Analyzing The 2014-2015 Fall Schedule: NBC

THURSDAY

Craig’s Picks: 8:00 Parks and Recreation, 8:30 Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, 9:00 About a Boy, 9:30 A to Z, 10:00 Parenthood
Shilo’s Picks: 8:00 Parks and Recreation, 8:30 Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, 9:00 The Blacklist, 10:00 Allegiance
Actual Schedule: 8:00 The Biggest Loser, 9:00 Bad Judge, 9:30 A to Z, 9:00 Blacklist (midseason), 10:00 Parenthood

SHILO: Well, NBC went for something similar to my Plan B Thursday schedule and I think, as a result, will struggle until The Blacklist arrives in February. The Biggest Loser weakened once The Voice went on hiatus this past fall and it’s essentially on its own against the likes of Grey’s Anatomy, The Big Bang Theory, and Bones – not an easy task. Bad Judge is about the most incompatible comedy they could have put after Biggest Loser, while A to Z feels very low-key and like it’ll be crunched by the Scandal competition. Parenthood, oddly, could come out the winner on the night in its final season, as it faces a weak Elementary and unproven How to Get Away with Murder rather than the ABC political soap, a ratings behemoth in its third season. I understand why NBC is essentially letting Thursdays lie dormant until February and I don’t 100% disagree with the strategy, but we could be seeing some ugly numbers before long.

CRAIG: I admit: I’m already kind of obsessed with A to Z, which is a pilot that hit all of my buttons. Or, as I call it, “How The Guardian Angel Fred Met Your Mother.” Both Ben Feldman and Cristina Miloti are adorable, and the script writers making references to things like Marv Wolfman’s New Teen Titans and Back to the Future hoverboards really won me over. I’m not entirely sure Bad Judge is the best lead-in, and I think it’d pair even better with About a Boy, but I guess NBC has a plan here. Either way, to whichever people are reading this: regardless of when NBC has slotted it, watch this show; you will really enjoy it.

Now that that’s out of the way – NBC isn’t even trying for Must See Comedies on Monday nights anymore, and once The Blacklist is back, the night will have none of that. Moving The Blacklist against Scandal is ballsy, so I’m curious how that will pan out. Chances are both shows will still do well. And who knows – maybe The Biggest Loser will give NBC Thursdays the added weight (pun intended) they need to completely stand out.

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