The WORST episodes of Home Improvement

Every episode of Home Improvement ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of Home Improvement!

Home Improvement is a family sitcom about Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor, the host of a local cable home improvement show called "Tool Time." Home Improvement looks at Tim at work, and at home, as the husband of Jill and the father to three teenage boys. Having been married for almost 20 years, Tim and Jill have had their share of fights, but with the help of their wise, mysterious neighbor Wilson W. Wilson, Jr., things often turn out all right.

Last Updated: 5/11/2024Network: ABC (US)Status: Ended
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Tool Time After Dark (2)
star
6.82
217 votes

#1 - Tool Time After Dark (2)

Season 4 - Episode 23 - Aired 4/11/1995

Directors: Andy Cadiff
It Was the Best of Tims, It Was the Worst of Tims
star
7.05
398 votes

#2 - It Was the Best of Tims, It Was the Worst of Tims

Season 3 - Episode 20 - Aired 3/30/1994

After Tim charms all the women at a baby shower, Jill wants a romantic evening with him, but Tim takes the boys to a Demolition Derby.

Directors: Andy Cadiff
He Ain't Heavy, He's Just Irresponsible
star
7.07
501 votes

#3 - He Ain't Heavy, He's Just Irresponsible

Season 4 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/18/1994

Tim's brother Marty comes by to tell him that he's leaving his wife and kids, but Tim's advice turns Marty against him. Meanwhile, Tim creates a hole in the floor and Jill has trouble working on her psychology report.

Feud for Thought
star
7.08
516 votes

#4 - Feud for Thought

Season 3 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/1/1993

At their high school reunion, Jill tries to avoid Joanie Graham, her high school friend who stole her boyfriend, and Tim and Jack try to fix the amplifier. Meanwhile, Al watches the boys and Brad's girlfriend Ashley.

Directors: Andy Cadiff
Death Begins at Forty
star
7.08
479 votes

#5 - Death Begins at Forty

Season 4 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/4/1994

Tim becomes concerned about his health when his 40th birthday nears and Harry, the owner of Harry's Hardware, has a heart attack.

Directors: Andy Cadiff
For Whom the Belch Tolls
star
7.09
603 votes

#6 - For Whom the Belch Tolls

Season 1 - Episode 14 - Aired 1/14/1992

Jill doesn't want Stu Cutler, Tim's old college friend, in the house. So Tim tries to keep him away, but when he gives in and Stu comes to the house he insults Tim and Jill and belches with the boys.

Directors: John Pasquin
Reel Men
star
7.11
505 votes

#7 - Reel Men

Season 3 - Episode 15 - Aired 1/26/1994

When Jill is having Ilene and Marie over, Tim goes fishing with Al to get out of the house.

Directors: Peter Filsinger
The Eve of Construction
star
7.13
445 votes

#8 - The Eve of Construction

Season 3 - Episode 18 - Aired 3/9/1994

Jill joins Al's team for Habitat for Humanity because Tim thinks married couples shouldn't work together. Meanwhile, Brad finds a locket and gives it to Ashley, but finds out it was Marie's.

Directors: Andy Cadiff
Home Alone
star
7.13
324 votes

#9 - Home Alone

Season 8 - Episode 14 - Aired 1/19/1999

Tim gets preoccupied when he is left alone to write his book.

Directors: Geoffrey Nelson
Watch Now:Apple TV
Slip Sleddin' Away
star
7.14
450 votes

#10 - Slip Sleddin' Away

Season 3 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/5/1994

Randy loses a sled race to Vinnie. But after following Tim's advice of racing Vinnie again with a better sled, Randy sprains his arm. Meanwhile, Brad contemplates stopping his saxophone lessons.

Directors: Andy Cadiff
Super Bowl Fever
star
7.15
466 votes

#11 - Super Bowl Fever

Season 4 - Episode 15 - Aired 1/31/1995

Tim has a Super Bowl party for his friends while Jill is sick with the flu.

Directors: Andy Cadiff
Let's Go to the Videotape
star
7.15
514 votes

#12 - Let's Go to the Videotape

Season 4 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/8/1994

After taping Jill's speech, he accidentally leaves the record button on when he critiques her speech. After Jill sees the video, Tim reads some of her psychology books and tapes a fake conversation with his buddies, complimenting Jill.

Directors: Andy Cadiff
The Niece
star
7.16
395 votes

#13 - The Niece

Season 7 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/4/1997

Willow, Wilson's niece, comes to stay which makes it so that Wilson has no time to spend with Tim.

Directors: Peter Bonerz
Watch Now:Apple TV
A Frozen Moment
star
7.17
467 votes

#14 - A Frozen Moment

Season 3 - Episode 10 - Aired 11/24/1993

On Thanksgiving, for a perfect Christmas card, Tim builds a Christmas Village and has the family wear costumes.

Arrivederci, Binford
star
7.18
464 votes

#15 - Arrivederci, Binford

Season 3 - Episode 5 - Aired 10/13/1993

Tim is afraid to cry after Mr. Binford, his boss and close friend, passes away.

Directors: Andy Cadiff
Mr. Wilson's Opus
star
7.20
394 votes

#16 - Mr. Wilson's Opus

Season 5 - Episode 23 - Aired 4/30/1996

Wilson becomes the director of Randy's school play, but takes the role a little too seriously. Tim and Wilson clash when Wilson attempts to make him rebuild the play's aluminum set.

Directors: Richard Compton
Writer: Bruce Ferber
My Dinner with Wilson
star
7.21
498 votes

#17 - My Dinner with Wilson

Season 4 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/22/1994

At Thanksgiving dinner with the Taylors, Wilson announces he is moving, but Tim gives him advice in the hopes Wilson will decide to stay.

Directors: Andy Cadiff
Overactive Glance
star
7.21
417 votes

#18 - Overactive Glance

Season 2 - Episode 3 - Aired 9/30/1992

Jill and Karen thinks that Tim will look at a woman in a restaurant, after he checks out a woman on Tool Time. Randy has trouble playing football.

Directors: John Pasquin
Writer: Billy Riback
Watch Now:Apple TV
What You See Is What You Get
star
7.22
445 votes

#19 - What You See Is What You Get

Season 3 - Episode 23 - Aired 5/11/1994

After researching cosmetic surgery on the computer, Jill finds that Tim wants her to have cosmetic surgery. Meanwhile, Tim plays a computer game with the boys and the loser must clean the house.

Love's Labor Lost (2)
star
7.22
325 votes

#20 - Love's Labor Lost (2)

Season 8 - Episode 19 - Aired 3/2/1999

Tim waits for news on Jill's surgery. Jill will be fine, although she had to have her ovaries completely removed, not partially as was first thought. Jill's mother comes to visit to help with her daughter's care and with her mood swings.

Directors: Peter Bonerz
Watch Now:Apple TV
The Colonel
star
7.23
425 votes

#21 - The Colonel

Season 3 - Episode 16 - Aired 2/9/1994

Jill feels bad when her father, the army colonel, asks her opinion on his boring book. Meanwhile, Tim builds a hockey puck shooter when Randy becomes a goalie.

Directors: Andy Cadiff
Maybe, Baby
star
7.23
360 votes

#22 - Maybe, Baby

Season 3 - Episode 1 - Aired 9/15/1993

Jill's sister Carol is having a baby girl. When they talk about the baby's name and Jill is going through the boy's baby toys, she wishes she could have a baby girl. Tim tells Randy and Brad that Jill always wanted a girl so they tell Mark that Jill wished he had been a girl. This upsets Mark and when Jill wants to bake a cake with him, he doesn't want to. When she finds out the truth, she tells Mark that what Randy and Brad told him isn't true. Tim is also upset because he doesn't want another child. But he feels alright again when Jill tells him that they don't have the time for another child.

Dollars and Sense
star
7.23
486 votes

#23 - Dollars and Sense

Season 3 - Episode 9 - Aired 11/17/1993

The boys buy a remote controlled car with stock bonds from their grandmother.

Directors: Andy Cadiff
Watch Now:Apple TV
Birds of a Feather Flock to Taylor
star
7.23
470 votes

#24 - Birds of a Feather Flock to Taylor

Season 1 - Episode 20 - Aired 3/3/1992

Jill tells Tim that he is a bad listener when he doesn't remember her mentioning the opera fundraiser. Brad and Randy try to get Mark to eat a worm while working on a birdhouse.

Directors: John Pasquin
Writer: Marley Sims
Reality Bytes
star
7.24
473 votes

#25 - Reality Bytes

Season 3 - Episode 24 - Aired 5/18/1994

Randy, pretending to be thirty-two years old, meets a woman on a singles message board on the computer and she comes by for a visit. Meanwhile, Tim tries to help Mark with his science project.

Directors: Peter Filsinger