After seven seasons of loft exploits, many takes of Zooey Deschanel singing and countless dollar bills put in the douchebag jar, FOX’s comedy series “New Girl” ended in 2018. While die-hard fans were disappointed by the show’s abrupt finale, many were able to assuage the loss with frequent rewatches. Luckily, an announcement via Deschanel’s Instagram on Jan. 13 gave viewers a new medium to relive the glory days of “New Girl”: a recap podcast. A week and a half later, she posted a preview of the first episode the same day of its release, Jan. 24.
Hannah Simone and Lamorne Morris who originated the roles of Cece Parikh and Winston Bishop, respectively, join Deschanel as hosts of “Welcome to Our Show.” In the podcast’s debut “101: The Pilot,” the three stars playfully argue over what to call the podcast, eventually settling on “Welcome To Our Show.” The podcast’s theme music is, of course, written and produced by Deschanel and is always the intro and outro for each 90-minute episode.
The legend behind the jorts! ⬇️
New Episode of #WelcomeToOurShow on Monday! pic.twitter.com/0KTxpTYZiI
— zooey deschanel (@ZooeyDeschanel) January 28, 2022
Besides the banter and audible chemistry between Simone, Morris and Deschanel, their recaps give insight into popular fan questions and theories. They relive their filming and on-set experiences in an honest yet memorializing way. The best part about listening in is hearing how close the New Girl cast was and still is.
The pilot episode recounts the casting process and, notably, how Morris initially signed a contract to star in another show and therefore didn’t appear in New Girl‘s pilot. Coach (Damon Wayans Jr.) was originally the third roommate in apartment 4B along with Nick (Jake Johnson) and Schmidt (Max Greenfield). Since there was nearly a five-month gap between the filming of the pilot and when New Girl was greenlit, Wayans was acting in another show when the second episode was filmed. Fortunately, Deschanel and the other cast members campaigned for Morris to be brought on as the new/returning roommate and friend to Nick and Schmidt, Winston.
Fittingly, when introducing the second episode “102: Kryptonite,” Morris joked on his Instagram and on-air, declaring, “Coach is out. Winston is in.
Still, the highlight of each episode is always its conclusion when Deschanel, Morris and Simone play “True American.” In New Girl, True American is the drinking game the roommates invented and frequently play. Jess (Deschanel) initially describes it as “50% drinking game, 50% life-sized Candy Land.” While the rules of the game have been a subject of speculation for years, the podcast’s version of True American isn’t as complicated or even that replicative of its namesake. The three hosts mostly engage in simple trivia games in the True American section of the podcast.
For example, in their first episode, the True American “topic” is proposed by Morris. The trio takes turns seeing who can name the most romantic comedies. This might be disappointing for those still seeking clarity regarding the True American guidelines, but Deschanel promises they will discuss the infamous game in later episodes.
Apartment 4B may no longer be rife with the antics of Jess and her loft mates, but fans can rejoice at the opportunity to relive New Girl through its stars’ eyes.
“Welcome to Our Show” can be streamed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and iHeart Radio.
Feature image via Ray Mickshaw for FOX.
