Jake Johnson Reveals How He Helped Save New Girl From Cancellation
Jake Johnson really did not want New Girl to end with last season’s Nick-Jess elevator smooch. So when series creator Liz Meriwether invited the cast to reach out directly to Fox co-chairmen Dana Walden and Gary Newman to plead their case for a final, abbreviated seventh season, he jumped at the chance.
“I was one of [cast members] that wrote them and asked for more,” Johnson tells TVLine, before recounting the specific appeal he made to Walden and Newman. “I said, ‘I don’t think you gave us enough time to finish the show the right way. And I would really appreciate — and I think the fans would appreciate — a final goodbye to these characters.'”
Johnson concluded his plea by noting how rare it is for a series to have such a loyal and passionate fan base. “I’ve done a lot of projects — and some of the projects have fans and some don’t,” he shares “And to be on a television show that actually has a group of people who care [is special].”
Walden and Newman ultimately agreed to bring New Girl back for an eight-episode farewell season. And they also signed off on Meriwether & Co.’s big, bold twist: The premiere will pick up four years after the events of the Season 6 finale.
“I think it’s cool to do a time jump,” Johnson says. “I think we we were running in circles a little bit, so I think jumping forward [is smart]. Everyone is a little further along [with their lives].”
New Girl Season 7 is slated to kick off this spring.
Gotta admit I am very sick of time jumps as a storytelling devise…
Every show should play out in real time, like 24!
Parks and Recreation did it brilliantly
Because there’s no such thing as “in between”
I think they can be great in most instances, as long as they are well thought out. I thought the Desparate Housewives time jump gave the show new life for the second half of it’s run. Parks and Rec nailed it of course as well. Brother’s and Sister’s seemed a little lost after their time jump. I guess it all depends. The New Girl time jump seems more like an epilogue which feels appropriate.
Yea, time jumps are getting lazy.
One Tree Hill was smart to do it and Battlestar Galactica. Otherwise?
I think the best part about Battlestar was I never expected it when it happened and they did it and the timing. It was the episode before the end of the season right?
One Tree Hill used it to bypass the difficulty of a show about High school navigating college and I think it paid off for them.
Now it’s just used as creative resets. Those were shows that didn’t even need them. They just used them to bypass problems.
The BSG timejump also saved us from having to watch a whole season on New Caprica – which would have been sort of boring. We knew Baltar would be a terrible leader and we knew the cylons would turn out to be terrible roommates. So i appreciated them not waisting time getting to that, because it just wasnt needed. And it was done really well
They can work where the current storyline is played out, has run its course, but here are more stories to tell with the characters. One way to do it is end the show and bring it back later, as they’ve done in Britain for years and we now are getting it here with The X Files, Prison Break, Will and Grace, and Roseanne. But, that’s hard to do, given cast contracts and other commitments. So, sometimes, for storytelling purposes, a time jump works. The flipside is that this usually means that the writers have run out of ideas. It cuts both ways.
Parks and Rec did a time jump perfectly, in my opinion. I have faith that New Girl will pull it off as well.
I’m very glad to read this, because I love Jake Johnson and was worried after he made comments about not thinking the show would be back that he didn’t WANT it to be back.
I love when the actors on a show are as passionate about it is I am.
Im very glad they are doing a final season to wrap everything up. Im excited for it to premiere.
I’m so glad that the show has a last season. New Girl has been so consistent and amazing that it deserved a send off on its own terms. Can’t wait for the final season!
Funny. With the 4-year time-jump, it looks like New Girl is just cutting to the chase and doing its reunion miniseries as its final season.
As long as Nick and Jess don’t end up together, I’m all for it. Otherwise I won’t watch the final 8.
Guess you won’t be watching then…
Oh please don’t watch it then, because Ness it’s happening.
I’m so glad you won’t be watching then. Because you’re in the minority here as most of us want them together and they will be, so… Bye, you won’t be missed.
Bye bye! Don’t let Nick and Jess hit you on your way out!
I had no idea the series was at risk of cancellation at all till this happened. Total shock. So happy he pushed for a mini season 8. Better than nothing!
I am glad that New Girl got a last season but the least FOX could do is put it on before March!!!. Its a very long wait indeed
Time jumps can be good or bad depending on the storyline. JTV’s time jump was needed and it works.
The fact that this show is going away, along with perhaps Brooklyn99, shows FOX’s utter stupidity. Guess it isn’t just the news side that stinks