After setting the box office on fire with Marvel's The Avengers last summer, Joss Whedon returns to the small screen with the new ABC series Marvel's S.H.I.E.L.D., which he co-created with Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen. ABC entertainment president Paul Lee revealed at the Television Critics Association winter tour today that the pilot has been put on the fast track. We reported last month that ABC is considering a fall 2013 premiere for the series.

The executive revealed that the pilot script is "great," with "a lot of action" and several humorous male-female relationships. While he didn't reveal exactly when production will begin, Paul Lee said that Marvel's S.H.I.E.L.D. is in a position to be ready, "a lot earlier than others." He also expects this to be a show that parents can watch with their children, much like the network's current hit Once Upon a Time.

"Marvel has the ability to bring the whole family."

Marvel's S.H.I.E.L.D. stars Clark Gregg (Agent Coulson), Ming-Na (Agent Melinda May), Elizabeth Henstridge (Agent Gemma Simmons), Iain De Caestecker (Agent Leo Fitz), and Brett Dalton (Agent Grant Ward), and Chloe Bennet (Skye).