Jenna elfman joins abc’s ‘shifting gears’ in return to multi-camera comedy

EXCLUSIVE: Jenna Elfman, best known for her starring role in the 1997 ABC sitcom _Dharma & Greg_, is returning to the network with a recurring role on another multi-camera comedy series,

the upcoming _Shifting Gears_, headlined by fellow ABC sitcom star Tim Allen. It is produced by the same studio, 20th Television. _Shifting Gears _stars Tim Allen as Matt, the stubborn,

widowed owner of Parker Customs, a classic car restoration shop. When Matt’s estranged daughter (Kat Dennings) and her kids move into his house, the real restoration begins. Elfman will play

Eve Drake, a spirited choreographer and owner of the dance studio across from Parker Customs. The role should be a good fit for Elfman who is a classically trained ballerina and began her

career as a professional dancer, appearing in music videos by Depeche Mode and Anthrax and dancing on the 1991 Academy Awards live broadcast. Elfman also did some “interpretive dancing”

while co-hosting the 1999 Emmys with David Hyde Pierce. WATCH ON DEADLINE The rest of _Shifting Gears_ main cast includes Seann William Scott as Gabriel, who also works at the shop, Daryl

“Chill” Mitchell as Stitch, Maxwell Simkins as Carter and Barrett Margolis as Georgia. Allen executive produces alongside showrunner Michelle Nader, Marty Adelstein, Becky Clements, Richard

Baker, Rick Messina, John Pasquin, who directed the pilot episode, Jim Patterson, Bob Daily and John Amodeo. Dennings is a producer. _Shifting Gears_ creators Mike Scully and Julie Thacker

Scully are executive producers on the pilot episode. The series, produced by 20th Television, a part of Disney Television Studios, will premiere Jan. 8, airing in the 8 PM slot where _Dharma

& Greg_ spent some time. It will stream next day on Hulu. This marks Elfman’s return to multi-camera comedy. Following her five-season starring turn as Dharma on ABC/20th TV’s _Dharma

& Greg_, which earned her a Golden Globe and three Emmy nominations, she starred in two more sitcoms, CBS’ _Courting Alex_ and _Accidentally On Purpose_, before switching to

single-camera half-hours with NBC’s _1600 Penn_, from 20th TV, and _Growing Up Fisher_ and ABC’s _Imaginary Mary_, neither of which went the distance. Elfman more recently has done drama

series, including a five-season series regular stint on AMC’s_ Fear The Walking Dead_. She guest starred on the ABC/20th TV drama series _Will Trent _earlier this year and will next be seen

in an eight-episode arc on Season 3 of AMC’s _Dark Winds._ Elfman is repped by WME, Artists First and Latham & Watkins.