‘Shifting Gears’ Season 2 Adds a Familiar Late Night Face
Shifting Gears is expanding Riley’s (Kat Dennings) world in the upcoming second season. A new report reveals that comedian and A Little Late host Lilly Singh has joined the show. Singh plays Jen, Riley’s new friend. Like Riley, she’s a mom, and “the two click instantly, but their relationship is derailed by unexpected mama drama.” The date for Singh’s debut has not been revealed.
The comedian/actor makes the fourth new addition to the hit sitcom in the upcoming season. Tim Allen‘s Home Improvement costars Patricia Richardson, Richard Karn, and Debbe Dunning will appear in the Season 2 premiere to support Matt.
Singh’s background as a comedian can be traced back to the early YouTube culture. She rose to prominence on the platform for sharing her hilarious comedy skits, amassing over fourteen million subscribers. She pivoted to late night television in 2019 when she hosted A Little Late with Lily Singh on NBC, but the show was cancelled after two seasons. Despite receiving a positive reception from critics, the show failed to resonate with the audience.
Singh has been involved in numerous voice acting projects over the past several years, including The Muppet Mayhem and The Bad Guys. Her foray into scripted comedy comes on the heels of successful transitions by YouTube comedians like Benito Skinner (Overcompensating) and Brian Jordan Alvarez (English Teacher).
Shifting Gears follows Matt, the stubborn, widowed owner of a classic car restoration shop. When his estranged daughter, Riley, and her kids move into his house, the real restoration begins. The show also stars Seann William Scott as Gabriel, Daryl Chill Mitchell as Stitch, Maxwell Simkins as Carter, and Barrett Margolis as Georgia.
Allen executive produces alongside Michelle Nader, Marty Adelstein, Becky Clements, Richard Baker, Rick Messina, John Pasquin, Jim Patterson, Bob Daily, and John Amodeo. Dennings is a producer.
‘Shifting Gears’ and ‘Abbott Elementary’ Build ABC’s Comedy Night
The network’s two scripted live-action comedies will continue airing on the same night in ABC’s fall schedule. Shifting Gears kicks off the night on Wednesdays at 8 pm, and Abbott Elementary wraps up the second half of the hour.
Later at 9 pm, The Golden Bachelor airs. The Scrubs reboot is also expected to join the schedule in 2026, but the network has yet to set the premiere date. Tune in to ABC on Wednesday, October 1, to watch the Season 2 premiere of Shifting Gears. Season 1 is available to stream on Hulu in the US.
Stay tuned to Collider for more updates, including the debut of Singh’s character.
