Could there be an on-screen reunion for Home Improvement father and son duo Tim Allen and Jonathan Taylor Thomas in the works? Don’t count it out. Allen, whose latest sitcom, Shifting Gears, premiered on January 8, said “everything is a possibility” when speaking to US Weekly about potentially sharing the screen with Thomas again for his latest project. Allen and Thomas famously co-starred on Home Improvement for 8 seasons from 1991 to 1999. The two reunited again in 2013 for the Allen led-Last Man Standing, with Thomas appearing in four episodes (from 2013 to 2015) and directing three.
“Everything is a possibility. He just came back [to the last episode we filmed]. He showed up on the set. He’s literally my kid. I raised that kid for eight years on Home Improvement. All of these are my kids, and I’m kind of sick about this.”
Allen’s last statement seems to reference his Home Improvement co-star, Zachery Ty Bryan, who portrayed oldest sibling, Brad. Unfortunately, Bryan has made headline news for a domestic violence arrest from January 2 (prior legal issues have also plagued the former child star).
Is a ‘Home Improvement’ Reunion on the Horizon?
Following Home Improvement, Thomas has kept his acting credits to a minimum, appearing in minor roles in shows including The Simpsons, 8 Simple Rules, Smallville, and Veronica Mars. His work on Last Man Standing was his last time appearing on-screen. On his end, Allen has starred in several films, including the beloved The Santa Clause franchise, and led Last Man Standing until 2021.Shifting Gears marks his return to a network series. The ABC sitcom follows his character, Matt, a widower who restores cars, as he navigates life with his estranged daughter, Riley (Kat Dennings), who returns home with her daughters after a separation.
Dennings recently spoke about Taylor’s on-set visit when she appeared on the January 7 episode of The View. Explaining she had a childhood crush on Thomas, she shared:
“So he came to set to visit and I was losing my mind, but I was trying to act cool and I think I succeeded until now, because now he can see that I was not playing it cool at all.”
Thomas is best known for his portrayal of Randy Taylor on Home Improvement, a role that cemented his status as a teen heartthrob in the 1990s. Seeing as his most recent acting credit was Allen’s Last Man Standing, it’s reasonable to think he may step in front of the camera to work alongside Allen again. He also directed three episodes of the series, so we wouldn’t be surprised to see him behind the camera and at the helm of an episode of Allen’s newest sitcom.
Shifting Gears airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and is available to stream on Hulu the next day. Dennings and Allen star in Shifting Gears alongside Seann William Scott, Daryl “Chill” Mitchell, Maxwell Simkins, and Barrett Margolis.
