For all that linear TV ratings have gradually dropped from year to year in the streaming era, the 2025 TV schedule is currently filled with more hits than one might imagine, especially when it comes to delayed-viewing windows that account for repeats and DVR. For instance, Kaitlin Olson’s ABC dramedy High Potential hit double-digit stats enough with its early episodes to earn a renewal order before that twisty Season 1 finale aired. So what about the network’s other massive freshman series, Shifting Gears?
Boasting some major TV star power in Tim Allen, Kat Dennings, Seann William Scott and later additions like Jenna Elfman, Shifting Gears came out of the gate extremely strong, and I predicted that it would very quickly get renewal news from ABC, but the network has remained mum on that topic ever since. And it appears as if those initially promising ratings are a big factor.
Shifting Gears Is Reportedly On The Cancellation Bubble Due To Its Major Decline In Viewership Stats
Shifting Gears sped onto ABC’s schedule in January 2025 like one of Tim Allens’ sports cars, and it amassed a same-day audience of 6.1 million viewers, which is unheard of for the majority of network comedies at this point. And when delayed totals were tallied, the debut ep was watched by more than 17 million people across ABC, Hulu, Disney+ and VOD. It’s a wonder the renewal wasn’t ordered right then.
Unfortunately, none of the follow-up episodes came close to reaching that massive ceiling, and Shifting Gears‘ cliffhanger finale was watched by just 3.8 million on the night it aired. Which, given the scope of post-pandemic scripted television, isn’t necessarily the biggest or most harrowing drop in audience members, at least for most shows. But for one that boasts Tim Allen as its star? No drop is a good drop, and Deadline reports that the sitcom’s dip in ratings extended to its streaming numbers.
It’d be one thing if the car-speckled sitcom put forth a traditional season of 20+ episodes that stretched from September to May, with various holiday hiatuses breaking up the flow. However, Shifting Gears‘ freshman season only netted a ten-episode order, and there was only a single one-week break between the sixth and seventh episodes.
For many years, network execs could rely on sitcoms to be fairly inexpensive, sticking largely to pre-built sets and without the need to film on location very much. And while that’s technically also the case with Shifting Gears, it does have a unique price point that most other shows don’t: Tim Allen.
As Allen’s first return to live studio audiences after the (second) cancellation of Last Man Standing‘s producers no doubt lined up a very lucrative deal for the actor that would likely be harder to commit to year after year, especially if the idea would be that he’d get even more money after a certain point.
Not to mention the fact that Kat Dennings, Seann William Scott and Chill Mitchell are also highly regarded in the medium. (To say nothing about how much money is spent on all the cars in Matt’s shop, money that goes right to Allen himself.)
However, ABC’s Lack Of New Shows And Existing Comedies Could Help Save Shifting Gears From Cancellation
For all the negative-sounding details that seem to point to Shifting Gears getting driven out to pasture without following up on Matt’s burgeoning romance with Elfman’s Eve, there exists a silver lining of sorts: ABC’s scripted lineup is dwindling, and is seemingly without a ton of in-development projects that appear destined to hit small screen in the near future.
With The Conners in the midst of its six-episode final season, Abbott Elementary will rank as the network’s only half-hour comedy, which seems ludicrous for a broadcast channel that used to host TGIF’s classic sitcom block. And the only new series that’s formally in the works behind the scenes is the upcoming spinoff 9-1-1: Nashville.
In fact, ABC currently has the fewest number of scripted shows airing in primetime, with just 9, compared to CBS (18), NBC (15) and Fox (16). It’s wild that Fox is winning out in those totals, since it only airs two hours of primetime programming compared to three on the other networks. Granted, it can easily rely on Bachelor Nation series, American Idol, Celebrity Jeopardy! and more without the need for multicam sitcoms, but still.
The final element leaning in the comedy’s favor is that it was set up as a midseason debut, which traditionally don’t debut quite as successfully as those arriving in the fall. So there’s potentially an understanding amongst execs that its chances could improve with a timeslot change and an earlier premiere date.
But as it goes whenever fans are waiting to hear renewal and cancellation updates, we won’t truly know anything until ABC makes an official call behind the scenes. So stay patient, and nab a Hulu subscription to stream the first season in full.
