New Girl Reunion: Jake Johnson and Damon Wayans Jr. Headline Cable Guy-Inspired Comedy Pilot on Hulu

Millennial Nostalgia Alert: New Girl Reunites for a Cable Guy-Inspired Hulu Pilot

Remember when Jake Johnson and Damon Wayans Jr. both appeared in the New Girl pilot back in 2011? Well, they're finally sharing the screen together in a proper series — and the premise is wild. Hulu has ordered a comedy pilot inspired by the 1996 Jim Carrey film The Cable Guy.

The Premise: Streaming-Era Cable Guy

The logline is darkly hilarious. In a world dominated by streaming, algorithms, and binge-watching, old-school cable technician Chip Douglas (Johnson) lives alone — until Steven Stephens (Wayans Jr.) calls to have his cable turned back on. What starts as reconnecting with a childhood friend spirals into something far more obsessive.

The project comes from Rob Rosell (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Joe Piarulli, and Luan Thomas (Cobra Kai). They've described their approach as honoring the original film rather than remaking it — think Fargo TV series meets the Coen brothers movie.

Why the New Girl Connection Matters

For New Girl fans, this reunion is deeply satisfying. Wayans Jr. famously had to exit the original New Girl pilot when Happy Endings got unexpectedly renewed. Fox didn't recast his role — they kept the pilot as-is and introduced Lamorne Morris's Coach in Episode 2. Wayans Jr. eventually returned as a series regular in Season 3.

Johnson, of course, was a series regular across all seven seasons of New Girl. Rosell also served as co-executive producer on New Girl for Seasons 3-6, earning a WGA Award nomination.

Neal H. Moritz and Pavun Shetty from Original Film (The Boys franchise) are executive producing alongside Johnson and Wayans Jr. This marks Sony Pictures Television's return to Hulu after previous series like Future Man and Woke.

Johnson is also headlining NBC's Sunset P.I., and if the Cable Guy pilot goes to series, he'll juggle both shows. With the original film's 30th anniversary hitting in June 2026, the timing couldn't be better. (＾▽＾)