Tim Allen Says He’s Talked to Home Improvement Cast About Spinoff Series

Tim Allen, speaking in support of the upcoming, second season of The Santa Clauses, revealed that he has discussed the possibility of a return to the role of Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor, the character he played for eight seasons on Home Improvement. The role, which made Allen a household name, lasted virtually the entire 1990s. The series also starred Richard Karn, Patricia Richardson, Taran Noah Smith, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, and Zachery Ty Bryan. Allen said during a recent interview that he has had some preliminary conversations about some kind of continuation, which would have a multigenerational bent.

The series centered around Taylor, a TV host of a home-improvement show. Based on Allen’s stand-up comedy, it depicted its lead character as a buffoon whose TV show’s success was primarily due to his right-hand man (Karn) stepping in to save it from Tim’s mistakes. Audiences similarly got to see Tim’s wife (Richardson) holding down the fort at home.

“I see Richard Karn a lot, and I talk to the boys…and I’m there as one of their friends. We keep talking about [a spinoff],” Allen told The Messenger (via Deadline). “It’s funny, one of the conversations we’ve had recently is how weird it would be if Home Improvement would be about the kids’ kids. Like, if all of them had children, and I’m a grandparent. Home Re-Improvement or something like that. It’s come up.”

What’s kind of funny is, it seems likely Allen could go forward more or less alone in a Frasier-style spinoff, if he was interested in doing some version of a Tool Time show that could act as a workplace comedy for an aging Tim Taylor. That gives a real sense to how important Allen and others believe the family aspect of the show to be (versus that straightforward, character-based comedy of the aforementioned Frasier).

In the second season of The Santa Clauses, the Calvin family is back in the North Pole as Scott Calvin continues his role as Santa Claus after retirement plans were thwarted when failing to find a worthy successor in season one. Now that Scott and his family have successfully saved Christmas, Scott turns his focus towards training his son Cal to eventually take over the “family business” as Santa Claus.

Disney Legend Tim Allen executive produces and continues to reprise the beloved role of Santa/Scott Calvin. Also starring are Elizabeth Mitchell as Mrs. Claus/Carol, Elizabeth Allen-Dick as Sandra Calvin Claus, Austin Kane as Cal Calvin Claus, Devin Bright as Santa’s elf bestie Noel, Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias as Kris “Kringle” Moreno and Eric Stonestreet as Magnus Antas aka The Mad Santa. Matilda Lawler plays a recurring guest-star role as Santa’s chief of staff, Betty. Additional guest stars include Tracy Morgan as Easter Bunny, Marta Kessler as Olga, a surly, take-no-prisoners gnome who doesn’t understand “feelings” and “empathy” and sidekick to Magnus Antas, aka The Mad Santa, , Liam Kyle as Gary, Isabella Bennett as Edie, Sasha Knight as Crouton, Ruby Jay as Riley, Mia Lynn Bangunan as Pontoon, and Laura San Giacomo as La Befana, the Christmas Witch.

Alongside Allen, award-winning Jack Burditt (“30 Rock,” “Modern Family,” “Frasier,” “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”) is an executive producer and showrunner. Kevin Hench (“Last Man Standing”), Richard Baker (“Last Man Standing,” “The Santa Clause,” “The Santa Clause 2”) and Rick Messina (“Last Man Standing,” “The Santa Clause,” “The Santa Clause 2”) serve as executive producers along with Jason Winer and Jon Radler for Small Dog Picture Company.