I don’t think many people will be surprised to hear this, but it would seem that ABC’s new Marvel-branded TV series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was a huge hit for the network this week. So huge, in fact, that they decided to re-air it last night in place of a Shark Tank re-run. It’s what the people in the biz like to call an “easy win.” The show reportedly brought in the highest ratings for a new drama in nearly four years. Clearly it helps to tie a new TV series to a successful blockbuster movie franchise, but after the pilot episode left some viewers feeling underwhelmed, it leads to the obvious question… can a show like Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. remain successful in the long run?

According to EW, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. pulled in 11.9 million viewers on Tuesday night with a 4.6 in the coveted 18-49 demographic. The last new show that did this well was the premiere of ABC’s V back in November 2009, which was subsequently cancelled less than two years later. Either way, it’s an impressive debut especially considering that it was up against The Voice and NCIS, two of the most popular shows currently on TV.

Personally I thought the first episode was a bit of a mess, but it definitely has potential. Either way, the likely result of all this is that we’re going to be seeing a lot more TV shows based on comic book properties in the near future. Just this week Fox picked up Gotham and NBC picked up a Constantine TV series from Warner Brothers, while The CW previously announced plans for a Flash spin-off from Arrow. Are you interested in any of these shows? What did you think of the first episode of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.?