10 TV Shows That Changed Dramatically

10. New Girl

In 2011, Fox felt absolutely certain that the sheer force of Zooey Deschanel would be enough to sell a sitcom. Every advert and poster for New Girl featured Deschanel as Jess, the titular character, front and centre, with her co-stars way out in the background if pictured at all. She was, we were promised, adorkable.

And to be fair, Deschanel was a great fit for TV. Then at the peak of her powers, her public persona worked perfectly in 20 minute chunks. The simple premise saw her quirky schoolteacher character move into an apartment with a disparate bunch of boys, wherein hijinks couldn’t help but ensue.

Quickly, though, the writers realised that there was life in this project beyond Zooey Deschanel: The Show. As the rest of the cast - Jake Johnson, Lamorne Morris, Hannah Simone, and the exceptional Max Greenfield - found their feet in their supporting roles, the show was reshaped around the ensemble. It transformed from a star vehicle to the era’s best hangout show.

So distinct was this transformation that Jess could be written off the show for a spell while Deschanel gave birth. Smart writing and great cast chemistry turned what could have been a flash in the pan into one of the great modern network comedies.