ABC has just dropped the final trailer for Shifting Gears, the highly anticipated return to the network for its king of sitcoms, Tim Allen. The actor, who is known for his iconic roles in Home Improvement and Last Man Standing, as well as being Santa Claus for generations of kids in his The Santa Clause movies, steps into a new role as Matt, a classic car enthusiast and business owner whose life is turned upside down when his estranged daughter (Kat Dennings) moves back in with her two kids (Maxwell Simkins and Barrett Margolis). The cast also features Daryl “Chill” Mitchell and Seann William Scott as Matt’s employees at his classic car restoration business. The official logline is as follows:
“Matt (Tim Allen) is the stubborn, widowed owner of a classic car restoration shop. When Matt’s estranged daughter and her teenage kids move into his house, the real restoration begins.”
The pilot episode was directed by John Pasquin, who also serves as executive producer alongside Michelle Nader, Marty Adelstein, Becky Clements, Richard Baker, Rick Messina, Jim Patterson, Bob Daily, and John Amodeo. Shifting Gears premieres on ABC on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, at 8 PM ET.
Tim Allen and Kat Dennings' Iconic History in Sitcoms
Allen and Dennings are both old hands when it comes to sitcoms at this point, although they both come from different eras and styles, which is why their pairing in Shifting Gears is such an interesting blend. Allen is a sitcom icon, and he made his big breathrough as Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor in ABC’s Home Improvement (1991–1999). The show, which was based around a hapless TV handyman trying to sort his work/home balance, became a genuine cultural phenomenon in the United States. After a decade-long break from television, Allen returned with Last Man Standing (2011–2021), where he played Mike Baxter, a politically conservative dad trying to navigate life in a house full of women. The show ran for nine seasons across both ABC and Fox, where it moved following the original cancellation of the show.
Dennings rose to fame in a completely different comedic landscape. She is best known for her role as Max Black on the CBS hit 2 Broke Girls (2011–2017), which followed two struggling young women trying to launch a cupcake business while working at a diner, before she later returned to comedy with Hulu’s Dollface (2019–2022), where she played Jules, a young woman trying to reconnect with her female friendships after a breakup.
Shifting Gears premieres on January 8 on ABC with episodes available to stream on Hulu. Check out the trailer above.
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