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Self-proclaimed handypeople know all too well what it’s like to have a project go wrong. But trial and error is just the name of the game, and, eventually, practice makes perfect. Characters Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor and his sidekick Al Borland were a welcomed comic relief for DIY enthusiasts during eight seasons on the popular ‘90s sitcom Home Improvement. Now, fans will have the chance to see the actors that played their favorite characters reunite, albeit in a new way that sheds light on how real builders transform old items into beautiful creations.
Assembly Required
Co-stars Tim Allen, 67, and Richard Karn, 64, made a hilarious duo on Tool Time—the fictional show within the prime-time sitcom that highlighted Tim’s accident-prone approach to being a handyman. Now, two decades later, the pair is teaming up for a 10-episode nonfiction series tentatively titled Assembly Required.
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Spotlighting the best and brightest builders from across the country
The new show will air on History, and “will spotlight the best and brightest builders from across the country, at their home workshops, as they compete to breathe new life into everyday household items in desperate need of fixing,” according to an A&E Networks news release. “This new series will push each contestant to their limits while testing their ability and ingenuity to not only rebuild it but to build it better. In each episode, Allen and Karn will also dive into the unique history around these items to celebrate the men and women who crafted them, and the techniques used.”
Sounding the call for those with a can-do attitude
On the new show, Allen and Karn will seek to highlight those with “a can-do attitude to take back their sense of purpose and awaken their inner builder,” says the news release. Allen took to Twitter to express his enthusiasm over the new venture with his longtime friend.
“I’ve always admired people who repair something instead of replace it. So, I created a competition show with @HISTORY, and my old buddy @TheRichardKarn, to challenge the people who love to get stuff done!” Allen wrote on Twitter.
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Allen is clearly thrilled to showcase builders breathing new life into old items that would otherwise be discarded. “Let’s face it—we’re living in a throwaway society,” he said in the press release. “We buy, break, replace…rinse and repeat. Whatever happened to repair and rebuild? There are some people who unfriend, unfollow, and dispose of anything that offends, annoys or breaks—so I’ve created a show to remind people of the satisfaction and pride that comes from rebuilding something on their own. And who better to join me than my buddy from the old Tool Time days—Richard Karn! Now we’re talking More Power! Albert Einstein once said, ‘I’m not a genius, I’m just passionately curious.’ Well, let’s get curious! Even a chimpanzee would at least show interest, right? Wait—I think I just came up with another idea for the show! R-R-R!”