To no one’s surprise, Shifting Gears has been a success. Allen’s TV shows typically perform well, and his 2025 sitcom is his latest hit. Shifting Gears set a viewership record for ABC as its series premiere garnered around 16.95 million views across live and streaming, the highest since The Conners debuted in 2018 (per TheWrap). Consequently, it would be a complete shock if ABC canceled the show. Fans should expect to see Allen and Dennings return to their screens for Shifting Gears season 2 during the 2025–2026 TV season. Until then, they can watch other sitcoms to fill the void.
Last Man Standing
Stream On Hulu
Given its story centering around Allen’s typecast conservative character and family values, Last Man Standing is the perfect replacement for Shifting Gears.
Allen’s character, Mike Baxter, is a senior executive and the director of marketing for a sporting goods store chain in Denver. Meanwhile, he has a wife, three daughters, and a grandson at home. Given its story centering around Allen’s typecast conservative character and family values, Last Man Standing is the perfect replacement for Shifting Gears. It also helps that Allen reunited with some of his Last Man Standing co-stars in his new ABC series.
Home Improvement
Stream On Netflix & Hulu
Last Man Standing wasn’t Allen’s first successful sitcom — Home Improvement was. In fact, Home Improvement was Allen’s breakthrough. He rose to prominence via the 1990s ABC comedy series, which lasted for nine seasons and over 200 episodes. It revolves around Allen’s Tim Taylor, the host of a home improvement show called Tool Time, and his family (a recurring theme in the actor’s sitcoms). Home Improvement‘s long run should keep Shifting Gears fans preoccupied during the hiatus between seasons 1 and 2.
2 Broke Girls
Stream On The Roku Channel
If one is going to watch Allen’s past TV shows to pass the time while waiting for Shifting Gears season 2, they should also check out Dennings’ former sitcom, 2 Broke Girls. Dennings starred as Max Black alongside Beth Behrs’ Caroline Channing in the CBS comedy series. Max and Caroline, who come from very different backgrounds, work alongside each other as waitresses at a local diner in Brooklyn, New York.
Max and Caroline meet at the beginning of 2 Broke Girls. Despite their differing personalities, they form a friendship, move in together, and start saving up money to open their own cupcake business. 2 Broke Girls ultimately ran for six seasons and 138 episodes before ending in April 2017.
Lopez vs Lopez
Stream On Netflix & Peacock
If Shifting Gears enthusiasts are searching for a similar TV show that is still on the air, look no further than Lopez vs Lopez. The NBC sitcom stars George Lopez and his real-life daughter, Mayan, as fictionalized versions of themselves. Lopez vs Lopez is essentially the inverse of Shifting Gears as it begins with George moving in with Mayan after his moving company went bankrupt, and just like Matt and Riley in Shifting Gears, they are estranged at the start of the series.
Mom
Stream On Hulu
Another sitcom that features an estranged parent/child duo is Mom, starring Allison Janney and Anna Faris as the said pair. However, Mom is a bit more dramatic than Shifting Gears. The CBS comedy-drama follows Janney’s Bonnie and Faris’ Christy, who are both addicts helping each other stay sober by moving in together.
