The full season pick-ups and renewals are slowing making their way across the networks. ABC has announced that Agents of SHIELD has been given a full-season order.
The Avengers spin-off, as with most debut shows, was initially given 13 episodes, so this “back nine” order gives the drama 22 total episodes for season 1.
Star Chloe Bennet, who plays Skye, tweeted, “Everyone on set is smiling and so happy!” Clark Gregg, who plays Agent Coulson, said, “22 eps to figure out Tahiti.” And the official SHIELD Twitter page thanked all the fans.
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SHIELD is the lead-in on Tuesdays for a whole night of new shows — including The Goldbergs, Trophy Wife and Lucky 7, the latter having since been cancelled — and started off strong as the highest-rated drama in four years, with 12.12 million viewers tuning in to the premiere (and even more watched via DVR, online and during a Thursday night re-airing). And while it wasn’t number one in total viewers, it did tie The Voice for that honor in the 18-49 demographic.
It didn’t come as a surprise that it started off on such a strong footing, considering the popularity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe on the big screen, with The Avengers raking in over $1.5 billion worldwide to become the third highest grossing movie of all time.
And while it’s expected that any new show will have a drop-off in viewers for subsequent episodes after a premiere, SHIELD has dropped further than I’m sure the network, and even fans and critics, imagined. Episode 2 drew in 8.4 million viewers, a decrease of 34%, and episode 3 had 7.7 million viewers, a drop-off of 15%. But the good news is that the show was still ranked as second in the 8pm timeslot this past week.
This announcement of a full-season order follows NBC doing the same recently for The Blacklist, and Sleepy Hollow being renewed for a second season on FOX. CBS and The CW have yet to make announcements on this front. But cancellation notices have already gone out for Lucky 7 and We Are Men.
Agents of SHIELD airs Tuesdays at 8pm on ABC.
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(Image courtesy of ABC)
Staff Writer, BuddyTV
Jeff Dodge, a graduate of Western Washington University, has been a TV news editor for many years and has had the chance to interview multiple reality show stars, including Randy Jackson, Nick Cannon, Heidi Klum, Mel B and John Cena.
