Home Improvement

- Season 1

(1991)

Tim makes the dishwasher more powerful. Jill has a job interview.

At home: Tim is tuning up his ride-on lawnmower, Jill is making the boys donate unnecessary stuff for a rummage sale and Mark breaks his dad's precious 20-year-old torque wrench. On Tool Time: Tim hides a blowtorch from Al "to make an important point".

Tim and the boys are watching football on TV when Jill reminds him that they have a dinner reservation at Chez Pierre because it was supposed to be their romantic night out. Tim has to give up the football - but sneaks a portable radio with an earpiece underneath his clothes into the restaurant in order to listen to the match. The boys get a peculiar new babysitter, Sir Larry Houdini!

On Tool Time: Tim is working on a wood table with a power saw, with predictable results. Al is going to help out Lisa with her bookshelf. At home: Tim decides to install a huge new satellite dish all by himself. He is also jealous about a guy who's willing to help Jill prepare for a job interview on a Saturday.

Mark is bringing his Cub Scout pals for a visit. Tim has to re-light the pilot light of the furnace and he decides to show Randy and Brad how to do it. While in the basement, they discover something moving down there.

At home: When the boys manage to get the whole family kicked out of a pizza place because of their misbehavior, Jill points out that since Tim has encouraged the boys' bad behavior, he should be the one to teach them how to behave. On Tool Time: Besides showing how to lay floor boards, Tim takes the time to give a speech about manners. He also demonstrates the new Binford nail gun, with predictable results.

Jill has ignored the car's oil warning light for two days, and the car becomes inoperative. Tim then gives a speech on Tool Time about respect for the machines. He tells the audience about the oil light incident that happened to "a friend". Tim gets support from two audience members with similar experiences. When they start sharing experiences about each other's wives, Tim lets it slip out that Jill drools A LOT in her sleep - with a predictable reaction from Jill when the show airs...

On "Tool Time": Tim has a tip on how to avoid hitting oneself on a finger while holding a nail. Tim also has received a fan letter which he decides to read out aloud to the audience. The writer of the letter and his friends are construction workers who have invented a way of "cooking with power and steel". Tim invites them to demonstrate this on the show. At home: Brad and Randy are ashamed of being seen in public with their "geek brother". Jill thinks she and Tim should tell Brad and Randy not to torment their little brother, but Tim has another idea: they have to "...

Jill mentions the need for another sink in the bathroom, and Tim promises to add one plus a whirlpool, and anything else Jill wants. Tim decides to make a "Tool Time" special about a bathroom re-do at his home because that way the show will cover much of the cost. Of course, things don't go as smoothly as planned...

Tim starts his dream hot rod project; he has only a frame to a 1934 Ford Roadster to begin with, but it's a start. Jill is more interested in the clogged sink, which to Tim is not an urgent matter. Because of that, Jill has already tried to unclog it herself and managed to drop Tim's precious screwdriver in. Suddenly Tim gets very upset and decides to teach the basics of plumbing to Jill. Soon they have a fight. Afterwards, Tim apologizes, but Jill doesn't feel she owes him an apology in return. On "Tool Time": Tim decides to teach basic home repair to women "in a ...

At home: Jill starts experiencing stage fright when the time to give a speech at a fundraiser approaches. Tim promises to clean the house while Jill concentrates on the speech. True to his manners, Tim decides to rewire the vacuum cleaner with, you guessed it, more power! On Tool Time: Tim gives a house cleaning tip for men.

On "Tool Time": Tim gives a Yuletime tip - never plug in a frayed wire - and grunts "Jingle Bells". He also demonstrates his great invention, a rotating Christmas tree, with the usual results. At home: Tim has decided to beat Doc Johnson in the neighborhood Christmas decoration contest. The competition soon gets out of control. Jill is upset that Randy did not get the part of Joseph but rather the inn-keeper in the school Christmas pageant, and decides to make Randy stand out by making him an outstanding costume. Mark learns a shocking secret from his brothers: There ...

In Tool Time: Tim demonstrates how to hang a drywall. At home: At Tim's suggestion, the family goes bowling. Tim's obsession for winning soon turns a time of family fun into bloody competition. Randy and Brad run into the bowling alley arcade bully.

It's family night at the Taylors. Randy would like to re-watch 'Bury Me Again' and Tim suggests 'Bayonet Hell', but it's Jill's time to choose and she wants to see 'The Sound of Music'. Then Tim's college roommate Stu calls to say that he's in town. Tim agrees to meet him over a beer, because Jill finds him obnoxious and doesn't want him in their home. However, Tim can't tell Stu he is not welcome... On "Tool Time": Tim demonstrates how to heat insulate a window.

At home: Brad is going on his first date, but is uncomfortable about having to learn how to dance. Jill's friend Karen is coming for a visit; she and Tim don't like each other. Karen mocks Tim about his power tools, saying that men buy them because they are insecure about their manhood, then claims men are aggressive and destructive and that society is male-dominated. Tim claims his relationship with Jill is an equal one, but Karen comes up with tricky questions to test that. On "Tool Time": Tim demonstrates how to apply laminate. The process involves a new instant ...

At home: Jill's birthday is coming up and Tim has forgotten it. Luckily for him, the boys remind him. Jill says she doesn't need any presents - especially because the previous year, he got her a pressurized window washer. This year, she tells, Tim has to get her something thoughtful. In Tool Time: The show is shooting a makeover of a house - live. Tim has a truck on site. All that is needed for a catastrophe... Elsewhere: Tim learns a secret of Al's when they visit a women's clothes store to find a gift for Jill.

In Tool Time: Al is excited because Bob Vila is in town signing his new book. When Al utters "I can't believe I actually got to talk to the pioneer of home repairs", Tim's ego can't take the blow. Then, Tool Time sponsor Mr. Binford announces that Bob Vila will be the guest in the following day's episode. What's even worse, Mr. Binford wants Tim to face Bob Vila in a challenge... At home: Tim makes Jill prep him for trivia questions. Randy has been bad at school - he got caught for bullying. Jill announces that she will invite the boy, Curtis, to come to their house ...

Tim makes plans to go with Jill to a romantic getaway.

At home: Tim receives a chain letter with the instructions that it be sent forward to 10 people within 24 hours or else something bad will happen. Tim doesn't buy into that and disregards the letter, despite Jill's warnings. Randy breaks his new bike and has to figure out how to explain that to his parents. In Tool Time: Tim is late because his car battery had been dry and someone had parked in his space on the parking lot. He tells Al about the letter and he also warns Tim of the consequences. Turns out he sent Tim the letter and then later found a $20 bill on the ...

Tim and Jill get into an argument after she insists that she told him repeatedly about an upcoming reception, but he is sure she never mentioned it.

On Tool Time, Al thinks he does the work and Tim has it easy. Tim lets Al be host to see what it is like. Jill takes up pottery, and Tim does not like that she keeps it in the garage. He breaks something, and Jill thinks it is on purpose.

In Tool Time: It has been Tim and Al's week of salute to painting. Tim brings up the subject of women thinking that men are insensitive and don't listen. He claims that men are sensitive to other things like details. Tim's guys poker night is in jeopardy because one of the regulars won't be able to make it. They invite Al as a substitute. At home: Tim wants the women and kids out of the house for the duration of the men's poker night, but that is not going to happen. One of the men is Jill's sister's husband Charlie and they are having marriage problems. Charlie is ...

Greta is in the audience, and Al wants to ask her out. He is self-conscious and messes up on the show and asking Greta out. Jill suggests a double date with Tim & Jill, Al & Greta. Tim finds Jill's old diary and wants to read it.

In Tool Time: It's the "Salute to Saws" week. Tim's special guest is Janeen Ray Heller, who can play the saw. At Home: The speakers of Tim's stereo system blow up (sadly, not literally) and he goes to buy new ones. The thing is, he can't restrain himself and ends up buying a whole home entertainment system...