Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Ratings Tie a Series Low

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. did not set a new series low last night in the ratings, as early reports had indicated, but it did tie the existing low water mark for the ABC/Marvel Studios drama.

Initial overnight ratings reported that Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. earned a series-low 1.7 adults 18-49 rating, down 19 percent from a 2.1 for last week's premiere -- which was in turn 55% lower than its series premiere last year but significantly higher than the show's Season One finale.

Strong word-of-mouth and a cliffhanger ending seemed to be giving S.H.I.E.L.D. a leg up, particularly as NCIS: New Orleans wasn't performing at the level of its parent series, NCIS, which competed against Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. last year before ABC changed their time slot by an hour.

Last night, though, NCIS: New Orleans beat S.H.I.E.L.D. handily, scoring a 2.3 rating in the demo and dropping just 8 percent from its series premiere last week.

S.H.I.E.L.D., as noted, tied its lowest-ever Live + Same Day ratings, scoring a 1.8 and 5.05 million viewers when the final adjustments were made. The series regularly picks up huge numbers on DVR, though.