Honestly, if you missed out on the A to Z sitcom when it aired back in 2014, you aren't alone. It was a weird time for network TV. Everyone was trying to find the "next" How I Met Your Mother, but the audience was already starting to migrate toward streaming. NBC took a swing on this quirky, alphabet-themed romantic comedy, and while it didn’t survive past its initial 13-episode order, it left a mark on those of us who still appreciate a show that isn't afraid to be unapologetically sweet.
It was cute. Really cute.
The premise was built on a ticking clock. From the very first episode, the narrator (voiced by Katey Sagal) tells us exactly how long Andrew and Zelda’s relationship will last: eight months, three weeks, five days, and one hour. It was a bold move. Usually, sitcoms thrive on the "will they or won't they" tension, but creator Ben Queen decided to give us the expiration date right away.
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The Chemistry That Made A to Z Sitcom Work
You can’t talk about this show without talking about Ben Feldman and Cristin Milioti. Feldman, fresh off his stint as the high-strung Michael Ginsberg on Mad Men, played Andrew, a guy who works at an online dating site called Wallflower but secretly believes in destiny. He’s a total romantic. He thinks he saw a girl in a silver dress at a concert years ago and that she's "the one."
Then there’s Zelda.
Cristin Milioti, who had just finished playing the actual Mother in HIMYM, took on the role of Zelda, a cynical, realistic lawyer who believes we choose our own paths. The contrast should have been a cliché. On paper, it is. But in practice, their chemistry was electric. They felt like a real couple that actually liked each other, which is surprisingly rare in the world of multicam and single-cam comedies where the leads often spend more time bickering than bonding.
The show lived in that "mid-2010s" aesthetic—heavy on the hipster vibes, bright colors, and office settings that looked way too fun to be productive. Andrew’s workplace, Wallflower, was populated by the typical sitcom sidekicks. Henry Zebrowski played Stu, the crude best friend, and Lenora Crichlow played Stephie, Zelda's law firm colleague.
Why Did It Get Canceled So Fast?
Network television is a brutal business. When A to Z sitcom premiered on October 2, 2014, it pulled in about 4.75 million viewers. That sounds decent today, but in 2014, those were "danger zone" numbers for NBC. By the time the fifth episode rolled around, the audience had dipped significantly.
People often blame the "Alphabet" gimmick. Every episode was titled after a letter—"A is for Antecedents," "B is for Big Glory," "C is for Creativity." It was a fun hook for nerds, but it might have made the show feel a bit too niche or precious for a general audience. Also, the "ticking clock" narrator might have backfired. If you tell an audience a relationship is going to end in eight months, some people might not want to invest their time in it. Why watch a breakup in slow motion?
Actually, the show kind of addressed this. Ben Queen later mentioned in interviews that the "end" of the relationship didn't necessarily mean a breakup; it could have meant an engagement or a new chapter. But by then, the ratings had already tanked. NBC officially pulled the plug in late October, though they did allow all 13 produced episodes to air.
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The Wallflower Problem and Sitcom Tropes
One of the more interesting aspects of the show was the setting of Wallflower. It was a dating site that used "comprehensive algorithms" to find matches. This was 2014—Tinder was only two years old and still felt like a bit of a novelty to the mainstream. The A to Z sitcom tried to bridge the gap between "old school" romance and the digital age.
The show poked fun at how we quantify love. Andrew’s boss at the dating site, Lydia (played by Christina Kirk), was a data-driven cynic who saw people as data points. This created a nice friction with Andrew’s belief in "The Girl in the Silver Dress." It’s a classic romantic comedy trope: the Battle between Fate and Math.
- The Big Gesture: Andrew was constantly trying to prove that destiny was real.
- The Grounded Reality: Zelda was constantly pulling him back to earth.
- The Supporting Cast: Stu and Stephie provided the necessary "raunchier" humor to balance out the sweetness of the leads.
It wasn’t a perfect show. Some of the B-plots felt thin, and Stu could be a polarizing character—some found him hilarious, others found him a bit much for a 22-minute romantic comedy. But when the focus was strictly on Andrew and Zelda navigating the awkwardness of a new relationship, it was gold.
A Legacy of "What If"
Looking back from 2026, the A to Z sitcom feels like a precursor to the "prestige" rom-coms we see on streaming services now. If this show had been pitched to Netflix or Apple TV+ today, it probably would have been a massive hit. It had that Lovesick or Starstruck energy—small, intimate, and focused on character growth rather than broad gags.
The show also suffered from being part of a doomed comedy block. NBC was struggling at the time to find its identity after the departure of heavy hitters like The Office and 30 Rock. They paired A to Z with Bad Judge, another show that failed to find an audience. Without a strong lead-in, it was basically DOA.
If you go back and watch the episodes now, you’ll see some familiar faces. Look closely and you’ll spot guest stars and bit players who went on to much bigger things. It’s a time capsule of a specific moment in Los Angeles-based comedy production.
How to Watch and What to Look For
If you want to track down the A to Z sitcom, it can be a bit of a scavenger hunt depending on where you live. It occasionally pops up on digital purchase platforms or niche streaming libraries. It's worth the effort if you’re a fan of the genre.
When you watch, pay attention to the transition scenes. The show used a lot of clever visual cues to represent the "Alphabet" theme. It wasn't just in the titles; it was baked into the DNA of the show's structure. Also, the chemistry in episode 13, "M is for Meant to Be," is bittersweet. The cast knew they were done by then, and there’s a sense of closure that feels more earned than most canceled-too-soon shows.
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Basically, it’s a show about the small moments. It’s about the first "I love you," the first fight about an ex, and the realization that the person you’re dating might be a totally different version of who you imagined them to be.
Moving Forward With Your Sitcom Watchlist
If you enjoyed the vibe of this show, there are a few things you should do to fill that void. First, check out Superstore. Ben Feldman leads that series, and while it's a workplace comedy, he brings that same "lovable neurotic" energy that made him so great as Andrew.
Next, if you're into the Cristin Milioti "charming but complicated" energy, you absolutely have to watch Palm Springs or The Resort. She’s honed that specific persona into a fine art over the last decade.
Lastly, don't let the "canceled" status of a show keep you from watching it. Sometimes a single 13-episode season is a perfect piece of storytelling. It doesn't need to run for ten years and get stale to be "good."
Practical Steps for Your Next Binge:
- Search Digital Archives: Check platforms like Vudu, Amazon, or Google Play for the full season of A to Z. It’s often sold as a "Complete Series" for a very low price.
- Compare the Tropes: Watch the pilot alongside the pilot of How I Met Your Mother. It’s a fascinating study in how the "unreliable narrator" and "fated romance" tropes evolved between 2005 and 2014.
- Explore the Creator's Work: Follow Ben Queen’s later projects, including his work on Powerless or his contributions to the Cars franchise, to see how his writing style shifted from live-action romance to high-concept animation.
- Curate a "Short-Lived" Marathon: Pair A to Z with other one-season wonders like Selfie (starring Karen Gillan and John Cho) or Happy Endings (which managed three seasons but felt similarly ahead of its time).
The world of the A to Z sitcom might have been short-lived, but it remains a masterclass in how to cast a romantic lead duo. It’s a reminder that sometimes, even if you know exactly how long something is going to last, it's still worth the ride.