As the man himself has said, Tim Allen is the Tom Brady of sitcoms. His return for Shifting Gears, which is airing on the 2025 TV schedule, further proves that fact, as he’s about to embark on his third round of family-centered laughs and snark. That fact isn’t lost on the veteran of such network hits as Home Improvement and Last Man Standing, which is why when he was approached for this new ride, he had a very specific request in mind.
During his recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the comedy icon talked about how he got a little introspective when stating what he wanted to do for Shifting Gears. There were actually two aspects that Tim Allen wanted to tie into Matt Parker, his new character, but as you can see, he tied both together with a common theme he was keen to explore:
…they pitched this idea, and I said, ‘If I do another one, [I’d] be like the Tom Brady of sitcoms. … I wanna be a widower, I wanna deal with grief.’ I was always amazed at people that deal with grief. … I wanna be around cars, and people that restore stuff, and don’t buy new stuff. So it’s all about restoration.
As far as the profession goes, Shifting Gears' having Tim Allen working with cars and tools almost feels like the last piece of a triangle of ruggedness that the man has embodied over decades of TV. Previously, Home Improvement had Allen play Tim “The Toolman” Taylor, while Last Man Standing’s Mike Baxter was a sporting goods mogul.
That past history only further helps the Santa Clause actor’s request to be a widower dealing with grief, as he teams with fellow sitcom star Kat Dennings. Again, when you’re the Tom Brady of sitcoms, you don’t want to just play the same game on the same team.
Strangely enough, that dedication led to Tim Allen doing “reverse restorations” on his own cars. That passion for restoration apparently works both ways, as the use of Allen’s autos on Shifting Gears has given Matt Parker some stuff to tinker with throughout this season, and potentially beyond.
It may be too early to talk out what Shifting Gears’ premiere ratings have to say about the show’s potential longevity. In the same breath, it should be noted that the first-year ABC comedy did come close to the numbers pulled in by NBC’s Chicago Med. That’s a pretty impressive feat when going up against an established medical drama of ten seasons and counting.
While the critical reactions to Shifting Gears were a mixed bag of notes, this initial response from viewers could be an early sign that Allen’s championship run of sitcoms could keep going. That being said, taking a look at videos like the time Tim Allen pulled a very meta reveal on the show’s set is probably the furthest thing from this gearhead's mind.
If you’re ready for Shifting Gears, you can catch it as it airs on ABC, Wednesdays at 8 PM E.T. Hulu subscription holders are able to watch new episodes the day after they air, so try not to spoil too much from the jokes that drop fresh each week. Oh, and if Tom Brady’s reading this - you should honestly think about some sort of cameo in a future episode. It’s only fitting to have a meeting of the G.O.A.Ts.
