New Girl has been renewed for a sixth season, making it the longest running live-action comedy on Fox. The show has been picked up alongside Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Last Man on Earth, Family Guy and The Simpsons. Megan Fox, who joined the series after lead actress Zooey Deschanel took a maternity leave, will also be returning come Season 6.
According to Variety , New Girl has been pulling decent ratings, averaging a 1.7 in the 18-49 demographic, with 3.6 million viewers overall. While the ratings for Season 5 were noticeably lower compared to its earlier seasons, New Girl continues to dominate Fox’s Tuesday comedy block, which probably secured its renewal.
Fox Broadcasting entertainment president David Madden recently congratulated New Girl showrunner Liz Meriwether after the series aired its 100th episode. He said that every network comedy should aspire to achieve what Meriwether has done with the series, commending the show’s “bravura dialogue, inventive and witty performances by the talented cast and emotionally engaging storytelling.”
“We can’t wait for the next subversive and hilarious chapter of these characters’ lives,” Madden added.
Speaking of characters, Fox also confirmed that Megan Fox’s Reagan will also be returning to New Girl season 6. When it was first announced that the Transformers star will be taking Zooey Deschanel’s place as she takes a maternity leave, some fans were quite skeptical of the new addition to the cast. Some even went far as saying that they will boycott the show if Megan becomes a series regular.
New Girl creator and executive producer Liz Meriwether, however, stood by her decision in casting Megan Fox. Speaking to Metro , she shared that she has always been a fan of the actress since she saw her on This is 40 .
“We had Megan in mind when we wrote this part — she’s the perfect person to come in and shake these guys up,” she shared.
Meriwether explained that Fox is perfect to play the role of Reagan, who is a “ tough talking, strong, truth-telling ” character who is not afraid to call people out. She explained that Reagan is just what the show needed to shake things up a bit.
In only a matter of episodes, New Girl fans soon came to love Megan Fox and her character, Reagan. Her short stint, however, ended when Zooey Deschanel’s Jess finally comes back from jury duty. Jess also conveniently walked in on Reagan and Nick (Jake Johnson) making out, which would make the entire thing uncomfortable only Jess is still hung up on her mystery juror.
Later that episode, Reagan ended up leaving the apartment but not before Nick tried one last time to sweep her off her feet by planning a goosebump walkaway.
“Goosebumps walkaway is the line that the guy says to the girl in the movie that gives her goosebumps and then he walks away forever,” he explained.
In true Nick fashion, he ended up ruining the moment and settled with a simple, “Sayonara Sammy.” Bustle pointed out that leaving Reagan’s storyline open ended is a definite indication that she will be coming back come New Girl Season 6 . It was even speculated that her character will play a major role in the coming episodes.
“That cliffhanger of sorts, coupled with the fact that Jess is seemingly back together with her Season 2 doctor boyfriend, Sam, gives the show ample opportunity for Fox to play a major role in the upcoming season.”
In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly , New Girl ‘s showrunner Liz Meriwether admitted that Nick and Jess ending up together will always be a possibility no matter what. She hinted that having Reagan on board may actually help the two realize and appreciate what they have all along.
“I think in terms of Nick and Jess, when you’re in love with your best friend, it kind of takes somebody else coming in to make you realize that.”
Are you excited to see Megan Fox return on New Girl Season 6? Tell us what you think in the comments below.
New Girl airs Tuesdays on Fox.
[Image via Fox]