Good news: 'Chuck' is coming back
Looks like the spy dramedy is getting a 13-episode fourth season.
Chuck and Sarah should get to fight evil together for one more season.
It looks like "Chuck" might live - and we didn't even have to buy sandwiches this time.
The official renewal may not come until Sunday, when NBC announces its fall schedule, but Michael Ausiello is reporting that NBC has renewed the show for a 13-episode fourth season, and I'm hearing that he's right.
The ratings haven't been great this spring, but they've largely held steady. Creatively, the show has been on an upswing the last few weeks (while I didn't love the most recent episode, the one coming Monday is very strong and sets things up nicely for the two-hour finale on May 24). And NBC may view "Chuck" as a good companion for JJ Abrams' "Undercovers," which, like "Chuck," features a pair of romantically-entangled spies.
I've been saying for a while now that very weird things would have to happen for NBC to not pick up "Chuck," if only because there are only so many new shows any network can launch at once in the fall without torpedoing them all. But because NBC has been picking up a lot of new shows over the last week, and had renewed practically practically everything left in primetime but "Chuck," "Mercy," "Trauma" and the original "Law & Order" - and conflicting reports were flying all afternoon about whether NBC had finally canceled the mothership - I know there was some concern that there might not be any room for Chuck, Sarah, Casey and the Buy More gang come next season.
Instead, it appears we're going to get at least one more year of awesomeness.
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About This Blog
All through his childhood, Alan Sepinwall's relatives told his parents, "All that boy does is watch television! How's he going to make a living doing that?" His career as a TV critic has been 15 years and counting of his attempt to answer their concerns. "What's Alan Watching" is a blog whose title is self-explanatory: Alan watches TV shows, then writes about what he watched. He can be reached at sepinwall@hitfix.com
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May 13, 2010 at 9:41PM EST Reply to Commentkarbs One word: Awesome!
May 13, 2010 at 9:48PM EST Reply to CommentBut really this is great news. And hopefully they've learned from the uh, mistakes that plagued the first part of this current season. I'm too much of a fangirl to have hated it like some did, but its failings were just too hard to miss.
(good to hear about next weeks episode too!)
rspad Man, that is fantastic news! I couldn't bear to say goodbye to "Chuck" just yet. So, so glad it's coming back!
May 13, 2010 at 9:52PM EST Reply to CommentGeorge Where's the love, NBC.
May 13, 2010 at 9:54PM EST Reply to CommentYou've seen how a 13 episode order messed with the show, Schwartz, Fedak and co aren't the best and planning/structuring so let them run free over the full 22 for one year. How bad can it be the Buy More's filled with Wiis and expensive 18-49-friendly electronic gadgets, there's a Subway there too, so you'll get your money.Just do the show a solid for one year, one lousy year!
I love the show but it's been a mess; story-wise I was okay with Shaw/Hannah, but the writers have proven inept at fitting all they wanted in a shortened order.
Great news though! Who da thunk it, but all you heroes who bought subways secured at least 32 more episodes of Chuck in the process, the world salutes you.
May 13, 2010 at 11:21PM ESTTylerA This is seriously the best news of the week! This is the one show that my wife and I watch together religiously every week. I've been dreading all week that NBC would figure out someway to pull the rug out from under Schwartz and Fedak, but it doesn't appear to have happened! Thanks for the awesome news Alan! Here's to one of the best shows on TV right now!
May 13, 2010 at 10:01PM EST Reply to Commentklg19 This news absolutely made my evening--thank you, Alan (and NBC)!
May 13, 2010 at 10:01PM EST Reply to Commentmrt Good news, I guess... Count me among those who are concerned with a 13 episode order. The creative team did a terrible job, to be blunt, with the first 13 this season, and if next season starts off anything like this one, I won't be as patient as I was this year.
May 13, 2010 at 10:05PM EST Reply to CommentLeah YAYYYYYYYYYYYY
May 13, 2010 at 10:12PM EST Reply to CommentThanks for the awesome news!!!
Mae Best news of the week! Also, one less thing to worry about. Thank you NBC for doing the right thing.
May 13, 2010 at 10:18PM EST Reply to Commentcadfile Echo the thoughts about concern for 13 episodes - hope team does better job. Also hope it debuts in the fall instead of being held for mid-season
May 13, 2010 at 10:19PM EST Reply to Commentflashman Awesome news that it's coming back, though I hope they make it the final season and build to a strong ending.
May 13, 2010 at 10:36PM EST Reply to CommentAlan, you mention that networks can't debut too many shows at once without torpedoing all of them, is this just conventional wisdom or is there an actual precedent for a network trying to do way too much and having almost the whole slate fail?
pamelajaye wow... I didn't see it on your twitter so I didn't bother to look here... stupid me. would have saved me HOURS of going "Squeee?"
May 13, 2010 at 11:35PM EST Reply to CommentFlap Jackson Yay for the terribleness of NBC & its ratings! That's the REAL Subway Sandwich this time! Bravo!
May 14, 2010 at 12:25AM EST Reply to Commentmac35 For as much grief as NBC gets I do have to give them credit for giving renewals to 3 low rated but excellent shows (Chuck, P&R and Community). Now obviously they wouldn't have done so if it wasn't in their best interest but based on ratings I don't think there would have been too much of an argument had all 3 been axed so again, kudos to NBC for recognizing quality and giving it a shot.
May 14, 2010 at 12:38AM EST Reply to CommentSPP Fantabulous! This makes my week!
May 14, 2010 at 12:40AM EST Reply to CommentNeeek Hopefully, this time they won't delay the start of the season by 4 months, so they've already completed the first 13 episodes before the first airs, and therefore can't realistically alter the course of the season in response to the fans noticing them sucking.
May 14, 2010 at 3:31AM EST Reply to CommentOvid They like this
May 14, 2010 at 5:16AM EST Reply to CommentHwat As long as Brandon Routh wont be back ever!
May 14, 2010 at 7:06AM EST Reply to CommentAnd as long as Sarah is allowed to kick ass, and Awesome is allowed to be Awesome and not milk toast, and as long as Schwartz and co stop with the teenage angst and lying.
And as long as NBC doesn't say "we can only have one pair of spies in love, so we'll keep JJs junk and drop Chuck"
irerancincpkc Best news I've had all month. Best show on TV right now (sorry Lost) gets renewed, I'll take it. I really hope Chuck and Sarah remain together through the whole next season, Zac and Yvonne's chemistry is so amazing, and when you throw in Adam Baldwin's John Casey, nothing can beat that. :)
May 14, 2010 at 7:56AM EST Reply to Commentjenfullmoon I'm not overly concerned about the 13 episodes thing. The "Moonlighting curse" crap is done. I just hope they shape the season so that it'll have a satisfying ending uh, one way or another.
May 14, 2010 at 10:43AM EST Reply to CommentWhich all series that aren't 100% sure of renewal should do, really. I hate it when a showrunner plays chicken or cliffhanger under those circumstances.
louisg625 All right...this is the post I have been waiting for. Chuck is such a terrific show, and if NBC can't make it work, why not push it off to USA with their great line-ups.
May 14, 2010 at 11:29AM EST Reply to CommentBurn Notice, Royal Pains, In Plain Sight are so much better than the franchises on the mother-ship. Chuck would fit right in with the whole Characters Welcome motif. Heck the Buy-more alone has more characters than you can shake a stick at...one word Jeffster!!!!
chuck-me
Eric Hi Alan!
May 14, 2010 at 11:57AM EST Reply to CommentSo glad to hear this! On your reccomendation last year I gave Chuck a real look from first episode on (I had been DVR'ing it as an opener to MY fave, Heroes) and I fell in love with it!
Now, as for Heroes........
P@ I'm much less excited about this now then I would've been a month or so ago. Chuck's lost a LOT of it's charm, and, in my opinion, it's best days are behind it. I'll definitely be watching the rest of this season, and if renewed, I'll tune in for that as well, but (and I'm sure I'm in the minority here) I would be really really excited if the next season were the last one.
May 14, 2010 at 12:11PM EST Reply to Commentunkraut No disrespect, but I believe it when I see it.
May 14, 2010 at 12:29PM EST Reply to Commentthatshanu They like this
May 14, 2010 at 5:24PM EST Reply to CommentBecky Hey Schwartz and Fedak--don't screw up this 2nd 2nd chance and give us a season 4 like the first half of season 3. We really truly don't want another Chuck/Sarah angst fest. Really. Truly. Your audience and NBC stuck with you through it, so don't violate that trust. Think of something else. Thanks.
May 14, 2010 at 9:42PM EST Reply to CommentAudrey Heck yeah! One more season of Sarah kicking asses and Casey's grunts!
May 14, 2010 at 11:35PM EST Reply to CommentThe Myth of Madness YES!!!!
May 15, 2010 at 12:38PM EST Reply to CommentWe IT people get to survive one more year with our favorite nerd and his most hot lady!!!
May 23, 2010 at 11:18AM EST Reply to Comment