When Should Chuck Come Back?
One side effect of NBC's announcement last week that it would cancel Southland before season two even aired was a report from Michael Ausiello that the network might bring back Chuck before its planned March debut—maybe as soon as the end of this month.
You might think that Chuck fans would all react as Ausiello did—"How happy are we?"—but my Twitter feed has since been full of debate as to whether NBC is better off waiting. The argument (as advanced by, among others, TV critics Dan Fienberg and Alan Sepinwall) is that NBC has no good places to promote Chuck right now, and thus the show needs the promotional push from the Olympics.
I like Chuck, but I'm not as fervent a fan as some out there, so I don't think I really have a dog in this fight. But to me, Chuck's real problem is simple: it airs on NBC. And while a lot of people watch the Olympics, I don't see much evidence that will affect Chuck one way or another.
The Olympics are a big platform, true, but they're not especially targeted—they're like aerial leafletting as opposed to direct mailing. OK, yeah—theoretically, the Olympics is a better platform for NBC to advertise something than its fall schedule. But in the end, we're still talking NBC. There are probably better times in the year for Estonia to invade Russia, as well, I am sure.
Looking at the last decade historically, I can't think of an example of NBC using its Olympics to successfully promote anything. Perhaps I'm remembering wrong, but let's look back. 2000's Sydney games were unusually late, interrupting the usual fall launch, but that was the fall that produced such NBC hits as Deadline, DAG, Titans and The Michael Richards Show. (It did give us Ed, which survived a few seasons.) One study found that as a whole, NBC's shows promoted during the games did worse overall, if anything. The 2002 Winter Games led into the much-hyped midseason debut of Leap of Faith. 2004: The year of Joey. Midseason 2006—maybe there's an NBC success I'm forgetting. And 2008, after a very successful Beijing Olympics, was the disaster season of My Own Worst Enemy, Knight Rider, Kath and Kim and Crusoe. I'm not sure NBC can survive much more Olympic success like this.
And there's a flip side to waiting until March, as Maureen Ryan points out: the out-of-sight out-of-mind factor, which could cancel any promotional bump from the Olympics. [Update: I do think, though, that there's something to Sepinwall's argument that—the Olympics aside—it could hurt Chuck to rush it on air without any time for promotion.]
I'm not wishing ill on Chuck, God knows. But if NBC wants to give it the best promotional platform, all I can think of is that it advertise and/or air it on a different network. Beyond that, I'd be glad to wait for Chuck if I thought it would make a positive difference, but it might be better for Chuck fans to simply get their show aired while they can—and before NBC changes its mind again about something else.
But as I said, I'm an admirer of Chuck, not a rabid fan. What do the Chuck die-hards out there want to see?
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1
I'm as die-hard as a Chuck fan gets and for me, the sooner we get more Chuck, the better. Right now, they've got a 13-episode season planned, so here's my hypothetical situation: start that 13-episode season 3 in the end of October (Wednesday nights, please???? It's one of my only reliably free nights!), take a couple strategic weeks off to time it to run up to the Olympics, then create a 9-episode season 3.5 that focuses more on the fun and the characters. Use the Olympics to show classic show moments to introduce the masses to the characters we love in a very mainstream, non-threatening light, and air the 9 episodes after the Olympics and finish with a big, standard cliffhanger finale.
Even if they started this week, they wouldn't be able to get 22 hours in before the Olympics unless they gave us an unusual amount of 2-hour shows (as wonderful as that would be). Why not show a complete 13-episode run before the Olympics, and then have another 9-episode run that's more character oriented?
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2
I want Chuck back as soon as possible. I'll worry about ratings later. As a Dollhouse fan I'm feeling a little invincible.
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3
As someone who will also get around to Chuck episodes eventually, I believe myself to be neutral, and I feel the following:
In favor of now: Olympics promotion is overrated. It can lead to good sampling of a show afterwards - even Chuck got a bonus from the Superbowl ads - but it has no bearing on sustained viewing. I just don't feel there is that much audience out there that has heard of Chuck and hasn't bothered to check in.
In favor of waiting: Premiering it now would be a disaster - there is no advanced promotion, no DVD sales (not that the sales themselves help, but people seeing the advertising for the DVD that benefits the network show proper), and people have probably settled into their Fall schedule.
The Reality: Regardless of the above two canceling each other out, Trauma is a black hole of red ink, when NBC/Uni can least afford it (their likely upcoming sale). Trauma will be canceled, probably today, and as the only available show, Chuck will be thrown into its old slot - non-optimal ratings be damned.
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4
I'm with Dave. Chuck totally rocks. I want Chuck now. I've done my part and recruited others to watch Chuck, and they are caught up on the first 2 seasons and ready for MORE SHOW. Just bring back Chuck, start airing the 13 episodes. Then, if its doing OK, order a full-season to air through this coming winter/spring. A Tuesday or Wednesday timeslot would be great - Mondays and Thursdays are freaking crowded enough and Chuck doesn't need that kind of competition.
We The Chuck Fans are ready. Give us our show - we will be grateful and happy. I'll promise to make it appointment viewing, and I'll DVR it and watch it again.
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5
I don't watch Chuck, not because I dislike it, I just never got around to it and now don't really care to invest the time. That said, Chuck is in what its 3rd season? I can't image many new people joining a (serialish?) show that late from some commercials during the olympics. So what's the point of a prolonged ad campaign, give the fans their show.
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6
Except that Chuck really isn't a serial show: certainly not on the level of Lost. I just don't think it would be very hard for a newbie to jump in. And I don't really understand why it isn't more of a hit: I mean, I can understand that Dollhouse might not have mainstream appeal, but the fun/humor/adventure that are hallmarks of Chuck should.
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7
I agree with putting it on another network. Specifically put it on USA or Sci-Fi, both of which are apparently able to keep quality shows on the air with a fraction of the viewership.
- poniewozik Loved the season. Mrs Tuned In wd have put u on the main list RT @boredtodeath Thank u for incl us in Time's Top 10. We'll take hon mention. - 4 hours ago
- poniewozik @carr2n Virgin is the best, LAX-JFK - 5 hours ago
- poniewozik Did NPR interview abt multiscreen multitasking. After, automatically reached for iPhone in pocket. Like don draper wd have for cigarettes. - 6 hours ago
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