171 Fun Facts About New Girl

Jess lands a substitute-teaching job at which middle school, later becoming its vice principal?

Coolidge Middle School is where Jess teaches and later becomes vice principal; Coach joins the staff as a gym and health teacher, and its ban on administrator-teacher romance complicates her relationship with Ryan.

What is the apartment number of the loft where the main characters live?

4D is the loft's number; in the series finale Nick and Jess finally move out of it, but not before one last game of True American with the gang.

What is the name of Winston Bishop's beloved pet cat?

Furguson first belonged to Winston's girlfriend Daisy; when he learns she is seeing someone else, he ends things and keeps the cat for himself.

What is the name of the bar where Nick Miller works and later co-owns?

The Griffin is where Nick tends bar and where Cece, a novice at mixing drinks, later joins him behind the counter; he and Schmidt eventually buy into the place as co-owners.

Schmidt's first name, kept secret until late in season 6, turns out to be what?

Winston is the name, which is why Schmidt goes by his surname: two Winstons in one loft would be confusing.

What is the fundamental rule of the drinking game 'True American'?

You can't touch the ground because 'the floor is lava'; players have to clamber across chairs, couches and tables to get around the room.

Which creature does a heartbroken Schmidt become fixated on owning after losing Cece in season 2?

A lionfish: Schmidt buys an aquarium for one and drags Winston to the ocean to catch it, while everyone else reads the obsession as pining for Cece.

Which Fox series was the lead-in for New Girl's series premiere in September 2011?

Glee led into the pilot at 8 p.m., yet the newcomer outdrew its lead-in: about 10 million people watched, and Fox won the night among adults aged 18 to 49.

What is the full name of Jess Day's older sister?

Abby Day is the wild older sister Jess has to collect from jail in season 3; she then moves into the loft, dates Schmidt and is gone again within three episodes.

Which actor plays Nick Miller?

Jake Johnson plays Nick Miller, who starts the series as a broke, grumpy bartender and ends it as a published novelist just back from a book tour.

What is the title of the detective novel Nick writes, which later sends him and Jess abroad on a book tour?

The Pepperwood Chronicles is turned down by a publisher at first, so Reagan talks a bookshop into stocking it and hosting a reading.

Panicking about moving in with his ex in New Girl's season 1 finale, what does Nick hurl into a desert gully?

The van keys: Nick drives the moving truck straight past his new apartment and out into the desert, throws the keys away, and after a night stranded with the gang ends up back at the loft.

Which musician played himself in New Girl's post-Super Bowl episode, giving Jess a makeover and nudging her toward Nick?

Prince had turned down a cameo the season before; then his manager called to ask whether the show still wanted him, and the post-Super Bowl episode was written around him.

Who is Jess Day's live-in boyfriend, caught cheating in the pilot?

Spencer's cheating sends Jess looking for somewhere new to live, which is how she comes to answer three strangers' ad for a roommate.

Which instrument does Jess teach to a group of detention-dodging students, only for Winston to prove a natural at it?

Handbells: in season 1, Winston sits in with Jess's troubled-youth bell group, turns out to be instantly good at it and leaves the teacher herself jealous.

Which actor portrays Schmidt in New Girl?

Max Greenfield plays Schmidt both as the vain, gym-honed marketing man of the present and, in flashbacks, as the badly overweight college student he used to be.

In New Girl's season 3 premiere 'All In', Nick and Jess run off to which country?

Mexico is where the new couple hides out in 'All In'; a beach security guard hauls Nick off for having no tourist bracelet, and Jess has to fetch Schmidt and Winston to get him out.

In New Girl's first season, wealthy Schmidt eats $80 worth of what by himself?

Sushi: Schmidt eats all $80 of it alone, shortly before he and Nick fall out over money, with Nick choosing to bodge the loft's broken toilet himself sooner than pay a plumber.

How does Jess try to thaw the frozen turkey before her first Thanksgiving dinner at the loft, setting it on fire?

In the tumble dryer: with hours to go Jess tries warming the frozen bird there, it catches fire, and dinner has to move to a neighbour's apartment.

What does Schmidt rename Thanksgiving in season 4, ordering each friend to bring a date for someone else?

Bangsgiving is Schmidt's cure for a loft full of single people; Coach's pick for Jess turns out to be Ryan, the teacher she is trying hard not to fall for.

Which film does a heartbroken Jess watch over and over on the couch in New Girl's pilot?

Dirty Dancing is Jess's break-up film of choice; her new roommates grow so sick of it that they end up cheering her on by singing '(I've Had) The Time of My Life' in a restaurant.

What is Coach's real first name?

Ernie Tagliaboo is Coach's real name, though almost nobody uses it; the cocky ex-athlete even ends up living the nickname, coaching sport and teaching health at Jess's school.

In New Girl, Schmidt loses the party bus booked for his 29th birthday to which former child star?

Frankie Muniz gets the bus, so Jess rescues the night by throwing Schmidt's party on a school bus instead and inviting her own boss along.

What is the title of the novel Nick finally finishes in season 2?

Z Is for Zombie is the long-stalled novel Nick finally finishes in 'Eggs'; the result is so bad that Winston calls it the worst thing he has ever read.

Who plays Winston Bishop?

Lamorne Morris joined after the pilot, when Coach's actor went back to Happy Endings; Winston's elaborate, badly judged pranks became a running joke.

Winston returns to the loft in episode two after playing pro basketball in which country?

Latvia is where Winston played professional basketball; he comes back to the loft in the season 1 episode 'Kryptonite' and sets about winning his old room back from Schmidt.

Which actress played Reagan Lucas, Nick's temporary love interest and roommate while Jess was away?

Megan Fox plays Reagan Lucas, a pharmaceutical rep who arrives insisting she doesn't do relationships, yet ends up dating Nick well into season 6.

Which actor plays Bearclaw, the over-eager beer delivery man who falls hard for Jess in New Girl?

Josh Gad plays Bearclaw, who only lands a date with Jess because Nick hands her number to the wrong delivery man; he turns up again in seasons 3 and 4.

Where is Schmidt originally from?

Long Island is where Schmidt grew up 'born rich', in Nick's words; years later it is his money that bought the loft's couch, as he pointedly reminds Nick in the same row.

Who is Winston's partner on the LAPD, whom he later marries?

Aly Nelson at first refuses even to be friends with Winston, because her last partner fell in love with her and it ended badly; she ends up marrying this one.

In New Girl's first season, Nick agonises over the hidden meaning of which gift from his girlfriend Julia?

A cactus: Julia sends it while away in Beijing, and Nick leaves her seven voicemails trying to decode it, which is exactly what persuades her to end their fling.

Who plays Cece Parekh?

Hannah Simone plays Cece Parekh, who begins the series deeply wary of Jess's three new roommates and ends it married to one of them.

At the end of season 4, Coach leaves the loft to follow his cellist girlfriend May to which city?

New York is where Coach follows May; the two army brats had spent their childhoods narrowly missing each other as their families moved around the country.

In season 3, Nick reveals he once took and passed which test purely to prove he could?

The California bar exam: Nick passed it just to prove he could, then decided he would rather pour drinks than practise law, as 'Clavado en un Bar' reveals.

What is the name of Jess's father, played by Rob Reiner?

Bob Day, played by Rob Reiner, sees a great deal of himself in Nick, and that is exactly why he decides Nick is not good enough for his daughter.

What is the name of Schmidt and Cece's daughter?

She is named after Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a nod to Schmidt's growth from a man who objectified women into one who wants his daughter to be president.

What is the name of Jess's mother, played by Jamie Lee Curtis?

Joan Day, played by Jamie Lee Curtis, is long divorced from Jess's father, which never stops Jess trying to push the pair back together, Parent Trap style.

Which state is Jess Day originally from?

Oregon is home: Jess grew up in Portland, and the whole gang follows her back there in season 4 for her father's wedding and a tour of her old haunts.

Which former Saturday Night Live cast member plays Winston's LAPD training officer and eventual wife in New Girl?

Nasim Pedrad, five years a Saturday Night Live regular, plays the training officer who wants nothing to do with Winston outside work, then becomes his closest friend and his wife.

After being laid off in season 2, Jess ends up teaching what in adult education?

Creative writing is the adult-education class Jess teaches after her season 2 layoff; Nick enrolls under a fake ex-cop persona to spy on a student whose story he finds threatening.

What is the name of Nick's on-again, off-again girlfriend from the start of New Girl, before Jess?

Caroline is the ex Nick is still pining for in the pilot; they reunite late in season 1 and agree to move in together before he loses his nerve and returns to the loft.

At which company does Schmidt work in marketing, eventually rising to director?

Associated Strategies is where Schmidt is the only man in the office, answering to a string of formidable women; one boss, Emma, has him sign a contract before their fling.

Which 'Happy Endings' actor played Coach in the pilot?

Damon Wayans Jr. played Coach in the pilot while expecting ABC to cancel Happy Endings; when it was renewed he left, Winston was written in, and he rejoined the loft in season 3.

Which homeless man hangs around the loft building and its residents?

Outside Dave, played by Steve Agee, lives outside the loft building; when Schmidt and Winston set out to sabotage Nick and Jess's first date, he is the saboteur they recruit.

In New Girl, Justin Long guest-starred as which music teacher at Jess's school, one of her season 1 boyfriends?

Paul Genzlinger is so quirky and emotional that the guys call him a male version of Jess; after they split he gets engaged to Jenn, whom Jess sees as an Asian version of herself.

At which university did Schmidt and Nick share a dorm room and become lifelong friends?

Syracuse University is where Nick and Schmidt shared a dorm room; flashbacks to those years show a far heavier Schmidt, long before he remade himself.

Which actress plays Schmidt's mother, Louise?

Nora Dunn plays Louise, Schmidt's exacting mother, who arrives for his wedding in season 5 with her partner Susan and ends up proposing to her.

Which Rob Riggle character, the rival cousin of one loft resident, first shows up at Thanksgiving?

Big Schmidt, played by Rob Riggle, is Schmidt's cousin who first visits in the season 2 Thanksgiving episode 'Parents', where the two compete over which of them is the real Schmidt.

On which night of the week did Fox schedule New Girl for all seven of its seasons?

Tuesday was New Girl's regular night from the 2011 pilot to the 2018 finale; one notable exception fell on a Sunday, straight after the Super Bowl.

In New Girl's fourth season, Nick and Schmidt pitch a business idea to which real-life Shark Tank investor?

Lori Greiner plays herself in 'Swuit'; Nick and Schmidt clash so badly over what to pitch her that Jess has to step in as their mediator.

Under what working title did Elizabeth Meriwether first develop New Girl?

Chicks and Dicks was Meriwether's working title; as the show moved away from the roommates' sexual escapades, Fox retitled it New Girl before the 2011 premiere.

Which 2011 romantic comedy was written by Elizabeth Meriwether, the creator of New Girl?

No Strings Attached, Meriwether's script for Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher, is also where she worked with the actor who would go on to play Nick.

What promotional tagline did Fox give New Girl in its first marketing push?

Simply Adorkable sold the show on Zooey Deschanel's quirkiness; the word caught on, but it also set off a long argument over whether Jess was simply too twee.

What is Coach's job when he moves back into the loft in New Girl's third season?

Personal trainer is his trade when he returns after a break-up; he later swaps the gym for a classroom, coaching sport and teaching health at Jess's school.

Where do the guys plan to hold Schmidt's bachelor party in New Girl's fifth season, before the trip falls through?

Tokyo is the plan: Nick even rents the loft out to strangers to help pay for it, but the trip to Japan is cancelled later in the season.

Which former Disney Channel star plays Daisy, who coaches a nervous Winston on talking to women in New Girl?

Brenda Song plays Daisy, who wears a fake engagement ring in bars to keep men away, then tells Winston she is single and waits to see what he does about it.

Where does Nick drag the gang for Thanksgiving in New Girl's third season to prove his manhood to Coach?

Camping in the woods: stung by Coach's hint that dating Jess has softened him, Nick swaps the loft's turkey dinner for a test of survival skills in the wilderness.

In which season 1 episode was True American first played?

'Normal', episode 20 of season 1, introduces True American when Jess brings Russell to the loft and the gang plays it for the first time.

True American is described as a mix of a drinking game and which board game?

Candy Land is the comparison the roommates reach for, half drinking game and half Candy Land; within a day of the episode airing, fans were writing the rules down online.

Which two presidents' initials are chanted in True American?

JFK and FDR: one player counts off and shouts 'JFK!', everyone else roars back 'FDR!', and the game is on; the writers pinned down very little else.

The strip-poker version of True American played in 'Cooler' is called what?

Clinton Rules is the strip version the gang plays in 'Cooler'; how it works stays a mystery even to the cast, because the writers never set the game's rules down.

How is True American adapted in the flash-forward shown during New Girl's series finale?

It becomes a children's game: as the gang plays a last 'packing edition' while emptying the loft, a flash-forward shows them years later playing a tamer version with their kids.

Winston's recurring alter ego, Nick's gay lover, is named what?

Theodore K. Mullins surfaces in season 1's 'Secrets', when Winston launches into a rant in character as Nick's lover; the persona then keeps returning across the series.

By early in its second season, which New Girl pair had kissed on screen more often than the central couple?

Schmidt and Nick's Godfather-style 'Fredo kisses' had outnumbered Nick and Jess's, because the writers were still deliberately keeping the central couple apart.

Which two US streaming services became New Girl's shared home in April 2023 after it left Netflix?

Hulu and Peacock took over New Girl in the US in April 2023 under a rights-sharing deal between Disney and NBCUniversal, ending a run of nearly ten years on Netflix.

What was the title of the 2012 tie-in book compiling Schmidt's douchebag-jar sayings?

The Douche Journals is billed as compiled and annotated by Schmidt himself: it logs his jar-worthy remarks from the years before Jess moved in.

What was the New Girl rewatch podcast launched by iHeartRadio in 2022 called?

Welcome to Our Show launched in January 2022 with three of the cast rewatching the series; in 2024 it relaunched under a new name with only two of the original hosts.

What name does Jess give the male alter ego she invents to deal with a sexist car salesman in New Girl?

Jeff Day is Jess's season 5 creation, and the plan backfires when Nick and Sam both arrive at the dealership pretending to be him.

Which actor plays Principal Foster, Jess's boss at her school?

Curtis Armstrong plays Principal Foster, the eccentric boss who makes Jess vice principal in season 3 once she simply asks for the job; she then has to fire Coach to balance the budget.

Which website did Jess use to find the loft?

Craigslist is where Jess found the roommate ad; she answered it thinking it had been posted by women, right after catching her boyfriend cheating.

What was the name of Cece's arranged-marriage fiancé in season 2?

Shivrang agrees to an arranged marriage with Cece in season 2, but the wedding is called off mid-ceremony because each of them is in love with someone else.

Which pop star played Elaine, the woman Cece's fiancé runs off with at their wedding?

Taylor Swift played Elaine in the season 2 finale, 'Elaine's Big Day': bride and groom each turn out to love someone else, and he leaves the wedding with Elaine.

Who plays Schmidt's college girlfriend Elizabeth?

Merritt Wever plays Elizabeth, Schmidt's college girlfriend from his overweight days; in early season 3 he tries to date both her and Cece and loses both.

Which actress plays Gretchen, the fearsome 'frenemy' who beds Schmidt at a wedding in season 1?

Natasha Lyonne plays Gretchen, who catches Schmidt's eye at a season 1 wedding just as he is trying to woo an old crush, and ends up in bed with her instead.

Which city councilwoman uses Schmidt as a prop boyfriend in season 4?

Fawn Moscato, played by Zoe Lister-Jones, cares more about impressing her colleagues than about Schmidt; by the series finale she has risen to mayor.

What is the title of New Girl's season 4 finale, in which Schmidt proposes to Cece?

Clean Break is the season 4 finale: Schmidt finally throws out his Cece mementos, regrets it at once, and proposes when she comes back from a hiking trip.

Who plays Schmidt's estranged father Gavin?

Peter Gallagher plays Gavin, who resurfaces as Schmidt's wedding nears; Nick, wary of Gavin's record as an absent father, fears he will let Schmidt down again.

In which New Girl season 6 episode is Schmidt's first name finally revealed?

San Diego, season 6's penultimate episode, is where Schmidt decides to start using his long-secret first name in order to get ahead in business.

What is the name of Schmidt and Cece's son, revealed in New Girl's finale flash-forward?

Moses is the son Schmidt and Cece have by the series finale's flash-forward; Schmidt, long the loft's career man, opens the final season as a stay-at-home dad.

In which season 2 episode do Nick and Jess share their first kiss?

Cooler, the fifteenth episode of season 2, ends with Nick kissing Jess in the hallway after he refused to do it on a True American dare earlier that night.

In New Girl, Coach first meets his girlfriend May on what kind of Valentine's Day outing?

A bar crawl: Coach opens with a cheesy pick-up line at the first stop of Nick's Valentine's Day crawl, then keeps running into May at the bars that follow.

What creature loose in the loft sends a panicking Schmidt and the gang on a hunt in New Girl's fourth season?

A spider sets off Schmidt's arachnophobia; during the hunt, Winston's remarks leave Jess wrongly convinced that Cece has fallen for Nick rather than Schmidt.

What is the name of Cece's deadpan Russian roommate?

Nadia is Cece's deadpan Russian roommate; her date with Schmidt in season 1's 'Tomatoes' puts him in hospital, which prompts Cece to admit her feelings for him.

What exam does Cece pass while bartending at Nick's bar?

Her GED: Cece passes it while tending bar and enrols in college classes; when tuition gets tight in season 4, Coach and Winston offer to 'invest' in her.

What does Cece call the talent agency she launches in season 6?

Cece's Boys signs Donovan, the hunky bartender she had hired, as its first client; when bigger agencies poach her talent, she sends Jess and Reagan out to recruit replacements.

What is the title of New Girl's season 5 finale, in which Schmidt and Cece marry?

Landing Gear is the season 5 finale: Schmidt sets off to win over Cece's mother and gets stuck on a plane on the tarmac, so Jess has Winston stall the wedding with pranks.

What does Jess break with a basketball in New Girl's second episode, sending her back to her ex's place for a replacement?

The television is what Jess breaks, so Nick and Schmidt push her to collect her own set, and the rest of her things, from the home she shared with her cheating ex.

Despite being colour blind, Winston loves shirts featuring what?

Birds and animals fill the shirts Winston loves; in the final season he tries on glasses that let him see colour for the first time.

Which child does Winston look after as a nanny before landing his radio job?

Gina's son Elvin is the boy Winston befriends at Schmidt's office Christmas party and then nannies in season 1.

Winston marries which soldier as a prank in season 5, right before her deployment?

Rhonda, a fellow prankster played by Sonequa Martin-Green, weds Winston as a joke and is called up before they can annul it; he later has to chase her for a divorce so he can remarry.

What name does Winston give his baby son in New Girl's final season?

DanBill is the name Winston gives his first child, born in the show's penultimate episode; the parents had already picked Jess as godparent.

What phobia does Winston reveal in New Girl's season 1 finale?

The dark is Winston's fear, revealed in the season 1 finale 'See Ya' when the gang is stranded in the desert at night and he has to face it.

Which sports radio host, played by Phil Hendrie, hires Winston as a research assistant?

Joe Napoli hires Winston as his research assistant in season 1; the bombastic host is played by real radio personality Phil Hendrie, and the job leads to Winston's own late-night show.

Which elderly park-bench friend does Nick turn to for silent advice?

Tran speaks only twice in the whole series; Nick simply reads his silent nods and smiles as sage advice, and calls the old man his best friend.

Which secretly wealthy woman does Nick date in season 4?

Kai looks so idle that Winston fears she is homeless or after a sugar daddy, but she turns out to be rich; she later dumps Nick for becoming too ambitious.

Who plays Nick's con-man father Walt Miller?

Dennis Farina played Walt, whose death later in season 2 sends the gang to Chicago for his funeral; Farina himself died in July 2013, only months after those episodes aired.

What does Walt Miller try to get Jess to invest in?

A race horse is Walt's scheme in season 2's 'A Father's Love': he ropes Jess in, aiming to sell the horse on for stud services, until Nick's nerves wreck the deal.

Which stripper, played by Olivia Munn, does Nick date in season 2?

Angie, played by Olivia Munn, has Nick fearing he has blown it until Jess urges him to go for it; the pair then join Jess and Sam for a weekend at a cabin.

Where does Nick briefly move with Reagan between seasons 5 and 6?

New Orleans is where Nick spends the summer with Reagan after season 5; he comes back to the loft alone in the season 6 premiere 'House Hunt' to work on his book.

In which season 7 episode does Nick propose to Jess?

Mario, a season 7 episode named for the dog Nick and Jess set out to adopt, ends with Nick proposing to Jess that same night.

What kind of doctor is Jess's on-off boyfriend Sam Sweeney?

Pediatrician: Jess wants only a no-strings fling with Sam until she learns what he does for a living and sees his softer side, and starts wanting more.

Why do Jess and her boyfriend Robby break up in the New Girl episode 'The Hike'?

They discover they are third cousins after ending up in a cave on the hike and comparing family details, which finally explains why the two are so alike.

In New Girl, the gang decides Ryan Geauxinue's surname sounds like which phrase?

Goes in you is how the baffled gang hears Geauxinue; Ryan is the new science teacher Jess falls for just as she, as vice principal, bans staff from dating.

Which former schoolmate of Jess's does her father marry in season 4 of New Girl?

Ashley, Jess's old high-school rival played by Kaitlin Olson, becomes her stepmother in season 4; by season 6 she has walked out on Jess's father.

Which celebrity chef cooks Jess a private Valentine's meal in 'Operation: Bobcat'?

Gordon Ramsay plays himself, cooking for Jess as she spends Valentine's Day alone insisting she isn't sad, while also helping Winston plan a marriage proposal.

Which NBA legend shares a cubicle wall with Winston in a season 1 episode?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar plays himself as a co-worker at the sports-radio station where Winston has just landed his dream job, under a host who turns out to be a short-tempered jerk.

What is the name of the loft building's creepy landlord, whom Jess befriends against Nick's advice in New Girl?

Remy is the landlord Jess invites in to fix the loft, sure he can't be as bad as the guys say; once she has befriended him, he proposes a threesome with her and Nick.

What is the title of the New Girl theme song?

Hey Girl was co-written and sung by the show's star; in later seasons the sung titles gave way to a short instrumental version.

Which Brian Huskey character publishes Nick's detective novel?

Merle Streep, played by comedian Brian Huskey, is the publisher behind Nick's detective novel in season 7; the name is a gag on Meryl Streep.

Which actress replaced Leslie Mann as the 'shot girl' in New Girl's season 2 premiere?

Parker Posey took the role of Casey, the shot girl in the season 2 premiere 'Re-Launch', after Leslie Mann dropped out over a scheduling conflict.

In New Girl, a drunk at the bar convinces Nick he is who?

Nick from the future is who the old barfly claims to be, and his uncanny insights win Nick over; in the end he is just a rambling drunk.

Who plays Russell, the wealthy older man Jess dates in season 1?

Dermot Mulroney plays Russell, the wealthy divorced father of one of Jess's students; he returns in the final season as her boss and makes one last play for her on her wedding day.

In New Girl, which actress plays Jess's troublemaking older sister, who arrives fresh from jail in season 3?

Linda Cardellini plays the sister Jess has to collect from jail; she soon takes up with Schmidt, who sinks his savings into a storefront for her.

Which The Office actress played Rose, the snobbish teacher who clashes with Jess in season 3?

Angela Kinsey, Angela Martin on The Office, played Rose, one of the cool teachers Jess tries to impress in the season 3 episode 'Nerd'; Dreama Walker played her friend Molly.

Which actress plays Kat, the scientist who battles Jess for the best man in New Girl's season 4 premiere?

Jessica Biel plays Kat, an overachieving scientist; the two vie for best man Ted at the last of a summer full of weddings, after Schmidt urges the whole gang to pair off.

Why was Zooey Deschanel absent from a run of New Girl's season 5 episodes?

Maternity leave: Deschanel gave birth in 2015, so her episodes were taped ahead and the writers kept Jess off screen for a stretch of season 5.

Which actress plays Emma, the boss who has Schmidt sign a contract before their fling in season 2 of New Girl?

Carla Gugino plays Emma, a vice president at Schmidt's firm; still pining for Cece, he signs her contract, then ends the fling himself.

The New Girl season 6 premiere marked what milestone for Zooey Deschanel?

Her directorial debut: Deschanel directed 'House Hunt', in which Jess is so rattled by Nick's early return from a summer away that she can barely speak to him.

New Girl's 2016 crossover was with which other Fox comedy?

Brooklyn Nine-Nine crossed over in October 2016: the New Girl gang travels to Jake Peralta's city in 'Homecoming', where Jess gets swept into one of his cases; his show's half is 'The Night Shift'.

How does New Girl's eight-episode final season open?

A time jump: three years on, Jess and Nick return from a book tour to find Schmidt a stay-at-home dad and Winston about to become a father.

Which animal do Nick and Jess come face to face with in the desert in New Girl's season 1 finale?

A coyote confronts them as they hunt around at night for something Nick threw away; the night ends with Nick dropping his plan to move out and turning up back at the loft.

Who plays Nick's mother, Bonnie Miller?

Margo Martindale plays Bonnie Miller, whom the gang meets in season 2 when they fly to Chicago for Nick's father's funeral, where Jess is asked to write the eulogy.

Who plays Nick's brother Jamie Miller?

Nick Kroll plays Jamie Miller, part of the eccentric Chicago family that has always leaned on Nick, who for all his money troubles is its most successful member.

Which old flame gives Winston a second chance in New Girl's first season after he treated her badly?

Shelby, played by Kali Hawk, takes Winston back after much apologising; they last until the Halloween episode of season 2, when a row over costumes ends it.

Who plays Sadie, the gynecologist in Jess's circle of friends?

June Diane Raphael plays Sadie, Jess's gynecologist friend; when an uninsured Nick hurts his back in season 1, Jess takes him to her for treatment anyway.

In New Girl's series finale, what does the name 'Engram Pattersky' turn out to be?

An anagram of 'my greatest prank': the eviction notice signed by 'Engram Pattersky' is Winston's final prank, revealed only after the gang has packed up and left the loft.

What name does Winston give himself as the loft's self-styled prankster?

Prank Sinatra is Winston's chosen prankster name, though his pranks always land either far too small or far too big.

Where do Nick and Jess end up exchanging their wedding vows in season 7?

In a hospital: Aly goes into labour on the wedding day in 'The Curse of the Pirate Bride', so Nick and Jess end up marrying there instead of at the ceremony they had planned.

Which actor plays Tripp, the smug agent for animal actors whom Winston meets in New Girl's fifth season?

Kal Penn plays Tripp, a talent agent for pets; Winston tries to land his own cat an audition, putting it up against Tripp's prized cat for a film role.

Zooey Deschanel was developing a show for which network when she read the New Girl pilot script?

HBO was where Deschanel had a show in development when the New Girl script reached her; Jess wasn't written for her, but the producers reshaped the part once she was cast.

Why is Jess away from the loft for much of the first half of season 5?

Jury duty: Jess is sequestered for a lengthy trial, which is how Reagan comes to sublet her room for several episodes.

In New Girl's first Thanksgiving episode, Jess sets a frozen turkey alight while thawing it in what?

A tumble dryer is where the late-bought bird catches fire. The group then moves the meal into a neighbour's apartment, only to find the neighbour dead inside.

In New Girl, Schmidt's childhood letters from which favourite actor were secretly written by others?

Michael Keaton never wrote a word of them. Schmidt's mother and Nick were the real authors, posing as the actor in letters and emails.

What must Jess wear to marry Nick in New Girl after a mishap on the wedding day?

An eyepatch covers the eye Jess injures that day, in an episode titled 'The Curse of the Pirate Bride'. On the same day, Nick loses his book deal.

Schmidt talks his way into a nightclub in New Girl by posing as the son of which politician?

Mitt Romney gets an invented son, 'Tugg', for the scheme, which Winston helps to set up. It draws in a few sorority girls, who work out later that night that he is lying.

Jess wins over trendy young neighbours in New Girl with her impression of which sitcom character?

Steve Urkel is the impression that charms them. The same neighbours take an instant dislike to Schmidt, and tell him the reason is his personality, not his age.

In New Girl, the party bus Schmidt hires for his 29th birthday is reassigned to which actor?

Frankie Muniz gets the bus, so Jess rescues the party with a school bus. The stripper she hires for it turns out, through a misunderstanding, to be a man.

During Winston's police check in New Girl, the bag Jess fears holds meth actually contains what?

Aquarium rocks are all the bag holds, as the officer searching the loft tells her. Jess had already confessed the bag to the guys before owning up to the officer.

Winston names his undercover alter ego in New Girl after Stevie Wonder and which other singer?

James Blunt supplies the first half of 'James Wonder'. Winston plays him as a landscape architect to help Jess charm the head of the parents' council.

In New Girl, Nick and Schmidt plan to pitch business ideas to which Shark Tank investor?

Lori Greiner is the investor they plan to present to, while Jess tries to mediate. In the same episode, Coach and Winston offer to 'invest' in Cece's college tuition.

Which composer scored New Girl before winning Academy Awards for Black Panther and Oppenheimer?

Ludwig Göransson got his first television break on Community, with the Fox sitcom following. He went on to score The Mandalorian, which brought him Emmy wins.

Which city did childhood friends Nick Miller and Winston Bishop grow up in before the New Girl loft?

Chicago is home for both men. The gang travels there in season 2 to help arrange the funeral of Nick's father, and Jess is asked to write the eulogy.

Which fear of Schmidt's sends the whole gang hunting through the loft in New Girl's fourth season?

Spiders terrify Schmidt, so one loose in the loft becomes a full-scale search. In the same episode, Nick cooks his infamous sauce.

When New Girl's final season opens after a time jump, what is Schmidt's new full-time role?

Stay-at-home dad is the role he has taken on for his three-year-old daughter. When he goes back to work later in the season, he finds the company has changed.

What gives Nick Miller away in New Girl whenever he tries to keep a secret?

His lower back sweats, a tell shown in the episode 'Secrets'. Nick is also hopeless at taking care of plants.

Besides pulling pranks, which quiet hobby is Winston Bishop known for enjoying in New Girl?

Jigsaw puzzles are his thing, though the season 3 premiere shows him having trouble assembling one. His pranks fare no better: friends find them either too small or too big.

What is Coach's job when he moves back into the New Girl loft in season 3 after a break-up?

Personal trainer is his work on his return. He later takes a post at Jess's school as a gym coach and health teacher, and the two become close friends.

What does Reagan, the temporary roommate who sublets Jess's room in New Girl, do for a living?

Pharmaceutical rep is her job, and it keeps her travelling. Nick talks her into taking the room, though she wants no committed relationships of any kind.

Remy, who assumes Jess is flirting when she befriends him in New Girl, holds which role at the loft?

Landlord of the loft, Remy is described as creepy. Nick rarely calls on him: he is so frugal that he prefers to repair things himself than pay for help.

The councilwoman who used Schmidt as a prop boyfriend holds which office by New Girl's finale?

Mayor is the job she has won by the last episode. She is described as controlling and manipulative, dating Schmidt mostly to advance her causes.

Which actress played Julia, the short-tempered lawyer Nick dates in New Girl's first season?

Lizzy Caplan played Julia, written as a sharp contrast to the bubbly Jess. When Julia helps Jess fight a traffic ticket, it only ends in a disagreement between them.

Which actor played Bearclaw, the awkward beer delivery man who takes a shine to Jess in New Girl?

Josh Gad played Bearclaw, whom Nick sets up with Jess by accident. The character returns in season 4, when Jess ends up spending the night with him.

Which actress played Emma, the boss who has Schmidt sign a contract before their New Girl fling?

Carla Gugino played Emma, a vice president at the firm where Schmidt works. She likened the role to Fifty Shades of Grey, only more comical.

Jess pretends to support which NBA team in New Girl to bond with Coach, straining things with Nick?

Detroit Pistons games are how she tries to win Coach's friendship. Her new fandom soon gets in the way of her relationship with Nick, a lifelong fan of a rival team.

Winston proves a natural on which instrument when Jess's detention ensemble visits in New Girl?

Handbells turn out to suit Winston when he joins in. Jess's team is made up of delinquent students who play as an alternative to detention.

Which sea creature does Schmidt set out to catch in New Girl, which friends read as pining for Cece?

A lionfish is what he decides he must own. He ropes in Winston to help him catch one in the ocean.

Which actress played the police training partner Winston goes on to marry in New Girl?

Nasim Pedrad joined in season 4 as his no-nonsense partner. Her character keeps Winston at a distance at first, because a former partner had fallen for her and it did not work out.

What name does Jess give the male alter ego she invents in New Girl to handle a sexist car salesman?

Jeff Day is the persona she adopts while buying a new car. In the same episode, Jess is back together with Sam, which causes tension between him and Nick.

Which wild animal do Nick and Jess meet in the desert at night in New Girl's first-season finale?

A coyote crosses their path as they search for the keys. Nick had driven his moving van out there in a panic and thrown its key into a gully.

In New Girl's second season, Jess meets Sam by posing as his blind date, a woman called what?

Katie is the name she answers to, and the title of the episode. Jess plays along with the handsome stranger's mistake and takes him back to the loft.

Which New Girl season 2 episode sees Nick and Schmidt throw a party for ten years as roommates?

TinFinity is the episode. Nick's one assignment for the party is to get portable toilets, and he has trouble with even that.

New Girl's third season ends on which kind of trip, booked by Jess and Nick before they split?

A cruise puts the exes back together at sea. Winston spends the trip trying to mend their friendship, while Schmidt tries to get Cece back.

Who steals the gifts Jess bought for Ryan's family in New Girl's fourth-season Christmas episode?

A sleazy Santa makes off with them, and Jess gives up on the trip. The whole gang spends the episode at the airport, where most of their flights are delayed.

With Schmidt's coaching, Jess tries which fictional dating app in New Girl's fourth season?

Dice gives the episode its title. Elsewhere in it, Nick and Cece bake pot brownies for Coach, who admits he has never tried marijuana.

In New Girl's fifth season, Nick rents out the loft to fund a Schmidt bachelor party planned for which city?

Tokyo is the plan. The party that actually happens is a road trip to the desert, taken after Schmidt starts to question his own manhood.

What name do Schmidt and Cece give the house they renovate during New Girl's sixth season?

Jaipur Aviv is the name they choose, though Schmidt keeps disagreeing with Cece over its design. Their first realtor had searched for a home by just Googling 'houses'.

Where do Nick and Jess finally reunite and kiss at the end of New Girl's sixth season?

In the elevator, after many failed attempts to find each other face to face. Its door closes on them, and when it opens in the lobby the two are kissing.

What new look of Schmidt's bothers Nick when New Girl's final season opens three years on?

A mustache is the change Nick cannot get past. The premiere also brings Nick and Jess home from a worldwide tour promoting his latest novel, still unmarried.

Which veteran actor played Flip, the fun-loving father of Jess's boyfriend Fred, in New Girl?

Henry Winkler played Flip, with Julie Hagerty as his wife Nancy. Jess has a hard time relating to Fred himself and would rather spend time with his parents.

Which actress played Daisy, who coaches Winston on talking to women in New Girl before dating him?

Brenda Song played Daisy, first seen at the bar wearing an engagement ring only to fend off men. Daisy is described as competitive and intense, with a dislike of quitters.

Which New Girl season 3 episode sees Nick and Jess break up after a hungover row about their future?

Mars Landing finds the pair still hung over from a game of True American. In the next episode, Nick avoids thinking about the split by planning a 'honey roast' for Winston.