Tim Allen revealed whether or not there are plans for former Residence Enchancment costar Jonathan Taylor Thomas to seem on his new sitcom Shifting Gears.
“All the things is a chance,” Allen, 71, solely shared within the latest challenge of Us Weekly. “He simply got here again [to the last episode we filmed]. He confirmed up on the set.”
Allen mentioned he would love nothing greater than to share the display screen with Thomas, 43, once more, including, “He’s actually my child. I raised that child for eight years on Residence Enchancment. All of those are my children and I’m type of sick about this.”
Earlier than main the forged of ABC’s Shifting Gears, Allen starred on Residence Enchancment from 1991 to 1999 alongside Thomas, Patricia Richardson, Taran Noah Smith, Zachery Ty Bryan, Richard Karn and Debbe Dunning. Thomas exited the sequence early to concentrate on faculty and in the end made the choice to step again from appearing totally.
Allen and Thomas ended up reuniting on display screen for 4 episodes of Final Man Standing. Thomas additionally directed three episodes of the sitcom. Whereas Thomas has remained out of the general public eye, Allen continued to search out success as America’s favourite sitcom dad along with his roles as Mike Baxter in Final Man Standing, which ran from 2011 to 2021, and now Matt Parker in Shifting Gears.

“[My former onscreen wife] Nancy Travis as soon as informed me [something] after I referred to as her throughout Final Man Standing. I mentioned, ‘Have you ever talked to the ladies [who play our daughters] over the summer time?’ Then there’s this lengthy pause and he or she goes, ‘Tim, these aren’t our daughters and I’m not truly your spouse,’” he quipped. “She was so great about it as a result of generally after they have been having hassle on the present, I’d go, ‘How do you assume they really feel?’ And he or she would reply, ‘Tim, they’re actors. We simply learn [what is on the page but] she’s not likely that unhappy.’”
On Shifting Gears, Allen performs a widowed father reverse an estranged daughter performed by Kat Dennings. The duo gushed about how they “instantly” fashioned a connection as soon as being forged on the present.
“The director needed to see how we acquired alongside. It by no means stopped. The kismet was loopy. We’re each born on the identical day — a few years aside,” he informed Us. “We’re totally different in so some ways. However our perspective about comedy may be very comparable. She cracks me up and I’m not simple that approach. Kat can [deliver these lines] with a straight face. Her anger — that she performed on 2 Broke Women — is similar to the sharpness that Mike Baxter may get into now.”
Allen continued: “Once we argue on display screen, it’s humorous that we interrupt one another and it comes fairly naturally. I don’t know the place it’s coming from. I am keen on this particular person already. She and her husband [Andrew W.K.] are nice folks. It’s like I’ve recognized her for freaking years, similar as most of this forged.”

Dennings, 38, felt the identical approach about her bond with Allen.
“It clicked fairly quick. We had lunch after I accepted the function and I felt instantly like I may belief him for some cause,” she shared in an unique interview with Us. “And he opened up actually quick to me. So I [was] like, ‘OK, this man is like letting me in.’”
The belief on set allowed Dennings and Allen to elevate their comedy expertise. “It felt very natural,” Dennings recalled. “And as [filming has] progressed, our scenes are so humorous, if I do say so myself. The arguments are my favourite scenes to play as a result of I’ve no concern. There’s no concern for both of us. We simply completely go for it and it’s a lot enjoyable.”
Whereas Allen has loved engaged on Shifting Gears, he wasn’t initially positive he would come again to sitcoms, telling Us, “It was a sophisticated determination. I used to be doing Disney+’s Santa Claus sequence on the time and I mentioned, ‘I actually can’t take into consideration this now.’ Do I wish to do linear TV? I used to be so depressed at how streaming has harm tv. So if I did it, I wish to elevate it.”
Shifting Gears airs on ABC Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET earlier than streaming the following day on Hulu.