For eight seasons, Tim Allen captured viewers as Tim “The Toolman” Taylor in Home Improvement. The series, which ended back in 1999, told the story of a home-improvement TV show host and his life as a husband and a dad to three boys. But, despite all the love it’s received from fans, the series has yet to be turned into a reboot. A reunion, however, is already in the works. As it turns out, Allen and his former TV family are reuniting in Shifting Gears Season 2.
Home Improvement alums Patricia Richardson, Richard Karn, and Debbe Dunning will reunite with Allen in the first episode of Season 2, premiering on October 1. On the show, Allen will be continuing his role as Tom Parker, a stubborn widower who runs a classic car restoration shop, Parker Customs, while juggling family life after his estranged daughter Riley (Kat Dennings) moves in with her kids.
Who Could the ‘Home Improvement’ Alums Play?
For now, ABC is staying vague about who Richardson, Karn, and Dunning will be playing, but has teased that their characters will be helping Matt out “in an unexpected way.” As a reminder, Richardson played Tim’s wife Jill in Home Improvement, Karn used to play his TV show co-host, Al Borland, and Dunning was Heidi, the Tool Time girl, after Pamela Anderson‘s exit in season 3. Given their different roles in the show, we’d be surprised if they all helped Matt in the same way in the episode.
In fact, Shifting Gears has often had callbacks to Allen’s previous roles, like his iconic voice acting as Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story. So, it’s likely that Richardson, Karn, and Dunning might play characters that either resemble their previous roles or flip them entirely. With that in mind, Richardson could become a close friend or confidant, or potentially a competitor who also runs a car restoration shop of his own.
Karn could surely play a new love interest for Matt, though he sparked a new connection with Eve (Jenna Elfman) in the Season 1 finale. Maybe Karn could start a love triangle? As for Dunning, Matt could certainly use some help in the marketing department for Parker Customs, so she could definitely use some of her Tool Time girl experience there, too.
Why Are ‘Home Improvement’ Fans So Excited?
All in all, fans of Home Improvement are surely counting down the days until October 1. After all, given that Home Improvement came to an abrupt ending after eight seasons back in 1999, fans of the show have been waiting over 25 years to see more of them together. Plus, it’s clear that Allen and his former co-stars have stayed close over the years. In his other sitcom, Last Man Standing, which went on for 10 years from 2011 to 2021, Richardson made a cameo not once, but twice. Karn, for his part, in addition to multiple Last Man Standing appearances over the years, also co-hosted two History Channel shows with Allen: Assembly Required and More Power. Now, they’re all reuniting in one episode. What could be more special than that?
Lastly, fans tuning in will surely get ABC excited, too. The reunion will surely boost viewership, which dwindled as Season 1 progressed earlier this year. When the series first premiered in January 2025, it quickly became ABC’s most-streamed comedy premiere ever, with a staggering 17 million cross-platform viewers in just seven days. But despite the exciting starting numbers, the numbers went down in each episode, so a much-needed boost to ratings is all ABC and Allen must be looking for.
Home Improvement is available to watch on Disney+.
