It's Tim Allen's way or the highway in first Shifting Gears trailer

Tim Allen is taking his talents (and a lot of his real-world views, it seems) back to the multi-cam sitcom. The controversial Home Improvement star is stepping into a different type of toolman’s shoes for Shifting Gears, his new ABC show with Kat Dennings. This time, he stars as Matt, a grumpy car mechanic who takes in his adult daughter Riley (Dennings) and her kids despite their very strained relationship. 

It’s not hard to see why Allen’s character and his daughter don’t get along. Riley hasn’t changed much since she was a teenager—she says so in almost those exact words in the trailer—and neither has Matt. (He says so as well.) Riley is fond of flipping the bird while Matt has “a certain way of doing things” that doesn’t allow much room (if any) for anyone else’s input; in fact, there’s a sign in his shop that says “Matt’s way or the highway.” He also doles out pearls of wisdom throughout the trailer like the fact that no one on the news talks like a rational adult anymore, or that tennis is too much for people so they had to invent pickleball. You get the picture. Three generations under the same roof—what could go wrong?

Shifting Gears also stars Seann William Scott, Daryl “Chill” Mitchell, Maxwell Simkins, Barrett Margolis, and Jenna Elfman. The series premieres January 8 on ABC. It will also be available to stream on Hulu.