Tim Allen has been a household staple in the TV network sitcom game since the early ‘90s, and he’s not stopping anytime soon. The Last Man Standing star has a new series coming titled Shifting Gears, which he is co-starring in with Kat Dennings, set to premiere on our 2025 TV schedule. Now, while I’m quite excited to see Tim Allen take on this new family dynamic, the self-proclaimed Tom Brady of sitcoms was recently reminded of where it all started, and it turns out he was hitting some huge career milestones exactly 30 years ago.
In a nostalgic set of coincidences, the Shifting Gears pilot was filmed on the same lot as Home Improvement, Allen’s first long-running sitcom that aired on ABC for 8 years in the ‘90s. That was a big decade for the Toy Story actor, but it turns out this week in particular marks some major accomplishments. That was proven by a graphic shared on his Instagram that shows him holding down multiple #1 spots exactly 30 years ago, including top book, movie, and TV show, all at once. So it would seem congratulations are in order. Take a look:
Whether you are a fan of Allen or not, you have to admit that’s pretty impressive.
However, what really shocked me was the fact that The Santa Clause came out 30 years ago?? It’s always been a family favorite Christmas movie in my house, and it’s a film that inadvertently spurred a whole franchise, including a Disney+ reboot, despite Allen being on the naughty list during the first film.
Honestly, seeing this massive accomplishment from 30 years ago has me feeling nostalgic. While all three films and the recent Santa Clauses series are available on Disney+, the streaming home for Tim Allen’s greatest hits, I’ll always remember getting so excited to see them live on TV as part of ABC Family’s 25 Days of Christmas.
Unlike The Santa Clause, it would seem Allen’s other top project from the ‘90s will not be getting a reboot. While there were rumors of a Home Improvement revival, tensions between the cast seem to have put rumors to bed. Sometimes it’s better to let things rest than to dig them back up again. Plus, it seems the Christmas With The Kranks actor would agree, as he hopes “three’s a charm” with this new show Shifting Gears.
Overall, 30 years is a long time. While Tim Allen appears to be in great shape, he still is 71 years old. Shifting Gears could potentially be the last sitcom he works on before retirement depending on its ratings and longevity. Will it be the career-defining project he’s hoping for? Clearly, he had a golden age in the ‘90s, and Home Improvement will be hard to beat with its multiple Emmy wins and Golden Globe award for Tim Allen himself. But only time will tell.
You can stream both Home Improvement and The Santa Clause with a Disney+ subscription.
