Actor Tim Allen’s family sitcom SHIFTING GEARS will bring its first two seasons to Netflix in the United States on Dec. 1, giving subscribers a chance to catch up before its third season arrives on ABC.
“Tim is definitely the voice of a certain generation and Kat speaks to a different generation, so we get to examine that generational difference and their different perspectives on big life subjects we’re tackling,” showrunner and executive producer Michelle Nader told TheWrap in January 2025, when the series premiered.
Variety reported that Seasons 1 and 2 will arrive together in the US on Dec. 1, 2026, with international Netflix availability following in January 2027. SHIFTING GEARS’ Netflix premiere is part of a larger Disney licensing agreement.
Already watching on Hulu? This isn’t a notice to pack up and move your watchlist. Variety said that titles currently on Disney+ and Hulu will remain there under the licensing agreement. ABC’s current series page also directs viewers to stream SHIFTING GEARS on Hulu.
The next chapter remains an ABC series. Season 3 is slated for 2027.
Related: Did Tim Allen Just Spoil a Major SHIFTING GEARS Plotline?
Allen plays Matt, a widowed classic-car restoration shop owner whose estranged daughter, Riley, moves into his house with her children. Actress and producer Kat Dennings plays Riley, with actors Maxwell Simkins and Barrett Margolis as Carter and Georgia, the grandchildren caught in the middle of a household learning how to live together again.
Matt knows how to fix an old car. Rebuilding trust with a daughter who sees the world differently is another job altogether, and Nader described that relationship — not just the garage — as the show’s guiding concern in her original interview.
“That’s the theme we’re really chasing, our North Star. Healing the relationship between Matt and Riley,” Nader said in 2025 of the show’s driving theme.
Allen’s involvement extends beyond playing Matt. Nader said he participates in developing stories and reviewing outlines throughout the process, and ABC credits him as an executive producer alongside her. That gives the familiar sitcom star a hand in shaping the family arguments as well as delivering the punch lines.
For parents considering a first watch, Movieguide®’s review of the pilot, “RESTORATION,” offers a more useful starting point than assuming every episode will suit every age. The review praises its emphasis on family, forgiveness and reconciliation, including Matt and Riley’s effort to love each other despite their disagreements.
The same review flags moderate foul language and other moral concerns, and advises caution for older children. Those observations apply to that reviewed episode, not a blanket recommendation for both seasons coming to Netflix. A new streaming destination makes the show easier to find; previewing the episodes still helps parents decide who should join them on the couch.
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