Why ‘Shifting Gears’ Might Be Canceled After Its ABC Debut – Here’s What You Need to Know!

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Shifting Gears may have had an incomparable debut, but that isn’t enough to guarantee ABC’s newest sitcom a season 2 renewal. Tim Allen leads the Shifting Gears cast of characters as Matt Parker, a widower and auto-restoration shop owner whose droll observations and lofty expressions are virtually indistinguishable from his former glory as Home Improvement’s Tim Taylor or Last Man Standing’s Mike Baxter. As the headliner of ABC’s new family comedy, Tim Allen’s name alone drew in devotees early, but Shifting Gears needs more than star power to keep itself afloat during cancelation season.

Shifting Gears season 2, which once seemed inevitable, is now at the mercy of extenuating circumstances that can potentially both help and hinder the sitcom’s chances of survival. The ensemble cast, including the rest of the Parker family (Kat Dennings as Riley, Maxwell Simkins as Carter, and Barrett Margolis as Georgia) and Matt’s employees (Seann William Scott as Gabriel, Daryl “Chill” Mitchell as Stitch, and Cynthia Quiles as Frankie), all grew into their own throughout the comedy’s pilot season, but talent may not be enough. Sadly, the ending of Shifting Gears season 1 could potentially also be its series finale.

Shifting Gears Is On The Verge Of Being Canceled Despite Its Record-Breaking Debut

The Strong Start Only Hurt The Sitcom In The Long Run

From the very beginning, Shifting Gears has been fighting an uphill battle on the critical front. According to critics, Tim Allen’s family comedy felt at once like an obscured imitation and a blatant carbon copy of his previous smash-hit sitcoms, rousing poor initial reviews for Shifting Gears before the episodes had even aired. Despite the negative response to early screenings, Shifting Gears drew in unparalleled numbers for its debut, implying the sitcom could at least be a commercial success if not critically favored. By the end of the pilot season, however, the novelty seemed to have worn off.

Shifting Gears drew in unparalleled numbers for its debut, implying the sitcom could at least be a commercial success if not critically favored.

The true cancelation risk of Shifting Gears lies in multiple factors, none of which doom the sitcom to one-season wonder territory with any real certainty, but all of which fail to inspire any real optimism. Since Shifting Gears leaned so heavily on its headliner during marketing and pre-season press, it always seemed as if Shifting Gears was a Tim Allen show rather than a show starring Tim Allen. Although centering Allen undoubtedly helped Shifting Gears kick off to a record-breaking start, the leading man may have proven himself to be a double-edged sword, slashing the sitcom’s longevity throughout the season.

There Was A Steady Decline In Viewership

Despite early missteps, it seemed as if Shifting Gears only found its footing more steadily with each passing episode, making its uncertain fate even more convoluted. Although Shifting Gears had impressive viewership to boast about in the early days, the numbers steadily declined throughout the season. It may appear that Shifting Gears had a clear downward slope in its viewership, but it’s truly a testament to how staggering the initial audience was. The issue with starting off on such a dazzling high is that, realistically, Shifting Gears (and its season-wide ratings) had nowhere to go but down.

The introduction of Jenna Elfman’s Shifting Gears character wasn’t enough to shepherd back the millions of live viewers lost over mere weeks, but she helped steady things. While still erring on the critical side, reviews of Shifting Gears seemed to soften as the world expanded and the side characters (save for poor, nearly-anonymous Frankie) came out of the woodwork to reveal unique dynamics and relationships that entertained more than being accessories to Allen’s main character. Unfortunately, Shifting Gears’ progress may be too little, too late, thanks to the dramatic disparity between the viewership of the pilot and the season finale.

ABC Is Better Off Renewing Shifting Gears Than Canceling It

The Network Needs More Comedies

Yet, despite the drop in ratings over the course of Shifting Gears season 1, there’s a strong argument for ABC to pursue a second season. ABC excelled with freshman drama High Potential, and long-running procedural 9-1-1 (which transferred from Fox in 2023) has held steady with a sizable following alongside mainstays like Grey’s Anatomy. On the comedy front, though ABC quickly confirmed Abbott Elementary season 5, there’s not much variety on the books for the 2025-26 season, especially with The Conners drawing to a close. Consequently, there’s an irrefutable niche that Shifting Gears can (and should) fill in ABC’s listings.

The story itself all but demanded a second season, with many unanswered questions in the Shifting Gears finale. The slow-burn between Gabriel and Riley, the quicker burn between Matt and Elfman’s Eve, and the workplace rapport of Stitch and Gabriel— the magnetic scene-stealers of Shifting Gears— all culminate in a sense of brimming, untapped potential. The pilot season of any series primarily functions to iron out the kinks and find what works, meaning Shifting Gears season 2 could cement the sitcom’s true identity. Though the future of Shifting Gears is still pending, it’s not over yet for Allen’s sitcom.

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