I had never worked in television before Freaks and Geeks, and New Girl is the first time since that Ive worked on a series that is actually a series and not just a pilot.

When you take on a project, you have to be certain that you can make the best version of whatever it is youre given.

My first pilot gig; in fact my first job in television; was 'Freaks and Geeks,' and the experience of directing that pilot was probably the single most formative of my directing life.

I had never worked in television before Freaks and Geeks, and New Girl is the first time since that Ive worked on a series that is actually a series and not just a pilot.

You hope for that with anything, but with a TV show, the writer and the actor being the right mix are more important than the actual writing of the pilot because you hope it's something that can have a long life.

Comedians want to be rock legends for a day - that sounds fun to them.