Ratings: ‘Agents of SHIELD’ has huge premiere; did Cote de Pablo news hurt ‘NCIS’?
Throughout most of our conversations about Marvel’s “Agents of SHIELD,” we have said that in order for this show to really be considered a hit, it needs to draw a rating that is somewhere higher than a 4.0 in the 18-49 demographic given the aggressive hype and promotion. If it premiered with a number less than “Sleepy Hollow’s” 3.5, it would have been an outright disappointment.
Well, it now seems like Marvel and ABC have nothing to worry about at all. “Agents of SHIELD” launched with a stellar 4.6 rating, which makes it the best drama series premiere on network TV in well over a year. It tied “The Voice” for top honors on the night, or at least for now. (“The Voice” has a tendency to adjust up in the final ratings.)
Also strong for ABC was the launch of “The Goldbergs” with a 3.2, and even “Trophy Wife” with a 2.3. Meanwhile, “Lucky 7” bombed with a 1.3, which puts it in peak position as the first show to likely be canceled. It and “Betrayal” were our two top picks to earn this honor.
Elsewhere, it seems like either Marvel or Cote de Pablo’s impending exit hurt “NCIS,” as it was down a good 0.7 from last year’s premiere on the way of scoring a 3.4. Meanwhile, “NCIS: Los Angeles” was a 3.0, and “Person of Interest” did okay in scoring a 2.3 in its new timeslot away from CBS’ comedy block.
One of the biggest winners of the night was “Chicago Fire,” which was helped to a 2.8 thanks to the power of its lead-in. Meanwhile, a real loser was Fox, which saw all of its shows down dramatically. Of the group, “New Girl” (2.1) and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (1.8) seem like the only real winners, and they should really consider putting them into a single hour and sticking “The Mindy Project” with “Dads.” (We know that Mindy Kaling deserves better, but this show has had all sorts of chances.)
Are you surprised at all by these ratings? Click here if you want to watch a preview for next week’s “Agents of SHIELD” episode, and we will have more news soon.
Photo: ABC