MovieChat Forums > Home Improvement (1991) Discussion > Anyone want to talk all things home impr...

Anyone want to talk all things home improvement vs last man standing?


I'll start. Been on a Tim Allen kick lately anyways.

Last man standing is a good show, by good show I mean, good in the sense that you can't look away while watching a train wreck. The girls aren't that entertaining but it's not their fault, it's the writers fault for writing them jokes that don't really land and all their lines fall flat after that. It started off with a new born baby---already jumping the shark and then more and more men moved into the house with him, so he was no longer the "Last Man Standing."


Home improvement is actually much better, as it flows better, easier, the jokes land---they cared about the writing to give everybody something to go for. When Jonathan Taylor Thomas left, they did not bother to replace him and act like nobody would notice; and they addressed it in a way that worked for the show.
I found out long ago, that in the 1990's, that's when people actually cared about viewers and writings, they cared about what they wrote making sure everybody got good jokes that landed. Now they just scribbled a bunch of notes on paper and call it a day, or a show.


It's nice to see the era where everybody wore overalls all the time and more than one person had a walkman. I myself personally, had six different pairs of overalls in my closet at that time.

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home improvement has a sense of self irony, that last man standing is lacking entirely. unfortunately.

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Home Improvement was better. That didn't have a lead character getting a cast change and turning them from a good character into an annoying character. Couldn't stand watching Last Man Standing after that first episode of season 2.

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The daughters (except for the oldest) and the Mom are all SO SMOKING HOT on LMS, I don't care about the writing. I think LMS is the funnier and more entertaining show.

But my judgement might be clouded because the women are so damn cute.

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I always think of Last Man Standing as a companion series to Home Improvement. He was a father to all boys in Home Improvement and then all girls in Last Man Standing.

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HI was in a different sitcom era. Where shows took their time, allowed the pacing the build, the jokes to develop and the punchlines to marinate. By the time LMS came around it was in that joke joke joke joke joke joke rapid fire unrealistic crap that most shows had become. And when the writing isn't as sharp (and all his self-directional stuff to the camera junk) it just doesn't work as well.

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I haven't watched all of LMS but thought it did a good job of replicating the Family Sitcom in present day.

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