Tim Allen is back. Again. If you feel like you’ve seen this movie before—or rather, this multi-cam sitcom—you aren’t alone. For over thirty years, the man has basically owned a very specific corner of the American living room. First, it was the grunting, tool-obsessed Tim Taylor. Then came the flannel-clad, vlog-making Mike Baxter. Now, in 2026, we’re knee-deep into his third major act, and honestly, the Tim Allen tv show Shifting Gears is doing something his previous hits never quite managed.
It’s actually evolving.
Most people figured Allen was done after Last Man Standing wrapped its long run. But ABC saw something in a pilot about a stubborn widower running a classic car shop. They were right. Shifting Gears premiered in early 2025 to massive numbers, pulling in nearly 17 million viewers across all platforms in its first week. That’s wild for a "traditional" sitcom in an era where everyone is supposed to be watching 15-second TikToks. As we move through Season 2 in early 2026, the show is tackling the "grumpy old man" trope with a level of self-awareness that feels... well, new.
Shifting Gears: The Modern Tim Allen TV Show Formula
The setup for Shifting Gears feels familiar, but the execution is where it gets interesting. Tim plays Matt Parker. He’s a widower. He’s headstrong. He spends his days in a garage. If that sounds like Mike Baxter with a wrench instead of a fishing rod, you’re halfway there. But the dynamic changes completely when his estranged daughter, Riley—played by a brilliantly sarcastic Kat Dennings—moves back home with her two teenage kids.
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Why This Cast Works
This isn't just "The Tim Allen Show" with background actors. The chemistry here is the secret sauce.
- Kat Dennings: She brings a "2 Broke Girls" edge that actually pushes back against Allen’s character. She isn't just there to be the "nagging daughter"; she’s his equal in a verbal sparring match.
- Seann William Scott: Casting Stifler from American Pie as Gabriel, a mechanic in the shop, was a stroke of genius. He provides a different kind of comedic energy that balances Matt’s pessimism.
- Daryl “Chill” Mitchell: As Stitch, he’s the grounding force. Mitchell, a long-time collaborator of Allen’s since Galaxy Quest, brings a history and comfort level to the set that you can literally feel through the screen.
The show doesn't ignore the past, either. Season 2 kicked off with a massive nostalgia hit, bringing in Home Improvement legends Patricia Richardson and Richard Karn for guest spots. Seeing Al Borland and Tim Taylor—sort of—back together in 2025 was the kind of fan service that actually worked because it didn't feel forced. It felt like a passing of the torch.
Breaking the "Anti-Woke" Narrative
There was a lot of chatter when the show started about whether it would just be a political soapbox. Allen has been vocal about his personal views in the past, and Last Man Standing leaned into that "conservative dad" archetype hard.
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But Shifting Gears is different.
In a recent January 2026 interview with Us Weekly, Allen admitted they made a conscious choice to keep Matt Parker’s politics "under wraps." He’s a "blank slate." Why? Because the show is more interested in the "restoration" of a family than the restoration of a political party. We see Matt navigating a world he doesn't quite understand—like a Season 2 episode where he attends an art opening hosted by a gay gallery owner—without the character becoming a caricature of a bigot or a saint. He’s just a guy trying to figure out how his custom car builds fit into a world that values "craftsmanship" over "manual labor."
The Streaming Struggle
Despite the massive broadcast numbers on ABC, it hasn't been all smooth sailing. By late 2025, reports surfaced that the show was struggling to crack the Top 15 on Hulu. This is the weird paradox of the modern Tim Allen tv show. Older audiences love to watch it at 8:00 PM on a Wednesday. Younger audiences? They're harder to catch.
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ABC responded by ordering three extra episodes for Season 2, bringing the total to thirteen. They’re betting on the "Disney legacy" factor. With Toy Story 5 hitting theaters in June 2026, the synergy between "Buzz Lightyear" and "Matt Parker" is something Disney is milking for all it's worth.
What You Should Do Next
If you haven’t hopped on the Shifting Gears wagon yet, now is the time to catch up before the Season 2 finale.
- Watch the Pilot: It’s on Hulu and Disney+. It establishes the Riley-Matt rift in a way that’s actually moving, not just "sitcom sad."
- Look for the Cameos: Keep an eye out for Nancy Travis and Jay Leno. They pop up in Season 1 and bring that classic 90s sitcom energy.
- Check the Schedule: New episodes are airing Wednesdays at 8:00 PM ET on ABC. If you miss them, they hit streaming the very next day.
The reality is that Tim Allen is 72 years old. He’s admitted he feels like he’s in an "antiques show" because he’s still doing multi-cam theater in a world of single-camera dramedies. But there is a reason he’s still here. People like comfort. They like 23 minutes where a problem—no matter how messy—gets a resolution. Shifting Gears might be the last time we see Allen in this format, and he's clearly leaving it all on the garage floor.