Beth Behrs Joins Kat Dennings for ‘2 Broke Girls’ Reunion on ‘Shifting Gears’
ABC’s ‘Shifting Gears’ has become known for its special sitcom reunions, creatively bringing back familiar faces from its cast’s past. Tim Allen’s ties to ‘Home Improvement’ and ‘Last Man Standing’ provided the show with nostalgic guest appearances during Season 2.
Now, the series is focusing on co-star Kat Dennings’ sitcom legacy. Since its debut in 2025, Dennings has starred in ‘Shifting Gears’ as Riley Parker, the estranged daughter of Allen’s classic car shop owner. Before this role, she gained fame for her six-season stint on CBS’s ‘Two Broke Girls’ alongside Beth Behrs.
This previous partnership is officially reuniting. As reported by Variety, Beth Behrs is set to guest star in the upcoming third season of ‘Shifting Gears,’ marking their first on-screen collaboration since ‘Two Broke Girls’ concluded nearly a decade ago.
Behrs will portray Dr. Johnson, a stunning emergency room doctor who treats Dennings’ character, Riley, for a back injury. This role also reunites Behrs with showrunner and executive producer Michelle Nader, who previously collaborated with her during ‘Two Broke Girls’ original run.
According to TVLine, the reunion has been in the works for some time, with Nader expressing interest in bringing Behrs onto the show as early as October 2025. Scheduling was the main challenge, as both ‘Shifting Gears’ and Behrs’ previous series, ‘The Neighborhood,’ filmed on the same night at different studios in Los Angeles, complicating her appearance until now.
Dennings teased the announcement on social media with a cryptic post referencing a diner guest check, hinting at Behrs’ involvement—a playful nod to their shared history as waitresses on ‘Two Broke Girls.’
This marks the second significant cast reunion orchestrated by ‘Shifting Gears’ since its launch. Season 2 previously featured several of Allen’s ‘Home Improvement’ co-stars, including Patricia Richardson, Richard Karn, and Debbe Dunning, who appeared as members of a grief support group alongside Nancy Travis, another collaborator from ‘Last Man Standing.’
‘Shifting Gears’ centers on Allen’s character, Matt, a stubborn widowed classic car restoration shop owner whose life changes when his estranged daughter Riley and her children move in with him. The returning cast for Season 3 includes Seann William Scott, Daryl “Chill” Mitchell, Maxwell Simkins, and Barrett Margolis, with Dennings also serving as a producer on the series.
Produced by 20th Television, Season 3 is scheduled to premiere in early 2027 as part of ABC’s midseason lineup. This timing aligns with several other ABC dramas and comedies delaying their returns until next year, but casting news like this reunion is already generating excitement among fans.
For fans of ‘Two Broke Girls,’ which aired on CBS from 2011 to 2017, seeing Dennings and Behrs reunite on screen carries significant nostalgic value, even in a different show and format. Behrs continued her career with eight seasons on ‘The Neighborhood’ after her role as Caroline Channing, while Dennings explored other projects like ‘Dollface’ and ‘WandaVision’ before landing her current role.
While the exact episode air date remains unannounced, fans will eagerly await ‘Shifting Gears’ return to witness the two former co-stars share a scene once more.
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!