The Winter Press Tour for TCA (Television Critics Association) are happening, and with news being dropped left and right about comic book products, Entertainment Weekly caught up with ABC President Channing Dungey and talked about their Marvel properties. While low numbers and the introduction of The Inhumans might have fans of Marvel’s first television show concerned, Dungey announced that Marvel and by proxy ABC is very much in SHIELD’s corner.
Look, we are incredibly encouraged. Season 4 of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has been creatively the strongest season we’ve had yet. The episodes just keep getting better and stronger. And that’s another one for us that we moved from 9 to 10 and yet even though the HUD levels are softer at 10, the live-same-day has remained the same and that’s another one of our shows which regularly goes up triple digits over the seven-day period, anywhere from 100 to 110 percent.
For those of us playing at home, while the ratings might seem lower, Marvel measuring the number of those who watch at home means that it’s stayed steady, so that’s good news for fans hoping for a Season 5 renewal. It also shows that fans will oftentimes watch later in the evening, good news for the 7 day forecast that measures how many people are consuming ABC programming. TV shows make money in advertising, whether people are watching later or watching on the ABC.go app home of Slingshot and other properties.
Does Dungey see a future for SHIELD? This is what the president of ABC had to say about the subject.
Absolutely. I’m very bullish on S.H.I.E.L.D. and we’re also really excited about our production with Marvel, ABC Studios, and IMAX, which we are working on for next fall as well.
Bullish as a term traditionally associated with the stock market, a word which means “confident, positive, and assertive.” Bullish and excited about Inhumans indeed! Marvel’s unknown John Ridley project was also brought up. Dungey had this to say in response to the “We don’t know what the Marvel project even is or how it’s doing.” question.
(Laughs) Yeah, so John is working on a rewrite of that script for Marvel at the moment. We have not seen a new version of it. He’s been on production of his show, over in London, and on season 3 of American Crime, so those are the things that have been top of mind for him of late. But I have heard from Marvel that he is working on a revision to that script.
So it would appear that ABC is backing Agents of SHIELD. A smart situation given the series proven track record of fun storylines, exciting characters, and unbelievable stories and that John Ridley’s project is still in the works!