Last Man Standing star Tim Allen is set to return to ABC for a new sitcom under the working title Shifting Gears. The actor will also executive produce the planned project, which hails from 20th Television.
Julie Thacker Scully and Mike Scully will co-write the pilot episode. Apart from Allen, both of the mentioned writers will also executive produce alongside Marty Adelstein, Becky Clements, Richard Baker, and Rick Messina.
Allen is no stranger to working with ABC, having played Tim Taylor in the long-running hit Home Improvement, which ran for eight seasons from 1991 to 1999. After a few years, the actor returned to ABC to portray Mike Baxter in Last Man Standing (2011–2017), which aired for six seasons. This makes Shifting Gear Allen’s third project with ABC.
Both Home Improvement and Last Man Standing are available to stream on Hulu.
What is Shifting Gears about?
According to reports, Shifting Gears will follow Matt (played by Allen) — a character described as “a stubborn, widowed owner of a classic car restoration shop” — whose life will soon get its own “restoration” process when his estranged daughter moves into his house along with her teenage kids.
Apart from the actor’s impressive television credits, Allen also has some stellar big screen projects under his belt including Jungle 2 Jungle, For Richer or Poorer, Galaxy Quest, Joe Somebody, the three The Santa Clause installments, and Big Trouble, among others. He is most notably known for lending his voice to Buzz Lightyear in the Toy Story franchise.
Moreover, Allen most recently starred in the Disney+ adaptation of The Santa Clause, in which he also served as the executive producer. Titled The Santa Clauses, Allen stars alongside Elizabeth Mitchell, Austin Kane, Elizabeth Allen-Dick, and Eric Stonestreet.
All two seasons of The Santa Clauses can be streamed on Disney+.
