Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Clark Gregg Defends Ratings, Is Glad to Be Past "Finding Your Way" Phase

In a conference with reporters this week, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. star Clark Gregg defended the series's "superb" ratings, saying that too much has been made of the initial overnight numbers (which have generally seen the show dropping throughout the season, although it has seemed to level off recently). It's been established since the get-go that the overnight ratings aren't necessarily indicative of the show's total performance; adjusted numbers tend to go up for S.H.I.E.L.D., and it's one of the most-watched shows on the network with the Live+8 consideration of DVR and Internet viewing. That said, the networks are slow to change and overnight ratings remain one of the most consistent predictors of how a show will be perceived by executives and, in turn, the entertainment press. Even in the overnights, it should be noted, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. performs fairly well--and better than ABC has done in that time slot in years. It's dominant with males in the key 18-49 demographic and while there has been a lot of discussion about how to "fix" both the show's poor reviews and the tumbling ratings, nobody credibly believes the series is in danger of cancellation. "If you look at how well our show is doing in those numbers, I'm quite encouraged, especially because we aren't Tony Stark and Thor," Gregg said, according to Digital Spy. "We're a bunch of new people and Agent Coulson, the supporting player from those [Marvel] films." "I actually am really proud of the way that we've set up this world slowly," he continued. "Sure, there's some 'finding your way' that had to happen... and I'm happy that we've moved past that phase."