‘New Girl’ season 5 official; renewal comes after production begins

Was there really any doubt that we would be seeing a fifth season of “New Girl”? It doesn’t feel like it. While the Fox comedy is hardly a ratings revelation anymore, it continues to do well in DVR ratings and generates some streaming revenue to go along with it. This was all the show needed to give the green light to make more installments even before the news was made official.

So why is the show still at work when it would typically be on hiatus? Per TVLine, this is a move to ensure that there are episodes in the can so that less work will need to be done later this year. Star Zooey Deschanel is currently expecting her first child, and this will allow the show to have closer to a full order and for her to have a substantial maternity leave at the same time. The show is not writing in her pregnancy, so expect lots of baggy clothing and sharp camera angles for a little while.

In a statement about the news, Fox entertainment president David Madden did what any good executive would do in reminding you how much he loves the show:

“Four seasons in, New Girl continues to be one of the smartest and most relatable comedies on television … The writing is razor-sharp, the ensemble is consistently hilarious, and we couldn’t be more proud of… the entire New Girl team. We absolutely love this show and we’re so excited to bring it back for Season Five.”

One major change for season 5 is that Damon Wayans Jr. is not going to be returning as Coach. The actor is moving on to pursue other projects, which may be best for both parties overall. While we loved him in the pilot before Winston came on, the chemistry with him and the other cast never completely gelled in the past two seasons. It felt like for some reason, six main characters on this was too many to give them each their proper due.