Here's some insider baseball for y'all. For all the "official," clear-to-use photos of Tim Allen, it's hard to find a good one where he's alone and not with the cast of Home Improvement. If you'll notice, just behind Tim Allen in the picture for this article? His Home Improvement co-stars!
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Because that's Tim Allen! He's Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor first and maybe Buzz Lightyear second (if you even remember he voiced the Space Ranger in Toy Story). I'll go a step further and admit that for a second before writing this article, I legitimately had to remember Tim Allen's name wasn't "Tim Taylor."
That's no shade to Allen whatsoever. Home Improvement was hard for any of its actors to move away from. That simultaneously speaks to the show's enduring legacy and the woeful price of being too good in a single role. Like Adam West when he played Batman. The only person (that immediately comes to mind) to successfully break out of the "Typecast" box is Bryan Cranston in Breaking Bad when he was more than just "the funny dad in Malcolm in the Middle."
Anyway, Tim Allen's actively shooting what I assume is Shifting Gears, though he doesn't clarify in the X (formerly Twitter) post talking about it.
Here I go again. Shooting my new ABC pilot. Great cast, great crew. We shoot Friday in front of live audience. More to come. pic.twitter.com/ncpA3x6lXW
— Tim Allen (@ofctimallen) June 5, 2024
The news has garnered a sort of tepid "That's cool, I guess" response from the internet.
Tim Allen's Hoping To Make A Comeback With 'Shifting Gears,' But Fans Still Need To Be Convinced
On ABC? I thought you'd do something more....conservative. I guess if the money is right ?????
— TheAmericanTexan (@TexanAngry) June 5, 2024
Ignoring the undertones of that post, most reactions follow a similar indifference that borders on derisive.
I need a detective dramedy starring you and Jay Leno focusing on low-classification misdemeanors and zoning nuisances.
— OrrWut (@OrrWut) June 5, 2024
But it's not all bad! Some people are genuinely excited! "Will be difficult to [exceed] the quality of Last Man Standing!" one X user says. I can confirm that Last Man Standing... certainly existed! It was also a few notches more cynical than Home Improvement. Maybe looking at the Shifting Gears synopsis will make everyone more optimistic about Allen's new project!
Let's see: "Shifting Gears revolves around Matt, 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 a "sitcom," ABC? That sounds depressing. Not exactly "Hijinks Ensue!" territory. I mean, maybe it'll end up being Allen's Breaking Bad.
Which it won't be because it's a sitcom. I'll remain cautiously optimistic, but maybe this should've been a drama series.
