Tagged: Chuck

HEROES to zero? NBC shake-ups!

Word on the ‘net is that NBC is ready to rebrand the network almost completely, distancing itself from the horrid Ben Silverman era. Under the fresh leadership of Angela Bromstad, the network is picking up load of hot new shows from edgy producers like J.J. Abrams, Jerry Bruckheimer and David E. Kelley.

To go in this direction, however, Bromstad’s having to break ties with old series that aren’t drawing viewers anymore.

Among the latest victims? Gone is Dick Wolf’s flagship LAW AND ORDER show, which has been terrible for years in the ratings, but to which the network in linked due to their interest in other Dick Wolf shows; word is Wolf is furious over the cancellation, which could throw the launch of LAW AND ORDER: LOS ANGELES into doubt, previously thought a shoo-in for a series pick-up. Wolf apparently is contemplating taking LAW AND ORDER to TNT for a final, 21st season.

That’s not all. Bromstad is apparently ready to break ties with one-time wunder-show, HEROES. The Tim Kring-produced show has suffered in the ratings but is still the network’s biggest money-maker in DVD sales. Word is Bromstead could approve a mega-event finale of two to six episodes, to polish off dangling storylines, or could just cut ties altogether. We should know soon.

Meanwhile, a ratings underdog but personal favorite, Chuck, has received a surprise renewal from Bromstad, who apparently believes in the series and is willing to give the show another chance when surrounded by what she believes will be a stronger NBC lineup next season.

Finally, it appears that NBC may have anticipated Wolf’s reaction to LAW AND ORDER’s cancellation; instead of attaching Jimmy Smits to LAW AND ORDER: LOS ANGELES, NBC appears ready to sign Smits to a different legal drama, GARZA, which is… surprise… produced by Conan O’Brien’s production company!

Can you believe that? That’s a way better future for O’Brien than hawking the best acne treatment on late-night infomercials.

Chuck’s return is set!

After the miserable failure of just about everything else currently airing on NBC Mondays, the network has finally decided when to put on-air something that does work: the third-year dramedy, Chuck, will return to NBC’s beleaguered schedule on Sunday, January 10 with a two-hour movie-length special, and then will settle back into its old home on Mondays at 7 PM Central (8 PM Eastern).

This should be the cause of much rejoicing for Chuck fans, who saw the series’ initial order for this season expand from 13 episodes to 18, long before even a single episode has aired; while NBC’s miserable status since dropping out of the “major network” race by turning its third prime-time hour into a Jay Leno talk-show slot five nights a week, some help from Chuck may equate to help for the network at large, at least on Mondays.

Once Chuck moves to 7 PM Mondays in January, Heroes will move back to its more-familiar 8 PM time slot, which may improve that show’s fortunes. One can only hope. Seriously, if it were not for NBC’s comedy block on Thursday nights, which is consistently good with Community, Parks and Recreation, The Office and 30 Rock, there’s not a single complete night of programming on NBC that is solid front-to-back. It’s enough to make a person who likes the few remaining good shows on the network turn to electronic cigarettes.

Still, long-term, the best chance for NBC as a whole is for Comcast to take over ownership, fire all the idiots currently in charge, and turn NBC back into a three prime-time hours of real programming network once again, instead of this bargain-basement approach taken by GE.

Stars lining up for Chuck

The stars are lining up to appear on NBC’s highly appealing, but ratings-struggling, dramady, Chuck. The show, gearing up now for what could be a critical third season when it comes to the long-term survival of the show, has pulled out the stops when it comes to guest stars. What are they doing, offering affordable health insurance to guest stars, now?

Anyway, first up is the motion picture Superman, Brandon Routh. Keeping with its Superman theme, the show has also signed former Smallville star Kristin Kruek to appear for “several episodes” as a new love interest for secret superspy Chuck. And finally, Law and Order’s Angie Harmon as been confirmed for the show’s fourth episode of the season.

While stunt casting can be the sign of a show in trouble, that’s no secret for Chuck, which faced the very real possibility of cancellation last spring. If some stunt-casting is required to keep this show alive and introduce more people to its quirky appeal, so be it!

Chuck lives to a third season!

Multiple online sources are confirming that NBC has given an initial 13-episode renewal to Chuck; the “back nine” episodes will be determined most likely in the fall, depending on ratings performance. However, there are conditions attached.

Chuck will now be a show on weight loss pills. In other words, the ensemble cast will be scaled back, with some actors severely limited in the number of episodes they will appear in going forward; also, at least one supporting cast member may be cut. Finally, two members of the writing staff will be cut in further cost-cutting measures.

But in the end… who cares? Chuck will see a third season!

Chuck could see game-changing changes

Building up toward a season finale and preparing for a third season, Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak tease that the hit NBC spy-comedy, Chuck, could see a game-changing finale and set-up for an all-new direction next season. While they aren’t spilling the beans on the nature of this game-changing stunner, we do know that Jordana Brewster, who plays Chuck’s ex, is filming at least one new episode this season, though whether it’s the finale or not remains uncertain.

While it’s unlikely to involve anything as pedestrian as a new barcode scanner for BuyMore, or anything as wild as the kind of twists Lost regularly throws our way, we remain fans of Chuck and certainly interested to see how this all plays out.

Canucks get final two Chucks two days early

CityTV viewers in the great white north will benefit from a special scheduling situation this Monday night. The Canadian broadcaster will be transmitting the final two pre-strike episodes of the dramady CHUCK, about a reluctant spy, in its regular Monday night time slot. All NBC affiliates, including Canadian NBC affiliates, will still be airing the final two Chuck episodes on Thursday as planned, scheduled on either side of an all-new episode of Celebrity Apprentice.

The show’s brief return from hiatus marks a successful pre-strike run for the dramady, which typically aired on Monday nights in the fall, as a lead-in to HEROES. It is one of a handful of select shows already renewed for next season, thanks in part to the strike-shortened timeframe of the show’s run. Another freshman NBC drama from the Monday fall schedule, Journeyman, a personal favorite of HollywoodIdiocy.com, was not as fortunate; not only has the show been canceled, but the studio apparently tore up its agreement with the writer-producer of the show as part of a strike tactic.

One things for sure, owning a pair of disposable gloves might be necessary to avoid all the dust that’s going to be settling once this strike is done and over with.

My Top 5 comedies of 2007

Next on my list of year-in-review posts is comedy shows. As more and more shows begin mixing comedy and drama, this becomes a harder category to handle. Is House a drama or a comedy? What about Pushing Daisies? Or Chuck? Anyone who’s used Cisco knows what I mean.

So here they are, my Top 5 comedies of 2007, with my best guesses as to whether the shows I’m praising are comedies or not.

5. Pushing Daisies (ABC)

There were a lot of shows vying for the fifth spot. CBS’s The Big Bang Theory was an early favorite. So was another Monday Night on CBS show, How I Met Your Mother. I like Tina Fey’s 30 Rock even though I can’t stand Alec Baldwin. And The CW’s Reaper was, at times, hilarious. However, even though I was a late-comer to ABC’s Pushing Daisies, it immediately became a favorite for its dark theme yet wonderfully loony cast of characters. Reminds me a bit of other short-lived favorites like Fox’s Wonderfalls and Showtime’s Dead Like Me. Creator Bryan Fuller is the reason for that; he was involved in all three shows and still makes wonderful television. He has the feel of a young Glen Gordon Caron. Here’s hoping Pushing Daisies lasts longer!

4. Extras (HBO)

Ricky Gervais is a dark comedy genius and Extras gave me a lot of laughs this year. The series-capping Christmas special was the perfect way to fill out the characters. Here’s hoping NBC doesn’t try to snog this one into their lineup with a less-talented American cast. (Yes, The Office rebounded after a dreadful first season, but still…)

3. Chuck (NBC)

Sure, it’s frothy and not very deep, but it’s fun and that’s what counts. NBC’s spy comedy was a fun way to warm up for Heroes every Monday night, and fully enjoyable in its own right. With an appealing cast, Chuck looks like a keeper.

2. Psych (USA)

Aging well in its second season, USA’s dramady is still one of the fresher, more appealing shows on non-network television, and full of gentle laughs and good mysteries. A perfect companion to Monk.

1. Scrubs (NBC)

In their final season, Bill Lawrence is pulling out all the stops and it’s just too bad the series may not get the ending he envisioned thanks to the writer’s strike. The tales of JD and his many cohorts has always been a personal favorite, and this one will be missed when it disappears for good.

Journeyman all but canceled – Bionic Woman in limbo

I’m not sure if even Viewers for Quality Television can help out this time; without Heroes as a lead-in, the mildly sci-fi NBC drama Journeyman has been all but canceled; the network had until Tuesday, December 12, to pick the series up for the “back nine” episodes, but failed to do so, which releases the cast and crew.

Call it a back-door cancellation. Star Kevin McKidd may need a Raleigh personal injury lawyer to overcome the stiff-arm the network game the freshman series. All 13 initial episodes will air on NBC, so at least there’s that.

Chuck and Life have been picked up for the full season order, as previously reported here on HollywoodIdiocy.com. As for Bionic Woman, the show has lost Katie Sackoff, who played the pre-Jamie Summers Bionic Woman and proved more popular than the show’s lead actress. Bionic Woman’s future is ticking away faster than it can bleed Nielsens in the direction of Fox’s Kitchen Nightmares.