According to Deadline, Kat Dennings (2 Broke Girls, Thor) returns to network television and the multi-camera comedy genre as the co-lead alongside Tim Allen (Home Improvement, Last Man Standing) in ABC’s pilot Shifting Gears (working title). Dennings will also serve as a producer on the project, which is produced by 20th Television.
Penned by Mike Scully (The Simpsons, Duncanville) and Julie Thacker Scully (The Simpsons, Duncanville), Shifting Gears revolves around Matt (played by Allen), the determined widowed proprietor of a classic car restoration workshop. The narrative unfolds when Matt’s estranged daughter, Riley (portrayed by Dennings), along with her teenage children, moves in with him, igniting the true restoration process.
As Deadline notes, Riley had a tumultuous relationship with her father during her upbringing, eventually leaving to marry a boyfriend he disapproved of. Now divorced, Riley finds herself compelled to return home with her two children, hoping to reconcile with her father and forge a new dynamic under one roof.
According to Deadline, the Scullys are serving as executive producers on Shifting Gears alongside Allen, Marty Adelstein (Made of Honor, Hanna), Becky Clements (Snowpiercer, One Piece), Richard Baker (The Santa Clause, Full Frontal Comedy), and Rick Messina (Mr. Mom, Hit the Road), all known for their work on Last Man Standing.
Dennings, renowned for her lead role in the CBS sitcom 2 Broke Girls, which enjoyed a successful six-season run, recently starred in the Hulu series Dollface, spanning two seasons.
Additionally, Dennings is recognized for her portrayal of Darcy Lewis in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Thor movie franchise, reprising her role in the acclaimed Disney+ series WandaVision. She recently signed with Gersh and is represented by Linden Entertainment and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern LLP.
Allen, who currently stars in Disney Plus’s The Santa Clauses series, returns to ABC where he spent eight seasons as Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor in the 90s sitcom, Home Improvement.