Disney+ Subscribers Have To Watch Tim Allen's Hilarious Sitcom With Kat Dennings

If you're a fan of Tim Allen sitcoms and you have access to Disney+, then you absolutely need to check out "Shifting Gears," which broke records when it became ABC's most-streamed series premiere ever in 2025. Allen stars as car restoration shop owner and crotchety widower Matt Parker, whose life takes an unexpected turn when his adult daughter, Riley, asks to move back in with him with her two kids following her divorce. Riley is played by Kat Dennings, who has excellent chemistry with Allen. That's what attracted Michelle Nader — who took the reins when the original showrunners departed — to the project. "I saw the chemistry between Kat and Tim and I was like, 'Oh, this is special,'" she told The Wrap. "There's a magic and a synergy that is really going to capture people's attention as it did with me."

When the series starts, Matt still isn't over the sudden death of his wife, Diane, from a heart attack. Her clothing still hangs in their closet, and he's become even more surly with the employees. Matt is less than thrilled when Riley arrives on his doorstep out of the blue with her two kids in tow. But they have nowhere else to go, and thus modern-minded Riley and old-fashioned Matt move in together. They become reacquainted as they clash over their contrasting parenting styles, their feelings about the world at large, and Riley's attempts at helping Matt overcome his grief. In time, he works up the courage to start dating again and she launches a coffee business. It's a scenario that's tailor made for a sitcom — and one that's definitely paid off for ABC.

Nancy Travis, who played the wife of Tim Allen's character in his sitcom "Last Man Standing," reunited with her former on-screen husband for a Season 1 episode of "Shifting Gears," playing a widow named Charlotte. In the episode "Valentine's," Matt goes to visit the grave of his wife. While at the cemetery, he gets talking to Charlotte — whose late husband is buried right next to Diane. There's clear chemistry there, but it's still too soon for Matt to think about moving on romantically. Charlotte returns in the Season 2 premiere "Secret," and she's not the only one — the episode is one big "Home Improvement" reunion.

While "Last Man Standing" was a big hit for Allen, "Home Improvement" will always be what he's best known for, as he broke out playing "Tool Time" host Tim Taylor in the latter sitcom. Tim's wife Jill Taylor was played by Patricia Richardson, and his "Tool Time" colleagues Al and Heidi were played by Richard Karn and Debbe Dunning, respectively. All three appeared in the "Shifting Gears" Season 2 opener alongside Travis' Charlotte, who invites Matt to a grief group after running into him again. Richardson, Karn, and Dunning's characters are all present at the group, making it a special moment for "Home Improvement" fans.

Guest appearances aside, the rest of the second season has been a success. It was one of the most-watched scripted shows of 2025, so it's no surprise that ABC has ordered three more scripts, upping their initial Season 2 order of 10 episodes to 13. It sounds like the show's engines are purring, so don't be surprised to see it renewed for a third season sometime in the near future.