'Shifting Gears' stars Tim Allen, Kat Dennings talk family, fun on set and those cars!

LOS ANGELES -- Tim Allen is revving up for his network TV return on "Shifting Gears."

"So many people came to me so long ago and said, 'would you do another sitcom,'" Allen told On The Red Carpet when we visited the set.

Allen, who previously starred in "Home Improvement" and "Last Man Standing" said when "Shifting Gears" was presented to him, "I thought it was a funny idea."

"This is about a guy that's just been recently widowed, and then his daughter comes back."

Kat Dennings plays that daughter, Riley, who returns with her two kids as she's going through a divorce.

"Now that her mom's gone and she's getting a divorce, she has to crawl home and admit that he was right about her husband and kind of face all that," she said.

Allen said he spoke to the show's executives about having the series tackle the subject of grief.

"That's what motivated everything. My mom has some friends who've been through so much grief in their lives, and they still function every day," Allen said. "I've always appreciated that people have a sense of humor somewhere in it that nothing can stop that."

"I would easily just roll up in a ball and roll down the street and you'd never see me again because life is so difficult," added Dennings, on being able to play out her grief journey.

"So there's something really beautiful about seeing a father and daughter who don't have a lot in common on paper, but are kind of the same person. And that's where the comedy for me, comes out, too, because he and I in the show have extremely different styles... whatever. But we are so similar that the head-butting is just hilarious."

In addition to Allen and Dennings, "Shifting Gears" stars Seann William Scott, Daryl "Chill" Mitchell, Barrett Margolis and Maxwell Simkins.

Allen's character Matt restores cars for a living, which seemed like a perfect fit for the self-proclaimed car guy. In fact, many of the cars you see on the set are from Allen's personal collection.

"I said, you can use any of the prop cars I have, because I built some movie cars, so you can use them. And this is like being at my... home," Allen revealed.

For the actors who play Dennings' kids, being on the car shop set is the most fun.

"Every episode, it feels like we have more cars coming in from somewhere. But, you know, Tim is a car guru, so he knows everything. He's like, 'yeah that's a F1-5000.' I'm like 'all right, cool cool,'" laughed Simkins.

"I love all the machines and cars and stuff. I think it's really cool!," Margolis said.

Daryl "Chill" Mitchell, who has worked with Allen before (on 1999's "Galaxy Quest"), said he's got his eye on a couple of Allen's cars.

"You know, since I've known him so long, he's a good friend. I might just go in and be like, 'yo Tim, slide me that, Playboy,' you know? You're not gonna miss it!," Mitchell joked.

Dennings also wants in on the action!

"I'm learning about cars through this man, through the show. And I feel like when we wrap, I should get one. I mean, no pressure, but you know, it doesn't seem like you're using it," Dennings joked.

On The Red Carpet is partial to the 1968 Camaro, Tim Allen... if you're listening.

"Shifting Gears" premieres Wednesday, January 8 at 8pm EST on ABC.

The Walt Disney Company is the parent company of this ABC station.