The present’s working title was ‘Chicks and Dicks’

Earlier than it was New Woman, the sitcom was initially titled Chicks & Dicks, a reputation that nearly led Deschanel to go on studying the script, per Glamour.

“I knew [Chicks & Dicks] would not stay, however there’s so many pilots throughout any given pilot season that it is good to have a title that catches individuals’s consideration,” present creator, author and director Liz Meriwether instructed the outlet.

Even when it was modified to New Woman, Meriwether wasn’t fully offered on the thought.

“Trying again, having the phrase ‘lady’ within the title made it exhausting,” she mentioned. “A variety of males preferred the present, however it positively made it tougher for us to ring within the male viewers at first. The present was simply as a lot about guys as a couple of lady.”

Meriwether added, “It ended up working, I assume!”

Zooey Deschanel wrote the theme tune

After watching a number of episodes of the sitcom, there is a good probability one catchy line from the theme tune remains to be enjoying in your head: “Who’s that lady? It is Jess!”

Because it seems, the tune was written by the actress herself, who can also be an expert singer within the band She & Him.

“Melodically, I wished it to really feel catchy … like a bit of ear worm,” she instructed Entertainment Weekly in January 2022. “I grew up watching Nick at Nite, and there was Mary Tyler Moore [and] That Woman, that period of theme songs and a woman making it on her personal. That is what we all the time thought Jess was pondering when she has this in her head.”

‘New Woman’ was not meant to be “Adorkable”

Within the early days of New Woman, the present grew to become nearly synonymous with the tagline “Adorkable,” which was used as a promoting level.

“The advertising and marketing actually labored. We actually got here out of the gate with superb numbers, however it was by no means what the present was,” Meriwether instructed Glamour, including that she did not intend for it to be a “cute” challenge.

“I actually suppose as a result of Jess wore glasses, they wanted to make this the advertising and marketing marketing campaign,” she mentioned. “It positively was troublesome for me as a result of it wasn’t the present I might dreamed of. I had all the time seen the present as simply bizarre individuals in L.A. residing collectively.”

The writers wished Schmidt to be paying homage to a ‘Jersey Shore’ star

Although Schmidt was a beloved character to many, it is no secret that he may be a jerk at instances. Throughout her dialog with Glamour, Meriwether admitted that she really wrote the character as a form of a “Jersey Shore member.”

“He was simply this very sleazy, fool character, and Max got here in with this superb tackle it,” she mentioned. “He wished Schmidt to be a very good character, and he performed him as somebody that was really insecure. The character obtained a lot deeper and extra fascinating when he got here in to try this audition.”

Writers deliberately saved character names brief

Names grew to become a humorous thriller in New Woman (learn: bear in mind when it took a number of seasons to search out out that Schmidt’s title was really Winston?). When it got here to the character of Jess, there have been a number of issues Meriwether was holding in thoughts.

“I wished the character to be this indefatigable optimist,” the author instructed Glamour.

“Additionally, there’s this writers’ trick the place you retain names brief as a result of it helps you with the web page rely,” she continued, including that she wished to maintain them “brief and candy” whereas additionally sounding “totally different.”

Jess’ character was partially impressed by Diane Keaton

Throughout a February 2013 dialog with The New York Times, Meriwether revealed that Jess’ character drew inspiration from a number of figures, together with Oscar winner Diane Keaton.

“She’s so massively, heart-wrenchingly humorous, and he or she is rarely simply enjoying one factor. Every time we get criticized that the Jess character is just too this or too that, I take into consideration Diane Keaton,” she mentioned. “Humorous girls aren’t feminist symbols.”

The creator added that she additionally “fell in love” with Tamsin Greig, the lead character of the British sequence Inexperienced Wing.

The concept for Schmidt’s “rebranding celebration” got here from one of many author’s associates

Within the season 2 premiere, Schmidt throws himself a “rebranding” celebration to have fun his penis solid being eliminated.

Meriwether instructed The New York Occasions that the thought of it “got here from a real story” she heard from a buddy.

Jake Johnson was initially requested to lose 15 lbs. to play Nick Miller

All through the sequence, Johnson’s character’s weight is referenced.

“After the episode the place I needed to dance bare to Jamaican music, each fourth line was about Nick having unhealthy metabolism or consuming too many cookies,” the actor instructed the Advocate in October 2012.

Throughout an August 2020 episode on the Thirst Aid Kit podcast, Johnson mentioned the community initially requested him to lose 10 to fifteen lbs. after touchdown the function.

The actor mentioned he wasn’t “offended,” however “nearly began crying” as a result of he was on his solution to a celebratory meal at a Mexican restaurant.

He tried to limit his eating regimen all through the primary season, however had a second the place he mentioned to himself, “F— it. I am finished.”

“As soon as I used to be within the present and it obtained established, they cannot fireplace me for being chubby,” he mentioned. “As soon as Liz made a joke about it and Max Greenfield hit the joke and all people laughed, I believe all people on the community might exhale and say, ‘Nice, Nick Miller will be the chubby man. God bless.’ ”

Lamorne Morris went via 15 auditions earlier than being solid as Winston — however he initially wished to play Coach

It is exhausting to think about every other actor enjoying Winston aside from Morris, however as he instructed Backstage in June 2020, he really auditioned for the function of Coach.

“I went in so bizarre,” he mentioned. “Within the scene, he was carrying jeggings and a halter prime, they have been at a Halloween celebration or one thing, and I got here to the audition dressed that means. I put a bunch of Vaseline on my legs or one thing silly, which is a no-no, don’t do this.”

Although he was turned down for the function, he was requested to return again in, with a specific word. “Don’t put on what you wore earlier than, it was too distracting,” Morris recalled.

Per iHeart Radio, Morris went via 15 auditions. Whereas Wayans Jr. was solid as Coach, Morris later landed the function of Winston.

Writers thought Zooey Deschanel and Jake Johnson had an excessive amount of chemistry at first

When you thought Jess and Nick’s chemistry all through the present was generally palpable, you are not alone.

Throughout a February 2022 episode of the Welcome to Our Show podcast, Morris requested Deschanel about her relationship with Johnson within the early days of the present, saying, “Is it true that there was so much chemistry between you and Jake at first that you simply guys could not be in the identical shot collectively?”

Whereas their romance had its ups and downs all through the present, Deschanel confirmed that writers did not need them too shut at first.

“I bear in mind them saying that,” she recalled. “They have been like, ‘Hear, you guys have such nice chemistry. It is a sequence, we now have to play this out over time, and we do not wish to put you guys in the identical storylines collectively.’ “

There aren’t any official guidelines to “True American”

Sorry, New Woman followers! It won’t be really easy to recreate the notorious “True American” sport, as there are not any official guidelines.

“We have been all studying the script and it mentioned, ‘Now all of them play a consuming sport,’ ” Johnson instructed E! News in April 2012. “And I believe it was Lamorne who lastly mentioned, ‘What are the principles to True American’? And [the writers] go, ‘To be completely trustworthy, we’re undecided.’ ”

He continued, “There’s a whole lot of flaws within the logic of the sport. So by way of the principles of enjoying it, you simply should get drunk and yell presidents and throw beer in corners. That is it.”

Prince was a fan of ‘New Woman’ and requested to be a visitor star

New Woman has had loads of notable friends, from Taylor Swift and Quinta Brunson to Prince and Olivia Rodrigo (earlier than she rose to fame!).

In January 2014, govt producer Brett Baer instructed E! News that the “Purple Rain” singer really requested to seem on the present as a result of he was a “large fan.”

“He is aware of the whole lot in regards to the present. He contacted Zooey [Deschanel] and Hannah [Simone] immediately and requested to do the present,” Baer defined, whereas govt producer Dave Finkel added that the musician had particular requests for his function.

“He mentioned, ‘I wish to be concerned within the present in an actual means and I wish to assist Nick and Jess with their relationship,’ ” Finkel recounted. “His factor was all about attending to Jess and attempting to convey out this interior a part of her that hadn’t been delivered to the forefront.”

He added, “The phrase hip ideas was form of the factor. He put it, ‘I believe I may give her some hip ideas!’ “

Lamorne Morris was allergic to Winston’s cat Ferguson

A central side of Winston’s character was his relationship along with his Unique Shorthair cat, Ferguson. However because it seems, the actor was allergic to cats.

“It was past simply taking meds I will inform you that a lot,” Morris instructed E! News in February 2022. “There have been a whole lot of issues we needed to undergo to ensure that me to work with Ferguson.”

As he defined, writers did not learn about Morris’ allergic reactions once they wrote Ferguson in — however they could not flip again as soon as they noticed followers’ reactions.

“Proper out the gate, followers instantly cherished Ferguson,” he mentioned. “So it was like, I can not change to a cat that I am not allergic to. I believe we tried in some episodes, like we performed with the thought of different animals, [but] Ferguson is king.”

The present’s ultimate season nearly didn’t occur

A variety of story traces got here collectively within the ultimate season of New Woman — however it nearly did not occur. Throughout his look on the Thirst Assist Package podcast, Johnson mentioned that the community almost axed a seventh season.

“Fox was being fairly cool and saying like, ‘We do not wish to cancel you, however no person’s watching,’ ” Johnson mentioned, including that he and Deschanel “wrote an electronic mail to the heads [of Fox and 20th Century TV] asking for extra, for the few OG followers who stayed with us.”

The actor continued, “You may’t finish the best way season six ended the place it was rushed. I used to be like, ‘Give Liz Meriwether the time to complete this proper!’ ”

Jake Johnson got here up with the character Tran

As a lot as individuals shipped Nick’s relationship with Jess, followers additionally adored his friendship with Tran (Ralph Ahn). Although he hardly ever spoke all through his few appearances on the present, Tran humorously supplied a listening ear to Nick within the park on a number of events, principally utilizing facial expressions and physique language.

Throughout a November 2014 dialog with The Hollywood Reporter, Meriwether revealed that it was not an “straightforward” resolution to convey Ahn on as a recurring character and famous that it was really Johnson who got here up with the thought.

“He texted me about it,” she defined. “Going into this 12 months, I believe one of many writers within the retreat pitched his granddaughter being a love curiosity. However Jake additionally wished to do one thing like that.”