It's hard for me to imagine a time when Tim Allen wasn't a household name. Throughout my life, I've seen him in the best Christmas movies, various hit sitcoms, and of course, heard his voice as the iconic Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story. To think his mainstream success really skyrocketed with caveman grunts is wild, but little did I know that it started long before Home Improvement.
With Shifting Gears returning to the 2025 TV schedule on December 3rd after a brief hiatus, it seems Tim Allen will be on The Tonight Show to discuss various things about his career. After Jimmy Fallon showed the actor a woman on the dating app Hinge who asked men to do their best grunt mimicking him, Allen talked about how that whole thing started:
Bob Seger, from Detroit, saw me in concert and he said, 'You put butts in the seats, you own it. But you gotta get a hook. Something that people remember.' And I started doing these corporate gigs and nobody in this room – it was for Goodyear Tire and Rubber company. A bunch of drunk guys eating steaks. And all I see the back of them. They're not doing anything, all I hear is [Tim Allen grunts].
I guess I never thought about it, but the dull rumble you hear in an ample eating space of adults does have a similar sound to Tim Allen's signature grunt. It's wild to think about how that grunt played a part in Home Improvement's massive success on television and built this massively successful career.
Where Tim Allen's Grunting Came From
Ironically, the entire grunting bit came together thanks to Tim Allen's family. It brought the comedian back to dinners in his home, and the way men would react at the table whilst feasting:
It was like Thanksgiving at my house. There's seven boys and two girls in my family. And men, when they're eating, don't speak. They just point and go, 'Oh no, the salt.' [Grunts indecipherably]. So I started doing that and it became a huge deal.
I would say that signature grunt is what made Home Improvement a hit, but I have to give some credit to his co-star, Richard Karn, as well. Even so, every time I think of Tim Allen, I would have to say that one of the first things I think about is that grunt, followed by how criminally underrated Galaxy Quest is by the mainstream all these years later.
Tim Allen Wrapped On Toy Story 5, And Penned A Heartfelt Message To Celebrate
For those feeling nostalgic about Tim Allen now but not so much that they don't want to watch The Santa Clause, ABC will air a special holiday episode of Shifting Gears on December 10th. The episode is titled "Nutcracker," and will feature actress Pamela Adlon as a guest star, so I think it has the potential to be a Christmas classic.
After that, Shifting Gears won't return until the 2026 TV schedule is here on January 7th. Truthfully, with the holidays happening between the Christmas episode and the return, that will feel like no time at all has passed. Readers will have time to sit down around the dinner table with their families, and maybe work on their best Tim Allen grunts as well.
Shifting Gears airs on ABC on Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. As someone who is a sucker for television Christmas specials, I'm eager to see what they're cooking up for their special and hope for plenty of Pamela Adlon, as I'm a big fan of her work.
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