Tim Allen says Home Improvement reboot is stuck on cast issues
Tim Allen says a potential Home Improvement reboot remains "stuck" because of what he calls "personality problems" among the actors who played his on-screen sons on the classic ABC sitcom. In a June 2026 Us Weekly interview, Allen said issues with Zachery Ty Bryan, Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Taran Noah Smith make a full reunion unlikely for now.
Key Takeaways
- Tim Allen told Us Weekly reboot talks stall over "personality problems" with his former TV sons.
- Zachery Ty Bryan is serving prison time; Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Taran Noah Smith have largely left acting.
- Patricia Richardson said one Last Man Standing reunion with Allen was "not my best work" after a car accident.
- Some Home Improvement cast members reunited on Shifting Gears in 2025, but a full reboot looks distant.
Why did Tim Allen say the Home Improvement reboot is stuck?
Allen told Us Weekly that producers "keep talking about how it could move forward," but plans repeatedly hit a wall. He blamed "personality problems right now with the boys" and added, "They've got their own issues."
"I always thought it would be cool if it was a story about them," Allen said. "That's a little challenging right now, to put it mildly." The comments land as fans continue asking whether ABC's beloved 1991–1999 sitcom could return.
What is happening with the actors who played Tim's sons?
Zachery Ty Bryan, who played eldest son Brad Taylor, has faced multiple arrests in recent years, including a second-degree domestic violence charge in January 2025 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. He is currently serving a 16-month sentence in a California prison after probation violations, with an additional 19-month sentence pending in Oregon, according to court records cited in reporting.
Jonathan Taylor Thomas, who played middle child Randy, has largely stepped away from acting since Home Improvement ended. Patricia Richardson—Allen's on-screen wife Jill—said in 2024 that Thomas "hasn't acted since he left the show" and is focused on directing and writing instead.
Taran Noah Smith, who played youngest son Mark, has not appeared on screen since the show's 1999 finale. Of the three actors who portrayed Tim's sons, two have left the entertainment industry and one faces ongoing legal challenges, making a reunion project logistically and personally difficult.
Did Patricia Richardson reunite with Tim Allen recently?
Yes—but one guest stint on Allen's later sitcom Last Man Standing did not go smoothly. On Instagram on Monday, July 6, Richardson, 75, shared a throwback photo from the set and recalled her first appearance in season 4 as "fun."
Her second visit, during season 5 alongside Robin Roberts, came after she was T-boned by a 93-year-old driver two months after shoulder replacement surgery. Richardson skipped Friday rehearsal, returned in pain on Monday without realizing she was shooting, and filmed the next day. "Not my best work," she wrote of the episode in which she played Helen Potts.
More recently, Richardson reunited with Allen alongside Richard Karn and Debbe Dunning on season 2 of ABC's Shifting Gears in October 2025. Richardson has also said she would not want to participate in a Home Improvement reboot.
Is a Home Improvement reboot still possible?
Allen has floated ideas before. In 2023, he told The Messenger he had discussed a concept centered on the Taylor children as adults with their own families, potentially titled "Home Re-Improvement." Without participation from his former co-stars, those plans have remained in limbo.
While partial cast reunions have happened on Shifting Gears, a full reboot of the original series appears unlikely in the near term. For more updates on Hollywood casting drama and reboot news, follow our Celebrity Breaking News coverage.