Nancy Travis Joins Tim Allen in Shifting Gears, and Fans Are Thrilled!

by

If there was any doubt about whether Tim Allen would thrive in sitcom-land again with ABC’s Shifting Gears, its record-breaking viewership provided swift responses. Given this, it seems highly likely that viewers will continue to follow the intricate relationship between Matt and Riley long past the 2025 TV schedule. Moreover, it appears that the comedian may be collaborating with another well-known face who he has a close connection with.

Both Allen and the Shifting Gears Instagram page gave viewers a big boost of excitement with the reveal that a very special guest star is on the way, with this as the teaser message:

A familiar face is coming to Shifting Gears 👀

The level of her familiarity hinges on the audience’s prior knowledge of Tim Allen’s past sitcom, “Last Man Standing.” We’re discussing Nancy Travis, who is known for her role in “Ride.

Correct, the actress who played Vanessa Baxter throughout all nine seasons of “Last Man Standing” is set to collaborate with Allen again in at least one episode of “Shifting Gears” for this season. Fingers crossed for more appearances, but let’s see how things develop first.

It seems that Travis’ visit might stir things up somehow, since she’ll be playing the part of Charlotte, a lively widow who encounters Matt Parker, a man who restores cars, and sparks a relationship with him. Whether it’s a rebound romance or something more subtle, only time will tell. I’m really looking forward to discovering what happens next!

Tim Allen didn’t have a lot to divulge by way of Charlotte’s arrival, but did say this:

The Nancy Travis story is really, really clever.

Tim Allen acknowledged that Nancy Travis has corrected him in the past when he confused their on-screen relationship in “Last Man Standing” with a real-life bond, stating that they aren’t actually his daughters and aren’t part of the Baxter family. It seems that limiting her appearances to just one episode might help avoid any further emotional ties developing between them.

It’s clear that the actor maintains a positive relationship with his TV co-stars, as evidenced by Patricia Richardson’s longstanding supportive comments about him. She played Jill Taylor in Home Improvement and has praised Allen for years, even standing up for him against detractors. Furthermore, they worked together again on Last Man Standing, so it would have been unexpected if their rapport didn’t extend to Shifting Gears and Travis.

Despite the fact that his character’s wife in “Shifting Gears” passed away while jogging before the series’ storyline unfolded, it remains unclear whether a ghost will appear as a guest star in his upcoming sitcom or if showrunner Michelle Nader intends to cast someone to portray Matt’s wife for flashback scenes. Regardless of which scenario occurs, this is unlikely to be relevant for many years, if at all.

On Wednesday evenings at 8:00 p.m. ET on ABC, you can catch “Shifting Gears”. This show airs before new episodes of “Abbott Elementary”, and if you have a Hulu subscription, you can watch the next day’s episodes. Given that “Abbott Elementary” has been renewed for its fifth season, are we expecting an announcement for Season 2 of Allen’s latest series?

Read More

2025-01-23 19:07