We talk the CHUCK season 4 PREMIERE, CHUCK Vs. The Anniversary.
ADULT LANGUAGE WARNING! DO NOT let your kids hear this. This PODCAST has offensive language and subject matter!
PLEASE VOTE (once per month) for the podcast HERE!
Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes by clicking this link.
yay first anyway my question is do you think that since casey is her dad and morgan is her romantic interest that alex will be involved in the spy world
ReplyDelete1. Will the " wind machine " be used in the buy more this season ?
ReplyDelete2. When Jeffster and Big Mike come back to the Buy More, will Fernando and Skip Johnson be joining them ?
3. Is it ok while watching Chuck , to divulge on Chicken McNuggets instead of a footlong ( Hi-O ) ?
Jules
CHUCK is fortunate to be going into it's 4th season with the main core cast totally intact. I know this question is premature, but if the show is renewed for a 5th season, will any of the cast feel that it's time to move on to other opportunities? I particularly wonder about Yvonne?
ReplyDeleteNigrof they are all under contract for 6 years, and since chuck has given both zach and Yvonne vital exposure and helped launch their careers the may want to stay loyal ! You know don't bite the hand that feeds you.
ReplyDeleteWe should just worry about getting to S5 first! I believe six year contracts are a standard anyway in case a show grips which could and probably should have been renegotiated by now.
ReplyDeleteIt's simple , No Yvonne = NO show .
ReplyDeleteSince the first 3 seasons have had some kind of " dance " sequence in the 3rd episode , will TPTB continue that trend this year ?
Jules
I know that Yvonne has had a couple of big movies coming out this year (the Killer Elite comes to mind) and Zac has had that animated movie Tangled and he also had to give up a big part last year because chuck got extended past 13 episodes, but with all due respect (and I do think that both Zac and Yvonne will have amazing movie careers after chuck) are Zac or Yvonne there yet, are they getting regualar major parts in big budget blockbusters with loads of A list celebrities yet. As I said I have no doubt that they will be they are just too talented not to, but I do not know if they are there yet and so they can probably afford to stay with chuck until it ends.
ReplyDeleteI´d like to know, if Morgan will be in every episode this season, if it is ok to divulge that.
ReplyDeleteWill we see any seduction missions this year that will result in some form of jealousy from Chuck or Sarah ?
ReplyDeleteJen
Are there any more upcoming guest stars that you know of that you could tell us about?
ReplyDeleteHey Magnus,
ReplyDeleteFirst off a thank you before the season began to all the hard work you and some of the other people in the Chuck community have done to try and get more fans for the show. For people like yourself, and others like Wendy and Bailey you all should be thanked for not just being a fans, but trying to build this show into something more than the little engine that could, that it has always been.
I know your prediction in the last podcast about the #s for tonight, for you what would make you optimistic tomorrow morning when the ratings come out?
Jason
How often will Chuck be visiting his father's underground lair? I imagine they must get a good amount of use out of it considering that they built a whole new set for it.
ReplyDeleteAlso, any idea of what Mekenna Melvin's episode count is? IMDB has her in just 4.04 and 4.05 so far.
Chris and Josh were talking about how they will continue the bromance between Chuck and Morgan this season. Do you think there will be any dangerous missions that Chuck and Morgan will be going on together with no help from Sarah and Casey other than looking for Chuck's mom?
ReplyDeletejust finished watching S4 Ep1 and it was funny and awesome. I loved the sexting between Sarah and Morgan and the ending with Mama B.
ReplyDeleteWill we see more focus of Chuck’s love for Sarah in future eps?
ReplyDeleteAl
ReplyDeleteHave to say lame use of olivia munn pretty much a cameo at best.
Great and Timely Podcast. Supporting cast really came through for you... The entire 43 minutes was AWESOME CAKES, so I can't agree with any of the favorite picks... but MY Chuck is defined the emotions shown by all the characters when Chuck and Morgan were 'caught'... then 'kill them' through Casey's threats... to the looks seen when we hear, 'Clearly, you have no idea who I am.' Neither does NBC... what a scene. Here's hoping for unexpectedly high overnights.
ReplyDeleteLittle promotion... low DVD sales... massive promotion for every other show at the same hour... and fans are still hoping for high overnights?
ReplyDeleteFine, I will drink the kool-aid for one more day with this fandom. :)
Hi Magnus,
ReplyDeleteAs much as I loved all the characters, I really was impressed with Yvonnes display of emotions in this episode. You have talked in previous podcasts in how sometimes before season 3 that they never gave sarah the vulnerable moments like marlin where she cried, in this episode she cried and I felt it man, great acting. I agree with mike you really do feel the love that she has for chuck and it does make things more deeper and raises the stakes that much higher, no praise is high enough for her acting chops. BTW I have read some comments by girls on this site about how good chuck is looking, I think Sarah maybe enjoying it too, lol.
You Know I have skimmed through all the other shows that came back and TAHM, HIMYM, House, etc and new shows all sucked man. How can chuck not beat these guys, what is going on have fans got no taste, If chuck is cancelled before they air all 13 episodes I may just abandon watching TV unless they bring another lost on tv.
ReplyDeleteYou know I have done the same and watched all the series not just on monday but I decided to have a look at everything that may or may not come up in the week and I do not know why and some critics agree with me (e.g. please see Fienberg and Sepinwall Podcast on new and returning shows) I am not gushing about what is on tv right now. Shows that I loved or used to love like House, Two and a Half Men, HIMYM, Castle, etc they seem to be running out of creative steam. I do not know why that is but that is the way it is going and hopefully not this week but next week once people realise how bad it is they will come back to chuck, well if they have any sense they will because this season looks awesome and even if there is no promotion and I was new to tv I would check this show out just for curiousity, so lets hope other shows sucking does for chuck this year that leno did last year and help get chuck to at least the 13 episodes ordered.
ReplyDeleteThere is some serious delusion still going on in this fandom. I hope that delusion equates to numbers. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Magnus,
ReplyDeleteWhat do you mean delusion? I am with you and do not see chuck going past 13 episodes, all I mean is that tv shows lately are not great that is all, or am I wrong? I agree with Diane that casual viewers are the ones that are going to make any difference to numbers and these are the ones that may bump chuck a little if other shows do not improve their quality, but we shall see, if they can just get a 2.0 that may be enough to get us to episode 13.
I keep seeing CHUCK fans say how bad other shows are... but I think a lot of that is desperation. CHUCK hasn't improved its ratings so far. Until we see that happening, why believe it will happen?
ReplyDeleteLet's see what the ratings are like for last night and then fantasize.
Great episode, really fast-paced. All the Chuck/Morgan superspy team-up was fun, especially their use of public transportation (and Team Bartowski utilizing that strategy in the end). Chuck and Sarah (I hate merged shipper names) picked up prety much where they left off, and it's good to see that they didn't string out the secret of Chuck's mom for a couple of episodes and just came out with it. There's probably only 12 episodes left, might as well put all out there and move the story along quickly.
ReplyDeleteLinda Hamilton was excellent, and I'm looking forward to her meeting Sarah more than I am Chuck. Jeffster and Big Mike working in a government-run Buy More could be great.
As for the ratings, I saw that Ausiello said that Chuck's ratings were down, which I assume means compared to last year's premier. Honestly, since Chuck's ratings probably aren't headed north, I'm just going to hope that the rest of NBC's line-up tanks (except Community). So here's to Chase being as bad as it looks, The Event being the next FlashForward, and that Jimmy Smits show being as terrible as it sounds.
CHUCK got a 2.1 with 6 million viewers. Much better than I expected. Plus, it wasn't the worst performing show on the night (FOX's LONE STAR bombed). THE EVENT did very well and CHASE underperformed but still did better than any of the Monday 10pm shows from last year.
ReplyDeleteDiane...
ReplyDeleteFYI, for those confused at Ausiello's statement, it's common procedure in TV ratings reportage to compare a show's ratings to what was in its time period a year prior. They were probably comparing Chuck's ratings to Heroes the year before. Heroes debuted with a 2.8 last year.
I'm happy Chuck did better than I expected. We gotta NBC's ratings the rest of the week to see where Chuck ranks among all NBC shows, though.
Heroes dropped in week 2 to a 2.5. We also have to hope that there isn't a similar decline for Chuck next week.
Fans have to keep the buzz going to prevent that from happening.
Come on, NBC promo people, if you can't come up with a decent promo for an episode with supermodels, what CAN you do?
If CHUCK can hold onto that 2.1 week-to-week, then it will be difficult for NBC to not pick it up and move it to Fridays.
ReplyDeleteNBC proved their point. I think they took a chance and stated " Chuck has its fans, no matter what we do the ratings will not change so why promote it. Chuck is a sure bet with around a 2.0". Why move it to Friday nights it did what it was supposed to do with the event, maintained a steady rating, and was very consistent.
ReplyDeleteI'd be all for a move to Friday, if it'll give the show another season. Magnus, do you think the ratings success of Smallville last year and hopefully Supernatural this year on Friday nights will have any bearing on Chuck?
ReplyDeleteMight be a bit of a stretch, but I figure all three are geek/genre shows, established, and with very loyal/rabid fan-bases that would probably follow their show anywhere. They all got ratings that were below average for their slot, but would be pretty solid on Friday if there isn't much of a drop-off.
Also, will you be tuning in to season 6 of Supernatural? If I remember correctly, you were a big fan of the finale
Few thoughts... Sarah is happy and more real than ever. Casey misses Chuck's comradery. Chuck is still a BAMF. I thought the Indiana Jones thing was cool with the running guy but it was lame at the very beginning of the show when it showed Chuck and Morgan globe trotting. I liked Morgan selling the M-Fulcan and managing the budget. He's a good friend to Chuck and that was on full display. Loves seeing Casey and Sarah in the batcave at the end of the episode..... nice!
ReplyDeleteHJ
Also ( forgot to mention the best part ) The govenor box with the rotating watches was sick! Chuck knows how to build them off his dads blue prints obviously. Wonder what other cool sh*t he builds this season? My guess... He builds something really cool and Steve Jobs ground breaking. He decides to take it to market and become famous to escape Beckman's grasp. Then Beckman will have to let him out of the CIA because his new found fame will blow his cover. Mark it down.
ReplyDeleteHJ
I really thought that it would get anything between a 1.0 and 1.5 the fact that it got a 2.1 over the whole hour, what do I know! O am over the moon, then again I thought chuck would be cancelled after seasons 1, 2 and 3 and I am 0 for 3 so I am happy to look like a fool. Come on chuck keep on going son.
ReplyDeleteDiane says...
ReplyDeleteI just saw the final overnights--TVBN's are preliminary--and I'm sorry to say that Chuck's A18-49 rating slipped to a 2.0.
I don't know if TVBN updates their numbers.
Event and Chase slipped from the earlier TVBN numbers too.
Event from 3.7 to 3.6
Chase from 2.5 to 2.3
Chuck's Men 18-49 rating was a 2.1 vs. 1.9 for Women 18-49. 52% Male 48% Female.
The Event was 51% Male 49% Female.
Chase was 47% male.
Median ages:
Chuck: 45
The Event: 50
Chase: 52
I kind of hope they do move it to fridays because there is never anything good on at all
ReplyDeleteThey just adjusted the ratings for NBC, I guess they were showing the football game in NO. It is now a 2.0
ReplyDeleteChris
Al
ReplyDeleteand total viewers were 5.792 .
It is getting worse every time people post the updated ratings. ;)
ReplyDelete2.0 and 5.8 million. Well, the only hope now is that the number doesn't drop any. Get to know a Nielsen family and encourage them to save your show.
A 2.0 isn't too bad considering that NBC spent about 10$ promoting it. After next episode I don't think ratings will matter since by then, NBC will have decided yes/no on the back nine. This is the last season anyways so after that decision, all we have to worry about is the plot :)
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of last nights plot, it was good, but the show was rather choppy, especially in the beginning. Fun episode, but it didn't have the usual flow that a Chuck episode normally has. Btw, did anyone else think that Sarah looked a lot older? It might have just been the makeup, but she looked at least a few years older than she did in Season 3.
OF COURSE it is good when you consider a lack of promotion. However, when you consider RATINGS, it is not good. At the end of the day, NBC needs to make MONEY, not friends.
ReplyDeleteStill, for what they are paying to license CHUCK, I could see a back six or back nine order and maybe a move to Friday night. That kind of move would be the last ditch effort to save the show.
A move to Friday night? I hadn't heard of this idea until now, but it would actually make sense. The competition is extremely tough on Mondays @ 8, with MNF, House, and DWTS. Though, this might hurt Chuck's glorious male viewer ratings, as I think some guys might rather go out on a Friday than watch Chuck. Is there really any validity to this rumor of a move to Friday, or is this just another fan idea?
ReplyDeleteAnd IF Chuck was moved to Fridays, would it come into effect this season or possibly for S5?
I don't know when it would happen, or if it will happen, but this idea has been tossed around at NBC for a while. If CHUCK can do a 2.0 without any promotion, then it would make sense that it could do close to that on Friday nights. If it could, then it would be one of the top shows on Friday nights.
ReplyDeleteWe will have to wait and see then. If the premier can only do a 2.0 with no promotion, then I don't see how a random mid season episode could pull anything higher than that without any promotion. By the way, how do you know so much about NBC? Are you in the business, or just have a contact inside?
ReplyDeleteI just make it up as I go and people believe me.
ReplyDeleteI think the Friday move makes a lot of sense and NBC not advertising Chuck may validate that. If Chuck can constantly pull a 1.8 to 2.0 without advertisment because that is its real core fanbase, then they might move it to Friday and it may be a huge winner on Friday night for a season 5 and 6... What show pulls those type of numbers on Fridays?
ReplyDeleteHJ
Even if it makes sense, don't expect it to happen.
ReplyDeleteHi Magnus,
ReplyDeleteDo you know if chuck killed those guys in the warehouse? gun fire went off and then they were all on the ground, I assumed he knocked them out but still if he did then that was a cool way of him now being able to kill but the audience do not see it and they can still love chuck.
I think something episode showed was where Ellie gets her personality from and clearly where chuck takes after his dad Ellie takes after her mom. Over the 3 seasons Ellie does and says things that are sometimes right and sometimes wrong but she is always unapologetic about it and you saw that with mama b when she killed those guys she did not care man that wAs really cut throat
ReplyDeleteI think that is also a good way to restore any tension that TPTB deem necessary. We saw the affects of Ellie making chuck quit, Casey was unhappy, sarah was unhappy and so was chuck, everyone at the beginning of the episode were far from happy that the team was split up. Now if Mama B has her own agenda I think she could try and make chuck do things that goes against what sarah wants for chuck and that could really up the stakes and tension where chuck is torn between his mom, sister and sarah.
ReplyDeleteHi Magnus,
ReplyDeleteDo you think that it would have been cool to have Morgan and chuck be spies under the code name orion for a few more episodes before we get to the mama b part of the story. I thought Morgan and Chuck were awesome (did you see in the pictures morgan was always wearing some local funny attire, hillarious). I mean those two lurking in the background of casey and sarah missions would have been comedy gold, because they do things that are unorthodox but effective like taking public transportation to avoid being tracked, when they probably just took it because that is all they could afford, lol.
Chuck did not kill anyone.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if it would have been cool for them to do more episodes with Chuck and Morgan doing their own thing. Maybe. But due to the nature of the show's fragile life, I guess they can't play around with that much if they want to move the story forward.
Any links to that site will be deleted... since they delete links on their site to mine. :) Especially when those links prove I scooped them. So, Luke, try a different site.
ReplyDeleteHi Magnus,
ReplyDeleteTry this:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3i164dab495458bd2b5e9dc5e716c7e607
Luke, so what do you want me to address? The possibility that NBC/Comcast are acquiring or have acquired CHUCK? I can only say that I have talked about this before, even recently, and that this has been an ongoing discussion between the different entities. I guess we will know sooner or later whether it has actually been executed.
ReplyDeleteUndercovers gets a 2.0 with huge advertisement and no competition.... LMAO! JJ Abrams is way overrated anyway. I think Undercovers os DOA. America has their spy couple and that is Chuck and Sarah... thats the bottom line. Chuck gets a back 9 and minute to win it or marriage reff fills in for undercovers after its 13th episode. Mark it down!
ReplyDeleteHJ
Hi Magnus,
ReplyDeleteI am a little confused about what chuck told sarah and casey about his dads missions. Based on last seasons finale I was under the impression that his dad was not only taking over his dads search for mama b but also that he was waging a lone battle against some of the toughest organisations that governments are afraid to take on, so if that is the case, why could he not tell ellie that hey I have to be a spy or we will not be safe, I have to not only fight these massive organisations but also try and find and protect our mom who was captured. Do you think that the reason that Fedak did not take this line is because they are going to try and use Ellie and Mama B as the tension for this season, I am a little confused with the logic established here.
HJ, UNDERCOVERS finished at a 2.1 but... wow. What a horrible performance. I am guessing this is a case of the country still not being conditioned to think of a spy show whose two leads are not white.
ReplyDeleteLuke, Chuck was going to tell his sister... but then she told him she was preggers and that she was happy he was safe. So, he didn't want to ruin the moment. Just like when Sarah told him she loved him... so, he will tell Ellie, sooner or later.
Hi Magnus,
ReplyDeleteAnd what about these organisations that the governments are afraid to take on, do you think that they may save these stories for a possible future season? (that is if they get more episodes, and based on some of the ratings, I mean undercovers and lone star, wow ! that is not the mirracle it once was)
If our country can elect a President who is not white and have the all powerful Oprah ( who is not white ) be a bigger influence to anglo american women than any other talk show host, then I disagree with the premise of your statement.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I have read from folks who watched the show, they just didnt like it for numerous reasons.
I think Abrams failed by having the couple married to begin the show. There is no suspense or rooting or investing in the couple. They are already together. Sounds sort of lame. Alias and Chuck did not do that.
Honestly I dont know what Abrams was thinking by doing that.
I cant help but cheer against Undercovers because its basically Chuck but more serious. Its a rip off of Chuck.
At least when Chuck aired, Alias was over and it had a way diffent flavor w/ a lot of comedy.
HJ
HJ, who we vote for doesn't equate to what we seek in entertainment. Unfortunately, people are creatures of habit and they are simply used to seeing white faces in lead action roles on network television. Though, I think it would have made for a hit on cable. Making them the romantic leads who were married couldn't have helped the show any either. Just another television "rule" that JJ decided to cross that didn't work. I admire JJ for his decisions but it doesn't seem to have registered with people enough for them to tune in.
ReplyDeleteAlso, what people didn't like after watching the episode HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH RATINGS. Unless you are suggesting they saw the show in their minds and decided not to tune in. Now, if ratings are a 1.2 next week, then you might have a point.
I am british and so may not be really well versed on American Politics, but is'nt the president like the only African American in the senate and congress at this moment in time? So I agree with Magnus, although there has been progress made in America in regards to other races, I do not think that the watching public may be into the undercovers premise yet.
ReplyDeleteThere is one African-American in the Senate and around 40 in the House of Representatives. Still, not an accurate statistical representation of the whole of the country. We have come a long way but still have some way to go. The election of a black man by 51% of the country does not a revolution make... and does not determine our viewing habits on NBC. ;)
ReplyDeleteYea... What I am saying is a lot of people who might have tuned in otherwise (like myself) saw the previews of it and said "Screw that! They are trying to be Chuck and Sarah. I already have Chuck and Sarah"
ReplyDeleteI think Abrams was hoping to convert or peel off the fans that like the action and romance/drama of Chuck. What he didnt bank on is those fans are loyal and all in love with Chuck.
The only positives about Undercovers is it went from a 2.0 to a 2.2 in the back half hour. Who knows it might do better next week but I cant imagine much. I predict it will drop below 2.0 within 2 or 3 more episodes.
NBC has to understand now that any show that tries to mimic the flavor of Chuck will fail because those viewer already have a home and are very loyal. Chuck has a 6 million person army and NBC knows it. They can put Chuck on at anytime and on any day of the week and expect to get a 1.8 to a 2.1 with zero advertising dollars spent.
NBC dumped tons of $ on undercovers because they invested in the name JJ Abrams. They have to be fuming right now. It had no competition!
That would be like NBC putting tons of money into Chuck ads and it pulling a 1.1.
I bet if you put Undercovers in Chucks spot on Monday even with the ad $ spent, it pulls a 1.7 or lower.
This is great news for Chuck. I just dont see any way around that fact.
HJ
HJ, sounds pretty much like what I was saying. People make their watch or no-watch decisions BEFORE they see a show. So, if people have an expectation and are given something totally different, they are predisposed to not engage.
ReplyDeleteThough, having watched the episode and liking it, I can safely say it is a LOT like CHUCK season 4... except it looks expensive.
Right that is another thing Chuck has going for it. Undercovers probably costs NBC 3 to 4 times more ( if not more ) than Chuck. If they are pulling the same numbers or close to the same number, its a no brainer...
ReplyDeleteHJ
Chucks budget I think is like 1 to 1.5 million dollars per episode, and I think breaking bad's budget is 3 million dollars per episode. Now I do not think that NBC pays upto 6 million dollars an episode for any series. But I do concede the point that if chuck is that much cheaper than a series like parenthood or undercovers and it is pulling similar numbers theb why not renew it. From a economic or business point of view that does make more sense, but they could simply just cancel undercovers.
ReplyDeleteLuke, CHUCK's budget is probably more like $2.5 million (it might be a tad less or more). NBC licenses it for around $1.25 million. NBC makes around $2 million per episode in ad revenue. Not to mention whatever NBCU makes from online views (they also own Hulu) and merchandising.
ReplyDeleteI have no idea about BREAKING BAD but I am very surprised to hear a cable show has that kind of budget. That is crazy.
As for "why not renew it?" There are so many reason to NOT renew it. But I think with CHUCK it comes down to this... NBC has this tiny little show that costs them very little money that makes a profit and is the show of topic EVERY season by the press and anyone who follows television on any serious level. In many ways it is like FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS.
However, FNL has prestige where CHUCK just has an inflated level of buzz from the fandom and press. But does NBC care why it has this buzz? I doubt it. I think they keep CHUCK around simply because it is a good story for them. And maybe because a couple of the executives love the show and want to see Chuck and Sarah married. ;)
Hi Magnus,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the update, I guess you are joking about the last line, lol. But in a weird way I actually think you may be onto something, I personally do not understand why so many people of all ages and races and genders have fallen so in love with chuck and sarah. Yeah they look good together on screen, they make a cute couple, but when I speak to friends they see it as one of the greatest romances tv has ever produced, hum .......
Diane says...
ReplyDeleteI just want to point out that Undercovers was first place in its time period for the Adults 55+ demo.
It's not that people didn't watch it. It's just that not enough younger people watched it.
Hi Magnus,
ReplyDeleteIt looks like they have listened to me and given chuck his looks back and dressed him properly. But they have not listened to you and and your team they keep putting that red lipstick on yvonne that makes her face round, if the people who run this show are reading this, stop doing that, yvonne looks her best when she has no makeup because she is a natural beauty.
Tina, I asked around and they don't know who you are. So, apparently they didn't listen to anyone but themselves. ;)
ReplyDeleteBUT COME ON! WHAT THE HELL?!?!?! Why do they keep putting that stupid, ugly, aging red lipstick on Yvonne?!?!?
Yeah I agree Magnus, that at times they are awesome with their makeup of the characters, like in season 1 and 2 when they uglied chuck up they did a fantastic job, when they want him pretty again they are doing a fantastic job, but with Yvonne sadly it is a little hit and miss. There are times when they put that stupid lipstic on her face that I think wow chuck is actually a little better looking than her, lol, well maybe not but still stop putting lipstic on yvonne.
ReplyDeleteJust wondering do you think Morgan will ever learn more then the little gun training he had in the last season with Casey. I know Morgan is the guy that brings in the humour for most of the episodes but don't you think it would be cool if he would do more then that in the episodes.
ReplyDeletePS I am writing this is before the episode airs so as far as I know they might show morgan training with casey since sarah and chuck are going to be in Milan in this episode but if not what do you think.
Greg, didn't you ask this in the CYT43 question thread? I will answer it on the podcast. :)
ReplyDelete