Marvel and ABC’s online series could solve a lot of problems over the midseason hiatus

Every winter, the networks take anywhere from two weeks to a month for a hiatus.

The idea is to not compete with holiday programming, but it also allows the writing teams to take time off and return with new ideas. The midseason hiatus also allows companies to focus on scheduling episodes during “sweeps,” the months in which Nielsen spends more time collecting and reporting ratings. If networks schedule bigger episodes during those months, they can report higher numbers to advertisers.

Networks want to make as much money as possible, so it doesn’t make sense to have the hiatus in the sweeps months of November or February. The networks would lose out on potential advertising deals and face other financial risks. Having the biggest episodes air at the end of November and the first week of December, however, allows the networks to work within Nielsen’s reporting schedule while also getting ahead of the Christmas rush. What’s the point of pitting The Flash against Rudolph, for example?

In recent years, however, networks have started rethinking this strategy as viewership numbers tank. One, ABC, is revisiting its midseason strategy. Last year, ABC kept eight of dramas off the air for 11 weeks â€" with four of those weeks coming during the midseason hiatus. Fox, NBC and CBS brought the majority of their series back around the first week of January, but many of ABC’s shows didn’t return for another week or later. ABC saw huge losses in return viewership, with one of its biggest series, How to Get Away with Murder, dropping 20 percent overall.

The question for ABC â€" and other networks â€" is how to give creative teams their winter break, retain good ratings and not compete with holiday programming?

ABC and Marvel seemed to have found a solution to the viewership problem: a digital series that will air for a limited time.

On Wednesday, Marvel and ABC announced that it will be launching an online-only series, Slingshot, with Agents of Shield star Natalia Cordova-Buckley in the lead as Elena “Yo Yo” Rodriguez. Each episode will be three to six minutes long, and although it’s not a full television show, it seems like it may accomplish its goal: keep audiences engaged while Agents of Shield is off the air.

The idea is so brilliant in its simplicity its a wonder networks didn’t try it sooner. Firsst, It’s cheaper for a big network to make a six-minute web series. Consider some of the biggest, most extravagant web series â€" like RocketJump’s >Video Game High School, which cost the studio around $636,000 an episode â€" as well as some of the smallest â€" like Andy Gets Dumped â€" which doesn’t even come close to that budget.

For a three-minute film using equipment and sets already available to the studio and actors, the costs would remain relatively low, but the show could generate a decent amount of advertising revenue. In a 2015 study from Turner Broadcasting and Horizon Media, researchers discovered that “premium online video from broadcast and cable networks outperforms video content from other publishers,” according to AdWeek. That means advertisers are more likely to give money to networks like ABC, NBC and CBS over other platforms because their content is better. ABC and Marvel teaming up for a web series doesn’t just make sense in terms of appeasing fans hungry for new content, but it also may generate income in the long run.

The other reason â€" one that’s more important to audiences than networks â€" is that it gives back to fans who tune in every week. Gary Newman, co-chairman and CEO of Fox Networks Group, told AdWeek that unless shows are airing on a premium network like HBO or Showtime, it doesn’t make sense to have 10 to 13 episodes in one season and go without a hiatus. Newman added that networks had to start doing more to keep audiences entertained and engaged.

“The alternative is the old-fashioned preemptions and repeats, and let's remember how frustrating that was to the audience," Newman said. "There's no perfect answer, so we're going to still continue to do that.”

Reruns have always been a complaint, but in a pre-streaming world, there wasn’t much that could be done. Now, when services like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Video are accessible anywhere for a relatively cheap price, a three or six-week hiatus drives audiences to streaming platforms to watch new shows. Magna Global analyst Brian Hughes told Ad Age in March that fans weren’t necessarily upset with the lack ofnew content on network TV, but they’ve grown accustomed to having more to choose from because of streaming platforms.

“I'm inclined to think any impact the midseason breaks have on audience has more to do with how fans want to watch than being frustrated with a delay,” Hughes said.

Retaining viewership remains the most important goal in planning the midseason hiatus. Keeping audiences engaged leads to higher ratings, more conversation in the press and a generally more enthusiastic fan base. It’s, again, what makes Marvel and ABC’s plan to bridge the midseason hiatus with a new web-only series not only a good decision but also a necessary one.

Agents of Shield is also the perfect show because of its target audience. More than How to Get Away with Murder or Scandal, Agents of Shield appeals to a much younger demographic that is more likely to go online to catch up with a series or start a new one. According to Statista, more than 65 percent of Netflix users are between the age of 16 to 24, the same audience that ABC targets with Agents of Shield.

Whether the series will work the way the network wants is yet to be seen. But it’s the first step in addressing a problem bothering networks for years, and has only worsened in the streaming age.

Slingshot kicks off Dec. 13 on ABC.go.com.

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Marvel Brings Back Long Dead SPIDER-MAN Character

Welcome to your mid-week edition of Comics Relief, comics fans! To start our collection of comics news off this week, we have the scoop on a long gone character from Spider-Man’s past that I’m not entirely sure anyone was really clamoring to have back. But they are back anyway, like it or not. Read on for all the details!

Proving that absolutely no one stays dead in comics forever, even characters no one really liked in the first place, Marvel Comics revealed Wednesday as part of their ongoing Spider-Man-centric >Clone Conspiracy storyline that the mastermind villain behind Peter Parker’s current drama is none other than Ben Reilly, the infamous Spider-Clone who also once went by the name the Scarlet Spider.

Dan Slott’s The Clone Conspiracy has had Spider-Man dealing with a medical tech company called New U, which was producing “miracles”, bringing people who were once believed to be fatally sick or gravely wounded back from the brink of death. Peter naturally thought this all too good to be true, and he was right â€" turns out the people “saved” go a wee bit crazy.

But the leader of New U wasn’t Peter’s old nemesis Miles Warren, AKA the Jackal, as he once thought. Turns out it’s none other than Ben Reilly, the Spider-Clone was was once thought to be the real Peter Parker himself. Last time we saw him was 20 years ago, where he literally melted away in front of Peter. But what’s a little disintegration between clones? The new Clone Conspiracy story is only half over, so we’ll see if Ben Reilly sticks around this time. If he does, I hope he gets a better costume and name than “the Scarlet Spider.” [Comic Book]

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Another Marvel event coming soon is >Monsters Unleashed, a five-issue miniseries which hits stores in January, which features Marvel’s heroes fighting off the giant monsters who ruled at the publisher before the era of super-heroes. Now Marvel has released a special behind-the-scenes video detailing the event, and giving fans a sneak peek at the artwork. You can watch the full video above.

Frank Miller is still knee-deep in >Dark Knight III: The Master Race, but it seems he won’t be done with DC Comics once that story has concluded. During a panel featuring Miller at the recent Brazil Comic-Con Experience, the >Sin City creator revealed plans for what he hopes will be his next DC project, saying “I have a fixation by World War II and I’m talking to DC on a project with their heroes at that time.” Could this be the big >DC Rebirth version of the Justice Society of America relaunch that’s been hinted at? Or a Superman story set in WWII? Only time will tell. [CBR]

Aside from the JSA, another missing team from DC’s history that might be making a comeback soon is the Legion of Super-Heroes. Although the team has always had strong ties to the Superman family, they are now being teased by writer Tom King in the pages of >Batman.

In recent issues of Batman, we see Legion founder Saturn Girl is, for some reason, in Arkham Asylum. In an interview, King said “We saw one of the pieces in Batman #9 with Saturn Girl, who was also in DC Universe: Rebirth #1 and plays a role in the story going forward. She’s in Gotham City, and she is in Arkham Asylum… We’ll see what that means both to her and the Legion of Super-Heroes.” [CBR]

Last week, Valiant Comics released a teaser image for their new >X-O Manowar relaunch, and now we have the details on this new series. According to the official description, writer Matt Kindt will begin this new iteration of the character “by separating Aric from his armor and sending him to a far-flung alien planet and continue into a yearlong science-fiction epic split into different arcs.”

Each of these arcs will be drawn by a separate rising star artist, with each artistic interpretation meant to reflect the different stages of Aric’s latest journey. We’ll go  from “Soldier” to “General” to “Emperor” to “Visigoth.”  X-O Manowar #1 is set to hit stores March 22, 2017, and for more info on the new series, be sure to click on the following link: [Entertainment Weekly]

When most people hear the name Jack Kirby, they think of the man who co-created the bulk of the Marvel Universe icons, like The Fantastic Four, the X-Men, Thor, Iron Man, the Hulk, etc. And while he did work at DC for a time, and created their vast New Gods mythology, he isn’t known for any significant runs featuring their iconic characters like Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman.

Except once. In 1984, as a tie-in to their >Super Powers toyline, DC produced a series of mini-series featuring the Justice League under the Super Powers banner, and drawn by the legendary Kirby. This is the only time Kirby drew characters like the Flash, Green Lantern or Wonder Woman, and they are all now finally being collected in hardcover format after thirty years. The collection will come out on August 29th for $34.99, and it will collect Super Powers Vol. 1 #1-5, Super Powers Vol. 2 #1-6 and Super Powers Vol. 3 #1-4. [Bleeding Cool]

Brian Michael Bendis’ current crossover epic >Civil War II got an extra issue to wrap up from Marvel, but artist David Marquez is getting some help to wrap this sucker up. Seven additional artists are joining Marquez to complete the delayed final issue.

Civil War II #8 will now have 32 pages by Marquez with eight additional pages, which are being described as a “special top secret interior sequence”, will be drawn by artists Esad Ribic, Leinil Yu, Adam Kubert, Alan Davis, Mark Bagley, Marco Rudy, and Daniel Acuna. The release date for Civil War II #8 remains set at December 28, an eight-week delay from the originally solicited November 2 release date. [Newsarama]

Images: Marvel Comics / DC Comics / Valiant Comics 

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ROCKET & GROOT Reunited In MARVEL/FUNKO Animated Short

By Newsarama Staff December 7, 2016 10:13am ET

Credit: Marvel/Funko

Press Release

Marvel and Funko have collaborated to create the first-ever Funko animated shorts, the second of which, Bait N Switch, was released today! There are three Marvel Funko animated shorts in total and each one is ninety seconds in length. Featuring some of Marvel’s most popular Super Heroes and Villains, including Spider-Man, Iron Man, Loki, Rocket, Groot, the Collector, Deadpool, and Venom, the second animated short Bait N Switch is AVAILABLE NOW on the Marvel YouTube page.

[embedded content]

The first Marvel Funko animated short Spellbound was released last week and is a rousing success and has currently been viewed by 600,000+ people online. Next week on 12/14 the third and final short, Chimichangas, will premiere and features Deadpool facing off against Venom!

The Marvel Funko animated shorts include story and animation by A Large Evil Corporation and were executive produced by Brian Mariotti, Dan Buckley, Cort Lane, Joe Quesada, and Alan Fine.

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| ROCKET | GROOT | Reunited | MARVEL/FUNKO | Animated | Short | Newsarama | Staff< | span> | December | 2016 | 10:13am | p> < | div> Credit: | Marvel | Funko< | cite>< | div> Press | Release< | em>< | p> Marvel | Funko | have | collaborated | create | first | ever | animated | shorts | second | which | Bait | Switch | released | today! | There | three | total | each | ninety | seconds | length | Featuring | some | Marvel’s | most | popular | Super | Heroes | Villains | including | Spider | Iron | Loki | Rocket | Groot | Collector | Deadpool | Venom | short | AVAILABLE | YouTube | page | p> [embedded | content]< | p> The | Spellbound | last | week | rousing | success | currently | been | viewed | 000+ | people | online | Next | third | final | Chimichangas | will | premiere | features | facing | against | Venom!< | include | story | animation | Large | Evil | Corporation | were | executive | produced | Brian | Mariotti | Buckley | Cort | Lane | Quesada | Alan | Fine | div> |

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ROCKET & GROOT Reunited In MARVEL/FUNKO Animated Short

By Newsarama Staff December 7, 2016 10:13am ET

Credit: Marvel/Funko

Press Release

Marvel and Funko have collaborated to create the first-ever Funko animated shorts, the second of which, Bait N Switch, was released today! There are three Marvel Funko animated shorts in total and each one is ninety seconds in length. Featuring some of Marvel’s most popular Super Heroes and Villains, including Spider-Man, Iron Man, Loki, Rocket, Groot, the Collector, Deadpool, and Venom, the second animated short Bait N Switch is AVAILABLE NOW on the Marvel YouTube page.

[embedded content]

The first Marvel Funko animated short Spellbound was released last week and is a rousing success and has currently been viewed by 600,000+ people online. Next week on 12/14 the third and final short, Chimichangas, will premiere and features Deadpool facing off against Venom!

The Marvel Funko animated shorts include story and animation by A Large Evil Corporation and were executive produced by Brian Mariotti, Dan Buckley, Cort Lane, Joe Quesada, and Alan Fine.

"

| ROCKET | GROOT | Reunited | MARVEL/FUNKO | Animated | Short | Newsarama | Staff< | span> | December | 2016 | 10:13am | p> < | div> Credit: | Marvel | Funko< | cite>< | div> Press | Release< | em>< | p> Marvel | Funko | have | collaborated | create | first | ever | animated | shorts | second | which | Bait | Switch | released | today! | There | three | total | each | ninety | seconds | length | Featuring | some | Marvel’s | most | popular | Super | Heroes | Villains | including | Spider | Iron | Loki | Rocket | Groot | Collector | Deadpool | Venom | short | AVAILABLE | YouTube | page | p> [embedded | content]< | p> The | Spellbound | last | week | rousing | success | currently | been | viewed | 000+ | people | online | Next | third | final | Chimichangas | will | premiere | features | facing | against | Venom!< | include | story | animation | Large | Evil | Corporation | were | executive | produced | Brian | Mariotti | Buckley | Cort | Lane | Quesada | Alan | Fine | div> |

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RayRay on Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite:

This entire week has been filled with a broad range of opinions by several household names in the FGC. From Bum163 to Justin Wong, it should be clear that the series' true fans are eager to see how Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite will unfold. Many of them are intrigued with the new Infinity Stone-powered sub-system, while others are looking forward to seeing iconic characters make a return.

As Raynel 'RayRay' Hidalgo has been a notable force throughout the Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom era, we couldn't pass up the chance to hear his thoughts on what's on the horizon. 

Infinite looks like it will be the first crossover fighting game that’s more accessible for casual players. What do you think the game’s biggest challenge will be -- maintaining enough depth for veteran players?

I'm excited for it. With Street Fighter V, I truly believe they figured out how to make an "accessible" game while keeping the infinite depth that comes from the player vs. player aspect. More players. More competition. 

How much would you measure the importance that Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite includes a significant amount of characters that contain X-men and other popular mutants?

They have to be in it. They have to appeal to the current Marvel fans as well as fighting game fans. X-Men have been part of fighting games for over 20 years now.

[embedded content]

Give us your overall reaction upon seeing the announcement trailers last weekend.

Well, like most people, I spent the entire week prior to the announcement hearing about the rumors non stop. All it did was build up an insane amount of anticipation. I went crazy â€" literally slammed my desk and started shrieking! [laughs]

Do you plan to stick with Vs. titles exclusively, or will you still balance your time with Street Fighter V and other titles?

I plan to continue playing both games. With the competition at an all time high, I'm not sure if anyone will be able to be dominate without giving it their all.

Many seem concerned about the lack of X-Factor and the assist system. What are your thoughts on Infinite reintroducing the Gems to be used as a groove à la CvS2?

The lack of assists bothered me at first. Trying to be unbiased and thinking about it more, having both characters switch seamlessly is more like having one big character and the gems are like variations. Plenty of depth there!

What features do you feel Infinite must include in order to guarantee it will resonate with veteran players and new players alike?

Versus Mode [laughs] . . .that's always been enough for me. Maybe they can also include a more thought out ranked mode, where ranking up actually means something.

Are there any creative, special modes that you’d like to see included along with the confirmed Story and Mission Modes Infinite will be offering?

Obviously a 4-player 2v2 mode is always fun. 

Mega Man X and Captain Marvel are two of the newest additions joining the Vs. universe. What additional characters would you like to see added to the roster?

I'm a fighting game fan, not a comic book fan. I want to see all the classic fighters come back.

What insight would you offer for anyone that feels skeptical about Infinite's success?

Being skeptical with so little information makes no sense. It's that simple. With fighters evolving faster than ever, I say let's crack it open and make it our own again.

"

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‘Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ Midseason Finale Recap: Ashes to Ashes

Henry Simmons as Alphonso “Mack” MacKenzie and Natalia Cordova-Buckley as Yo-Yo Rodriguez. Jennifer Clasen/ABC

Even though this is the second episode after a month-long break, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is having a midseason finale because momentum isn’t something they care about apparently. Last week was about getting the agents back from the ghost dimension so they can take on Eli Morrow and this week we finally get to the climax they have been building to.

So what’s Eli doing? Well, he’s making a big, weird, glowing chamber but turns out his hired help hasn’t actually seen any money and the cops and S.H.I.E.L.D. are outside and they are starting to have some doubts in leadership. Eli quickly puts those fears to rest by paying the men by creating diamonds inside the lungs of one of the complaining members and tells the other men to cut him open if they want more. Pretty dope power move.

News crews are outside of the building where Eli is executing his master plan and Director Mace is trying his best to keep the situation under control. Coulson suggests using Daisy, Yo-Yo and Robbie to stop Eli but Mace is less than enthusiastic about the idea of using a still-wanted terrorist and a demon serial killer. Coulson reminds Mace that Robbie is unstoppable and is on their side and that they need all the help that they can get. No matter how many episodes we go through, people just can’t remember that Robbie is the only one that has managed to stop any of the Darkhold-related stuff. Coulson also believes that Aida can be of some assistance prompting him to reveal that she is an android. Despite Mace’s shock that people haven’t seemed to learn anything since Ultron (as well as revealing a slight attraction to her), Mace agrees to let Aida join the mission as long as she’s dismantled after.

With the go ahead from the director, Daisy, Yo-Yo, and Robbie are ready to storm the building. Yo-Yo runs in to do some reconnaissance only to trigger an explosion and gets hit from the blast. It turns out Eli created Caesium (which is apparently the most active metal on Earth according to Google) and Fitz realizes he’s testing the limits of his powers. Fortunately fire doesn’t scare Robbie at all and he heads on into the building. He takes out a few goons and finds the chamber Eli has created. It’s a quantum battery, similar to the one that was in the lab that first gave Eli his powers but this is on a bigger scale. Fitz has seen the set up before and realizes it’s called the Demon Core (because of course it is) and that it’s basically a fail-safe. If something messes with it, it activates the plutonium within (which Eli made from scratch) and everything goes boom. But before Robbie can do anything about it, he confronts his uncle and blames him for everything only to get stabbed by some carbon spikes preventing him from transforming. He is also facing radiation from the quantum energy in the chamber and Eli realizes the prison rumors of Ghost Rider were true and realizes it’s been his nephew this whole time.

Elizabeth Henstridge as Jenna Simmons and Iain de Caestecker as Leo Fitz. Jennifer Clasen/ABC

The agents still don’t have much of a plan. Yo-Yo is patched up from the blast and Mace wants her back in the fight as soon as possible only to get in an argument with a very heated Mack. Yo-To and Mack are still having their little lovers quarrel. Daisy has been feeling an increasing amount of seismic activity that Fitz is looking into and the lack of trust towards Mace finally reaches a tipping point as both Coulson and Daisy confront Mace about his dealings with Senator Nadeer. Turns out it’s all pretty simple, he gave Nadder Jemma to examine the Inhuman just so Nadeer wouldn’t release the photos of Daisy and Robbie during the prison incident â€" Nothing too sinister. Mace does however show a glimpse of uncertainty, which is something we don’t see often from his confident demeanor. He doesn’t believe they are a team, but Coulson is determined to prove just how great of a team they can be.

Back in the building, Eli is creating water now; elemental compounds that he says are the first step to being able to create life. Coulson appears at gunpoint with some of the thugs and delivers a beautiful line that Eli should “get a girlfriend first.” He might be held prisoner but he did bring a chain (!) so fingers crossed Ghost Rider will be able to use it. Underneath them however, the rest of the agents are putting their plan into action. Now it was tough for me to keep up with this logic here. I had to rewind five times just to see if I understood the plan. See, Fitz believes Eli isn’t creating matter from nothing. According to the law of conservation of energy, energy can neither be created nor destroyed. And even though Eli is power hungry, he doesn’t realize the matter is coming from the quantum energy from the other planes of existence. As he steals more energy, the tremors get worse. To stop Eli, Aida is going to rebuild the gateway to try and get rid of the potentially explosive quantum chamber. The process requires Daisy to control the building tremors and to keep Eli and his goons from killing all of them. There are some small moments where Aida is watching the agents in almost a studious way and I feel like it’s important to point it out and remember for later.

Eli reveals the Darkhold told him he can create life after death and Coulson realizes the chamber isn’t a failsafe but an actual bomb Eli intends to use. Acting fast, the agents move in with May and Mack taking out some of Eli’s gang and Yo-Yo doing a super cool slow motion run through the room. Even Mace is suited up in an armor suit of sorts and is tossing people around. Downstairs the agents are dealing with their own firefight as a gang member shoots Aida. Coulson tosses the chain to Robbie who turns into Ghost Rider and tries to pull himself away from the spikes sticking through him but instead lets go of the chain and chooses to burn up Eli instead. And in that moment the fail-safe goes off and the explosion happens only for the chamber to disappear thanks to the gateway.

Ming-Na Wen as Melinda May. Jennifer Clasen/ABC

Although Aida is bleeding out on the floor, she reveals she was programmed to react to pain just like a human would to better help her fit in as an actual target on missions. She’ll be fine, but that doesn’t mean she enjoys the process. Daisy is struggling after absorbing all the quakes and has to step outside quickly. She runs out and blasts herself into the sky and ends up landing right in the center of all of the news teams who quickly identify her as Quake. Mace steps in right on time to say she was the one that saved everyone and even calls her Agent Johnson.

Later, she mentions to Coulson how Robbie’s car should go to Gabe but Coulson doesn’t believe she should lose hope yet. He even mentions that the last Ghost Rider came back which could be a reference to the Johnny Blaze version we possibly saw in the flashback episode. It also could mean S.H.I.E.L.D. knew about Ghost Rider way before Robbie. All he says is it’s a long story, which means we might never get an answer.

Daisy is asked if she wants to be an agent again and she says there are definitely parts she misses and is also happy the new face of S.H.I.E.L.D. is an Inhuman. Turns out, Coulson actually wanted her to be the new face but Daisy only says, “maybe in the comic book version.” Beautiful. Also Mack and Yo-Yo kiss, so, yay. They can stop fighting, Daisy can stop whining, and everything should be good right? WRONG! Mace approves Radcliffe to work on the LMD program at S.H.I.E.L.D. and that means bringing his research over here. Agent Nathanson is the lucky guy that gets to go do that. And you don’t have to remember that name because as he is packing all of Radcliffe’s things up, he stumbles upon something shocking in a closet. So shocking that Aida shows up and snaps his neck after seeing it! What is it? Turns out it’s an unconscious May covered in blood. Wait? But if May is there, who is having a drink with Coulson at the end of the episode?! Is this May a robot? Is that why Aida is so keen on watching people? Is she learning from them so she can make copies of the agents? If you can’t wait for 2018 for the second season of Westworld, I would suggest coming back to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. in January for all of your robotic nightmares. Until 2017, True Believers!

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