Agent Carter in the Media

[Ottis]

I can't believe that there's an audience for the molasses-like development of Agents of Shield (a superhero show very light on superheroes which has put a huge amount of energy into telling us how awesome a female character significantly less awesome than Carter is) and there's no audience for this. I think it's far more likely that they put it in a really bad time slot.

 

 

One huge difference from a narrative POV (for me, anyway) is Agents of Shield is current and real time. I don't know where it is going, either in the show, in any connected movies or in the Marvel arc. Agent Carter is a past that is long finished. I may learn small details that fill out something more, but I already know where it is going.

 

Yet a lot of people watch Gotham, also a prequel, although it is a much inferior show.

 

 

I almost cited that earlier as a similar example. I don't know who watches Gotham or what it's ratings are, or whether its time slot has any impact ... because I don't watch it, for the same reason - a superhero show before the superheros existed. I DVR'd it a couple times and just couldn't muster the interest.

 

Which makes me wonder ... is the viewing audience for both Carter and Gotham significanty female? Because if each show is, as someone posted, basically a spy or detective procedural, with no superheroes, then that would likely appeal to fewer males. I say that but also loved Alias, so go figure. Maybe it is saturation, too.

[FurryFury]

I'm pretty sure a lot of males watch Gotham, I've seen discussions of it on some heavily male-skewing entertainment sites. It has male leads, most women (except Fish Mooney, I guess, or maybe even her already, I don't really watch anymore) are rather inconsequential or unimportant, there's good amount of action and a lot of references to comic books by using well-known Batman villains, which is bound to appeal to comic reads. I also have a feeling Batman trilogy is less popular among women than MCU.

 

I don't know if any site posts detailed ratings (male/female demo, not just age groups) anymore, though, I'd love to see it.

[Shanna]

I have no idea what the breakdown is for gotham but I watch it. I don't care anything about batman so I was hesitant but I love Ben Mckenzie and gave it a shot. I think it's a pretty good show actually. I don't know that it's anything like agent carter for comparison except that it does a fantastic job with the look of the show. So maybe I could see some cross appeal? But that's sort of reaching.

[Llywela]

 Agent Carter is a past that is long finished. I may learn small details that fill out something more, but I already know where it is going.

But you don't know what will happen to the characters along the way, what they will experience, how it will affect them. Storytelling isn't just about changing the world, or about getting to a specific plot goal. It's also about the experience of the characters and what they take from that experience - costume drama especially. All costume drama is set in a past age where we pretty much know what's going to happen in terms of the bigger picture. The interest lies in the smaller-scale, more intimate exploration of what happens to these specific characters in that specific time.

[tv echo]

This is a great article...

 

How Agent Carter gets the female comic book hero right
Feature Rob Leane 26 Jan 2015 - 06:30
http://www.denofgeek.com/tv/agent-carter/33791/how-agent-carter-gets-the-female-comic-book-hero-right

[Actionmage]

From tv echo's link:

 

Before you can make a good female-fronted hero show, you must first make sure you have the groundwork laid for a good any-gender show, which Agent Carter surely does.

 

Amen. I think we are lucky in that the show is just a great spy romp. It has lighter and darker moments, and after only the pilot, it had me hooked. After three episodes, I know I'm going to miss her and the show after it's run.

 

Thank you, tv echo, for the link and ABC for taking the chance on Peggy and the gang!

[bjork]

I'm pretty sure a lot of males watch Gotham, I've seen discussions of it on some heavily male-skewing entertainment sites. It has male leads, most women (except Fish Mooney, I guess, or maybe even her already, I don't really watch anymore) are rather inconsequential or unimportant, there's good amount of action and a lot of references to comic books by using well-known Batman villains, which is bound to appeal to comic reads. I also have a feeling Batman trilogy is less popular among women than MCU.

 

I don't know if any site posts detailed ratings (male/female demo, not just age groups) anymore, though, I'd love to see it.

This site had the men/women breakdown for the last Agent Carter in the comments:

MARVEL'S AGENT CARTER (ABC)

Women 18-34: 0.8/3

Men 18-34: 0.9/4

Women 18-49: 1.2/3

Men 18-49: 1.4/4

[that one guy]

MARVEL'S AGENT CARTER (ABC)

Women 18-34: 0.8/3

Men 18-34: 0.9/4

Women 18-49: 1.2/3

Men 18-49: 1.4/4

 

 

So it actually skews male, but not by a lot. The theater audience for "The Avengers" was 44% women, so this is more balanced but not quite equal.

 

I wonder if anyone breaks out ratings by time zone? For this week, much of the Northeast didn't have cable service. Also, for those of us in the Central time zone, "prime time" starts at 7 pm which is ridiculous, and I don't know anyone who watches TV "live" anymore as a result. In fact, I love this show, and I don't know what time it's on because I DVR everything and only TV after my kid goes to bed, at least if we're talking about shows with violence ("action"). Is it on at 7? 8? Before, after, or at the same time as "Flash?" Who the hell knows anymore. The only way you can get me to watch this live is to start it at 10pm. But the audience for everything would be higher in the Midwest if start times were an hour later (except, obviously, for late night talk shows).

The irony of television is that the content is better than ever, but the business model is broken. Again and again shows get cancelled because they can't be supported sufficiently with ads, but nobody tries to charge me for them. Which is strange, I pay for HBO and pretty much the only show I watch on that channel is Game of Thrones. So I spent as much on each episode as I would going to a movie, which actually seems reasonable considering the quality of the content is superior to most movies currently in theaters.

[HistoryGirl]

Another breakdown from The Movie Network

 

Also, if you click the video at the top of the page it talks about how Agent Carter will show up

in Ant-Man.

 

[Raja]

There's a complex split, in my opinion.  The people who watch network TV to the exclusion of all else likely will hate period dramas.  The people who watch basic cable, probably ditto.  The ones who watch PREMIUM cable may like them, but only with a big budget.  The people who watch public broadcasting (PBS) will love them.

I think you are on to something about the budget. New York looks surprisingly empty. If they were outside of Manhattan like the late Breakout Kings were then it may have worked better.

[Leia1979]

Video interview of Chad Michael Murray and Enver Gjokaj. The interviewer is terribly slow, but I found the two actors' takes on their characters interesting. CMM doesn't seem to view his character as a jerk the way much of the audience does. I've seen some actors do this *cough*Lana Parilla*cough* because it can be hard to play a character you dislike. At any rate, Enver comes across as much more pleasant. 

[FurryFury]

There's a big difference between not thinking your character is a jerk and rationalizing his rude behavior and calling a non-consensual sexual relationship "cute" the way Lana did.

Edited February 5, 2015 by FurryFury

[romantic idiot]

I'll confess that I wasn't going to watch Agent Carter because it is a prequel and I never get the point of them. It was the casting of Enver that changed my mind and I am so happy it did.

[ProudMary]

Interview with Bridget Regan on playing Dottie.  Good read.

 

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=59198

[maraleia]

Bridget article ... she is racking up some nice press of late (info about her role on Jane the Virgin included) http://www.buzzfeed.com/jarettwieselman/meet-the-woman-behind-tvs-most-deliciously-evil-villains#.yy6aqpvxO

 

and the showrunners here http://www.buzzfeed.com/arianelange/agent-carter-female-hero#.lp6lgLMXn

[kennyab]

The ratings were up a tenth of a point to 1.4 (assuming it doesn't adjust, as it hasn't through most of its run). Fresh Off the Boat seemed to provide a pretty decent lead-in. So it's holding steady and didn't totally lose its audience like Galavant, I'm pretty sure its still doing well in timeshifting, and it's continuing to generate positive buzz. While a second season isn't a sure thing by any stretch, I don't think it's currently off the table. Especially if they fast-forward to the 50s and capitalize on the next Cap movie by utilizing Sebastian Stan's 80-gazillion-picture deal for a couple of appearances.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

[tv echo]

Why aren't people watching this show?! ...

Leading out of “Repeat After Me” on ABC was time period filler “Marvel’s Agent Carter” at a series-low 2.4/ 4 from 9-10 p.m. (distant #2), which was 14 percent below the 2.8/ 4 one week earlier.

Ratings News - 18th February 2015
Posted by DarkUFO at Wednesday, February 18, 201
http://www.spoilertv.com/2015/02/ratings-news-18th-february-2015.html

Edited February 18, 2015 by tv echo

[Danny Franks]

Why aren't people watching this show?! ...

Ratings News - 18th February 2015

Posted by DarkUFO at Wednesday, February 18, 201

http://www.spoilertv.com/2015/02/ratings-news-18th-february-2015.html

 

They have terrible taste. I've long since come to the conclusion that bad television will get more viewers than good television, and that if I like a show (not that I'm saying my tastes are impeccable), then there's a very high chance that it will not get good ratings.

 

Some fucking NCIS spinoff procedural gets ten million more viewers than Agent Carter? Go figure. I guess people are scared of engaging, original, occasionally challenging television.

[Shanna]

They have terrible taste. I've long since come to the conclusion that bad television will get more viewers than good television, and that if I like a show (not that I'm saying my tastes are impeccable), then there's a very high chance that it will not get good ratings.

Some fucking NCIS spinoff procedural gets ten million more viewers than Agent Carter? Go figure. I guess people are scared of engaging, original, occasionally challenging television.

I honestly think they should have marketed it better because I think it could appeal to a completely different crowd than agents of shield, maybe not the downtown Abby crowd exactly but it's a fun period piece with a female heroine. They should have been thinking outside the box of 'comics'.

They clearly treated it as 'filler' and in think that shows in the ratings.

Edited February 18, 2015 by Shanna

[Advance35]

And it's a shame because for my money, Agent Carter is the best comic book television show on the air.  I think it far exceeds Gotham, The Flash and Arrow, and I've been and continue to be a fan of all 3, though to varying degrees.    But I'd take Agent Carter over each one of them.

 

Still amazed at what a good job all involved did with this show.

[Bruinsfan]

I told friends the other day that I was saving all my "please renew this show" mojo for Agent Carter because I get more entertainment out of it than all the other network primetime shows I watch combined.

[kennyab]

I'm still cautiously hopeful. Assuming AoS is renewed, which I'm pretty sure it will be, it'll come down to whether the powers that be decide if it's worth creating new content for the winter break. I believe the re-run ratings for AoS last season were < 1.0, so stabilizing at 1.4 is a big improvement over that. I doubt they have anything else that will do any better during that 8 weeks.

 

I think it's pretty clear that ABC has decided that mini-seasons with minimal interruptions are the way to go for their more serialized series (see Once Upon a Time). But since people don't watch reruns anymore, that leaves them with 2-month holes in their schedules. Considering that the parent show is doing, what, 1.6-1.7 now for the overnights, I'm not sure that plateauing at 1.4 with very strong timeshifting and strong possibility for long-tail sales with DVD and Netflix syndication is the worst thing in the world.

[tv echo]

How Visual Effects Create the Retro-Futuristic World of Agent Carter
Katharine Trendacosta  Yesterday 9:00pm
http://io9.com/how-visual-effects-create-the-retro-futuristic-world-of-1686462293?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+io9%2Ffull+%28io9%29

[VCRTracking]

I love that they really did get the best to work on this show.

Edited February 19, 2015 by VCRTracking

[rujasu]

I'm still cautiously hopeful. Assuming AoS is renewed, which I'm pretty sure it will be, it'll come down to whether the powers that be decide if it's worth creating new content for the winter break. I believe the re-run ratings for AoS last season were < 1.0, so stabilizing at 1.4 is a big improvement over that. I doubt they have anything else that will do any better during that 8 weeks.

 

Unfortunately, the reality is that airing reruns is much cheaper than producing a scripted show.  TVByTheNumbers has it as "more likely to be cancelled than renewed," so it's not looking great, but there is still hope.

[kennyab]

Unfortunately, the reality is that airing reruns is much cheaper than producing a scripted show.  TVByTheNumbers has it as "more likely to be cancelled than renewed," so it's not looking great, but there is still hope.

 

I certainly wouldn't put any money on the show being renewed. But ABC is demonstrating that they want to do mini-seasons and that they don't want the 2-month block to be re-runs, as having a re-run or two here and there plays differently from having a big block of them.

 

They may try a cheap reality show next time to fill the void, but I don't think they're ready to give up on the concept of new winter material, and that's where I think there may be a bit more leeway for another season, as I believe it's been the best performing of the winter fill-in shows they've tried. Between ABC's on-going schedule experimentation, Agent Carter's place within the Marvel/Disney behemoth, and a built-in ability to rework the show for a second season with the possibility to somehow tie in more with Ant-Man/Winter Soldier stories, I think the show just has some advantages that other series with similar ratings don't. My feelings certainly won't be hurt if I'm wrong (well, other than being disappointed that we won't get more of the show), and if we were looking squarely at numbers I'd fully expect to see the cancellation bear come a'visitin. I just don't think the numbers tell 100% of the story this time out. Of course, I'm also not cynical enough to be a network exec, so there's that :)

[rujasu]

Well, again, the numbers say "more likely" and not "definitely" canceled, so there's some wiggle room.

[seamusk]

It really just depends on what ABC's plan is. TV By the Numbers assumes the traditional scheduling of seasons.  So their predictions are based on that model. Assuming ABC is sticking to that model, the prediction is probably right.  But if ABC is really shifting to deploying shorter seasons I don't think we know what their criteria would be for renewal.

[Wynterwolf]

On spoilertv's cancellation table, their range for "In danger" is 2.4-2.69 and they rank anything under 2.4 as "Looking Safe"... Agent Carter comes in at a 2.43 on their scale, so it's definitely at the lower end of the bubble shows on their table.  But... it's is still definitely a bubble show.  

[FurryFury]

Well, if people still think Sleepy Hollow will get renewed with their 1.2, AC definitely still has a chance. Still, it's so sad it has basically the same ratings as The Flash, an inferior show on The CW.

[tanita]

if you want to hear the writers commentaries on the episodes they wrote, go to :

 

http://marvel.com/podcasts/15/this_week_in_marvels_agent_carter

[ChelseaNH]

The Flash, an inferior show on The CW

 

Most shows are inferior to AC, but I find The Flash hugely enjoyable.

 

I suspect whatever happens with the mid-season filler slot is going to depend on Marvel's long-term strategy, and what smaller stories they want a chance to tell.  (This is predicated on AoS being renewed, of course.)  It could be that we'll get a second season of AC, but not next year.  Or perhaps they'll experiment with a short summer show, as well.

[tv echo]

Nice article (nothing spoilery)...

 

Hayley Atwell Gears Up For the Marvel's Agent Carter Season Finale
Marc Strom   Feb. 20, 2015
http://marvel.com/news/tv/24123/hayley_atwell_gears_up_for_the_marvels_agent_carter_season_finale

[Cranberry]

I like that they keep calling it the season finale and not the series finale.

[Lord Kira]

I always thought putting this show on ABC was a mistake, especially after the disaster of the dwindling Agents of Shield ratings in season 1. I felt that Agent Carter should have gone to Netflix instead.

 

If ABC cancels it maybe Netflix will pick it up.

Edited February 24, 2015 by Lord Kira

[Sakura12]

I would love for Netflix to pick up Agent Carter if ABC cancels it. This show is too good to be gone so soon. 

 

Marvel does seem to like Peggy Carter if they keep wanting her to appear in their other movies. 

[Shanna]

If they did netflix, they could maybe get people to watch the first season now and get hooked.

I don't think abc was a bad place for it, it feels reasonably Disney/abc for me. I just think it was not promoted to the right crowd and when you put it on in January that is confusing. Maybe it should have been more promoted as a miniseries like galavant? Although their ratings weren't great, that may be more that a jokey musical was a harder sell.

[FurryFury]

IIRC, Galavant still started with higher ratings than Agent Carter, they've just squandered it all too quickly (it was a fun show, but a tough sell and nowhere as good as AC anyway). I'd say that low ratings are caused by combination of lack of promotion, timeslot associated with a failing show and (sadly) a female lead. The usual male demo probably isn't as invested in Peggy as they were in Coulson, and it being a period show adds to the lack of investment. The marketing should have tried for a non-MCU watching demo, but they've failed.

[Bort]

I'd say that low ratings are caused by combination of lack of promotion, timeslot associated with a failing show and (sadly) a female lead.

It wasn't lack of promotion. I felt like I couldn't turn on the tv without seeing Agent Carter promos. At the very least, I'm apparently watching all the shows the marketing department was targeting.

[FurryFury]

Oh, I may be mistaken about TV, then. It's not like I can watch it as I don't live in the US, I can only judge by people's reactions and the Internet promotion, mostly. It just felt like there wasn't enough buzz by the time the show premiered.

[Sakura12]

There were a lot more promos for Galavant, but I did see a lot of Agent Carter promos before it aired. I think the promos were relying too much on people knowing who she was from Captain America, instead of showing what the show was about. They tried with the "Before Sydney Bristol (from Alias), there was Peggy Carter" promo but that one aired a week or two before the show. 

 

However I was one that wanted to see the show since it was announced so I would've tuned in regardless of the press it was receiving. 

[FurryFury]

I think that for comic book fans, there isn't enough superheroes (i.e., none), and other viewers automatically think "Oh, this is a comic book show, I don't like comic book adaptations". Funnily, the lack of superheroes is probably one of the biggest draws for me. Not a fan.

[Danny Franks]

I find it so strange, and sad, that Agent Carter got less viewers than Agents of SHIELD. It's infinitely better, in every respect, and the fact that people will watch that pile of mediocrity and not give Agent Carter a chance? Baffling. But they're the ones who have missed out.

 

But I've long since given up trying to fathom the minds of the average television viewer in the USA (or Great Britain, for that matter, given some of the dribble that's on). That way lies madness.

[EyewatchTV211]

IIRC, Galavant still started with higher ratings than Agent Carter, they've just squandered it all too quickly (it was a fun show, but a tough sell and nowhere as good as AC anyway). I'd say that low ratings are caused by combination of lack of promotion, timeslot associated with a failing show and (sadly) a female lead. The usual male demo probably isn't as invested in Peggy as they were in Coulson, and it being a period show adds to the lack of investment. The marketing should have tried for a non-MCU watching demo, but they've failed.

I may have been the one non-MCU watching person that they successfully hooked in. Too bad they didn't do a good job doing so with many others. I'm not sure what drew me when I saw the commercials, but it did interest me to watch and I was hooked from the first episode. I hadn't seen any of the Marvel movies. Since the show, I actually saw most of the first Captain America movie (missed some of the beginning), and I actually found it a bit boring. 

 

Like all of you, I'm disappointed by the lack of ratings. I just don't understand the American television audience. I seem to always find these awesome, seldom-watched shows. Veronica Mars is an all-time favorite. Then you have Empire, which is popular and gaining viewers all the time. I know it is getting good reviews critically, but I just can't bring myself to watch a pure soap opera. Maybe that's what draws in more viewers.

[Shanna]

IIRC, Galavant still started with higher ratings than Agent Carter, they've just squandered it all too quickly

The marketing should have tried for a non-MCU watching demo, but they've failed.

Interesting about the galavant ratings. I just felt there was more general buzz and promo for that show.

Agent carter I think I only knew about from the Internet when I was in the process of dumping agents of shield. I don't feel like they made an effort to promote it beyond that market and I think that was a huge mistake. Because fun spy hyjinks from the 40s sounds way more fun than 'hey? Remember captain America? This girl was there too!' Or hey guys who watch shows about superheroes? Watch this period piece about a non superhero hanging out in the 40s.

I hang this one in marketing because I think they had a bad grasp of who could have been their market.

[ParadoxLost]

I find it so strange, and sad, that Agent Carter got less viewers than Agents of SHIELD. It's infinitely better, in every respect, and the fact that people will watch that pile of mediocrity and not give Agent Carter a chance? Baffling. But they're the ones who have missed out.

 

But I've long since given up trying to fathom the minds of the average television viewer in the USA (or Great Britain, for that matter, given some of the dribble that's on). That way lies madness.

 

I think Agents of Shield actually hurt Agent Carter.  I like the MCU movies and I tried AoS last season.  I did not care for AoS.  I'll watch almost anything as background noise and AoS didn't even make that list. I didn't watch Agent Carter initially because of AoS. I did put it on when I had run though everything else in my queue and found that I liked it.

 

It inspired me to watch the last three episodes of AoS this weekend.  That show is still as bland and unwatchable as I remember.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Yay! Three videos on costuming for the show:

 

 

[Sakura12]

An interview with Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters. 

 

I loved the Peggy vs. Dottie/Black Widow (Bridget Regan) fight scene. That was so intense! But why did you decide to have the climax of the episode more of an emotional one rather than a physical one?

MF: We've had a lot of fights on the show and Peggy has won them all. We've established that she can kick a bunch of ass. But the ultimate end of the story is not about her punching somebody into submission, it's about her letting go. The climax and resolution had to be emotional.
TB: We already know she can kick people out a window. That's not news. What was different was her actually coming to a realization that's important to her and will allow her to have a new perspective on her life.

 

You know you have great writers when I understand completely what they were doing and don't need it explained. That's exactly what I got from the finale. It wasn't about Peggy being able to kick ass, it was about her letting go of Steve and realizing her worth and accepting it without needing the approval of others.

 

http://www.eonline.com/news/629121/agent-carter-bosses-dish-on-that-surprise-captain-america-finale-cameo-and-peggy-s-future

[Orion]

Anyone interested in going a little further to try to get Agent Carter a second season, this website lists a phone number for ABC to call and leave a message in support and also an email address.  I figured a few minutes of my time is worth it.

 

http://agentcarter.net/want-more-agent-carter-its-all-down-to-you/