Well, Chuck me.NBC's action-comedy hybrid Chuck could be back on the airwaves as early as the end of October, according to a report filed by Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello.
Citing an unnamed insider within the production, Ausiello is reporting that NBC might make the decision to put Chuck back on the schedule earlier than anticipated with the series--currently slated to launch its third season in March--possibly kicking off as early as the end of October.
"While it remains unclear whether the little show that could (and has and shall again) would return to its Monday timeslot or find itself a new perch, NBC insiders who’ve seen the first four episodes are calling this season the best yet," writes Ausiello. "But wait, there’s more. If Chuck does come back sooner rather than later, the chances of NBC ordering additional episodes beyond the 13 it initially commissioned increases dramatically."
So it's good news, right? That's where things get murky.
I'd gladly welcome back Chuck sooner rather than later (hell, I've been pleading with NBC to do just that for months now) but the end of October is, well, nearly upon us. Which doesn't leave much time for on-air promotion, advertising, marketing. Or, really, for any of the necessary behind-the-scenes movement necessary to launch a series--or launch a returning series--well.
And then there's the matter of the narrative for the series' third season, which had received a thirteen-episode commitment from the network. Given that the writers were breaking the tenth script when I visited the Chuck writers' room recently, reconfiguring the season could force the writers to make some adjustments to the arc that they've been planning these past few months. (Though an additional episode order was always a possibility.)
Still, it's not a done deal, so don't crack open the champagne or celebrate with some Orange Orange frozen yogurt just yet. But what is clear is that NBC is considering bumping the premiere up by several months (the network would still have to figure out how to accommodate the Olympics schedule) as the Peacock is surely smarting from the relatively low ratings of some of its series newcomers.
So would Chuck coming back in October be a mixed blessing or the best early holiday present yet? Discuss.
Comments
As for promotion, only during the Olympics would it have any impact. Right now, no one is watching NBC so promotion would be of minimal impact to begin with.
Bottom line - the 13 episode arc needs to be aired uninterrupted and unchanged!
On the other hand, though, I think the Olympic promotion could only be a good thing. I found the show thanks to the promos that ran during the 2008 Summer Games. I want the best for this show -- a show I consider one of the most enjoyable hours of television currently being produced -- and, sadly, an abrupt start to season three does not qualify as "the best."
If this is what ends up happening, though, we'll all just have to help promote like crazy. (And hope that NBC's lowered-expectations pay off.) I'll be buying a few more sets of DVDs to give out to friends...
Just dropping it in behind a sinking Heroes, up against the CBS comedies and DWTS without proper promotion is just a recipe for disaster.
I'd love to see Chuck ASAP but I'd rather wait if it gives the show a better chance of long term success.
Airing it at the end of October runs into issue with the Olympics, but I still think that way Chuck has a better chance of keeping what momentum it has. If NBC picks up the back nine, the writers are geniuses and can do a mini-arc or just a few standalone eps. Either way, we Chuck fans will be happy.