When you watch a show long enough, the characters start to feel like family. This is precisely how fans of New Girl likely think about Jess Day, Nick Miller, Schmidt, Winston Bishop, and CeCe. The sitcom, starring Zooey Deschanel as the lead character, premiered on FOX in 2011 and ran for seven long seasons. The series tracked the misadventures of the whole gang, their romances, their unrequited loves, and of course, Winston’s undying affection for his cat, Ferguson. And since all of that left our screens, well, other shows like New Girl have become the Holy Grail — and we’re officially on the hunt.
Before we dive into what we’ve found on that front, though, here’s a little anecdote that’ll make you miss the New Girl cast even more. Jake Johnson, who played Nick, recently revealed in an interview that the cast was like family on set but never got the chance to hang out much IRL. He said on Justin Long’s podcast, “Mind you if we are shooting on location, then we all go out to eat. We all like each other. But the only time Max [Greenfield], Lamorne [Morris], and I have ever gone out to eat is we were doing some photoshoot, and we all went and got a bite to eat. And it was a mistake because another table of people saw the cast of New Girl doing bits with each other…” and of course lost their minds. He did add that they text each other still to this day. “Max and I text all the time, but if he tried to FaceTime me on a Wednesday, I would write like, ‘Leave me alone,’” he said, just like Nick and Schmidt might even have done in real life.
If you need a new sitcom to make you fall in love with the characters so much that you miss them when they’re gone, try these shows like New Girl for a good laugh.
What to Watch If You Loved New Girl
1. Playing House (2014-2017)
Starring Jessica St. Clair, Keegan-Michael Key, and Lennon Parham, among others, this series is about a woman who moves back to her small town and right in with her childhood best friend, who is not only recently divorced but pregnant. The two decide to raise the baby together and, of course, get into many mishaps along the way as they just try to make their lives as normal as possible — even though embracing non-normalcy is their thing.
2. Happy Endings (2011-2020)
Starring Casey Wilson, Damon Wayans Jr., Eliza Coupe, Elisha Cuthbert, Zachary Knighton, and Adam Pally, this quirky, lighthearted series is about another group of super-tight friends. While they don’t always make the best decisions, they always come together to help each other out, whether with work, love, or minor fights within the group. You’ll fall in love with them all.
3. You’re the Worst (2014-2019)
This FX series is about two very despicable people who just can’t help but fall in love with each other. While their love story is front and center, the show is also about their friends, who do what they can to make sure their friends aren’t complete and utter jerks to each other or, well, literally everyone else.
4. 2 Broke Girls (2011-2017)
While the ensemble is a little smaller here, this show has the same sort of humor as The New Girl, as it follows two women who couldn’t be more different living together in New York City and trying to earn their living as waitresses in a diner. Eventually, they come up with a plan to get them out — but not before realizing that, despite their differences, they’re really best friends.
5. Superstore (2015-2021)
Do not sleep on Superstore, a sitcom about a bunch of people who work in a Walmart-esque megastore. Helmed by America Ferrera, this ensemble cast of goofy and sometimes just downright weird folks will worm their way into your hearts. Whether it’s crushing on each other or coming together to save the store (over and over and over again), you will root for each and every one of them, much like the New Girl characters.
6. Martin (1992-1997)
Martin is named after the show’s protagonist, Martin. He is a hilarious Detroit radio DJ who lives with his equally funny girlfriend, Gina. And although he can be a bit cocky, rude, and unbelievably annoying at times, their love prevails, and you can’t help but root for him. In each episode, Martin and his friends get into hijinks and learn a new lesson about navigating love and adulthood.
7. It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia (2005- )
This show is about a hilarious group of friends who work at a local bar called Paddy’s in Philadelphia. Charlie, Dennis, Frank, and Dee are an irreverent and terrible group of friends who stand by each other (for the most part). They’re affectionally known as “The Gang,” and in each episode, they scheme a new way to make their small toxic dreams come true.
7. Alone Together (2018)
Two Millenials in a platonic male-female friendship take on Los Angeles. Esther and Benji are both terribly awkward, and the only place they seem to fit in is when they’re alone together. Benji is rich, incredibly insecure, and lazy, while Esther is a bit more self-centered and enjoys Benji’s lavish lifestyle. Together, they try to have fun and make the most of their LA adventures.
More Shows Like New Girl to Watch
- How I Met Your Mother (2005-2014)
- Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23 (2012-2013)
- Rules of Engagement (2007-2013)
- Perfect Couples (2010-2011)
- Friends With Benefits (2011)
- Let’s Stay Together (2011-2014)
- Casual (2015-2018)
- The Mindy Project (2012-2017)
- Cougar Town (2009-2015)
- Living Single (1993-1998)
- Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013-2021)
- The Mick (2017-2018)
- Malcolm & Eddie (1996-2000)
- The League (2009-2015)
- The Good Place (2016-2020)
- Difficult People (2015-2017)
- Alone Together (2018)
- Friends (1994)
- Broad City (2014-2019)
- In the House (1995-1999)
- Dollface (2019-present)
- Shrill (2019- )
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This article was originally published on 1.8.2022
