'New Girl' Season 7 News: Jake Johnson Shares How He Helped Save Dramedy From Cancellation
"New Girl" was initially poised to be canceled after season 6 but thanks, in part, to Jake Johnson, Fox's veteran comedy will be back for its farewell season 7 next year.
Cancellation seemed likely for the Zooey Deschanel-led sitcom since its sixth season wrapped up in April. Ratings were not as high as they used to be and the final episodes of the installment tied all the loose ends in the story. However, since "New Girl" has maintained a loyal fanbase over the years, the cast helped to get the show one final season.
Johnson, who plays Nick on the series, recently said he joined his fellow cast members in pleading their case to Fox's head honchos. They asked the network to give them more episodes to give viewers the closure they truly deserve.
"I was one of [the cast members] that wrote them and asked for more," Johnson told TVLine "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.'"
Season 6 concluded with Jess (Deschanel) and Nick (Johnson) giving their romance another try. Cece (Hannah Simone) and Schmidt (Max Greenfield) found out they were expecting their first baby, while Winston (Lamorne Morris) reached out to his father. The next installment will include eight episodes and will pick up after a four-year time jump.
The reduced number of episodes for season 7 was a huge drop from the show's first six seasons. All the previous installments spanned at least 22 episodes. It's worth noting that even Deschanel's maternity leave on the program did not lead to such a big reduction in episode number.
The seventh and final season of "New Girl" premieres midseason 2018 on Fox. An exact release date has yet to be announced.
