Talented actor and comedian Tim Allen has been a huge part of the Disney and ABC family for decades.
For eight years, Allen starred in the iconic ABC comedy, Home Improvement. He also starred in a number of hit Disney films, including The Santa Clause (1994), Jungle 2 Jungle (1997), The Shaggy Dog (2006), and Wild Hogs (2007). And who could forget what might be Allen’s most legendary role — the voice of Buzz Lightyear in the Toy Story franchise?
In 2022, Allen reprised his role as Scott Calvin in The Santa Clauses on Disney+. And now, we have learned that Allen has teamed up with ABC for a brand-new comedy show — a series called Shifting Gears!
According to The Hollywood Reporter:
Shifting Gears revolves around Matt (Allen), a stubborn, widowed owner of a classic car restoration shop. When Matt’s estranged daughter and her teenage kids move into his house, the real restoration begins.
This is not the first time Allen has starred in a comedy for ABC. From 2011 until 2021, Allen starred alongside Nancy Travis, Amanda Fuller, and Kaitlyn Dever in Last Man Standing. The series was produced by 20th Century Fox, who then licensed the show to ABC. That was before the studio was purchased by Disney. Disney then licensed the show back to Fox.
Back in November, a rumor went viral, claiming that Allen was actually teaming up with controversial comedian Roseanne Barr for a new comedy. However, the rumor was pushed out by the satirical site SpaceXMania. Even if the rumor were true, it would be unlikely that the comedy would land at ABC.
ABC famously fired Barr in 2018 after she went on a racist tirade against Valerie Jarrett — a Senior Advisor to former President Barack Obama. Barr apologized for the tweet, blaming what she said on the medication she was taking. But ABC didn’t buy the excuse and parted ways with Barr, kicking her off her own show.
Shifting Gears will be co-written by Mike and Julie Scully, best known for writing on shows like The Simpsons, Everybody Loves Raymond, and Fuller House. The Scullys will also serve as executive producers alongside Marty Adelstein, Becky Clements, Richard Baker, and Rick Messina, who were all producers on Last Man Standing.
