Home Improvement: Season Seven

When a television series becomes a hit and is renewed season after season the networks face a dilemma. The have to walk a tightrope between keeping the formula that made the series successful and keeping it fresh and new. After six years on the tube the ABC staple, ‘Home Improvement’ was facing that situation as it entered season seven. The basic premise was retained but several of the multiple episode story arcs took the series into newer, somewhat more adult themes. While some make think that these changes move the show too far away from what earned its popularity some of the funniest episodes are in this season. This was the next to last season the show would have and the last with the original core cast. For this reason alone fans of the series will want to add this DVD box set to their collection.

For those who have been in solitary confinement during the nineties the series centers on Tim ‘The Tool Man’ Taylor (Tim Allen). This is a man who enjoys the simple things in life such as tools, sports and the fine dining you can only find at the local sports bar. There is one other part of his life that is important to him; his family and friends. His wife Jill (Patricia Richardson) has recently gone back to school and received her degree in psychology. Their three sons are now pretty much through their teen years and their futures looms before them. Eldest son Brad (Zachery Ty Bryan) is an athlete, specifically soccer. Next in line is Randy (Jonathan Taylor Thomas). As the middle child he often found himself disagreeing with his father. In this season Randy gets a job on his school’s newspaper and writes an article that attacks the company his father works for, Binford. Randy is the son most concerned with global events and the ecology. Last there is the youngest son, Mark (Taran Noah Smith). In earlier seasons Mark was the little double of his father even to the point of wearing a toy tool belt. In this season he begins to try to find his own identity. His foray into the Goth look is not well taken by Tim.

Also in an extended family are a few colorful characters. There is Al Borland (Richard Karn), the co-host of Tim’s television show and one of his best friends. Al is a good old fashion guy with a perchance for plaid and a heart as big as the proverbial great out doors. Then there is the neighbor to the Taylors, Wilson (Earl Hindman). A running gag through the whole series keeps the audience from ever seeing his full face. Wilson is a combination sage, advisor and mentor to all of the Taylor family. Together Wilson and Al provide the balance that Tim’s testosterone over drive personality needs. There is also Heidi (Debbe Dunning), the tool girl assistant for Tim’s show. For five episode of this season a new character was introduced, Wilson’s nice Willow Leaf Branch Wilson played by China Kantner the real life daughter of Jefferson Airplane founders Paul Kantner and Grace Slick. She winds up staying over at the Taylors who are unprepared for a young woman in the house.

Since the younger members of the cast have grown up on the show the writers had to provide scripts with more adult problem. They no longer could use the youthful antics they used in the previous season so they let the boys grown on screen. In one episode Brad announces he is getting married to a girl he met at a party. The parents have to talk him out of his romantic aspirations. In another episode Randy questions not only his own faith but all organized religion. This one was a little more serious than most episodes but the humor was retained with Tim breaking a baptismal font in the church. When Mark decides to make a horror film to further his plans for a career in movies the parents are worried about their son’s darker side. Things get worse when Mark adds to his all black clothes a dark black lipstick. This is a bit too much for his father and his traditional ideas of what it is to be a manly man.

Not only are things changing for the kids in this season the parents have their share to cope with. Al is in a serious relationship with a woman named Ilene (Sherry Hursey). When it is discovered that she is engaged Tim decides to take Al to a club to meet other women. Of course the results are a disaster. When Heidi has problems with her own marriage Tim gets the false impression that she is having an affair with Al. Things even get rocky between Tim and Jill when she meets a man, Ian (Tom Wopat) at the gym who has a crush on her. Both Jill and Tim have to face the fact that they are getting older. When Jill finds out that she needs glasses she gets worried about her youth being behind her. After Tim baby sits his younger brother’s twins he decides that he wants to have more children. Of course, Jill though that 2 AM feedings and diapers were long since behind them. Her suggestion is for Tim to get a vasectomy.

With all the changes in this season the show retains its heart. It still focuses on a man trying to fit in to a world that he feels uncomfortable with. Tim is about one step above caveman status but thanks to the influences of his wife and friends he is still maturing. The downside here is the more serious themes presented do detract from some of the humor. By the seventh season most series are running out of steam and there are some signs of fatigue present here. Since this show depends heavily on a series of running gags some of the laughs are almost pre-programmed. Still, this season is funnier than a lot of the newer comedies on the tube now. There is a sense of familiarity that the audience has built up with the characters and this provides an emotional investment. As we watch this season we still collectively care about the Taylor family.

ABC Television releases this box set through their parent company, Buena Vista. Typical of a Buena Vista release they keep to a high standard for this release. The full screen video is typical of a television sit-com. The colors are bright, the contrast acceptable and the over all look is better than what you see in syndication. The Dolby stereo audio gets the job done without any flourish. The only extra present is a blooper reel specific to the season. This is one for the fans but still holds together in general.

Posted 07/18/07