Home Improvement turned into a massive hit for ABC during the '90s. It launched several careers, including Pamela Anderson who enjoyed a major boost thanks to the show.
In truth, it could have continued on over its eight season run, however, a certain star decided to call it quits and derailed the entire future trajectory.
We'll take a look at how it all went down, and how Tim Allen was encouraged to continue the show by the network, without a huge puzzle piece.
Patricia Richardson Got On Home Improvement Without Auditioning
Back in 1991, Home Improvement made its debut with ABC. It lasted eight seasons along with over 200 episodes. In truth, given the success of the program, it could have lasted far longer. Negotiations ultimately failed behind the scenes with a certain star, but we'll discuss that later...
Patricia Richardson was ultimately the perfect match to play Jill. Her addition was to balance out Tim's masculinity on the show. "[The network said] we need to have someone that challenges him and is as much a feminist as he is a masculinist," Richardson shared alongside ET.
Although she fit the role perfectly, the actress revealed that she wasn't exactly hyped about the offer. A prior sitcom had just fallen apart, therefore, she wanted nothing to do with the comedy genre.
"I didn't want to do any more sitcoms, and I certainly did not want to be a thankless mom," she noted. "I didn't audition for it. I came in and they said, 'We want you to start tomorrow.'"
Still, she struggled with the decision, especially given that Allen was also an unknown commodity at the time. "I had never heard of him, I had never heard of that show and I had already seen one show that had failed... that had been done with a standup and a family and everything."
It all worked out in the end and Richardson herself revealed that the chemistry was instant. Despite the success, Patricia felt as though it was time to move on after season 8. This decision in turn ended the show.
Patricia Richardson Didn't Want To Return For Season 9 And It Almost Caused Her Passing On The Show
All good things must come to an end and in 1999, Richardson made the bold decision to move on. The judgement call wasn't exactly easy, especially given that the network along with Tim Allen were putting immense pressure on her to reconsider.
During the negotiation process, Richardson did not budge, and it would cause the network to reconsider options, one of which involved killing Jill off and continuing on with Tim Allen.
Ultimately, Allen decided against the idea and it ended the show.
"So then they went to Tim, and they said let's do it with dead Jill," she revealed. "And then Tim was like, I don't think we can do that. So then he went out and said well, I think it's time to end Home Improvement."
Fans of the show might've been inclined to see it continue on... and surely the network would've had no problem. Given that Allen wanted the show to continue, we wonder how truly felt about ending things. Given Richardson's assessment, she isn't exactly sure Allen was at peace with the idea...
Patricia Richardson Worried About Her Relationship With Tim Allen After The Show
In 2016, the pair finally reunited, this time for Last Man Standing. Richardson revealed that there was some worry on her part, given the way things ended with Home Improvement. She further revealed that the two hadn't really kept in touch, though she did keep in communication with others, like Jonathan Taylor Thomas.
"When Jonathan was first on the show and I knew how smart he was, I would say, 'What do you want to do when you grow up?' And he would say, 'I don't know, I don't know, maybe I'll be a politician.' I said, 'You should be President of the United States,'" she recalled with a laugh.
In terms of her work life, Richardson is continuing on in the acting world. Her most recent projects in 2022 include County Line: No Fear, and Chantilly Bridge.
