In a heartwarming moment caught in front of the Shifting Gears live studio audience, Kaitlyn Dever surprised her Last Man Standing on-screen father Tim Allen.
An Instagram video posted to the ABC show’s account showed Allen walking around the corner into the kitchen to meet his next mark while filming a take, only to catch Dever scouring the fridge. The Toy Story alum doubled over in laughter and surprise, as viewers erupted in cheers, and the former co-stars shared an embrace. Also present was Allen’s Shifting Gears daughter Riley, portrayed by Kat Dennings, who celebrated the reunion nearby.
Before The Last of Us, Dopesick and two Emmy nominations, Dever played one of Allen’s three daughters on the four-time Emmy-nominated sitcom, about blue-collar married man Mike Baxter who is trying to retain his masculine identity in a household dominated by women. He finds escape in his role as an executive at a Denver-based chain sporting goods store, and via his vlog, which he uses as a pulpit for his political opinions.
In addition to Dever and Allen, the series starred Hector Elizondo, Nancy Travis, Amanda Fuller, Molly Ephraim and Christoph Sanders. Last Man Standing was initially canceled by ABC after six seasons, despite strong ratings and its Heartland appeal, especially in the wake of President Donald Trump’s first term (the central character is a political conservative and devout Christian). Fox rescued the show, which ultimately ran for a total of 9 seasons from 2011 through 2021.
Shifting Gears, which received additional episodes in its second season and ranked No. 5 among ABC’s scripted series last year, follows a single mother (Dennings) who moves back in with her estranged father (Allen), the owner of an auto restoration shop.
