They Come in Handy... Sometimes Quiz

Answer: Home Improvement

Al was played by Richard Karn on the ABC sitcom "Home Improvement" for all eight seasons of the show, running between 1991 and 1999. Al worked as the assistant to Tim Taylor on the TV shown within the TV show "Tool Time".

The beauty about Al is that, unlike Tim, he is competent and does things by the book. He tends to shake off Tim's ideas with his regular "I don't think so Tim". Yes, he's a little geeky and he loves flannel but at least there's one person on the show who manages to teach the audience the right way to do home improvements.

Answer: Roseanne

Dan Conner, portrayed by John Goodman in one of his most famous roles, is the easy-going husband of Roseanne Conner and the father of Darlene, Becky, D.J. and Jerry Garcia Conner. In the first season of "Roseanne" (1988) he is unemployed but is soon working as a drywall contractor. He eventually throws that in and opens up a bike shop. The venture turns out to be a failure and he returns to what he does best, being a handyman and drywall contractor.

The series of "Roseanne" ran for ten seasons till 1997. The show was renewed again in 2018 but cancelled soon after. A spin-off series, "The Conners" commenced immediately after that cancellation. In the new series, Goodman has reprised his role as Dan and is now a grandfather.

Answer: Bob the Builder

"Bob the Builder" is a British animated series that first aired in 1999 and is now seen in many countries across the globe. Bob specializes in construction, renovation, repairs and, most of all problem solving. Backed by his friends, his business partner Wendy and apprentice Leo, he saves the day on a regular basis and, in the process, teaches pre-school children about socialization, co-operation and resolving confrontations in the best possible way.

Bob also has a wide range of tools and, more importantly, pieces of equipment that, you guessed it, talk. Among them there's a digger named Scoop, a red bulldozer named Muck, a cement mixer named Dizzy and a steamroller with the original name of Roley.

Answer: Newhart

"Newhart" is a CBS sitcom that ran for eight seasons from 1982 to 1990. The show centres on Dick Loudon, an author of travel and do-it-yourself books, who moves from New York City to an unnamed town, full of eccentric characters (read that as oddballs), to run a 200 year old inn called the Stratford.

George Utley, played by Tom Poston, is the handyman at the inn, a position that has been handed down in the family for generations. George has a habit of avoiding his boss and he tends to miss the point of things told to him. He has been called a little "dim" on occasions. He's not that flash at repairing things either.

Answer: Handy Manny

This Disney animated series first aired in 2006 and its titular character (Manny) owns a repair shop. He has a range of anthropomorphic tools that talk and sing in each episode. Manny is also bilingual, speaking both English and Spanish and his (and the show's) main role is to teach pre-school children the arts of co-operation and problem solving.

In each episode there are generally two stories, one that involves Manny's inept next door neighbour, who always refuses Manny's help at the start and one that involves a customer with a problem. When the customer calls you will hear Manny answer "Hola, Handy Manny's Repair Shop. You break it..." and his wonderful set of tools closes it out by yelling "We fix it!"

Answer: Gilmore Girls

Luke is not officially the handyman in Star's Hollow, instead he runs a local café. He has, however, always been on hand to help out the locals with a hammer and a screwdriver and who can forget the long list of home improvements that he promises Lorelai Gilmore each year, on her birthday.

That said, he did have a good pedigree. His father ran the local hardware store, where Luke worked in his younger days. We assume that he was taught his handy skills by his father. Luke would eventually convert the hardware store into the café and, as a tribute to his father, managed to maintain the old architecture.

Luke was played by Scott Patterson in the series that ran for seven seasons, commencing in 2000.

Answer: At Home With Olaf

This is a little bit of a cheat as Felix is better known for his appearances in the movies featuring "Wreck-It Ralph" (2012 and 2018) and his own eponymously titled arcade game, released in 2012. In "At Home With Olaf", a 2020 TV mini-series, he has made cameo appearances and does not represent one of its stars. He also makes appearances in the "Baymax!" TV series (2022) but only as a decoration.

Felix is the maintenance man in Niceland who, with his magic hammer, is the nemesis of Wreck-It Ralph. His hammer truly is magical as it has the power to, not only repair anything that's damaged but also cure ailments. He also manages to catch the eye of the no-nonsense, albeit, extremely attractive Sergeant Calhoun.

Answer: Desperate Housewives

Mike, portrayed by James Denton, was there for the pilot of "Desperate Housewives" (2004) and remained for the duration (season 8 - 2012). He moves into the Simms house at number 4356 Wisteria Lane. Sadly, he gets gunned down in the last show in what is said to be one of the most emotional deaths on the show. They loved him so much his ghost returned to watch over Susan as she left Wisteria Lane.

In the meantime, he posed as a plumber, completed handy work for a number of the ladies in the street and managed some serious upgrades to Susan's place.

Answer: Home Improvement

Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor is, possibly, the most famous handyman on television. Portrayed by Tim Allen, he is the star of the ABC sitcom "Home Improvement" (1991-99). Tim lives in Detroit, runs his own television show called "Tool Time", is a hot-rod fanatic, only loves his family more than playing with his tools... except, possibly, being manly.

Whilst he's passionate about his work his biggest failing is that the answer to everything is "more power", this is often tempered by (almost) everyone advising "I don't think so Tim". Despite these warnings Tim blunders on and winds up blowing something up, crashing into something or completely destroying. Fortunately, he gets sage advice from his world-wise neighbour Wilson Wilson Jr and winds up saving the day.

Answer: Green Acres

First broadcast in 1965, "Green Acres" ran for six seasons and showcased Eddie Albert as Oliver Douglas, a New York lawyer, who moves to the country for a simpler life but his wife, played by Eva Gabor, still yearns for the glitz of city life.

Ralph Monroe was played Mary Grace Canfield... yes, you read that correctly, Ralph is a she and she decided to be a he because she figured that no one would want to hire a female handyman. Together, with her brother Alf (yes, I know, Ralph and Alf), played by Sid Melton, they move from one disastrous job to another. As if to highlight their incompetence, one of the themes that shows up time and time again, is the bedroom closet in the Douglas' house which constantly falls down.