Fox recently announced that its comedy series "New Girl" is getting its fifth season. Several changes are being made for the upcoming season and one of them is the hastened production. According to a report from TV Line, Fox is already beginning production for season 5 in order to work around actress Zooey Deschanel's schedule.
According to a report from Deadline, Deschanel's pregnancy won't be a part of the show. Some series find ways to incorporate an actress' pregnancy into their character's story arcs but this is not the case for "New Girl." Instead, they will shoot Deschanel's scenes ahead of schedule before she needs to take her leave.
The Hollywood Reporter also stated a few weeks ago that while the 35-year-old actress is working ways to finish season 5 before her pregnancy stops her from filming, actor Damon Wayans Jr. will be leaving the show a second time.
The actor was present during the show's pilot episode and had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts with his other project, "Happy Endings." He later returned during the middle of "New Girl" season 3 as a recurring guest and was upgraded as a series regular for season 4.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the actor is eyeing several pilots that would put him in the centerstage as the main character instead of simply being a part of an ensemble cast. His character, Coach, will reportedly be written off in a manner that will allow him to return in future installments.
"We love Damon and are so lucky to have had him return for the past season and a half," series creator Liz Meriwether told THR. "We are working on crafting an exit for him that will leave the door open for many more returns, especially since 'Coach' is our resolution to the upcoming 'Who's Jess' Baby Daddy?' storyline."
No date has been given but the series has a history of airing its season premieres in the second or third week of September. Thus, fans can expect season 5 to be released around the same schedule as well.
