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Binford Tools - The fictitious sponsor of the
Detroit cable series
"Tool Time" on the situation comedy HOME
IMPROVEMENT/ABC/1991-99. The show aired on Channel 112 and was
ranked as the 4th most popular cable tool show in Michigan.
Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor and
Al Borland
Mr. Binford, the owner of Binford Tools, originally hired Tim
Taylor (Tim Allen), as a tool salesman. Years later Mr. Binford gave Tim the
chance to star in his own TV Home Improvement series which Binford
Tools would sponsor.
The program featured Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor as the host and Al Borland (Richard Karn) as his
sidekick ("The Most Sensitive Guy in the World"). The show was a wonderful platform to advertise all the
latest tools produced by Binford Tools.
Each program began as the "Tool
Time Girl" (first played by Pamela
Anderson as
Lisa and later Debbe Dunning as Heidi) introduced the
program with the lively pronouncement:
Heidi introduces "Tool Time" show
| Tool Time Girl: |
"Does everybody know what time it is?"
|
| Audience: |
[shouting] "TOOL TIME!" |
| Tool Time Girl: |
"Binford Tools is proud to present 'Tool Time'!" (What Lisa
said) |
| or |
|
| Tool Time Girl: |
"That's right! Binford Tools is proud to present Tim 'The
Tool Man' Taylor!" (What Heidi said) |
During the early years of the program (seen in flashbacks) the
Tool Time Girl was played by Mrs. Binford. On the
first show, Tim
wore a beard and Al was clean shaven.
Whenever Tim inadvertently said something offensive on the show, his bearded
sidekick Al (who always wore a
flannel shirt) was quick to pull
out a cue card that displayed where people could write to lodge a
complaint. The address provided was: Tim Taylor, c/o Tool Time,
P.O. Box 32733, Detroit, MI 48252. The phone number to call was
(815) 555-TOOL.
The gimmicks on the show included:
- Tim's need to modify all his tools to above maximum
efficiency Tim's catchphrase was "More Power!"
- Tim's constantly poking fun at Al's flannel shirts and overweight mother (who
was never seen)
- Tim's repeatedly injuring himself on the show because he
didn't follow safety instructions or he added too much power to
his machines.
- Tim's frequent visits to the local hospital ER (His funniest
mishap was accidentally gluing his forehead to a
table top)
| Al: |
We have something very special to show you
today. Say hello to the new Binford 6100 Toolapalooza. It
saws. It sands. It welds. It grinds. It does absolutely
everything. |
| Tim: |
Not everything, Al. Does it feed the hungry?
Does it clothe the naked? Does it heal the sick? |
| Al: |
I don't know. I haven't tried all the
attachments. |
Besides Tim, Al and Lisa/Heidi, the show featured a number of
guest stars including:
- Home Improvement guru
Bob Vila, Tim's rival who always beat Tim in any
competition
- The boys from K&B Construction, a group of local hard
hats who formed a tool band and played the "Ratchet Rhapsody"
- Tim's old shop teacher from high school
- The crews
of the Space Shuttle Columbia and Endeavour
- Race car
driver Mario Andretti and his son Michael
- Country singer Alan Jackson who sang 'Mercury Blues'
- LL Cool J who sang in the Tool Time Lyric Contest with
his entry "Yo! Tim's in the house, Rock the house..."
- The
Manhattan Transfer vocal stylists who performed on
Binford Tools Christmas special.
Since Binford Tools was Tim Taylor's life, he set high
standards for the quality of each tool that he showcased on his
program. But, after the death of Mr. Binford, Tim was asked to
push inferior tools (cheaper inferior models to save a few
bucks) on his program. Tim, however, refused to showcase the
product on his show, even though Binford was the sponsor.
Eventually, Tim and the executives (and Wes Davidson, the new
president of Binford Tools) came to a compromise and the
quality of Binford Tools was maintained.
"If it doesn't say 'Binford', someone else
made it."
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