Asheville Citizen-Times from Asheville, North Carolina • Page 47

ISC ASHEVILLE CITIZEN-TIMES SUNDAY, DEC. 15, 1991 'Home Improvement' host can fix everything except his personal life INSIDE For a look at how to actually repair things, try reading 'Here's The Answer1 In today's Home's section. Page3H You can learn to mend broken fences in today's 'Home PigelH "Home Improvements" focuses on the home life of Tim Taylor, the host of a cable television show called "Tool Time." He's a whiz at fixing things, but he's all thumbs when it comes to handling his personal relationships. was afraid of how he would react, that he might be mad. I don't think he was aware of my act.

He was kind of reserved, but later he sent me a telegram of congratulations. This is a spoof of his show, but I love his show. "The first time I saw 'This Old House' it appealed to something subterranean in me. It fascinated me to see him tear a house apart and put it back. No matter what damage men cause in the world they still have the ability to rebuild a beautiful house." The original idea was that Allen's character would be more adept at talking about home repairs than doing them.

"I think ABC thought that sounded better in packaging the show," Allen says. "But this is a man who can fix him until a friend dared him to get up on stage at Detroit's Comedy Castle in 1979. "They came up with three concepts, but they didn't seem to fit my stand-up character," Al ByJenyBuck AP TELEVISION WRITER LOS ANGELES Tim Allen, spoofs television's Mr. Fbdt shows on ABC's "Home Improvements," has tools on his mind and a pain in his neck. Allen is a stand-up comic who finds his humor in the mystical male realm of hardware stores, power tools, household repairs and shade-tree mechanics.

He appeals to that urge to repair or rewire anything in sight. "I like fixit shows," Allen said. 'You have a mechanical problem and you fix it It's that simple. You can tear a car down and put it back together. Life should be like that." At the moment, Allen is having that pain in the neck fixed.

A massage therapist works on his neck as he talks in his dressing room at the Walt Disney Studios. He explains he got a crick in his neck from rushing through his gym workout. "I was in a hurry," he said. "There's just more stress in doing a series than I thought. I thought I could juggle this and my stand-up and my family." He has a wife and baby daughter.

"Home Improvements" focuses on the home life of Tim Taylor, the host of a cable television show called "Tool Time." He's a whiz at fixing things, but he's all thumbs in handling personal relationships. "Most of my act is about things that don't interest women," he said. "But I think the attitude does interest women. In one episode I started building a hot rod. Women just don't understand why you would chrome-plate the of a car.

But I think it attracts women because it shows another side of men. The way they love tools and take care of things." "Home Improvements" is the first series for Allen, whose special, "Tim Allen Rewires America," is currently running on Showtime. He's done three other Showtime specials and was nominated twice as best male comic in the American Comedy Awards. The series came about when Disney executives offered him a development deal after seeing one of his Showtime specials and a performance at the Improv. One problem from Allen's past, however, threatened to scuttle the deal.

Fourteen years earlier Allen had served 28 months in a federal penitentiary for selling cocaine. He was arrested soon after graduating from Western Michigan University. At the urging of a friend and his public relations advisers, Allen went public. Luckily for Allen, his career didn't suffer. He was seen as a man who had made a mistake, paid the penalty and led an exemplary life since then.

After his release from prison he went into advertising, writing, producing and sometimes performing in commercials. The thought of doing comedy never occurred to his wife's car or put up a satellite dish. I didn't want him to be a bungler. I wanted him to bungle his relationships. I wish life was as simple as fixing a motor." Allen's new success has "The first time I saw 'This Old House' it appealed to something subterranean in me.

It fascinated me to see him tear a house apart and put it back. No matter what damage men cause len said. "We spent the next year working on it. I had in mind a Bob Vila character in his home life. I'm a big fan of his old show, "This Old and his new show, 'Home Allen says he thinks Vila didn't know what to make of the show when he visited the set a few months ago.

him in the world they still have brought movie offers, VI the ability to rebuild a beautiful house. TIM ALLEN STAND-UP COMIC THE ASSOCIATED PRESS but he says he wants to wait until he's ready and has the right project. He would like to Tim Allen Is a standup comic who has tools on his mind and a pain In his neck. He finds humor In the mystical male realm of hardware stores, power tools, household repairs and shade-tree mechanics. He's a whiz at fbdng things, but he's all thumbs when It comes to handling his personal relationships.

"I don't think I was as frightened when I met Clint Eastwood," he said. "I do voice-overs for commercials, he says, because "you don't have to get dressed up." PIANO MUSIC THEORY MOTHER HUBBARD INSTRUCTION MATERNITY INFANTS Children. Adults All Lavels MARTHA B. WRIGHT Waynesvllla 452-2921 Don't MISS IT! I Waynesville I Main St. BUvfta- coewMs moth ins- cp- 0Me Qooi RefrSOtvJ -o tUM CftMeLHrMR StXSrtCOrT fOR.

QRERt" UoofclNQ I. ODZo CAWjrlHrMl? "oKiCOfte AMoWOc- QsoA Reason veRSATiUty whew Uoositv)q -f-RousePS, sucJa rs Bachelor of Music Degree Master of Arts Degree Nationally Certified -Music Teachers National Association Member N.C. Music Teachers Association National Guild of Piano Teachers Students, winners of State and National Competitions HAYWOOD SQUARE WAYNESVILLE open 10 A.M. 452-0808 ftNd. "pfVTet.N UXT isapxi mm v.

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