Re: Chuck

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holy shit, what a great season finale! a couple episodes this season had me thinking, "uh-oh...", but the last couple have certainly made up for those. such a great, fun show.

Re: Chuck

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It has been pretty good, though I wish they would allow Chuck a bit more character development. He's been in these situations so often, I keep waiting for him to step up and stop hiding like a coward everytime there's a fight. Yeah, they did the bit with the new intersect, but that was a cop out because it wasn't really him acting, it was the intersect. I want to see Chuck pick up a gun and shoot someone in cold blood to save a member of his team.

Still, that nitpick aside, Chuck has been more watchable lately than most anything else on. It's certainly far superior to Heroes.
Just cut them up like regular chickens

Re: Chuck

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well this is a depressing thought....
CNN wrote:'Save Chuck' latest in campaigns to rescue favorite shows

It happens every season.

Word gets out that a television show is "on the bubble" and may be canceled. The reasons vary, but more often than not, the ratings don't match the adoration of the fans.

Some go gentle into yonder good night, often to the place known as available-only-on-DVD-land.

Yet still others manage to serve as a rallying point for fans and critics alike who have a single, collective message for the networks: SAVE OUR SHOW!

This season, a swirl of programs have generated the "will they or won't they" buzz, including ABC's "Better Off Ted," "Castle" and "Samantha Who?"; CBS' "Without a Trace" and "Eleventh Hour"; and Fox's "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" and "Dollhouse."

But perhaps the one getting the most attention is the NBC show "Chuck," which has spawned a "Save Chuck" campaign with fans trying to blog, tweet and even eat sustained life into the series.

"I watch a lot of TV as a television blogger, but I think that 'Chuck' is a really special show," said Kath Skerry, who helped kick off the movement when she declared it "Chuck week" on her blog, GiveMeMyRemote.com, and temporarily changed its name to "GiveMeMyChuck."

"Chuck" tells the tale of Chuck Bartowski, a computer geek-turned-unlikely government secret agent, and the colorful characters he meets along the way.

Skerry, who also got the word out to her more than 1,000 followers on Twitter, acknowledges that fan campaigns to keep favorite shows alive are as old as the tube itself.

"Star Trek" was saved by letter-writing campaigns in the 1960s. Fans of the drama "Jericho" won the series a temporary reprieve after they sent tons of nuts to CBS executives, a reference to an epithet uttered by a character.

UPN's "Roswell" also had fans to thank for renewal after thousands of bottles of Tabasco sauce -- the show's aliens' condiment of choice -- were delivered to the network's decision-makers.

The explosion of social networking seems to have upped the ante for "Save Chuck" as bloggers, critics and fans have taken to the Web and expressed their love of the show all over Twitter, Facebook and other sites.

"I wanted to do what I could, and the fact that so many bloggers, fans and more traditional TV critics took up the plight got me very excited," Skerry said. "It's a show that the entire family can enjoy, and we don't have many of those left."

Alan Sepinwall, television critic for The Star-Ledger newspaper in New Jersey, added his voice to the roar calling for the renewal of the show for a third season.

He said the show is unique with its blend of romance, action, drama and comedy.

Sepinwall noted that NBC has a lot less prime-time real estate these days with the new Jay Leno show set to debut, but he points out that series like "Seinfeld" were almost canceled multiple times before they found success.

Fans have been smart in their ideas, he said, such as the move to have viewers buy foot-long sandwiches from Subway restaurants before watching Monday's season finale and leave comment cards letting the sponsor know they want the show brought back.

Subway sandwiches popped up as a product placement in the series this season, and the show's star, Zachary Levi, lent his support by leading hundreds of fans into a Birmingham, England, Subway, where he served up a few platters.

It's just that spirit of fun that makes the show so special, say supporters.

"There are deeper shows on TV, there's maybe more ambitious shows, but nothing on TV makes me smile and makes me happier than 'Chuck,' " said Sepinwall, who snagged a sweet onion chicken teriyaki from his local Subway the night of the finale.

The whimsical nature of the show is the reason iReporter Connie Jones said she doesn't mind viewing it with her 6-year-old, 4-year-old and infant. iReport: Watch Connie and her daughter discuss their love of the show

"It's really the only show I watch," Jones said. "It's humorous, it's got great pop culture references and music, and I know that it's something I don't have to worry about letting my kids watch. We love the show."

"Chuck" co-creator Josh Schwartz said he is blown away by the overwhelming support.

It's no surprise, he said, that the nerd herd has utilized social networking to get the word out, because "this show is by geeks, about geeks and for geeks, so who better to know how to adapt to emerging technologies."

"The show has been a great gift to work on and we always really believed in it," said Schwartz, who has a hit on his hands with his other show, "Gossip Girl." "What we are trying to do with the show is something that is original and a blend of so many different genres ... and so I think it has the ability to reach a broad spectrum."

Schwartz, his crew and his cast won't know until close to May 5 -- the day of NBC's "upfront" presentation, in which the fall schedule is presented to advertisers -- whether "Chuck" will survive. But at least one actor on the show says he's not going to let up in his efforts.

Ryan McPartlin, who plays Devon "Captain Awesome" Woodcomb on the show, said he's been fascinated by the dialogue the campaign has sparked about ratings and how things like online viewership can be factored in to count towards the show's popularity.

McPartlin has been reaching out to fans and bloggers to let them know how much he, the cast and crew appreciate the support. Having that go to show is like having a familiar friend, he said.

"There's something about knowing what time and day of the week your [favorite] show is going to be on and the comfort of that regardless of what's going on in your life," he said. "This is crunch time, and we've got to do what we can."
1) i had no idea it was on the bubble. it's such a great show i just assumed everyone watched it. it's so much better than almost everything else on NBC period;
2) this isn't really a "campaign" - i saw no "send a letter here" or "sign this petition here" in there. more like, "gush randomly about Chuck where ever you can". so here - i am. :)

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TC wrote: 1) i had no idea it was on the bubble.
Actually you did. I mentioned it in the Heroes thread where I said it was a shame Heroes was renewed when series like Chuck and Dollhouse were possibily going to be canceled.
TC wrote: 2) this isn't really a "campaign" - i saw no "send a letter here" or "sign this petition here" in there. more like, "gush randomly about Chuck where ever you can". so here - i am. :)
The campaign was two Mondays ago. Everyone was supposed to go to subway and buy a sandwich and leave a comment card that they wanted the show to continue (Subway being the shows main sponsor). No, I didn't do it, though ironically I did eat at subway that day. I suppose you can still do it now. Campaigns really don't do much good anymore. Back in the Star Trek days it was a rare thing. Nowadays every sci-fi/action show with even a minor following has a campaign to save it. And Jericho showed that people mailing a lot of candy bars don't translate into ratings (granted it was also an awful show). These days it's ratings period that count. And with Leno infecting NBC's airwaves five nights a week (we should start a pool on how long that will last), there's not much room left for original programming. Chuck's numbers aren't that awful, compared with other NBC shows (it's about on par with Law and Order in the middle of the pack), but the limited primetime slots may kill it.
Just cut them up like regular chickens

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darkness wrote:
TC wrote: 1) i had no idea it was on the bubble.
Actually you did. I mentioned it in the Heroes thread where I said it was a shame Heroes was renewed when series like Chuck and Dollhouse were possibily going to be canceled.
yeah, i know, i just didn't think you meant literally.

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Whatever happens we'll know the show's fate most likely on Monday when the fall shows are talked up. Of course, there is the slim chance that Chuck might still survive even if it's not announced as returning in the fall. I have a feeling this Leno thing is going to go bust on them, and when it does they might have to scramble to get some programming to replace it. Shows that were not renewed may suddenly find themselves back in play.

I just don't see Leno in primetime. Sure, he's annoying, but I do watch him every night. Why you ask? Because I watch the local news of the nbc station here, and am usually only half paying attention to the tv by the end of it and don't bother changing the channel. But in primetime, where I (and I suspect a lot of people) are actually fully paying attention to what's on, the channel will be changed right away when Leno comes on. Also, watching the Tonight Show for me is kind of nostalgic as growing up it was what we did right before bed. Watch Carson up through the monologue and turn in. So I'll endure Leno a bit on the Tonight Show out of habit. In primetime though, I have no such nostalgic allegiance.

Anyway, all that just to say that I really think Leno is going to tank and Chuck, if canceled, may get a second chance.
Just cut them up like regular chickens

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from THR yesterday:
However, NBC will postpone the verdict on its two remaining bubble series: the quirky sophomore "Chuck" and veteran "Law & Order," which looks to tie "Gunsmoke's" record 20-season run.

Both series appear likely to return, but the decision won't be made until later in the month.

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Looks like Chuck made it. Wow, two good shows renewed. Someone must have slipped something into the network execs' water.
NBC renews 'Chuck'!
In the battle of Chuck vs. the Network Suits, the Buy More geek has prevailed.

NBC has decided to give Josh Schwartz's well-liked action-comedy another shot next fall.

The network picked up 13 episodes of the series from Warner Bros., which, in a business-side trend this year, made some budget concessions to secure the show a third season.

Fans pushed NBC very hard for a pickup, launching a "Save Chuck" campaign that included buying sandwiches at series sponsor Subway.

Chuck joins Southland, Heroes, Medium, L&O: SVU, Friday Night Lights and Parks & Recreation among shows NBC has renewed for fall. Given that 10 p.m. will be off the board due to Jay Leno's talk show, the network has considerably fewer slots than usual to fill.

Confidence has been pretty high that Chuck would return. Once Fox found a way to make the much lesser-rated Dollhouse work for fall late last week, Chuck returning to NBC seemed almost certain. It also probably hasn't hurt that star Zachary Levi has been a team player for NBC, appearing in the network's PSA campaigns, marketing promotions and events.

Here's Chuck's 18-49 ratings for the season, with the final number having gone up a tenth in the nationals since this chart was created. As you can see, for all the woes about the show's ratings, it actually performed fairly steady, dropping only slightly in midseason.
Just cut them up like regular chickens

Re: Chuck

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AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SeattlePi wrote:NBC: Chuck Won't Return Until March 2010

Forget what you heard at Comic-Con: As of Wednesday, Chuck will not return to your television any sooner than next spring.

At the NBC executive panel, Angela Bromstad, the net's president of primetime, said that reports of an early return for Chuck have been somewhat exaggerated. Season 3 will run for 13 episodes beginning in March.

But there was a glimmer of hope. In a larger conversation about the relative successes and failures of shows like The Listener, The Philanthropist and Merlin this summer, Bromstad discussed the possibility of extending Chuck's episode order to help launch a more high-profile summer 2010 slate. "Right now we're asking ourselves: Is this something we let run into the summer season?" she said. "But we haven't decided."

For those keeping score at home, NBC has also announced that Friday Night Lights wouldn't return until summer 2010, after a fall run on DirecTV. Bromstad, a self-proclaimed FNL fan, admitted that its ratings don't justify a slot in the fall lineup.
MARCH?!?!?!? ungh.

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TC wrote:MARCH?!?!?!? ungh.
Well, we knew it wasn't on the Fall schedule already. So the earliest it could have come back was January. Just a couple more months. I'm fine with the staggered schedule. It's hard to keep up with watching stuff on tv as it is. Now I just have more time to catch up.
Just cut them up like regular chickens

Re: Chuck

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NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! goddammit i thought i was finally free of her!!!!
EW wrote:Exclusive: 'Smallville' heroine Kristin Kreuk joins 'Chuck'

If I didn’t know better I’d say Chuck’s got a thing for Superman.

On the heels of Brandon Routh’s casting as a love interest for Sarah comes word that Smallville vet Kristin Kreuk is joining Chuck for multiple episodes as Hannah, a girl Chuck meets on a flight to Paris. “Chuck and Hannah definitely have feelings for each other,” teases an insider.

Laid off from her glamorous publishing job, Hannah ends up working at the Buy More. (I’m sure that won’t prove distracting to the horny nerd herders at all!)

This marks Kreuk’s first major TV gig since leaving Smallville.

Let me take this opportunity to once again plead with NBC to move up Chuck’s premiere date. Making us wait until March would be cruel, unusual, and punishing. Please. I beg you. I’ll even give that horrible show about nurses another shot.

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w00t!!! january??!?!?
THR wrote:NBC: More 'Chuck,' no more 'Trauma'
Net orders six more episodes of 'Chuck,' keeps 'Trauma' at 13

NBC has good news for one Monday series and bad news for another.

The network has ordered six more episodes of dramedy "Chuck" and has opted not to pick up additional episodes from "Trauma" beyond the freshman drama's original 13-episode order.

The pickup for "Chuck" brings the show's total third-season order to 19 episodes.

The move is sure to smoothe the relationship between NBC and "Chuck" producer Warner Bros. TV, which recently squabbled over NBC's sudden cancellation of the WBTV-produced drama "Southland."

With the expanded order, "Chuck," originally not supposed to come on until after the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, is rumored to launch in January.

As for "Trauma," the big-budget action medical drama from UMS has been in limbo after a weak start behind "Heroes." It got a glimpse of hope this week when, against CBS repeats, it showed a small ratings uptick, prompting the network to book the series for three more weeks.

The series now will finish production on its 13-episode order before winding down.

NBC's other two freshman series, "Community" and "Mercy," have been picked up for a full season, along with sophomore "Parks and Recreation."

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Hooray: 19 Episodes

Boo/Hiss: Kristen Kreuk

If Chuck returns with no loss in quality, it's going to really highlight what a steaming pile Heroes has become.
Ride me a worm, you're a rider...
Walk without rhythm and you're a strider of deserts...

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Alexhead wrote:Heroes? What's Heroes?
Send Will Smith and his 'flashy thing' to my house next.
Ride me a worm, you're a rider...
Walk without rhythm and you're a strider of deserts...

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TC wrote:so, i just saw a commercial during "The Office" stating that Chuck will indeed be back on in january.

fucking awesome.

Chuck is bumping Heroes out of its timeslot! Not that I'm a huge fan but the show at least seemed to have its shit together compared with the Kring abortion.
"I'm like a dog chasing cars, I wouldn't know what to do if I caught one. . . . I'm not a schemer. I just do things."