The midseason return of "Abbott Elementary" and new series "Shifting Gears" premiers on ABC

Published on January 8, 2025

Courtesy: Disney

ABC continues its premieres with the midseason return of Abbott Elementary in its fourth season and the new sitcom Shifting Gears starring Tim Allen, who returns to TV after his last sitcom, Last Man Standing, ended in 2021. Both shows had their premiers on January 8.

Tim Allen, best known for playing  Tim Taylor on ABC's classic sitcom Home Improvement from 1991–1999, returned to his roots as a loving father. Here, he plays a widower dealing with loss when his estranged daughter Riley (Kat Dennings; 2 Broke Girls) moves in with her two young kids, played by Maxwell Simkins and Barrett Margolis. According to the official logline, Matt, the widowed owner of a classic car restoration shop, is confronted with his most unexpected and challenging project when his estranged daughter, Riley, and her adolescent children come crashing back into his life.

Shifting Gears is hilarious, and the family dynamic between Allen and Dennings is both heartwarming and endearing but amidst the humor, there is genuine emotion as the show deals with loss as both Matt and Riley try to cope having to deal with the loss of losing both a wife and a mother. The series is at its best when the show focuses on those genuine touches of emotion.

Produced by 20th Television, the sitcom also stars Seann William Scott as Gabriel, Daryl Chill Mitchell as Stitch.

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Not to be outdone, Abbott Elementary (one of the absolute best shows on TV) starring Quinta Brunson as Janine Teagues returns for its midseason premiere with episode 9 as Philadelphia's most optimistic 2nd-grade teacher at the fictional Abbott Elementary. The Emmy award-winning show will see the highly anticipated crossover with  FX's It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia as the cast visits Teagues and the rest of the gang. With both shows taking place in Philadelphia, Brunson expressed her excitement about bringing the two shows together, telling US Weekly it was a fun way to shake things up.

The logline for the episode titled "Volunteers" sees Ava announce the school district is sending a group of volunteers to help out at Abbott Elementary, but things don't go as planned.  Danny DeVito, Glenn Howerton, Charlie Day, Kaitlin Olson, and Rob McElhenney are all guest stars in the epic crossover.

Produced by 20th Television and Warner Bros. Television Studios, the ensemble cast of Abbot Elementary includes Tyler James Williams as Gregory Eddie, Janelle James as Ava Coleman, Chris Perfetti as Jacob Hill, Sheryl Lee Ralph as Barbara Howard, Lisa Ann Walter as Melissa Schemmenti, and William Stanford Davis as Mr. Johnson.

Courtesy: Disney - Cast of Abbott Elementary and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

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All episodes will be available to stream on Hulu the next day.

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