cast of characters in Shifting Gears is led by Allen as Matt and Kat Dennings as his estranged daughter, Riley. The two actors come from very different generations, and Shifting Gears uses that as its main source of conflict. However, bridging the generational gap through forced proximity has been attempted before in a modern sitcom that is still on the air.

Aside from one major difference, Shifting Gears is very similar to Lopez vs Lopez, headed by George Lopez. While the latter has aired three seasons, Shifting Gears season 2 is still up in the air, meaning there’s no guarantee that Allen will be able to properly cement his sitcom’s unique identity. Shifting Gears takes a slightly different approach, luckily making one key change that sets it apart from its predecessor.

Tim Allen's Shifting Gears Has The Same Premise As Lopez vs. Lopez (But In Reverse)

Both Follow A Father And Daughter Living Together In Adulthood

Similar to Allen, George Lopez was the leading man in a popular sitcom decades ago. While Tim Allen was in one of Lopez vs Lopez, acting alongside his real-life daughter. In his 2022 sitcom, Lopez plays a father moving in with his adult daughter. The two clash due to their differing perspectives, but their familial bond prevails.

The basic plot of Shifting Gears follows the same premise as Lopez vs Lopez, but it’s Riley who moves in with Allen's character. George moves in with his daughter following a bankruptcy, while Matt's daughter moves in following a divorce. Additionally, Riley brought along her two children, Carter (Maxwell Simkins) and Georgia (Barrett Margolis), to live with her estranged father. Adding the grandchildren offers up more potential points of conflict, making Shifting Gears a generational-gap sitcom that spans three generations.

Why Tim Allen's Shifting Gears Has Been Divisive

The Sitcom Caters To A Specific Audience

Thus far, Shifting Gears has been controversial due to Tim Allen’s central involvement. Aside from starring in the sitcom, Allen is also an executive producer. Shifting Gears has come under fire for feeling simply like a continuation of Allen’s previous projects, such as Home Improvement and Last Man Standing. At least thus far, Matt feels less like an original character and more like a replica of his more established characters. Screen Rant's Shifting Gears review says that “[the sitcom] lives and dies with Allen,” although it has the potential to be bigger than that.

Yet, it’s important to recognize that only two episodes of Shifting Gears have been released. Shifting Gears already has an originality problem, but the pilot season has time to solve it— if the show wants to fix it at all. ABC’s new sitcom needs to find its footing and establish some sort of identity outside of being fodder for Tim Allen fans. If the following episodes don’t offer more substance to attract a broader audience, Shifting Gears won’t just be similar to Lopez vs Lopez; it might even pale in comparison.

Shifting Gears continues Wednesday at 8 ET on ABC.