‘Improvement’ Spinoff To Start In Mid-April

The makers of “Home Improvement” are soon going to enjoy even more power at ABC with the introduction of a new comic-driven sitcom, slated for mid-April.

“Improvement” executive producers Matt Williams, David McFadzean and Carmen Finestra have penned the upcoming “Home Improvement” episode that contains the characters who’ll make up their latest comedy, “Buddies.”

The show will star little-known standups Dave Chappelle and Jim Breuer.

In the spinoff story line, cable fixitshow host Tim Taylor (Tim Allen) has a spat with his wife, Jill (Patricia Richardson), and shares the details with members of his studio audience. He ends up commiserating with two men, Dave (Chappelle) and Jim (Breuer), who are experiencing similar problems with their girlfriends. In the end, when the show hits the airwaves, all three men end up catching holy you-know-what from their significant others.

The “Home Improvement” episode, entitled “Talk to Me,” has already been taped and will air March 14 at 9 p.m.

The pseudo-spinoff is slated to fill the Tuesday 9:30 time period left vacated by the recently rescheduled “Grace Under Fire.”