Which New Series is Bigger Than 'S.H.I.E.L.D.'?

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has easily been one of the most heavily hyped shows of the fall season — if not the heaviest hyped show of the fall season, and we've certainly contributed on that count. But while critics professed the show their favorite new drama, the rest of us were largely flying blind. Now that the show has actually premiered, though, we can experience the return of Whedon television — nostalgic "Grrr, arghs" and all. And lucky for the Whedon (and the Marvel) camp, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. premiered to pretty awesome ratings.

In a surprising win for NBC, S.H.I.E.L.D. did not beat out new drama The Blacklist, however. But that doesn't mean it was a total loss for the people over at Marvel (or ABC). Not by a long shot: First, according to The Wrap, S.H.I.E.L.D. earned the title of ABC's biggest debut in more than a year, pulling in 11.9 million total viewers and a 4.6/14 in the demographic of 18-49 year-olds, which is key. Second, The Blacklist has a Marvel connection anyway, as it stars future Avengers villain James Spader. So really, if any non-S.H.I.E.L.D. show is going to pull in the big ratings, the Marvel bosses are probably completely fine with it being one that will continue to raise the profile of one of their stars.

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Image: ABC