Tim Allen calls joining ABC’s Shifting Gears a “complicated” decision

After the success of the sitcom with Home improvement and The last man standing, Tim Allen wasn’t exactly planning a return to network television, that’s for sure Gear shifting pulled up.

“It was a difficult decision. I was doing Disney+ Santa Claus series at the time and I said, ‘I can’t really think about it right now,'” Allen, 71, whose name Zoom happens to be Santaexclusively revealed in the latest issue My Weekly. “Do I want to do linear TV? I was so depressed about how streaming hurt TV. So if I did it, I want to raise it.”

The actor specifically pointed to his past experience on the small screen, adding, “I did Mike Baxter (he The last man standing) and Tim Taylor (on Home improvement). So when I do it again, I listed three things: I want a guy who recently lost his wife, so he’s dealing with grief; I want a guy with a family who doesn’t get along; And then he has a custom car workshop.”

Allen enjoyed it playing a character it wasn’t “like the other guys” he brought to life.

“She’s more like me. I’m more of an artist. I was a design student and a philosopher, and my standup comedy is really about playing well with people,” he noted to Us. “I came from a large family led by women. So my view of men is very different. I don’t think we’re running things. So I want him to be the guy. He’s not a man’s man in that term, and he hasn’t tried to be anything other than what he does.’

Gear shiftingpremiering Wednesday, January 8, follows widowed father Matt (Allen) and his estranged daughter Riley (Kat Dennings), how to find them live together and work on fixing their relationship. The ABC series comes three years after Allen’s previous sitcom, The last man standingcompleted his nine-season run. Before The last man standingAllen was known for playing Tim “The Toolman” Taylor on the ABC sitcom Home improvementwhich took place between 1991 and 1999.

“This is a new character and it’s much closer to (who I am). I have experienced the grief of losing my father in my life,” he said. “I’ve been blessed to be a comedian, so this (character) is like that. If I were to do it again, I wanted to get as close as possible to (the man) that I am.”

Allen was also happy to get the opportunity to share the screen with Dennings38.

“It was instant when we (met). The director wanted to see how we got along. It never stopped. Kismet was crazy. We were both born on the same day – many years apart,” he said. “We are different in many ways. But our attitude towards comedy is very similar. He pisses me off and I don’t have it easy like that. The executioner can (deliver these lines) with a straight face. Her anger – which she played in 2 Broke Girls – is very similar to the intensity that Mike Baxter might get into now.”

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He continued: “When we fight on screen, it’s funny that we cancel each other out and it comes quite naturally. I don’t know where it comes from. I adore this man already. She and her husband (Andrew WK) are great people. It’s like I’ve known her for damn years, and so has most of this cast.’

In addition to Allen and Dennings, Shifting Gears also stars Seann William Scott, Daryl “Chill” Mitchell, Maxwell Simkins and Barrett Margolis. Jenna Elfmanmeantime, was cast in a recurring role as vivacious choreographer Eve Drake, who owns a dance studio across from the classic car restoration shop run by Allen’s character.

“From the very beginning (the creative team said) we’ve never seen Tim Allen in a sitcom with a romantic interest. And I said, ‘Well, I just lost my wife, so I can’t see it.’ So I love where we are,” Allen said Our about Elfman, 53, potentially playing his love interest. “I said, ‘If it happens over time and it happens organically with two people who don’t get along, then that’s fine. I’m just really careful about this. I just want it to happen where it feels organic and right.”

Gear shifting premieres on ABC on Wednesday, January 8 at 8:00 PM ET and will stream on Hulu the following day.