438 replies to this topic

[jw7579]

Tim Allen's sitcom comeback starts tomorrow night at 8:00pm ET on ABC.

I have a feeling it's not going to last as long as Home Improvement did, especially since Nancy Travis plays his wife and her track record isn't that great.

[SunShine Gal]

I'm excited to see Tim Allen make a return to tv as I like him quite a bit. He was great on Home Improvement. I'm willing to give his new show a few weeks. I'm hoping he does well. So far though I don't like the promos for it. Nancy Travis has never "shined" as an actress. She's rather bland. I don't know why they chose her for this role. The daughter doesn't look very exciting either but I haven't seen her before. Home Improvement had a strong ensemble cast that Tim could play off. I haven't seen any strong cast members in the previews other than Tim which isn't a good sign. Like I said, I'll give it several weeks b/c I like Tim. I hope he does well.

[Homily]

I liked it. Quite a lot actually. First new show of the season that I plan to watch again. Favourite line, "Lord Voldemort? I don't know who he is but he sounds like a loving caring father."

[TheHappyEmo]

I'm home from work for awhile (TMI, you don't want to know) and checking out the new shows mainly to get "GetGlue" stickers (yeah, I'm lame).
Tim Allen as a pigheaded guy who questions everything that isn't his ideal of macho? Bleh.

[TwoBitUsherette]

Maybe it's because I've been watching reruns of Home Improvement every morning, but I thought this was pretty underwhelming. It doesn't help that the two plots are pretty similar - husband and father of three who enjoys doing typical "manly" things.

I think Tim Allen performed well, it's everybody else that lets him down. His chemistry with Nancy Travis was pretty dismal. Just based on the first two episodes I wouldn't miss her if she disappeared. Same goes for the oldest daughter.

My favorite of the daughters was Mandy, the middle one, which surprised me. Normally I can't stand the spoiled princess cliche, but I thought she and Tim played off each other well. There also seems to be the most potential for character growth with her. That is, if the show ever gets to that point.

I'll probably give it a couple of more weeks and see if the show is able to find its stride.

[Balboa]

Thought it was a pretty good show. Will definitely tune in next week.

What's wrong with Tim Allen's face? It almost looks as if his mouth is frozen. One too many botox injections?

[LexQuodOrdo]

Felt like any other sitcom to me. I'm going to give it a few more episodes to see how it goes.

The girls were pretty good, and of course Tim Allen. Nancy Travis is just blah. I don't know what it is about her, but I just can't get invested into any character she plays. I want to like her, though. I'm not sure about Kyle, his schtick will probably get old.

Since I have nothing else to watch Tuesday nights, I guess I'm sticking with it.

[Limbonaut]

I hope somebody changes the title to Last Man Standing: Home Improvement with girls instead of boys. Tim Allen admitted it!

[samsnee]

Honestly, there are so many single-camera sitcoms these days that I don't mind something like this. It's still better than the the few eps I've seen of Two and a Half Men and 2 Broke Girls. It might be some of my Home Improvement nostalgia carrying over, but I thought it was enjoyable enough that I didn't want to turn it off immediately (looking at you New Girl).

I agree though, the show could lose Nancy Travis and I think it could still work.

[CGRealms]

I was prepared to hate this, and only watched it because "Glee's" off for baseball. But I really liked it. The show could stand to lose Tim Allen's over the top macho posturing, because when you set those scenes aside Mike's actually a pretty decent dad.

My reaction to the cast was the opposite of TwoBitUsherette; I liked the whole cast EXCEPT Mandy, who I disliked strongly in the first half hour and was ambivalent toward in the second half hour.

Of the three kids, my favorite was the oldest daughter. First, because she's a young single mother that's actually shown putting her child first and behaving responsibly. That's more the rule than the exception in my experience, but you hardly ever see it on TV. Second, because you get the impression that getting knocked up at prom and then being abandoned by the baby's father made her grow up fast. She's still living with mom and dad, but she's not bitching about working a full-time job at 18 or 19 or acting like she's got it all figured out. She knows she doesn't have it all figured out, and there's a bit of humility there that's refreshing in a sitcom child. And both her and Tim Allen have great chemistry with the little boy who plays her son. Third, while the experience has humbled her, it hasn't crushed her. The show also avoids the trope of the pregnant teen who's life is over and who should just throw in the towel know. It is what it is, and she's dealing with it. She not depressed or miserable. She's coping.

The youngest daughter's fine for what she is -- the tomboy who's essentially Mike's ally in the household.

I'm not a big Nancy Travis fan, but this is far and away her best sitcom mom role. In addition to having a healthy appetite for booze in all its forms, she's allowed to be funny and screw up more or less as much as Mike. In the second half-hour, I really liked the way Mike's screw up with the pizza delivery job for Mandy paralleled with his wife (Vanessa?)'s screw up with the overzealous baby proofing. Her desperately trying to unwedge the toilet and then the camera pan to the training potty was the best visual gag I've seen on a multi-camera show in a long, long time.

So yeah, I'm overthinking this basic, traditional sitcom. But a lot more thought went into it than I was expecting, and the cast of characters really worked for me in a surprising way.

[Sammy1986]

I really liked this show and wow I can't believe nobody has mentioned Hector Elizondo. Him and Tim are great together and we were cracking up laughing when he had Kyle testing out the new dog collar gadget. I also like Nancy Travis in this (loved the desperate look she gave to the wine being held hostage by the baby proof lock), I found her and Tim to have an easy going chemistry, actually I think everyone on this show pretty much work well together. I'll definitely be sticking around for this one.

[cjuniverse]

I thought it was pretty good. As for Nancy Travis, I didn't really think she had all that much to do. The show seemed more about Mike, the daughters, Kyle, and his work than anything to do with Vanessa. I loved the part where she popped her head over the bathroom corner realizing she'd have to use the baby toilet. That part was pretty funny. I thought her reaction was great. I'll be tuning in for a couple more weeks to see where it goes.

[skettigirl]

i actually quite liked it. i wasn't a huge fan of Home Improvement, so i wasn't expecting to like it, but i found myself laughing out loud several times. i enjoyed all three girls, loved the mom's peepee dance, and loved when tim allen said "and beyond..." sounding like buzz lightyear ;)

[gregg247]

I was surprised that I enjoyed this. I was never a fan of Home Improvement (I hated the wife and the whiney sons. How could Tim Allen have 3 sons and NONE of them had the least amount of interest in home improvement projects? Plus, that guy behind the fence was stupid.) Tim Allen in a houseful of girls is a much better idea.

I also like Hector Elizondo in almost everything, so he was a welcome addition here. The goofy guy was okay, but he looked a lot different from episode 1 to episode 2. So much that I questioned if it was the same guy at first.

[metalgirl]

I liked it too! I, too, only watched it because Glee was off, but it was suprisingly good. It will be impossible for Tim Allen to be the dad of any show and not have everyone compare it to Home Improvment. The major difference is HI was the boys against Jill and this is the girls against "Mike" with only enamored Kyle on his side.

The goofy guy was okay, but he looked a lot different from episode 1 to episode 2. So much that I questioned if it was the same guy at first.

We did too. It is amazing what facial hair can do.

ETA:Put too much in the quote

Edited by metalgirl, Oct 12, 2011 @ 9:10 AM.

[OpieTaylor]

I thought the episodes were just OK (and I loved Home Improvement). I have a hard time understanding why TPTB think a laugh track should be played after almost EVERY line. So I had a hard time getting past that.

[Sakura12]

I spent the first episode trying to figure out where I knew the daughter with kid from. She played teenage Eloise Hawking on Lost.

It was ok, but 20 years ago on Home Improvement this was funny, not so much now. And changing it from boys to girls doesn't really do too much.

Edited by Sakura12, Oct 13, 2011 @ 11:14 AM.

[Gata]

I liked it - I actually laughed a couple of times.

The only thing that will get old with me is the way the use Kyle, I don't like "stupid" comedy (I actually hate the 3 Stooges, and some of the I Love Lucy episodes).

I will watch this show since I dropped Glee during last season.

[Comsimplex]

Archie Bunker has been done so much better over the years. I've liked Tim Allen in other things (Galaxy Quest and that movie with Kirstie Alley), but don't buy him in this role. William Shatner played this "type" much better in Bleep my Dad Says. That show had better jokes and co-stars, too.

[LurkerNoMore]

You know what they should have done instead of this? "Home Improvement, 2011" or a more clever title, but with the entire Home Improvement cast reunited, and with the boys now grown, but with wives, girlfriends, kids, etc. That would have been cute and funny. I think this show has some potential, and I'm normally a sucker for a good old-fashioned sitcom, but if something better comes along, I'll be dropping this quickly unless it improves.

[OpieTaylor]

You know what they should have done instead of this? "Home Improvement, 2011" or a more clever title, but with the entire Home Improvement cast reunited, and with the boys now grown, but with wives, girlfriends, kids, etc. That would have been cute and funny. I think this show has some potential, and I'm normally a sucker for a good old-fashioned sitcom, but if something better comes along, I'll be dropping this quickly unless it improves.

LurkerNoMore, What a great idea!

[ChelseaMcQ]

Did anyone else get 8 Simple Rules flashbacks?

I was surprised that none of the writers/producers/directors had worked on it, as I saw so many parallels (not just Kyle).

[JanLevinsonScot]

Surprised how much criticism this is getting. Maybe because I'm totally old school, religious, conservative, etc. etc., and sitcoms with lots of dirty jokes, kissing/dating couples, or too many gimmicks don't interest me - but this show is exactly up my alley! I was laughing out loud A LOT! I thought the parents did have great chemistry - they came across sounding like an old married couple. The father came across to me like the typical, stuck-in-the-last-century macho man who has to mention "when I was a kid we...." at every opportunity, and doesn't understand women too much. It's not very different from the way I grew up, or the way things still are in many families... I like that there are no dirty jokes; the "mother...father" gag had me screaming with laughter. I hope this show has a long life; I look forward to the next episode!

I'm just extremely confused by one thing: why on earth are they driving cars from the 1950's??? This is set in the Internet age, definitely after the year 2000, how on earth are both their own car and Kyle's van total clunkers from 70 years ago? With no seat belts? I can buy that this family owns such a vintage item,perhaps, but why Kyle too? I'm missing something.

[moose135]

I'm just extremely confused by one thing: why on earth are they driving cars from the 1950's???

To match the attitudes of the lead character...

[LurkerNoMore]

I came up with another idea for "Home Improvement, 2011" ... Tim Allen is the caregiver/babysitter for one or more of his grandkids! You can't go wrong adding a baby and some cute kids to a family sitcom.

[Shermie]

You can't go wrong adding a baby and some cute kids to a family sitcom.

I beg to differ. I give you Cousin Oliver (Brady Bunch), the cute wisecracking kid with the pageboy hair (Partridge family), the unnecessary "surprise" fourth sibling (Growing Pains, Family Ties), the oh-no-the-main-kids-are-all-grown-up-and-we-need-a-smartypants-foil-for-Heathcliff-Huxtable (Cosby Show). Not to mention the non-sitcom child additions to The Waltons and Little House on the Prairie when the main kids grew up. I'm sure there are many more on shows I didn't watch.

I came up with another idea for "Home Improvement, 2011" ... Tim Allen is the caregiver/babysitter for one or more of his grandkids!

That's pretty much what this is. Tim Allen has a grandson in the house.

I found it okay, funny in parts, relatable at times. I think it will have legs, depending what it's up against.

[LexQuodOrdo]

I enjoyed it. Still unsure if I will keep watching. I think the oldest daughter is my favorite. I also like her chemistry with Tim. Nancy was actually likeable to me.

Can someone explain to me why feathers are considered trendy?

[Runningwild]

the unnecessary "surprise" fourth sibling (Growing Pains, Family Ties),

And Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

[helenahandbsket]

Can someone explain to me why feathers are considered trendy?

If you are asking why they bothered to put feathers in their hair, lots of singers and celebs have been putting feather clips in their hair lately. They are called feather extensions. if you mean "who the heck cares about feathers?", I've tried to figure that one out, too. I already know I won't be doing the feather thing.

I did enjoy the part where Tim's character is busted for using the lavender shampoo. ITA about the "this is Home Improvement 2011" post. This show makes me miss Home Improvement. It's like watching Tim Taylor but his family is missing which makes me sad.

Nancy was better in this last episode but that's not saying a whole lot. I'm going to watch for several more weeks to see where it goes. I hope it gets better.

[balevinson]

Having seen this yet. But from all the promos, I think it's definitely time Tim Allen switches to producing, or directing, or trying to figure out a way to spend millions of $$$ before he dies.

Also, didn't the more talented Paul Reiser teach him anything earlier in the year?? No, Tim... You can't go home (improvement) again. And somebody besides his family and agent should've pulled him to the side and told him so.

When Seinfeld and Sex and the City left, most said, "No! Not yet!" But when Home Improvement left, most said, "Wait -- wasn't that cancelled 3 years ago?"

Edited by balevinson, Oct 18, 2011 @ 11:27 PM.