Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. The RATINGS Thread - Part 1

[famicommander]

Well, those are disappointing, until you look at how everybody else did. Not bad. Not great, but not bad.

Seven other shows beat or tied SHIELD. It only beat the CW, the tanking Fox shows, and a repeat of Quantico. That's bad, especially considering where the show started.

But again, things would have to get insanely bad for the show to end up cancelled. Shows with three complete seasons almost always get a season four, because the syndication/streaming economics demand 75+ episodes.

 

[Tymminator]

Down from last seasons premier, but up from last seasons finale. <shrug>

 

[famicommander]

Down from last seasons premier, but up from last seasons finale. <shrug>

The season finale was in May, well after daylight savings time.

Ratings for all shows are down across the board in the spring. You have to make apples to apples comparisons (premiere vs premiere, holiday episodes vs holiday episodes, midseason finale vs midseason finale, etc) to get a true sense of how the show is doing.

I can almost guarantee that this show will fall well below its series low of a 1.3 this year.

 

[Rocinante]

1.7 is classic AoS rating, until the DvR numbers roll in.

I wager it adjusts up.

 

[Webfoot Hero]

TV numbers for almost every returning show is down, save for maybe Empire. I think I read somewhere that the numbers for all premieres is down about 18% from last season's numbers so it's not just an issue for AoS.

 

[famicommander]

1.7 is classic AoS rating, until the DvR numbers roll in.

I wager it adjusts up.

DVR ratings are really only useful for PR purposes. People who have DVRs almost always skip commercials, so advertisers won't pay much more for a commercial on a show with great DVR ratings. ABC doesn't really benefit from people viewing the show on DVR, except for the general increased awareness and exposure it brings.

But because Disney owns Marvel, Marvel Studios, and ABC other alternative media outlets DO help the show's cause. Disney gets the money from Hulu, Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, Netflix, OnDemand, DVD, Blu Ray sales, syndication, etc. That all works heavily in the favor of shows that are owned by the same parent company as the network they air on (including SHIELD, Agent Carter, Flash, Arrow, and iZombie but not the case for stuff like Gotham, Constantine, or Supergirl).

The season premiere is almost always the highest rated episode of a season. It was true for SHIELD seasons 1 and 2, which means 1.7 could very well be the high water mark for the show this year. Last season it started with a 2.0 and by week 5 it was down to a 1.56, and by the end a 1.30.

If this show had happened to land on NBC or CBS these numbers would be very, very concerning. As it stands now it doesn't really matter what the ratings are because fo the factors mentioned already.

 

[Mike Murdock]

Down from last seasons premier, but up from last seasons finale. <shrug>

Yeah, shows rarely gain viewers. Given that, it's hard to find a problem with these numbers, which are up from last season's finale. If they drop significantly with next episode, that might be a problem, but I doubt ABC expected significantly different numbers.

 

[famicommander]

Again, it's not a surprise to be up from the season finale last year. That was the lowest rated episode of the entire series.

Last season started at a 2.0 and ended up averaging a 1.59. Starting at a 1.7 could mean an average in the 1.1-1.3 range, which would be good for a CW show or a Friday night Fox show, but not a Tuesday on ABC.

I repeat that there is essentially no chance of SHIELD getting cancelled, but these numbers are still bad and cannot be spun as anything but.

This show's series high is a 4.7 and two seasons later it's almost three times lower than that. It has bled viewers and will probably continue to do so.

I could easily see this show getting a season four for syndication purposes, and being burned off next year in a late night Friday/Saturday/Sunday timeslot.

 

[BoredGuy]

disappointing

I'll never understand the American audience
steady ratings and increasing returns on all those stupid reality competition shows
but this show keeps getting better and better to fewer viewers

 

[famicommander]

Reality shows have actually been in heavy decline. People aren't watching SHIELD because it isn't what they want out of a show set in a comic book universe. Daredevil did gangbusters on Netflix and Flash (relative to the size of CW vs ABC) is insanely successful. Gotham and SHIELD occupy that weird middle ground where they take place in a universe where tons of interesting characters live, but the show itself is largely detached (in SHIELD's case it's a question of location, whereas with Gotham it's the time period).

 

[R_Hythlodeus]

wait, famicommander, can you please explain why a 1.7 rating is a catastrophe, but the 1.6 of Gotham is accounting to your posts a great rating?

 

[famicommander]

1. I never said Gotham's ratings were great or even good. I said a 1.6 this week is a "decent" sign for the show's future. I have also said I am not sure at this point whether Gotham will be renewed, while I am almost 100% sure SHIELD will be.

2. Fox as a network is doing way, way worse than ABC. Shows are ultimately judged by the standard of the network it airs on. A 0.7 for iZombie on CW is a much better result than, say, a 1.4 on NBC for Constantine. A 1.6 on Fox is a middling performance but on ABC it's bad.

3. SHIELD started from a 4.7 while Gotham started from a 3.30. SHIELD has fallen much farther, much faster.

Don't put words in my mouth. If you want me to clarify anything quote the post directly and I would be happy to do so.

 

[Zarex]

13. SHIELD started from a 4.7 while Gotham started from a 3.30. SHIELD has fallen much farther, much faster.

This is incorrect. Even including SHIELD's crazy pilot ratings, the show dropped from a 4.7 share to a 2.1 share from episode 1 through 23, a drop of 55%. Gotham's drop was not too far off at 50% from the season 1 to the season 2 premier.

And if you start with the second episode for both shows, Gotham's 18-49 share dropped nearly 43% as compared to AOS's 36% drop over the same # of shows.

AOS's biggest problem? Expectations. Fans expected a spy show on a female focused broadcast network to match the MCU's dominance in the cineplex, and that was never going to happen. We're getting at least 88 episodes and one spinoff, which is pretty great for Marvel's initial foray into live action television.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

Reality shows have actually been in heavy decline. People aren't watching SHIELD because it isn't what they want out of a show set in a comic book universe. Daredevil did gangbusters on Netflix and Flash (relative to the size of CW vs ABC) is insanely successful. Gotham and SHIELD occupy that weird middle ground where they take place in a universe where tons of interesting characters live, but the show itself is largely detached (in SHIELD's case it's a question of location, whereas with Gotham it's the time period).

I think the biggest problem they face is that they don't really have a target audience. There isn't enough superheroics for superhero fans and there is too much for police procedural/traditional action/political thriller fans. Shows like Daredevil and The Flash have specific audiences that they appeal to. Gotham and Agents of SHIELD are stuck in this middle ground that fails to end up pleasing any single large group.

Now, you can argue that Daredevil and The Flash are simply better shows. And I agree that they are. But so is Agent Carter and it has the same ratings issues that Agents of SHIELD and Gotham have.

 

[famicommander]

Agent Carter will never escape the stigma of AoS. It airs in the same timeslot on the same network, it's essentially a spin off, and it even has a similar name.

That is also why I don't have high hopes for Most Wanted ratings-wise.

 

[BoredGuy]

'Most Wanted' should be canned, the ratings don't support it, and Mockingbird and Hunter work better as supporting characters

 

[Man in the Suit]

AOS burned their audience with the 1st half of season 1. I only started watching again because I found out what happened with the Winter Soldier tie-in. I think ratings would be stronger if the show started as solid as it is now.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

I quit watching partway through Season 1. I heard about things getting better so I gave it another try for the Season 2 premiere, which I found to be a lot better so I stuck with the show.

 

[KingCheops]

I think it likely also has to do with networks just sucking period. Daredevil did well because you could watch it whenever you want, however much you want, and with no commercials. I actually prefer AoS to Daredevil but the waits each week are killer. Gotham and AoS both pick up significant gains on D+3 and D+7 ratings. Also as has been touched upon further up thread the male demographic for AoS is massive compared the normal ABC programming so ABC is very happy. Watch the commercials on Castle or OUAT and compare them to AoS.

 

[famicommander]

I think it likely also has to do with networks just sucking period. Daredevil did well because you could watch it whenever you want, however much you want, and with no commercials. I actually prefer AoS to Daredevil but the waits each week are killer. Gotham and AoS both pick up significant gains on D+3 and D+7 ratings. Also as has been touched upon further up thread the male demographic for AoS is massive compared the normal ABC programming so ABC is very happy. Watch the commercials on Castle or OUAT and compare them to AoS.

There are still plenty of shows on network television that are doing very well, and Dardevil would likely have done just as well on ABC, HBO, or some other network as it did on Netflix. Daredevil did well because it's a true super hero show that capitalizes on the current booming popularity, and also because the show itself is extremely well put together. It's okay to like another show better for subjective reasons, but Daredevil objectively has some of the best fight choreography, cinematography, and acting of any action show right now.

You're correct that AoS does very well in the male demographics relative to other ABC shows, which does work heavily in its favor. Flash has the same advantage on CW.

DVR ratings can measure a show's general popularity but they generally don't help the network or show producers much because DVR viewers, by and large, skip commercials. Advertisers aren't going to pay more to reach viewers that aren't going to see their product.

Technology and the way we watch our shows is rapidly advancing, but the way tv producers and network monetize that trend is still lagging behind.

 

[Zarex]

There are still plenty of shows on network television that are doing very well, and Dardevil would likely have done just as well on ABC, HBO, or some other network as it did on Netflix. Daredevil did well because it's a true super hero show that capitalizes on the current booming popularity, and also because the show itself is extremely well put together. It's okay to like another show better for subjective reasons, but Daredevil objectively has some of the best fight choreography, cinematography, and acting of any action show right now..

DD would have been an awful fit on ABC, or any other broadcast network. If ABC wanted Matt and Company in their prime time lineup, he'd be there.

 

[samsnee]

I really don't see how this series will grow in ratings any more. At this point in, only the die hard fans are watching. It's a shame because it's gotten so much better than the first season. A spin-off would be a horrible idea because I find them to actually be the worst part of the show.

 

[famicommander]

DD would have been an awful fit on ABC, or any other broadcast network. If ABC wanted Matt and Company in their prime time lineup, he'd be there.

The show went into production before ABC knew what a hit the true superhero shows (DD and Flash) would be. Same reason CW passed on Supergirl, which will likely be a hit on the much bigger CBS. When DD went into production it was just the middling hit Arrow as far as live action TV comic book shows.

It may have been edited for content or toned down on ABC but people would have watched it. More people than the number who watch SHIELD or Carter for sure.

 

[Zarex]

The show went into production before ABC knew what a hit the true superhero shows (DD and Flash) would be. Same reason CW passed on Supergirl, which will likely be a hit on the much bigger CBS. When DD went into production it was just the middling hit Arrow as far as live action TV comic book shows.

It may have been edited for content or toned down on ABC but people would have watched it. More people than the number who watch SHIELD or Carter for sure.

ABC's Daredevil very likely would have gotten a Constantine-style makeover, the 10 pm time slot after AOS, and ratings lower than either of the other two Marvel programs. It's a bad fit for networks in general and ABC in particular.

That's not to say that a more "comic-booky" program wouldn't work on ABC. I hate the title "Marvel's Most Wanted", but Palicki is an engaging actress and is one of the rare human beings who look like they've walked right off of a comic book page. A "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" style Marvel program could surprise.

There's been rumors about Kamala Khan and/or Cloak and Dagger making their way to the network, and I think that Runaways would be a perfect fit. Even if AOS leaves the network in 2017, there will be other Marvel programs on ABC

 

[Raiden]

Well, I watched all of season 1 and some of season 2, but although the series was getting better I quit watching it. Now I just watched the season premiere of season 3, and while there are many things that I knew from the forum but didn't get to see (such as Coulson's hand and Simmons' whereabouts), I thought the episode is mostly fantastic, except for Mockingbird and Hunter, which I understand is a set up for their upcoming spin off show. Quite frankly, I like Bobbi but I really don't see anything interesting from Hunter. If these two have a show together, I will only see it for Mockingbird and that's not that big of an incentive; I'd rather watch a spin off featuring Daisy and Ward. Anyway, I think I'm going to start watching season 3, and I hope the rating will begin to pick up, although it is very difficult for a TV show to regain its audience.