History of New Girl in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: July 12, 2026

New Girl is a popular sitcom that follows the life of Jessica Day, an eccentric and bubbly teacher who moves into a Los Angeles loft with three single men after a bad breakup. The core of the series revolves around the evolving dynamics between Jess and her roommates: Nick, a cynical bartender; Schmidt, a fastidious and status-obsessed professional; and Winston, a quirky former athlete. Joined by Jess's model best friend Cece, the group navigates the complexities of adulthood, career struggles, and romantic entanglements. The show is celebrated for its rapid-fire dialogue, slapstick humor, and the heartfelt, long-term romantic tension between Jess and Nick. Throughout its seven seasons, the series explores themes of friendship, personal growth, and the unconventional "found family" structure that develops among the eccentric housemates, ultimately becoming a staple of modern television comedy.

2001: The Bernie Mac Show Debut

In 2001, The Bernie Mac Show premiered on Fox, setting a viewership record for a fall scripted debut that remained unsurpassed until the arrival of New Girl.

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2001: Fox Network Benchmark

In 2001, the Fox network set a ratings benchmark for scripted show debuts that remained the highest until the arrival of New Girl in 2011.

2008: Initial Development of New Girl Pilot

In 2008, 20th Century Fox Television reached out to playwright Elizabeth Meriwether to create a television pilot, though the project was ultimately shelved at that time.

June 2011: New Girl Recognized at 1st Critics' Choice Television Awards

In June 2011, the show New Girl was selected as one of eight honorees in the "most exciting new series" category at the 1st Critics' Choice Television Awards, based on votes from journalists who had viewed the pilot episode.

September 6, 2011: New Girl Pilot Digital Release

On September 6, 2011, the pilot episode of the television series New Girl was made available for early viewing through on-demand platforms, iTunes, and TiVo ahead of its network broadcast premiere.

September 20, 2011: Premiere of New Girl

On September 20, 2011, the American television sitcom New Girl, created by Elizabeth Meriwether, officially premiered on the Fox network.

2011: New Girl 2011-12 Television Season Performance

During the 2011-12 television season, New Girl achieved an average viewership of 8.22 million people and secured a 4.2 rating in the 18-49 demographic. As of 2011, the show was ranked as the fifth highest-rated program on the Fox network and the 13th highest-rated show overall.

2011: Pitch and Development of New Girl

Following her success with the film No Strings Attached in 2011, Elizabeth Meriwether was approached again by 20th Century Fox. She pitched a sitcom concept originally titled Chicks and Dicks, based on her personal experiences living in Los Angeles, which Fox eventually developed into the show titled New Girl starring Zooey Deschanel.

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2011: Premiere of New Girl

In 2011, the comedy series New Girl premiered as one of the most acclaimed shows of the fall season, achieving the highest-rated debut for a scripted Fox program since 2001 with 10.28 million U.S. viewers.

April 9, 2012: New Girl Season 2 Renewal

On April 9, 2012, the network Fox officially announced that the television series New Girl had been renewed for a second season, which was slated to consist of 24 episodes.

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2015: New Girl Syndication Launches on TBS and MTV

In 2015, the sitcom New Girl expanded its broadcast reach by being added to the programming lineups of both TBS and MTV.

2016: New Girl Removed from MTV

The broadcast run of New Girl on MTV concluded in 2016, leading to the show's removal from that network's schedule.

May 15, 2018: Series Finale of New Girl

The long-running sitcom New Girl concluded its broadcast run on Fox on May 15, 2018, marking the end of the series.

May 2018: Conclusion of New Girl

In May 2018, the television series New Girl concluded its broadcast run after completing seven seasons.

2022: New Girl Removed from TBS

After a seven-year run on the network, New Girl was removed from TBS in 2022.

April 17, 2023: Transition to Hulu and Peacock

Following a decade-long tenure on Netflix, New Girl transitioned to become exclusively available on the streaming platforms Hulu and Peacock starting on April 17, 2023.