Anticipation for the series premiere of CW's The Flash was running high before the show's first episode premiered. The new series, which serves as somewhat of a parallel/follow-up to the already successful Arrow, had been building momentum for some time following a number of successful marketing campaigns. As such, many believed that the show would be the next big thing for DC Comics and CW.
As it stands now, it certainly looks like that's the case: The Flash debuted to fantastic ratings on Tuesday night. In fact, the show was CW's most successful premiere since The Vampire Diaries debuted all the way back in 2009.
Entertainment Weekly reports that The Flash made a strong first impression, pulling in 4.5 million viewers, with 1.8 million of them within the coveted 18-49 demographic. The Vampire Diaries premiere in 2009 was just ahead of that with 4.9 million viewers. The ratings also put The Flash ahead of its predecessor's own premiere, as Arrow debuted at 4.1 million in 2012.
Reviews for the series premiere were also fantastic: the episode is currently sitting at a 95% critic approval rating at Rotten Tomatoes. Many reviewers noted that the show's writing and generally light tone made the premiere stand out, especially when compared to its darker contemporaries Arrow and Gotham.
Overall, The Flash was third in its timeslot, well ahead of both Fox and ABC during the 8 p.m. hour. As for direct comic book competition, The Flash just edged out Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., which managed to pull in 4.39 million viewers at 9pm.
So far, it seems that The Flash is another success for DC and CW. The first season is currently signed on for eight episodes, and if the series' momentum continues at this rate, the show stands a good chance of being renewed for a second season. Then again, if there's anything viewers have learned from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., it's that numbers can drop quickly and dramatically.
The Flash airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. EST on CW.
