Tim Allenis undeniably one of the small screen’s mostillustrious and successful stars, with the funny man having memorably headlined two of television’s greatest sitcoms: the ’90s juggernautHome Improvementand the 2010s hitLast Man Standing.Allen has made the sitcom genre his bread and butter, winning numerous accolades, like a Golden Globe and People’s Choice Award for his unforgettable work. He also famously starred as Buzz Lightyear in the belovedToy Storyanimated series and as Scott Calvin inThe Santa Clausefranchise.
In 2025, Allen made his dazzling return to television withShifting Gears,appearing alongside famous faceslike Kat Dennings, Sean William Scott, and Daryl “Chill” Mitchell and portraying a widower and auto shop owner who is reunited with his estranged daughter and her two children after she decides to move home and regroup after separating from her husband. The third episode of the series just helped the newly-released sitcom become canon in the Tim Allen-verse; let’s take a closer look at how that came about.
Shifting Gears
‘Shifting Gears’ Marks Tim Allen’s Return to Sitcoms
TV veteran and comedian extraordinaire Tim Allen is no stranger to starring in enduring small screen staples, having first skyrocketed to prominence in 1991 when he began appearing as Tim “The Toolman” Taylor in the smash hit seriesHome Improvement,a Golden Globe-winning role he portrayed for eight seasons until it bid audiences farewell in 1999. In between all of his sitcom success, Allen notably voiced Buzz Lightyear in the belovedToy Storyanimated franchisewhile also playing Scott Calvin A.K.A. jolly Saint Nick inThe Santa ClauseChristmas fantasy films.
In 2011, Allen continued his enviable string of television gold when heheadlinedLast Man Standing,starring as Denver sporting goods store executive Mike Baxter as he and his wife Vanessa raised their three dynamic daughters and young grandson, effectively taking theHome Improvementpremise and giving it a gender-swap. The series ran for nine seasons and even survived a cancelation before ultimately concluding in 2021, though Allen wasn’t quite done yet when it came to appearing in TV hits. The funny man decided to go for the sitcom trifecta and, in 2025, began sharing the screen with Kat Dennings inShifting Gears.
The multi-camera comedy focuses on classic car restoration shop owner Matt Parker, a widower who is given a second chance to mend his fractured relationship with his estranged daughterRiley Parker (Dennings) after she and her two kids, Carter and Georgia, move in with him after she leaves her absent, philandering husband. The series premiered on August 03, 2025, and its third episode “Grief” had a massive Easter egg that effectively established the sitcom in the Tim Allen-verse canon.
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The Meaningful Appearance of a Green Ford F100
In the eye-catching episode, fans of Allen and his decorated television tenure were quick to notice the significance of a classic car Matt came into possession of.Observant fans realized that the green Ford F100 he was restoring was the exact same beloved vehicle thatLast Man Standing’s Mike Baxter hadthroughout the duration of the show until it was shockingly stolen in the series finale. As if just the appearance of the Ford wasn’t enough, Matt further pointed out that the car was stolen from a man he personally knew in Denver(where Allen’s former sitcom took place), therefore creating a connection between Matt and Mike.
The fact that Mike Baxter is likely Matt and the restoration shop’s client means thatthe two characters live in the same universe and intriguingly sets the stage for more potentialShifting Gears/Last Man Standingcrossovers. In fact, Allen’s former on-screen wife Nancy Travis is slated to make a guest appearance in the comedy, though she will not be playing Vanessa but rather a spirited widow named Charlotte. However, the link between the shows has already been forged and devoted viewers of Allen’s many projects will be eager to look for more Easter eggs and connections between the popular sitcoms.
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Allen Loves Reuniting with His Former Co-Stars
Allen has never hidden the fact that he loves to collaborate with his former sitcom co-stars, keeping it all in the fictional family by bringing back his oldHome Improvementcastmates Jonathan Taylor Thomas (Randy Taylor), Patricia Richardson (Jill Taylor), and Richard Karn (Al Borland) to make dazzling appearances inLast Man Standing.’90s teen heartthrob Thomasfirst guest-starred in both the second and third season as high-end restaurant manager John Baker and later again in a small cameo as the son of Richardson’s character Helen Potts during the fourth season, wholesomely reuniting Thomas with his former TV parents.
Likewise, Karn popped up in two episodes ofLast Man Standingas architect Bill McKendree, and Allen even amusingly reprised his role as Tim “The Toolman” Taylor in the ninth season of the sitcom, which saw the Binford Tools mascot coming face-to-face with his doppelgänger Mike Baxter while he’s in town visiting a Denver store location. Unsurprisingly, audiences loved the delightfully meta moment and, since the two quirky family men both exist within the same universe, that means thatShifting Gears' Matt Parker also exists there as well and a potential crossover could likely occur in future episodes.
