Shifting Gears has earned impressive viewership from the very beginning, in no small part due to Tim Allen leading the show. However, the harsh reality of Tim Allen’s role in Shifting Gears has been clear from the first episode: Matt Parker is nothing new. Allen has played similar archetypes in his two most popular projects, namely Tim Taylor in Home Improvement and Mike Baxter in Last Man Standing. The similarities are so conclusive, the ABC sitcom used it as a punchline in Shifting Gears episode 9— but the self-aware humor could indicate a deeper issue.
Jay Leno’s Home Improvement Joke In Shifting Gears Episode 9’s Ending Explained
Tim Allen’s 90s Sitcom Is Still Relevant
The reference to Tim Allen’s breakout role came at the end of Shifting Gears episode 9 when Jay Leno appeared as himself, assumedly as a close friend of Matt Parker’s. After Matt brushes off a voicemail he left Leno the night before as a “bit,” Jay Leno talks with intentional vagueness about a show he watched from the 1990s. According to Leno, the main character was just like Matt (only with a better sense of humor). Though Shifting Gears never outright says the show’s title, Leno’s ending scene was clearly referring to Home Improvement and, by extension, Tim Taylor.
Ironically, this isn’t the first time Shifting Gears has implied Tim Allen’s character is similar to his past roles. When Nancy Travis guest starred in Shifting Gears episode 6, her character had a one-off line saying that Matt reminded her of the last guy she dated, referencing how Travis played Allen’s wife in Last Man Standing. The shared Tim Allen universe set up by Shifting Gears runs deep. While it’s good for a quick laugh or beat of nostalgia, it could be limiting the future potential of the ABC comedy.
Jay Leno’s Line Comparing Matt To Tim Taylor Is Right — For Better Or Worse
Tim Allen’s History Is A Double-Edged Sword For Shifting Gears
Jay Leno’s jab that Tim Taylor is essentially a funnier version of Matt Parker perfectly underscores the danger of Shifting Gears never escaping the shadow of Allen’s past hits, but the comparison admittedly isn’t all bad. Home Improvement was a classic sitcom for a reason, and having a predictable character could be comforting to an extent. Even though there are a handful of distinctions between Matt and Tim, they play into the same archetype, and it’s the kind of character that’s been around since TV itself because of its accessibility.
However, being similar to a popular character is only such an issue because Tim Taylor is Tim Allen’s most well-known role. The early reviews of Shifting Gears spotted the risk from a mile away, with everything from Matt’s auto repair shop to his traditional family values feeling reminiscent of Taylor, Baxter, or Allen himself. Undoubtedly, the worst part of Leno’s comparison line was the discernment that Tim Taylor is seen as funnier than Matt Parker. The comedy in Shifting Gears has been touch-and-go, but the ABC sitcom needs to consider shifting its own gears if it wants real longevity.
Can Shifting Gears Solve Its Big Home Improvement Problem (How?)
Tim Allen Would Have To Challenge Himself And Leave His Comfort Zone
It may only be the pilot season, but Matt’s character in Shifting Gears needs to be reconsidered with brutal honesty. Frankly, I’m unsure if Matt will ever become his own character in Shifting Gears. It’s no secret that Tim Allen’s commercial appeal is the typically one-dimensional stereotype he’s played for over 30 years. Television has changed drastically since Home Improvement first aired, but clutching onto formulas that worked in the past is a gamble that Allen is clearly willing to take (potentially at the expense of Shifting Gears).
