Where Was Home Improvement Filmed? An Expert's Guide

The popular show Home Improvement was set in Detroit, but it was actually filmed in Burbank, California. Starting in Season 2, each episode began with a cold opening featuring the series' logo. This was followed by the Binford-sponsored Home Improvement program, Tool Time, which was a program within a program. Although viewers longed to get a glimpse of Wilson's full face, it wasn't until the end of the series that they got to see it - and only then during the curtain call.

Home Improvement and Tool Time were both staged in front of a studio audience, with some fans appearing in episodes as a result of cameras panning attendees. Actress Patricia Richardson had earned many stage credits before joining Home Improvement, including working as a stand-in in Angela Lansbury's production of Gypsy on Broadway. The phrase “Tool Time” would not be uttered after the seventh season of Home Improvement, until Tim's last line in the series finale. Since 1995, Home Improvement has been in syndication, with repeats on Nick at Nite, TBS, TV Land, The Hallmark Channel and Disney Channel. According to a fan poll, the all-time favorite episode of Home Improvement is “Love's Labor's Lost” - part comedy, part drama as Jill faces hysterectomy surgery. Originally, Frances Fisher was chosen as Allen's wife for the show.

However, Tim Allen's character on Home Improvement joined Bill Cosby and Bob Saget (Full House) on TV Guide's list of the best TV parents of all time. The show presented by Tim Taylor in the Home Improvement shooting script was still called Hammer Time when the first pilot with Frances Fisher was filmed in April 1991. In Germany and Austria, Home Improvement has been shown dubbed under the title Hör mal, wer da hämmert (Listen who is hammering). By the time ABC committed to the project in early 1991, Allen and his team had already changed the title to Home Improvement. It was also a must-see for on-campus television, especially in Michigan where it was set. After Home Improvement ended, Richard Karn's biggest television role was presenting Family Feud (2002-2003).

He joined Richard Dawson, Ray Combs, Louie Anderson, John O'Hurley and Steve Harvey on the Feud alumni board. The show premiered on April 17th 1991 and quickly became an audience favorite.