SHILO: I can somewhat see the rationale for putting Bad Judge and A to Z together, as the former is broad enough to bring about the attention that the latter might not be able to generate on its own. A to Z is a fairly low-key, quiet relationship comedy and I buy NBC believing that placing it against a loud star vehicle like Bad Judge, which doesn’t completely fit with any other comedy on the network’s schedule, would give it a boost in sampling.
But that difference in tone and content might end up backfiring, especially if Bad Judge’s marketing proves too divisive or if lead-in The Biggest Loser falters without The Voice as a lead-out. NBC has had difficulty in getting audience on Thursdays for several seasons and an ancient reality lead-in with an unsteady ratings history might not be the best conduit for casual viewers to return to the night. Bad Judge likely needed something a big stronger in order to get a proper launch and if it stumbles out of the gate, it might be danger for its lead-out, as is the case for every pairing of two new shows.
Not helping is that both Bad Judge and A to Z are already scheduled to leave the night come February when The Blacklist premieres. Granted, a new night might be the best thing for them, as they’ll be going up against female viewer magnet Scandal, but will the two even be around to see what a new night could bring?
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