Shifting Gears' Renewal Odds Presumably Just Got A Lot Better Following Season 2 Finale

Shifting Gears Season 2 is finished, and we're still waiting to see if it'll show up on the 2026 TV schedule with fresh Season 3 episodes. The season finale set the stage for big updates for Kat Dennings' Riley and Tim Allen's Matt, and the latest viewership info may make the renewal odds a lot better.

Will Riley end up getting with Gabe, or will she give her ex, Andy, another chance? I'm happy to hear we may get those answers, especially after seeing just how many people checked out the Season 2 finale.

Shifting Gears Had Strong Viewership For Its Season 2 Finale

The latest Nielsen ratings are out, and per TV Insider, the Season 2 finale scored a viewership of 6.9 million viewers over seven days. This is between those who watched on ABC and those who tuned in with a Hulu subscription, but even so, it's a pretty solid showing for Shifting Gears.

It was the best audience the series had since the fall premiere, which saw Matt and Eve break up while she went on tour. Viewership rose 59% over total viewership, and the show had a 154% rise among adults 18 - 49 in its Live+Same day totals. That's a key demo for most shows to target, so seeing that number rise may convince executives the show could gain an audience in Season 3.

What Shifting Gears Season 3 Could Be About

Shifting Gears Season 3 has a lot of ground to cover, beyond the cliffhanger of Riley torn between two men. While I would expect to see more with Gabe and Andy in future episodes, we also have Matt and Eve's rekindled relationship to revisit, and new characters like Matt's son Sam.

When CinemaBlend spoke to Shifting Gears star Daryl Mitchell, he mentioned that he has a running joke where he pretends he found out the show was renewed and announces it during every wrap party. While he actually had no idea at the time whether it would return, it worked out for him the last time he did it, so he did confirm he carried through with the prank again when filming wrapped on Season 2 this year. So, for anyone who's superstitious and needs more than ratings for reassurance that the sitcom may return, have faith in Mitchell's ritual.

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We will continue to keep an eye out for updates on Shifting Gears, and whether or not it's going to return to ABC for Season 3. Right now, I'm leaning more toward yes than no, but anyone who has tried to follow ratings in recent years knows nothing is guaranteed until that official season order is given.