New Girl is an endearing American sitcom created by Elizabeth Meriwether. The series revolves around an unusual teacher and her housemates.
New Girl received great critical acclaim and became one of the most-watched series when it premiered.
What Is New Girl About?
The series follows the story of Jess (Zooey Deschanel), a quirky and lovable teacher in her thirties, who finds herself in a complicated situation.
One day she comes home to find her boyfriend, Spencer, with another woman and immediately leaves him to find somewhere else to live.
After answering an ad for a new roommate on Craigslist, she ends up finding a flat in which three single men live: Nick (Jake Johnson), Schmidt (Max Greenfield) and Coach (Damon Wayans Jr).
Nick works as a bartender and has a lot of emotional problems, Schmidt is a charming bachelor, and Coach is a personal trainer.
Jess's presence changes the dynamic of the trio, who develop a curious friendship in which all will help each other in their love and professional challenges.
To help Jess recover from her disappointment and move on with her life, she is joined by model Cece (Hannah Simone), her long-time best friend. She is Jess's point of stability, bringing advice, tips, and a lot of coolness to her fumbling friend.
The series follows the group's fun interactions with each other as they become closer friends and their romantic relationships.
It also combines elements of comedy and drama as the characters, who are in their thirties, deal with relationship issues and career choices.
Shows Like New Girl
If you need to catch a good comedy and you're looking for a new series of choices, check out our list of nine shows like New Girl chosen especially for you.
There is the friendship staple, Friends or you could get to know the stories and adventures of a group of friends, narrated by one of them to his children, on how he met their mother.
Join a community college in a study group, where they end up learning more about themselves than about the subject studied, in Community.
Or check out our list, and we're sure you'll find a series to your satisfaction. And if you have any other suggestions, please let us know in the comments below!
OUR LIST OF SHOWS LIKE NEW GIRL
Brooklyn Nine Nine
Brooklyn Nine-Nine is a fast-talking sit-com which blends smart wordplay with dumb gags, against a backdrop of the ever so slightly ridiculous. Starring an incredibly funny cast, all four seasons on Netflix are impeccably and consistently high on qua...[Read More]
Grace And Frankie
If you're after a laugh-out-loud comedy that features two of the greatest actresses on the planet, then Grace And Frankie is the bingeable show you've been looking for. Razor sharp with on point comedic timing, this an absolute gem from Netflix.
Abbott Elementary
Janine Teagues is a second grade teacher in the underfunded Abbott Elementary school in Philly. Facing the issues that so many teachers do every day, this mockumentary-style sitcom highlights just how hard it is to run a school when you're in an uphi...[Read More]
Life & Beth
Life & Beth is a dark comedy drama about a woman who must re-evaluate her entire life when her mother suddenly dies. A really well written and engaging show about trying to break out of the banality of life.
Hacks
Hacks follows legendary Las Vegas comedian Deborah Vance who is on the verge of losing her historic residency. Can emerging comedy writer Ava Daniels help freshen up her act? Maybe, if they didn't hate each other so much, in this brilliant comedy ser...[Read More]
Kim's Convenience
Kim's Convenience is a fun and quirky Canadian comedy that highlights the generation and cultural gap between parents and children, all lovely yet struggling with their expectations of each other.
Life In Pieces
If you're looking for a new comedy to binge on then Life In Pieces is just what you need. Families, in-laws, siblings and relationships are all in the mix in this sharp and very funny comedy. Think Modern Family meets Arrested Development!
Single Drunk Female
Samantha Fink is a Single Drunk Female in this comedy drama about a young woman who must come to grips with her alcoholism and get her life together before she winds up in jail. Finds the wit and fun in a show dealing with a serious subject.
The Good Place
Eleanor Shellstrop has died and has mistakenly found herself in an afterlife known as The Good Place, despite her dubiously immoral existence on earth. But can she mend her ways and stay there in this brilliantly funny comedy?
How Many Seasons Does New Girl Have?
New Girl premiered in September 2011 with 24 episodes. The pilot episode attracted millions of viewers, becoming the highest-rated fall premiere for a Fox-scripted show since 2001.
Two episodes after the premiere, the series was renewed for a second season, which aired a year later with 25 episodes. The following seasons were released annually until the fifth season, which launched in January 2016.
In September of the same year, the sixth season debuted with 22 episodes, and it was announced that the show would be renewed for the seventh and final season.
It premiered in April 2018, and the last episode aired in May so seven seasons in total.
New Girl has been nominated for several awards, including five Golden Globes and five Primetime Emmy Awards.
How Was New Girl filmed?
New Girl spends a significant amount of time in the flat that Jess and her friends share. The exterior of the apartment building is the Binford Building, located in the Arts District of LA, with interior shots done in a studio.
The main set was built for the pilot and represents a factory-turned-loft in downtown LA.
The exterior shots of the bar where Nick works are from The Griffin, located in Atwater Village. The interior is originally from a restaurant called The Prince in Koreatown and was recreated in a studio after the first season.
As a single-camera comedy, New Girl is not performed in front of a studio audience, nor does it have a laugh track. Some scenes are shot simultaneously with a camera on each person to allow better improvisation.
The actors first receive the script in the form of a draft, and by the time they film the episode, the story may have changed dramatically. Actors first perform scenes as written and then perform by themselves or improvise, allowing producers and editors to choose the jokes that ultimately work best.
The director has estimated that 20% of each episode is improvised, making this series naturally comedic and entertaining. Scenes are assembled in the editing room until they achieve the emotional and humorous tone the producers are looking for. Only after completion do the producers know which version ends up in the episode.
