ABC gave a back order to AGENTS OF SHIELD today, and of course that makes sense, since the show’s most recent 2.9 rating was considerably higher than the 2.2 the network was getting with the Dancing With the Stars results show in that slot last fall, and SHIELD may be neck-and-neck with NCIS in the slot once NBC starts airing The Biggest Loser there instead of The Voice next week. SHIELD is, by any logical definition, a hit, and with its high-profile, corporately-synergistic status, there was no chance of it going away anytime soon.
But the network’s rush to give it a back order also smacks a bit of PR. SHIELD has tumbled very badly from its 4.8 premiere just 2 weeks ago, and with a 0.4 drop this week, it’s by no means clear the show has reached its level. It would be embarrassing it it fell still more next week when the NBC competition is so much weaker. This way, ABC claims its win and doesn’t have to mention its ratings again for a while, and meanwhile hopes the skid comes to a halt.
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THE SKED: ABC
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About the Author
Mitch Salem
MITCH SALEM has worked on the business side of the entertainment industry for 20 years, as a senior business affairs executive and attorney for such companies as NBC, ABC, USA, Syfy, Bravo, and BermanBraun Productions, and before that, at the NY law firm of Weil, Gotshal & Manges. During all that, he has more or less constantly been going to the movies and watching TV, and writing about both since the 1980s. His film reviews also currently appear on screened.com and the-burg.com. In addition, he is co-writer of an episode of the television series "Felicity."
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