‘Shifting Gears’ revs up on Hallmark Channel

Category: Television and Streaming

Get your motor running. That’s the goal of the competition on the new Hallmark Channel movie Shifting Gears. It is all about cars, engines, paint jobs, and lost loves.

Jess (Katherine Barrell) is an amazing mechanic and she also excels at painting car bodies. Her passion is restoring the old classic cars – the ones that took families to drive-ins, weekend jaunts, and picnics. Jess works in her father’s garage and is happy working on cars and forgoing any romantic life. After all, cars won’t let you down the way her old flame Luke (Tyler Hynes) did many years ago.

Luke is also a genius mechanic and now works with his father in a business where he doesn’t wear overalls and, as Jess says, looks like he should be selling bonds. The two have gone their separate ways, but have their hearts?

Jess is offered a spot on a car restoration TV program, which she initially turns down. But when she discovers they might lose their business due to a rent hike, Jess joins the show in hopes of winning the prize money to save her father’s business.

It is a daunting idea, going in front of a television audience, however Jess knows she has to win the prize money to save the shop. But guess who else is among the contestants. Luke shows up on the set and the two discover they are pitted against each other in the competition of their lives.

As the days go by and they each undertake the daily challenges, it is anyone’s guess as to who will be the winner. Of course, with others also involved, it might not be either Jess or Luke. But, yes, you guessed it, it comes down to them and one other contestant.

So, as the deadline looms, things get a little more heated off the set as Jess and Luke rediscover their true feelings about each other. It is a Hallmark movie, after all, and this is why we all tune in. Viewers love to see their Hallmark characters find, or rediscover, love, and in this story it doesn’t take long for Jess and Luke to see that they make a great team – both on and off the TV set. This story has the two dealing with the competition as well as their personal history.

Then a wrench is thrown into the story, no pun intended. Has Luke been honest with Jess or is there a secret he’s keeping from her?

One of the themes running through this story is that of following one’s dreams and heart. And with work and dedication, those dreams can become a reality, as it did for Jess. She did not let the fact that most mechanics are men deter her from her dream of restoring old cars. She jumped into the drivers seat, again no pun intended, and took off. Her abilities were only matched by her dedication and love of her job.

Shifting Gears premieres Saturday, March 23, 2024 on Hallmark Channel.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.