NBC has made a slew of scheduling changes for the coming weeks, as The Voice prepares its return.
Struggling sophomore drama Smash has been relegated to the Saturday slot beginning April 6 and will continue to air in the 9 p.m. slot until the 17-episode season ends, the network said Wednesday.
The second-season premiere flopped in the ratings in early February, averaging a 1.2 rating among adults 18-49 and 4.5 million viewers, with its most recent episode drawing fewer than 3 million viewers and a 0.9 rating in same-day viewing.
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In its place, NBC has slotted upcoming unscripted relationship show Ready for Love from producer Eva Longoria on April 9 with a two-hour premiere beginning at 9 p.m. following The Voice, which launches season four March 25.
Freshman comedy Go On will receive the post-The Office slot, moving from 9 p.m. Tuesdays to 9:30 p.m. Thursdays on April 4 and 11, the latter of which will serve as the Matthew Perry starrer's season finale. The April 4 episode marks Perry's anticipated onscreen reunion with Friends co-star Courteney Cox.
Fellow rookie comedy The New Normal will air its one-hour season finale on April 2 at 9 p.m. following The Voice. New Normal producers told The Hollywood Reporter that the finale could double as a series finale.
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Second-year comedy Whitney will end its season with a one-hour closer at 8 p.m. March 27.
The Celebrity Apprentice will expand to two hours beginning April 14 from 9-11 p.m. through the end of May. NBC is propping The Voice on Sundays with encore telecasts March 31 and April 7 from 7-10 p.m., leading into original episodes of Apprentice.
From the network's various moves, NBC is betting heavily on The Voice -- with a revamped judging lineup with the additions of Usher and Shakira -- to serve as a launching pad or lead-in for several scripted and unscripted efforts in an effort to boost viewership. NBC's top scripted drama, Revolution, will return the same night as The Voice.
E-mail: Philiana.Ng@thr.com
Twitter: @insidethetube
