Tim Allen Seeking ‘Seinfeld’ Money

“Home Improvement” star Tim Allen wants to join Jerry Seinfeld in television’s highly exclusive $1-million-per-episode club, according to industry sources.

Allen returned to work last week to begin production on his ABC comedy’s seventh season while representatives seek to renegotiate his contract with production company Walt Disney Television.

Some within the industry anticipated that the widely reported “Seinfeld” negotiation might have a ripple effect, especially with supporting players Jason Alexander, Michael Richards and Julia Louis-Dreyfus said to be commanding $600,000 per episode, more than the lead in any other show. Seinfeld’s seven-figure weekly salary for the coming season represents an industry first.

According to sources, Allen currently receives about $350,000 per episode. With the series turning out 25 episodes a year, that means his compensation for the year would exceed $8.7 million.

Insiders say the star wants a substantial increase for the 1997-98 season and then to crack the $1-million barrier the subsequent year. Disney Television and ABC, both owned by the Walt Disney Co., have agreed to a two-year renewal on the series, and its other stars have been signed through an eighth year.

A spokeswoman for Allen would say only that he is “back, he’s working and he’s very happy” regarding his contract for the new season, while declining to discuss the following year. Allen’s attorney declined comment, as did Disney, citing a company policy regarding such matters.

Beyond the series--ABC’s top-rated entertainment program--Allen has proven a major asset to Disney on several fronts. He starred in two successful movies the studio released, “The Santa Clause” and “Jungle 2 Jungle,” in addition to his voice work in the computer-animated hit “Toy Story,” and its upcoming video sequel.

Allen has also written two best-selling books published by Hyperion, Disney’s publishing unit.

Ratings for “Home Improvement” have declined but the program remains a Top 10 hit and may be even more crucial to ABC given the network’s overall ratings slide. Weekly prime-time viewership fell by 13% last season, dropping the network from second to third place.

Published reports say Disney previously advanced Allen more than $25 million against his share of profits from the sale of “Home Improvement” reruns to local TV stations. According to a lawsuit filed by the producers against Disney in February, total syndication revenue for the show could eventually exceed $800 million.

Allen pleaded guilty in June to driving while impaired in a Detroit suburb. The comic was sentenced to a year’s probation and fined $500.