BURBANK, Calif. — “Shifting Gears” is revving up for its second season. Interestingly, star Tim Allen revisited familiar territory in the premiere episode with some surprise guests from his TV history.

Nancy Travis, who played Tim Allen’s wife on his last sitcom, “Last Man Standing,” showed up in the season premiere of “Shifting Gears.”

He’s still dealing with the loss of his wife, so she introduces him to some folks, and they’re all from his first sitcom, “Home Improvement.”

“It’s about participating in a counseling session. The session brings together individuals who’ve experienced losses, similar to my character who lost his wife. It’s set to be quite a remarkable, intelligent, yet lighthearted experience,” shared Allen.

As for what else is coming up in season two, Jenna Elfman seems happy.

“I think there’s some surprise moments between Tim and I,” Elfman said with a wink.

Kat Dennings returns as Tim’s daughter.

Kat Dennings added, “There are numerous developments I can’t disclose because I’ve been advised to keep certain details under wraps, but it’s very thrilling. We’ve got some twists. Imagine ‘Game of Thrones’ but a sitcom; that’s how we approach it here.”

Daryl Mitchell is just happy to be back for a new season of laughter.

“We’re like seasoned racehorses. We’ve been at this for a while. Everyone here is enthusiastic and far from disenchanted. There’s this refreshing energy on set,” remarked Mitchell.

“Shifting Gears” airs on ABC Wednesday nights and also streams on Hulu.

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