Shifting Gears

Six stars is probably being overly generous. This sitcom is quite simply not good. I loved Tim Allen and the entire cast of "Home Improvement". "Last Man Standing" wasn't great in terms of writing, but at least the cast was interesting and talented. "Shifting Gears" is simply a car crash of a show. Outside of Allen, the casting and acting is terrible. Chemistry among the mother and her two teenagers is completely nonexistent. The writing is dull and predictable. Why any executive greenlit this show for more episodes after watching the pilot is a mystery to me. I've seen the first two episodes and have zero interest in any more.

I really like Tim Allen and Kat Dennings, and so I was hopeful about their pairing as sitcom veterans in Shifting Gears. I like the premise too and find it relatable. It's challenging when you don't always see eye to eye with your parent but you love them regardless. And as someone who comes from a family with a mix of liberals and conservatives, I like shows that have characters from both sides of the table.

I will say, though...it could just be that it's the first episode and they need more time working together, but the chemistry of the actors seems off. Kat's not really giving me a "became a mom at a young age" vibe yet. Everyone just felt a bit awkard but I will say it's an awkward situation to have to ask your parent for help when your relationship isn't the best. But I couldn't help but feel everything was just a pinched forced.

Tim and the granddaughter connect well, though. She was the best out of all of them, in my opinion. She seemed to be the one that interacted with everyone the best and felt the most natural in the role. She has a bright eyed optimism that is refreshing to see that breaks from the stereotype of " kids these days are just spoiled screen zombies with zero social skills."

I still like the premise, though. And I still got a bit choked up at the end - it felt like Kat and Tim finally "clicked", not just as father and daughter, but as two actors telling a story. So maybe they will find their footing eventually? I'm going to give it more time. Hoping it becomes my comfort show.

Everything they say isn't funny so PLEASE give us a break and scrap the laugh track. It's used so often it makes the show unwatchable, which is a shame because it's not off to a bad start as a new series.

The acting is good and the plotline allows room for the show to grow.

But for the show to evolve writers need to stop aiming for the quick easy laugh and develop the characters.

Mostly, tone down the laugh track. We can figure out the comedic lines all by ourselves.

There's good chemistry between Tim Allen and Kat Dennings and the actors who play the kids are quite good. Don't let the laugh track spoil it.

No sitcom is perfect in the pilot. A sitcom needs several episodes to get into its own rhythm. I'm not going to write this one off yet. Tim Allen is a sitcom veteran. Kat Dennings is memorable from her role on two broke girls. They are perfect casting to play estranged father and daughter reunited after Riley and her kids need to move in with her father after the matriarch has passed away. I don't expect much from the first episode. There are few laughs though. Traditional sitcoms with audiences are a dying breed. We need them to make a comeback though. I'll watch it because I love Kat Dennings too. We will see where the show take us.

I'm quite enjoying this sitcom so far. The laugh track does not bother me, actually I find sitcoms with laugh tracks to be enjoyable and light hearted. It's not about telling me when to laugh but rather about feeling like I'm laughing along with an audience. It makes me feel like I'm there and that it's more of a "show".

I'm very excited to see Tim, Kat, Seam and Daryl interact, they are all favourites from separate shows and were great in those so I expect they will be great in this one.

So far I've watched the first 2 episodes and I think it's getting into it's groove. They are getting more into their characters and it's getting funnier. Every show needs a few episodes for us to get to know them and their rhythm, so let's see how this one's gonna be.