Watch New Girl: Cast & Creators Live at PALEYFEST

With her unique sense of self, Jess ingratiates herself with her new roommates, who offer their very "male" idea of support, while dealing with their own lives. Starring Zooey Deschanel, "New Girl" is one of the most critically praised new series. This William S. Paley Television Festival live event honors "New Girl," the comedy series about an awkward young teacher, Jess, who moves in with three male roommates after a breakup. Rob Moynihan (LA correspondent, TV Guide Magazine) moderates the following panelists: series creator/executive producer Elizabeth Meriwether; executive producers Katherine Pope, Jake Kasdan, Brett Baer, and Dave Finkel; producer and cast member Zooey Deschanel (Jess Day); and cast members Hannah Simone (Cece), Lamorne Morris (Winston Bishop), Max Greenfield (Schmidt), and Jake Johnson (Nick Miller). The panelists touch on such topics as: whether the role of Jess is modeled after Deschanel; how Deschanel and Johnson react when told that they have "too much chemistry"; and the creation of the "New Girl" theme song. Questions from the audience then lead to a discussion of the following topics among others: how the experiences of the writers inform many episodes; the makeup involved in turning Greenfield into "fat Schmidt"; and Deschanel's feelings about the show's costumes.