Reviews are out forShifting Gears, and Tim Allen’s return to TV is massively underperforming with critics. Allen previously led one ofthe best 90s sitcoms(Home Improvement) and returned in 2011 for a respectable 9-season run ofLast Man Standing.Thestory of Tim Allen’sShifting Gearsseemed like a familiar continuation of his past hits, with leading man Matt partly modeled after Allen himself.
While Tim Allen is undoubtedly the show’s main selling point, it has other heavy hitters like Kat Dennings (2 Broke Girls) who plays his estranged daughter, Riley. Dennings' character and her two children move in with Allen’s Matt, but the father-daughter duo are constantly at odds. ThoughShifting Gearsis set up like a classic sitcom, reviews have criticized aspects of the plot, writing, and overall execution, withShifting Gearscurrently sitting at a“rotten”45%Rotten Tomatoesscore. Choice critics were kinder to the sitcom, but the majority of reviews focused on one of five key concerns.
5Shifting Gears Doesn’t Try To Be Anything More Than A Simple Sitcom
The New ABC Show Offers Nothing New Of Its Own
Shifting Gearsentered ABC’s catalog long after the downfall of classic sitcoms. Many networks and showrunners have attempted to revive the genre in the past decade, but a combination of increased streaming and a turn towards short-form content required fresher ideas. Even popular shows that have sitcom elements are remembered by something else entirely, likeAbbott Elementary’s mockumentary format orThe Good Place’s notable lack of a laugh track.
Shifting Gearsmodeling itself after an old-school sitcom has been an unsuccessful endeavor, at least according to reviews. Erik Kain argues it’s either“a rough start, or maybe the classic sitcom is better left in the past”(viaForbes). The concept is nothing radical, but that seems intentional onShifting Gears’s part. Robert Llyod gives the show grace, conceding that“Formulas are formulas because they give consistent, reliable, unsurprising results.”(viaLos Angeles Times).
4The Plot Is Too Predictable And Reminiscent Of Past Sitcom Flops
These Relationship Dynamics Have Been Seen Too Many Times Before
Most defining aspects ofShifting Gearshave been done before — for better or worse. The concept of drastically different family members under the same roof has been explored in hits likeModern FamilyorThe Middle, but it’s also been the center of shows like Netflix’s failedPretty Smart. Even more specifically, fathers and daughters living together in adulthood has already been played out, as recently as NBC’sLopez vs Lopez.
In general, the story has been criticized as“very predictable, designed for lowest common denominator humor and confirmation bias”(viaUSA Today).Shifting Gearssucceeds in emulating older sitcoms,but what critics see as a lackluster plot stops it from cementing its own identity within the first episodes. There’s still time forShifting Gearsto surprise, but the two episodes sent for review have been, asUSA Todaycontinues,“middling.”
3The Characters Are Only There To Set Up Punchlines For Allen
Aside From Allen, The Characters Don’t Have Enough Character
WhileShifting Gearshas an impressive array of actors in its ensemble, the sitcom has been criticized for failing to utilize them in favor of prioritizing Tim Allen. Seann William Scott (Gabriel), Kat Dennings, and Barrett Margolis (Georgia) have all been praised for their performances, but complimenting their acting requires a caveat that they are largely sidelined for leading man Matt. Despite the talent,“the ensemble is, thus far, blurring into the blandness”(viaHollywood Reporter).
Considering Allen is an executive producer onShifting Gears, critics have been harsher on his Matt-centric framing. Many view the focus on Allen as a waste of the other characters who could setShifting Gearsapart from the crowd. Even the female lead, Riley is seen as lacking depth or a fully-realized character, which squandersShifting Gears’s chance to join the list ofbest shows about a single mom.
2The Comedy In Shifting Gears Feels Like Half-Hearted Social Commentary
The Lukewarm Political Jokes Don’t Land
The vast majority of jokes in Shifting Gears are delivered by Matt, whose character is seen as merely“one of those common-sense conservatives TV writers lovingly protect from the unpleasant beliefs they may vote for”(viaThe Daily Beast). Matt follows the formulaic set-up of a father from a different generation whose views are unyielding and apathetic, butShifting Gearshas been criticized for always taking Matt’s side during his“kids these days”rants.
Again, Allen’s EP role comes under scrutiny as the main source to blame for Matt’s conservative-skewing humor that fails to land with a modern audience. Dave Nemetz says Matt’s diatribes“feel like leftover scraps from Allen’s stand-up act, and a few of them hit a sour note”(viaTV Line). From Matt discouraging Georgia’s career aspirations to his one-liners lamenting Nancy Pelosi and Uber, reviews say the comedy fails to deliver.
1Shifting Gears Lives In The Shadows Of Allen’s Former Sitcoms
It Will Always Pale In Comparison To Home Improvement And Last Man Standing
Perhaps the biggest obstacle for Shifting Gears is growing into something other than“Tim Allen’s new sitcom.”Having such a well-known name promoting the show is a double-edged show: the audience may be there, but viewers will constantly be comparingShifting Gearsto Allen’s previous projects. Thanks to its recency,Last Man Standingis the more popular point of reference.
Most critics had the same takeaway from the first episodes ofShifting Gears, viewing the sitcom as a Tim Allen show for Tim Allen fans. Despite only airing one episode,Shifting Gearshas already been denounced as the worst of Allen’s three sitcoms, with the pilot feeling like“Last Man Standing without the guts to come right out and just be Last Man Standing”(viaHollywood Reporter). Though the starting reviews forShifting Gearswere poor, there’s no telling what the future holds for Allen’s sitcom return.
Sources:Rotten Tomatoes,Forbes,Los Angeles Times,USA Today,Hollywood Reporter,The Daily Beast,TV Line.
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.
