Taran Noah Smith Discusses the End of ‘Home Improvement’

Taran Noah Smith, known for his role in “Home Improvement,” recently offered insights into why the popular 1990s sitcom ended. Smith, who played Mark Taylor, the youngest son of Tim ‘The Tool Man’ Taylor (Tim Allen) and Jill Taylor (Patricia Richardson), started on the show at just seven years old.

The show, based on Tim Allen’s stand-up comedy character, focused on Tim’s life as a TV host of a fictional home improvement show “Tool Time.” It also highlighted his family life with Jill and his sons, Brad (Zachery Ty Bryan) and Randy (Jonathan Taylor Thomas).

The series became one of the highest-rated shows of the ’90s, running for eight seasons with 204 episodes. It concluded in 1999 when Patricia Richardson chose not to return for a proposed ninth season.

Smith discussed his experiences on the “Outgrown” podcast with hosts Tom Scharpling and Julia Vickerman, delving into Richardson’s departure. He noted that Richardson replaced Frances Fisher, initially cast as Tim’s wife, shortly before the pilot filming.

“When they brought Patricia in, there was just a much better chemistry,” Smith remarked.

Richardson brought a realistic “mom energy” to her role, influenced by her real-life experience as a mother. She often advocated for more realistic dialogue, telling writers when a mother would not say certain things, according to Smith.

Smith recounted that disagreements arose when a new creative team replaced the original writers and producers. He said the new team had different ideas about the show’s direction.

“It was really Pat, the mom, who fought the good fight to make it more realistic,” he continued.

Smith suggested that Allen was cautious about being too controlling, referencing the experience of the “Roseanne” sitcom, which also involved “Home Improvement” co-creator Matt Williams. Roseanne Barr, the show’s star, had conflicts with writers and producers, leading to changes.

Despite “Home Improvement’s” success, Richardson decided not to return for a ninth season. She felt the sitcom had run its course, especially following Jonathan Taylor Thomas’s departure and falling ratings.

Richardson stated that she never wanted to play a “thankless wife.” She often clashed with male writers over character development. Although she contributed creatively, Disney did not recognize her efforts with a producer credit, unlike Allen who became an executive producer.

“I told everybody, there’s not enough money in the world to get me to do a ninth year,” Richardson said.

ABC offered Richardson a lucrative deal to continue, but she countered with conditions she knew the studio would reject, seeking equal pay with Allen and an executive producer credit. That decision allowed her to step away from the show after the eighth season.