As fans of NBC’s Chuck are painfully aware, the show is on the bubble for renewal. The peacock network’s entire Monday night line-up has been struggling this season. Heroes has declined the most significantly but Angela Bromstad, NBC’s Entertainment President, has said that the network plans to renew the sci-fi show for season four.
With Jay Leno’s new show set to take over the weeknight 10pm timeslot next season, NBC has far fewer schedule positions available for other shows. That’s really bad news for series like Chuck which has often landed in fourth place for its timeslot.
Last night, with its second-to-last episode of the season (or series), Chuck had its best opportunity to shine in the ratings. Rather than the very popular House, FOX opted to air an episode of less-popular Bones. On top of that, CBS’ The Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother were both in repeats. In the past week or two, there’s also been a huge amount of online support for the show from blogs like our friend Kath at Give Me My Remote and numerous TV critics. That equates to lots of free publicity and valuable word of mouth for NBC and the show.
So essentially, if Chuck was going to have a breakout night in the ratings, this would be it. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. Chuck attracted a disappointing 6.05 6.11 million viewers and a 2.3/6 2.4/7 rating/share in the 18-49 demographic. That’s fewer total viewers than last week but the same a little better in the targeted demo. It was also once again in fourth place for the timeslot.
How does this bode for Chuck’s future? Not very well. This performance essentially shows the network that, under the best of conditions, the show’s audience isn’t getting much bigger.
On the plus side, the network isn’t doing very well on the whole and the execs supposedly love the show. They have fewer timeslots to fill but Chuck is at least getting some attention. Though 18-49 viewers are what really counts, the network might be willing to take what it can get. They also co-produce the show which doesn’t hurt.
Unless NBC makes a decision sooner, we’ll have to wait until mid-May to find out their Chuck plans for sure.
Image courtesy NBC.
It’s the only show on NBC I watch. My entire family watchs Chuck. When the show is over we talk about it for hours wondering what type of trouble they will get into and what Chuck, Sara and Casey will do to save the country.
Chuck is the best. The show makes you laugh, it makes you hope that Chuck and Sara get married. It could be a madern day Thin Man. When tv is loaded with shows that don’t make much sense or try to send a message. Chuck trys to make you laugh. Switch Chuck to anothe evening and time slot. God only knows we need the humor.
Chuck is the best show on tv now. I sure hope it is not cancelled. I will have nothing worthwhile to watch. Chuck is funny and entertaining.
PLEASE PLEASE KEEP CHUCK!!! My husband and I don’t get a chance to watch too many movie shows. CHUCK is our show. Our bonding moment. I asked my husband to buy me CHUCK season 2 than jewelery for Valentine’s Day. WE love CHUCK. It’s a smart show, great cast, and has all the elements of entertainment that I haven’t seen in a long time. SO PLEASE super pretty please…KEEP CHUCK!!!
Chuck is one of the most quirky and different shows out there. Its one of the few shows I look forward to watching every week. Im sick of all the hospital and or law shows thats all television is now or reality tv. Please keep chuck alive
I’m a big fan of CHUCK. I love all the characters, they fit so perfectly with the show. I never miss a show. The whole family is infront of the TV when the show comes on. Please let it run forever!
Ya know I didn’t realize ,Chuck, might not be back in Sept. We in the office love that show and couldn’t get back into work to talk about it! Ok, let’s rethink this…..put ,Chuck back on, he’s someone that makes ya laugh, we are sick of hospitols and negative killings that put evil into your mind, let’s go with some HAPPY!
I want Chuck to air in January and not March because I am dying to see it as early as possible please. It is one of my Favorite tv shows. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!!! Do Not cancel it!!!!!!!!!!
I hope Chuck comes back, some of the programs they have on now suck. It was funny and had a story line to it. I liked it. So I would love to see it come back. I watched it every week. A lot of people TBO these programs they should take that into account on the ratings. It’s stupid taking these programs that are CLEAN programs off the air.
My husband and I looked forward to Chuck every week. We enjoyed it so much. We look forward to seeing it again.
I and my son love to watch Chuck. We arrange our schedules around the time of the show we have not missed a show. Please re think the cancelation of the show and bring it back We think it is great and keeps us wanting more. Lost without chuck in Mississippi.
I’m having Chuck withdrawls, when will it start up again? I hope soon!!!
@Fran: Initially, it looked like 2010 but I suspect it will be sooner.
No wonder your network is in trouble, Chuck is a great show and you don’t even know it.
this show is lovable, we like CHUCK soooo much… We’re very Glad that Chuck’s been renewed… LET US MAKE CHUCK THE NUMBER ONE TV SHOW! I really enjoyed jeffster, and mr. awesome, the’re all in one character, very well written… so that’s why we LOVE THEM SO MUCH!
” M A K E C-H-U-C-K NUMBER ONE”
I enjoy watching CHUCK! Please don’t cancel the show! I know it’s a far out spy show but it’s no differant than GET SMART! I’m not saying it’s slapstick but it’s a show that has us fantasize of what could happen to an every day man in a BUY MORE! As an old timer of TV shows from the 60’s, I’ve enjoyed watching CHUCK which takes the reality shows of today out of the equation! I mean how many reality shows do we really need? Do we really need the drama of the Bachelor or the Bachelorette? We are bombarded… Read more »