Bad Judge not good, A to Z only makes it to M, as NBC will cancel both new sitcoms

Must-See Thursdays were how long ago, now?

NBC has decided to scrap another lineup of new Thursday night sitcoms, halting production on both Bad Judge and A to Z in a Halloween massacre after both rookie shows failed to reach even a 1.0 rating among adults 18-49 last night.

Last night’s episode of Bad Judge, which starred Kate Walsh as a “bad” municipal judge, grabbed 3.9 million viewers and a 0.9 rating in ages 18-49, a distant third to Scandal and Two and a Half Men among broadcast networks. A half-hour later, A to Z (a rom-com starring Ben Feldman and Cristin Milioti with Christina Kirk and Henry Zebrowski) only kept 2.49 million of those viewers, for a 0.7 rating. The McCarthys debuted against it on CBS and drew 8.08 million, by comparison.

Bad Judge and A to Z lasted five episodes, but faced even stiffer competition from CBS and Thursday Night Football for its first four weeks.

The Peacock Network plans to air the remaining episodes of both new duds to complete their 13-episode orders, which would burn out by Jan. 22, 2015.

What comes next?

Parks and Recreation already is due to return in midseason for its seventh and final season on Thursday nights. Other NBC sitcoms in the production pipeline, but no announced launch dates or time slots yet, include Mr. Robinson (starring Craig Robinson), One Big Happy (with Elisha Cuthbert and Nick Zano, plus Rebecca Corry, Kelly Brook, Brandon Smith and Chris Williams) and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (starring Ellie Kemper).

In Fall 2013, NBC failed to launch three new sitcoms on Thursdays: Welcome to the Family, The Michael J. Fox Show and Sean Saves the World. It found more success filling at least one of those hours with Hollywood Game Night, the game show hosted by Jane Lynch, which also will return in 2015.

Sean L. McCarthy

Editor and publisher since 2007, when he was named New York's Funniest Reporter. Former newspaper reporter at the New York Daily News, Boston Herald and smaller dailies and community papers across America. Loves comedy so much he founded this site.

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