Shifting Gears Season 2’s Home Improvement Cameos Are A Mistake

Tim Allen reversing in a red car

ABC is bringing Shifting Gears back for a second season, and instead of fixing what went wrong in the first set of episodes, the network is perpetuating the problem (which involves Tim Allen). The sitcom premiered in January 2025 and is just the latest of Allen’s collaborations with ABC. He also starred in and executive-produced Home Improvement and Last Man Standing.

Allen’s role in Home Improvement served as his breakthrough in Hollywood. The comedy TV show thrust him into the spotlight and opened up many more opportunities for the actor, like The Santa Clause film series and the Toy Story franchise. Without Home Improvement, it’s unclear where Allen would be today. However, that doesn’t mean he has to live in the past.

Shifting Gear Season 2 Will Feature 3 Home Improvement Stars

Patricia Richardson, Richard Karn, & Debbe Dunning Will Guest Star

Tim Taylor (Tim Allen), Heidi (Debbe Dunning), and Al Borland (Richard Karn) on the Tool Time set of Home Improvement

When Shifting Gears season 2 premieres, Allen will be surrounded by three of his Home Improvement co-stars — Patricia Richardson, Richard Karn, and Debbe Dunning. Richardson, Karn, and Dunning will guest star in season 2’s first episode and will reportedly support Allen’s character, Matt, in an unexpected way (per Deadline). Aside from that, information about their characters is being kept under wraps.

In Home Improvement, Patricia Richardson played Jill Taylor (the wife of Tim Allen’s character, Tim Taylor), Richard Karn starred as Albert “Al” Borland (Tim’s friend and co-host of Tool Time), and Debbe Dunning portrayed Heidi Keppert (a “Tool Time girl”).

This won’t be the first time that Shifting Gears has reunited Allen with stars from his two renowned ABC sitcoms. In season 1, two of Allen’s co-stars from Last Man Standing appeared — Nancy Travis and Jay Leno. Now, Shifting Gears is seemingly honoring Allen’s first ABC comedy TV series with the three aforementioned Home Improvement cameos in the season 2 premiere.

Why It’s Better For Shifting Gears To Be More Than Just A Tim Allen Sitcom

Matt in Shifting Gears season 1, episode 10, pointing a finger

While the upcoming Home Improvement cameos in Shifting Gears season 2 might be exciting on the surface, the network is actually making a big mistake. In season 1, it was Last Man Standing; in season 2, it’s Home Improvement. Allen can’t escape his past and carve out a new legacy for himself with Shifting Gears, and that presents a frustrating problem.

Shifting Gears shouldn’t be relying on Allen’s former accomplishments to be a success. It should be more than simply another one of his ABC sitcoms. However, with all these reunions, ABC is doing the exact opposite of what Shifting Gears needs by falling back on Home Improvement and Last Man Standing instead of proving why it’s a great series in and of itself.

Shifting Gears season 2 premieres on Wednesday, October 1, at 8 pm ET on ABC.

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