Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents of SHIELD TV series for ABC - General Discussion - Part 2

[divan]

I would love if this show served as a big window to the Marvel Universe beyond S.H.I.E.L.D.

If Loki appears, why not get a Game of Thrones-esque flashback scene of him during one of their travels to Earth in the distant past (to save on the budget for Asgard), for example? Why not get Peggy doing awesome stuff after World War II like in Agent Carter? Maybe follow an alien from the wider MCU that got stuck on Earth? Get and introduction to the Magic and Supernatural. We could even get a cameo from everyone's most hated (in-universe) race (the mutants, or substitute them with Inhumans if you don't want to get sued)...

Frankly, to see such a rich Universe from the perspective of the little guy (ala Marvels) is simply an unparalleled, incredible possibility. I would hate it if this were 'just' a simple case-of-the-week spy/technological show...

 

[Dark Raven]

Anyone wanna take bets on who's gonna die by the end of the season? I say one of the Fitz-Simmons duo.

I hope none of the cast get killed off, as I'd like to see them cameo in a future Marvel movie - maybe Avengers 2 or 3 even if they're just there in the background saying one or two lines. One could even be like that SHIELD agent playing Galaga.

I would love if this show served as a big window to the Marvel Universe beyond S.H.I.E.L.D.

If Loki appears, why not get a Game of Thrones-esque flashback scene of him during one of their travels to Earth in the distant past (to save on the budget for Asgard), for example? Why not get Peggy doing awesome stuff after World War II like in Agent Carter? Maybe follow an alien from the wider MCU that got stuck on Earth? Get and introduction to the Magic and Supernatural. We could even get a cameo from everyone's most hated (in-universe) race (the mutants, or substitute them with Inhumans if you don't want to get sued)...

Frankly, to see such a rich Universe from the perspective of the little guy (ala Marvels) is simply an unparalleled, incredible possibility. I would hate it if this were 'just' a simple case-of-the-week spy/technological show...

That sounds cool. I'd like it to be a little like Star Trek: Deep Space Nine where the show can easily focus on the guest stars some weeks rather than the main cast. That way we could get back stories or anthology stories on some heroes/ villains that wouldn't be shown in the big screen movies.

As for Marvels, wouldn't it be cool if that photographer, Phil Sheldon showed up. Of course, having two Phils might get a little confusing, but they can just refer to him as Sheldon in the show to distinguish him from Coulson.

 

[TheFBI]

The only issue is that you have to make sure that the show is only[FONT=Arial, sans-serif] supplemental[/FONT] , that is, you cant introduce characters in the show and then not rehash it a bit in the movies. Not everyone that will go to the movies will watch the show.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

I agree, but Marvel's got a huge stable of characters that would probably never make it to the movies anyway. They'd be perfect for the show. Maybe one day, if we hope hard enough, we might even get Paste Pot Pete as the villain of the week someday.

 

[Mr. Dent]

I sooooooo want a Daredevil TV show. It would be the perfect place to introduce characters like Moon Knight, Punisher, Ronin, etc. into the MCU. On top of, you know, providing a law procedural show that I can bare watching. And there's just so much richness to Daredevil's supporting characters and rogue's gallery. I think it would be 10x better than Arrow, which I like as well.

 

[fixxxer]

I sooooooo want a Daredevil TV show. It would be the perfect place to introduce characters like Moon Knight, Punisher, Ronin, etc. into the MCU. On top of, you know, providing a law procedural show that I can bare watching. And there's just so much richness to Daredevil's supporting characters and rogue's gallery. I think it would be 10x better than Arrow, which I like as well.

Completely agreed in principle. However, instead of branding it as purely a Daredevil show, I would love for the show to focus on an expanded roster of Marvel's street level heroes. Maybe even call it "Marvel Knights"?

A Game of Thrones type of narrative with converging and diverging story threads would be perfect. I know it's kind of a generic comparison, but I'm only comparing the narrative structure. This would work absolutely perfectly on an AMC/FX kind of cable channel. Unfortunately, I don't believe Disney owns such a cable channel like it does ABC.

 

[Mr. Dent]

I wouldn't mind that but I don't think it's as realistic. Plus Daredevil deserves his own show.

 

[metaphysician]

He's a good character, but I'm not so sure he could really support a purely solo show, long term. The problem with the Marvel Knights idea is more that, while Daredevil and Punisher would obviously fit together, I'm not sure if any other characters would really work.

Hence why my own preference would be a Heroes for Hire TV show. It has more flexibility in guest stars and guest arcs.

 

[H.U.S.T.L.E.]

I wrote this up a while ago in a Ghost Rider thread, but I feel like it applies here. I think it's possible to do a Marvel Knights show, but I would structure it differently than shows we see now. Yeah, it's outside the box, but it would be a unique concept that hopefully provides compelling stories pitting the protagonists against more recognizable foes.

With the grittier nature of characters like Punisher, Daredevil, etc, an HBO series would be a great place for that. You could have a Marvel Knights show with each season based on one story arc for an individual character... say 12 episodes per season. I think the majority of fans just want to see the characters done well on the screen in some form or another, so why not give them something a little different than the blockbuster films we've seen so far? In my opinion, the ultimate goal of Marvel Studios shouldn't strictly be feature-film products (and we're already seeing that with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. picked up by ABC). This would give them the opportunity to branch out and expand into entirely new audiences with more mature content.

I also think that by basically making each character a mini-series there are some interesting storytelling options. For instance, instead of the token origin story film we've seen for other Marvel characters recently, you can show pieces of that throughout the episodes via brief flashbacks. That way you understand each character's motivations without spending lots of time setting up the origin & instead jump straight to a story arc for the season.

Then as each season comes to a close, you find a way to set up the next featured character. So say Season 1 is based around Punisher - at the end of the finale you have Frank Castle arrested for his vigilante justice, but in the final moments you see him outside a courtroom having been acquitted. He mutters something like, "Thanks Murdock" and walks away, while the final visual of the season sets up a Daredevil arc for Season 2. Similarly, you could introduce a character like Elektra to set up Season 3.

Having each season revolve around a single character might interest actors who would rather not be tied long-term into contracts with Marvel. If an actor knows that they're only contractually obligated for 12 episodes, with the possibility of a feature film that could tie the show's characters together, it might be a more enticing deal. Another benefit of that model would be from the writing perspective - I think it would be much easier to write a story arc that centers around one main character as opposed to juggling multiple 'leads' for the show.

When it comes down to it though, I just think that many of these characters deserve their own showcase without competing for screentime. We know that Marvel can't give every character in their arsenal a feature film for various reasons (whether that's scheduling issues, perceived lack of consumer interest, or saturation of the market). On a channel like HBO, a 12-episode season equates to nearly 12 hours of screen time - that's nearly twice the combined runtimes for the three Iron Man movies. That means a one season story arc is plenty of time to tell a good story & allows the show to stay fresh with a revolving cast.

 

[Dr. Evil]

If Marvel decides to make a Phase 4 in their movies (which would take place after the events of Avengers 3), I could see the Marvel Knights as the focal point of Phase 4.

 

[Destructus86]

I don't see Marvel going too gritty. They still want stuff that the whole family can watch.

 

[fixxxer]

Haha... deja vu, methinks. I believe we had the exact same debate in the thread you referenced. Our respective minds' eyes spy identical visions.

The only difference being yours focuses on one character per season and mine on a more overarching, open-ended narrative. Let me attempt to objectively break down the architectures of our respective conceptual "Marvel Knights" shows...

H.U.S.T.L.E. concept pros AKA fixxxer concept cons
1. Actors need not sign in perpetuity. ~12 episodes and they're out, not counting cameo fare.
2. Storylines can be made tighter since one season roughly equates to one complete story.

fixxxer concept pros AKA H.U.S.T.L.E. concept cons
1. Higher ceiling in the hands of the right showrunner due to the open structure of the narrative.
2. Slightly closer to the inherent structure of comic books wherein nothing ends, but plots merely progress.

Would love some feedback on this. Folks?

(Sorry if this seems a little off-topic for an Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. thread, but I think I'm somewhat covered under the "MCU on TV" umbrella. )

 

[Mr. Dent]

Can anyone think of a TV show that has been pimped as hard as this? I mean, multiple trailers on Youtube with million+ views and most trailers are in the 6 figure range. Plus all the other ads for it out in the irl.

 

[Xeno]

Can anyone think of a TV show that has been pimped as hard as this? I mean, multiple trailers on Youtube with million+ views and most trailers are in the 6 figure range. Plus all the other ads for it out in the irl.

Of course Disney/Marvel/ABC are going all out to promote SHIELD. The show is important not only to the network but also as a promotional platform for the MCU films. Given that it is going up against an entrenched hit show, the network and studio know that it needs the best possible promotional push if it's going to succeed. Doing anything less than an all-media ad blitz would be foolhardy.

 

[Xeno]

Inside Marvel's Secret 'Agents of SHIELD' Security

This is an article I missed when it came online a few weeks ago. Apparently Marvel's tight security where Agents of SHIELD is concerned extends even to critics and ABC insiders. The network hasn't sent around the typical DVD screeners of the pilot and has only shown the show to critics under the same strict conditions as at SDCC and D23. The producers don't want any but a select few to see it ahead of its premiere, in the hope that this will build anticipation for the show. Higher ratings would of course result from that.

The DVD copies were something that hadn't occurred to me. I've been mailed them in the past -- unsolicited -- so I suppose some end up on download sites. Marvel was very canny not to send them round even to critics because someone would surely have pirated it instantly.

 

[Pepsiguy2]

Inside Marvel's Secret 'Agents of SHIELD' Security

This is an article I missed when it came online a few weeks ago. Apparently Marvel's tight security where Agents of SHIELD is concerned extends even to critics and ABC insiders. The network hasn't sent around the typical DVD screeners of the pilot and has only shown the show to critics under the same strict conditions as at SDCC and D23. The producers don't want any but a select few to see it ahead of its premiere, in the hope that this will build anticipation for the show. Higher ratings would of course result from that.

The DVD copies were something that hadn't occurred to me. I've been mailed them in the past -- unsolicited -- so I suppose some end up on download sites. Marvel was very canny not to send them round even to critics because someone would surely have pirated it instantly.

This barely happens anymore, I think. I've been sent some early Arrow episodes and even though there's an urge to share, you know you gotta keep it confidential or you won't get anymore.

 

[fixxxer]

Alan Sepinwall from hitfix.com just posted a massive interview with the showrunners of Agents of SHIELD, Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen. I don't think they revealed any new info, but interesting all the same.

http://www.hitfix.com/whats-alan-wa...on-maurissa-tancharoen-talk-coulson-joss-more

 

[Xeno]

This barely happens anymore, I think. I've been sent some early Arrow episodes and even though there's an urge to share, you know you gotta keep it confidential or you won't get anymore.

A few years back I was sent some TNT pilots out of the blue. I hadn't requested them and don't recall even visiting a related website that might have given out my info. The one I remember most is Rizzoli and Isles. The DVDs were pure advertising since I am not a critic and the accompanying material was very booster-ish. It was along the lines of, "We sent you this because we know you'll just love it!" I hated it. t:

The only reason I mentioned DVD screeners is because the article talked about the lack of them fir SHIELD, where other shows at the critics' confab were giving them away like candy. Marvel gave away no DVDs to critics, allowing them only a monitored screening, and even restricted viewing for ABC insiders like Shonda Rhimes. The studio is keeping a tight lid on the show to build interest and anticipation. It's a great strategy.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Is it sad that I just saw a TV spot during the Georgia/Clemson game, and I squealed when Maria Hill was shown?

 

[JB-the-Hunter]

Is it sad that I just saw a TV spot during the Georgia/Clemson game, and I squealed when Maria Hill was shown?

I can't believe Clemson won that game. As a Georgia Tech fan I hope we stand a chance in our game against them. 70-0 gave me a little confidence though.

On topic: I squealed every single time a tv spot came on.

 

[kaijunexus]

I'm not all that familiar with television production schedules...

Have they already filmed all of the episodes for the season, or will they be filming even as the show airs? And if they will be filming, are there any ideas as to what date they would probably complete filming (considering the amount of episodes, etc.)?

Mostly I ask because I'm curious as to when we might see footage from more episodes than just the pilot...

 

[BatsDC]

They film as the show airs. The last trailer I think had snippets from Episode 2, because they've recently filmed it. I'd imagine close to the Premiere, as more will have been filmed we'll begin to see more footage from the few episodes that immediately follow the Pilot.

I'm fairly certain American television at least is usually a decent amount of episodes ahead of what's being aired (for example, Season 6 of Castle started filming in July, takes roughly two weeks per episode to film, and starts at the end of September meaning they should be around 5 or 6 episodes ahead if everything goes as planned), but then with an inevitable break over Winter I imagine filming will mostly wrap in early Spring, and then they'll be further along.

 

[Mr. Dent]

I can't believe Clemson won that game. As a Georgia Tech fan I hope we stand a chance in our game against them. 70-0 gave me a little confidence though.

On topic: I squealed every single time a tv spot came on.

Georgia Tech will be the obligatory game Clemson isn't supposed to lose but they lose anyway.

 

[rashad]

The studio is keeping a tight lid on the show to build interest and anticipation. It's a great strategy.

Or just a simple ploy for the pilot not to leak several months early reducing the risk losing any potential viewers that may have watched premiere.

 

[Xeno]

Or just a simple ploy for the pilot not to leak several months early reducing the risk losing any potential viewers that may have watched premiere.

Like I said, it's a great strategy.