As the person himself has mentioned, Tim Allen is the Tom Brady of sitcoms. His return for Shifting Gears, which is airing on the 2025 TV schedule, additional proves that truth, as he’s about to embark on his third spherical of family-centered laughs and snark. That truth isn’t misplaced on the veteran of such community hits as House Enchancment and Final Man Standing, which is why when he was approached for this new journey, he had a really particular request in thoughts.
Throughout his current look on Jimmy Kimmel Reside!, the comedy icon talked about how he bought slightly introspective when stating what he needed to do for Shifting Gears. There have been truly two elements that Tim Allen needed to tie into Matt Parker, his new character, however as you may see, he tied each along with a standard theme he was eager to discover:
…they pitched this concept, and I mentioned, ‘If I do one other one, [I’d] be just like the Tom Brady of sitcoms. … I wanna be a widower, I wanna take care of grief.’ I used to be all the time amazed at those who take care of grief. … I wanna be round automobiles, and those who restore stuff, and don’t purchase new stuff. So it’s all about restoration.
So far as the occupation goes, Shifting Gears’ having Tim Allen working with automobiles and instruments nearly feels just like the final piece of a triangle of ruggedness that the person has embodied over a long time of TV. Beforehand, House Enchancment had Allen play Tim “The Toolman” Taylor, whereas Final Man Standing’s Mike Baxter was a sporting items mogul.
That previous historical past solely additional helps the Santa Clause actor’s request to be a widower coping with grief, as he groups with fellow sitcom star Kat Dennings. Once more, while you’re the Tom Brady of sitcoms, you don’t need to simply play the identical recreation on the identical staff.
Unusually sufficient, that dedication led to Tim Allen doing “reverse restorations” on his personal automobiles. That keenness for restoration apparently works each methods, as using Allen’s autos on Shifting Gears has given Matt Parker some stuff to tinker with all through this season, and probably past.
It could be too early to speak out what Shifting Gears’ premiere scores should say concerning the present’s potential longevity. In the identical breath, it ought to be famous that the first-year ABC comedy did come near the numbers pulled in by NBC’s Chicago Med. That’s a fairly spectacular feat when going up towards a longtime medical drama of ten seasons and counting.
Whereas the essential reactions to Shifting Gears had been a combined bag of notes, this preliminary response from viewers might be an early signal that Allen’s championship run of sitcoms might preserve going. That being mentioned, looking at movies just like the time Tim Allen pulled a really meta reveal on the present’s set might be the furthest factor from this gearhead’s thoughts.
If you happen to’re prepared for Shifting Gears, you may catch it because it airs on ABC, Wednesdays at 8 PM E.T. Hulu subscription holders are in a position to watch new episodes the day after they air, so attempt to not spoil an excessive amount of from the jokes that drop recent every week. Oh, and if Tom Brady’s studying this – you must actually take into consideration some form of cameo in a future episode. It’s solely becoming to have a gathering of the G.O.A.Ts.