Tim Allen’s Sitcom Shifting Gears: Buzz Builds as ABC Eyes Renewal

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Over the last week, a significant development occurred for certain ABC series, as the broadcaster issued renewal orders for two of its more comedic programs. With the first-season sensation High Potential officially coming back for Season 2, Kaitlin Olson’s character Morgan will encounter even more intricate murder mysteries to solve. This leads us to speculate about ABC’s upcoming major announcement.

High Potential And Abbott Elementary Were Renewed Back To Back

Among the most significant television premieres of 2024 in terms of audience, the show titled High Potential consistently increased its impressive viewership numbers week after week. However, it’s hard to believe that so many more people would tune in to watch this delightfully peculiar procedural, adding millions to its original viewer base.

In November, the midseason finale drew an audience of 3.36 million viewers during its Tuesday night broadcast. However, the midseason premiere, which aired on January 7, managed to attract a larger crowd with a staggering 5.69 million people tuning in for the evening. Moreover, the delayed viewings within the next three days further boosted these figures.

As a dedicated cinephile, I’ve noticed that while “Abbott Elementary” hasn’t consistently garnered the same number of viewers as “High Potential,” it’s fair to say that the show has faced some rough patches in the first half of Season 4. Ratings dipped as low as 2 million live viewers for the first time, but things started looking up when new episodes resumed in 2025. The midseason premiere, in particular, was a game-changer, drawing in an impressive 3.76 million viewers, surpassing the viewership of “High Potential’s” previously mentioned fall finale.

Given the circumstances, it’s completely logical why ABC chose to formally extend both “Abbott” and “High Potential” even before January had ended. Since fans are aware that these shows will return, they might help maintain viewership during the latter parts of each series.

Using that model as a demonstration, it seems straightforward to determine which ABC series will survive with positive updates: Tim Allen’s endeavor could well establish him as the equivalent of Tom Brady in the realm of sitcoms.

Why I Think Shifting Gears Will Be Renewed ASAP

Following ABC’s decision to cancel Last Man Standing (which later ran on Fox for additional seasons), the network re-launched Tim Allen’s career with the new sitcom Shifting Gears, featuring familiar faces like Kat Dennings, Seann William Scott, and Brenda Song, as well as other cast members. Notably, there hasn’t been any hint of a lack of audience excitement, particularly when it comes to ratings.

Without a Doubt, “Shifting Gears” is undeniably the most significant new TV comedy of 2025, and it’s a certainty that Tim Allen himself would agree. It’s quite possible that this title will still be held by “Shifting Gears” when 2026 arrives. Just consider these ratings for its first three episodes alone.

In 2025, one of the most popular sitcoms, “The Conners,” is set to conclude its run, with the final season premiering in March. If the upcoming series “Shifting Gears” acts as a precursor or continuation on Wednesday evenings, it could potentially result in a ratings boom for ABC.

It seems that no potential issues are foreseen regarding the paperwork and contractual aspects, suggesting they are being handled discreetly. In fact, it appears that a renewal for Shifting Gears, including Season 2, might already be in the works without much delay after I finish typing this sentence.

On Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m., you can catch “Shifting Gears” on ABC. If you have a Hulu subscription, you can watch the latest episodes the very next day!

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2025-01-28 20:37