Shows Like New Girl
Jessica Day is an offbeat and adorable girl in her late 20s who, after a bad breakup, moves in with three single guys. Goofy, positive, vulnerable and honest to a fault, Jess has faith in people, even when she shouldn't. Although she's dorky and awkward, she's comfortable in her own skin. More prone to friendships with women, she's not used to hanging with the boys—especially at home.
Ranked by shared creators, cast, themes, genre, and network — not just generic recommendations.
Happy Endings
Same 2011 launch, mixed-gender urban friend-group ensemble, snappy ABC comedy tone and romantic subplot weave.
How I Met Your Mother
Mixed-gender friend group, apartment-centric, serialized will-they-won't-they romance, overlapping audience and emotional warmth.
Friends
Foundational mixed-gender apartment sitcom — same group-of-friends premise, romantic comedy DNA, and loyal rewatch audience.
Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23
Same era, same roommate premise, quirky female lead navigating city life — near-identical shelf placement and audience.
The Mindy Project
Same network (Fox), same era, female-led romantic ensemble sitcom with adorkable protagonist — Elizabeth Meriwether peer.
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Quirky, relentlessly optimistic female lead navigating life with offbeat friends — tone, humor, and audience match tightly.
Broad City
Female-led urban comedy with whimsical, playful tone; duo format and edgier humor distinguish it but audience heavily overlaps.
Will & Grace
NYC apartment, mixed-gender best-friend cohabitation, snappy sitcom humor — different era but same emotional warmth.
Two Guys and a Girl
Mixed-gender roommate group sitcom with young-adult romantic comedy tone; earlier era but structurally very similar.
What I Like About You
Female-led roommate sitcom with light, feel-good tone; younger-skewing but shares the quirky-woman-in-apartment premise.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Same era, Fox/NBC single-cam ensemble sensibility; overlapping fanbase drawn to warm, funny ensemble with romantic arcs.
Rules of Engagement
Group-of-friends sitcom tracking different relationship stages; tonally softer and older-skewing but same multi-couple structure.
The Odd Couple
Mismatched-roommate sitcom premise, same era; lighter weight but shares the apartment-comedy DNA.
The Exes
Divorced adults as mixed-gender roommates with landlord across the hall — structural cousin to New Girl's setup.
The Big Bang Theory
Multi-cam ensemble sitcom with romantic subplot, but nerd-centric humor and different aesthetic from New Girl's warm quirkiness.
Three's Company
Classic mixed-gender roommate comedy — same structural DNA but era, format, and humor style are far removed.
2 Broke Girls
Same era female-led sitcom; female-friendship core and sharp humor but multi-cam, workplace-set, edgier and less romantic.
Perfect Strangers
Mismatched-roommate fish-out-of-water comedy — tonal cousin through the odd-couple premise despite era gap.
Girlfriends
Female friendship ensemble with romantic comedy threads; all-female cast and drama-heavier tone make it a tonal cousin.
A Different World
Young adult ensemble navigating life transitions with warmth and humor; different setting/era but shares the found-family tone.
How Good Is New Girl?
Ratings across IMDb and TMDB, plus our verdict.
Where to Watch New Girl
Streaming, rental, and purchase options across 40+ countries.
United States
USStream
4
Disney Plus
Hulu
Peacock Premium
Peacock Premium PlusBuy
6
Apple TV Store
Amazon Video
Fandango At Home
Google Play Movies
Barnes & Noble
Amazon DVD / Blu-rayAvailable in 77 countries
Frequently asked about New Girl
Common questions people search for, with answers written by us at MoviesPack.
Why does Jess move in with three male strangers at the start of the series?
Jess Day discovers her long-term boyfriend Spencer cheating on her, forcing her to leave their shared apartment immediately. With nowhere to go, she responds to a Craigslist ad and moves into a loft with Nick, Schmidt, and Coach (later replaced by Winston). The premise drives the show's central comedy of an adorkable woman navigating life and friendships in an unconventional living arrangement.
What is the significance of the 'True American' drinking game the characters play?
True American is a fictional, deliberately incomprehensible drinking game invented by the loft roommates that combines elements of floor-is-lava, American history trivia, and elaborate ceremony. The game's chaotic and ever-changing rules serve as a symbol of the group's shared language and the absurdist bond they've developed together. It recurs throughout the series as a shorthand for the characters letting loose and fully embracing their friendship.
Why does Nick Miller take so long to pursue a relationship with Jess despite clear mutual feelings?
Nick is emotionally stunted and avoidant, deeply shaped by his father Walt's irresponsible and unreliable behavior, which left Nick terrified of commitment and failure. He also fears that acting on his feelings for Jess could destroy the loft dynamic and the friendships he depends on for stability. The tension finally breaks in Season 2 when they share an impulsive kiss, and the show spends Season 3 exploring both the rewards and complications of that relationship.
What happened between Schmidt and CeCe that caused their complicated on-and-off dynamic?
Schmidt and CeCe begin a secret physical relationship in Season 1, which CeCe keeps hidden partly because she fears her Indian family's disapproval of Schmidt and partly because she doubts his sincerity given his reputation as a womanizer. Schmidt's feelings are genuine, but he sabotages their relationship in Season 3 by dating both CeCe and Elizabeth simultaneously rather than choosing — a betrayal CeCe cannot forgive quickly. After years of false starts, they reconcile properly and marry in Season 6, with the relationship arc ending as the show's central slow-burn romance.
How does the Season 5 time jump at the end of the series finale work, and what does it reveal?
The series finale jumps forward in time to show the loft roommates gathered once more before Nick and Jess's son leaves for college, mirroring the original premise of strangers becoming family. The flash-forward confirms that Nick and Jess marry, Schmidt and CeCe's daughter Ruth grows up, and the group remains deeply interconnected despite life pulling them in different directions. The device is used to give the audience closure that the characters' bond — not just the physical loft — is permanent.