The pilot episode was ordered in March 2024 by 20th Television and was written by Mike Scully and Julie Thacker Scully, who created the series but left the project after being involved in the pilot.

ABC gave the series a full series order in July 2024, and Michelle Nader joined as showrunner and executive producer in September 2024.

Seann William Scott joined the cast in October 2024, followed by additions including Daryl 'Chill' Mitchell, Maxwell Simkins and Barrett Margolis.

The show features several guest stars connected to Tim Allen's earlier sitcom Home Improvement, including Patricia Richardson, Richard Karn and Debbe Dunning, who appear as members of a grief support group in the season 2 premiere.

Real-life celebrities such as Jay Leno, Gabriel Iglesias, Lori Greiner and MLB player Mookie Betts made guest appearances playing themselves.

Shifting Gears is filmed at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California.

The series premiere on January 8, 2025 became ABC's strongest series debut since The Conners in 2018 and the network's most-watched streaming debut ever, drawing nearly 17 million multi-platform viewers within its first seven days.

Despite mixed critical reviews (a 47% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes), the show earned Astra TV Award nominations for Tim Allen and Kat Dennings as Best Actor and Best Actress, plus a nomination for Best Cast Ensemble in a Broadcast Network Comedy Series.