document_title: Home Improvement (TV series)

question_text: what city does home improvement take place in

text: Home Improvement (TV series)

text: Show background[edit]

text: Based on the stand-up comedy of Tim Allen, Home Improvement made its debut on ABC on September 17, 1991,[2] and was one of the highest-rated sitcoms for almost the entire decade. It went to No. 1 in the ratings during the 1993–1994 season; the same year Allen had the No. 1 book (Don't Stand Too Close to a Naked Man) and movie (The Santa Clause).[3]

text: Beginning in season 2, Home Improvement began each episode with a cold open, which features the show's logo during the teaser. From season 4 until the end of the series in 1999, an anthropomorphic version of the logo was used in different types of animation.[4]

text: Production[edit]

text: Development and early recasts[edit]

text: This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

text: Home Improvement had been in the works between Tim Allen and the writing/producing team of Carmen Finestra, David McFadzean and Matt Williams since the summer of 1990. Originally, the project's proposed title was Hammer Time, both a play on the catchphrase made popular by artist MC Hammer and the name of the fictional fix-it show within the series, which was also called Hammer Time. By the time ABC committed to the project in early 1991, Allen and his team had already changed the title to Home Improvement. The show hosted by Tim Taylor in the shooting script for Home Improvement was still called Hammer Time when the first pilot with Frances Fisher was filmed in April 1991. The catalyst for the series' name change was to represent the aspect of fixing problems within the family and home life, as well as the use of mechanics and tools. Once the second phase of the pilot was produced, with all the actors that made the final cut into the series (including Patricia Richardson), Tim Taylor's Hammer Time became Tool Time.

text: The first filmed pilot was produced in April 1991, with Frances Fisher playing Jill Taylor. Fisher, primarily known as a dramatic actress, was well qualified for the co-starring role but was viewed by the studio audience as not being comedic enough, and too serious in her line delivery. The producers tried to work with Fisher on adapting to the situation comedy setting, but shortly after the pilot wrapped post-production, they decided to recast her.

text: Before the first pilot was shot, actor John Bedford Lloyd was in the running for one of two roles; that of Tim's Tool Time assistant (originally named "Glen") and the role of Wilson. Bedford Lloyd eventually got the part of Wilson, but his agent later made claims that the actor was unaware that most of his scenes would require his face to be partially hidden behind a fence. For this reason, the crew received news just one day prior to taping the first pilot that Bedford-Lloyd had dropped out. Casting immediately contacted the other actor considered for the role, Earl Hindman.

text: Stephen Tobolowsky was tapped to play the Tool Time co-host, Glen. However, he was still busy with a movie that was in the middle of production at the time the first pilot was to be shot. Therefore, the producers set out to cast an alternate character that would stand in as Tim's co-host for the pilot, or for however many episodes were required until Tobolowsky was available. The casting department auditioned Richard Karn, for what would be his first major appearance on a TV sitcom; the character of Al Borland was created from there. After the first few episodes completed with Patricia Richardson as Jill, Tobolowsky was still tied up with his other commitments, and Karn found himself in his role permanently when Tobolowsky decided he would have no time to do a series. Thus, the character of Glen never came into being.

text: Cast[edit]

text: Main cast[edit]

text:
Character

Actor/Actress

Episodes

Season

Timothy "Tim" Taylor

Tim Allen

(204 episodes, 1991–1999)

starring seasons 1-8

Jillian "Jill" Taylor

Patricia Richardson

(204 episodes, 1991–1999)

starring seasons 1–8

Bradley Michael "Brad" Taylor

Zachery Ty Bryan

(202 episodes, 1991–1999)

starring seasons 1–8

Randall William "Randy" Taylor

Jonathan Taylor Thomas

(177 episodes, 1991–1998)

starring seasons 1–8 (until episode 3, guest star thereafter)

Marcus "Mark" Taylor

Taran Noah Smith

(201 episodes, 1991–1999)

starring seasons 1–8

Wilson W. Wilson, Jr.

Earl Hindman

(202 episodes, 1991–1999)

starring seasons 1–8

Albert "Al" Borland

Richard Karn

(201 episodes, 1991–1999)

recurring season 1; starring seasons 2–8

Heidi Keppert

Debbe Dunning

(148 episodes, 1993–1999)

recurring seasons 3–6; starring seasons 7–8

text: Recurring characters[edit]

text:
Character

Actor/Actress

Episodes

Season

Martin "Marty" Taylor

William O'Leary

(30 episodes, 1994–1999)

4–8

Harry Turner

Blake Clark

(24 episodes, 1994–1999)

4–8

Lisa

Pamela Anderson

(23 episodes, 1991–93, 97)

1–2, 6

Benny Baroni

Jimmy Labriola

(16 episodes, 1994–1999)

3–8

Dr. Ilene Markham

Sherry Hursey

(16 episodes, 1993–1997)

3–6

Pete Bilker

Mickey Jones

(13 episodes, 1991–1999)

1–8

Dwayne Hoover

Gary McGurk

(11 episodes, 1991–1999)

1–8

Rock Flanagan

Casey Sander

(10 episodes, 1991–1999)

1–8

text: Special guests and cameos[edit]

text:
Many special guests made cameo appearances on Tool Time. These guests included race car drivers Johnny Rutherford, Robby Gordon, Mario and Michael Andretti, Al Unser, Sr./Jr./III, actress and model Jenny McCarthy (the season 8 episode "Young at Heart"), country artist Alan Jackson (the season 5 episode "When Harry Kept Delores"), golfer Payne Stewart (the season 7 episode "Futile Attraction") and comedian Drew Carey (the season 6 episode "Totally Tool Time", although not playing himself).
Numerous NASA astronauts appeared on the series, the most notable being Ken Bowersox, who made three separate appearances, once in the third season, once in the fifth and once in the seventh.
Former Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway, then Detroit Pistons star Grant Hill (the season 7 episode "Believe It or Not"), former boxers Evander Holyfield (the season 3 episode "Eve of Construction") and George Foreman (the season 1 episode "Unchained Malady"), and former President Jimmy Carter all appeared on the series. Carter made an appearance during season three episode "Eve of Construction", which focused on Habitat for Humanity.
Isiah Thomas appears as himself at the end of the season three episode "Aisle See You in My Dreams".
Jay Leno appears with his car collection in the fourth-season episode "Brother, Can You Spare a Hot Rod?" In which he plays a staff member of "Papa Mia" the pizza guy. "If he's not there in 30 minutes, you should have given better directions" He also appeared four years later in the episode "Home Alone" in a dream sequence about Tim's book, saying "Instead of getting a literary genius like Tim Taylor, we're stuck with Jack Nicholson and Marlon Brando." Leeza Gibbons and Oprah Winfrey also guest-starred in the episode playing themselves on their respective talk shows talking about Tim's book (and how he has not written it).
Bob Vila also appeared on several episodes, with Tim seeing him as a rival (he appears in Season One's "What About Bob?"  Season Two's "The Great Race," Season Three's "The Great Race II," Season Four's "Tool Time After Dark," with recycled Tool Time footage from earlier episodes, and Season Six's "Insult to Injury" in a dream sequence about Vila winning the consecutive home renovation show appearance record; Vila wasn't played by himself, and instead played by a stunt-double for a one-shot cameo).
The Beach Boys appeared in the Season 6 episode "The Karate Kid Returns" as Wilson's cousins.  (Then-Beach Boys Carl Wilson and Mike Love were real-life cousins.)
Tom Wopat, best known as Luke Duke from the TV Series The Dukes of Hazzard, appears early on in Season 7 as Ian, to whom Jill feels romantically attracted after meeting him in a gym and who puts in granite countertops (albeit halfway) in the Taylor's kitchen.
A then-unknown Dave Chappelle and Jim Breuer guest-starred in the Season 4 episode "Talk to Me".  This episode set the stage for the Home Improvement spin-off Buddies, which was Chappelle's first television series.  The series premiered in March 1996 and lasted five episodes, though 13 were produced.
Other famous guests include Drake Bell in the third-season episode "Swing Time", Jack Elam, and Ernest Borgnine, who both appeared in the first-season episode "Birds of a Feather Flock to Taylor."
Dan Aykroyd makes a guest appearance as a blues-loving minister in the episode "Losing My Religion" during the seventh season, the character he was currently playing at the time in the series Soul Man, a series that was also created by the creators of Home Improvement that lasted two seasons. Aykroyd helps Tim understand Tim's son Randy's decision to no longer go to church after he starts volunteering at a hospice.
Robert Picardo made two appearances on the show as Tim's neighbor, Joe "The Meat Man" Morton. He appeared in "A Sew, Sew Evening," and "Blow-Up," both early on in the third season.  It was explained by Joe's wife Marie (Mariangela Pino) in the fifth-season episode "Jill's Surprise Party" that he had left her for a younger woman who worked at his plant (Picardo was no longer available after being cast as The Doctor on Star Trek: Voyager).
Rodney Dangerfield and Alex Rocco appeared together in the 1997 Thanksgiving episode in which they both appeared in a luxury box at the Pontiac Silverdome.
Magicians Penn and Teller also appeared in one of the episodes of the final season, opening for Tool Time by performing tricks with Tim.
Actress Michelle Williams played Jessica Lutz, a girl that Brad was going on a date with in Season 4, three years before she became famous as Jen Lindley on the series Dawson's Creek.
Jazz/crossover vocal group The Manhattan Transfer (Tim Hauser, Janis Siegel, Alan Paul, Cheryl Bentyne) appeared as themselves in season 2, an episode entitled "I'm Scheming of a White Christmas."

text: Casting changes[edit]

text: Pamela Anderson[edit]

text: In the first two years of the show, Pamela Anderson played the part of Tim's Tool Girl, Lisa, on Tool Time, but left the show to focus on her role on the syndicated series Baywatch. Her last episode as a series regular was "The Great Race", which aired on May 19, 1993. Tim's new assistant, Heidi, played by Debbe Dunning, replaced Anderson as the Tool Time Girl for the following third season, starting with "Maybe Baby", which aired on September 15, 1993. Anderson did reprise the role of Lisa on the sixth-season finale episode "The Kiss and the Kiss-Off", which aired on May 20, 1997.

text: Departure of Jonathan Taylor Thomas[edit]

text: In the show's eighth season and final season, the middle child Randy left for an environmental study program in Costa Rica in the episode "Adios", which aired on September 29, 1998. This was done because Jonathan Taylor Thomas reportedly wanted to take time off to focus on academics. His last appearance on Home Improvement was the eighth and final season's Christmas episode "Home for the Holidays", which aired on December 8, 1998.  He did not return to the show for the series finale, aired in May 1999, only appearing in archived footage. He was shooting the film Speedway Junky for release that summer. His character was not replaced.

text: Plot details and storylines[edit]

text: Taylor family[edit]

text: The series centers on the Taylor family, which consists of Tim (Tim Allen), his wife Jill (Patricia Richardson) and their three children: the oldest child, Brad (Zachery Ty Bryan), the middle child, Randy (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) and youngest child, Mark (Taran Noah Smith). The Taylors live in suburban Detroit, and have a neighbor named Wilson (Earl Hindman) who is often the go-to guy for solving the Taylors' problems.

text: Tim is a stereotypical American male, who loves power tools, cars, and sports. In particular, he is an avid fan of local Detroit teams. In numerous instances, Tim wears Lions, Pistons, Red Wings, and Tigers clothing, and many plots revolve around the teams. He is a former salesman for the fictional Binford Tool company, and is very much a cocky, overambitious, accident-prone know-it-all. Witty but flippant, Tim jokes around a lot, even at inappropriate times, much to the dismay of his wife. However, Tim can sometimes be serious when necessary. Jill, Tim's wife, is loving and sophisticated, but not exempt from dumb moves herself. In later seasons she returns to college to study psychology. Family life is boisterous for the Taylors with the two oldest children, Brad and Randy, tormenting the much younger Mark, all while continually testing and pestering each other. Such play happened especially throughout the first three seasons, and was revisited only occasionally until Jonathan Taylor Thomas left at the beginning of the eighth season. During the show's final season, Brad and Mark became much closer due to Randy's absence.

text: Brad, popular and athletic, was often the moving factor, who engaged before thinking, a tendency which regularly landed him in trouble. Randy, a year younger, was the comedian of the pack, known for his quick-thinking, wisecracks, and smart mouth. He had more common sense than Brad but was not immune to trouble. Mark was somewhat of a mama's boy, though later in the series (in the seventh season) he grew into a teenage outcast who dressed in black clothing.  Meanwhile, Brad became interested in cars like his father and took up soccer. Randy joined the school drama club, and later the school newspaper; in the eighth season, he left for Costa Rica.

text: In early seasons, Wilson was always seen standing on the other side of Tim's backyard fence as the two engaged in conversation, usually with Wilson offering sage advice as Tim grappled with his problems.  In later seasons, a running joke developed in which more and more creative means were used to prevent Wilson's face below the eyes from ever being seen by the audience.  Also in later seasons, Wilson's full name was revealed to be Wilson W. Wilson, Jr.

text: Tool Time[edit]

text: Each episode includes Tim's own Binford-sponsored home improvement show, called Tool Time, a "meta-program," or show-within-a-show. In hosting this show, Tim is joined by his friend and mild-mannered assistant Al Borland (Richard Karn), and a "Tool Time girl"—first Lisa (Pamela Anderson) and later Heidi (Debbe Dunning)—whose main duty is to introduce the pair at the beginning of the show with the line "Does everybody know what time it is?" The Tool Time girl also assists Tim and Al during the show by bringing them tools.

text: Although revealed to be an excellent salesman and TV personality, Tim is spectacularly accident prone as a handyman, often causing massive disasters on and off the set, to the consternation of his co-workers and family. Many Tool Time viewers assume that the accidents on the show are done on purpose, to demonstrate the consequences of using tools improperly. Many of Tim's accidents are caused by his devices being used in an unorthodox or overpowered manner, designed to illustrate his mantra "More power!". This popular catchphrase would not be uttered after Home Improvement's seventh season,[5] until Tim's last line in the series finale, which are the last two words ever spoken.

text: Tool Time was conceived as a parody of the PBS home-improvement show This Old House.[6]  Tim and Al are caricatures of the two principal cast members of This Old House, host Bob Vila and master carpenter Norm Abram.[7] Al Borland has a beard and always wears plaid shirts when taping an episode, reflecting Norm Abram's appearance on This Old House.[8] Bob Vila appeared as a guest star on several episodes of Home Improvement, while Tim Allen and Pamela Anderson both appeared on Bob Vila's show Home Again.[9][10]

text: The Tool Time theme music, an early 1960s-style saxophone-dominated instrumental rock tune, was sometimes used as the closing theme music for Home Improvement, especially when behind the credits were running the blooper scenes that took place during the taping of a Tool Time segment.

text: Theme music[edit]

text: The theme music for Home Improvement was composed by Dan Foliart. The theme song is unique for its sampling of power tools, most notably an electric drill and jackhammer, which is heard during theme song. Tim's grunting was also sampled for the theme song. The flute and organ parts of the theme music were also used. From Season 7 until the end of the series, a remixed version of the theme song was used.

text: Awards, nominations, and other reception[edit]

text: Home Improvement received numerous awards and nominations in its 8-season run. Notable awards and nominations include: Golden Globe Awards, Primetime Emmy Awards, Kids' Choice Awards, Young Artist Awards, YoungStar Awards, ASCAP Award, and many others.

text: WatchMojo.com ranked Home Improvement as the #9 TV sitcom from the 1990s. The character with most honors was Wilson, who was ranked as the #6 unseen TV character and as the #3 TV neighbor. Binford made it to the #10 fictional brand. The video game Home Improvement: Power Tool Pursuit! was ranked as the #5 worst game based on a TV series. On Metacritic, the first season holds a score of 64 out of 100, based on 18 critics and the second season holds a score of 75 out of 100, based on 5 critics, both indicating "generally favorable reviews".

text: Michigan college and university apparel[edit]

text: Throughout the show, Tim Taylor would often be wearing sweatshirts or T-shirts from various Michigan-based colleges and universities. These were usually sent by the schools to the show for him to wear during an episode.[11] Because Allen considered Michigan his home state, the rule was that only Michigan schools would get the free advertising.[12] There were two notable exceptions to the general rule that Tim only supported Michigan educational institutions on the show. First, during the episode Workshop 'Til You Drop  Tim wears a Wofford College sweatshirt.[13] Second, during the episode The Wood, the Bad and the Hungry  Tim wears an Owens Community College sweatshirt.[14]

text:
College or University

City (of main Campus)

Episode

Season

Albion College

Albion

My Dinner with Wilson

4

Alpena Community College

Alpena

Engine and a Haircut, Two Fights[15]

5

Aquinas College

Grand Rapids

Crazy For You [16]

3

Baker College

Flint Township

No Place Like Home[17]

6

Bay College

Escanaba

Her Cheatin' Mind[18]

5

Calvin College

Grand Rapids

Eve of Construction[19]

3

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant

Blow-Up[20]

3

Cleary University

Howell

You're Driving Me Crazy, You're Driving Me Nuts

2

Cornerstone University

Grand Rapids

Talk to Me[21]

4

Davenport University

Grand Rapids

Room Without a View[22]

5

Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti

To Build or Not to Build[23]

2

Let Them Eat Cake[24]

5

Believe It Or Not[25]

7

Ferris State University

Big Rapids

Be True to Your Tool[26]

3

Grand Valley State University

Allendale

What You See is What You Get[27]

3

Henry Ford Community College

Dearborn

A House Divided

4

Hillsdale College

Hillsdale

The Naked Truth[28]

4

Hope College

Holland

Talk to Me

4

Shopping Around[29]

5

Kalamazoo College

Kalamazoo

When Harry Kept Delores

5

Kellogg Community College

Battle Creek

Future Shock[30]

6

Jill and Her Sisters[31]

6

Lake Michigan College

Benton Township

Eye on Tim

5

Lake Superior State University

Sault Sainte Marie

Brother, Can You Spare A Hot Rod[32]

4

Lawrence Tech

Southfield

High School Confidential[33]

5

Madonna University

Livonia

Oh, Brother[34]

5

Marygrove College

Detroit

The Route of All Evil[35]

4

Michigan State University

East Lansing

Frozen Moments[36]

3

It Was the Best of Tims, It Was the Worst of Tims[37]

3

Michigan Tech

Houghton

A Hardware Habit to Break[38]

8

Mott Community College

Flint

Wilson's World[39]

6

Northwood University

Midland

A Sew, Sew Evening[40]

3

Northern Michigan University

Marquette

Swing Time[41]

3

Northwestern Michigan College

Traverse City

Chicago Hope[42]

5

Oakland University

Rochester Hills

Slip Slidin' Away[43]

3

Owens Community College

Toledo, Ohio

The Wood, the Bad and the Hungry[44]

6

Saginaw Valley State University

University Center

The Eyes Don't Have It[45]

4

University of Michigan

Ann Arbor

Borland Ambition

4

Super Bowl Fever[46]

4

A Marked Man

4

Advise and Repent[47]

5

The Vasectomy One

5

Family Un-Ties[48]

6

An Older Woman[49]

7

Room at the Top[50]

7

Walsh College

Troy

Dollars and Sense[51]

3

Wayne State

Detroit

Olde Shoppe Teacher[52]

4

Burnin' Love[53]

6

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo

It Was the Best of Tims, It Was the Worst of Tims[54]

3

That's My Momma

5

Future Shock[55]

6

A Night to Dismember[56]

7

Taylor Got Game[57]

8

Wofford College

Spartanburg, South Carolina

Workshop 'Til You Drop[58]

6

text: Post-series events[edit]

text: Tim Allen, Richard Karn, Casey Sander, and Debbe Dunning had a reunion in a television special named Tim Allen Presents: A User's Guide to Home Improvement in 2003 (a terminally ill Earl Hindman did voice-overs, befitting his never-seen persona of Wilson).[59] Allen presented his own favorite clips from the show, insider's tips, personal reflections and a question and answer session with the live audience. The special is included on the season 8 DVD set.

text: On August 3, 2011, in Pacific Palisades, California, the surviving main cast members reunited for Entertainment Weekly magazine, including Jonathan Taylor Thomas, whom the cast had not seen since 1998.[60]

text: Richard Karn guest starred in two episodes of Tim Allen's 2010s ABC sitcom Last Man Standing in 2013.[61][62] Jonathan Taylor Thomas has also appeared on Last Man Standing,[63] and has directed episodes of the series.[64][65]

text: In 2015, Patricia Richardson guest starred on Last Man Standing in the episode "Helen Potts", playing the episode's titular character.[66] Jonathan Taylor Thomas made a cameo in the episode, playing Richardson's son.

text: On May 5, 2015, Hollywood Life reported that Tim Allen and Richard Karn had admitted talking about getting back together as a cast for a Home Improvement reboot or reunion show. Karn was quoted saying "There is always a chance, absolutely. Would I be on board? Yeah I think so! I would love to see what the story lines could be, it could be very funny!"[67]

text: Episodes[edit]

text: SeasonEpisodesOriginally airedNielsen ratings[68]First airedLast airedRankRatingTied with124September 17, 1991 (1991-09-17)May 5, 1992 (1992-05-05)417.5Cheers225September 16, 1992 (1992-09-16)May 19, 1993 (1993-05-19)319.4N/A325September 15, 1993 (1993-09-15)May 25, 1994 (1994-05-25)220.4N/A426September 20, 1994 (1994-09-20)May 23, 1995 (1995-05-23)319.5N/A526September 19, 1995 (1995-09-19)May 21, 1996 (1996-05-21)716.1N/A625September 17, 1996 (1996-09-17)May 20, 1997 (1997-05-20)914.0N/A725September 23, 1997 (1997-09-23)May 19, 1998 (1998-05-19)1012.0Frasier828September 22, 1998 (1998-09-22)May 25, 1999 (1999-05-25)1011.0N/A

text: Nielsen ratings[edit]

text: The series finale became the fifth highest-rated series finale television program of the 1990s and the ninth overall series finale ever presented on a single network in television history, watched by 35.5 percent of the households sampled in America, and 21.6 percent of television viewers.

text: Syndication[edit]

text: In the United States, Home Improvement began airing in broadcast syndication in September 1995, distributed via Buena Vista Television (now Disney–ABC Domestic Television) and continued to be syndicated until 2007; in a manner similar to Seinfeld and The Simpsons after they began airing in broadcast syndication, episodes of Home Improvement were not aired in order of their production code number or original airdate. It has previously aired on cable television via TBS from 2002 to 2013, and WGN America from 2002 to 2007.

text: It also aired on Nick at Nite from September 3, 2007 to October 2009[69] and again on Monday mornings only starting on September 27, 2010. It aired on TV Land from January 4, 2010 to 2013. The show aired on The Hallmark Channel from September 3, 2013 until January 2016. The Hallmark Channel aired Home Improvement Monday through Friday at 2 p.m. ET until 6 p.m. ET[70]

text: Adding to its continuing popularity on American cable networks, it was reported on March 7, 2018, that Laff TV (an E.W. Scripps Company subsidiary) signed a broadcast licensing agreement with Disney-ABC Television Group in order to air the show.[71] On May 2, 2018, it was reported that Uptv had also obtained broadcast rights from Disney-ABC Television Group to air all eight seasons.[72] Uptv airs back to back episodes Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET.[73] Episodes on Uptv also air Saturday afternoons.[74] As of June 5, 2018, Home Improvement airs on Laff TV from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET.

text: Outside America, reruns have aired on The Disney Channel, Channel 4 and ABC1 in the UK. Originally, Home Improvement was aired on Channel 4 and then later the Disney Channel; however, in 2005, it began broadcasting on ABC1. On September 26, 2007, ABC1 ceased transmissions and no official announcement was made as to which channels would be broadcasting ABC1's previous programming. Although the show stopped airing in the UK due to ABC1 ceasing transmission on September 26, on July 28, 2008, it restarted from the pilot episode on Virgin 1. However, it was announced that Virgin 1 (now Channel One) would close on January 31, 2011, and no announcement was made regarding its broadcast future in the UK.

text: In Canada, it previously aired on CTV from the beginning to the ending (1991–1999), as well as CMT and YTV. In Germany and Austria, Home Improvement has been shown in dubbing under the title Hör mal wer da hämmert ("Listen who's hammering"). It ran on ARD (1993–1995), RTL (1996–2006), RTL II (1999–2000, 2007–2012), VOX (2004–2006), and Super RTL (2008–2009). Currently, reruns in Germany air Mondays at 15:20 hours (3:20 p.m. German time) on RTL Nitro.[75] In Austria, reruns aired for a period of time on ATV. It was also shown on M-Net in South Africa.

text: In New Zealand, reruns of the show currently air weekdays at 2 p.m. on the state-owned channel TVNZ 2.[76] In 2011, Asian Network Star World started broadcasting the show in place of The Simpsons. Additionally, reruns have aired on the Seven Network and 111 Hits in Australia, Disney Channel in India, and Hits (TV channel) in South East Asia, including Macau, Singapore and Taiwan.

text: On September 29, 2017, Home Improvement became available for streaming on Hulu along with fellow Disney–ABC television properties Dinosaurs and Boy Meets World, in addition to fellow ABC programs Family Matters, Full House, Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, Perfect Strangers and Step by Step.[77]

text: DVD releases[edit]

text: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment has released all eight seasons on DVD in Region 1, 2 and 4. Season 8 has the "Backstage Pass" (which immediately followed "The Long and Winding Road, Part III") and the reunion show on the fourth disc of the set.

text: On May 10, 2011, Walt Disney Studios released a complete series box set entitled Home Improvement: 20th Anniversary Complete Collection on DVD in Region 1. The 25-disc collection features all 204 episodes of the series as well as all special features contained on the previously released season sets; it is encased in special collectible packaging, a Home Improvement toolbox with a Binford "All-In-One Tool" tape measure.[78]

text:
DVD Name

Ep#

Release dates

Region 1

Region 2 (Germany)

Region 4

The Complete First Season
24
November 23, 2004
July 14, 2005
June 28, 2005

The Complete Second Season
25
June 7, 2005
October 13, 2005
July 20, 2005

The Complete Third Season
25
November 22, 2005
January 12, 2006
January 16, 2006

The Complete Fourth Season
25
June 6, 2006
December 6, 2007
December 5, 2007

The Complete Fifth Season
26
November 14, 2006
March 6, 2008
April 2, 2008

The Complete Sixth Season
25
May 15, 2007
November 13, 2008
December 3, 2008

The Complete Seventh Season
25
August 7, 2007
April 2, 2009
March 18, 2009

The Complete Eighth Season
28
June 10, 2008
August 13, 2009
December 2, 2009

20th Anniversary Complete Collection
204
May 10, 2011
N/A
N/A

text: DVD notes[edit]

text: The Region 1 DVDs are on three discs (with the exception of the final season set, which has four discs), whereas the Region 2 DVDs are presented across four discs, but in Germany the fourth to seventh seasons are also three disc sets.  The Region 2 packaging and programme menus for Season 1 vary compared to the Region 1 releases. The Season 3 menus in Region 1 are in widescreen, but 4:3 in Region 2. The Region 1 releases of Seasons 2 and 3 consist of (deliberate) "holes" in the outer packaging—these do not exist in the Region 2 releases; in fact, the Season 3 outer packaging is physically printed where the hole would be in the Region 1 packaging.

text: Seasons 5 and 6 accidentally contain some slightly edited episodes, most likely due to using syndication prints. And the episode "The Feminine Mistake" from season 6, doesn't contain the 3D version of the episode as originally aired on ABC, instead using the 2D version as seen in syndication.[79]

text: It has been mentioned on review sites about the lack of episode commentaries and bonus features on the DVDs (except unaired blooper reels).  In an interview on About.com,[80] Tim Allen stated that it was a done deal that the DVDs would not contain interviews or episode commentaries. Whether this was before or after someone at Disney ordered the three commentaries available on the Season 1 DVDs is unknown.


document_title: Horrid Henry: The Movie

question_text: who plays aerobic al in horrid henry the movie

root

text: Horrid Henry: The Movie

text: Plot[edit]

text: Horrid Henry uses his magnetic yoyo to steal cookies from Moody Margaret's Secret Club. Before he can eat them, his mother tells him to do his homework. The next morning, Henry searches for his homework, only to find that after he left it on the dining room table, the other members of the household variously spilled milk on it, stepped on it, and squashed it into the couch, leaving it a mess. He leaves it behind and has his friend Brainy Brian forge a note from his mother saying his cat ate it. His teacher, Miss Battle-Axe, realizes the note is forged and that Henry did not do it himself, since Brian spelled "homework" correctly, something Henry is incapable of doing. With Henry in detention, his friends join him to practice for a talent contest. Miss Oddbod, the headteacher, and a pair of school inspectors walk in on their rehearsal.

tag: p

text: Vic Van Wrinkle, headteacher of the exorbitantly expensive Brick House School, has been bribing the school inspectors to put pressure on Ashton Primary, the school Henry attends, in order to justify closing the school. Van Wrinkle stands to make a fortune from the resulting influx of pupils. Horrid Henry and Moody Margret's misbehavior prompts Miss Oddbod to fire Miss Battle-Axe and Miss Lovely for failing to enforce discipline, and the school inspectors encourage Henry's pranks.

text: With Ashton Primary on the brink of closing, Henry's Great Aunt Gretta volunteers to put up the money to transfer Henry to an all-girls school (since she thinks Henry is a girl) and his younger brother Peter to Brick House. Miss Lovely gets a job at Brick House, where she notices the school inspectors. Peter distracts the staff and pupils by performing numerous arrangements of "Frère Jacques" so that Miss Lovely can spy on Van Wrinkle and the inspectors. She is caught by Van Wrinkle, but covertly passes notes about his plan to Peter. Meanwhile, Henry's new schoolmates immediately realize he is a boy and begin hunting him. Margaret, who has also been transferred to the school, comes to Henry's aid, and the two escape. The traumatic experience motivates them to work together to save Ashton Primary. Henry decides to win the talent contest with his 'Zero Zombies' band, in the naive hope that this will make them famous enough that they won't shut the school down.

text: After the band wins the contest, Miss Oddbod informs Henry that fame is irrelevant in this case. Henry is later invited onto TV programme '2 Cool 4 School', where he can win a cash prize, which Margaret points out that they can use to bribe the school inspectors to leave Ashton Primary alone. In the final round of the competition he is confronted with Miss Battle-Axe, who challenges him to spell "homework". Recalling Miss Battle-Axe's early admonitions and using "Oh Henry, you horrid boy" as a mnemonic device, he correctly spells "homework" with two "o"s for the first time.

text: Peter and his friends try to rescue Miss Lovely, but are captured by Van Wrinkle. Miss Lovely tricks him into explaining his plan while Peter has her mobile phone call the school so that Miss Oddbod can hear. Miss Oddbod calls the police, who proceed to Van Wrinkle's office. Vic attempts to escape but trips and falls since Peter tied his shoelaces together. Henry returns and offers the cash prize to Miss Oddbod, who declines it. At Margaret's suggestion, the money is used for the party of a lifetime instead.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Theo Stevenson as Horrid Henry
Richard E. Grant as Vic Van Wrinkle
Anjelica Huston as Miss Battle-Axe
Scarlett Stitt as Moody Margaret
Susan Silo as Fluffy the Cat
Ross Marron as Perfect Peter
Mathew Horne as Dad
Siobhan Hayes as Mum
Rebecca Front as Mrs Oddbod
Parminder Nagra as Miss Lovely
Lloyd Howells as Rude Ralph
Jack Sanders as Aerobic Al
Reuben Lee as Brainy Brian
Billy Kennedy as Weeping William
Connor O'Mara as Beefy Bert
Helena Barlow as Sour Susan
Nikita Mistry as Gorgeous Gurinder
Ela Warburton as Lazy Linda
Nethra Tilakumara as Singing Soraya
David Schneider as Soggy Sid
Helen Lederer as Rich Aunt Ruby
Noel Fielding as Ed Banger
Kimberly Walsh as Prissy Polly
Dick and Dom as hosts for the game show '2Cool4School'
Prunella Scales as Great Aunt Greta
Jo Brand as Greasy Greta/Demon Dinner Lady
Frank Kauer as Spotless Sam
Joshua-James Thomas as Goody Goody Gordon
Gabriel Werb as Tidy Ted
Tyger Drew-Honey as Stuck-up Steve
Tamsin Heatley as Miss Impatience Tutu, Fang the Hamster (voice)
Philip Pope as Moody Margaret's Dad
Kia Pegg as Vicious Vicky
Grant Logan as Wheely Walter
Tara Strong as Tiddles the Cat
Lily Demetriou Ottaway & Sasha Demetriou Ottaway as Vomiting Vera
Nathaniel Pacanowski as Talent Contest Band
Elizabeth Waterworth-Santo as Nitty Nora

tag: ul

text: Release[edit]

text: Horrid Henry: The Movie was theatrically released on 29 July 2011 in the United Kingdom by Vertigo Films.[4] Phase 4 Films and Entertainment One released the film in theatres in the United States and Canada on 22 December 2012.[5] It was released on DVD and Blu-ray on 9 November 2012.

text: Critical reception[edit]

text: The film opened at #5 in the box office in the United Kingdom with £1.3 million, in a top ten led by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 and Captain America: The First Avenger.[6] It was knocked down the next week to #7, by Super 8 and Mr. Popper's Penguins.

text: Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 10% of 21 critics have given the film a positive review; the rating average is 3.6 out of 10.[7] Common criticisms included the unfunny, juvenile humor,[8][9][10] stuttering plot,[8][10][11] and unimaginative use of stereoscopy.[8][9][10] The bright color palette was widely praised, but generally said to be wasted given the overall low quality of the movie.[8][9][11]

text: Leslie Felperin of Variety stated, "Thinly scripted, even for a kidpic, but luridly colored enough to keep even nap-needing tots (or parents) awake, this sophomore effort by Brit helmer Nick Moore (“Wild Child”) reps something of a waste of its impressive roster of supporting-thesp talent, while its use of 3D is likewise less than imaginative."[8]

text: Derek Adams offered the film mild praise in Time Out: "‘Horrid Henry’ is indelibly flawed and disorderly in tone but not devoid of rambunctious charm."[11] What Culture named it the number 3 worst film of 2011.[9] When interviewed on Desert Island Discs by Kirsty Young, Horrid Henry book author Francesca Simon stated that "I haven't seen it (the movie)...I had nothing to do with it."[12]

text: Soundtrack[edit]

text:
Horrid Henry: The Movie: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Soundtrack album by Various artists

Released
January 1, 2011

Recorded
2010

Genre
Film Soundtrack, pop rock

Label
Universal Music TV

Producer
Various artists

Singles from Horrid Henry: The Movie: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

"Everybody Dance"
Released: 2011

tag: table

text: The soundtrack was released on January 1, 2011, New Year's Day, by Universal Music TV.[13]

text:
Track
Song
Artists

1
"Too Cool for School" (two versions)
Theo Stevenson and Dick and Dom

2
"Everybody Dance"
Kimberley Walsh

3
"Boys and Girls"
Pixie Lott

4
"Party Rock Anthem"
LMFAO featuring Lauren Bennett and GoonRock

5
"(Gonna Be a) Rockstar"
Theo Stevenson

6
"Beat of My Drum"
Nicola Roberts

7
"One Time"
Justin Bieber

8
"Shine a Light" (Radio Edit)
McFly ft. Taio Cruz

9
"When I'm King"
Emma Tate, Tamsin Heatley, Wayne Forester and Theo Stevenson

10
"Get Down"
Twenty Twenty

11
"Special Brew"
Bad Manners

12
"Horrid Homework Haze"
Killer Boy Rats

13
"I Gotta Feeling" (Edit)
The Black Eyed Peas

14
"Rock Down"
Free Amigos

15
"Ego"
The Saturdays

16
"Underdog"
You Me at Six

17
"Monster"
The Automatic

18
"Dynamite"
Taio Cruz

19
"All the Small Things"
Jedward

20
"I'm Horrid Henry"
Killer Boy Rats


document_title: Sierra Madre Occidental

question_text: when did the first railroad cross the western sierra madre

text: Sierra Madre Occidental

text: Geography[edit]

text: The Spanish name sierra madre means "mother mountains" and occidental means "western" in English, with these being the "Western Mother Mountains".[1] To the east, from the Spanish oriental meaning "eastern" in English, the Sierra Madre Oriental range or "Eastern Mother Mountains" run generally parallel to the Sierra Madre Occidental along eastern Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico.

text: The range extends from northern Sonora state near the Mexico-U.S. border at Arizona, southeastwards to the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt and Sierra Madre del Sur ranges. The high plateau that is formed by the range is cut by deep river valleys. This plateau is formed from volcanic rock overlying a basement of metamorphic rock.

text: This uplift has caused changes in weather patterns; increased rainfall occurring in the mountains has provided areas where ecosystems can form in wetter areas than surrounding land. This water source forms watersheds that provide the arid surroundings with water that makes it possible to irrigate and farm crops. The wet ecosystems are islands of biodiversity, differing significantly from what would otherwise be a desert landscape. Oak forests are the predominant plant life and extend into the lowland deserts.

text: This forest and canyon land provided a place for a variety of indigenous people to live, until Spanish settlers with associated Mestizos came into the area to found towns for the silver mines in the area. The major industries in the area now are agriculture and forestry, which have become contentious because of land degradation and the native population's opposition to these practices.

text: Geography[edit]

text: The range trends from the north to southeast. Canyons cut by the rivers of the wet western slopes exist in addition to those of the northeast slopes, notably the Copper Canyon.

text: Location[edit]

text: The range runs parallel to the Pacific coast of Mexico, from just south of the Arizona-Sonora border southeast through eastern Sonora, western Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Durango, Zacatecas, Nayarit, Jalisco, Aguascalientes to Guanajuato, where it joins with the Sierra Madre del Sur and the Eje Volcánico Transversal (Transverse Volcanic Axis) of central Mexico after crossing 1,250 km (780 mi).[2] The mountains range from 300 km (190 mi) from the Gulf of California in the north, but begin to approach within 50 km (31 mi) of the Pacific in the south.[3] These mountains are generally considered to be part of the much larger American cordillera, the mountains extending from Alaska down to these across Western North America.[4]

text: Regions[edit]

text: The Sierra Tarahumara or Tarahumara range is the name for the region of the Sierra Madre beginning at the Durango border and extending north. This name comes from the Tarahumara natives.[5] This is a dramatic landscape of steep mountains formed by a high plateau that has been cut through with canyons including Copper Canyon, larger and, in places, deeper than the Grand Canyon.[6] This plateau has an average elevation of 2,250 m (7,380 ft) with most of the more eroded canyons on the western slope, due to the higher moisture content.[2]

text: The highest elevations occur in the Tarahumara range.[7] The exact elevations of the highest peaks are not known within accurate enough ranges to determine the relative elevation of peaks. The highest point is probably Cerro Mohinora, located at 25°57′N 107°03′W / 25.950°N 107.050°W / 25.950; -107.050. Estimates for the height of the mountain start around 3,040 m (9,970 ft)[8] and go up to 3,300 m (10,800 ft).[9] However, Cerro Barajas, at 26°24′N 106°5′W / 26.400°N 106.083°W / 26.400; -106.083, may be as high as 3,300 m (10,800 ft)[10] although other sources give 3,170 m (10,400 ft) as the elevation.[11] Cerro Gordo, at 23°12′N 104°57′W / 23.200°N 104.950°W / 23.200; -104.950, may have an elevation between 3,350 m (10,990 ft)[12] and 3,340 m (10,960 ft).[13]

text: The southern end of the mountains may be referred to as the Sierra Huichola.[14] In this area the Sierra Madre begin to give way to the basin and range province.[15] Subranges of this area include the Sierra de Alica and the Sierra Pajaritos both in Nayarit.[16]

text: Water[edit]

text: The mountains act as a source of water, in an otherwise arid environment from the increased precipitation from the mountain range. As such, rivers that have headwaters in the mountains provide water for irrigation in the surrounding lands. The need for water to irrigate prompted the construction of dams, which has been the source of several environmental concerns in the area.

text: As the northern end of the mountains are more arid, the Yaqui River, which drains that area is an important source of irrigation in the state of Sonora.[17] The Yaqui drains into the Gulf of California as do the Humaya River in Sinaloa and the Fuerte River further south.[18] The Río Grande de Santiago drains 100000 km2 from the southern slopes of the Sierra Madre.[19] Along the more arid eastern slopes of the mountains, the Nazas River and Aguanaval River drain the mountains into a closed basin.[20] These mountains supply 90% of the water used for irrigation within the watershed.[21] North of this system is the Conchos River which drains into the Rio Grande.[18]

text: Along many rivers the arid conditions have caused courses to be dammed to provide water for irrigation. These dams have caused concerns along with those caused by other activities. The Yaqui has been dammed with three large reservoirs along its course.[18] The Río Grande de Santiago has also been dammed including the Aguamilpa dam begun in 1991[22] and the El Cajón Dam (Mexico) upstream from it.[23] To provide irrigation water for farming the dry basin, the Nazas river was dammed in the 1930s and 40s.[24] This has led to the former drainage lakes in the area drying up, and soil depletion from the elimination of the river as a source of soil. Due to the continued logging in the area, erosion on the slopes of hillsides has increased.[25]

text: Human[edit]

text: Numerous small populations live in Copper Canyon, some of them around old missions.[26] Many settlements consist of single families or small family groups near agricultural fields.[27] There are also a few towns of note, including Creel, Chihuahua, with 5000 inhabitants; it serves as a stop on the train line.[28] South of Copper Canyon is the town of El Salto, Durango, situated along highway 40.[29] To the west is Copala, Sinaloa.[30]

text: To the south live the indigenous Cora people in the towns of Jesús María and La Mesa del Nayar.[31] In addition, 1000 people live in the village of Huajimic in Nayarit.[32] The Bolaños River valley of Jalisco is populated with mining communities, such as San Martín de Bolaños, which has a population of around 3000.[33]

text: Few paved roads cross the mountains, meaning that travel times can be long, even between cities that are relatively close.[34] In the north, Mexico Federal Highway 16 connects Hermosillo, Sonora and La Junta, Chihuahua.[35] In the mountains the La Entrada al Pacifico Corridor is an incomplete road intended to connect Los Mochis, Sinaloa and Chihuahua.[36] Durango and Mazatlan are connected by highway 40,[37] around 24 degrees north latitude.[34]

text: Geology[edit]

text: The Sierra Madre Occidental is a high plateau of volcanic rock that is eroded in areas to reveal a basement composed of plutonic and sedimentary rocks underlying the two groups of extrusive volcanics.[38] The lower of these groups is a series of volcanic rocks formed by lava flows. The surface of the plateau is made up of a second series of volcanic ignimbrites, covered mostly by clay rich organic soils. Some intrusions in the area have deposited ore veins that are commercially viable.

text: The landscape was shaped after rock placement. Rivers cut valleys into the plateau, following folds in the rocks. Rock have been broken off of the slopes, forming rocky sides. The bedrock is covered by the clay rich soils, except in eroded areas, where water carries away deposits leaving a stony surface.

text: Geological history[edit]

text: The basement is thought to be Older North American basement, especially in the North,[39] and a number of different accreted terranes, which are mostly covered by Cenozoic volcanism.[40] The northern extent of the Sierra Madre is the Cortés Terrane, although the northern extreme of this contains a small portion of the Carborca Terrane.[40] Some of the northern end may also be underlain by a Precambrian basement placed around the same time as the Grenville Orogeny.[41] Some of this area has a series of Paleozoic sedimentary sequences from a deep marine environment underlying it, which considered by some to be part of the Cotes Terrane and by others to be transported.[42] In some areas distinct sedimentary rocks can be identified by shallow-water Silurian and Mississippian sedimentary rocks underlying deep-water Pennsylvanian and Permian, which are divided by Mississippian rhyolite. The Permian clastics contain some detrital rock that sit alongside low-grade metamorphosed sedimentary and volcanic rocks with serpentinite.[43]

text: South of the Cortes and Carborca Terranes is the San José de García Terrane, which is a combination of Cretaceous arc volcanics and volcaniclastics, which may be thrusting over the Cortes terrane.[44] The southern part of the range is made up of the Guerrero Composite Terrane, a large body, which is actually a complex of five different subterranes, although not all of these are within the main body of the Sierra Madre.[40] However, the terrane is mostly covered by volcanics and sedimentary deposits, so it is only visible where erosion has revealed it.[45] The main subterranes of the Guerrero Composite Terrane that are within the Sierra Madre are the Tahue and Zihuatanejo terranes.[40] Dividing the Guerrero Terrane from the rest of the Sierra Madre terranes is a boundary that is thought to represent the Early Cretaceous Arperos Basin,[46] a marine basin which separated the island arc that came to form the Guerrero terrane from the accretions that came to form the Sierra Madre terrane.[47] It contains a lower formation made up of pillow basalts with pillow breccias, tuffs, and shales underlying a group of pelagic limestones, oozes, and turbidites.[47]

text: Covering the southern basement are sedimentary and metamorphised sedimentary rocks containing argillite, limestone,[48] volcanic schist, slate, and greywacke which were exposed in the canyon of the Santiago River.[42] Near these sediments late Oligocene to early Miocene granite and granodiorite intrusive bodies occur. A possible cause of this is that these bodies were roof pendants which were uplifted by plutons.[48] Mesozoic limestone also occurs in northern portion of the mountains, mostly from the Cretaceous.[34]

text: Towards the end of the Cretaceous, the Laramide orogeny increased the activity of magmatism in the area, forming the first major igneous series in the area.[49] The igneous series are made up of formations of plutonic and volcanic rock, which would later be exposed. Interbedded with these rocks are sedimentary deposit rocks. In the center of the range, some of these rock have been deformed by tectonic forcing that occurred at the same time. The southern part of the range contains none of the volcanism that is apparent in the northern range. These formations ended in the Paleocene.[42] Eocene volcanism formed a series of andesitic and rhyolitic formations in the area, with spatial and temporal variations throughout. Most of the gold and silver deposits are also in these rocks.[50]

text: In the Oligocene, ash flows became the predominant deposit of the area, with interbedded lava flows between. These ash flows began the second series of high magmatism formations. The ignimbrite flare-up formed a series of ignimbrite formations, layered one atop another,[49] that are sometimes broken by lava flows.[39] The ignimbrite formations in this area cover the largest area of any known series, with ten calderas identified in the province.[51] Three of these calderas are in Copper Canyon. The lava has formed a series of mafic rock that form the Southern Cordilleran Basaltic Andesite Suite.[52] The tuffs are above a thick formation of lava rock. Around five or six units have been identified, mostly around the Copper Canyon area. These tuffs have allowed wide-ranging correlation with formations in other geographical areas, for example Death Valley.[53]

text: During the Miocene, three periods of volcanism marked separate events in the Sierras. Each period is marked by different volcanic processes.[54] The first was a continuation of the Oligocene flare-up, which lasted through the early Miocene. This may be a distinct second occurrence of the same process, placing silica-rich lava above Oligocene rocks.[42] Also in the early Miocene more intermediate Basaltic andesites occur along faults and in grabens.[54] Beginning in the early Miocene and continuing into the middle, an arc of andesite was placed during the spreading of the Gulf of California.[48] The basin and range-style faulting of the middle-late Miocene took place at the same time as the placement of alkali basalts,[50] In the westernmost slopes mafic dikes formed. These events have also been linked to the subduction of the Farallon Plate.[55] Episodes of volcanism continued into the Quaternary.[50]

text: Structures[edit]

text: The Sierras are believed to be a thick core covered by volcanics and eroded by numerous rivers. Some have suggested that the basement of the mountains have numerous intrusions made by mafic magma.[42] The mountains are made up at the surface of large scale ignimbrite sheet which have been incised by rivers flowing from rainfall in the mountains.[56][57] The surface of the plateau is almost exclusively from the second series of flows causing the rock that is most visible to be ignimbrites with lava flow layers.[50] The region has a general strike from just west of north to just south of east.[57]

text: Faults in the area tend to be younger than the upper volcanics, excluding those associated with calderas,[50] but do occur in distinct periods.[39] The large faults along the eastern slope[50] have caused the slope to be made up of large escarpments that face into the interior basins.[57] These faults are commonly covered by alluvium and basalt, making them difficult to discern, but can be found in certain fault blocks.[50]

text: Grabens have formed in the north, and some of these are filled with volcanic and sedimentary floors,[48] and long depressions have formed in the southern Sierra Madre.[58] The faulting decreases in the center of the range where the faults are mostly small normal faults, but increases once again on the western slope.[50] In fact, the major normal faults tend to diverge around the center of the core and join at either end.[39] Some of these faults may have allowed ignimbrites to erupt from the surface, and so there may be some association between the ignimbrite occurrence and faults;[58] this can be used to find out information about different kinds of basement rock present.[42]

text: There are two faults dividing the Sierra Madre from the central Mexican Plateau. The more southern one is the north–south Aguascalientes fault extending 150 kilometres (93 mi) from Altos de Jalisco to near Zacatecas, where it joins the more northern northwest–southeast trending San Luis–Tepehuanes fault extending from Guanajuato to Durango.[59] The southern boundary of the Sierra Madre Occidental with the Jalisco block is a series of folds, thrust, and left lateral faults date from the middle Miocene. This may be evidence for a left transpressional shear zone.[42] The area between this boundary and the Aguascalientes fault is filled with numerous grabens and half-grabens, as well an east–west left shear zone, the El Roble shear zone. At the west end of these grabens and half-grabens are the Pochotitan and the more northerly San Pedro fault systems, which form the western boundary of the faults in the southern mountains.[55] In the north there is an unknown boundary between the Cortes Terrane and the Guerrero Composite Terrane. Some theorize that this is a section of the Mojave–Sonora Megashear, but this theory is not universally accepted; however, the Megashear is important, and, in fact, is necessary for reconstructions of the opening of the Gulf of California, as of 2003.[60]

text: Mineral deposits[edit]

text: On a smaller scale, mineral deposits are distributed in formations of the Sierra Madre, although the events that placed these deposits vary throughout the mountains. The Guerrero composite terrane contains many of the economic deposits, often found in ore bodies younger than the Cretaceous.[45]

text: Gold and silver deposits most commonly occur in the altered andesites of the early volcanics,[50] typically these deposits are between 30 and 50 million years old.[61] These are believed to be caused by later intrusions into the early flows. Fissure-vein deposits have been divided into two groups of fissure vein deposits, which are divided geographically into an eastern and western series.[61] In the east, the gold and silver are accompanied by lead and zinc. In the south, the Bolaños mine district is contained with the Bolaños Graben.[62] Some also occur as epithermal deposits. Also, some gold occurs along with copper in Cenozoic iron-oxide skarn and replacement deposits along the Pacific.[45]

text: In addition to gold and silver and their related deposits, tin, iron, and mercury occur, sometimes in later units,[61] mostly in later volcanics, and Molybdenum occurs in the mountains, often along with older copper deposits[50] or in oligocene deposits in the east.[61] The belt of tin deposits resides mostly within the eastern slopes from Durango to Guanajuato.[61] In these areas, tin occurs in rhyolitic ignimbrites in many, possibly over 1000,[63] small deposits[50] of cassiterite. Typically these deposits are divided from overlying ignimbrites by breccia, which may also contain ore. Many of these are thought to be hydrothermal deposits[63] To the east of these units is a belt of more mercury deposits, followed by another belt of manganese deposits, although these deposits are mostly limited to Chihuahua and Hidalgo.[61] Iron occurs in three different regions placed by different mechanisms. Along the Pacific there the numerous skarn and replacement deposits mentioned above with relation to gold.[61] Iron occurs in Durango in the form of magnetite lava flows, which are often surrounded by smaller hematite deposits, thought to be ash flows.[50] There is also a belt of iron deposits further east.[61]

text: Soil[edit]

text: Most soil in the mountains is covered by an organic rich layer over layers rich in clay.[64] Soils are commonly phaeozems that are up to 100 centimetres (39 in).[64] Some soils are cambisols that are less than 2 metres (6.6 ft) deep and well drained.[21] Due to the high clay contents, which block water from being absorbed into the soil, larger rock particles in the soil help reduce runoff and soil losses from erosion. Areas that are covered in stone are known as lithosols and make up most of the remaining surface in the mountains,[64] especially on upper slopes.[21] The last major soil type are vertisols which are thin mineral poor soils. Soils at higher elevations experience more leaching, due to increased rainfall.[65] Acidic soils may have lower calcium content, leading to lower plant soil quality. Soils along the eastern slopes have increased organic content and a clay heavy layer that is developed more than those of the more arid eastern lands.[57] The thickness of soil layers also increases.

text: Problems with soil degradation have been aggravated by the cultivation of drug crops, leading to deforestation of many areas.[66] Other problems include overgrazing, which has led to terracing from cattle paths and the formation of a soil crust, and soil acidification, which poses a risk to some grasslands as of 2002.[21]

text: Climate[edit]

text: The climate varies considerably between the northern and southern extents of this long mountain range. Seasonal variations also occur due to the presence of large bodies of warm water delivering warm damp air from each side of the range. This region undergoes a seasonal variety with two wet seasons, including a summer monsoon, and two dry seasons each year.

text: Temperature, Pressure, and Wind[edit]

text: Air pressure changes in Northwestern Mexico and the Southwest United States are the main causes of seasonal variation in the Sierra Madre. A high pressure area that rests over the mountains in the winter begins to move north of the mountains into New Mexico during the month of June.[67] The high pressure begins to breakdown and move south during September or October; however, the breakdown is usually at a slower pace than the movement north. This high pressure belt is associated with the mechanics that form the Bermuda High.[68]

text: The climate in the mountains is mild. Summer temperatures maintain a constant level. Maximum temperatures are typically in July at around 31 C[68] with average temperatures on the order of 16 C during this same period.[69] Mean annual temperatures are between 55–65 °F (13–18 °C) above 6,000 feet (1,800 m).[70] Below freezing temperatures can occur in the higher mountains, with precipitation occurring as snowfall certain times of year.[71]

text: During the summer monsoon, wind patterns undergo large scale changes.[67] In May there is very little large scale wind current through the mountains, most circulates around the mountains,[67] although onshore flow is present.[72] As the high pressure moves north, air is pulled off the Gulf of Mexico, bringing easterly winds aloft to the mountains.[67] On the east slope of the mountain daytime upslope winds flow to the crest, where the flow joins westerly winds.[73] The mountains cause convection during the following monsoon season,[72] during which nocturnal winds at low levels in the atmosphere move moisture overnight.[73] After the high pressure breaks down, wind patterns return to those prior to the monsoon season.

text: Precipitation and Humidity[edit]

text: Precipitation varies on both annual and seasonal scales in the Sierra Madre. Annual differences in regional climate are associated with the El Niño-Southern Oscillation with El Niño years leading to a wetter climate.[69] Monsoon rains come to the Sierra Madre in June, as the high pressure area moves north, leading to wet summer seasons. This causes east winds bringing moisture from the Gulf of Mexico. On the western side of the mountains, which are affected by the largest change in precipitation between the dry season and monsoon season,[72] in the monsoon season rainfall can exceed 30 cm (12 in) in a single month.[67] The southern region receives more of the rainfall than the northern.[72] Much of this precipitation occurs as tropical storms. As the high pressure over New Mexico breaks down, rainfall in the Sierra Madre ends. Because of the monsoon, the summer accounts for the majority of rainfall in the area.[69] The spring and fall dry season separate out a weaker wet season in the winter. In addition to increasing in the southern ranges of the mountains, rainfall increases in the higher elevations of the Sierra Madre Occidental.[69]

text: Humidity in the mountains varies at wide levels as does rainfall. In the early morning before dawn, the air is almost saturated (often over 90% relative humidity) near the mountain tops with low clouds over the range. Lower in the range, air is not as near saturated in the morning.[74] Seasonal variation in humidity is also present with average May and June relative humidity around 50%, with 25% possible during the day.[68] Also during the day, relative humidity drops and cloud levels rise as temperatures rise.[74] The humidity of the range is also influenced by the same seasonal changes as rainfall. In the dry season dew points are low at high elevations (500 hPa), around −22 °C in the south of the range and −24 °C to −26 °C in the north in May. In June, dew points begin to increase from the May levels up to −20 °C in the North and −16 °C in the south. By July these dew points are at −14 °C throughout the range. The range allows higher dew points throughout these periods than the surrounding low lands. This rise in humidity accompanies the monsoon.[72]

text: Ecology[edit]

text: The mountains create a diverse setting for plants and animals by creating a different set of conditions from the surroundings. The Sierra Madre Occidental pine-oak forests are found at elevations of 1,500–3,000 m (4,900–9,800 ft) throughout the range,[75] but the forests in the mountains vary by elevation and place in the range. This ecoregion is noted for its high biodiversity and large number of endemic species,[76] and for allowing some species to extend their range.

text: Flora[edit]

text: The dominant plants vary across the range, and the habitat that they present varies from scattered woodland to both deciduous and coniferous forest.

text: The elevation and latitude in the range are the major determining factors in the dominant plants. Oaks dominate the lower reaches of the mountains, where stands grow down to about 1,000 m (3,300 ft). Some oak species even continue into the surrounding ecosystems.[77] In the Western slopes of the range, cloud forest also occurs, mostly on mid-elevation slopes with little exposure to wind or sun[78] in the southern end of the range.[79] At higher elevations pines begin to grow alongside the oaks, and pines begin to dominate the oaks at higher elevations.[80] At high elevations and in the north, mixed conifer forests become the dominant ecosystem. These forests are composed primarily of pines and firs, which begin to grow at these elevations.[81] There are also grasslands on some mountain tops, surrounded by the forest that occur in those areas.[80]

text: Plants in the area typically have large responses to the change in climate with each season. Monsoon season is the largest of these effects, with leaf buds following only a few months after the rains begin. Flowering season occurs in the months preceding the summer monsoon.[77] This is only the peak flowering season, with plants flowering throughout the year. Due to the early flowering, fruit is ripe and seeds are dispersed at the beginning of the rains.[81] There are also areas where plants have little response to the seasons, particularly those areas that experience moist conditions, caused by the elevations. These plants may maintain leaves through times when other areas are in the dry season, during which most deciduous trees have no leaves.[82]

text: Fauna[edit]

text: The mountains are often a corridor for species allowing more diversity in the area, by combining species from different regions. Animals typically associated with arid and mountainous habitats share the mountains with species associated with habitats further south.[83]

text: There are many carnivorous and omnivorous mammals native to the area, although several are extirpated or are part of threatened populations. The Mexican wolf's range in the mountains is limited to the foothills of Durango[84] or may have been extirpated[85] the black bear population is small,[84] and the Mexican grizzly bear that once resided here[86] is confirmed extinct.[87] Jaguar and ocelot are also now rare.[84] On the other hand, mountain lion and bobcat are more common.[88] On the eastern slopes there are American badger, coyote and gray fox that live across the mountains.[85] Native ungulates include the white tailed deer,[84] mule deer, and collared peccary.[85] Rodents and lagomorphs include the eastern cottontail, which lives in the forests of the western slopes,[89] cliff chipmunk, rock squirrel, Mexican fox squirrel, and various species of Cricetidae.[90] Raccoons, hog-nosed skunk, and hooded skunk live in the mountains. The white-nosed coati lives on the western slopes, and the ring-tailed cat lives throughout. Many species of bats live in the mountains also.[85]

text: A variety of lizards live in the area and surroundings. The Tarahumara frog lives in the oak and pine stands preferring moving water to pools. The southern extent of the Sonoran mountain kingsnake's range is the Chihuahuan desert into the mountains. Other snakes and frogs live in the mountains, and many species live in the western slopes.[91]

text: Birds frequent the mountains, some as a migratory path and others as native species. The migratory birds often use the area to the west as an overwintering area, and migrate north along the western slopes.[92] In the northern canyons birds may be divided into different habitats, or more specifically, the different types of forest, leading to differences in range by altitude.[93] Some of this difference by altitude may even extend the range of some species, enabling tropical species to use the mountain valleys for migration. Bird species endemic to the Sierra Madre Occidental include tufted jay,[84] the "gray-eared" subspecies of red warbler, eared quetzal, thick-billed parrot, and formerly included the imperial woodpecker, which now may be extinct.[84]

text: The rivers and streams of the range contain some of the southernmost trout populations in North America. These populations may be native, although this is not universally accepted.[94] Invasive fish compete with the native species which has been a cause of concern among researchers,[83] along with concerns about the effects of logging on these species.[84]

text: Surroundings[edit]

text: The Sonoran Desert is found in the northwestern foothills at 1,000–2,000 m (3,300–6,600 ft).[95] The Chihuahuan Desert is found to the northeast and east, the Meseta Central matorral and Central Mexican matorral to the southeast, and the Sinaloan dry forests to the west and southwest. These lower elevations are usually graded into by a stand of tropical deciduous forest, which has a large portion of flora made up of flowering plants and legumes.[81] These flowering plants are mostly from the genus Bursera.[96] The ecotone, made up of the tropical deciduous forest, is commonly sparsely populated, sometimes only by small stands of trees. It may be referred to as savanna.[81]

text: Preservation[edit]

text: Preservation efforts in the modern day, include those from Edwin Bustillos.[97] Other groups work to protect animal species in the area including Conservation International.[98] Basaseachic Falls National Park is a national park in the mountains containing the highest waterfalls in the country.[7] Since 1979 there has also been a national park in the transition between the Chihuahuan Desert and the Sierra, the Cumbres de Majalca National Park.[99] Additionally there are reserves such as La Michilia in the southern Sierra Madre,[100] or the Tutuaca reserve in western Chihuahua, which was established in 2000 under a new system of management.[101]

text: People and history[edit]

text: The mountains are home to several indigenous nations speaking Uto-Aztecan languages, including the Tarahumara in the central portion of the range, the Huichol in the southern part of the range, and the Tepehuanes in the eastern slopes.[102]

text: Prehistory[edit]

text: Archaic cultures are known to have inhabited the Sierra Madre along with the rest of the surrounding lands, but little is known of the culture, although it does vary between the northern and southern extremes of the range.[103] The agrarian Chalchihuites Culture began as farming communities around the first century AD and remained small communities until 300 AD when new agricultural techniques caused a large growth in population until around 500 AD.[104] This culture began to decline in the ninth century. The Mogollon culture has been described in the northern foothills. Sites date the emergence of the culture to around 900 AD and abandonment to around 1000–1100 AD.[105] During the period estimated for Mogollon abandonment, the Rio Sonora culture began agricultural developments along the Rio Sonora and rivers flowing into it. This culture produced pottery and lived in pit houses, until 1150 to 1200 when they began to construct surface dwellings.[106] Construction of these houses ended around AD1550.[103]

text: Spanish Sierra Madre[edit]

text: In 1554 Francisco de Ibarra came to Durango and began to settle the area.[107] He would explore the western coast and cross the Sierra Madre in 1564.[108] Early Spanish influence in the area came from the new silver mines, the first of which was established in 1567 at Santa Barbara.[109] As sites opened for mining, missionaries came to the areas and had a strong presence by 1595.[110] The first meeting with the Tarahumara came in 1607, when a missionary went up the valley to meet them.[110] Opposition to the missionaries built up, leading to the Tepehuán Revolt. This revolt began in 1616 in the town of Santa Catarina de Tepehuanes in Durango[111] and lasted for two years.[110] The discovery of silver at Parral in 1631 led to the northern limit of settlement moving into Tarahumara lands.[110]

text: The Jesuits renewed missionary activity in the 1630s, with a new program that increased in scope until around 1650. Tarahumara moved further into the mountains in order to escape the conditions.[110] A smallpox epidemic caused a revolt in 1645.[112] In 1648 a revolt arose, primarily among the Tarahumara.[110] A drought caused a pair of revolutions in 1650 and 1652.[112] The last major revolt began in March 1690 among the Tarahumara and ended in 1698.[113] Demands from labor drafts increased in the 1720s, placing a new pressure on missions.[112] Criticism of the Jesuits rose in the 1730s with complaints of Jesuit Commerce, which was established by mission stores.[114] In 1767, Jesuits were expelled from New Spain, ending the mission program.[110]

text: A new colonial official José de Gálvez came to New Spain and established new laws that caused a boom in silver mining activity in the 1770s.[115] After the Apache faced heightened resistance to raiding from the Spanish in Chihuahuan, they moved down to the Sierra Madre in 1794.[116] By 1800, raiding had essentially ended.[110]

text: Mexican Sierra Madre[edit]

text: After leaving San Carlos in fall of 1881 Geronimo and other Apache moved to the mountains,[116] and became known as the Nednai, sometimes referred to as the "Pinery Apache" or "Bronco Apache".[117] From here they would raid Sonora and the surrounding land until general George Crook entered the mountains in 1883 to discuss Geronimo's return. Geronimo eventually surrendered in 1886.[117] Pancho Villa fled to the mountains in 1894, becoming a bandit.[118]

text: 19th century[edit]

text: Railroads came to the area starting in the 1880s and 1890s, which allowed many old mines in the region to reopen at a profit.[119] Since most of the railroads were American, the foreign influence led to unrest among the people living in the mountains, causing the Tomochic rebellion in 1892.[120] In addition to the railroads, canals were constructed in the 1890s in the Yaqui and Mayo river valleys.[121] However, these canal projects failed due to the resistance that the natives of the valleys put up against the projects.[122] Loggers began arriving in the mountains in the late 1800s. In response to the new industry, the Tarahumara moved further into the canyons.[119]

text: 20th century[edit]

text: The 1910 revolution began in Chihuahua and spread over the mountains throughout the winter of 1910–1911.[123] Silver mines were forced to make payments to the rebels, but were allowed to continue operating.[119] General John Pershing began to follow Pancho Villa in 1916 and entered the mountains, however, he received no information from the local population.[21] By 1919 the raids subsided and Villa returned peacefully to the foothills.

text: In order to construct irrigation projects in the lowlands below the valleys, irrigation projects were never completed in the Sonoran hills; instead, the Yaqui River was dammed in the 1930s.[121] Dams continued to be constructed in the 1940s and 1950s on the Yaqui River and its tributaries with the largest reservoir, behind the Oviachic dam, completed in 1952.[122] Dams were also constructed on the Mayo river. Because of the dams, soil conditions fell, and more works were required to improve soil quality.[122] The mountain range was crossed by the Ferrocarril Chihuahua al Pacifico railroad, completed in 1961.[25] The railroad went up for sale in 1996, but no transaction was ever completed.[124]