8 Ways Test Audiences Changed TV Shows
4. NBC Wanted Rid Of Murdock, But Audiences Rated Him Too High To Let Go - The A-Team
When looking back on the original faces that brought everyone's favourite A-Team to life, before the likes of Liam Neeson and Bradley Cooper decided to take a swing on the big screen in 2010, it's hard to imagine the line-up gelling and going down as well as they did if it wasn't for the unique mix of vibrant personalities thrown together.
However, in the case of Dwight Schultz's "Howling Mad" Murdock, NBC execs actually originally felt that this particular chemical equation was just too darn over-the-top and simply wouldn't work when it came time to set the series in motion.
Yet, it soon came to pass that test audiences couldn't have disagreed more, with those who piled into see the series' pilot all awarding Schultz's portrayal of Murdock the highest score out of any of the leading foursome. The response was so positive that those NBC execs had no choice but to relent and retain the mad as a hatter Murdock for the long-haul, gifting us one of the barmiest faces ever committed to the small screen in the process.