From Home Improvement to Last Man Standing: Every Tim Allen Sitcom, Ranked

With Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story 5 roaring into theaters on June 19, Buzz Lightyear is once again strapping on his wings, and that means Tim Allen is right back in the spotlight. Allen has spent more than three decades as one of Hollywood’s most dependable everyman comedians. He lent his lovably stubborn charm to a string of hits.

On the big screen, he’s been Scott Calvin in The Santa Clause trilogy, the washed-up actor Jason Nesmith in the cult favorite Galaxy Quest, and, of course, the voice of the most famous space ranger in animation, a role that’s stretched across all five Toy Story films. But before any of that, Allen built his name on television.

From the ’90s hit sitcom that made him a star to his most recent show, his small-screen run is arguably the foundation of his entire career. So with Buzz back in cinemas, there’s no better moment to look back at every sitcom Allen has appeared in. We have ranked them based on each show’s cultural footprint, how it landed with critics and audiences, and how well it played to Allen’s particular brand of blue-collar comedy. Here are his TV comedies, ranked from worst to best.

4 The Santa Clauses (2022 – 2023)

Tim Allen in The Santa Clauses | Credits: Disney+

Streaming on Disney+, this legacy sequel catches up with the Santa Clause movies decades down the line. Tim Allen’s Scott Calvin has worn the red suit for almost thirty years, but his magic is fading and his teenagers are a handful. Figuring it might be time to step aside, he hands the gig to tech entrepreneur Simon Choksi, played by Kal Penn, hoping a fresh mind will drag Christmas into the modern age. Things go sideways fast when Simon starts using the role to line his own pockets, forcing Scott to fight to win his sleigh back.

The Santa Clauses leans into the surprisingly weighty idea of an aging Santa wrestling with retirement. Elizabeth Mitchell returned as Mrs. Claus for the movie. Created by Jack Burditt, the series managed to win back franchise loyalists and earned nine Children and Family Emmy nominations. However, it still lands at the bottom of this list because it’s the least self-contained of Allen’s TV works, and the plotting never quite matches the strength of the performances.

3 Shifting Gears (2025-)

Tim Allen and Kat Dennings in Shifting Gears | Credits: ABC

Allen’s newest sitcom, Shifting Gears, casts him as Matt Parker, a grumpy widower still grieving his late wife and burying himself in work at his classic-car restoration garage. His carefully guarded routine gets upended when his estranged, freshly divorced daughter moves back home with her two kids in tow. Her progressive parenting style is everything Matt isn’t, and the generational sparks fly between the father and daughter.

They are forced to relearn how to live under one roof. Kat Dennings and Seann William Scott are star additions to the show. The premiere pulled nearly 17 million multi-platform viewers in its first week, handing ABC its biggest series debut since The Conners. The show has since been renewed for second and third seasons, with the second season airing in October 2025. This sitcom never impressed any critics and still has a long way to go to live up to the reputation of his two biggest sitcoms.

2 Last Man Standing (2011-2021)

After more than a decade away from a leading sitcom role, Allen returned as Mike Baxter, a marketing executive at a Denver outdoor-sports retailer and the lone man in a household full of women. A proud traditionalist raising three daughters, Mike airs his takes on parenting, politics, and manhood through an online vlog. His conservative streak rarely lines up with his more liberal family in the show.

The setup of Last Man Standing plays like a gender-flipped version of Home Improvement, swapping three sons for three daughters. Created by Jack Burditt, the series became Allen’s longest-running project outside his ’90s hit. ABC pulled the plug after six seasons, only for fans to mount an online campaign that helped Fox revive it for three more. It never matched Home Improvement‘s cultural reach or award recognitions, but its staying power makes it Allen’s second-best sitcom.

1 Home Improvement (1991-1999)

The show that made Allen a household name, Home Improvement stars him as Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor, the accident-prone host of a Detroit how-to series called ‘Tool Time’. Tim is forever showing off power tools, usually right before something goes hilariously wrong. At home, he’s a dad to three boys and husband to Jill, played by Patricia Richardson. He regularly seeks wisdom over the fence from his half-hidden neighbor, Wilson, played by Earl Hindman.

Created by Matt Williams, Carmen Finestra, and David McFadzean, the sitcom ran eight seasons, making Allen one of the decade’s highest-paid stars. It won Allen a Golden Globe alongside a stack of Emmy nominations, launched Jonathan Taylor Thomas, and turned a simple grunt into a catchphrase. Even Jimmy Carter dropped by for a cameo. Few ’90s comedies left a bigger mark.

Which of these Tim Allen sitcoms are you gonna pick up next? Are you excited to catch his Toy Story 5 in theaters? Let us know in the comments below!

Toy Story 5 is coming to theatres in the U.S. on June 19, 2026.