Naman Shrestha
With Michelle Nader as the showrunner, ABC’s ‘Shifting Gears’ is a sitcom that focuses on the relationship between a father and his estranged daughter. Tim Allen portrays Matt, a stubborn widower who owns a successful car restoration shop, dealing mostly with classic and vintage cars. It has been several years since he last heard from his married daughter, Riley. Thus, it comes as a shock to him when his estranged daughter, along with her two teenage children, knocks on his doorstep.
When his daughter asks if she and her children can stay with him, Matt obliges and looks at it as a great opportunity to reconnect with Riley and form a bond with his grandchildren. Known for restoring classic vehicles, now he embarks on a mission to restore his relationships. Besides Allen, Kat Dennings also stars in the comedy series alongside other talented actors in supporting roles, including Daryl Mitchell, Seann William Scott, Maxwell Simkins, Barrett Margolis, and Jenna Elfman. Since most of the story unfolds in Matt’s house and his car workshop, they serve as additional characters, adding more depth to the narrative.
Shifting Gears Filming Locations
‘Shifting Gears’ is shot in its entirety in California, specifically in Burbank. After the pilot episode was filmed in June 2024, the show was picked up by ABC. From the looks of it, the principal photography for the rest of the episodes got underway in December 2024 in front of a live audience and is scheduled to get wrapped up by February 2025. What makes the entire experience of filming all the more special to the cast and crew is the presence of a live audience in the studio.
Burbank, California
All the pivotal sequences for ‘Shifting Gears’ are lensed in the city of Burbank, situated within Los Angeles County, California. In particular, the production team sets up camp at one of the sound stages of the Walt Disney Studios at 500 South Buena Vista Street in Burbank. Constructed in 1940, the film studio is spread across 51 acres and consists of various sound stages, production offices, a backlot space, and other necessary filmmaking amenities. Out of all the sets present, the cast and crew of ‘Shifting Gears’ take over a set that has enough accommodation for a live audience. In an interview with Tell-Tale TV, Seann William Scott, who portrays Gabriel in the sitcom, was asked to highlight the differences between working on ‘Shifting Gears’ as compared to his previous projects.
He admitted that it was an entirely new experience for him as he had never done a multi-cam before the Tim Allen starrer. He elaborated, “And doing something in front of a live audience. It’s the most fun that I’ve had. People talk about (how) there are multi-cams where it’s like doing theater. And I’ve never done theater, but it feels like it’s what it would be like. You get to work with the same people, you get a new play, essentially, each week to start working on together and rehearsing, and then you get to put it up in front of a live audience and see how they respond to it.” Apart from ‘Shifting Gears,’ Walt Disney Studios has hosted the production of various other film and TV projects. Some of the notable ones include ‘The Proposal,’ ‘The Princess Diaries,’ ‘8 Simple Rules,’ ‘Home Improvement,’ ‘Boy Meets World,’ and ‘My Wife and Kids.’
Read More: Best Father Daughter Shows on Netflix
