American politics may be a nonstop car crash right now, but wrapping “Shifting Gears” Season 1, Kat Dennings sounded hopeful. A self-described “curmudgeon,” the actress returned to the multi-cam format this spring opposite Tim Allen for ABC’s odd-couple comedy — about a father and daughter reuniting from across opposite sides of the aisle.
“I’m not what you call a super positive person,” Dennings told IndieWire after filming the season finale. “I kind of expect the worst, and then I’m pleasantly surprised. I don’t know. It’s a bad tactic. I need therapy. But I wasn’t expecting this kind of harmony on set.”
At 38, Dennings has spent nearly three decades working in film and TV. From playing Samantha Jones’ snottiest client on “Sex and the City” to co-starring in six seasons of the smash-hit “2 Broke Girls” on CBS, the veteran performer has seen her share of episodic productions. Still, Dennings wasn’t prepared for the “well-oiled machine” that she said comes with Allen and his storied career at the network.
“So much of the crew has followed Tim for 25 years of work, and that’s really unusual,” Dennings said. “I’ve never even heard of that. There’s this familiarity in the crew that’s new for me and I’ve never had before. Everyone is just so happy to be there.”
Dennings grew up watching “Home Improvement” religiously, she said. After playing the Tool Man, Allen anchored another decade of primetime ABC television with “Last Man Standing.” He played a staunch conservative on that show too — but even cast as the actor’s progressive foil on “Shifting Gears,” Dennings jumped at the opportunity to spar with the comic legend.
“Being an actor is a crazy thing to be, and you could easily spiral out about that,” said Dennings. “But being around someone who has been doing this as long as he has, and still genuinely loves what he does, loves the crew, love the audience, it’s very uplifting.”
Praising the “Shifting Gears” writers’ room and showrunner Michelle Nader, Dennings described her experience portraying Riley Parker — a mom of two (Maxwell Simkins, Barret Margolis) who is mid-divorce when she moves in with her right-wing dad, Matt (Allen) — as gratifying and relatable. The slack satire is more feel-good than biting but nevertheless toes a contentious divide many series are too scared to walk these days.
“It’s representing something that happens in a lot of families, which is somebody has one political view and one set of beliefs and one kind of style, and the other person has the opposite. What does that look like when you love someone, but you disagree with them in so many ways?” said Dennings. “The answer is comedy, in this case.”
Courtesy of Disney
Still waiting on the greenlight for Season 2, “Shifting Gears” sees Dennings and Allen explore the ups and downs of everything from public education to weed gummies. Yes, the series can feel like a low-calorie after school special at times (particularly when the conservative point-of-view is winning), but the messy modern family rings mostly true. It’s also another major ratings victory for Allen. In their first meeting with director John Pasquin, Dennings said the actor surprised her by opening up about his views immediately.
“He’s a little kid inside,” Dennings said, explaining that no topic was “off-limits” for the “Shifting Gears” cast and crew. “Of course, he has this kind of gruff exterior. But I had a gruff dad, so for me, this is very familiar territory. I know this kind of person like the back of my hand and it’s a delight for me to be around that again.”
As concerns about the White House escalate, ABC’s both side-ism comedy has faced more and more criticism for its centrist conceit. The Wall Street Journal among others characterized the show as having been designed with so-called “flyover” states in mind — signifying a broad cultural move toward marketing primarily for Trump’s America.
But like so many of Allen’s other collaborators, Dennings is eager to work with him again. She didn’t speak directly to the state of national politics or the show’s controversy but instead harkened back to a common refrain from the height of pandemic lockdown.
“I really think that the sitcom is needed right now,” the actress said, describing watching “Seinfeld” with her husband as a kind of personal respite. “I’m hopeful there will be more of them, but it just feels like the coziness is something that specifically right now people are seeking out. I certainly am.”
At a time when too many women are being ignored, and Hollywood is grappling with its core values, Dennings’ take on “Shifting Gears” and the audience it caters to is worth considering. Speaking with IndieWire, she not only recounted an objective success for TV made in Los Angeles — the city is struggling as much as any other — but also a community that for good or bad encourages its viewers to acknowledge division.
“You are a character in our show because you can hear the audience,” Dennings said, describing the “Shifting Gears” live studio audience as “infectious.” “I hope that people pick up on the fact that we’re all really sincerely enjoying it.”
“Shifting Gears” Season 1 is now streaming on Hulu.
