Chuck Saved!
So it looks like Chuck, Medium, and My Name Is Earl were all on the chopping block with only one show to be saved. Part of the salvation came from Subway but another large factor was fan support.
Not a single person wrote in to NBC to save Medium or My Name Is Earl, when they asked a room full of advertisers if anyone would miss those shows not a single hand went up. Chuck on the other hand had letters and Nerds being sent to NBC, fans including myself buying foot long subs at Subway on Mondays to support the show, and fans donated over $16,000 to Subway’s favorite charity as a means of supporting the show.
When NBC announced the rest of their 2009/2010 line-up today, 80% of the questions on the conference call were about Chuck and here’s the best news: no budget cuts! Silverman said “We’re not looking to lower the costs in any way,” he insisted. “We want Josh Schwartz, McG and Zach to perform at their highest level… The show you love will be the show you get. You’ll see tons of great guest stars, tons of great stunts.”
The only bad news is that Chuck won’t return until after the Olympics (am I allowed to say that word without paying royalties?) and for only 13 episodes but I have 2 thoughts about this.
First, fewer scripts and a longer lead time means they can really focus on the episodes they’ll be making. They can have some fantastic arcs, perhaps even plan the entire season out well in advance (although apparently they already had a plan for a 22-episode season). Pour over the scripts until they’re just right. Work out schedules with some fantastic guest stars. Doctor Who only does about 13 episodes a season and they tend to be fantastic.
Second, if we buy the season 2 blu-rays en masse when they come out it could show NBC that the fan base can’t be seen in just ratings alone and the strength of the blu-ray and DVD revenue streams might convince them to add more episodes to the season. They already have a contingency plan if the order for more episodes comes - going into the summer and pairing up with Friday Night Lights.
Anyways, for now congratulations Chuck fans, we saved our show. Now make all your friends watch and buy some merchandise. Personally I’m thinking about getting some Chuck gear from the NBC website, grow my hair out and go as Chuck this Halloween…or maybe Casey, I can rock a golf shirt pretty good, do some push-ups…maybe the kid can go as Chuck and the girlfriend as Anna, Sarah, or Ellie…I think it could be funny if we went as Casey and Sarah protecting little Chuck…
