseen.

Maris Crane (Frasier)

Originally, Frasier creators David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee wanted to, essentially, prank viewers of the Cheers spin-off into thinking Maris Crane was another Vera Peterson (Norm's unseen wife) before revealing her appearance later on. However, descriptions of Niles' (David Hyde Pierce) wife became so absurd over time that she was ultimately deemed impossible to cast and remained unseen for all 11 seasons.

Ercole "Eckley" DiMeo (The Sopranos)

Before Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) took over as the head of the DiMeo Family Mafia, the syndicate’s longtime leader was Ercole DiMeo, who was otherwise known as "Eckley.”Until he was portrayed by The Sopranos creator David Chase in the 2021 prequel movie, The Many Saints of Newark, Eckley was never seen on the original HBO series, due to his incarceration.

Debbie Wolowitz (The Big Bang Theory)

Howard Wolowitz's overprotective and overly loud mother, Debbie, was voiced by the late Carol Ann Susi on The Big Bang Theory cast. It was not until Pamela Adlon portrayed a younger version of the character on Young Sheldon that she made her first official on-screen appearance.

Lars Lindstrom (The Mary Tyler Moore Show)

On The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Mary’s self-absorbed friend, Phyllis (Academy Award nominee Cloris Leachman), and her dermatologist husband, Lars, were never seen together, despite being married for 15 years at the time the sitcom began. When Phyllis got her own self-titled spin-off in 1975, which lasted two seasons, we never got the chance to finally, officially meet her spouse as he had died by then.

Dr. Claw (Inspector Gadget)

Disney's live-action feature adaptation of Inspector Gadget reimagined the titular half-cop, half-machine’s arch-enemy as a man with an actual claw for a hand, played by Rupert Everett. In the animated series, Dr. Claw had both hands, but that was all we ever saw of the master criminal, who was originally voiced by Frank Welker.

Ugly Naked Guy (Friends)

For obvious reasons, viewers were never allowed a clear view of Monica (Courteney Cox) and Rachel's (Jennifer Aniston) neighbor from across the street whom, the Friends cast only referred to as "Ugly Naked Guy." We did, at least, see the back of his head when Ross (David Schwimmer) visited him in hopes of taking his apartment when he moved out.

Heather Sinclair (Degrassi: The Next Generation)

One of the most talked about students at the eponymous high school from Degrassi: The Next Generation was Heather Sinclair. However, despite her notoriety among her classmates, fans of the hit Canadian teen drama never had the chance to put a face to the name.

Cousin Jeffrey (Seinfeld)

Fans had the "pleasure" (in some cases, at least) of meeting many of Jerry Seinfeld's family members on Seinfeld, except for his cousin, Jeffrey. However, some might feel they know him quite well anyway with how often Uncle Leo (Len Lasser) talks about him "like he split the atom" and the main gang’s description of his horse-like face.

Wilson W. Wilson (Home Improvement)

This one is a special case because the Taylors’ next-door neighbor is never completely unseen. For no discernible reason, only the top half of Home Improvement cast member Earl Hindman's face was ever visible, with the bottom half typically hidden behind his fence.

Mrs. Columbo (Columbo)

Peter Falk's beloved, eponymous detective from Columbo spoke about his wife often but never bothered to show her in public, or at least to the camera. However, the role would be embodied by Kate Mulgrew in Mrs. Columbo — a spin-off most people have forgotten (or at least would prefer to), which is why we still count the character as unseen.

Juanita Beasley (The Andy Griffith Show)

Juanita Beasley is a woman whom Barney Fife (Don Knotts) took quite a liking to and would spend a lot of time chatting with over the phone. If only The Andy Griffith Show ever put a camera on her, we might have been able to see the appeal.

Erica (Bojack Horseman)

Many times on Netflix’s Bojack Horseman, Mr. Peanutbutter (Paul F. Tompkins) would shout off-screen toward someone named “Erica.” Based on what the Labrador Retriever has said about his friend on the acclaimed animated TV show, we know that she has lost a few appendages (but "has the right number of ears") and has been banned from Disneyland. Her true identity and supposedly bizarre appearance remain a mystery.

Adults (Peanuts)

You could say the shorts and TV specials based on Charles Schultz's Peanuts comic strip made up the ultimate children's program because the only people you saw were children. Of course, there were some adult characters — such as Charlie Brown's teacher, Miss Othmar — but they were largely kept offscreen and spoke in a language that could be described as the somber wail of a trombone.

Epstein's Mother (Welcome Back, Kotter)

On Welcome Back, Kotter, Juan Epstein (Robert Hegyes) often used notes to get out of homework assignments signed, "Epstein's Mother," whom, based on the lack of a first name provided, was likely not the one doing the actual signing. The truth may never be revealed since Epstein's real mother was never given a chance to show herself on the sitcom.

President Stuart Hughes (Veep)

Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Emmy-winning role as Vice President Selina Meyer might as well have been the Commander in Chief from the beginning of Veep. Her former superior, President Stuart Hughes, is never actually seen in the White House, which makes discussions of his irresponsibility all the more convincing.

Carlton (Rhoda)

When Valerie Harper's character on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Rhoda Morgenstern, got her own self-titled spin-off, she had a doorman named Carlton (voiced by series co-developer Lorenzo Music) who was almost exclusively heard through her building's intercom, save a few glimpses of his arm. The only time the character was fully visible was in a 1980 animated special that depicted his daily tasks.

Donald (Seinfeld)

In one of the best Seinfeld episodes, "The Bubble Boy," a visit to a fan of Jerry's with an immune deficiency ends in disaster when he and George (Jason Alexander) get in a fight over a Trivial Pursuit card misprint. Jon Hayman voiced the memorable one-episode role whose face was never revealed, even after his fight with George causes a puncture to his germ-free enclosure.

Dr. Herb and Diane Roberta Urkel (Family Matters)

After, almost literally, stealing the show from the rest of the Family Matters cast, Steve Urkel (Jaleel White) basically adopted the Winslows as his family. Despite his irritating antics, Urkel’s neighbors did seem more welcoming of the squeaky-voiced nerd's presence than his actual parents, Herb and Diane Roberta, who kept their distance even when their son married Laura (Kellie Shangyne Williams).

Sally Reardon (Felicity)

When Felicity Porter (Keri Russell) starts college, she keeps in touch with a friend from her hometown named Sally Reardon by exchanging tape recordings. Sally's voice was provided by Janeane Garofalo, but the comedian never showed up to play the very supportive and wisdom-spouting role on camera.

Nanny (Muppet Babies)

The most we ever saw of the woman who took care of the Muppets' infantile counterparts on Muppet Babies was her legs. At least Nanny (originally voiced by Barbara Billingsley) had a distinct fashion sense that made those appearances memorable.

Tino (My So-Called Life)

One of the coolest students at Liberty High School who never once made an appearance in class (or off campus) on My So-Called Life was Tino. Plenty of fascinating information was provided about the teen — from his wicked parties to his lead singer position in Jordan Catalano’s band, The Frozen Embryos — but the seminal ‘90s series ended too soon for his official reveal.

Mr. And Mrs. Gibbler (Full House)

The TGIF era was filled with characters who just sort of hung out at the central family's home more than their own, such as Andrea Barber's Kimmy Gibbler on Full House. Even when Kimmy got married in the finale of Netflix's Fuller House, giving us a chance to finally meet her mother and father, they never showed up.

Envelope Assistant (America's Funniest Home Videos)

In the original incarnation of America's Funniest Home Videos, the late Bob Saget was handed an envelope revealing that week's winner by someone who never showed more than their hand to the camera. The host would always be sure to make conversation with the Envelope Assistant by asking what their evening plans were or remarking about a recent change to their wardrobe or physicality.

Dr. Richard Nygard (Parks And Recreation)

Chris Traeger (played by Parks and Recreation cast member Rob Lowe) expresses such high praise for his therapist, Dr. Richard Nygard, that it almost seems to border on cultism. Or, perhaps, their close doctor-patient relationship just seems strange and mysterious because we never got to see the man throughout the hit mockumentary sitcom’s run.

The Gooch (Diff'rent Strokes)

On Diff'rent Strokes, Arnold (Gary Coleman) was tormented on multiple occasions by a kid known only as "The Gooch." The sitcom managed to paint the character as the stuff of legend — like how most youngsters may see their school bullies — by never actually revealing what he looked like.

Dr. Kahn (Salute Your Shorts)

On the classic Nickelodeon series, Salute Your Shorts, Dr. Kahn would frequently make announcements of a positive or disciplinary variety on a loudspeaker to the youngsters at Camp Anawanna. However, that was as far as our interaction would go with the camp director, voiced by series creator Steve Slavkin.

There is a part of us that still wishes we could have finally seen some of these classic TV characters (or seen them better, at least). Yet, in retrospect, it is their enigmatic presence that makes them so memorable.

It's been almost three years since Tim Allen's long-running sitcom Last Man Standing was cancelled. The veteran actor has managed to stay busy since then, though, with his more recent gig being a streaming production. Now, it would seem that those who've been eager to see the TV icon back on the small screen won't have to wait too long. Allen is reportedly returning to ABC -- which housed both LMS and Home Improvement -- for a new multi-camera comedy. 

Per Deadline, the network has issued a pilot order for a family comedy headlined by the actor-comedian. The series -- which has the working title of Shifting Gears --  would see the star play Matt, the stubborn, widowed owner of a classic car restoration shop whose world is upended when his estranged daughter and her teenage kids move into his house. The show will be written and executive produced by Mike Scully and Julie Thacker Scully, who previously served as exec producers on LMS. 

It goes without saying that Tim Allen's collaborations with the alphabet network stretch back decades. His latest popular sitcom Last Man Standing aired its first six seasons on the channel from October 2011 to March 2017. It was ultimately cancelled and moved over to Fox for three more seasons, before ending in 2021. And, of course, the "darkly" funny comic famously played Tim "The Toolman" Taylor on the beloved sitcom Home Improvement for the same network for eight seasons from September 1991 to May 1999.

This news of the actors return to network TV comes after much talk of a Home Improvement revival, which has been discussed often during the two decades since Tim Allen hung up his tool belt. Many of his HI co-stars popped up as guest stars on Last Man Standing, including Patricia Richardson, Jonathan Taylor Thomas (who also directed episodes of the sitcom) and Richard Karn. (Karn also collaborated with Allen on the History Channel reality competition series Assembly Required.) Allen even reprised the role of Tim Taylor in the show's 2021 episode "Dual Time."

It's unclear whether any members of the Taylor clan or the larger Home Improvement crew will be similarly showing up on Shifting Gears. But, given the evidence, we'd put our money on it. There's no information yet on when Shifting Gears will debut on ABC, as the success of the pilot will determine whether or not the show ends up getting a full season order. And, if it does, it will likely be during the 2024-2025 TV season. We'll be keeping our eyes on the 2024 TV schedule just in case. 

In the meantime, Allen fans can check out the TV icon as Scott Calvin/Santa Claus on the Disney+ series The Santa Clauses, which dropped its second season on the streamer in November 2023. (You can catch up with a Disney+ subscription.) Along with starring on the show, which counts Elizabeth Mitchell, Kal Penn, Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias, Eric Stonestreet and, yes, Bernard himself, David Krumholtz among the cast of the first two seasons -- he also serves as an executive producer. There's no word yet on whether or not the Christmassy series will be returning for a third season. 

And if you're worried that Tim Allen won't be able to do both The Santa Clauses and Shifting Gears at the same time, don't fret: both series are produced by the same studio, 20th Television. That would theoretically mean that so long as the filming schedules stay clear and organized, the performer will be able to work on both TV shows. But, again, we'll have to wait and see if the latter show actually gets the green light.

It is one of the most classic TV formulas there is: on most shows centered mostly around a particular family, the husband is an overzealous, absent-minded, scheming ignoramus and the wife is the one who holds the relationship together by bringing her spouse down to earth… and even to justice. The following are some of the most iconic TV wives who have earned a special place in our hearts for never backing down from reminding the men in their lives who the boss really is.

Debra Barone (Everybody Loves Raymond)

The show may be called Everybody Loves Raymond, but the titular sports writer (played by comedian Ray Romano) was seen constantly sparring with his wife, Debra Barone (two-time Emmy winner Patricia Heaton), over his frequent immaturity and ill-advised decisions. At least they could bond over their mutual dysfunctional relationship with Ray’s parents (played by Peter Boyle and Doris Roberts)

Jill Taylor (Home Improvement)

Home Improvement has a double meaning, referring to the attempts of Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor (Tim Allen) to keep up the morale in his household, as well as maintain it with repairs and renovations. Either of those attempts has been known to prove disastrous on many occasions, as Tim’s wife (and the Taylor home’s main voice of reason), Jill (Patricia Richardson), is quick to point out to him.

Carla Turk (Scrubs)

In the second episode of Scrubs, surgeon Christopher Turk (Donald Faison) and registered nurse Carla Espinosa (Judy Reyes) start a relationship that leads to marriage in Season 3. It’s a mostly idyllic romance that does come with its conflicts, which are predominantly related to Turk’s friendship with J.D. (Zach Braff) — one of the most iconic pop culture bromances — which often teeters toward something deeper.

Cheryl Mabel (According To Jim)

One of the greatest mysteries in sitcom history is how Jim Mabel (Jim Belushi) manages to stay married to Cheryl (Courtney Thorne-Smith) for so long, or at all for that matter, in According to Jim. The mother of three is constantly forced to contend with the contractor’s countless lies and schemes and severely one-sided philosophies on gender dynamics.

Angie Lopez (George Lopez)

Between George Lopez’s titular blue-collar worker (played by comedian and co-creator George Lopez) and his wife, Angie (Constance Marie), she could be considered the more naive of the two, but is definitely far more level-headed. Not to mention, Angie is way out of her husband’s league in terms of looks, if we are being honest.

Claire Dunphy (Modern Family)

None of the relationships on Modern Family are necessarily perfect, but Claire (Julie Bowen) and Phil Dunphy (Ty Burrell) really could not be more different in terms of temperament. She is easily the one who wears the pants in the household and has to bring her slightly dim-witted husband down to earth time and time again.

Louise Jefferson (The Jeffersons)

One of the things that makes The Jeffersons a spin-off as good as its parent series, All in the Family, is the conflict-heavy, yet loving, dynamic of its titular couple. There are very few things that do not get George Jefferson (Sherman Hemsley) burning with rage, but that is where his wife, Louise (a.k.a. "Weezy), played by Isabel Sanford, comes in to calm him down.

Marge Simpson (The Simpsons)

Arguably, the ultimate example of a TV wife forced to put up with an infantile husband just might be Marge, voiced by Julie Kavner on The Simpsons. The amount of mishaps and outright disasters that Homer (Dan Castellaneta) is directly responsible for is astounding and the fact that Matt Groening’s cultural phenomenon is the longest-running animated program of all time does not lessen this aspect of the couple’s relationship.

Skyler White (Breaking Bad)

Out of all the characters in the Breaking Bad universe — including even cold-blooded murderers like Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) — Skyler White (Emmy winner Anna Gunn) is one of the most hated among fans, which we find baffling. One might assume that audiences would have more sympathy for a woman after she discovers that her husband, Walter (Bryan Cranston) is a criminal, even if some of her subsequent decisions are certainly not ideal either.

Gina Waters-Payne (Martin)

In one of the best Tisha Campbell TV shows, Martin, the actor plays Gina Waters — the girlfriend-turned-wife of the title character, played by comedian Martin Lawrence. The businesswoman was always the radio and TV personality’s strongest supporter, but would also be the first to bring him back down to earth when need be.

Peggy Bundy (Married… With Children)

Admittedly, Katey Segal's Married... with Children character, Peggy Bundy, is, just about, the quintessential example of the ditzy sitcom wife. However, even she had a wit that made her a perfect match for her husband, Al (Ed O'Neill), and his cynical, insulting manner.

Carrie Heffernan (The King of Queens)

Doug (Kevin James) and Carrie Heffernan (Leah Remini) from The King of Queens are the kind of couple who bring out the best in each other by seeing past their respective shortcomings. That being said, Carrie would never shy away from pointing out when her mail carrier husband's shortcomings got the best of him.

Lily Munster (The Munsters)

The vampiric Lily (Yvonne DeCarlo) spends so much time on The Munsters snapping at her husband, Herman (Fred Gwynne), for his bumbling antics, it practically becomes one of her most essential characteristics. Of course, in Herman's defense, he does have a second-hand brain.

Alice Kramden (The Honeymooners)

The main selling point of The Honeymooners was Ralph Kramden (Jackie Gleason) and his get-rich-quick schemes, something his wife, Alice (Audrey Meadows) always tries to warn him about. The bus driver would typically ignore her advice and go through with his plans, only to learn that he should have listened to her in the first place.

Trudy Proud (The Proud Family)

We have a fun idea for a game someone could play while watching either classic episodes of The Proud Family or Disney+’s reboot, The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder. The goal is to tally how many times Trudy Proud (Paula Jai Parker) calls out “Oscar!” when her husband (voiced by Tommy Davidson) makes an overzealous judgment or misbehaves in general on the animated series.

Amy Farrah Fowler (The Big Bang Theory)

When Mayim Bialik joined The Big Bang Theory cast as Amy Farrah Fowler, she bore many similarities to her love interest-turned-husband — the monotone and rudely forward Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons). However, further down the road — and after becoming friends with Penny (Kaley Cuoco) and Bernadette (Melissa Rauch) — she becomes the voice of reason in their relationship and, ultimately, makes him a better person.

Audrey Bingham (Rules Of Engagement)

Patrick Warburton's Jeff Bingham claimed to be the one who knew all the eponymous Rules of Engagement in this CBS sitcom. Of course, his wife, Audrey (Megyn Price) was truly the more level-headed and sensible one between them.

Kitty Forman (That '70s Show)

The often forcibly optimistic Kitty Forman (Debra Jo Rupp) usually tries to ignore or downplay the cynicism and overt rudeness that Red (Kurtwood Smith) directs toward her or the rest of the That ’70s Show cast. However, she has been known to totally fly off the handle and leave her normally outspoken husband speechless and history would certainly repeat itself in the Netflix sequel series, That ‘90s Show.

Rainbow Johnson (Black-ish)

On Black-ish, Anthony Anderson’s Andre “Dre” Johnson is certainly the more strict parent than his wife, Rainbow (Tracee Ellis Ross) to their five children. This is among the reasons why Rainbow often boldly plays offense with her husband, in addition to when she believes his actions or ideas are completely absurd.

Jamie Buchman (Mad About You)

The title of Mad About You has two meanings. Not only does it refer to how madly in love with each other Paul (Paul Reiser) and Jamie Buchman (Helen Hunt) are, but it also references how, literally, "mad" they tend to get at each other — especially Jamie for her husband's typically innocent mistakes.

Lois Griffin (Family Guy)

Peter Griffin (voiced by Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane) is lazy, infantile, and problematic to a cartoonish degree (which, admittedly, is fitting, given that he is a cartoon). Of course, this leaves his wife, Lois (Alex Borstein), to hold things together, which often involves doing her best to keep Peter from making an even bigger fool of himself.

Estelle Costanza (Seinfeld)

It becomes clear how George Costanza (Jason Alexander) turned out to be the most neurotic of all the Seinfeld characters when you meet his parents. All Frank (Jerry Stiller) and Estelle (Estelle Harris) do is keep each other in check — or, more accurately, heinously scold each other — but most might agree that Frank often deserves it more.

Jordan Sullivan (Scrubs)

In reality, Jordan Sullivan (Christa Miller) is never actually married to Dr. Perry Cox (John C. McGinley) during the duration of Scrubs because it is learned they divorced before Season 1. However, the bulk of their post-marriage, romantic relationship could be described as an intense quarrel of dry, mean-spirited sarcastic wit that makes them a perfect match for one another.

Lois (Malcolm In The Middle)

Hal — Bryan Cranston’s role in Malcolm in the Middle — is an undeniably loving and devoted father, but he is also an accident-prone nervous nelly. So, it is a good thing that he and their four (and later five) sons have Lois (Jane Kaczmarek) to keep things afloat, if not with a little tough love.

Jay Kyle (My Wife And Kids)

Even the best TV wives have their shortcomings, such as Janet “Jay” Kyle (Tisha Campbell) from My Wife and Kids, who was always quick to put on the defense whenever her family criticized her naiveté. Well, two can play that game and Jay is a fierce participant, especially when her husband, Michael (co-creator Damon Wayans), lets his childish ego run wild or takes his strict parenting style too far. 

Beth Smith (Rick And Morty)

Much like her scientist father, Rick Sanchez (formerly voiced by co-creator Justin Roiland and replaced by Ian Cardoni), Beth Smith (Sarah Charlke) is smart and independent, but also brutally honest when it comes to criticizing her loved ones. As far as we are concerned, these qualities make her a perfect match for Jerry (Chris Parnell), who is often in need of being told when he has made, or is about to make, a huge, potentially life-threatening mistake.

Wilma Flintstone (The Flintstones)

The qualities that make Wilma Flintstone (originally voiced by Jane Vander Pyl in the early 1950s and 1960s) one of the all-time greatest TV wives are, essentially, the same qualities that earn Alice Kramden the same honor. Fans have been saying for decades that The Flintstones is, essentially, a pre-historic, animated reimagining of The Honeymooners — complete with her constant badgering of Fred (most notably played by Alan Reed) for his half-baked schemes.

Claire Huxtable (The Cosby Show)

At the time The Cosby Show was the most popular series on TV in the mid-to-late ‘80s and early ‘90s, the Huxtables were seen as having the ideal family dynamic, with parents Cliff (Bill Cosby) and Claire (Phylicia Rashad) typically knowing the right thing to say to their kids when in need. That being said, the many times Cliff would, instead, resort to facetiousness and tomfoolery was often shut down or rebuffed by Claire as soon as she had the chance.

Penny Hofstadter (The Big Bang Theory)

Between the two main romantic leads of The Big Bang Theory, experimental physicist Leonard Hofstadter (Johnny Galecki) is clearly the more book-smart one. However, his eventual wife, Penny (Kaley Cuoco), is definitely the one with the street smarts, which she uses to help him realize whenever he may have made a miscalculation.

Molly Flynn (Mike & Molly)

Mike Biggs (Billy Gardell) from Mike & Molly is, just about, one of the smartest, kindest, and most level-headed TV husbands in sitcom history. Of course, that does not mean the Chicago police officer is never prone to a flub, and his wife, Molly (Academy Award nominee Melissa McCarthy), is always quick to call him out.

Judy Miller (Still Standing)

Bill (Mark Addy) and Judy Miller (Jami Gertz) from CBS’ Still Standing are among the few TV couples who both indulge in crazy schemes, sometimes in collaboration. However, Judy typically only joins in on her husband’s plans in an effort to make them more efficient after pointing out their flaws and absurdities.

Wanda McCullough (The Bernie Mac Show)

On The Bernie Mac Show, when the titular comedian (starring as himself) is made the guardian of his nephew and two nieces, he has no parental instincts to latch onto outside his own industrial strength opinions. Luckily, his wife, Wanda McCullough (Kellita Smith), provided more suitable, nurturing guidance for the children and her boisterous husband in check with her unmatchable sass.

With how many doting and reserved TV wives there have been, it always refreshing to see a strong, independent woman telling her husband like it is.

It is always so cool to see when former child stars continue to act to this day, which also tends to remind us of the former child stars whom we do not see very often anymore, if not at all. It begs the question, what are they doing these days? Well, allow us to provide that answer about the following one-time child actors.

Shirley Temple 

The quintessential name in child stardom is, undeniably, Shirley Temple, who got her start when she was 3 years old and rose to fame as one of the Depression Era’s biggest stars in movies like The Little Colonel and Bright Eyes. Following her 2014 death at the age of 85, Time published an obituary recalling how she quit acting at 21 and went on to pursue a political career that included running for Congress in 1967 and serving as a U.S. ambassador to Czechoslovakia.

Jonathan Taylor Thomas

After getting his big break on Home Improvement, Jonathan Taylor Thomas joined Disney’s original The Lion King voice cast as Young Simba and landed more movie roles that made him one of the ‘90s most popular teen heartthrobs. He still acts on occasion — such as when he reunited with Tim Allen and Patricia Heaton on Last Man Standing, but is rarely seen in public these days.

Mara Wilson

From her debut in 1993’s Mrs. Doubtfire to her leading role in Roald Dahl’s Matilda three years later, Mara Wilson was the talk of the town in her younger years, but did not always enjoy the experience. A negative experience on the set of 2000’s Thomas and the Magic Railroad convinced her to abandon acting (which she has been doing on occasion in more recent years) and pursue her primary claim to fame these days as an author.

Jeff Cohen

Jeff Cohen of The Goonies cast fame once told The Daily Mail that his career began to slow down when he went from "Chunk to hunk" and started losing weight after hitting puberty. These days, he is an entertainment lawyer and one of his most notable clients is none other than the actor who played Data in the 1985 family adventure classic: Academy Award winner Ke Huy Quan.

Carrie Henn

“Newt” — the young sole survivor of a Xenomorph attack on her colony in 1986’s Aliens — is the first and only acting credit of actor Carrie Henn. She told Tulsa World (via Mirror) that she chose to, instead, follow her true passion in education and succeeded, now working as a teacher.

Peter Ostrum 

After scoring the “Golden Ticket” with his very first acting gig by playing the central role of Charlie Bucket in 1971’s Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Peter Ostrum immediately turned his back on Hollywood and has not acted since. However, you could say that he does make some contribution to the chocolate industry today by working as a veterinarian for large animals such as cows, as he explains in a segment of OWN’s Where Are They Now?

Mary-Kate And Ashley Olsen

After sharing the role of Michelle Tanner on Full House, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen were on top of the world and both continued to act well into their early 20s. However, the twins did not return for a cameo in Netflix’s revival sitcom, Fuller House, as their successful fashion careers had already begun to take off.

Angus T. Jones

After 10 seasons as Jake Harper on  Two and a Half Men, Angus T. Jones quit the show and acting altogether due to his religious beliefs (which drove him to openly criticize the top-rated sitcom’s raunchy material) and interests in business opportunities. He would later return to the craft, and reunite with Charlie Sheen, by making an uncredited cameo on a 2023 episode of Bookie.

Kay Panabaker

Along with her older sister, Danielle, Kay Panabaker was one of the most promising Disney Channel stars of her generation, appearing in hit shows like Phil of the Future and leading the made-for-TV movie, Read It and Weep. While Danielle still acts (and is best known for starring in The CW’s The Flash), Kay has left that world behind, but still works for Disney as an animal keeper at at Disney World's Animal Kingdom, according to Naperville Magazine.

Charlie Korsmo

Charlie Korsmo is best known for his role in 1991’s Hook as Jack Banning — the son of a Robin Williams’ character, who has forgotten his days as the legendary Peter Pan and grew up to be a lawyer. Coincidentally, after walking away from acting at starring in Can’t Hardly Wait, Korsmo grew up to become an assistant professor of law at Case Western Reserve University, but revealed to the school’s official website that he still gets fan mail from fans of Hook and Dick Tracy.

Taylor Momsen 

Years after her feature film debut as Cindy Lou Who in 2000’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas propelled her to fame, Taylor Momsen’s role in the Gossip Girl cast as Jenny Humphrey was put on indefinite hiatus when her style began to change to match her persona as frontwoman for The Pretty Reckless. She ultimately chose to abandon acting completely for music, which she called a lifesaving decision when speaking to People.

Barret Oliver

You may recognize Barret Oliver as Bastian in 1984’s The NeverEnding Story, the eponymous robotic child from D.A.R.Y.L., David from the Cocoon movies, and even the title role of Tim Burton’s breakout short film, Frankenweenie. He has not acted since the late ‘80s, however, and — as the blog Photo Culture details — he now makes a living as a photographer who specializes in 19th-century printing processes.

Amanda Bynes 

After getting her big break on Nickelodeon’s kid-friendly answer to SNL, All That, Amanda Bynes got her own sketch comedy series called The Amanda Show, led the sitcom What I Like About You, and starred in movies like She’s the Man and Easy A. After announcing her retirement on Twitter in 2013, concerns over her mental health put her under a conservatorship that ended in 2022 and, the following year, she debuted Amanda Bynes and Paul Simienski: The Podcast, which she canceled after one episode.

Norman D. Golden II

Norman D. Golden II made his breakthrough in the 1993 comedy Cop and a Half as a boy who witnesses a murder and agrees to testify if he can be made partner to a cantankerous veteran police officer played by Burt Reynolds. As a profile by The Journal Times reveals, he stopped acting years later to pursue education and nonprofit work but, more recently, has written and produced some projects.

Jennette McCurdy

As Sam Puckett on iCarly, Jennette McCurdy quickly became one of Nickelodeon’s brightest young stars and, following its ending in 2012, would continue to act for a few years. Ultimately, however, as the author said on her podcast, Empty Inside, "I quit... because I initially didn't want to do it. My mom put me in it when I was 6, and by... age 10 or 11, I was the main financial support for my family."

Ross Bagley

Playing Will Smith’s cousin on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and his stepson in Independence Day made Ross Bagley a bit hit in Hollywood at a young age. According to The Sun, he makes a living in real estate these days, but did not decline the opportunity to appear in Max’s The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion in 2020.

Ariana Richards

A former child actor whose most famous roles pitted her against man-eating beasts was Ariana Richards of Jurassic Park and Tremors fame. According to the Daily Mail, in the early 2000s she began taking art classes in Pasadena, which led to her current career as a painter.

Danny Lloyd

One of the best performances by a young actor in one of the best horror movies of all time came courtesy of Danny Lloyd as the gifted Danny Torrance in Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of Stephen King’s The Shining from 1980. In 2017, the Kentucky biology professor told The Guardian that he realized acting was not for him once he reached his teens, but he would make a small cameo in Doctor Sleep — a sequel to the terrifying classic from 2019.

Alisan Porter 

After playing the title role of writer and director John Hughes’ 1991 dramedy Curly Sue, Alisan Porter left acting for years, but would return for a few occasional appearances. She experienced a major career resurgence, however, when she was crowned the winner of The Voice in the singing competition show’s tenth season.=

Luis Armand Garcia

Following his role as Max on George Lopez, Luis Armand’s next and most recent acting credit would mark a reunion with his sitcom dad on NBC’s Lopez vs. Lopez. According to Legit, he spends most of his time performing philanthropic efforts, including for his own foundation, Hands On Horses.

Lisa Jakub 

Best known as Lydia Hillard in Mrs. Doubtfire and Alicia in Independence Day, Lisa Jakub left her acting career behind in the early 2000s. She still exists in the public eye, however, as a blogger, author, and motivational public speaker, as seen on her official website.

Jeremy Suarez 

As Jeremy Suarez got older, the star of The Bernie Mac Show and Disney’s Brother Bear (as the voice of Koda) found it more and more difficult to land acting gigs. As recalled to Atlanta Black Star, this would lead him to pursue a "normal life" working various jobs in construction, with boilermakers, retail, etc.

Liesel Matthews

With only three acting credits to her name, Liesel Matthews considered returning to the craft before a lawsuit against her father and cousins for misusing money meant for her brother stalled that pursuit, as Forbes recalls. Best known as the lead of 1995’s A Little Princess and the First Daughter in Air Force One from 1997, her current claim to fame is her philanthropic efforts.

Willow Smith

Years after making her acting debut alongside her father, Will Smith, as his onscreen daughter in I Am Legend, Willow Smith was supposed to be the star of the 2014 remake of Annie. According to The Guardian, her “intuition” influenced her to pass on the opportunity and, instead, pursue would would turn out to be a very successful music career.

Jake Lloyd

After playing Anakin Skywalker — a young Darth Vader — in 1999’s Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, Jake Lloyd was open about his struggles with criticism over his performance for years that ultimately pushed him out of the spotlight. Following several legal troubles, according to Yahoo, he was diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic in 2020.

Jolean Wejbe

According to Big Love showrunner Will Scheffer’s comments to the LA TImes, Jolean Wejbe’s role on the HBO drama as “Teenie” was recast with Bella Thorne in Season 4 after a growth spurt caused the actor to appear older than the character’s age. On LinkedIn, she lists herself as a Computer Science student at California State University, Northridge.

Taran Noah Smith

Taran Noah Smith did not do much acting outside of playing Mark Taylor in the Home Improvement cast and, right after the sitcom ended in 1999, the then 16-year-old quit the business completely. According to EW, he went on to start a vegan food company, constructed installation art for events like Coachella, built energy-efficient water purifiers for the military with his father, and — according to SFGate — later became a submarine pilot instructor.

Tami Stronach 

The Childlike Empress from The NeverEnding Story is the only screen acting role Tami Stronach, who chose to pursue dance instead shortly after. The reason being, as recalled on Mamamia — the then 10-year-old received a lot of unwanted attention from fans who were grown men, some of whom camped outside her family's home. She later became a professor and returned to acting onstage.

Ross Malinger

Ross Malinger had a successful acting career that included starring in Kindergarten Cop, playing Tom Hanks’ onscreen son in Sleepless in Seattle, and voicing T.J. on Recess. According to THR, he went on to manage a car dealership.

Jamie Waylett 

Vincent Crabbe from the Harry Potter movies is the only role that Jamie Waylett ever played, as he was dropped from the gig in 2011 due to legal trouble that put him behind bars. According to Metro, he still makes a living putting himself in the public eye by using an app called Cameo.

Caitlin Sanchez 

Caitlin Sanchez made her debut on Law & Order: SVU and appeared on Lipstick Jungle, but is best known as the voice of Dora the Explorer — a role she was fired from when her voice changed. However, as THR reported, when she was left with no compensation to show for it, she filed a $10 million lawsuit against Nickelodeon, only to settle for $500,000.

Jason Zimbler 

Following his role as Fergus Darling — Melissa Joan Hart’s onscreen brother — on Nickelodeon’s Clarissa Explains It All, Jason Zimbler had a career in theater. However, as of 2011, he works at HBO as a software engineer, according to The Sun.

Not every child actor is destined for a life of fame, but at least they have the opportunity to discover their true callings early on.

Some of the most iconic sitcoms and other great TV shows have been set in New York City or Los Angeles. But for every Seinfeld or Curb Your Enthusiasm that has the Big Apple or the City of Angels as a backdrop, there are dozens of others set in other parts of the country or even around the world. 

From classics of the mid to late 20th century to more modern examples, here are 32 famous TV comedies set outside New York and Los Angeles. Oh and, for clarity’s sake, this means no shows set anywhere in those two aforementioned greater metropolitan areas will be included here…

Cheers (Boston)

One of the biggest sitcoms of the ‘80s and early ‘90s was Cheers, a show that primarily took place in the bar where everybody knows your name and filled with characters you'd want to drink with. And that establishment, was famously set in Boston. Sam Malone (Ted Danson) was a relief pitcher for the local Red Sox before opening his famous watering hole, a handful of other references to the city and its culture were made throughout this beloved series.

 Ted Lasso (London) 

The production that's arguably the most popular Apple TV+ original series, Ted Lasso, doesn’t take place in NYC or LA, or even America for that matter. Instead, this Emmy-winning show about an American football coach who becomes the manager of an English football club takes place in London. Though there is a classic episode set in Amsterdam that many believe to be one of the best small-screen achievements in years.

The Office (Scranton)

Though Michael Scott (Steve Carell) did give one of the best tours of NYC in an episode, The Office primarily took place with the offices and warehouse of Dunder Mifflin Scranton in Pennsylvania. The Dunder Mifflin employees would leave the office park and venture into Scranton proper as well as various other locations.

Family Matters (Chicago) 

Over the course of its long run on TV, Family Matters depicted Chicago, where Steve Urkel (Jaleel White) tormented the Winslow family for nine seasons, saying things like “Did I do that?” and “Look what you did.” And while the show didn’t use many Windy City locations, it's hard to forget that incredible title sequence.

Full House (San Francisco) 

Full House was a staple of ‘90s primetime TV and also a show with one of the most iconic opening title sequences in the history of the medium. The shots of the Golden Gate Bridge, Painted Ladies and the rolling hills of San Francisco made the intro seem like more of a tourism video than an opening for beloved sitcom, as did countless episodes of the series. You can’t have this series without the City by the Bay.

The Mary Tyler Moore Show (Minneapolis)

It’s easy to forget that The Mary Tyler Moore Show was set in Minneapolis and not New York City, but that’s the truth. The long-running show, which spawned three spinoffs, was set at the fictional WJM TV station, where Mary Richards (Mary Tyler Moore) broke boundaries and found herself in all kinds of hilarious and impactful situations.

Roseanne (Illinois) 

During its original run and even its brief revival ahead of its cancellation, Roseanne was primarily set in the fictional town of Lanford, which could be anywhere from the greater Chicago area to central or western Illinois. It’s hard to find an episode where at least one character isn’t wearing Bears or the University of Illinois attire. Also, this remains the setting for the spinoff series, The Conners.

The Golden Girls (Miami)

When you have a show about four older women living in a house together, it’s hard to imagine having it take place anywhere besides Florida, specifically Miami. Just about every episode of The Golden Girls took place solely in the Sunshine State, where the core quartet of characters found themselves in all matter of shenanigans.

M*A*S*H (Korea) 

There's a common misconception that M*A*S*H was set in Vietnam, because it came out during the height of the military conflict. However, the long-running sitcom based on a movie actually took place at the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital in South Korea during the Korean War. 

Veep (Washington, D.C.) 

It’s hard to have a political comedy about the Vice President of the United States without Washington, D.C. being the backdrop for most of the absurd situations that go down. Luckily, Veep didn’t have that problem to deal with. Sure, Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Selina Meyer did leave the nation’s capital quite often, but homebase was good old DC.

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia (Philadelphia)

FX’s long-running comedy series, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, takes place in, you guessed it, Philadelphia. For years, viewers have watched, as the group of rowdy, vulgar, and misanthropic misfits who run Paddy’s Pub get into all kinds of trouble in and around the City of Brotherly Love.

Frasier (Seattle) 

After he left the bar in Boston where everybody knew his name, Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) made his way to another metropolis on the other side of the country: Seattle. Over the course of Frasier's run, the city's iconography was well utilized, with the titular character even having a prime view of the Space Needle. Interestingly enough, the setting switched back to Bean Town in Paramount+'s revival.

Home Improvement (Detroit)

Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor (Tim Allen), his family, friends, and crew of Tool Time called the greater Detroit metropolitan area home throughout the course of Home Improvement’s impressive run. The Motor City, with its car industry and sports franchises, was a major part of many episodes. With so much to be proud of, it’s still odd why Wilson hid his face all those years.

3rd Rock From The Sun (Rutherford, Ohio) 

A staple of NBC’s primetime schedule in the mid to late ‘90s and early 2000s, 3rd Rock from the Sun was set on Earth, specifically, Rutherford, Ohio, over the course of its six-season run. That's certainly an interesting setting for a sitcom about a group of extraterrestrials.

 Glee (Lima, Ohio) 

Though you could argue that Glee was a great show that really lost its way by the end, one thing that never changed was the fact that the musical comedy-drama series maintained its Lima, Ohio setting. The students, teachers, and staff at William McKinley High School gave audiences some incredible moments and top-notch musical performances throughout the show’s six seasons.

 Ally McBeal (Boston) 

Over the years, we’ve seen legal shows set in NYC and LA, but the popular comedy-drama Ally McBeal counted Boston as its backdrop. Though the series ended before the city’s sports dominance in the early 2000s, Calista Flockhart’s titular character and crew could have watched Pedro Martinez’s dominant run with the Red Sox in the late ‘90s.

Parks And Recreation (Pawnee, Indiana) 

Besides the time Chris Pratt’s Andy Dwyer went to England in Parks and Recreation Season 6, the vast majority of the NBC comedy series took place in the sleepy Midwestern town of Pawnee, Indiana. In fact, several of Parks and Rec’s best episodes were those that involved the city’s residents one way or another.

 The Bob Newhart Show (Chicago) 

Not to be confused with Newhart, which premiered years later, The Bob Newhart Show was set in Chicago and followed psychologist Robert “Bob” Hartley (Bob Newhart) as he tried to get through his day-to-day life with patients, family, friends, and random people. Oh, and the show might have the best title sequence involving the “Second City.”

The Drew Carey Show (Cleveland)

Years before he became the host of The Price is Right, Drew Carey had a hilarious and successful sitcom consisting of 200+ episodes over nine seasons. And where did The Drew Carey Show take place? None other than Cleveland, hence its title track, “Cleveland Rocks.”

Happy Days (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) 

A sitcom that spawned all kinds of spinoffs during and after its run, Happy Days is another show set in the Midwest. But instead of Chicago, Minneapolis, or other Great Lake cities, the show that introduced us to Henry Winkler’s Arthur Herbert "The Fonz" Fonzarelli took place in Milwaukee.

WKRP In Cincinnati (Cincinnati) 

Despite being a sitcom that didn't make it to 100 episodes, WKRP in Cincinnati remains one of the most iconic CBS comedies of the ‘70s, one the network embarrassingly cancelled way too soon. And as the name suggests, this classic show, probably best remembered for dropping turkeys from a helicopter, was set in the home of Skyline Chili, Cincinnati, Ohio.

A Different World (Virginia) 

A branch-off series from The Cosby Show, the NBC sitcom A Different World primarily took place at the fictional Hillman College in Virginia. Needless to say, it was a long way from the brownstones of New York City.

Mom (Napa) 

Set in Napa, California, the popular CBS sitcom Mom ran for eight seasons and 170 episodes, with its story centered on the mother-daughter relationship shared by Bonnie (Allison Janney) and Christy Punkett (Anna Faris) as well as the various folks in their orbit. Drama, comedy, and everything in between went down in this Northern California-set series.

Monk (San Francisco) 

Over the course of eight seasons, the USA Network crime comedy series Monk followed Tony Shalhoub’s titular and quirky detective as he tried to solve all manners of crime. But unlike its contemporaries set in places like Los Angeles and New York, this long-running series was firmly planted in San Francisco.

The Middle (Orson, Indiana) 

With a title like The Middle, it’s not all that surprising that the ABC sitcom was set in the Midwest, specifically, Orson, Indiana. The show’s 215 episodes primarily took place in the fictional town, though the main characters did travel from time to time.

The Andy Griffith Show (Mayberry, North Carolina) 

One of the most beloved TV comedies of all time, The Andy Griffith Show was set in the small town of Mayberry, North Carolina, where Sheriff Andy Taylor (Griffith), Opie (Ron Howard), aunt Bee Taylor (Frances Bavier), deputy Barney Fife (Don Knotts), and others took in all that life threw at them. Small-town shenanigans were abound in this classic series.

The Simpsons (Springfield) 

Is The Simpsons set in Springfield, Illinois, or the Missouri city of the same name, or maybe the Massachusetts town? We may never know, but we do know that the landmark and long-running animated series doesn’t take place in NYC or LA. While Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie have traveled over the years, basecamp is always within smelling distance of the Springfield Tire Fire.

I Dream Of Jeannie (Cocoa Beach, Florida) 

Captain Anthony “Tony” Nelson (Larry Hagman) is an astronaut when he discovers and falls in love with Jeannie (Barbara Eden), a 2,000-year-old magical genie, in I Dream of Jeannie. Their magical and somewhat romantic adventures set in Cocoa Beach, Florida, just miles from Cape Canaveral. 

South Park (South Park, Colorado) 

Set in the fictional mountain town of South Park, Colorado, this groundbreaking, controversial, and long-running animated series couldn’t take place in Los Angeles (too hot) or New York City (too flat). Its decades-long run has allowed fans to meet residents, be introduced to “Humble folks without temptation” and witness just about every situation imaginable in the best South Park episodes.

Eastbound & Down (North Carolina / Mexico) 

During its four seasons, Eastbound & Down followed Kenny Powers (Danny McBride), as the former MLB pitcher attempted to make it back to the big leagues, with only himself getting in the way of achieving that goal. Be it working as a teacher in North Carolina or as a member of a Mexican baseball team, Kenny went all over the place in this HBO classic.

Young Sheldon (Medford, Texas)

While The Big Bang Theory took place in and around the greater Los Angeles area, the prequel series, Young Sheldon, turned its attention to the town of Medford, Texas. That's where Iain Armitage’s eponymous character learned the ins and outs of life, both at school and at home.

Family Ties (Columbus, Ohio) 

The show that turned Michael J. Fox into a household name and almost prevented the actor from landing his iconic role in Back to the Future, Family Ties was set in Columbus, Ohio. Over the course of seven seasons, the show explored the generational divide and the evolving landscape of the American populace in the 1980s.

These are just a couple dozen (and change) examples of great TV shows set outside New York City and Los Angeles. Like the seasons of some of these shows, this list could have kept going and going before hitting syndication.

Over the years, there's been a lot of chatter about a reboot or spinoff for Tim Allen's hit sitcom Home Improvement. It turns out, he's also thought about returning as Tim Taylor. Not only has he pondered the idea, but he even has ideas for a potential reboot, and I'm so on board.

Tim Allen opened up about his relationships with the Home Improvement cast while speaking with The Messenger. Sharing that he's still in contact with lots of his former co-stars, he revealed that they have talked about a potential spinoff. He said:

You hear that! They keep talking about a spinoff, how exciting! Continuing to speak about a potential return to Tim Taylor, Allen said:

Personally, I think this is a fantastic idea. We’ve seen beloved ‘90s sitcoms come back in this way and find great success. Take the Full House reboot Fuller House for example, that show was met with a lot of love from the fans, and it had a fantastic run on Netflix. I’d love to see Tim Taylor return as a grandfather, and learn all about how his family has grown and changed. 

It's worth noting that this isn’t the first time Tim Allen has shared his ideas for a Home Improvement spinoff or reboot. In 2020, the actor expressed his interest in doing a “one-hour movie” so they could find out “where the boys are now, and where...Tool Tim would be in today’s world.”

However, this wouldn’t be our first run-in with Tim Taylor in recent years, if he were to come back. In 2021, Allen’s classic character appeared in a Last Man Standing and Home Improvement crossover. The idea for Mike Baxter and Tim Taylor's meeting came through a network note, and the audience loved it. Honestly, this crossover got fans hopeful that a Home Improvement spinoff could be on the horizon. 

There was also a fun little cast reunion in 2020 when Richard Karn and Allen reunited to host the History Channel’s Assembly Required. Clearly, the love for the show, characters and cast is still very much alive, and Tim Allen is ready to play his tool man again.

Well, hopefully, Tim Allen’s plan comes to fruition, and we get to see him return as Tim Taylor along with the rest of the Home Improvement cast. I think many of us would love to see where all the characters ended up, and a reboot show or movie would be the perfect way to do that.

As more news comes out about Home Improvement’s potential future, we’ll be sure to keep you posted. In the meantime, you can stream the classic sitcom, as well as Tim Allen’s latest series The Santa Clauses (its second season just premiered on the 2023 TV schedule) with a Disney+ subscription. 

The Taylor family may have stuck together through thick and thin over eight seasons and more than 200 episodes of Home Improvement, but that may not be the case for former cast members. Zachery Ty Bryan, who played Brad on the classic sitcom, has been involved in legal troubles over the past few years, and Tim Allen reportedly has been avoiding contact with the actor who played his on-screen son. Read on for what the Santa Clause star has said and how he's allegedly feeling about the situation now.

Bryan's legal troubles began in late 2020, when the then-39-year-old was arrested for allegedly strangling his girlfriend. He was released not too long after following payment of a cash bail, but he was charged with two felonies: strangulation and coercion. He was also charged with six misdemeanors. Tim Allen, who had legal troubles of his own back in the 1970s, spoke with THR in 2022 to share some comments published earlier this year. At the time, the comedian said:

Allen's comments about Zachery Ty Bryan as "a great kid who has grown into a complex man" and only being able to "step aside and let somebody go through their process" were reported over the summer; now, circa fall 2023, RadarOnline.com claims that the actor is avoiding Bryan, who attempted to call Allen earlier this year. Additionally, an inside source allegedly told The National Enquirer (via RadarOnline.com) this about the situation:

Zachery Ty Bryan was making headlines again over the summer when he was arrested once more for alleged domestic violence in Eugene, Oregon after violating the Abuse Prevention Act. The actor's fiancée, Johnnie Faye Cartwright, with whom he shares three children, spoke out just days later. She said that she'll "always want what's best for the father of my children" and described it as "a horrible situation that's going to be spun so many ways." She asked for the public to respect the privacy of her, their children, and their families. 

Shortly thereafter, Bryan was released from jail after six days, with his lawyer releasing a statement with an emphasis on the importance of "presumption of innocence." The actor was arrested again in late September for reportedly violating the terms of a release agreement. 

Tim Allen has not publicly commented on his former Home Improvement co-star's legal troubles or the allegations since his comments about not knowing what was going on with him. You can revisit both actors during their Home Improvement years with the full series available streaming with a Hulu subscription and/or a Disney+ subscription.

As Tim Allen fans await his return to the small screen for The Santa Clauses Season 2, the actor’s former Home Improvement co-star Zachery Ty Bryan is once again making headlines, only for less positive reasons. Bryan was reportedly arrested anew and spent the weekend in jail, though his lawyer is claiming the alarming details that initially surrounded his client’s arrest were related to an earlier incident, and that this latest situation is actually the result of an apparently less serious technical violation.

For the second time in 2023, the actor-turned-producer was arrested in Oregon, and was taken into custody in this instance on Thursday, September 28. He was released on Sunday afternoon, according to TMZ, after posting an undisclosed amount for bail. 

The day after he was picked up, RadarOnline reported that he’d violated the terms of his release agreement stemming from his domestic violence case, and also claimed the arrest report said that an irate judge revoked bail over a reported incident in which the actor is said to have gone out binge-drinking while wearing his court-sanctioned ankle monitor. The ankle monitor’s records reportedly showed that Bryan was at multiple alcohol-selling establishments, despite being legally restricted from entering any businesses where alcohol is the main source of revenue. 

However, Zachery Ty Bryan’s attorney John J. Kolego told TMZ that the details that were part of this particular booking report — which apparently also included 2 counts of 4th degree felony assault — were from his earlier domestic assault arrest in July, and were not related. Kolego says this latest situation is due to a technical violation stemming from the release agreement of the earlier arrest, and that it’s all because Bryan forgot to charge the ankle monitor. 

What’s more, the actor’s lawyer says while he was brought into custody in the midst of a pre-trial court showing, there weren’t any judges involved with the arrest being made, and that it had nothing to do with any instances of binge-drinking. At this point, it’s unclear where those details came from.

While dismissing the idea that this latest arrest is a big deal, Kolego also more or less echoed his prior statement following Bryan’s July arrest, saying:

Whether or not Zachery Ty Bryan's lastest legal problems are the result of a small mistake, he is still awaiting the upcoming trial over the felony charges that rang quite similar to his 2020 arrest that resulted in charges of felony strangulation and more. In a THR interview from earlier this year, in which Tim Allen offered up his thoughts, the actor claimed things were blown out of proportion when he was first arrested. 

That same report also addressed allegations from various investors of what they thought was an agriculture tech startup that Bryan was involved in, but later believed it to be a scheme after seeing no results from the actor or the business itself. 

Home Improvement was a staple of the mid-nineties and its legacy lives on decades later, thanks to some memorable grunting from series lead Tim Allen and the inclusion of the popular character of Wilson, who mainly spent his tenure on the series hiding his face behind a fence. Of course, the relatable concept of a Fix-It guy eking it out with his family in suburban Michigan appealed to many people – even those living outside of the Great Lakes region. The popularity of Home Improvement can’t be understated, and fans still fondly remember the sitcom even as the TV schedule has changed over the decades. 

In fact, many of these fans who are now streaming the show on Disney+ are still asking the age old question: Why did Wilson always hide his face behind the fence on Home Improvement?

Tim Allen Based His Idea For Wilson On His Idea Of A Neighbor While Living In Michigan

While Tim Allen credits the writers and an “extremely competent” director for making Home Improvement the success it was, if you were to ask him, he would confirm the idea for the character of Wilson was all his, and it came from his general concept of what a neighbor was. He said the idea came while he was being pitched for other sitcoms by then Disney head honcho Jeffrey Katzenberg, including a pitch for a Dead Poets Society TV series Allen didn’t want to touch with a 10 foot pole. 

He’d been thinking about what he could pull off in a sitcom world, so when Katzenberg said ‘Disney wants to be in business with you’ it wasn’t that Allen wanted to say ‘no’ to Disney, it was more that he wasn’t into ABC’s ideas. He said on Marc Maron’s WTF podcast: 

Katzenberg wasn’t so easily deterred, however, giving Tim Allen the ability to pitch. And pitch he did, a concept that neatly provided the framework for what Home Improvement would become. It also included a neighbor who was always somewhat hazy in the distance. 

Some things changed a bit from this pitch, including Wilson being more than simply a figure in the distance, but a lot of what the ABC sitcom was was thought up by Allen himself. The actor was also very clear with Maron that it would never have come together as well if Katzenberg hadn’t hooked him up with the creative team he did. 

And Wilson, along with Tim ‘The Tool Man’ Taylor, was born.

Intriguingly, Tim Allen Didn’t Get Writing Credit For Helping To Create The Series And Its Characters

When Home Improvement premiered on September 17, 1991, Tim Allen was already a well-known comic who had satirized an act based around a character he’d created (who loved power tools) for the stage. Even at the time, however, there were comments made about how the show used a lot of original Tim Allen material, including his jokes, but he still didn’t get any credit from the Writer’s Guild. 

In an interview with the Los Angles Times at the time, Allen called the decision “unfair.” His showrunner Matt Williams agreed, saying:

Eventually, Allen would get writing credit for just 14 episode of Home Improvement that aired. The majority of these came during Season 1.   

Wilson Evolved Over Time

Wilson may have been designed by Tim Allen as a reminder of his own interactions with his neighbors in his home state of Michigan. However, Wilson W. Wilson became a character who evolved over time, thanks to some genius ideas from the writers. Not only was Wilson not simply a fuzzy face in the distance, but instead he was a person who was always willing to listen and give a helpful anecdote. Plus, over time the writers were also able to keep up the gag and find new and creative ways to hide his face. For example, at one point in the fourth season, Wilson actually went to Thanksgiving dinner with the characters, and his face was hidden behind a pine cone art display even while sitting down to dinner with the Taylors.

Hindman even hid his face for a final episode interview, though old footage from the filming of the Home Improvement finale shows that Earl Hindman was given a chance to come onstage, show his face and give his final bow as the series was wrapping its run on ABC. It was a nice final moment for the fans to celebrate the actor, as there'd long been a (literal) barrier between him and the people who watched the show.

Last Man Standing Later Nodded At Earl Hindman And The Wilson Gag

Tim Allen later created a show that had a lot of spiritual ties to Home Improvement. Allen has called Last Man Standing's lead character Mike Baxter a "real version of Tim Taylor," also lovingly referring to his previous lead character as a "joke."

In fact, an episode of Last Man Standing tied in with Home Improvement, with both the characters of Mike Baxter and Tim Taylor interacting. The episode "Dual Time" has Taylor mentioning his old neighbor from the other side of the fence while talking to Mike Baxter's partially obscured face. He noted during the now-famous episode, 'I always find it easier to open up when talking to the top half of another man's face." 

Tim Allen said he got "emotional" about the crossover episode. Earl Hindman passed away back in 2003, and it hit the comedian hard. He said he started reflecting on the former sitcom while the crossover episode was filming, noting:

Home Improvement ultimately ended its run in 1999 after nearly a decade on the air. Last Man Standing came along in 2011 and also had a successful run on Fox and ABC. Both shows made an impression, but it is Home Improvement that has fans clamoring for a revival, and years later, people are still asking about the face behind the fence.

Being a child actor is a tricky thing. While plenty of kids (my younger self included) would jump at the chance of being a celebrity, growing up with notoriety can sometimes be difficult to deal with into adulthood. There have been a number of cautionary tales to prove this, the most recent being the controversy surrounding Home Improvement alum Zachery Ty Bryan. He was recently let out of jail following an arrest, and Bryan’s lawyer released an official statement to the public.

Over the years, Zachery Ty Bryan has had a number of controversies and legal issues, dating back to a 2020 strangling incident. Most recently Bryan was arrested due to a domestic violence issue, allegedly related to a physical incident with a woman in Oregon. He was released after six days in jail, with his lawyer John Kolego issuing a statement (via EW), which reads:

This message might have been short, but it definitely sends a message. Kolego wants the legal system to play out, without the court of public opinion automatically assuming guilt for his client. We’ll just have to see what happens with this latest charge, and if it ends up going to trial.

Home Improvement was a wildly popular sitcom in the ‘90s, which made household names out of its young cast, including both Zachery Ty Bryan and Jonathan Taylor Thomas. The cast was led by Tim Allen, who has spoken to Bryan’s legal issues before. It’s for this reason that so many heads turned when the former child actor got arrested again.

As previously mentioned, there have been a number of controversies surrounding Zachery Ty Bryan over the years. In 2020 Bryan was charged with eight counts for a mixture of charges including strangulation, assault, and interfering with police. He would plead guilty to two as the others were dropped, and was put on probation. Back in June he was accused of running a fraudulent business, and now there is this latest arrest. 

For his part, Bryan’s fiancee has spoken about after this arrest, seemingly in support of her partner and the mother of her children. We’ll just have to wait and see how the legal situation ultimately goes down. The details of the alleged incident are still unclear to the public, which will likely only help keep eyes on how things shake out. 

This is the most recent example of Home Improvement making headlines lately. Previously there was discourse online after Pamela Anderson alleged inappropriate behavior by Tim Allen on the set. What’s more, his onscreen wife eventually defended Allen when a clip from the show circulated online.

Zachery Ty Bryan, who’s best known for starring on the ABC sitcom Home Improvement, finds himself at the center of yet another legal situation. Nearly a week ago, Bryan was arrested after allegedly engaging in a physical dispute with a woman. The actor has since been charged with several offenses and remains in police custody, as of this writing. This is also the second time in just a few years that Bryan has faced domestic violence-related charges. Now, amid this most recent controversy, his fiancée is speaking out. 

The 41-year-old former child actor has been engaged to model Johnnie Faye Cartwright since November 2021, and the pair share three children. Cartwright sent an exclusive statement to Us Weekly, in which she referred to her partner’s latest arrest as “a horrible situation.” While opening up over her concerns about the situation, she also made a request of the general public: 

Johnnie Faye Cartwright seems to convey that throughout this ongoing situation, she aims to keep her family first and wants them to have the space to process their circumstances. Her and the Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift alum’s brood consists of daughter Kennedy, who was born in April 2022 and twins Parker and Sequoia, who were born in May 2023. The Hollywood veteran also has four children with high school sweetheart Carly Matros, who he divorced after 14 years of marriage in September 2020. And in October of that same year, the star was arrested after an altercation with Cartwright, during which he reportedly strangled her.

In the days that followed, more details on Zachery Ty Bryan and the-then unnamed Johnnie Faye Cartwright’s incident came to light. Per reports, Cartwright claimed she was sleeping when her partner grabbed her by the hair and pulled her out of bed, after being unable to locate his phone charger. He purportedly began to beat her and disconnected the phone when she tried to contact the authorities. Bryan was eventually released from jail and charged with six offenses, including felony strangulation and interfering with making a police report. He pleaded guilty to two charges and the rest were dismissed. The actor also received three years of probation and was ordered to attend a violence intervention program. The court also stipulated that he was to cut off contact with Cartwright, but their relationship continued. 

The Magic Island star’s most recent arrest took place on Friday, July 28 and, like the first, it occurred in Eugene, Oregon. Local authorities were apparently altered to a physical dispute between a man and woman at a residence. The TGIF alum had reportedly left the scene by the time they arrived, but police tracked him down and took him into custody. As it stands, he's charged with harassment, fourth-degree felony assault and third-degree robbery.

The vast majority of the Home Improvement cast has remained mum on their co-star’s entanglements, but leading man Tim Allen did address the legal issues earlier this summer. He called his on-screen son “a great kid who has grown into a complex man” and admitted that he was unsure of what’s been going on with him as of late. Still, he claimed to “know Zach’s heart” and asserted that he’s “got to figure out his own way.”

If the tone of Johnnie Faye Cartwright’s statement is any indication, it may mark the only time she speaks publicly on her fiancée’s arrest. As for when further updates on Zachery Ty Bryan’s case will arrive, that remains unclear.

Home Improvement alum Zachery Ty Bryan has been entangled in some legal issues over the past several years. Most notably, in 2020, he was arrested and ultimately charged with offenses relating to domestic violence. The former child star has seemingly kept a low profile since, but he’s now making headlines once more. Bryan was arrested this weekend, and allegations of physical abuse are once again the reported reasons why he was taken into custody. While specific details on the incident in question are scarce, authorities have provided some insight into the situation. 

The arrest took place in Eugene, Oregon, which is exactly where the 41-year-old actor was apprehended by police for reportedly strangling his girlfriend years ago. This time around, authorities in the town say the man was arrested this past Friday. TMZ reports that the cops received a call about a physical altercation between a man and woman at a local residence. It’s said that when they arrived, the Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift alum had already left the premises. However, they were ultimately able to locate him and take him to jail. As of this writing, he remains in custody.

Per the police, his purported offenses violated the Abuse Prevention Act. Said provision pertains to a situation in which a person lays hands on someone who already possessed a domestic violence-related restraining order. How that might play into the legal proceedings moving forward remains to be seen.

In 2020, Zachery Ty Bryan reportedly got into an argument with his girlfriend, during which he allegedly put his hands around her throat and squeezed it. He was eventually charged with multiple felonies, including strangulation, fourth degree assault and interfering with making a report, before he was released from jail. Ultimately, the actor pleaded guilty to two charges while six others were dismissed. The court ordered Bryan to cut off contact with the victim and take a batterer intervention course.

The entertainer, of course, rose to prominence as a young actor in the ‘90s, during which he appeared in films like Magic Island, First Kid and The Rage: Carrie 2. However, it was his role as Brad Taylor on the hit ABC sitcom Home Improvement (which is streamable with a Hulu subscription) that truly made him a star. He played the role throughout the entirety of the show’s eight-season run from 1991 to 1999. 

At this point, not many of his Zachery Ty Bryan’s former co-stars have weighed in on the troubles he’s experienced in recent years. His on-screen father, Tim Allen, did address his legal issues, though, just a month ago. Allen admitted to being unsure about what his former co-star is going through and referred to him as “a great kid who has grown into a complex man.” While he believes Bryan has “deviated from the guy I know,” Allen says he knows his “heart” and thinks his TV son has to find his own way.

There’s a possibility that updates regarding Zachery Ty Bryan’s latest run-in with the law could surface soon, per TMZ. Only time will tell just what kind of legal discipline he might face for his purported actions this time.

At a time when streaming services are cutting back on their original content libraries — from Paramount+ snipping Star Trek: Prodigy out completely to Netflix shelving multiple already completed movies — it makes it even more valuable when one platform can deliver all the goods that subscribers are looking for. And when it comes to the sizable fandom that has faithfully followed comedian Tim Allen’s career, Disney+ is arguably the best possible service to align oneself with, especially now that the classic ‘90s sitcom Home Improvement is part of the lineup.

Tim Taylor’s Home Improvement Follies Are Available To Stream In Full 

While Home Improvement recently made headlines regarding an in-depth interview with occasionally troubled former star Zachery Ty Bryan, its availability for streaming with a Disney+ subscription is thankfully free from any amount of drama. All eight episodes of the ABC sitcom were added to the service amidst all of the Marvel and Star Wars content at the end of June, and I think we can all agree that Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury should look into the Taylors’ neighbor Wilson as being a possible Skrull.

Home Improvement was previously available to stream elsewhere, but the move to Disney+ puts it right back with ABC’s parent company for proper synergy. And I don’t just mean the corporate kind, since the aforementioned sitcom can now sit alongside an abundance of other Tim Allen-starring content.

Everything Else That Disney+ Has Streaming For Tim Allen Fans 

For those who aren’t into watching Tim Allen sharing the screen with Richard Karn or Patricia Richardson — and no fault to anyone whose blood pressure immediately spikes anytime Fictional Tim has control of power tools — Disney+ is pretty stacked by way of other content that steers clear of super-powered lawnmowers. Check out the mostly comprehensive list of options below:

• Toy Story (1995)
• Toy Story 2 (1999)
• Toy Story 3 (2010)
• Toy Story Toons: Hawaiian Vacation (2011)
• Toy Story Toons: Small Fry (2011)
• Toy Story Toons: Partysaurus Rex (2012)
• Toy Story of Terror (2013)
• Toy Story That Time Forgot (2014)
• Toy Story 4 (2019)
• The Santa Clause (1994)
• The Santa Clause 2 (2002)
• The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006)
• The Santa Clauses (2022)
• Jungle 2 Jungle (1997)

Obviously this rundown doesn't include every single feature film and TV show that Tim Allen is known for, but it's a solid lineup for a holiday weekend (or longer if binge-watching Home Improvement on top of everything else). The only major absence from the Toy Story franchise is the much-requested animated series Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, which ran from 2000-2001. You can obviously find the live-action Lightyear, though Allen famously was not a part of the movie, even if he's returning to voice the role for Toy Story 5, both of which he's talked about.

And then for everyone who needs some of the big career highlights that aren't currently part of Disney+'s library, fans can find his other long-running sitcom Last Man Standing currently streaming with a Hulu subscription. Meanwhile, the cult sci-fi comedy Galaxy Quest, which is one of the most sequel-desired '90s movies out there, is available to stream on Paramount+. And Max is where fans can find the star-studded comedy Wild Hogs for streaming purposes.

Stay tuned to see if even more from Allen's career will make its way to Disney+ in the future. And while waiting, head to our 2023 TV premiere schedule to see what new and returning shows are popping up soon.

When it comes to child star stereotypes, Home Improvement’s Taylor sibling actors run the gamut, with Jonathan Taylor Thomas maintaining a largely private existence, and Taran Noah Smith going full circle from chaotic young adult to a mild-mannered non-Hollywood professional. Zachery Ty Bryan was the only one to continue leaning heavily into an acting career, which turned into a producer gig after he’d bolstered his wealth as an early Bitcoin investor. But it’s only been in recent years that Bryan’s life seemingly started to spin out, following multiple DUIs and a high-profile 2020 arrest in which he’d allegedly fought with and strangled his then-girlfriend while both were intoxicated. With more details about his personal life and substance abuse coming to light after the fact, Tim Allen spoke out about his former TV son’s complicated issues.

With several allegations of fraud being laid against him over investments in an agriculture-tech startup, and at least one ongoing lawsuit involving other fraud accusations, Bryan’s recent years were addressed at length by THR, with Tim Allen having shared with the outlet his largely unique perspective on the situation. In his words:

It's unclear if Allen was speaking about any specific elements from Zachery Ty Bryan's life, or if he was just talking generally, but his words could be attributed to any parts of it. The lengthy report also contains reactions and quotes from family, friends and professional colleagues of Bryan, and while there are varying levels of context involved, many of their views echo the same thoughts. 

Namely, that Bryan is a charismatic and largely kind person who likes to speak of his wealth and Hollywood connections, and one whose decision-making skills in recent years are completely incongruous with the person they've known for years; or, in the case of some dismayed investors, the person they put faith into being someone who could make them some money. The way Tim Allen sees it, the person he's known for decades is still in there, but has to be coaxed back out again. Here's how he put it:

There's a running theme of Bryan's love of alcohol being the fuel for a lot of the trouble he was getting into, and Tim Allen can certainly speak to the idea of imbibing certain substances leading to arrests. He was famously arrested in 1978 on cocaine trafficking and possession charges, spending over two years in jail after giving up the names of other dealers; he was also arrested in 1998 for a DUI.

Zachery Ty Bryan himself admitted to alcohol being an avenue to problems in THR's interview, while also downplaying the events that led to the arrest mentioned above, saying he and Cartwright "didn’t even really get that physical" during their drunken argument. And though he apparently isn't into using the term alcoholic, he spoke to it by saying:

Here's hoping the worst of it is all behind both Bryan and Cartwright (who was arrested in April 2021 for assaulting a pair of security guards while intoxicated), especially as they raise their three young children together. If there was a ever a time for a Home Improvement revival to come back around, it might be now. 

When I think about Tim Allen the first thing that comes to mind is his acting career. Some of Allen’s best movies include family classics like Toy Story and The Santa Clause, and he’s also well known for his long-lasting sitcoms like Home Improvement and Last Man Standing. However, when he started acting, some people thought he was no good, but his TV wife Patricia Richardson always thought he was fantastic, and doesn't understand why people would think her long-time co-star was bad. 

Patricia Richardson was with Tim Allen right at the beginning of his acting career. They stared as Jill and Tim Taylor on Home Improvement, which was the comedian's first acting gig, for years and loved working together. The series aired from 1991-1999, and it was the stand-up comedian's first big acting gig. Now, all these years later Richardson opened up to Fox News about the people would bug her co-star because they thought he was a bad actor. Well, she never thought that and was ready to defend him, saying: 

She continued saying she had worked in theater before making the jump to TV, and said the actors she worked with “have trouble listening.” Richardson noted that it felt like everyone was “self-conscious,” and they didn’t know what they were doing, so they had trouble listening and responding in her early days of acting. However, Allen did that immediately. 

The Home Improvement star continued, noting that it was Allen’s first time acting ever, and he put in the work to become an even better performer by taking lessons on the side. She also explained that the sitcom had storylines that were really emotional, and required the actors to dig deep, and Allen made for a great scene partner in both the funny moments and emotional ones. Due to her time working with Tim Allen, Richardson made sure to explain that there's a reason her long-time scene partner has had a long career as an actor:

You know, I’m with Richardson, I don’t know why people would think Tim Allen is a bad actor. In the beginning, it makes sense that viewers didn't know if Allen would be a good actor or not, since he came from stand-up. However, he's proven time and time again that he's also a beloved actor, so I totally get why his TV wife is always ready to defend him.  

Since Home Improvement ended both Allen and Richardson have worked on tons of different projects that show their range as actors. Patricia Richardson popped up on NCIS a couple of years ago, and fans loved her performance so much that they wanted more, especially because of how different it was from her time on the ABC sitcom. She's also had small roles in other TV classics The West Wing, Last Man Standing and Grey's Anatomy.

As for Tim Allen, he starred in Last Man Standing from 2011-2021, and has taken on movies here and there. He also reprised his role as Scott Calvin in the new series The Santa Clauses, which got renewed for a second season recently, proving just how much people love to see the actor on screen. Not only did he reprise his role as Stana Claus, he’s also set to come back as the beloved Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story 5 in the coming years. So, I bet all those people who doubted his talent all those years ago are having second thoughts. 

To catch up on Tim Allen’s latest project: The Santa Clauses you can use a Disney+ subscription to stream Season 1, and if you want to throw it back and watch him and Patricia Richardson in Home Improvement, you can do so with a Hulu subscription.  

Pamela Anderson has been making headlines as of late due to the release of her memoir – Love, Pamela – and her documentary – Pamela, a Love Story – which can be streamed using a Netflix subscription. The former included a substantial allegation from Anderson, as she accused Tim Allen of flashing his penis at her when they were co-stars on Home Improvement. Allen has since denied the claim, while Anderson has doubled down on the alleged run-in. In the aftermath of Allen shooting down the assertion, Anderson has shared a new theory as to why the actor is denying her story.

The alleged flashing apparently took place during the early days of production on Home Improvement. Pamela Anderson, who played the role of Tool Time girl Lisa during the ABC sitcom’s first two seasons, painted a detailed picture of the purported situation. The Baywatch icon gave her account of the moment with Tim Allen once more during an interview: 

The 55-year-old star would go on to say that after her co-star “ran back into his room,” he was “embarrassed all day and acting like a little giddy schoolboy.” While this moment is still hearsay, one honestly would have to wonder why Pamela Anderson would make up the story. Nevertheless, after this anecdote from her book dropped, Tim Allen said, “No, it never happened. I would never do such a thing.” Allen has since also taken a dig at Anderson’s memory, and rumors even suggest that Allen believes his conservative political ideals factor into the claim. While responding to that denial, Anderson opined to ET Canada that it was fueled by the current Hollywood climate:

Since the story came to light, some have spoken out in support of the Dancing with the Stars alum. One such person is Ryan White, the director of her Netflix documentary, who“wasn’t surprised by the story. When asked about the reported flashing, White sided with his colleague, who he says “cannot be dishonest,” based on their experience making the doc. Even Britney Spears has posted some kind sentiments about her fellow starlet – and possibly shaded her kids in the process, too.

Home Improvement’s Patricia Richardson also spoke out about a resurfaced behind-the-scenes clip, which showed Tim Allen flashing her while wearing a kilt. Richardson clarified that the leading man didn’t expose his genitals to her. As she put it, Allen was “well dressed under there,” and she was simply surprised that he lifted the kilt at all.

Despite everything, Pamela Anderson has stated that she holds “no ill will” towards Tim Allen and believes that the comedian “had no bad intentions” behind the alleged flashing. Nevertheless, she has declared that like other salacious moments she’s experienced in her life, “it should never have happened” and believes such a thing wouldn’t have occurred during the #MeToo era. And while things still aren’t perfect, many would likely agree with the star’s latter point. 

Those who want insight into Pamela Anderson’s personal and professional journeys can stream Pamela, a Love Story now and read Love, Pamela.

Tim Allen and Pamela Anderson have been engaged in a bit of a back-and-forth, after the actress said in her recently released memoir Love, Pamela that the comedian flashed his penis at her during their days on Home Improvement. Allen vehemently denied the allegations, responding that he “would never do such a thing.” However, after Anderson doubled down on the claims, sources say The Santa Clauses star thinks politics might be playing a role, and rumor has it he’s told people he's being targeted in Hollywood due to his conservative leanings.

Pamela Anderson played “Tool Time Girl” Lisa for two seasons on the ABC sitcom Home Improvement, which began filming in 1991. Her claims that Tim Allen opened his robe to fully expose himself on the first day of filming allegedly have the actor thinking that people are purportedly trying to get him canceled because of his political beliefs. According to Radar Online: 

The insider further alleges that Tim Allen was already worried about the future of his career before the flashing accusations, alleging that he thought politics played into the cancellation of Last Man Standing. Some fans of the actor believe his conservative beliefs also played a part in his being replaced in the Toy Story franchise, with Chris Evans taking over the role of Buzz Lightyear in last year’s prequel spinoff, Lightyear. 

There is no real evidence to support those claims — as the movie was billed as the story that inspired Tim Allen’s Buzz Lightyear toy — but that didn’t keep Allen from voicing his opinion about the film or his Home Improvement co-star Patricia Heaton from speaking out (twice) in Allen’s defense.

Patricia Heaton has also weighed in on the flashing situation, after a clip resurfaced of the leading man lifting the kilt his character was wearing in front of her during a blooper reel that played during an episode’s end credits. While the two situations are not comparable, Pamela Anderson’s allegations certainly gave a new perspective to the outtake; however, Heaton downplayed the moment, saying she was shocked that he lifted his kilt but that he was wearing boxer shorts.

One person who unequivocally believes the Baywatch alum is Ryan White, the director of her new Netflix documentary Pamela, A Love Story, who claimed to not be surprised that Tim Allen and Sylvester Stallone have denied the allegations made in her book. He said Pamela Anderson is honest “to a fault” and that he’d put his money behind anything she said.

She, in fact, doubled down on the flashing story in interviews promoting Love, Pamela, insisting that she held no ill will toward Tim Allen and was sure he didn’t have bad intentions. However, Pamela Anderson said post-#MeToo, she didn’t think he or anyone would have done that.

The Galaxy Quest star, meanwhile, called Pamela Anderson “a good girl,” but tried to discredit her recollection of the events that she alleged to have happened on the set of Home Improvement, saying “everybody at ABC is a little disappointed in her… memory, put it that way.” Only time will tell how this situation progresses in this situation and whether Tim Allen himself makes any comments regarding how his politics play into the matter.

Pamela Anderson’s memoir Love, Pamela is available for purchase now, and you can stream her documentary Pamela, A Love Story with a Netflix subscription. Also be sure to check out what else is coming soon to Netflix. 

Surrounding the release of her new memoir Love, Pamela, which is itself being accompanied by the new Netflix documentary Pamela, A Love Story, Pamela Anderson is once again turning heads, conquering headlines, and taking names. Or naming names, as it were, with much of the book’s promotional campaign being tethered to her claims that former Home Improvement co-star Tim Allen flashed her via an open robe on the sitcom’s set as it kicked off filming in 1991. A denial statement was shared on Allen’s behalf at the time, and now the comedian himself has addressed the issue, complimenting Anderson while taking a shot at the validity of her memories.

For her part, Pamela Anderson followed up on the claims after the fact, reiterating that she hadn’t called Tim Allen out in her memoir with judgmental intentions, and claimed she doesn’t have any “ill will” towards him at this point in her life. When asked about the accusation by the DailyMail, Allen mirrored her subdued attitude, while also implying that no one from the Home Improvement side of things puts value into her claims. In his words:

Allen, whose answers were put to video, spoke kindly enough of Anderson, though he twice referred to the 55-year-old Baywatch vet as a “girl.” Plus, he bypassed outwardly questioning her memory, and instead offered up disappointment in it, while also making it sound as if the entirety of Disney and ABC were also on his side. It’s unknown how anyone else who worked on Home Improvement feels about the situation, as no one else has come forward with their thoughts on the former Playboy Playmate’s claims.

Star Patricia Richardson addressed the blooper clip of Allen lifting the front of a kilt he was wearing while facing her, but said it was done as a gag without bad intentions. And it would appear she didn’t directly speak to anything that Pamela Anderson said in her memoir.  One of the only other people who has offered up a take — at least beyond Sylvester Stallone also re-denying Anderson’s claims that he offered her lavish gifts to try and win her affection — has been documentary director Ryan White, who helped Pamela, A Love Story, which is available to stream now with a Netflix subscription. White wholeheartedly believes in Anderson being an honest person through and through, and believes she’s speaking her truth. He didn’t mention anything about her having memory problems while filming, either. 

Though she wasn’t so positive when talking about her past with Tim Allen, Anderson has shared some high praise for the late Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, calling him the only man who ever treated her with full respect during her career. Which may explain why she was seemingly happy to work with him and the magazine again after her time on Home Improvement. 

Fans can check out both the streaming documentary and the new book Love, Pamela today, January 31, and we can probably expect more stories to break as fans pore through the stories of her illustrious, if not always financially secure, career.

Actress Pamela Anderson has been a public figure for decades now, becoming a superstar during the 1990s due to her modeling career and role in projects like Baywatch. She has been having a serious moment lately thanks to a new memoir, a documentary, and starring in Chicago on Broadway. She recently made headlines for an excerpt of her book where she alleges that Tim Allen flashed her during her first day on the Home Improvement set. While Allen has denied this, Anderson recently doubled down on her story, and discussed how things would be different today. 

Pamela Anderson's allegation about Tim Allen's behavior quickly broke the internet, partly because of what a beloved figure the Toy Story star has been throughout the years. He claimed that the flashing incident never happened, but Anderson once again reiterated her experience, with a statement to Vanity Fair which reads:

Pamela Anderson also recently spoke to Variety while promoting her new memoir Love, Pamela, and once again addressed the claim she made about Tim Allen's behavior. While she reiterated that she's not feeling angry about the alleged flashing incident, she maintains that it did indeed happen. And as such, it seems like these allegations aren't going away anytime soon. She was quoted by saying:

The #MeToo movement really became global conversation back in 2017, when a series of allegations were made against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. This opened up the conversation about rape culture and harassment across all industries, but especially entertainment. And Pamela Anderson doesn't think the alleged incident with Tim Allen would have been tolerated if they were living in the modern world while collaborating on Home Improvement. 

The allegations made about Tim Allen by Pamela Anderson has dominated the news cycle as of late. The discourse led to fans dissecting one moment from Home Improvement's blooper reel, whee he seemingly flashed co-star Patricia Richardson while wearing a kilt. She personally shut down this talk, revealing he was clothed underneath all those years ago.

While Tim Allen only wrote a brief statement denying Anderson's allegations, it remains to be seen if his team addresses the claim again in a public way. The 69 year-old actor is currently starring in The Santa Clauses on Disney+, which was renewed for a second season. We'll just have to see if this bombshell report ends up affecting that burgeoning series. In the meantime, check out the TV premiere list to plan your next binge watch.

Pamela Anderson is back in the headlines again thanks to the release of her impending memoir, titled Love, Pamela, and the Netflix documentary that will put a similar focus on her meteoric rise to fame, as well as her later life and many successes. An early excerpt from the book exploded this week, as Anderson claimed that former Home Improvement co-star Tim Allen flashed his penis at her on the set. Allen denied everything, but things appeared newly murky after a video clip surfaced depicting the stand-up comedian lifting a kilt in front of co-lead Patricia Richardson. Now, the actress has responded and offered some clarification about what was happening. 

The clip is actually one of Home Improvement’s many blooper moments that regularly played out during each episode’s end credits. And it’s one that will possibly be familiar for those who watched the show with regularity during its ABC years. Allen’s character Tim Taylor is wearing a kilt, which Richardson’s Jill commented on, saying she wished it was shorter. That point is when Allen lifted the kilt, with seemingly only his co-star seeing what was underneath, as the studio audience howled. 

Patricia Richardson told TMZ that that fans have been curious about what was going on in that moment, and shared it wasn’t anything so salacious. In her words: 

To be clear, Pamela Anderson’s allegation presents a far different situation than what plays out in the Home Improvement clip, and shouldn’t make for an apples-to-apples comparison. She seemed to imply that they were away from others during the day in question, while the video was clearly filmed on a set that was presumably filled with crew members beyond the camera operator, not to mention a studio audience watching. As such, Allen lifting his kilt comes off more as a jokey moment primed for the blooper reels. 

Richardson apparently didn’t speak directly to Pamela Anderson’s claims, sharing only what she experienced on Home Improvement during the time in question. She and Allen have shared a seemingly close and friendly relationship in the years since portraying the Taylors. She’d made multiple appearances on Last Man Standing when that was still airing, further implying a lack of bad blood. 

Following the Love, Pamela excerpt spreading, Tim Allen released a statement denying the accusation, saying:  

While she wasn’t quite as active in the sitcom world following Home Improvement’s end in 1999, Richardson has been a busy in the world of network TV in recent years.  Her Last Man Standing cameos were later followed by roles on Blindspot, The Blacklist and Grey’s Anatomy, not to mention a slew of Hallmark Christmas movies such as Snow Bride. The latter co-starred Katrina Law, which allowed for a fun reunion when Richardson appeared on NCIS in 2022.

It’s unclear if anything else will happen with the Tim Allen accusation, at least without any way to substantiate anyone’s claims. But one can imagine people will be buying up Pamela Anderson’s new book in droves to see what other shocking claims and stories are told within its pages. She’ll definitely be opening up about her negative feelings towards Hulu’s Pam & Tommy, which she claims still makes her sick to think about. The book will hit stores and online retailers on Tuesday, January 31.