Tim Allen Coming Back To TV With ‘Shifting Gears’

Tim Allen is returning to network television. The former Home Improvement and Last Man Standing star has signed on to appear in the new ABC series Shifting Gears. Former 2 Broke Girls star Kat Dennings will also join him for the series.

Here is what you need to know about Shifting Gears and who else will star in the upcoming sitcom.

Tim Allen Coming Back With Shifting Gears

Tim Allen was last making people laugh on his hit sitcom, Last Man Standing. He has most recently starred in the Disney+ series The Santa Clause. There, he reprised his roles from the movie franchise that he helped make famous. However, he is now returning to network television as ABC has greenlit his new series.

Shifting Gears stars Allen as the owner of a car restoration shop who gets a chance to reconnect with his estranged daughter and his grandchildren. He will play Matt, described as “the stubborn, widowed owner of a classic car restoration shop” (via TV Line).

After his wife dies, he will work to reconnect with his estranged daughter Riley, played by Kat Dennings. While Dennings became famous for her role in 2 Broke Girls, she first gained popularity in the movie Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist. She also became a megastar thanks to her role in the MCU as Darcy Lewis (in Thor and the TV series WandaVision).

In addition to Allen and Dennings, Shifting Gears will also star Daryl “Chill” Mitchell (NCIS: New Orleans) as Stitch, a mechanic who works for Matt. Maxwell Simkins (The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers) and Barrett Margolis will play Riley’s kids, Carter and Georgia. There is also one uncast character named Nick, Riley’s younger brother, who puts his life on hold to come home to help his dad at the shop.

Duncanville creators Mike Scully and Julie Thacker Scully will produce the series, but no showrunner has been signed yet. The new Tim Allen series will likely premiere in 2025.

What About The Santa Clauses?

Many fans fear Tim Allen’s signing on for Shifting Gears means the end of The Santa Clauses. However, that has not been announced yet. Since ABC and Disney+ are both owned by the same studio, he could work on both shows without a problem.

ABC has not canceled The Santa Clauses after two seasons. However, reports indicate it wouldn’t return for that season until late in 2025 (via Deadline). According to the reports, 20th Television produces both Shifting Gears and The Santa Clauses, making it easy (although a lot of work) for the former Last Man Standing star.

How does the new Tim Allen show sound to you? Are you excited to see him back in a sitcom? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.