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You can’t deny the animal magnetism between a tool and a man. When it comes to hardware, most men are all over it in a second. Although it didn’t garner the critical respect of “Seinfeld” and was a more traditional sitcom, “Home Improvement” played the traditional clichéd roles gender stereotypes in hilarious, thoughtful and original ways. Tim Allen’s more domestic orientated humor worked just as well as Jerry Seinfeld’s more urban observations. Allen played Tim Taylor the often inept host of a cable TV program called “Tool Time”. Frequently upstaged by his more accomplished assistant Al (the delightful Richard Karn), Tim struggled with more domestic issues. His gift for repairing ironically was just as large as his gift to create chaos whether it be in his relationships or home repairs. Whenever Tim got in trouble he could always turn to the his wise next door neighbor Wilson (the late Earl Hindman). Hindman’s reassuring advice which was always mangled by Tim got him through many a spat with his wife Jill (the sexy and sassy Patricia Richardson) and his kids. Allen and his co-creators/co-writers mined a great deal of laughs in this rich domestic vein for nearly nine years. Co-created by Allen with Matt Williams (“Rosanne”), “Home Improvement” continued to surprise throughout the years. When it could have easily coasted on Allen’s substantial charm and comic timing, the writers continued to throw the occasional monkey wrench into the mix keeping the show interesting to fans and at the top of the ratings throughout its run. ---

Unfortunately, Buena Vista only provides a featurette “Loose Screws” that focuses on the funniest moments of the show. There’s no retrospective documentary, no interviews with Tim Allen or the rest of the cast (and there’s plenty available) and no deleted scenes or outtakes provided. It’s a pity as “Home Improvement” certainly merits the same treatment as its urban counterpart “Seinfeld”. The good news is that the series is presented in its original uncut format (it’s frequently trimmed for syndication). While that’s not an extra, it’s pretty important as the series hasn’t run intact since its original airing. ---