Fall TV Preview

SYNOPSIS

NEW GIRL (working title) is a new single-camera comedy from Liz Meriwether ("No Strings Attached") that features a young ensemble cast and takes a fresh and outrageous look at modern male/female relationships. JESS DAY (Zooey Deschanel, "(500) Days of Summer") is an offbeat and adorable girl in her late 20s who, after a bad breakup, moves in with three single guys. Goofy, positive, vulnerable and honest to a fault, Jess has faith in people, even when she shouldn't. Although she's dorky and awkward, she's comfortable in her own skin. More prone to friendships with women, she's not used to hanging with the boys - especially at home.

Of the three male roommates, NICK (Jake Johnson, "No Strings Attached") is the most grounded. He had big plans for life, but somewhere along the way, he stopped caring and became a bartender. Usually the smartest guy in the room, he has an uncanny knack for reading people and uses humor to deflect everyone and everything. SCHMIDT (Max Greenfield, "Ugly Betty") is a hustling young professional who fancies himself a modern-day Casanova. Though his heart is usually in the right place, he's always scheming ways to climb the social ladder and is driven by an immature and almost obsessive urge to be on "the scene." Viewing Jess as a gateway into the elusive female mind, as well as a personal project, Schmidt encourages the guys to bring Jess into the apartment. The third roommate, COACH (Damon Wayans Jr., "The Underground"), is a former high school athlete who currently makes his living as a personal trainer. Set in his ways and with a take-it-or-leave-it attitude to dating, Coach is most comfortable when he's in the gym. Though he'll never admit it, Coach's macho athletic exterior is actually a cover for his shyness around women, and he struggles to translate his personal confidence into conversation, preferring to speak in sports metaphors - or not at all.

Rounding out this group is Jess' childhood best friend, CECE (Hannah Simone, "Beautiful People"), a deadpan, somewhat cynical model who blossomed after outgrowing her promiscuous adolescent years. She has the street smarts Jess lacks and spends a lot of time doling out no-nonsense relationship advice that only a professional model could give. She and Jess balance each other well and accept each other despite their faults, making Cece the perfect complement to Jess.

As their relationships progress, the five friends come to realize they need each other more than they ever thought they would and end up forming a charmingly dysfunctional family.

NEW GIRL (working title) is produced by Chernin Entertainment in association with 20th Century Fox Television. The series is created and written by Liz Meriwether. Meriwether, Jake Kasdan ("The TV Set," "Freaks & Geeks"), Peter Chernin (TERRA NOVA), Katherine Pope (TERRA NOVA), Dave Finkel ("United States of Tara," "30 Rock") and Brett Baer ("United States of Tara," "30 Rock") are executive producers. Kasdan directed the pilot.

PRODUCTION COMPANIES
20th Century Fox Television
Chernin Entertainment

CREATOR/WRITER
Liz Meriwether

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
Liz Meriwether
Jake Kasdan
Peter Chernin
Katherine Pope
Dave Finkel
Brett Baer

DIRECTOR
Jake Kasdan

CAST
Zooey Deschanel as Jess
Max Greenfield as Schmidt
Jake Johnson as Nick
Hannah Simone as Cece
Damon Wayans Jr. as Coach

REVIEWS

Please note that these reviews may contain spoilers.

Gordon McDougall's Take
I think I have found my favourite new show of this television season. In a season of too many relationship comedies and men facing the bleak prospect of maturity, New Girl is funny and refreshing. Zooey Deschanel is probably about 80% of the reason why I enjoyed this new comedy, but the rest of the cast works, too. Zooey’s Jess moves in with three guys, despite everyone’s misgivings, but by the end of the first half hour, they have naturally meshed as friends. I’m sorry to say Damon Wayans Jr. leaves after the first episode because his other show, Happy Endings, was unfortunately and inexplicably renewed for a second season by ABC, so his Coach will be replaced by Lamorne Morris as Winston from the second episode on. I hope he has as much charisma as Wayans, but I don’t think he will. Deschanel is so engaging in this role, which was clearly written around her talents, that I’ve watched the pilot a few times now, just to watch her be Jess. Where another actress would make her character’s obsession with the movie, Dirty Dancing, sad and pathetic, Deschanel makes it charming. The only character on the show that I’m not sure about yet is Jess’ friend, Cece. I can’t quite place why, but I don’t see them being friends. Cece is a little bit too “together” for the “all over the place” Jess, but I’m sure in time the writers will explain how they came to be friends. New Girl’s timeslot following Glee is good news, because even if a fraction of the Glee crowd sticks around and “gets” this smart, funny comedy, that’s a win for everyone. If I haven’t made my rating of New Girl clear, it’s: My personal favourite!
Rating: One of my personal favorites!
About Gordon McDougall TVGord is a radio host at 580 CFRA in Ottawa. He does a weekly segment about TV every friday which you can hear in MP3 in the '580 CFRA Interviews' section of their website, www.cfra.com