Shifting Gears, Tim Allen’s new sitcom, has a central plot similar to another star’s network TV return. The impressivecast of characters inShifting Gearsis led by Allen as Matt and Kat Dennings as his estranged daughter, Riley. The two actors come from very different generations, andShifting Gearsuses that as its main source of conflict. However, bridging the generational gap through forced proximity has been attempted before in a modern sitcom that is still on the air.
Aside from one major difference,Shifting Gearsis very similar toLopez vs Lopez,headed by George Lopez. While the latter has aired three seasons,Shifting Gearsseason 2is still up in the air, meaning there’s no guarantee that Allen will be able to properly cement his sitcom’s unique identity.Shifting Gearstakes a slightly different approach, luckily making one key change that sets it apart from its predecessor.
Tim Allen’s Shifting Gears Has The Same Premise As Lopez vs. Lopez (But In Reverse)
Both Follow A Father And Daughter Living Together In Adulthood
Similar to Allen, George Lopez was the leading man in a popular sitcom decades ago. While Tim Allen was in one ofthe best sitcoms of the 90s, George Lopez starred in a staple of the 2000s: the self-titledGeorge Lopez, which followed a fictionalized version of himself. Lopez returned to once again transpose his life into TV withLopez vs Lopez, acting alongside his real-life daughter. In his 2022 sitcom,Lopez plays a father moving in with his adult daughter. The two clash due to their differing perspectives, but their familial bond prevails.
The basic plot ofShifting Gearsfollows the same premise asLopez vs Lopez, but it’s Riley who moves in with Allen’s character. George moves in with his daughter following a bankruptcy, while Matt’s daughter moves in following a divorce. Additionally, Riley brought along her two children, Carter (Maxwell Simkins) and Georgia (Barrett Margolis), to live with her estranged father. Adding the grandchildren offers up more potential points of conflict, makingShifting Gearsa generational-gap sitcom that spans three generations.
Why Tim Allen’s Shifting Gears Has Been Divisive
The Sitcom Caters To A Specific Audience
Thus far,Shifting Gearshas been controversial due to Tim Allen’s central involvement. Aside from starring in the sitcom, Allen is also an executive producer.Shifting Gearshas come under fire for feeling simply like a continuation of Allen’s previous projects, such asHome ImprovementandLast Man Standing. At least thus far, Matt feels less like an original character and more like a replica of his more established characters.Screen Rant’sShifting Gearsreviewsays that“[the sitcom] lives and dies with Allen,”although it has the potential to be bigger than that.
5 Reasons Tim Allen’s Shifting Gears Reviews Are So Bad
Tim Allen has made his highly-anticipated return to network TV with his new sitcom, Shifting Gears, but the first episode failed to impress critics.
Yet, it’s important to recognize that only two episodes ofShifting Gearshave been released.Shifting Gearsalready has an originality problem, but the pilot season has time to solve it— if the show wants to fix it at all. ABC’s new sitcom needs to find its footing and establish some sort of identity outside of being fodder for Tim Allen fans. If the following episodes don’t offer more substance to attract a broader audience,Shifting Gearswon’t just be similar toLopez vs Lopez; it might even pale in comparison.
Shifting Gearscontinues Wednesday at 8 ET on ABC.
Shifting Gears
Shifting Gears is a drama about Matt, a widowed owner of a classic car restoration shop. Matt’s estranged daughter Riley and her teenage children move into his home, challenging him to rebuild both familial and personal connections.
