Tim Allen is one of the most successful sitcom stars in TV history.
He’s ready to add to his remarkable legacy.
And Tim Allen gave one sneak peek into his future that left his fans wanting more.
The trailer for Tim Allen’s new sitcom debuts
Comedian Tim Allen became a star playing Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor for eight seasons on the ABC sitcom Home Improvement in the 1990s.
He returned to the sitcom genre with Last Man Standing starting in 2011 on ABC before it was picked up by Fox.
Allen is hoping to strike gold on ABC once again with his new sitcom, Shifting Gears.
The funnyman plays Matt, a widowed owner of a classic car restoration shop who has his life turned upside down.
Allen is a real life fanatic of classic cars.
In the show, his estranged daughter Riley, played by actress Kat Dennings – who starred in the CBS sitcom 2 Broke Girls – moves back into his home with her two kids to get back on her feet and the hijinks ensue.
Shifting Gears released a final trailer for the show, which is debuting in January on ABC.
Actors Sean William Scott and Daryl “Chill” Mitchell round out the cast.
Tim Allen tries for another hit sitcom
The trailer previews the conflict between Allen and Dennings’ characters on the show.
“Is that my GTO? I built that thing 15 years ago and somebody stole it,” Allen’s character says a car pulls into the shop.
Dennings’ character and her two kids get out of the classic car.
“And there is the thief!” Allen quips.
The trailer reveals that Dennings’ character didn’t leave home on good terms.
“Can we try to talk to each other like rational adults?” Dennings asked.
“Have you watched the news lately? That’s not a thing anymore,” Allen replies.
A return to working a TV sitcom was a natural fit for Allen.
Allen told US Weekly in 2020 when he was still starring in Last Man Standing that he loved working on a sitcom.
“The word that keeps me alive is ‘grateful.’ I love what I do. I get far more enjoyment out of entertaining people than anything monetary,” Allen explained. “I love the live audience we have. I tell them every night, ‘This is old-school stuff, what television and broadcast started with.’ I don’t know the future, but this [show] is rare.”
Network sitcoms have been going extinct with an increase in reality shows and crime dramas.
Allen flourished making life’s everyday situations hilarious on his previous two sitcoms.
“We did the same thing as we did with Home Improvement. It’s all about the relationships – we don’t get into topical stuff. But [now], I’ve just got girls, so you see how a man differs in his perspective when he has so many strong women around him,” Allen continued. “We never make fun [of each other]. It’s an affectionate family. I like the fact that we honor and make fun – at the same time – marriage, institution, kids, babies, people. But in the same way, we honor it. We’re not being snarky about it.”
Tim Allen has a chance to create another timeless sitcom with Shifting Gears.
