July 30, 2024
Sthanlee B. Mirador/Sipa USA
ABC has picked up 'Shifting Gears,' a new sitcom starring Bryn Mawr native Kat Dennings and Tim Allen.
ABC, home of the beloved sitcom "Abbott Elementary," will soon add some more Philly-area flair after greenlighting a series co-starring Kat Dennings.
Dennings — the Bryn Mawr native known for roles in CBS sitcom "2 Broke Girls" and the "Thor" movies from Marvel Studios — will act alongside Tim Allen in the sitcom "Shifting Gears," Deadline reported. She will also be a producer on the project. The multi-camera comedy is the first pilot order for ABC this season, and the only one moving forward so far.
MORE: 'Abbott Elementary' will have a crossover episode with another TV show next season
ABC originally ordered the "Shifting Gears" pilot in March. Since then, the show has undergone some changes. Mike Scully and Julie Thacker Scully, who were originally announced as writers and executive producers, have exited the series, Variety reported. The network is searching for a new showrunner. Also, Froy Gutierrez was previously announced to be playing a character named Nick, but that role is being recast and will be announced at a later date.
The official logline for the "Shifting Gears" reveals that Allen stars as Matt, "the stubborn, widowed owner of a classic car restoration shop. When Matt’s estranged daughter (Dennings) and her teenage kids move into his house, the real restoration begins." The cast also includes Daryl "Chill" Mitchell as Stitch, Maxwell Simkins as Carter and Barrett Margolis as Georgia.
Dennings grew up in Penn Cottage in Wynnewood. She briefly attended Friends Central School in Lower Merion Township — apparently only for a half-day — but was ultimately homeschooled. She graduated high school at 14 and moved to Los Angeles with her family to pursue an acting career. Her big-screen credits include "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," "The House Bunny" and "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist."
"Shifting Gears" is Dennings' first network sitcom role since "2 Broke Girls" was canceled in 2017. Since then, Dennings led the Hulu comedy "Dollface" from 2019 to 2022, and reprised her "Thor" role in the Disney+ Marvel Cinematic Universe shows "WandaVision" and "What If...?" Allen is most famous for his 1990s sitcom "Home Improvement." His 2010s sitcom "Last Man Standing" aired on ABC from 2011 to 2018, when it moved to Fox. The show ended in 2021.
Whenever it comes to the small screen, "Shifting Gears" will bolster ABC's slim scripted comedy roster, which includes "Abbott Elementary" — returning for its fourth season Oct. 9 — and "The Conners" — which will end after an abbreviated seventh season.
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