Picture Credit: ABC
Tim Allen’s latest multi-cam sitcom, Shifting Gears, is about to make the jump to Netflix. For now, though, only one country gets it early. Netflix in the United States will have the first two seasons from December 1st. Everyone else has to wait until January, which happens to be the day after season 3 kicks off on ABC.
The show is one of the headline titles in the big new licensing agreement between Disney and Netflix, which we broke down in full earlier. These are licensing deals, so the titles stay on Disney+ and Hulu too. In other words, the show isn’t leaving its current homes but just adding a new one for a limited time. That limited time is unknown in length at present, previous Disney deals has seent titles added for around 18 months.
When is Shifting Gears coming to Netflix?
The rollout is staggered. Seasons 1 and 2 of Shifting Gears arrive on Netflix in the US on December 1st, 2026. International regions follow on January 7th, 2027.
That gives US subscribers just over a month to catch up on all 23 episodes. Season 1 has 10 episodes and season 2 has 13.
When does Shifting Gears season 3 premiere?
ABC has finally locked in a date. Tim Allen and Kat Dennings return with a two-episode season 3 premiere on Wednesday, January 6th, 2027, at 8 p.m. ET/PT. It leads into the season 9 return of The Rookie and the series premiere of The Rookie North.
The timing of the Netflix release makes a lot more sense with that date in mind. Licensing the older seasons right before new episodes air is a common way to build up an audience, and Netflix has done it many times before. The fact that the international Netflix date lands the day after the ABC premiere is probably no coincidence either.
One thing to be clear on: season 3 itself isn’t part of this deal. Only seasons 1 and 2 have been announced for Netflix. New episodes will still air on ABC and stream on Disney’s own platforms.
What’s Shifting Gears about, and who’s in it?
If you haven’t seen it, the premise is simple. Tim Allen plays Matt, the stubborn, widowed owner of a classic car restoration shop. His life gets turned upside down when his estranged daughter Riley (Kat Dennings) and her kids move into his house.
The main cast is Allen and Dennings, joined by Seann William Scott, Daryl “Chill” Mitchell, Maxwell Simkins, and Barrett Margolis. The show has also had a busy guest roster, including Jenna Elfman, Lucas Neff, Jesse Williams, Brenda Song, Lilly Singh, Gabriel Iglesias, and Pamela Adlon.
The big casting news for season 3 is a 2 Broke Girls reunion. Beth Behrs will guest star as Dr. Johnson, an ER doctor who treats Riley for a back injury.
The show has been a solid performer for ABC. It was the network’s number one comedy last season. That will help, given that Netflix has had a lot of success with Allen’s earlier sitcom Last Man Standing over the years.
Will you be catching up on Shifting Gears when it hits Netflix? Let us know in the comments below.
