Cash Windfalls For WME Agents, Assistants
A&E IndieFilms Sets ‘Happy Valley,’ …
Hot Cannes Property: Natalie Portman, Lynne Ramsay Team On …
Brad Pitt Hits Cannes With ‘Killing Them …
CNN Hits 20-Year Weekday Primetime Low
Longtime TV Exec Rod Perth Named NATPE President & CEO
RATINGS RAT RACE: ‘House’ Ends Run On High-Ish …
Does Cable News Clarify Or Confuse The Public’s …
Mark Burnett’s Company Launches Scripted Unit, Taps …
‘Mary Mother Of Christ’ In Lionsgate Deal
Icon UK Group Joins ‘The Butler’; Forest …
Best Buy Shares Up Pre-Market As Q1 Earnings Beat Estimates
HBO Developing Comedy Series Starring Catherine Keener And …
Will ‘Paperboy’ Heat Domestic Buying At Cannes? …
Millennium Films Buys Spec Thriller ‘Playing …
Will ‘American Idol’s’ Jessica Sanchez …
Legendary’s Thomas Tull Among Just 3 Contenders …
Harvey Weinstein Unveils ‘The Master’, …
CBS’ ‘Rules Of Engagement’ Renewed For …
Facebook Shares Fall Below Offering Price Even As Market …
UTA Signs ‘Intouchables’ Star Omar Sy
That’s what sources are telling me. Expect a major renewals announcement from NBC on Monday (unless the bosses decide to mess with our heads).
Editor-in-Chief Nikki Finke - tip her here.
Loading ... Loading ...
what are they doing with Life??..it is a great show….but its ratings are lousy..i wish NBC would give it a another chance.
Nikki, thank you for providing Chuck fans with some hope for the rest of the weekend. I’ve read your column for a while and have faith in you and your sources. You’re ability to scoop the trades is legendary! I’m sure you understand that many won’t rest easy until we hear the news directly from NBC, but we do appreciate your up-to-the-minute reporting.
Hang in there, Chuck fans. It looks like we don’t have long to wait until the celebratory Footlongs and Nerds begin to flow!
P.S. I hope NBC finds a spot in their lineup for LIFE, too. As Brooklyn Gal said, it’s a classy show that NBC could nurture into a hit. American TV needs Damien Lewis!
Cartwheels over the Chuck news! That’s fantastic, Nikki — obviously won’t be totally relieved until NBC says it out loud, but this is the best sign in weeks.
I’m sure all the other shows are good and have active fanbases, but “Chuck” really is the only show that I look forward to and almost always leave smiling. I enjoy the darker shows too (BSG was insanely wonderful), but “Chuck” is “Get Smart”, “The Dick Van Dyke Show” and “Alias” all wrapped into one fabulous packet.
I hope NBC hypes the hell out of the show this summer, rerunning entire seasons and throwing everything onto Hulu. Loads of HIMYM fans would LOVE “Chuck”, if only they could break the Neil Patrick Harris thrall…
Chuck!!! Woot! I’ll be one happy camper if Chuck is renewed.
SAVE CHUCK!
Yay Chuck!
I’m glad they picked up PARKS, only because I think it has the potential there, but they need to make Poehler’s character less like a female Michael Scott. Michael Scott is lovable because he genuinely cares about his co-workers, whereas Poehler’s character is like a DOLLHOUSE escapee. Poehler deserves better.
Happy for CHUCK. Still wondering how HEROES is on the air.
A big Yesss! for Chuck. It’s intelligent and funny, and hopefully NBC will nurture it the way it did the Office (a totally different show, but you get the picture)
Kid A, you’re a fucking idiot. Medium and Southland are both quality shows. Parks and Recreation…well, I can agree with you on that, lol.
But you’re clearly a moron.
—————————————-
Hello Jack Asses,
IT’S SHOW BUSINESS, NOT SHOW ART, NOT SHOW THAT I LIKE THAT REST OF AMERICA DOESNT GET.
Trut me I get it. Arrested Development was the smartest show to hit network tv since Sienfeld–but u know wha?t–thats what cable is for.
Network TV is about busuness n AD dollars–not about a quirky show with a cult following.
Cult following n Network tv go together like peanut butter n ancovies.
Grow up tards–n get in the real world.
Nikki,
This is great news if it is true. I realize that you would not report it as being definitely renewed unless it came from a reliable source. That being said; however, I am bit confused because Zach Levi and Josh Schwartz both stated that it was going to be a week or more until we would know the fate of Chuck. Why the sudden change (not that I am complaining)?
What do you mean Knight Rider’s not coming back?!?!
I don’t have any animus towards “Chuck” (congrats to the “Chuck” fans), but as a business decision, renewing it is not very smart. The likeliest scenario is that it will remain in 4th place. It’s too late in its run to become a serious award contender. So what does “Chuck” bring to NBC? Mid-to-low numbers – that’s all.
There’s a argument to be made about canceling it to free up the time slot, the money, and the actors for something more artistically challenging or more profitable. Most of the shows Nikki’s listed fall into that category.
In fact, the only “keeper” on the list is “PNR”, and that’s a bit of a gamble. But it’s got a very strong Emmy award winning writers’ room, the wonderful Amy Poehler, and it’s a comedy. Comedies have been clicking on NBC. Now, the show needs to get much, much better. But if it’s sandwiched between 2 other popular comedies (30 Rock & The Office), people will sit through it while it goes through its growing pains, and like “The Office”, its audience will grow, slowly.
In any case, NBC needs at least one hit show that Ben can point to as his mission statement for the network, because he owes some of the credit for every current hit he’s got – even the Reveille shows – to Kevin Reilly. I’m not certain that “PNR” is it. Ben’s always name-dropped Tartikoff as his role model, and if that’s really who he wants to be, shouldn’t we be seeing his “All in the Family”? Or was that “Kings”?
In spite of how much he frustrates me, I want Ben to succeed. NBC has much more potential than the other nets, b/c it’s a cleaner slate. CBS is old people, ABC’s the chick channel, FOX is Idol and baseball. What is NBC? The real Brandon Tartikoff would do something amazing with this much freedom. But Ben’s been pissing it away with Ryan Seacrest…
Oh, I forgot the CW: Promiscuous backstabbing minors, Cute Ghostbusters, The Tyra Banks Network.
Good for Chuck! For Chuck fans, which includes myself and assuming this news is true, this is obviously our one chance. Like mentioned above, spread the word everywhere, buy gear, re-watch episodes online, buy Season 2 (and 1 if you don’t already have it) DVDs… Get Chuck out there!
I was actually playing this shooting game in beta *(really hyped game, not sure if I can post the name so I won’t) and my dude’s name is, “Agent_Carmichael”. Ever time I play, people point out that it’s a reference to Chuck. I even saw some guy with the name, “Save_Chuck”. Now I don’t know if it has anything to do with Chuck, but in my head it does.
I love love love Chuck …. and NCIS.
I am a big fan of both Reaper and Chuck so if this is indeed true (and I’ve yet to see Nikke put up anything false) at least one of my shows is saved.
Add to my love of Reaper that it’s filmed in Vancouver so if there is no pickup, there goes work for a lot of great, talented people
Good for NBC for renewing quality shows. This is what they did for Cheers, Family Ties and Seinfeld and each became TV favorites. Law & Order has become fantastic again with the new cast. Linus Roache makes a great DA being reined in by Jack McCoy, who was, himself, a fireball.
And for those who doubt Nikki’s scoops – just go through the archives of this site. You don’t question House when it comes to medical procedures and you don’t question Nikki when it comes to showbiz scoops.
I’m glad to see Chuck renewed, NBC can’t afford to throw a show that manages to above average demo numbers in a very competitive timeslot. A new show would not do better, we all saw what happened to Southland once it was faced with some real competition.
Life is DOA. Everyone involved with the show is already looking for other work. Its cancellation is nothing more than a formality.
P&R, on the other hand, is so poorly conceived I don’t know how it was picked up to begin with, but of course this is NBC we’re talking about. No one in America is in love with Amy Poehler as much as the sphincter-hangers at NBC. I wish Poehler and her husband – the insufferable Will Arnett (who apparently studied at the Dax Shepherd school of comedy) would fade into basic cable obscurity.
I hope this is correct. NBC has come tough choices to make with losing 5 primetime hours to Leno everynight. But if you’re only going to keep a couple of current shows, Chuck is absolutely the best on your network. Be smart and renew it. You can help at SaveChuckBartowski.com!
Comment by Pam — May 2, 2009 @ 9:23 pm: It’s amazing how many angry posts I’ve seen on a couple of sites, from people who are opposed to Chuck being renewed.
Comment by Indy_4_sucks — May 2, 2009 @ 10:53 pm: I don’t understand the hatred towards the idea of Chuck getting renewed.
“Chuck” is a sh!tty show that occupies valuable network real estate. Rather than keep a show that I know to be sh!tty, I would rather it be replaced by something that might not be, even though there is a high likelihood that the replacement show might also be sh!tty.
Even though the replacement show might be sh!tty, the difference is that the sh!ttiness of “Chuck” is already known whereas the shittiness of the new show is only probable. There is a big difference between ACTUAL fail (i.e., “Chuck”) and probable fail (i.e., anything new).
We already know how many viewers “Chuck gets – FEW. Optimism dictates a new show that might get more, not the same old failure that is “Chuck.”
Many of you unbalanced TV fans oppose anything new on TV with such a pathological hatred that it’s a wonder that you began watching “Chuck” in the first place.
Chuck has improved ten fold since it started.
Anyone reading this should watch the second season.
This is great news, but you have to temper your enthusiasm. We’ve heard several things in just the last few days that contradict one another.
Does anyone know what time NBC will be doing the unveiling of their fall schedule? I was hoping it would be a noon EDT. That way I can enjoy the rest of my day off. =)
As a fan of both Reaper and CHUCK, I’m surprised that Reaper fans would target Chuck fans for their venom. The only similarity is that they work at big appliance stores. Reaper has more in common with SUPERNATURAL then it does CHUCK.
I love Reaper as well. It’s a fun hour of television that will be missed. The problem for Reaper is that fact that it’s on a network that probably has the only Executive in Hollywood who is more clueless then Silverman. Up until this past week Reaper’s ratings were on par with 90210, Gossip Girl and every other show not named Smallville, Supernaturl or America’s Next Top Model. But, it gets canceled because it doesn’t appeal to tweens and young girls.
Count me in as someone that is incredibly happy to hear this news. CHUCK became appointment television for me very quickly. There is no other show that can make you laugh out loud, cry, and cheer the incredible action all in the same scene like CHUCK. Kudos for NBC for acknowledging that they have something of Quality that the people enjoy. Here’s hoping the audience grows next year so we don’t have to worry about any fan campaigns.
If they think this show will become a Cheers-like (in the 80s) and Seinfeld-like (in the 90s), they’re sadly mistaken! Ratings can ONLY stay the same or fall off. Idiots at NBC made their bed. Now they have to be prepared to lie in it. ‘Chuck’ is going NOWHERE!
I’m really hoping this is true, Chuck is one of the best shows out there and it is a true shame that more people watch crap like DWTS. If this is true I really hope NBC wises up it moves it to another night or moves it to another hour. I’m not going to get super excited until it is official.
I just want to add that I also love Reaper as well and it seems like that show is coming to an end since two of its producers left for another company.
There are also a small but loud group of bitter House fans who have been angry with critics all season for praising Chuck while coming down hard on the creative turn that House has taken. Why they would waste their time worrying about a show that in no way threatens their beloved House is a mystery, but they’ve been vocal. For whatever reason, they would like to see Chuck fail simply so they can tell the critics to suck it.
Chuck is a wonderful show and NBC should be proud to have it. I’m optimistic about its renewal, but I do think this tease is premature.