NBC News: More Chuck, Less Trauma

By James Poniewozik | @poniewozik | October 29, 2009 | +

Chuck fans, you do not have to eat at Subway today unless you actually feel like it. In a pretty surprising move, NBC announced that it was expanding its order for the Zachary Levi spy comedy by six extra episodes this season. Giving you extra time to work on those “Save Chuck” avatars for your Twitter and Facebook accounts.

In probably-related news, NBC is canceling expensive paramedic disappointment Trauma, so it’s a fair guess that Chuck is the lucky if indirect beneficiary of NBC’s bare programming cupboard. Still no word on Chuck’s scheduling (the series had been planned to return in March), so how do you think NBC should best schedule the show to take advantage of its good fortune?

Related Topics: chuck, nbc, trauma

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Tom Shaw

Independent of should, the Season 2 DVD release on 1/5 pretty much indicates they will schedule it for 1/11.

Which is as good a time for should as anything; NBC can air ads during their NFL playoff games (cue the Strahovski cheesecake shots), as well as get the show going in time for February sweeps (a couple weeks of which are not covered by The Olympics).
Chaddogg

@Tom Shaw and @James: I know NBC hasn’t said where it intends to air the show yet, but any chance it moves it away from the Monday-night Murderer’s Row on other stations? (HIMYM, Big Bang Theory, 2.5 Men, DWTS, House, 24, etc.)

Personally, I’d love to see Chuck on Tuesdays (although that is Biggest Loser’s spot), or even Wednesdays at 8 (although that hit American Idol, doesn’t it?).

Another option — Sunday nights. Once football is over, NBC has 3 hours of primetime to fill that night, it’s generally a night where folks are home watching TV, and it could get a decent audience, I’d imagine, against overall weak competition (doubt there is much Desperate Housewives/Chuck overlap, but I could be wrong).
Dave

I was thinking they would start on 1/6, giving them 6 Wednesdays before the Olympics. That way, they could keep the post-Olympic schedule the same. Plus, on Wednesdays, I can watch it live :)
van68

Any weeknight at 10pm ET works for me. (See what I did there?)
elizking

Oh happy day! Go Chuck!
nycgeoff

Yes, Chuck for Trauma is an easy trade. I wouldn’t even want to guess how much cheaper it is as well.

I do feel bad for the actors, especially Cliff Curtis, who deserves another leading role.
rosseau

Yeah, he was the only reason I watched the show. Not having seen Third Watch, I found the situations new and a bit compelling, though not that much. It was fun to guess what major accident would happen next. But Curtis does need more mainstream exposure. His character, at least at the beginning, sort of had a Jeff Bridges from Fearless arc that was interesting. I really won’t miss the show.