‘Shifting Gears’: How Is Tim Allen’s New ABC Sitcom? (POLL)

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Shifting Gears, Season 1 Episode 1, “Restoration.”]

Shifting Gears has arrived, marking Tim Allen‘s network TV return following his long run with Fox‘s Last Man Standing. Allen returns to ABC, and, in this new series, steps into the role of Matt, a car restoration shop owner with some strong opinions who finds himself in quite the predicament when his estranged daughter Riley (Kat Dennings) pops up with her two kids looking for a place to stay.

Disney / Mike Taing

Matt and Riley have been particularly out of touch since his wife (her mother) died, leaving them without a bridge to connect through. As Riley faces a divorce from her bass player husband Jimmy, her lack of funds and a job send her barreling from Las Vegas to her dad in California.

Agreeing to make the situation work as best they can, Riley aims to settle in and Matt spends time with his grandson Carter (Maxwell Simkins) and granddaughter Georgia (Barrett Margolis). In an effort to find common ground with them, Matt suggests that Carter learns how to drive, giving lessons in a parking lot before things go awry.

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When the demonstration turns into a minor accident, Riley and Matt are forced to face the underlying issues of their estrangement, particularly their unresolved grief over the loss of their family matriarch. As with many comedies, Shifting Gears has its hit-and-miss moments, but there’s definitely something gripping about the more emotional heartfelt moments like a scene that Riley and Matt share in his kitchen reminiscing over an old recipe.

The episode also made way for the introduction of Matt’s colleagues, Stitch (Daryl Mitchell), and Gabriel (Seann William Scott), the latter of whom happens to be best friends with Riley’s brother, who isn’t revealed in this episode. And as we look ahead to the show’s upcoming installments, a solid base has been built, but how does it hold up? Let us know what your initial thoughts of Shifting Gears in the reader poll, below, and sound off in the comments section, below.

Shifting Gears, Wednesdays, 8/7c, ABC