Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., which premiered on ABC on Tuesday night, was the highest-rated premiere in four years in the coveted 18-49 demo, according to Deadline.  It drew 11.9 million live viewers (which doesn’t count the often significant DVR-delayed viewers).

This puts S.H.I.E.L.D. in the same neighborhood as The Walking Dead, which drew 12.4 million viewers for its season finale in April (see "'Dead' Sets Record").  The Walking Dead has been growing over its three years; we’ll have to wait and see if S.H.I.E.L.D. is able to build on its strong debut with growth over time.