NBC pulls low-rated ‘Allegiance’ from the lineup

NBC didn’t show much “Allegiance.”

The network on Friday quietly pulled the spy drama wih Gavin Stenhouse and Hope Davis after airing just five episodes.

A network spokesman declined to comment on why “Allegiance” vanished, but it’s not hard to guess. Ratings started weak and didn’t improve. On Thursday, the show drew a dismal 3.4 million total viewers for a distant third-place finish in the 10 p.m. time slot, according to Nielsen.

“Allegiance” couldn’t be saved even by pairing it with NBC’s hit thriller “The Blacklist,” which last month moved from Mondays to help boost the network’s Thursday fortunes.

With “Blacklist” hitting some record low ratings this week, there was evidence that the scheduling gambit has actually damaged NBC’s flagship drama. Hence the need for a shake-up.

Starting next week, NBC will shuffle “The Slap” -- a drama that looks at the aftermath of a family altercation in which an adult slaps a small child -- from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.

To lead off Thursdays, NBC will air “Dateline: The Real Blacklist,” a spinoff of its newsmagazine show, this time focusing on “conspiracy-themed investigations and crimes” and hosted by Richard Engel.

“The Slap” has ratings problems of its own, and “Dateline” tends to draw an older crowd that isn’t necessarily what NBC is seeking for “The Blacklist.” So this story may continue for a while.

What did you think of “Allegiance”?

Twitter: @scottcollinsLAT