“Hollywood Hates Our Show.” Patricia Richardson on Why Home Improvement Has Not Been Remembered Like Other Sitcoms from the 1990s
Home Improvement, despite being a hit at the time of broadcast, is not as popular today as other sitcoms from the 1990s. The star of the series points out the reasons why she thinks this is so.
Many sitcoms from the 1990s have received cult status and are still remembered today. However, the situation does not apply to all of them and Patricia Richardson, star of a comedy TV series from those years, points out the reason why she believes the sitcom Home Improvement, in which she starred alongside Tim Allen, failed to make television history.
The production was undoubtedly popular at the time of broadcast, and it is not without reason that Allen and Richardson were offered $50 million and $25 million, respectively, for the ninth season, which was ultimately not made. So the story of the Taylor family was well-liked by viewers, so what could have gone wrong?
During an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Richardson said that the legacy of their TV series has suffered because of Tim Allen's political views. And that simply “Hollywood hates their series.”
Hollywood hates our show. When they talk about what the best shows of the ‘90s were, they will not give Home Improvement credit. My dread with Home Improvement was that it was going to turn into Full House. It was a running thing, like, “Oh, are we doing Full House now?” That was my insult for how bad a script was.
I think it’s about Tim, and it’s about his politics. Of course, I don’t like his politics.
I’m really proud of what it meant to our audience. I don’t care what anybody says, I’m proud of the legacy.
By mentioning Allen's political views, Richardson is probably referring to his conservative views, for which the actor has been criticized. Apparently, in her opinion, this had an impact on how audiences today look back on their TV show.
It's hard to say how much Richardson is right and what's really behind the fact that Home Improvement doesn't have as long a life as, for example, Seinfeld, Full House or Friends. However, Home Improvement is not an isolated case, as other sitcoms from the 1990s have also failed to maintain or increase their popularity a dozen or more years after their premiere. This includes Mad About You, which was attempted to be brought back in 2019, however it was not successful.