Disney’s been reaping the benefits of early-2000s nostalgia, scoring hits with Malcolm In The Middle: Life’s Still Unfair, the biggest Disney+ release of the year, and The Scrubs revival, which debuted to ABC’s biggest streaming audience in a year. It’s another unambiguous hit for Bill Lawrence, who seemingly has a show on every streamer at the moment, including Shrinking, Rooster, and Ted Lasso. He’s already got Hulu, HBO, and Apple covered. One day, if he really tries, he too can get a Peacock show.
As for Shifting Gears, which was created in the wake of Allen’s complaint that his previous comedy was too “dangerous” for ABC, the show is entering its third season. After years of tension with Disney over the cancellation of his Last Man Standing, Allen returned to Disney for a Santa Clause show, two Toy Storys (but definitely not Lightyear), and Shifting Gears, which is about as close to a Home Improvement revival we’ll get until the inevitable Home Improvement revival happens.
Co-starring Kat Dennings, Shifting Gears has enjoyed consistently solid ratings as ABC’s most-watched linear program. At a time when broadcast TV is falling out of favor, ABC has found lots of success on television with newcomers High Potential and Will Trent, returning favorites 911 and Abbott Elementary, and the never-ending adventures of Meredith Grey, whose Anatomy was recently renewed for a 23rd season.
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