document_title: List of The Andy Griffith Show characters

question_text: who played andy's girlfriend on the andy griffith show

question_tokens: who played andy 's girlfriend on the andy griffith show

text: The following is a list of characters of The Andy Griffith Show, an American sitcom television series, starring Andy Griffith. The series ran for eight seasons on CBS between October 3, 1960, and April 1, 1968.

text: Main[edit]

text:
Character
Seasons
No. ofepisodes
Actor
Brief description

Andy Taylor
1–8
249
Andy Griffith
Sheriff of Mayberry; father (widower) of Opie

Opie Taylor
1–8
203
Ronny Howard
Son of Andy Taylor

Barney Fife
1–5 6–8 as guest
141
Don Knotts
Deputy Sheriff of Mayberry

Aunt Bee
1–8
175
Frances Bavier
Andy's paternal aunt

text: Sheriff Andrew Jackson "Andy" Taylor is Sheriff and Justice of the Peace of Mayberry. He is genial, good-natured and endears himself to the townsfolk with an air of good will, polite charm and keeps the peace by using common sense. He refuses to wear a gun or formalize his uniform with a tie, as he feels a relaxed image makes him more approachable. Andy is a widower with a young son, Opie, and tries to raise him with good sense and good values. Also in his home is his paternal Aunt Bee who arrives in the home shortly after the previous housekeeper, Rose, marries and moves away. Although a widower, Andy has a steady string of girlfriends, but his longest-lasting relationship is with Helen Crump, Opie's teacher, whom he eventually marries, moves out of Mayberry with, becomes a U.S. Postal Inspector, and moves back to Mayberry and runs for Sheriff.

text: Opie Taylor is the son of Andy Taylor and his late wife. A good-hearted, normal little boy (about six when the series began), most of Opie's lessons come from his close relationship with his father and his Great Aunt Bee. He is not prone to get into trouble and spends a great deal of time around the jail. At one point, Aunt Bee considers this to be a bad influence, and when Opie runs away from home briefly, she relents and allows him to visit the jail after school on a conditional basis.

text: Deputy Bernard Milton "Barney" Fife is Deputy Sheriff of Mayberry. Thin, wiry and high-strung, Barney fancies himself an expert lawman even though—in reality—he is actually a bumbling goof. In episodes 001 and 002, Andy refers to him as "Cousin Barney". In episode 025, his middle name is said to be "Oliver"; in episode 082, his middle name according to his high school yearbook is "Milton", in episode 157 (season 5) his middle initial is repeated as "P". He considers his position to be essential to keeping Mayberry safe. Even though the town has very little crime, he dubs the town: "Mayberry, Gateway to Danger". Andy keeps Barney's crime-fighting shenanigans to a reasonable level, but tries to never step on his ego. For safety reasons, he only allows Barney to carry one bullet, which he keeps in his shirt pocket until needed. Often, when the bullet is employed, Barney accidentally shoots the bullet into the floor, narrowly missing his own foot. Like Andy, he has a steady stream of girlfriends, but his longest lasting relationship is with Thelma Lou. In episode 028, Barney has just met Thelma Lou at the "Junction Diner". In season five, he takes a job as a detective in Raleigh, leaving Mayberry, but returns in seasons six through eight for guest appearances.

text: Beatrice "Aunt Bee" Taylor is Andy's paternal aunt. Aunt Bee is a spinster in her late-50s who raised Andy. She was living alone in West Virginia when Andy invited her to come to live with him and Opie, after their housekeeper Rose got married and moved away. Aunt Bee is a motherly figure who takes the place of Opie's late mother and dotes over the boy, caring for his welfare and taking care of Andy as well. She is prominent in town, a respected lady who spends her time helping with social functions and church events. She is prone to spend time with her friends gossiping about the town's citizens.

text: Recurring[edit]

text:
Name
Seasons
No. ofepisodes
Played by
Brief character summary

Goober Pyle
4–8
86
George Lindsey
Auto mechanic and cousin of Gomer Pyle (Called Goober Beasley in Season 5 Episode 23 "TV or Not TV")

Floyd Lawson
1–7
80
Howard McNear
The barber

Helen Crump
3–8
66
Aneta Corsaut
School teacher and Andy's girlfriend in later episodes

Howard Sprague
6–8
37
Jack Dodson
The milquetoast county clerk

Otis Campbell
1–7
32
Hal Smith
The town drunk who lets himself into the jail to sleep it off

Clara Edwards
1–8
31
Hope Summers
aka Clara Johnson, Bertha Edwards; a widow who is Aunt Bee's best friend

Thelma Lou
1–6
26
Betty Lynn
Barney’s girlfriend. Her last name was never revealed.

Gomer Pyle
3–4
23
Jim Nabors
Dim-witted mechanic at Wally's Filling Station; a deputy when needed; joins the United States Marine Corps

Emmett Clark
8
16
Paul Hartman
Fix-it shop owner/operator

Ellie Walker
1
12
Elinor Donahue
Andy's first girlfriend of the series; pharmacist at drug store

Johnny Paul Jason
3–6
11
Richard Keith
Opie's best friend

Deputy Warren Ferguson
6
11
Jack Burns
Floyd's nephew; replaces Barney

Mayor Pike
1–2
11
Dick Elliott
Mayor of Mayberry

Judd Fletcher
1–7
8
Burt Mustin
Elderly citizen of Mayberry

Mayor Roy Stoner
3
7
Parley Baer
Mayor of Mayberry

Briscoe Darling
3–7
6
Denver Pyle
Head of The Darlings

Charlene Darling
3–7
5
Maggie Peterson
Briscoe Darling's daughter. Had a crush on Andy.

Reverend Hobart M. Tucker
3–8
6
William Keene
Pastor of All Souls Church

The Darling Boys
3–7
6
The Dillards
Musical brothers played by real-life bluegrass band

Ben Weaver
1–8
6
Will Wright/Tol Avery
Miserly old landlord and department store owner

Emma Watson
1–2
6
Cheerio Meredith
aka Emma Brand

Ernest T. Bass
3–6
5
Howard Morris
A troublemaking mountain man

Asa Breeney
3–5
5
Charles P. Thompson
The elderly (always sleeping) Mayberry Bank guard

John Masters
2–5
5
Olan Soule
Choir director and hotel manager

Leon
2–4
5
Clint Howard
Toddler in a cowboy outfit

Peggy McMillan
3
4
Joanna Moore
Andy's girlfriend and nurse

Sam Jones
8
4
Ken Berry
Widowed farmer

Rafe Hollister
2–3
3
Jack Prince
Local farmer and moonshiner

Wally
346
4
Norman Leavitt (2)Trevor BardetteCliff Norton
Owner of the filling station where Gomer and later Goober work

Martha Clark
8
3
Mary Lansing
Emmett's wife

Trey Bowden
4
3
David Alan Bailey
Opie's friend

Daphne
3–5
3
Jean Carson
One of “The Fun Girls”

Skippy
3–5
3
Joyce Jameson
The other “Fun Girl”

Malcolm Merriweather
3–6
3
Bernard Fox
English valet

Hilda Mae

1

3

Florence MacMichael

Girlfriend of Barney in season 1, replaced by Thelma Lou.

text:
Minor Characters

Name

No. Of episodes

Played by

Brief character summary

Rose

3

Mary Treen

Rose Was Opie's first house keeper and care take who got married and moved away, ( appeared in the pilot episode and two others)

text:
hidevteThe Andy Griffith Show
Characters
Episodes
Guest stars
Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
Mayberry R.F.D.
Return to Mayberry

text: Lists of actors by comedy television series


document_title: My Best Friend's Wedding

question_text: who played scotty in my best friend's wedding

question_tokens: who played scotty in my best friend 's wedding

root

text: My Best Friend's Wedding

text: Plot[edit]

text: Julianne Potter (Julia Roberts), a 27-year-old New York City restaurant critic, receives a call from her lifelong friend Michael O'Neal (Dermot Mulroney). In college, the two made an agreement that if neither of them were married by the time they turned 28, they would marry each other. Three weeks before her 28th birthday, Michael tells her that in four days, he will marry Kimmy Wallace (Cameron Diaz), a 20-year-old University of Chicago student from a wealthy family.

tag: p

text: Julianne is disappointed that Michael will marry someone whom she perceives as being so wrong for him, and someone he has known for such a short time. She realizes that she is in love with Michael, and heads to Chicago, intent on sabotaging his wedding. Soon after arriving she meets Kimmy, who asks her to be the maid of honor. This sets off a subplot in which Julianne must pretend to be the dutiful maid of honor while secretly scheming ways to prevent the wedding from happening. When trying on dresses, Michael walks in on Julianne in her underwear as he tells her that she looks great, leaving her to think that she still has a chance to get him back. She also engages in petty sabotage—for example, taking Kimmy and Michael to a karaoke bar after discovering that Kimmy is a terrible singer.

text: When these tactics fail, Julianne enlists the aid of her friend, George (Rupert Everett) to help her break Michael and Kimmy up. George flies to Chicago to meet Julianne and persuades her to do the obvious: tell Michael that she is in love with him. While at a tailor shop, George convinces Julianne to tell Michael her true feelings before it’s too late. While she finally has the chance to tell him, she gets nervous and quickly tells him that she is engaged to George to get him jealous. Speechless, Michael is shocked about seeing Julianne with someone other than him.

text: Since Julianne didn’t tell the truth, George tries to get back at her by embarrassing her. On the taxi ride to the church, he snuggles up to Julianne to make her uncomfortable in front of Michael. At dinner he also decides to embarrass Julianne by telling everyone an exaggerated story of how they hypothetically became a couple, and sings “I Say a Little Prayer” as the whole restaurant joins in.

text: After George leaves to catch his flight back home, Julianne tells Michael the truth about her and George not being together, and Michael admits to being jealous, thinking they were really engaged.

text: Since it will be their last opportunity to spend time together before his new life as a married man, Michael gets Julianne to go on a boat ride with him. He expresses some skepticism about marrying Kimmy, explaining that he and Kimmy don't share a special song like he and Julianne do. Michael discreetly gives Julianne the invitation to tell him she's in love with him, but she lets the opportunity pass. Michael starts singing their song, “The Way You Look Tonight” in her ear as he grabs Julianne and holds her while they dance one last time.

text: As the wedding date is approaching, Julianne becomes more desperate to win Michael. She uses Kimmy’s father email account to forge a fake message to Michael's boss, and chooses to save it for later instead of deleting it—that way it will give Kimmy the opportunity to continue on with school and cause Michael to want to leave Kimmy if he can’t have his dream job.

text: Realizing Kimmy’s father had sent out all of his emails, including the fake one Julianne wrote, she forces Michael to go back to his job so she can get the letter before he finds it. Since the place was closed, Julianne and Michael make their way back to the hotel. Unfortunately, Michael already received the letter and causes a major fit, calling off the wedding, also leaving Julianne alone as he goes for a walk.

text: The next morning, the day of the wedding, Julianne tries to sabotage the situation further; as Michael and Kimmy are not speaking to each other, they communicate through Julianne, not realizing she is trying to manipulate them into breaking up for good. In spite of this, Michael and Kimmy decide they do love each other and want to get married after all. Leaving Julianne to feel vulnerable, she and Michael then take a walk during which she finally confesses her love to him. She asks him to marry her, and passionately kisses him. Kimmy witnesses this, and runs off, but Michael chases her while Julianne chases Michael.

text: As Julianne is chasing after Michael in a truck, she frantically calls George explaining the situation, and George makes it clear to her that Kimmy is the one Michael loves because he is chasing after her and not Julianne. Julianne finds Michael at Chicago Union Station, where he is looking for Kimmy, and confesses all to him. Despite his anger at her deception, Michael forgives Julianne, and they split up to look for Kimmy. Julianne then tracks down Kimmy in the bathroom of Comiskey Park (Kimmy's family has a private viewing box at the stadium). Kimmy, rightly furious with Julianne, confronts her, while the other women watch, immediately siding with Kimmy and are disgusted with Julianne's dirty tactics. Julianne, however, apologizes and explains to Kimmy that she kissed Michael unexpectedly, but he didn't kiss her back because he was in love with Kimmy. Julianne declares that Kimmy has won, and that she accepts Michael's decision. Kimmy and Julianne reconcile with each other while the witnesses applaud.

text: After the wedding, at the reception, Julianne gives a speech as Michael's “best woman” and tells him that he and Kimmy can use their special song until they find one of their own, essentially acting like a true best friend. Julianne wishes them well, and she and Michael share their goodbyes, both of them finally moving on with their lives. Later, Julianne is surprised by George showing up at the wedding reception. The movie ends with the two of them happily sharing a dance together.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Julia Roberts as Julianne Potter, a 27-year-old food critic who realizes she's in love with her best friend Michael and tries to win him back after he decides to marry someone else.
Dermot Mulroney as Michael O'Neal, Julianne's best friend and a sportswriter who is engaged to Kimmy Wallace.
Cameron Diaz as Kimberly "Kimmy" Wallace, Michael's fiancée who comes from an affluent family.
Rupert Everett as George Downes, Julianne's gay friend, editor who pretends to be engaged to Julianne to make Michael jealous.
Philip Bosco as Walter Wallace, husband of Isabelle, father of Kimmy, and future father-in-law of Michael. He is a rich businessman who owns the Chicago White Sox baseball team.
M. Emmet Walsh as Joe O'Neal, father of Michael and Scotty O'Neal and future father-in-law of Kimmy. He suggested that Julianne be Michael's best man, but had to go with Scotty instead.
Rachel Griffiths as Samantha Newhouse, twin sister of Mandy and one of Kimmy's bridesmaids.
Carrie Preston as Mandy Newhouse, twin sister of Samantha and one of Kimmy's bridesmaids.
Susan Sullivan as Isabelle Wallace, wife of Walter, mother of Kimmy, and future mother-in-law of Michael.
Christopher Masterson as Scotty O'Neal, youngest son of Joe and younger brother of Michael and future brother-in-law of Kimmy. He serves as his brother's best man at his wedding.

tag: ul

text: Release[edit]

text: Box office[edit]

text: The film opened at No. 2 at the North American box office, making $21,678,377 USD in its opening weekend, behind Batman & Robin. It stayed in the top 10 weekly U.S. box-office for six consecutive weeks, and eventually earned $127,120,029. The worldwide gross total stands at $299,288,605 (listed as one of the 10 biggest films of 1997 both domestically and worldwide).[3]

text: Critical reception[edit]

text: The film received generally positive reviews from critics.[4] As of  27 February 2018[update], the film holds a 73% approval rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, based on 59 reviews (43 fresh and 16 rotten), with an average rating of 6.4/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Thanks to a charming performance from Julia Roberts and a subversive spin on the genre, My Best Friend's Wedding is a refreshingly entertaining romantic comedy."[5] On Metacritic, the film holds a score of 50 out of 100 based on 23 critical reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[6]

text: Total Film praised the film, giving it four stars out of five and stating "Here she banishes all memories of Mary Reilly and I Love Trouble with a lively, nay sparkling, performance. Smiling that killer smile, shedding those winning tears, delivering great lines with effortless charm, Roberts is back where she rightly belongs - not in grey period costume, but as the sexy queen of laughs". The Review also said that "My Best Friend's Wedding is a perfect date movie", and a film that "proves Roberts isn't as crap as we all thought she was".[7]

text: Peter Travers of Rolling Stone called it "the summer-date-film supreme for pretty women and the gay men they love", despite criticisms of the script. He praises Roberts as "riper, more dexterous with a comic line, slyer with modulation", concluding that "Roberts puts her heart into this one".[8]

text: Joanna Berry of Radio Times gave it four stars out of five, observing that this "sparkling comedy" proved to be a career-resurrecting movie for Julia Roberts.[9]

text: CNN movie reviewer Carol Buckland said Roberts "lights up the screen", calling the film "fluffy fun".[10]

text: Roger Ebert of Chicago Sun-Times said, "One of the pleasures of Ronald Bass' screenplay is the way it subverts the usual comic formulas that would fuel a plot like this."[11]

text: Andrew Johnston (critic), writing in Time Out New York, observed, "The best scene occurs when Julianne's gay editor and confidant George (Everett) turns up in Chicago and poses as her fiancé, seizing control of the film for five delicious minutes. His devilish impersonation of a straight guy is priceless, and things only get better when he leads a sing-along at the rehearsal dinner. At times like this, when the film spins into pop culture overdrive that it stops being a star vehicle and flirts with genuine comic brilliance."[12]

text: Awards and recognition[edit]

text:
MTV Movie Awards (Nominations)
Best Breakthrough Performance: Rupert Everett
Best Comedic Performance: Rupert Everett
Best Female Performance: Julia Roberts
Golden Globe Award (Nominations)
Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture - Rupert Everett
Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy: Julia Roberts
BAFTA Awards (Nominations)
Best Supporting Actor: Rupert Everett
Academy Awards (Nominations)
Best Music, Original Musical or Comedy Score: James Newton Howard
Satellite Awards (Win)
Best Supporting Actor - Musical or Comedy: Rupert Everett
Satellite Awards (Nominations)
Best Film - Musical or Comedy
Best Actress - Musical Or Comedy: Julia Roberts
Best Supporting Actress - Musical or Comedy: Cameron Diaz
American Comedy Award (Win)
Funniest Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture: Rupert Everett

text: American Film Institute recognition:

text: AFI's 100 Years... 100 Laughs - Nominated[13]

text: Soundtrack[edit]

text: The soundtrack was released on June 17, 1997 with Stage and Screen genre. The soundtrack relied on covers of familiar songs. The soundtrack was praised by AllMusic to work "better than it should, since most of the vocalists... concentrate on the songs..."[14]

text:
"I Say a Little Prayer (For You)" – Diana King
"Wishin' and Hopin' " – Ani DiFranco
"You Don't Know Me" – Jann Arden
"Tell Him" – The Exciters
"I Just Don't Know What to Do with Myself" – Nicky Holland
"I'll Be Okay" – Amanda Marshall
"The Way You Look Tonight" – Tony Bennett
"What the World Needs Now Is Love" – Jackie Deshannon
"I'll Never Fall In Love Again" – Mary Chapin Carpenter
"Always You" – Sophie Zelmani
"If You Wanna Be Happy" – Jimmy Soul
"I Say a Little Prayer (For You)" – The Cast of My Best Friend's Wedding
"Suite From My Best Friend's Wedding" – James Newton Howard

tag: ol

text:
Chart (1997)

Peakposition

Australian Albums (ARIA)[15]

1

Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[16]

11

Canadian Albums (Billboard)[17]

19

French Albums (SNEP)[18]

40

German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[19]

34

New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[20]

33

Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[21]

29

US Billboard 200[22]

14

tag: table

text: Remake[edit]

text: A Chinese remake directed by Alexi Tan, and with Shu Qi, Feng Shaofeng, Victoria Song and Ye Qing in the main roles, is scheduled to start filming in July 2015 and to be released in China in 2016 on Valentine's Day.[23]


document_title: Birth control

question_text: when was the birth control pill made available

question_tokens: when was the birth control pill made available

text: Birth control

text: Methods[edit]

text:
Chance of pregnancy during first year of use[21][22]

Method
Typical use
Perfect use

No birth control
85%
85%

Combination pill
9%
0.3%

Progestin-only pill
13%
1.1%

Sterilization (female)
0.5%
0.5%

Sterilization (male)
0.15%
0.1%

Condom (female)
21%
5%

Condom (male)
18%
2%

Copper IUD
0.8%
0.6%

Hormonal IUD
0.2%
0.2%

Patch
9%
0.3%

Vaginal ring
9%
0.3%

MPA shot
6%
0.2%

Implant
0.05%
0.05%

Diaphragm and spermicide
12%
6%

Fertility awareness
24%
0.4–5%

Withdrawal
22%
4%

Lactational amenorrhea method
(6 months failure rate)
0–7.5%[23]
<2%[24]

text: Birth control methods include barrier methods, hormonal birth control, intrauterine devices (IUDs), sterilization, and behavioral methods. They are used before or during sex while emergency contraceptives are effective for up to five days after sex. Effectiveness is generally expressed as the percentage of women who become pregnant using a given method during the first year,[25] and sometimes as a lifetime failure rate among methods with high effectiveness, such as tubal ligation.[26]

text: The most effective methods are those that are long acting and do not require ongoing health care visits.[27] Surgical sterilization, implantable hormones, and intrauterine devices all have first-year failure rates of less than 1%.[21] Hormonal contraceptive pills, patches or vaginal rings, and the lactational amenorrhea method (LAM), if adhered to strictly, can also have first-year (or for LAM, first-6-month) failure rates of less than 1%.[27] With typical use, first-year failure rates are considerably high, at 9%, due to inconsistent use.[21] Other methods such as condoms, diaphragms, and spermicides have higher first-year failure rates even with perfect usage.[27] The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends long acting reversible birth control as first line for young individuals.[28]

text: While all methods of birth control have some potential adverse effects, the risk is less than that of pregnancy.[27] After stopping or removing many methods of birth control, including oral contraceptives, IUDs, implants and injections, the rate of pregnancy during the subsequent year is the same as for those who used no birth control.[29]

text: For individuals with specific health problems, certain forms of birth control may require further investigations.[30] For women who are otherwise healthy, many methods of birth control should not require a medical exam—including birth control pills, injectable or implantable birth control, and condoms.[31] For example, a pelvic exam, breast exam, or blood test before starting birth control pills does not appear to affect outcomes.[32][33] In 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) published a detailed list of medical eligibility criteria for each type of birth control.[30]

text: Hormonal[edit]

text: Hormonal contraception is available in a number of different forms, including oral pills, implants under the skin, injections, patches, IUDs and a vaginal ring. They are currently available only for women, although hormonal contraceptives for men have been and are being clinically tested.[34] There are two types of oral birth control pills, the combined oral contraceptive pills (which contain both estrogen and a progestin) and the progestogen-only pills (sometimes called minipills).[35] If either is taken during pregnancy, they do not increase the risk of miscarriage nor cause birth defects.[33] Both types of birth control pills prevent fertilization mainly by inhibiting ovulation and thickening cervical mucus.[36][37] They may also change the lining of the uterus and thus decrease implantation.[37] Their effectiveness depends on the user's adherence to taking the pills.[33]

text: Combined hormonal contraceptives are associated with a slightly increased risk of venous and arterial blood clots.[38] Venous clots, on average, increase from 2.8 to 9.8 per 10,000 women years[39] which is still less than that associated with pregnancy.[38] Due to this risk, they are not recommended in women over 35 years of age who continue to smoke.[40] Due to the increased risk, they are included in decision tools such as the DASH score and PERC rule used to predict the risk of blood clots.[41]

text: The effect on sexual desire is varied, with increase or decrease in some but with no effect in most.[42] Combined oral contraceptives reduce the risk of ovarian cancer and endometrial cancer and do not change the risk of breast cancer.[43][44] They often reduce menstrual bleeding and painful menstruation cramps.[33] The lower doses of estrogen released from the vaginal ring may reduce the risk of breast tenderness, nausea, and headache associated with higher dose estrogen products.[43]

text: Progestin-only pills, injections and intrauterine devices are not associated with an increased risk of blood clots and may be used by women with a history of blood clots in their veins.[38][45] In those with a history of arterial blood clots, non-hormonal birth control or a progestin-only method other than the injectable version should be used.[38] Progestin-only pills may improve menstrual symptoms and can be used by breastfeeding women as they do not affect milk production. Irregular bleeding may occur with progestin-only methods, with some users reporting no periods.[46] The progestins drospirenone and desogestrel minimize the androgenic side effects but increase the risks of blood clots and are thus not first line.[47] The perfect use first-year failure rate of injectable progestin is 0.2%; the typical use first failure rate is 6%.[21]

text:
Three varieties of birth control pills in calendar oriented packaging

Birth control pills

A transdermal contraceptive patch

A NuvaRing vaginal ring

text: Barrier[edit]

text: Barrier contraceptives are devices that attempt to prevent pregnancy by physically preventing sperm from entering the uterus.[48] They include male condoms, female condoms, cervical caps, diaphragms, and contraceptive sponges with spermicide.[48]

text: Globally, condoms are the most common method of birth control.[49] Male condoms are put on a man's erect penis and physically block ejaculated sperm from entering the body of a sexual partner.[50] Modern condoms are most often made from latex, but some are made from other materials such as polyurethane, or lamb's intestine.[50] Female condoms are also available, most often made of nitrile, latex or polyurethane.[51] Male condoms have the advantage of being inexpensive, easy to use, and have few adverse effects.[52] Making condoms available to teenagers does not appear to affect the age of onset of sexual activity or its frequency.[53] In Japan, about 80% of couples who are using birth control use condoms, while in Germany this number is about 25%,[54] and in the United States it is 18%.[55]

text: Male condoms and the diaphragm with spermicide have typical use first-year failure rates of 18% and 12%, respectively.[21] With perfect use condoms are more effective with a 2% first-year failure rate versus a 6% first-year rate with the diaphragm.[21] Condoms have the additional benefit of helping to prevent the spread of some sexually transmitted infections such as HIV/AIDS, however, condoms made from animal intestine do not.[5][56]

text: Contraceptive sponges combine a barrier with a spermicide.[27] Like diaphragms, they are inserted vaginally before intercourse and must be placed over the cervix to be effective.[27] Typical failure rates during the first year depend on whether or not a woman has previously given birth, being 24% in those who have and 12% in those who have not.[21] The sponge can be inserted up to 24 hours before intercourse and must be left in place for at least six hours afterward.[27] Allergic reactions[57] and more severe adverse effects such as toxic shock syndrome have been reported.[58]

text:
A rolled up male condom.

An unrolled male latex condom

A polyurethane female condom

A diaphragm vaginal-cervical barrier, in its case with a quarter U.S. coin.

A contraceptive sponge set inside its open package.

text: Intrauterine devices[edit]

text: The current intrauterine devices (IUD) are small devices, often 'T'-shaped, containing either copper or levonorgestrel, which are inserted into the uterus. They are one form of long-acting reversible contraception which are the most effective types of reversible birth control.[59] Failure rates with the copper IUD is about 0.8% while the levonorgestrel IUD has a failure rates of 0.2% in the first year of use.[60] Among types of birth control, they, along with birth control implants, result in the greatest satisfaction among users.[61] As of 2007, IUDs are the most widely used form of reversible contraception, with more than 180 million users worldwide.[62]

text: Evidence supports effectiveness and safety in adolescents[61] and those who have and have not previously had children.[63] IUDs do not affect breastfeeding and can be inserted immediately after delivery.[64] They may also be used immediately after an abortion.[65] Once removed, even after long term use, fertility returns to normal immediately.[66]

text: While copper IUDs may increase menstrual bleeding and result in more painful cramps,[67] hormonal IUDs may reduce menstrual bleeding or stop menstruation altogether.[64] Cramping can be treated with painkillers like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.[68] Other potential complications include expulsion (2–5%) and rarely perforation of the uterus (less than 0.7%).[64][68] A previous model of the intrauterine device (the Dalkon shield) was associated with an increased risk of pelvic inflammatory disease, however the risk is not affected with current models in those without sexually transmitted infections around the time of insertion.[69]

text: Sterilization[edit]

text: Surgical sterilization is available in the form of tubal ligation for women and vasectomy for men.[2] There are no significant long term side effects, and tubal ligation decreases the risk of ovarian cancer.[2] Short term complications are twenty times less likely from a vasectomy than a tubal ligation.[2][70] After a vasectomy, there may be swelling and pain of the scrotum which usually resolves in one or two weeks.[71] With tubal ligation, complications occur in 1 to 2 percent of procedures with serious complications usually due to the anesthesia.[72] Neither method offers protection from sexually transmitted infections.[2]

text: This decision may cause regret in some men and women. Of women aged over 30 who have undergone tubal ligation, about 5% regret their decision, as compared with 20% of women aged under 30.[2] By contrast, less than 5% of men are likely to regret sterilization. Men who are more likely to regret sterilization are younger, have young or no children, or have an unstable marriage.[73] In a survey of biological parents, 9% stated they would not have had children if they were able to do it over again.[74]

text: Although sterilization is considered a permanent procedure,[75] it is possible to attempt a tubal reversal to reconnect the fallopian tubes or a vasectomy reversal to reconnect the vasa deferentia. In women, the desire for a reversal is often associated with a change in spouse.[75] Pregnancy success rates after tubal reversal are between 31 and 88 percent, with complications including an increased risk of ectopic pregnancy.[75] The number of males who request reversal is between 2 and 6 percent.[76] Rates of success in fathering another child after reversal are between 38 and 84 percent; with success being lower the longer the time period between the vasectomy and the reversal.[76] Sperm extraction followed by in vitro fertilization may also be an option in men.[77]

text: Behavioral[edit]

text: Behavioral methods involve regulating the timing or method of intercourse to prevent introduction of sperm into the female reproductive tract, either altogether or when an egg may be present.[78] If used perfectly the first-year failure rate may be around 3.4%, however if used poorly first-year failure rates may approach 85%.[79]

text: Fertility awareness[edit]

text: Fertility awareness methods involve determining the most fertile days of the menstrual cycle and avoiding unprotected intercourse.[78] Techniques for determining fertility include monitoring basal body temperature, cervical secretions, or the day of the cycle.[78] They have typical first-year failure rates of 24%; perfect use first-year failure rates depend on which method is used and range from 0.4% to 5%.[21] The evidence on which these estimates are based, however, is poor as the majority of people in trials stop their use early.[78] Globally, they are used by about 3.6% of couples.[80] If based on both basal body temperature and another primary sign, the method is referred to as symptothermal. First-year failure rates of 20% overall and 0.4% for perfect use have been reported in clinical studies of the symptothermal method.[81][21] A number of fertility tracking apps are available, as of 2016, but they are more commonly designed to assist those trying to get pregnant rather than prevent pregnancy.[82]

text: Withdrawal[edit]

text: The withdrawal method (also known as coitus interruptus) is the practice of ending intercourse ("pulling out") before ejaculation.[83] The main risk of the withdrawal method is that the man may not perform the maneuver correctly or in a timely manner.[83] First-year failure rates vary from 4% with perfect usage to 22% with typical usage.[21] It is not considered birth control by some medical professionals.[27]

text: There is little data regarding the sperm content of pre-ejaculatory fluid.[84] While some tentative research did not find sperm,[84] one trial found sperm present in 10 out of 27 volunteers.[85] The withdrawal method is used as birth control by about 3% of couples.[80]

text: Abstinence[edit]

text: Sexual abstinence may be used as a form of birth control, meaning either not engaging in any type of sexual activity, or specifically not engaging in vaginal intercourse, while engaging in other forms of non-vaginal sex.[86][87] Complete sexual abstinence is 100% effective in preventing pregnancy.[88][89] However, among those who take a pledge to abstain from premarital sex, as many as 88% who engage in sex, do so prior to marriage.[90] The choice to abstain from sex cannot protect against pregnancy as a result of rape, and public health efforts emphasizing abstinence to reduce unwanted pregnancy may have limited effectiveness, especially in developing countries and among disadvantaged groups.[91][92]

text: Deliberate non-penetrative sex without vaginal sex or deliberate oral sex without vaginal sex are also sometimes considered birth control.[86] While this generally avoids pregnancy, pregnancy can still occur with intercrural sex and other forms of penis-near-vagina sex (genital rubbing, and the penis exiting from anal intercourse) where sperm can be deposited near the entrance to the vagina and can travel along the vagina's lubricating fluids.[93][94]

text: Abstinence-only sex education does not reduce teenage pregnancy.[7][95] Teen pregnancy rates and STI rates are generally the same or higher in states where students are given abstinence-only education, as compared with comprehensive sex education.[95] Some authorities recommend that those using abstinence as a primary method have backup methods available (such as condoms or emergency contraceptive pills).[96]

text: Lactation[edit]

text: The lactational amenorrhea method involves the use of a woman's natural postpartum infertility which occurs after delivery and may be extended by breastfeeding.[97] This usually requires the presence of no periods, exclusively breastfeeding the infant, and a child younger than six months.[24] The World Health Organization states that if breastfeeding is the infant's only source of nutrition, the failure rate is 2% in the six months following delivery.[98] Six uncontrolled studies of lactational amenorrhea method users found failure rates at 6 months postpartum between 0% and 7.5%.[99][needs update] Failure rates increase to 4–7% at one year and 13% at two years.[100] Feeding formula, pumping instead of nursing, the use of a pacifier, and feeding solids all increase its failure rate.[101] In those who are exclusively breastfeeding, about 10% begin having periods before three months and 20% before six months.[100] In those who are not breastfeeding, fertility may return four weeks after delivery.[100]

text: Emergency[edit]

text: Emergency contraceptive methods are medications (sometimes misleadingly referred to as "morning-after pills")[102] or devices used after unprotected sexual intercourse with the hope of preventing pregnancy.[8] They work primarily by preventing ovulation or fertilization.[2][103] They are unlikely to affect implantation, but this has not been completely excluded.[103] A number of options exist, including high dose birth control pills, levonorgestrel, mifepristone, ulipristal and IUDs.[104] Levonorgestrel pills, when used within 3 days, decrease the chance of pregnancy after a single episode of unprotected sex or condom failure by 70% (resulting in a pregnancy rate of 2.2%).[8] Ulipristal, when used within 5 days, decreases the chance of pregnancy by about 85% (pregnancy rate 1.4%) and might be a little more effective than levonorgestrel.[8][104][105] Mifepristone is also more effective than levonorgestrel, while copper IUDs are the most effective method.[104] IUDs can be inserted up to five days after intercourse and prevent about 99% of pregnancies after an episode of unprotected sex (pregnancy rate of 0.1 to 0.2%).[2][106] This makes them the most effective form of emergency contraceptive.[107] In those who are overweight or obese, levonorgestrel is less effective and an IUD or ulipristal is recommended.[108]

text: Providing emergency contraceptive pills to women in advance does not affect rates of sexually transmitted infections, condom use, pregnancy rates, or sexual risk-taking behavior.[109][110] All methods have minimal side effects.[104]

text: Dual protection[edit]

text: Dual protection is the use of methods that prevent both sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy.[111] This can be with condoms either alone or along with another birth control method or by the avoidance of penetrative sex.[112][113]

text: If pregnancy is a high concern, using two methods at the same time is reasonable.[112] For example, two forms of birth control are recommended in those taking the anti-acne drug isotretinoin or anti-epileptic drugs like carbamazepine, due to the high risk of birth defects if taken during pregnancy.[114][115]

text: Effects[edit]

text: Health[edit]

text: Contraceptive use in developing countries is estimated to have decreased the number of maternal deaths by 40% (about 270,000 deaths prevented in 2008) and could prevent 70% of deaths if the full demand for birth control were met.[17][18] These benefits are achieved by reducing the number of unplanned pregnancies that subsequently result in unsafe abortions and by preventing pregnancies in those at high risk.[17]

text: Birth control also improves child survival in the developing world by lengthening the time between pregnancies.[17] In this population, outcomes are worse when a mother gets pregnant within eighteen months of a previous delivery.[17][117] Delaying another pregnancy after a miscarriage however does not appear to alter risk and women are advised to attempt pregnancy in this situation whenever they are ready.[117]

text: Teenage pregnancies, especially among younger teens, are at greater risk of adverse outcomes including early birth, low birth weight, and death of the infant.[12] In the United States 82% of pregnancies in those between 15 and 19 are unplanned.[68] Comprehensive sex education and access to birth control are effective in decreasing pregnancy rates in this age group.[118]

text: Finances[edit]

text:
7–8 Children
  6–7 Children
  5–6 Children
  4–5 Children

  3–4 Children
  2–3 Children
  1–2 Children
  0–1 Children

text: In the developing world, birth control increases economic growth due to there being fewer dependent children and thus more women participating in or increased contribution to the workforce.[19] Women's earnings, assets, body mass index, and their children's schooling and body mass index all improve with greater access to birth control.[19] Family planning, via the use of modern birth control, is one of the most cost-effective health interventions.[119] For every dollar spent, the United Nations estimates that two to six dollars are saved.[16] These cost savings are related to preventing unplanned pregnancies and decreasing the spread of sexually transmitted illnesses.[119] While all methods are beneficial financially, the use of copper IUDs resulted in the greatest savings.[119]

text: The total medical cost for a pregnancy, delivery and care of a newborn in the United States is on average $21,000 for a vaginal delivery and $31,000 for a caesarean delivery as of 2012.[120] In most other countries, the cost is less than half.[120] For a child born in 2011, an average US family will spend $235,000 over 17 years to raise them.[121]

text: Prevalence[edit]

text:
6%
  12%
  18%
  24%

  36%
  48%
  60%
  60%

  66%
  78%
  86%
  No data

text: Globally, as of 2009, approximately 60% of those who are married and able to have children use birth control.[122] How frequently different methods are used varies widely between countries.[122] The most common method in the developed world is condoms and oral contraceptives, while in Africa it is oral contraceptives and in Latin America and Asia it is sterilization.[122] In the developing world overall, 35% of birth control is via female sterilization, 30% is via IUDs, 12% is via oral contraceptives, 11% is via condoms, and 4% is via male sterilization.[122]

text: While less used in the developed countries than the developing world, the number of women using IUDs as of 2007 was more than 180 million.[62] Avoiding sex when fertile is used by about 3.6% of women of childbearing age, with usage as high as 20% in areas of South America.[123] As of 2005, 12% of couples are using a male form of birth control (either condoms or a vasectomy) with higher rates in the developed world.[124] Usage of male forms of birth control has decreased between 1985 and 2009.[122] Contraceptive use among women in Sub-Saharan Africa has risen from about 5% in 1991 to about 30% in 2006.[125]

text: As of 2012, 57% of women of childbearing age want to avoid pregnancy (867 of 1,520 million).[126] About 222 million women however were not able to access birth control, 53 million of whom were in sub-Saharan Africa and 97 million of whom were in Asia.[126] This results in 54 million unplanned pregnancies and nearly 80,000 maternal deaths a year.[122] Part of the reason that many women are without birth control is that many countries limit access due to religious or political reasons,[2] while another contributor is poverty.[127] Due to restrictive abortion laws in Sub-Saharan Africa, many women turn to unlicensed abortion providers for unintended pregnancy, resulting in about 2–4% obtaining unsafe abortions each year.[127]

text: History[edit]

text: Early history[edit]

text: The Egyptian Ebers Papyrus from 1550 BC and the Kahun Papyrus from 1850 BC have within them some of the earliest documented descriptions of birth control: the use of honey, acacia leaves and lint to be placed in the vagina to block sperm.[128][129] It is believed that in Ancient Greece silphium was used as birth control which, due to its effectiveness and thus desirability, was harvested into extinction.[130]

text: In medieval Europe, any effort to halt pregnancy was deemed immoral by the Catholic Church,[128] although it is believed that women of the time still used a number of birth control measures, such as coitus interruptus and inserting lily root and rue into the vagina.[131] Women in the Middle Ages were also encouraged to tie weasel testicles around their thighs during sex to prevent pregnancy.[132] The oldest condoms discovered to date were recovered in the ruins of Dudley Castle in England, and are dated back to 1640.[132] They were made of animal gut, and were most likely used to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases during the English Civil War.[132] Casanova, living in 18th century Italy, described the use of a lambskin covering to prevent pregnancy; however, condoms only became widely available in the 20th century.[128]

text: Birth control movement[edit]

text: The birth control movement developed during the 19th and early 20th centuries.[133] The Malthusian League, based on the ideas of Thomas Malthus, was established in 1877 in the United Kingdom to educate the public about the importance of family planning and to advocate for getting rid of penalties for promoting birth control.[134] It was founded during the "Knowlton trial" of Annie Besant and Charles Bradlaugh, who were prosecuted for publishing on various methods of birth control.[135]

text: In the United States, Margaret Sanger and Otto Bobsein popularized the phrase "birth control" in 1914.[136][137] Sanger primarily advocated for birth control on the idea that it would prevent women from seeking unsafe abortions, but during her lifetime, she began to campaign for it on the grounds that it would reduce mental and physical defects.[138][139] She was mainly active in the United States but had gained an international reputation by the 1930s. At the time, under the Comstock Law, distribution of birth control information was illegal. She jumped bail in 1914 after her arrest for distributing birth control information and left the United States for the United Kingdom.[140] In the U.K., Sanger, influenced by Havelock Ellis, further developed her arguments for birth control. She believed women needed to enjoy sex without fearing a pregnancy. During her time abroad, Sanger also saw a more flexible diaphragm in a Dutch clinic, which she thought was a better form of contraceptive.[139] Once Sanger returned to the United States, she established a short-lived birth-control clinic with the help of her sister, Ethel Bryne, based in the Brownville section of Brooklyn, New York[141] in 1916. It was shut down after eleven days and resulted in her arrest.[142] The publicity surrounding the arrest, trial, and appeal sparked birth control activism across the United States.[143] Besides her sister, Sanger was helped in the movement by her first husband, William Sanger, who distributed copies of “Family Limitation.” Sanger’s second husband, James Noah H. Slee, would also later become involved in the movement, acting as its main funder.[139]

text: The first permanent birth-control clinic was established in Britain in 1921 by Marie Stopes working with the Malthusian League.[144] The clinic, run by midwives and supported by visiting doctors,[145] offered women's birth-control advice and taught them the use of a cervical cap. Her clinic made contraception acceptable during the 1920s by presenting it in scientific terms. In 1921, Sanger founded the American Birth Control League, which later became the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.[146] In 1924 the Society for the Provision of Birth Control Clinics was founded to campaign for municipal clinics; this led to the opening of a second clinic in Greengate, Salford in 1926.[147] Throughout the 1920s, Stopes and other feminist pioneers, including Dora Russell and Stella Browne, played a major role in breaking down taboos about sex. In April 1930 the Birth Control Conference assembled 700 delegates and was successful in bringing birth control and abortion into the political sphere – three months later, the Ministry of Health, in the United Kingdom, allowed local authorities to give birth-control advice in welfare centres.[148]

text: In 1936 the U.S. court ruled in U.S. v. One Package that medically prescribing contraception to save a person's life or well-being was not illegal under the Comstock Law; following this decision, the American Medical Association Committee on Contraception revoked its 1936 statement condemning birth control. A national survey in 1937 showed 71 percent of the adult population supported the use of contraception. By 1938 347 birth control clinics were running in the United States despite their advertisement still being illegal. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt publicly supported birth control and family planning.[149] In 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson started endorsing public funding for family planning services, and the Federal Government began subsidizing birth control services for low-income families.[150] The Affordable Care Act, passed into law on March 23, 2010 under President Barack Obama, requires all plans in the Health Insurance Marketplace to cover contraceptive methods. These include barrier methods, hormonal methods, implanted devices, emergency contraceptives, and sterilization procedures.[151]

text: Modern methods[edit]

text: In 1909, Richard Richter developed the first intrauterine device made from silkworm gut, which was further developed and marketed in Germany by Ernst Gräfenberg in the late 1920s.[152] In 1951, a chemist, named Carl Djerassi from Mexico City made the hormones in progesterone pills using Mexican yams.[153] Djerassi had chemically created the pill but was not equipped to distribute it to patients. Meanwhile, Gregory Pincus and John Rock with help from the Planned Parenthood Federation of America developed the first birth control pills in the 1950s, such as mestranol/noretynodrel, which became publicly available in the 1960s through the Food and Drug Administration under the name Enovid.[146][154] Medical abortion became an alternative to surgical abortion with the availability of prostaglandin analogs in the 1970s and mifepristone in the 1980s.[155]

text: Society and culture[edit]

text: Legal positions[edit]

text: Human rights agreements require most governments to provide family planning and contraceptive information and services. These include the requirement to create a national plan for family planning services, remove laws that limit access to family planning, ensure that a wide variety of safe and effective birth control methods are available including emergency contraceptives, make sure there are appropriately trained healthcare providers and facilities at an affordable price, and create a process to review the programs implemented. If governments fail to do the above it may put them in breach of binding international treaty obligations.[156]

text: In the United States, the 1965 Supreme Court decision Griswold v. Connecticut overturned a state law prohibiting dissemination of contraception information based on a constitutional right to privacy for marital relationships. In 1971, Eisenstadt v. Baird extended this right to privacy to single people.[157]

text: In 2010, the United Nations launched the Every Woman Every Child movement to assess the progress toward meeting women's contraceptive needs. The initiative has set a goal of increasing the number of users of modern birth control by 120 million women in the world's 69 poorest countries by the year 2020. Additionally, they aim to eradicate discrimination against girls and young women who seek contraceptives.[158] The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommended in 2014 that oral birth control pills should be over the counter medications.[159]

text: Since at least the 1870s, American religious, medical, legislative, and legal commentators have debated contraception laws. Ana Garner and Angela Michel have found that in these discussions men often attach reproductive rights to moral and political matters, as part of an ongoing attempt to regulate human bodies. In press coverage between 1873–2013 they found a divide between institutional ideology and real-life experiences of women.[160]

text: Religious views[edit]

text: Religions vary widely in their views of the ethics of birth control.[161] The Roman Catholic Church officially only accepts natural family planning,[162] although large numbers of Catholics in developed countries accept and use modern methods of birth control.[163][164][165] Among Protestants, there is a wide range of views from supporting none, such as in the Quiverfull movement, to allowing all methods of birth control.[166] Views in Judaism range from the stricter Orthodox sect, which prohibits all methods of birth control, to the more relaxed Reform sect, which allows most.[167] Hindus may use both natural and modern contraceptives.[168] A common Buddhist view is that preventing conception is acceptable, while intervening after conception has occurred is not.[169] In Islam, contraceptives are allowed if they do not threaten health, although their use is discouraged by some.[170]

text: World Contraception Day[edit]

text: September 26 is World Contraception Day, devoted to raising awareness and improving education about sexual and reproductive health, with a vision of a world where every pregnancy is wanted.[171] It is supported by a group of governments and international NGOs, including the Office of Population Affairs, the Asian Pacific Council on Contraception, Centro Latinamericano Salud y Mujer, the European Society of Contraception and Reproductive Health, the German Foundation for World Population, the International Federation of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology, International Planned Parenthood Federation, the Marie Stopes International, Population Services International, the Population Council, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and Women Deliver.[171]

text: Misconceptions[edit]

text: There are a number of common misconceptions regarding sex and pregnancy.[172] Douching after sexual intercourse is not an effective form of birth control.[173] Additionally, it is associated with a number of health problems and thus is not recommended.[174] Women can become pregnant the first time they have sexual intercourse[175] and in any sexual position.[176] It is possible, although not very likely, to become pregnant during menstruation.[177]

text: Research directions[edit]

text: Females[edit]

text: Improvements of existing birth control methods are needed, as around half of those who get pregnant unintentionally are using birth control at the time.[27] A number of alterations of existing contraceptive methods are being studied, including a better female condom, an improved diaphragm, a patch containing only progestin, and a vaginal ring containing long-acting progesterone.[178] This vaginal ring appears to be effective for three or four months and is currently available in some areas of the world.[178] For women who rarely have sex, the taking of the hormonal birth control levonorgestrel around the time of sex looks promising.[179]

text: A number of methods to perform sterilization via the cervix are being studied. One involves putting quinacrine in the uterus which causes scarring and infertility. While the procedure is inexpensive and does not require surgical skills, there are concerns regarding long-term side effects.[180] Another substance, polidocanol, which functions in the same manner is being looked at.[178] A device called Essure, which expands when placed in the fallopian tubes and blocks them, was approved in the United States in 2002.[180]

text: Males[edit]

text: Methods of male birth control include condoms, vasectomies and withdrawal.[181][182] Between 25 and 75% of males who are sexually active would use hormonal birth control if it was available for them.[124][181] A number of hormonal and non-hormonal methods are in trials,[124] and there is some research looking at the possibility of contraceptive vaccines.[183]

text: A reversible surgical method under investigation is reversible inhibition of sperm under guidance (RISUG) which consists of injecting a polymer gel, styrene maleic anhydride in dimethyl sulfoxide, into the vas deferens. An injection with sodium bicarbonate washes out the substance and restores fertility. Another is an intravas device which involves putting a urethane plug into the vas deferens to block it. A combination of an androgen and a progestin seems promising, as do selective androgen receptor modulators.[124] Ultrasound and methods to heat the testicles have undergone preliminary studies.[184]

text: Other animals[edit]

text: Neutering or spaying, which involves removing some of the reproductive organs, is often carried out as a method of birth control in household pets. Many animal shelters require these procedures as part of adoption agreements.[185] In large animals the surgery is known as castration.[186]

text: Birth control is also being considered as an alternative to hunting as a means of controlling overpopulation in wild animals.[187] Contraceptive vaccines have been found to be effective in a number of different animal populations.[188][189] Kenyan goat herders fix a skirt, called an olor, to male goats to prevent them from impregnating female goats.[190]


document_title: List of Home Improvement characters

question_text: who was the guy behind the fence in home improvement

text: List of Home Improvement characters

text: Taylor family[edit]

text: Tim Taylor[edit]

text: Timothy "Tim" Taylor (Tim Allen) – Tim Taylor (the character has a birth date of October 1954) is the father of the family. Ever the know-it-all, Tim believes he has an incredibly wide knowledge of tools, electronics, and general mechanics. In reality, he is highly accident-prone. He actually does have a significant amount of skill as a general handyman, but can be overly confident and prone to spectacular mishaps. He often forgets a crucial step, ignores instructions, makes ill-advised modifications, or comes to inaccurate conclusions. The only exception to this ineptitude is when working on cars, at which he excels. He is left-handed but actually does a great deal of his work with his right hand. Taylor's "arch enemy", so to speak, was the real-life home improvement specialist, Bob Vila. One episode saw Tim competing against Bob Vila in a lawnmower contest for charity. Tim actually installed a jet engine on his machine-which resulted in Tim causing unintended chaos and destruction. Tim hosts a home improvement show called Tool Time with his co-host and friend, Al Borland. While Al is his co-host, Al constantly must remind Tim of safety regulations and practices. Tim often ignores Al's advice, and this frequently results in an accident. While it is constantly mentioned that Tool Time is a limited local home improvement show that sits very high on the channel dial, Tool Time seems to have a very wide audience in the state of Michigan, and is progressively broadcast to more outlets across the Midwest (A season 5 episode has Tim, Al, and Bud brainstorming for ideas on how to bring the show into the Chicago markets). Tim often boasts at his popularity for hosting the show, although many people state that they like Al better. A running gag involves people encountering Tim in public and stating, "Oh, we always watch Tool Time...we love Al." To which an annoyed Tim would reply, "Oh yeah, we all love Al." In later seasons, however, it is learned that Tim actually has a higher fan base than Al.

text: Because of the numerous accidents in which he is involved, both on his TV show and at home, it is a recurring joke that Tim is on a first name basis with the hospital staff, and it is often suggested that Tim has special offers available to him for being a repeat customer. Another gag is that Tool Time fans believe his many accidents are staged, to show people what not to do. However, many of Tim's modified inventions work but are often too powerful, like his new ice cube dispenser in season 2. Tim often garbles advice he heard from Wilson and/or otherwise makes stupid remarks – although on one episode Tim stuns Jill and Wilson by putting forth sound advice of his own. Another running gag is Tim accidentally causing damage or destruction to anything he touches – such as destroying the world's smallest car or running over golf carts with a Marine Corps tank. Tim has an unhealthy obsession with Halloween and Christmas, going to extraordinary lengths to scare others and competing with "Doc Johnson" in the annual neighborhood Christmas lighting contest, which he has rarely won.

text: While Tim has a very good relationship with his wife, he is quick to admit defeat in any conflict they become engaged in. He also works hard to maintain healthy relationships with his three sons, although he relates more closely to Brad than Randy or Mark.

text: Tim is occasionally chauvinistic in attitude, usually putting women down or sometimes seeing them as inferior(But he often must absorb the same insults against men from Jill). He also tends to mock those who are overweight, such as Al's mother or his mother-in-law (until she loses weight), and can be juvenile in attitude on many occasions. A running gag involves Jill's distaste for his attitude, in that she says "You're pathetic" every time he goes too far. Tim is an avid fan of all the local sports teams; the Detroit Lions, the Detroit Pistons, the Detroit Red Wings, and the Detroit Tigers. He is also a big fan of boxing, the Indy Racing League, and tractor pulls. Many scenes take place in the garage during his favorite hobby, working on one of his two hot rods, one of which he built from the ground up, and the other existing vehicle that he restored.

text: While he occasionally considers moving on professionally, Tim remains the main host of Tool Time until the final episode of Home Improvement. Before he was cast on Tool Time, he worked as a traveling tool salesman. Tim barely graduated from college, but later receives an honorary Doctorate from Western Michigan University. Tim is famous for his ever-popular noisemaking, which he refers to as a "Simian grunt."

text: His mother is alive for the entire series, however his father died when Tim was eleven years old. There has always been some disparity between how many brothers Tim has. On several occasions in the later seasons, it is mentioned that Tim has four brothers, but in earlier seasons he is stated to have five, however, seven have been mentioned by name (Marty, Jeff, Rick, John, Steve, Brian, and Danny).

text: Tim always thinks things need "more power", and is often seen wearing sweaters from Michigan-based colleges. Tim thinks he knows everything there is to know about tools.

text: Tim is the only character to appear in every single episode. A close second is Jill, who only missed the second part of the series finale (unless one counts the flashbacks shown).

text: Jill Taylor[edit]

text: Jillian "Jill" Patterson Taylor (Patricia Richardson) – Jill (born November 1956) is Tim's wife and the mother of Brad, Randy, and Mark. Jill graduated from Adams High School (taken from an actual high school in Rochester Hills, Michigan) in 1973. Jill is intelligent, practical, and has a dry sense of humor that doesn't often fly with her family. After she decides that her career is not fulfilling, Jill dedicates herself toward earning her master's degree in Psychology. While she is very motherly and domestic in nature, she is apparently a very bad cook, as Tim and the three boys often make remarks about her cooking. Her strong femininity is often in direct conflict with Tim's masculinity, occasionally leading her to wonder why they work as a couple.

text: Jill comes from a strong military family, and sometimes uses her upbringing to solve several family squabbles. Her father was a Colonel in the US Army and is referred to as such. Jill has four sisters, all of whom have appeared: Robin, Carrie, Tracy, and Linda. (A fifth sister, Katie, was briefly mentioned by Jill's mother in the season 2 episode, "Much Ado About Nana", and in the season 4 episode, "Quibbling Siblings", but never again.) She often appears overwhelmed at the fact that she is the only female in a family with three sons and no daughter. She appears closest to her youngest son, Mark, as she remarks a few times that Mark is the only one who still has the ability to be open-minded to accept the things that Jill likes as opposed to being the typical "boy". Early on, she has a temporary job working at a magazine, and later in the series, Jill is a psychology student. She also does a significant amount of volunteer work, especially for the local library.

text: Jill has a strong feminist side and enjoys opera, theatre, and the ballet. She occasionally tries to be interested in sports and tools but always ends up relating to her husband over his buried sensitivity. Jill also considers it her mission to get Tim, Brad, Randy, and Mark to do the right thing. Jill refers to any or all of her sons, as well as Tim by their full names when she is angry. Jill likes to "match-make", with mixed results, as she did set up Al with Ilene, who were together for a few seasons, and Wilson and one of her professors in another successful relationship. She also has a thing for cars – driving at different times an Austin-Healey 3000 (which Tim hates because he doesn't understand British wiring) and a cherry red Chevy Bel-Air Nomad; in two memorable episodes, Jill is furious with Tim for driving her Healey without permission and for wrecking her Nomad. In other memorable episodes, Jill is extremely angry at Tim when he calls her an "old Hen" on TV and when she finds out he bought $4,000 worth of game tickets for the Detroit Pistons.

text: Brad Taylor[edit]

text: Bradley Michael "Brad" Taylor (Zachery Ty Bryan) – (born January 1981) is the oldest, most athletic and strongest of the three boys, once seen throwing Randy around when they got into an argument. While all three boys are portrayed as troublemakers at one point or another, Brad gets into the most serious trouble. He is the only one to have a run-in with the police (after throwing bricks at windows in an abandoned greenhouse) and was once discovered in possession of marijuana, which he admitted to smoking. On the other hand, Brad was the only Taylor son to co-host an episode of Tool Time, and the one seen doing the most extensive work on Tim's Hot Rod, and is the son to which Tim relates to the easiest. Although he often struggled with his school work, he has extraordinary athletic ability, especially playing soccer. Throughout the series, he was offered numerous opportunities to make a career out of soccer, including the offer to play for a professional team in England (the fictitious Birmingham Chubbs). This was rejected when his parents refused to allow him to give up college to play professional soccer. Later in the series, despite a knee injury which threatened to put an end to his athletic pursuits, he earned a college scholarship to UCLA. Brad has a prominent attraction to women, including his mild infatuation with Tool Time 's Heidi Keppert. Brad and Tim enjoy working on classic cars.

text: Brad got along well with Randy, especially early on in the show. The two are often seen working together to tease Mark, attempting to cover up Brad's actions to keep him out of trouble, or just hanging out together. Brad and Mark don't share many things in common until they get older, especially in the 8th season where they develop a close bond while Randy is away in Costa Rica.

text: Randy Taylor[edit]

text: Randall William "Randy" Taylor (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) – Randy (born February 8, 1982) is the middle child, ultimately the smartest of the three boys, and frequently the most mischievous troublemaker. Randy's intelligence eventually led to him skipping ahead to advanced math and science classes, and was often the cause of sibling rivalry with Brad. Randy inherited Tim's talents as a jokester. Randy in the later seasons is noticeably a lot shorter than his brothers and his height is often made fun of by Brad. Whenever Tim was in trouble with Jill, Randy was always there with a quick remark that would almost always get him in trouble. Although initially sharing mostly the same interests as Brad and his father, throughout his adolescence Randy became very conscious about the environment and civil rights. He became very skeptical of the intentions of organized religion, especially Christian denominations, and became a vegetarian in later seasons. He wrote for the school newspaper, where he concentrated on social and political issues, including criticizing Binford for its pollution record, which led to a fierce disagreement with Tim. Unlike Brad who dated many different girls, Randy, for the most part, only dated one girl, Lauren, whom he remained with for the rest of the series.

text: Randy is generally the most level-headed son in the family, although because he is an intelligent boy, he was also prone to arrogance, jealousy, and sometimes a little prejudice. His father has a tendency to dislike and mock anything he has no interest in, such as ballet and opera, and Randy inherited this attitude, which ironically puts him at odds with Tim, since Randy has no interest in cars and tools. Out of all the Taylor boys, Randy is the one with the least respect for his father. He once called his father's show "Fool Time", and compared his father to an ape. When Tim brought Brad onto Tool Time, Randy immediately called it a stupid show and acted hateful towards Tim and Brad. During high school, he wrote a school article that turned many adults against Tim for Binford's pollution record, threatening his father's reputation, and he bitterly disapproved of Brad's jockish article earning the paper's front page, which was usually occupied by Randy's articles. He does however mend his relationships with them after learning the error of his ways.

text: In the Eighth Season of the show, Randy leaves for Costa Rica (along with Lauren, who stayed in a nearby town), reappearing in only one episode when he came back for Christmas. On that occasion, Randy felt that so much had changed in his absence that he no longer fit in with the family, although confiding in Wilson aided his feelings. Unlike Tim and Brad, Randy is not good with his hands and does not enjoy working on crafts or the Hot Rod. Randy often relates more with his mother, with whom he shares his intelligence and enjoyment of acting (although Tim embarrassed Randy during one acting scene thanks to a malfunctioning stage prop). In another episode Randy's party with friends was ruined due to Tim putting on too many coats of floorwax-which resulted in his girlfriend getting a sprained ankle.

text: Early on in the show, Brad and Randy were portrayed as "partners in crime". While they did argue like normal brothers, they generally bonded over their mutual enjoyment of teasing Mark. As they got older, they grew apart somewhat, as Randy became more focused on school and social issues and Brad became more focused on athletics and girls.

text: Early on Randy and Mark generally only get along when united against Brad, though things improved somewhat as they got older.

text: Mark Taylor[edit]

text: Marcus Jason "Mark" Taylor (Taran Noah Smith[1]) – Mark (born March 1985) is the youngest and most sensitive of the three boys.[2] He relates very closely with his mother, especially after the first season. He does not share many interests with his brothers or father, and in the early seasons was often the victim due to his naïveté of some practical joke that Brad and Randy had thought up on the spot for him. Mark is not a troublemaker, as he doesn't possess a joking demeanor or even a hint of a mean streak. On the rare occasions that Brad or Randy include him on pranks, Mark often blows their cover by responding to someone when he is not supposed to or divulging too much information. This divulging of information not only gets Brad and Randy in trouble, but often Tim as well, especially when he is trying to keep something he said or did from Jill. During adolescence, Mark began to adopt a more "goth" look and an anti-establishment kind of attitude, the cause of which was founded in his feelings of social isolation. While Mark's darkening demeanor worried Tim and Jill on several occasions, it never turned into anything extremely destructive, although a homemade horror movie he created was a bit more twisted than they expected. His Gothic appearance was gone by the end of the series. Mark enjoys film production and music, took karate and pilot training, and became a proficient cook. During the early seasons of the show Mark is seen in a Cub Scout uniform-sans badges.

text: Mark's relationship with Brad and Randy was often adversarial, especially in early seasons as he was often the butt of their jokes, pranks and teasing. While Mark never truly bonded with Randy, in the final season Mark and Brad grew very close as the result of the dynamic of their relationship changing when Randy left for Costa Rica. Mark eventually became taller than Randy and later Brad.

text: Marty Taylor[edit]

text: Martin "Marty" Taylor (William O'Leary) – Marty (born in 1964) is Tim's youngest brother by ten years. As their father died when Marty was just one year old, Tim is the closest thing he knows to a father. Marty was often picked on by his older brothers, much as Mark is by Brad and Randy. He is often seen bouncing from job to job, unable to hold a steady career. For the majority of the show's run, Marty was married to Nancy (Jensen Daggett), and they had identical twin girls, Gracie and Claire.

text: Jeff Taylor[edit]

text: Jeffrey "Jeff" Taylor (Thom Sharp) – Jeff is Tim and Marty's oldest brother (exact age unspecified). He is extremely frugal and suffers from male-pattern baldness, both of which make him a frequent target of Tim's jokes. Like Marty, Jeff has trouble maintaining a steady job. It is mentioned that he has made a number of bad business ventures (such as a drive-thru pet store), was divorced twice, and didn't finish college (as mentioned by Jill's sister in one episode). Jeff eventually makes an investment in Tim's hardware store.

text: Friends of the family[edit]

text: Al Borland[edit]

text:
Al Borland

Home Improvement character

First appearance
"Pilot"

Last appearance
"The Long and Winding Road"

Portrayed by
Richard Karn

Information

Family
Alma Borland (mother)
Cal Borland (brother)

text: Albert E. "Al" Borland (Richard Karn) – A master plumber and licensed contractor, Al is Tim's un-hip sidekick on the show-within-a-show Tool Time and best friend. His personality is an exact opposite of Tim's – he is reserved, quiet, does not show much enthusiasm and has a wide array of professional knowledge concerning tools. Al made frequent suggestions that he should be the host of Tool Time instead of Tim. Al does not make as much money as Tim, in fact it is implied that his salary is not very big at all. In the episode, "Brothers and Sisters", Al says that he gets a very small paycheck. In the episode, "Fifth Anniversary", it is revealed that a big reason why Al was chosen to be Tim's assistant was because Al was the only assistant applicant that was willing to work for the salary that was offered. Al could be characterized as a "mama's boy"; he spent a great deal of time attempting to please his mother Alma – who was severely overweight (though she was never seen). She died from a heart attack near the end of the series after Al asked her permission to marry Trudy. His father was almost 60 when Al was born. Young Al has mechanical talent-constructing a model crane out of wood. Al was engaged to an orthodontist named Ilene for a time, but they ended up calling off the wedding. He also dated Greta Post who appeared a few times in the series. In a later season, Al met a wealthy exterminator named Trudy. They hit it off and were married in the show's final episode. Al might have been based on Norm Abram of This Old House because of the resemblance (flannel shirts, beard, pudgy, etc.) and the fact that Al does all the "real work" on the Tool Time show (much like Norm did on This Old House). In the episode "No, No, Gadot", Tim and Al were arrested for scalping hockey tickets. In a holding cell, an inmate named George approached them and asked if they were "the guys from that TV tool show", and Tim responded with "why, yes, I'm Bob Vila, and this is Norm". Al has a big brother named Cal who is a physicist, and unlike some other siblings around the world, they had never gotten into a physical fight. Instead, they usually settled their disputes over a cup of tea. In a flashback episode of the Tool Time premiere, Al was noted to be a Pisces and had a clean-shaven face, while Tim had a beard. Al has his own fan club. Like Tim, Al is left-handed and his favorite board games are Parcheesi, Chinese Checkers, Scrabble and Bingo. His favorite movie is My Fair Lady. One episode had a pet of Al's, a turtle named "Scooter," which Tim accidentally dropped in cement. With his dry wit, Al serves as the show's (both Tool Time and Home Improvement) straight man to the wackier, more outgoing Tim. Beginning at the end of the fifth season, Al invented a second source of income for himself by inventing a board game based on Tool Time, which features Tim, Al and Heidi as playable characters.

text: Family, fashion sense, and career[edit]

text: Borland is slightly overweight, and always seen wearing flannel, which Tim cracks jokes about consistently. The reason he always wears flannel came from his father, who, when asking young Al to assist in their own various home projects, would put his old flannels on Al to keep him clean or warm. Al wears flannel as a tribute to him after he died.

text: Tim also often criticizes Al's mother, Alma Borland, who is never seen (except her hand and forearm), but is apparently severely overweight. In one of the later episodes, Al announces to his mother he is getting married. Immediately afterwards, she screams, passes out, and dies. (she was holding a breadstick, which was all that was seen) When hearing the news, the breadstick shook violently and fell over. The coffin, shown at her funeral, is double-wide to keep the humorous tone.

text: Al also has a brother, Cal, who looks and dresses almost exactly like him, though he is a physicist ("Sisters and Brothers"). In the episode commentaries featured on the Season 1 DVD Set, the executive producers reveal that "Cal" was a fan from Texas who sent his photo in a fan letter. Upon seeing his resemblance to Al, the producers brought him in to be Al's brother, Cal.

text: When Al was younger, he took fencing in school and served in the Navy as a Lt (j.g.) with the Seabees, and although he wanted to see the world, he was stationed in Fallon, Nevada (interestingly enough, in the episode where Al mentions this, he uses the shibboleth pronunciation of "Nevada", which is uncommon for an outsider, especially someone living in the midwest). After finishing his military service, Al was a construction crane operator (AFL–CIO Local 324), then apparently got certified as a master plumber and carpenter before getting the job on Tool Time. Al drives a 1983 Mercury Grand Marquis station wagon which his mother passed down to him, and has put much time and effort into preserving the vehicle. While Al has similar interests of Tim such as cars, he has some rather odd interests, such as being able to deduce different types of wood by smell rather than appearance or texture.

text: Al gets along well with Tim's sons. However, just like Tim, Al has faced problems and needed to seek the advice of Wilson. Outside of his job, Al has made investments such as becoming part owner of Harry's Hardware and marketing a successful board game based on Tool Time, whose object is to avoid hospitalization.[3]

text: Al's beard[edit]

text: Al's beard is also a constant joke by Tim. In one episode where Tool Time is celebrating their fifth anniversary show, Al is shown in the first ever episode of Tool Time clean shaven, while Tim has a beard.[4]

text: Al's knowledge of tools and home improvement[edit]

text: He generally knows what he is doing more than Tim, and he seems to have a better knowledge of tools and home improvement than Tim. In the first episode of Tool Time, he was described as a "master plumber" by Tim Taylor. He also is very serious about his job, unlike Tim, who often jokes and messes up the project. Al often speaks fondly of his time as a U.S. Navy Seabee. Although Tim is the one who messes up most of the projects on Tool Time, Al is often the one who is blamed for the mishap, or is injured by the mishap. On rare occasions Al would cause a mishap of his own, but these were more due to overcalculating than Tim's attitude of "more power". Despite this, Tim and Al are good friends offstage, and Al often helps out, either by helping with home projects, or by watching his children.

text: Love life[edit]

text: Throughout the series, Al has had four different girlfriends. In season one, Al went out with Greta Post, whom he met while she was volunteering to help out during a Tool Time show. Al then showed an interest in Jill's friend Karen, but when he learned she found another man Al took it well and rebounded. He almost went out with Tim's ex-girlfriend Stacey Lewis, however, he wasn't interested in her as much as he thought. From seasons three through five, Al went out with Dr. Ilene Markham, an orthodontist who is sisters with one of Jill's co-workers. They got engaged, but they decided at the wedding that they shouldn't marry. Al met a woman named Trudy in season seven and married her in the finale episode in 1999.

text: Running gags surrounding Al[edit]

text:
His overweight and overbearing mother.
Tim jokes about Al's mom "looking for a smorgasbord".
He is always wearing flannel.
His beard.
His higher popularity over Tim
His love of Bingo.
His fanatic admiration of fellow home improvement television host Bob Vila.
Whenever Tim suggests doing something particularly stupid, dangerous or both, Al replies in deadpan fashion, "I don't think so, Tim".
When Tim would make a particularly sexist or otherwise offensive remark, Al would hold up a large sign with Tim's mailing address and say, "That's Tim Taylor, care of Tool Time, PO Box 32733, Detroit, Michigan, 48252" Sometimes Tim will rip the sign half-way in his sentence, but Al would just pick up another sign and finish.
His often unlucky relationship with women, despite (or possibly because of) him being more sensitive than Tim.

text: Wilson Wilson, Jr.[edit]

text: Wilson W. Wilson, (Earl Hindman) – Tim's neighbor and confidant. As a child, his parents did not allow him to speak to his neighbors, so he really likes talking to Tim and Jill. Wilson serves as an all-wise sage in the show, doling out advice to the Taylor family and seemingly always knowing just what to say to solve a problem. While most of his appearances were to help the Taylors, on seldom occasion someone who was in the extended family, or a nonmember, such as Al, would seek out Wilson's advice. He has traveled the globe and learned much from virtually every culture in existence. He has a Ph.D. in Cultural Studies, studying "extinct languages and forgotten cultures." His house is full of artifacts along with a pet myna bird named Mozart who appeared infrequently. Wilson was married at one point, but his wife Catherine died long before the series begins (in a November 1994 episode, Wilson revealed that that month would have marked his and Catherine's 25th anniversary).

text: At first it was unclear whether "Wilson" was his first name or last, but his full name is revealed as Wilson Wilson, Jr. In Season 6, it is revealed that his cousins are the Wilsons of The Beach Boys. He has a grown niece named Willow Wilson (China Kantner), who appeared regularly in the seventh season when she moved in with him for a while. His usual greetings are "Well, hi-dee-ho ..." or "Hi ho, there neighbor" or "good neighbor" when greeting Tim, "neighborette" when greeting Jill, and "Taylor lad(s)" when greeting the Taylor boys.

text: A visual gag is that Wilson's face isn't shown in its entirety, originally (and most commonly) with the bottom half obscured by the tall privacy fence that separates the neighbors' yards. This gag is extended over the course of the series with other objects (or a beard) obscuring the bottom of his face, or the bottom half showing but the top obscured (such as by a mask), or his full face shown but covered by paint. The audience finally sees Earl Hindman's full face unobscured in the series finale's curtain call. This was based on how Tim Allen saw a next-door neighbor when he was growing up.

text: Lisa[edit]

text: Lisa (Pamela Anderson) – Binford's first "Tool Girl." A secondary cast member on Tool Time, Lisa's job was to introduce Tim and Al and to hand them any tool they requested. When Pamela Anderson chose to leave Home Improvement to pursue a role on the syndicated series Baywatch, she was written out of the series after Season 2 and it was stated that Lisa was training to be a paramedic. She returned for a guest appearance four years later, having become fully qualified.

text: Heidi Keppert[edit]

text: Heidi Keppert (Debbe Dunning) – The second "Tool Girl" (beginning in Season 3) and a master electrician.[5] Initially, the character was seen only in and around the Tool Time set. In later seasons, her personal life crossed paths with Tim and Al on a number of occasions. She gave birth to a daughter (Amy) and suffered marital problems during the show's run. In Season 8 Episode 24 (Dead Weight), Heidi reveals to Tim that her breasts twitch when she is nervous. In the last episode of the series, Heidi revealed she was pregnant for a second time. Her outfits typically showed off her very large cleavage during the "Tool Time" episodes. Tim speculated that many men came to the show just to see Heidi. It is revealed in multiple episodes that Tim's son, Brad, has a crush on her.[5] In seasons seven and eight, her role on Tool Time increased so much that she was eventually given main cast billing in the opening credits.

text: Harry Turner[edit]

text: Harry Turner (Blake Clark) – Owner of "Harry's Hardware", where Tim spent a great deal of his time (and money) and in which Al eventually became part owner. He is married  – not-so-happily  – to Delores (Shirley Prestia), and the couple bad-mouths one another behind their respective backs on every occasion (But Dolores rarely follows this rule). Also has four sons, one Dennis (David DeLuise), with whom he has a somewhat rocky relationship. In one episode Harry told Tim that he had gotten a vasectomy. In another episode it is mentioned he served in the United States Marine Corps in the Vietnam War.

text: Benny Baroni[edit]

text: Benny Baroni (Jimmy Labriola) – One of Tim's buddies who hangs out at the hardware store. Benny is a bit of a slacker and notoriously known as a freeloader – his trademark being drinking coffee and eating donuts. Benny has not had a job in years, mainly because he doesn't like to work. He makes money by gambling and betting on horse races. On one episode ("A House Divided", Season 4.18) While the "Tool Time" crew is fixing up Benny's aunt's house, the structure is blown up due to Benny's negligence and is not Tim's fault; furthermore when Tim and his family are moving furniture back into the twice repaired Benny's aunt house, Benny, rather than helping out, lies back on a lawn chair to watch the others do the work. He is also known for being inconsiderate of others; at one point, he even ate at a soup kitchen regularly to avoid paying for meals. One episode ("The Look", Season 5.07) Tim was selling season Pistons tickets (Tim had 2 tickets for each game and each pair cost $100) and Benny not able or willing to buy any of the tickets kept offering to go to the games with the people who were buying them, even people he didn't even know, so he could go to the games without paying for a ticket. Ironically in a rare instance of performing earnest work, Benny once appeared on an episode of Tool Time for "Tim and Al's Fantasy Kitchen", where he was shown cutting meat inside a walk-in freezer.

text: Other recurring characters[edit]

text:
Karen (Betsy Randle) – feminist friend of Jill who is very obnoxious towards Tim, often helping Jill mock and discourage Tim. Tim finds her irritating. While she finds her rivalry with Tim innocent and harmless, she has no qualms passively accusing Tim of being unfaithful, making Jill feel insecure about their marriage. Moved to California after Season 2 - this coincided with the start of her regular role of Amy Matthews on Boy Meets World, another ABC sitcom.
Ilene Louise Markham, D.D.S. (Sherry Hursey) – an orthodontist, and Al's first serious girlfriend. On their wedding day, she and Al mutually agreed not to get married and ended their romance on a positive note. Her last appearance was in Season 6.
Marie Morton (Mariangela Pino) – neighbor of the Taylors; close friend of Jill.
Joe Morton (Robert Picardo) – Marie's overactive and obnoxious husband; the "meat man" who irritates Tim, until Morton finds a hard to find jalopy replacement part for Tim; ran out on Marie in Season 5 - this coincided with Picardo's taking the role of "The Doctor" on Star Trek: Voyager.
Jennifer Sudarski (Jessica Wesson) – Brad's first love interest who always called him "Bradley", later moved to Ohio.
Angela (Kristen Clayton) – Former girlfriend of Brad, known for being a constant motor-mouth. She dumped Brad for a guy with his own car. Brad suffered from a bout of depression because of this, but eventually rebounded.
Ashley (Leigh Ann Orsi) – girlfriend of Brad, went to boarding school from Season 5 onwards
Beth (Anndi McAfee) – Randy's first girlfriend who left town
Lauren (Courtney Peldon) – Randy's tomboy girlfriend, left for Costa Rica with him in Season 8.
Lillian "Nana" Patterson (Polly Holliday) – Jill's mother. Before Lillian's first appearance, she was joked at by Tim as being largely overweight, though in her first appearance, Lillian has become thin again, having used Tim's jokes on Tool Time as motivation. Lillian speaks with a very notable Southwestern accent and is caring and supportive to Jill whenever she has troubles.
Colonel Fred Patterson (M. Emmet Walsh) – Jill's father, died in his sleep from a heart attack in Season 6. He had a long career in the Army and his favorite movie was Patton. He somewhat got along fine with Tim, but didn't particularly respect him. He never called Tim by his name but instead called him "Hey You".
Delores Turner (Shirley Prestia) – Harry's overbearing and demanding wife; a New York Knicks fan who can devastate men with "The Look". Her worsening asthma causes Harry to sell the hardware store and move to Arizona in Season 8. Delores and Harry are shown to constantly be arguing whenever they are seen together. Delores is shown several times to work at a local coffee shop as a waitress, where she continues to be sharp-tongued to customers
Nancy Taylor (Jensen Daggett) – Wife of Marty Taylor. They are divorced in Season 8.
John Binford (Noble Willingham) – founder of Binford Tools, died early in Season 3.
Maureen "Producer" Binford (Vicki Lewis) – John Binford's overeager and annoying daughter, she ran Tool Time for a brief time during Season 2, constantly reminding Tim in a sing-song voice that she was the Producer of the show, which allowed her to cause many changes to the show that Tim hated.
Trudy McHale (Megan Cavanagh) – an electrician and heiress to her family's fortune whom Al married in the final episode.
Cal Borland (Keith Lehman) – Al's brother, a physicist.
Felix Myman (Al Fann) – professional plumber and frequent participant in Tool Time's projects.
Rock Flanagan (Casey Sander) – construction worker at K&B Construction. Somewhat loud, and charismatic, Rock always responds to guest appearances on Tool Time by saying, "It's always great to be here, Timmy!" In K&B's "all-tool band", his instrument is a grinder run over an empty oil drum.
Dwayne Hoover (Gary McGurk) – construction worker at K&B Construction. The "straight man" of K&B, he always has to interrupt Pete whenever he is about to say a story that is too revealing by saying, "This is not the time, nor the place!" In K&B's band, he plays hammers on an anvil.
Pete Bilker (Mickey Jones) – construction worker at K&B Construction. Whenever he is called by name from Rock, Pete usually responds, "That would be me." In K&B's band, he plays empty plastic fuel cans as drums, using screwdrivers as drumsticks.
Carrie Patterson (Tudi Roche – the real-life wife of Richard Karn), Jill's sister, a world-traveling photographer.
Willow Branch Leaf Wilson (China Kantner) – Wilson's laid back niece, just goes by Willow, saying she "pruned it back".
Lucille Taylor (Bonnie Bartlett) – Tim's widowed mother.
Bud Harper (Charlie Robinson) – head of Binford Tools, Tim's boss. Bud interacts a lot with Tim and Al, even offering Tim season tickets to the Detroit Pistons. He does not particularly respect Al, even at one point suggesting Al get fired, however Tim defended Al from this.
Jason (Jarrad Paul) – Eddie Haskell-like friend of Brad, often claims to be a fan of Tool Time even though he's never actually seen the show and gains favor with Tim by pretending to ask for advice about tools.
Samantha Hayes (Maggie Lawson) – A college student who dated Brad, although she was four years his senior, which troubled Jill and Tim. In one episode, she and Brad impulsively decided to get married at their young age, but Tim and Jill successfully tricked them to realize their mistake.
Patty (Tammy Lauren) – Jill's friend in season six and seven
Morgan Wondell (Danny Zorn) – The much hated producer of Tool Time during the final season. He apparently has no interest in tool shows, and constantly made changes to the show's premise, even staging a Jerry Springer Show-like riot in the audience, and planning to stage more destructive accidents. Rather than let Wondell turn their show into "Trash Time", Tim, Al, and Heidi quit in the series finale.
Milton (Milton Canady) – friend of Tim, often a guest on Tool Time; when he's around, people tend to make gay references, leading to him snapping "Hey, I don't go for that sort of thing!".
Art Leonard (Dick O'Neill) – Tim's old shop teacher who inspired him to enter the world of tools; stops by several times; at one point has a fling with Tim's mother.
George Sparky Henderson (Patrick Cronin) – friend of Tim and fellow car enthusiast.
Antonio (Vasili Bogazianos) – a sarcastic waiter who is always seen serving the Taylors at high-class restaurants; constantly jokes about the Taylors being cheap.
Alma Borland – Al's unseen, overbearing, obese mother; is the butt of many of Tim's jokes; dies of a sudden heart attack in Season 8.
Ronny (Kaylan Romero) – Mark's goth friend in season 7. Almost never speaks a word and constantly disturbs Tim and Jill with his silent but haunting demeanor.