Tim Allen is set to return to primetime for the 2025 TV schedule following the end of Last Man Standing. A veteran of sitcoms, the actor is set to jump back to the small screen via ABC's multi-camera comedy Shifting Gears. It seems he’s not the only one returning to his roots with the House of Mouse either. As it so happens, a Disney Channel alumni is officially set to join the new series in a guest role, and I can’t wait to see her shine in a brand-new comedy series.
It's been reported by Deadline that Brenda Song is set to join the family-centric sitcom at the Alphabet Network. By joining the series, she’ll reunite with Dollface co-star Kat Dennings. This will also be the second time that the Suite Life of Zack & Cody star gets to work with showrunner/executive producer Michelle Nader, who runs this upcoming comedy and produced the aforementioned Hulu series.
Shifting Gears is set to follow Matt (Allen), a stubborn widow and owner of a classic car workshop. Though accustomed to living a solitary life, his reality is upended when his recently separated daughter, Riley (Dennings), moves into his house with her teenage children in tow. Needless to say, shenanigans are set to ensue.
On the show, Brenda Song is set to play Caitlyn, a former classmate of Riley’s who is now the assistant principal of their former high school. It’s unclear how many episodes Song will appear on, but having her for even just one is certainly to the benefit of the series. After all, the former Disney Child star is a natural when it comes to comedy, especially multi-cam productions that film in front of a live studio audience. Seriously, who could forget her A+ work as London Tipton on Zack & Cody?
Given the history that the Dads alum's character has with Riley, their dynamic is sure to cause headaches for both Riley’s children and her widowed father. I’m excited to see what kind of principal Riley ends up being — will she take after Abbott Elementary’s Ava, or will she be a no-nonsense type that sets up a different kind of conflict for her potential relationship with Riley? The possibilities are endless, and I, for one, am pumped to see the dynamics take shape.
With three multi-cam veteran actors (Allen, Dennings, and Song) on board, it seems that Shifting Gears has som solid talent at its hands. The show is set to hit ABC on Wednesday, January 8th at 8 p.m. ET and will join Abbott Elementary in an hour-long comedy block. That's something the network could use, since the school mockumentary was the only comedy on the 2024 fall schedule. Additionally, The Connors’ seventh and final season is expected to join the shows when it returns in March 2025.
I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Shifting Gears is a hit like Tim Allen and Kat Dennings' past projects and will help the alphabet network bring back their comedy-heavy Wednesday night lineup. And, of course, as a fan of the medium, I'd love to avoid a future in which multi-camera sitcom just die out. Here's hoping that the show finds an audience and that Brenda Song absolutely crushes her role.
Ahead of the premiere, you can get a taste of Song and Dennings’ hilarious chemistry by streaming their excellent Hulu original series Dollface. And don’t forget to check out Allen’s previous sitcoms, Last Man Standing and Home Improvement, which can both be streamed with a Disney+ subscription.
