Shifting Gears’ Recent Last Man Standing Guest Star Is Open To Reuniting With Tim Allen Again

Shifting Gears wasted no time in bridging Tim Allen’s latest sitcom with his previous work, and one of his former co-stars is already interested in returning. The latest ABC comedy follows Allen as Matt Parker, the widowed owner of an auto shop whose life is upended when his estranged daughter Riley (Kat Dennings) and her two children, Carter (Maxwell Simkins) and Georgia (Barrett Margolis), unexpectedly move into his home. The Shifting Gears cast has already welcomed several sitcom alumni, such as Dharma & Greg‘s Jenna Elfman, Last Man Standing‘s Jay Leno, and Allen’s Last Man Standing wife Nancy Travis.

In an interview with The Wrap, Travis revealed she’d be open to reuniting with Allen on Shifting Gears again. Known for portraying Vanessa Baxter on Last Man Standing from 2011 to 2021, the actor made a guest appearance on last Wednesday’s episode of Shifting Gears as Charlotte, a widow who unexpectedly encounters Matt at his wife’s gravesite on Valentine’s Day. Travis said joining the sitcom felt like a “homecoming” as many of the crew on set worked with Allen on the 2010s sitcom and Home Improvement. Read more of what she had to say below:

In a lot of ways, Charlotte is a more mature Vanessa and she has a very sharp wit. She knows her subject matter, Matt, very well, and is able to call him on his transgressions and just joke with him in sometimes a very ruthless way.

What Nancy Travis’ Potential Return To Shifting Gears Means

The ABC Sitcom Continues To Bring Back Familiar Faces

Since Shifting Gears season 2 has yet to be announced, Allen’s latest family sitcom appears to be pulling out all the stops for those who have missed the actor in his previous work. Known for his roles as a stubborn, blue-collar father in the sitcoms Home Improvement and Last Man Standing, Allen’s character Matt has followed a similar formula as the reclusive father of Riley and grouchy grandfather to Carter and Georgia. While reviews for Shifting Gears have criticized its reliance on Last Man Standing nostalgia, the sitcom has been a ratings powerhouse for ABC.

In some ways, Shifting Gears‘ guest appearances have been both its strongest and weakest point. Travis mentioned one of the “biggest laughs” she got during the live-taping was when Charlotte told Matt she’d never be able to date him because he reminded her too much of the last man she dated. “They’re looking for the wink moment, the inside joke,” she said. The frequent nods to Allen’s previous work haven’t landed well with critics, but audiences appear to be embracing his well-established comedic persona and the familiar tropes of Last Man Standing and Home Improvement that pop up in Shifting Gears.

Our Take On Nancy Travis In Shifting Gears

Yet Another Fun Nod To The Past

Travis’ Shifting Gears appearance was a fun nod to Last Man Standing, and her chemistry with Allen remains effortless. Even so, her character Charlotte was able to move beyond a nostalgic cameo as she became the perfect catalyst for Matt to process his grief over the death of his wife. Nonetheless, Shifting Gears has already faced criticism for relying too much on Allen’s legacy. If Travis comes back, hopefully Shifting Gears has established its own identity by then, and Charlotte’s return can be more of a cherry-on-top rather than a narrative crutch.

Source: The Wrap

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Shifting Gears

5/10

Release Date

January 8, 2025

Directors

John Pasquin