Famous actor and comedian Tim Allen recently announced that he would return to ABC to work on a new comedy pilot. Allen posted on X, “We are at it again! ABC just ordered a comedy pilot, “Shifting Gears.” sharing a link to a Variety article with more information.
Descriptions of the pilot detail the 70-year-old actor’s character, Matt, who is depicted as a stubborn, widowed owner of a classic auto restoration shop. The plot centers around Matt’s estranged daughter and her children moving into his house. Alongside being the star of the comedy, Allen is also an executive producer for the pilot.
The famous actor had been on ABC for approximately six years between 2011 and 2017, acting in his sitcom “Last Man Standing.” The show centered around the concept of a conservative father leading a female-dominated household. However, in 2017, the network canceled the show despite its successful ratings and stellar audience reception. “Stunned and blindsided by the network I called home for the last six years. #lastmanstanding,” Allen tweeted after the show’s cancellation.
Aside from getting “blindsided” by the network in 2017, Allen’s big break in entertainment occurred on ABC when he earned the role of Tim “The Toolman” Taylor on the hit show “Home Improvement,” which aired between 1991 and 1999.
Moreover, Allen remains active in other Hollywood projects. For example, The American Tribune reported last year on the actor’s comments about the release of a fifth installment in the Toy Story series. Many are anticipating the newest rendition
“Bob Iger, head of Disney, said it was on. He actually said it was going to happen. They have reached out to Tom and I to reprise the roles, [but] they’re not saying anything about it. What it is for people like me, it’s just like… you wonder if four was too many, is five going to be too much?” Allen said.
He further expressed his confidence in the writer of the upcoming film, noting, “The writer that’s doing it wrote one of the better ones and he said, ‘If I didn’t get this right, I wouldn’t do it,’ so it could be a very, very interesting way to reunite it.”
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In recent years, Tim Allen has also garnered a reputation for being relatively conservative compared to the vast majority of left-leaning members of the entertainment industry. Allen has been particularly known to call out issues such as cancel culture and advocated for Christian faith. Last year, the actor made an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show where he compared Hollywood to 1930s Germany.
“I’m not kidding, you gotta be real careful around here, you get beat up if you don’t believe what everybody believes, it’s like ’30s Germany,” Allen told Kimmel when he was questioned about his attendance at Trump’s presidential inauguration.
“If you’re not part of the group. you know what we believe is right. well, I might have a problem with it. I’m a comedian, I like going on both sides. this government does stuff big. I’ve never been to anything like that,” he added.