It’s no secret that Agent Carter is one of the best shows that has ever been created. Most people just don’t know it yet.
Agent Carter has significantly fewer viewers than it deserves. It continues to have relatively poor ratings and very little buzz.
Now, this could be due to a myriad of reasons: It’s a female-led show. It’s a Marvel production. It’s on at a time where the competition for its demographic is fierce (Teen Wolf and iZombie are just two of its competitors).
But, whatever the reason, Agent Carter needs our help. The best thing that we can do is introduce family, friends, and even strangers to the indomitable force that is Peggy Carter. The last thing we want is another gone-too-soon Firefly or Freaks and Geeks situation on our hands. Agent Carter deserves a third season and beyond. Here’s how to help make that happen.
Leave out the ‘Marvel’ moniker when describing the show
In my opinion, one of the greatest disservices that ABC and Marvel have done for Agent Carter is put the word “Marvel” in the title. While it does further Marvel’s branding, it’s also polarizing. Non-comic book fans look at the word “Marvel” and immediately think “It’s not for me.” So, by describing the show and what it’s about without mentioning “Marvel” or Captain America, you’ll have a better chance of getting others intrigued. Peggy Carter is a kickass woman who can win people over on her merit alone.
Share some of the show’s most empowering quotes
I’m constantly quoting Agent Carter in everyday life and on social media. Constantly. One of the great parts of the show is how empowering it can be. So, I post and say these things not only as a reminder to myself of how awesome I can be (and how valuable I am), but also to attract the attention of others. People are always looking for motivational and feel-good quotes. Once they find out your source of fantastic quotes, they may just have to check out the show for themselves.
Talk in front of others about ‘Agent Carter’ with a friend who watches the show
FOMO is the worst. It’s also a pretty good motivator. Plus, it’s kind of hard not to get excited when talking about Agent Carter. So, when other people see you and a friend talking about a show in such an animated manner, they won’t be able to help themselves from asking what you’re talking about. (I’d know. This happens often when I talk about Agent Carter at work.) If others see you acting all excited about the show, chances are that they’ll want to check it out to see what the buzz is about (and to see if they can get on your level).
Have people over with ‘Agent Carter’ playing in the background
Have you ever just gone over to someone’s house and noticed something playing on the TV in the background? Something you can’t help but take your eyes off of because it’s not at the center of what you’re doing and you have no idea what it is? This happens to me often. Whenever I’m in these situations, I find it hard to focus on what’s going on because I’m drawn to watching whatever’s on the screen.
Now, imagine putting Agent Carter on in the background of a party or gathering. With her impressive fighting technique and the confidence in which she carries herself, your guests won’t be able to take their eyes off of Peggy Carter or resist asking you what you have on your screen. (Plus, is it really ever a bad time to watch Agent Carter? Nope.)
Leave photos of the show everywhere you go
Burn Agent Carter into others’ minds by sneaking photos of the cast into their everyday fields of vision. They’ll either notice all the photos straightaway (and then ask you about the photos and, subsequently, the show itself) or the photos will slowly work their way into each person’s subconscious until, one day, they realize that they have a burning urge to watch the show. Either way, you’ll be there to feed their curiosity with information or Agent Carter DVDs.
Host an ‘Agent Carter’ viewing party
Go all-out for the season finale. Why not? You’ve nothing left to lose (especially since it could very well be the series finale for all we know). Invite a ton of friends over, regardless of if they’ve seen the show before. Have 1940s era finger foods and drinks for your guests to enjoy, as well as some 40s hits crooning in the background before and after the show airs. Heck, you could even give out prizes for live-tweeting the show (with #AgentCarter because every tweet counts)!
Invite anyone and everyone. While the episode may make more sense for your guests who have been watching weekly, those who have never seen the show are bound to enjoy it. Plus, they’ll most likely want to go back and watch the rest of the series. There ain’t no party like an Agent Carter party because an Agent Carter party don’t stop.
Post and send articles praising the show’s portrayal of women
It’s no secret that Agent Carter is one of the most empowering television shows on today. At least, to you and me it’s not. But, because of the lack of promotion and general hype the show has received, it might be a secret that others just aren’t privy to. Yet.
So, go Peggy Carter crazy. Find (or write), post, share, and send any and all articles and examples of the show’s feminist nature and complex portrayals of women. There are so many ladies out there looking for other complicated women to watch on TV (I know this because I am one) that you’re bound to draw a few people into the wonderful world of Agent Carter.
Tell everyone you know that ABC will be airing something really special on Tuesday at 9/8c
It’s all hands on deck for the Agent Carter season finale on Tuesday. The show needs all of the viewers and live-tweeters it can get, including those who are unsuspecting. Tell everyone to tune in to ABC for something really special on Tuesday and they’ll be so curious that they just might!
Sure, the mystery won’t last for long, but it’s possible that they won’t switch the channel right away out of intrigue (as to why you’d trick them in this way) or actual interest in the show based on the opening sequence. You could create a few Agent Carter fans this way. (Hey, stranger things have happened…)
Explain straight-up why you love ‘Agent Carter’ and why you think your friends/family would too
Sure, tricking people into liking something as fantastic as Agent Carter can be fun. But the truth is that Agent Carter is such a quality show that there’s no trickery needed.
If you want to intrigue people enough to give Agent Carter a try, tell them why you love it. Tell them what makes it so special and what makes it different from anything else that’s on TV right now. Tell them how empowering it is and how much of a kick-ass character Agent Peggy Carter is. Be truthful and honest about what makes the show great and why you think your friends and family would want to watch it. Just be honest and you’ll be able to convince almost anyone to get on board with Agent Carter.
Other ways to help try to save ‘Agent Carter’
Okay, so maybe all of you friends already watch Agent Carter and you have nobody to convert. Maybe you’ve tried to trick others into watching the show and failed. Maybe you don’t have anyone to introduce the show to.
That’s totally okay. It’s the thought that counts. Well, actually, it’s not. But if you’re unable to convert others, there are a few things that you can do (and maybe even pressure other people to do) to help save Agent Carter.
AgentCarter.net has a really great resource for all of the steps you can take to let ABC know how much you love the show. Here are just a few of the actions you can take to help:
- Leave feedback by phone (see the number and instructions in AgentCarter.net’s article)
- Use social media! Like the show’s official pages and use #AgentCarter as much as you can
- Rewatch the episodes online (ABC tracks views!)
- Coerce others into doing a few of these things!