275 replies to this topic

[jeet]

"Chuck," a drama about a computer nerd who becomes a government agent after supercomputer data is somehow downloaded into his brain. That one's from Josh Schwartz of "The O.C." fame and Joseph McGinty Nichol of "Charlie's Angels" fame, who likes to be called McG.

Ironically one of the reasons Jake 2.0 got cancelled was because it went up against Schwartz and McG's O.C. (Alright, maybe putting a rookie genre show like Jake 2.0 up against a veteran genre show like Angel wasn't the greatest idea. But I think that was the season Angel got cancelled too. Poor David Greenwalt.)

Edited by jeet, May 14, 2007 @ 10:02 AM.

[Hannibal Khan]

Dude. I was just about to comment about this show being Jake 2.0 revamped. Awesome thread title.

I won't watch this one, that's for sure. They lost me with the unoriginal plot from the get go. They should have just brought back Jake 2.0

[jeet]

That's not exactly feasible, what with the cast and crew having moved on to other projects. Silvio Horta and Christopher Gorham have their hands full with Ugly Betty, I'm sure, and Keegan Connor Tracy now has a recurring role on Battlestar Galactica. (I think she's had a role in everything that's ever been shot in Vancouver. She keeps popping up everywhere.)

Normally I would just say that there's not a lot of originality out there anyway. Jake 2.0 was a re-tread of The Six Million Dollar Man, after all.

But it does bug that the people behind Chuck are the same folks whose show originally crushed Jake in the ratings.

If Schwartz and McG's next show is about a vampire detective, I'm officially calling plagiarism.

Edited by jeet, May 14, 2007 @ 11:22 AM.

[The Mad Maple]

I loved Jake 2.0 too, and it is pretty ironic that the same crew that helped killed it are pretty much remaking it.

I'll still probably check out the pilot, though. Whether I stick around or not depends on how well they pull it off, especially when it comes to casting the lead.

Too bad Christopher Gorham's not available....

[mountaineer77]

For those who want a longer description, see the follow:
NBC's Press Release (schedule and blurbs about the new shows)

When Chuck opens an e-mail subliminally encoded with government secrets, he unwittingly downloads an entire server of sensitive data into his brain.

Wait... I think I saw something similar to this on Stargate: SG-1, once. No, twice. No, at least three times.

But more seriously, and if you want to talk "unoriginal," this reminds me very much of Hitchcock's "The 39 Steps", if you combine Hannay's and Mr. Memory's character into a teen geek and add some modern spy story stock characters.

All this is from a very cursory reading of a few of the casting sides -- Apparently, Chuck's new memory includes being able to diffuse a bomb (think The Bourne Identity), but he didn't get the manual on how to be a honey pot agent (the suave seducer, lady's man, etc.) Too bad, there's no wise mentor to say "Use your brain, Chuck." (in a Sir Alec Guinness voice) Also, I think that the two lead government agents -- Adam Baldwin's character (Casey) and Yvonne Strzechowski's character (Sarah) -- were once married.

I would love to hear that The CW passed on this.

[jeet]

Oh, Adam Baldwin, what soon-to-be-canceled show have you gotten yourself cast on now?

Between The Inside and Day Break, Fillion ain't lookin' so bad now, is he?

Edited by jeet, May 14, 2007 @ 9:51 PM.

[CK17]

Video Preview http://www.nbc.com/Fall_Preview/Chuck/

Looks awesome!

[fifty8th]

Why do the actor's have to be under spoiler?

Anyway I love AB and may be the only reason I check this show out in the first place, since it does not look to be a show that will last too long.

[jeet]

Sorry about that. It was spoiler-barred in the previous post and I thought I'd play it safe.

If I start watching this show, it'll be because of goodwill towards Adam Baldwin.

And even then, I'll be comparing every frame (probably unfavorably) to Jake 2.0.

[Hannibal Khan]

Adam Baldwin is definately the only reason to watch. But I agree with jeet I'll be bitterly remembering the awesome that was Jake 2.0. And right as they were going to hook him up with that too hot for words Doctor.

[sweetjane]

I love AB and may be the only reason I check this show out in the first place

If I start watching this show, it'll be because of goodwill towards Adam Baldwin.

Adam Baldwin is definately the only reason to watch.

Adam Baldwin is the only reason I knew this show existed.

Now that it's on my radar, though, I've been reading impressions from the upfronts and the pilot screener that have been mostly favorable, including the brief commentary from IGN ("The O.C. meets Alias"), TV Squad ("all over the place, but it's massively entertaining"), EW ("light and friendly"), theTVaddict ("winning combination of humor and action"), Alan Sepinwall ("well-cast"), and Daniel Fienberg ("zips along effortlessly").

Televisionary has a more in-depth and very positive review of the pilot (spoilers).

Finally, Adam Baldwin is so well cast as the Machiavellian John Casey that you want to forgive the networks that cancelled all of his others shows over the last few years just so he could be free to play this part. Baldwin seems born to play Casey, imbuing him with a blend of mercenary detachment ... and a lopsided sneer that never seems to leave his face.

I think I will probably check out the show when it premieres, although I agree that it is likely to get cancelled - moreso if I actually like it.

[junilou]

I just saw the pilot and really liked it. It's not original but plays well on the theme of the nice normal guy who gets involved in something way too big. Also it doesn't seem to take itself very seriously, with a few in-jokes. It reminded me a lot of Alias. I never watched Jake 2.0 so can't compare.
Opinions were divided in the room though. I think it's going to play well to a niche "cult" audience but I'd be surprised if it became mainstream. The characters are also older than the typical CW drama cast.
Definitely liked it much better than Gossip Girl.

[Bean9879]

Has anyone figured out the text in the quick-fire commercial promo that's running now? The boy and I have spent like 20 minutes trying to make the dvr go slow enough to read it.

Any help would be much appreciated, as we are both anal retentive crazies and won't be able to get any sleep until this is solved!

[sweetjane]

The Futon Critic gave the pilot an incredibly enthusiastic "first look." He gave it 4 stars and basically said it's the one show we should be watching this year. I have to say that based on the surprisingly positive reactions to the pilot I'm pretty curious to see the show now. It sounds like it could be fun and silly, something that's just enjoyable to watch. I hate the title, though.

[marv]

Has anyone figured out the text in the quick-fire commercial promo that's running now? The boy and I have spent like 20 minutes trying to make the dvr go slow enough to read it.

I slowed it down with my DVR and was able to read the whole thing. Essentially, it just tells the premise of the show. It introduces Chuck and his co-workers, and explains about the e-mail download to the brain. Scattered throughout are random images and facts, such as the rate of train/automobile collisions each year. It was pretty cool; sorry I don't remember in more detail.

[Bean9879]

Thanks!

That's about what we could catch, too.

[sacoha]

I just caught the previews for this last night. I don't know if the show's going to be any good or not, but the commercials for it had my family and me laughing out loud because of its goofiness. My favorite bit was the dancefloor scene.

[Souris]

Some friends and I got to see this Wednesday. I LOVED it. We all lovedlovedLOVED it. It's totally on my "must watch" list. Going in, I somehow had the idea that it was a sitcom. (Probably because I typecast Zachary Levi from "Less Than Perfect" in my mind.) It's not, obviously. All of the characters were likeable (or interesting) and seemed fairly realistic. My male friends REALLY appreciated the kick-ass female spy. Initially, we kind of wished that Chuck's college roommate was the lead, because the actor was really, well, hot. But by the end, we were digging on Chuck. He's an appealing lead. I like Adam Baldwin a lot, but, given what shows this one is up against, I'm afraid he's gonna be a showkiller for it, too. I'm annoyed with NBC for putting it in a Time Slot of Death.

For the record, Chuck figures out how to diffuse the bomb on his own, not because of a government secret in his brain.

[sacoha]

I somehow had the idea that it was a sitcom.

Ha! After seeing the previews for it, I looked for this thread first in the sitcom category.

[sweetjane]

Televisionary: What's Up, Chuck?
It's a commentary and rundown on the trend of characters named "Chuck" in the new fall shows.

What's amusing is that EW also has a similar article called "Best of Chuck" in its latest issue, only it's a month later which makes it seem less clever. But they do have a quote from Josh Schwartz:

"But for Chuck, well, Chuck Bartoswki was very much inspired by Chuck Klosterman." Hmmm. So, what does Klosterman, pop culture expert and author of Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs, think of this tribute? "It's very cool," he says. "It is also befuddling. I really feel the definitive Chuck was the older brother from Happy Days who disappeared."

Interestingly, Mediaweek's Marc Berman is predicting that Chuck will be the surprise new hit of the season. I guess he thinks it will survive the Timeslot of Death?

Edited by sweetjane, Jul 9, 2007 @ 5:06 AM.

[sweetjane]

NBC announces premiere dates
Chuck has been moved to Mondays at 8pm ET. Series premiere will be September 24.

[Monique]

Josh Schwartz talks "Chuck" and his other show in a new interview. Working on two shows at the same time has to be kinda tough. I think I'll check this out now, though. And I like the idea that Adam Baldwin will get to bring the funny.

[sweetjane]

I'm hoping that the move to Mondays is a show of confidence by NBC. And it won't be up against Reaper which a lot of people seem to be comparing it to.

Zap2it, TV Squad, and Ausiello all have reports from the TCA press tour. I can't believe someone asked Adam Baldwin if he's related to the Baldwin brothers.

Info for Chuck screening and Q&A at Comic-Con. Panel is Friday, July 27 from 2:45-4:00 pm.

Time's James Poniewozik gives his first impression of the pilot, calls it "cute."

Two more blogs "discover" the recent proliferation of characters named "Chuck."

[beastie]

The more interviews with Josh Schwartz I read, the more guilty I feel about things I said on the O.C. board here. I know he should have seen the "without pity," but still. If I'd known he was reading, I would have been less harsh!

Adam Baldwin was a total trip on Firefly/ Serenity, and I'm delighted to see that they're going to let him be funny. I'm really looking forward to this show.

[sweetjane]

IGN: Chuck is Ready for Action
Another TCA report. They reveal a bit more about the characters and discuss how they plan to keep the show moving forward.

Cincinnati Enquirer: Chucks on screen and What's up? Chuck hip now
Yet more commentary on the "Chuck" renaissance! The second one gets very analytical about the name.

Edited by sweetjane, Jul 20, 2007 @ 3:42 PM.

[Suburban Knight]

The pilot has leaked onto the internet.

[Illyria B]

The pilot has leaked onto the internet.

Yes it has and oh how fabulously entertaining it was. I loved it!

Only one thing I didn't like: Sarah Lancaster. Stop giving her roles on shows, please. Her character needs to die/go away early on.

And it won't be up against Reaper which a lot of people seem to be comparing it to.

It's very obvious why the comparisons are being made if you've seen both pilots, there's some very similar setup with both shows but Chuck is the absolute superior show. It excels in nearly everything it takes on while Reaper fails miserably in every aspect. It wouldn't have hurt Chuck to stay in that initial timeslot, because Chuck is fantastic and has quality while Reaper is utter crap (I hated it). However, I do believe Chuck could be a really good fit with Heroes on Mondays, either slot would work.

[kieyra]

A blurb from futon critic:

From executive producer, Josh Schwartz ("The O.C.") and executive producer-director McG ("Charlie's Angels," "We Are Marshall") comes a one-hour, comedic spy thriller about Chuck Bartowski (Zachary Levi, "Less Than Perfect") - a computer geek who is catapulted into a new career as the government's most vital secret agent.

As a burned season-1 O.C. fan, the Schwartz/McG combo makes me nervous. I'll probably check out the pilot, but for those who have seen it, I just have one question: Is "Chuck Bartowski" a Seth Cohen clone in computer geek form? Because, ugh.

Would be nice for Adam Baldwin to get steady work, though.

Edited by kieyra, Jul 23, 2007 @ 1:15 AM.

[Illyria B]

Well, Chuck is a geek so there's bound to be some comparisons just based on that and the fact that the character was created by JS, but when watching the pilot I never thought of Seth (and I'm really sick of that character). The show does not have a single trace of teen soap drama either, completley different feeling/show from The OC and if I hadn't known JS was behind this I would never have guessed it. This pilot really surprised me, based on the preview clips I didn't think I'd like it at all but it turned out to be fantastic.

[kieyra]

It's very obvious why the comparisons are being made if you've seen both pilots, there's some very similar setup with both shows but Chuck is the absolute superior show. It excels in nearly everything it takes on while Reaper fails miserably in every aspect.

Hmm, have to disagree. Having seen both now I feel Reaper delivered a much stronger and cohesive pilot, and the characters/friendships/dialogue were much more organic. Of course, Kevin Smith's knack for nailing slacker/underachiever workplaces and friendships probably helps with that. Chuck's Best Buy-type job environment felt derivative and fake. And Schwartz doesn't have nearly the grasp on the computer-geek subculture as he did (apparently) on the wealthy emo/comic-geek subculture.

I did find too many OCish notes for my personal tastes ("Captain Awesome", the plastic-looking females--although Reaper has one of those, too--etc.), but nothing overt.

Last but not least, I had the same problem I had with Jake 2.0--raising current-day technology to the level of magic just makes me want to change the channel. Personal suspension of disbelief problem.

Bottom line, I watched the whole Reaper pilot in enjoyment; I had to fast-forward through a lot of stuff in Chuck because I knew where they were going and didn't care that much how they were getting there.

Bottom bottom line, Reaper is on CW and thus probably screwed no matter what.

Edited by kieyra, Jul 23, 2007 @ 2:31 PM.