Shifting Gears

Love both Kat and Tim, was really looking forward to this series premiering. However I can't figure out if I like or hate the show and it's because of the laugh track. A scene that may give the viewer a smile or light chuckle is overshadowed by boisterous canned laughter, not only inappropriate but Totally ruins the scene. Because I am a fan of both of these actors and have hopes the series will be enjoyable, next episode I'm muting the volume and turning on the closed captioning to be able to assess if I'm hating the show or just turned off the show by the canned laughter. Sad it has to come to this.

Six stars is probably being overly generous. This sitcom is quite simply not good. I loved Tim Allen and the entire cast of "Home Improvement". "Last Man Standing" wasn't great in terms of writing, but at least the cast was interesting and talented. "Shifting Gears" is simply a car crash of a show. Outside of Allen, the casting and acting is terrible. Chemistry among the mother and her two teenagers is completely nonexistent. The writing is dull and predictable. Why any executive greenlit this show for more episodes after watching the pilot is a mystery to me. I've seen the first two episodes and have zero interest in any more.

End of Season 1 and I agree with what many of the other reviewers have stated.

I really enjoy Tim Allen. Yes it is a close redo of previous characters but that's ok. He plays it well and the setting is enough of a difference that it is fresh but still has a comfortable feel to it. I like the addition of Elfman. I can see her playing opposite Allen really well and am interested in where it goes.

The supporting characters that work in the garage I like. They are beginning to establish their own identity and can see them being an integral part of the show. The kids? Not so much. Maybe they'll grow as actors approaching Season 2.

However, Kay Denning's voice and acting are terrible. She acts like she is reading cue cards off camera and her voice.... her voice is just grating! And PLEASE.... LOSE THE LAUGH TRACK!!

Will I tune in Season 2? Yes. Hopefully the powers that be with this show will take the advice of so many reviews and lose the laugh track and somehow, someway deal with "the voice."

Here I was thinking Tim Allen and Kat Denning, 2 actors I actually like, were going to blow it out of the park. 2 episodes in and all I can think is how long till they cancel this. Tim is the exact same character hes always been but theres no spring in his step. Its a stiff performance. Maybe he's trying to adapt to the character and hasnt nailed it yet.

Kat for the most part is phoning it in. Shes acting like shes in 2 Broke Girls but without the clever sexual innuendos. She was much better in Thor and Wandavision.

This just seems flat to me. I'll watch it for now, but I think this one wont get any legs to it. Its just not funny and the canned laughter is over done.

This is a typical Tim Allen showcase with plenty of scope to turn into a decent show. Granted its only the first episode but so far i'm not a big fan. Canned laughter is killing it for me, it happens way to much and when things arn't even that funny. Lose it completely and maybe it will go the distance but in the format its in i can see it getting cancelled after one season which is a pity, i'm a big tim allen fan and love kat dennings. Cant beleive that the trial screening didnt point this out. Its maybe worth watching up to 3rd or 4th episode to see if it improves but if it dosnt then its a big miss for me.