Tim Allen’s sitcom «Shifting Gears» continues – we have watched the second series
Tim Allen doesn’t just voice Space Ranger Buzz in «Toy Story», he is also a living sitcom legend. Now the second series of his show «Shifting Gears» has started. Fun is guaranteed!
What’s it about?
Matt Parker (Tim Allen) lives in the same household as his unemployed daughter Riley (Kat Dennings) and her children Carter (Maxwell Simkins) and Georgia (Barrett Margolis). Now, despite his initial scepticism, he has grown closer to dance teacher Eve (Jenna Elfman) and is ready to enter into some kind of relationship with her. However, the widower constantly needs nudges from all sides to move this new romance into somewhat romantic territory. Naturally, his family helps him with this, but so do his two mechanics, Gabriel (Seann William Scott) and Stitch (Daryl Mitchell).
Besides that, there is some news in the Parker household, as daughter Riley finally wants to stand on her own two feet and opens a start-up coffee shop, which brings her into contact with attractive customers. Since she and Gabriel would make a great couple, but he is already taken, she believes she can take the next step with Andy (Jesse Williams). Yet between the cynical comments from her father Matt, her children’s little problems, and the coffee business, there is barely any time left for the finer things in life.
Series one of Shifting Gears got off to a fantastic start in terms of ratings last year, but could not maintain this high until the end of the season. Nevertheless, it soon became clear that sitcom legend Tim Allen (Home Improvement, Last Man Standing, The Santa Clauses) still has enough pulling power to lead this show into further series. Alongside 2 Broke Girls star Kat Dennings, he is now taking the chaos in the Parker household into the next round. By the way, series three has supposedly already been green-lit.
The first series of Shifting Gears, with its ten episodes, was a sort of feeling-out process with the audience. As the feedback was positive, the second series has now been bumped up to 13 episodes. This leaves more room for squabbles, cheeky remarks, romantic entanglements, and, above all, guest appearances. Jenna Elfman (Dharma & Greg), Seann William Scott (American Pie), and Daryl Mitchell (Galaxy Quest) had already been confirmed, but even more familiar faces are joining in series two. Gabriel Iglesias (Mr. Iglesias) and old friends from Home Improvement ensure that there is always something to grin and laugh about.
However, anyone expecting laugh-out-loud moments en masse will continue to be shown otherwise in Shifting Gears. Yes, the jokes are funny and the characters are visibly building up to their punchlines, but themes such as the loss of a loved one, the difficulties of job-hunting, raising teenagers, or standing up for one’s own values remain ever-present. This elevates the show from a mere gag-fest to a more serious level. You even catch yourself sympathising with the characters and becoming more interested in what happens to them next, rather than just waiting for the next joke.
Verdict on the second series
Across two series, Shifting Gears has grown up quite a bit, without losing its childlike naivety and curiosity. The show touches upon serious themes and delivers them to the audience through funny and endearing characters. This makes for a second season that is not only amusing and packed with guest stars, but can also comfortably accommodate a heartfelt hugging scene in quieter moments – and might even motivate a few members of the audience to take stock of their own lives
Both series of Shifting Gears are available to watch in full on Disney+
DisneyTim Allen
