Chuck vs. the Podcast 100: Chuck vs. Greenblatt

On Friday at the Television Critics Association presentation, NBC President Robert Greenblatt rocked the world of Chuck fans — in a bad way. We heard you! And we devote the first 10 minutes of the podcast to talking all about it.

Click image to play video… more details below.

We also discuss Chuck vs. the Kept Man, including a good look at HD screencaps from Jeff’s research board. You might have missed some interesting details… take a look back with us!

It’s coming close to series finale time… As you plan your viewing parties (and stock up on the Kleenex), make sure you also plan to take some photos and send them in. Let’s honor Chuck and have a grand old time, complete with Subway sandwiches, cheese balls, grape soda, Buy More gear, and any other creative ideas you can think of!

PLEASE NOTE: Because of a malicious attack on the podcast site server, iTunes and mp3 versions of the podcasts may be temporarily affected. The best place to view (and always the highest resolution) is at blip.tv/chuckpodcast.

No, we don’t think the malicious attack was by Robert Greenblatt. Well, not this one, anyway.

Visit Chuckazon to pre-order Chuck season 5, and support us on our home stretch! Make sure to watch Chuck on Fridays at 8/7c on NBC, right up to the 2-part series finale on January 27th.

Follow us on Twitter for the latest updates – @chucktvdotnet, @prlsoflizdom, and @GrayJones.

Miss any episodes? You can find them all at our new Blip.tv page: blip.tv/chuckpodcast, and every time you watch it helps to support us!

Also, if you like the show, please consider supporting us with a monthly vote at Podcast Alley.

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19 comments

  1. Great analysis on Greenberg and his thumbing his nose at Chuck fans. You have to wonder with his history developing shows like Six Feet Under, Party of Five, Ally McBeal, King of the Hill, and Melrose Place whether he had any interest in a show like Chuck.

    Since he came on board, the network “allowed” for one more season with the caveat that it would be “the last”.

    Then NBC stuck it in possibly the worst slot on Friday night and then did not allow for viewers to catch up with episodes through Hulu or NBC.com.

    In years past, the network would advertise Chuck during NFL games, but I did not see a single ad on any Sunday Night Football game when NBC airs the only game on TV.

    Can anyone be shocked that the show did the Nielsen number that it got. Or that the confessed “music-theater geek beloved by the creative community” did not have much interest in a show like this?

    • To be fair, no network airs promos for a Friday night show during a Sunday night event. At most, they’ll go as far out as Tuesday night. Viewers have a short memory; advertise too far in advance and it loses its potency. That’s also why you won’t see ads for a Thursday night show until Tuesday.

      • Fair point on the TV advertising, I guess that I never really thought about which night’s shows are being advertised.

      • A dual promo for Chuck and Grimm did run in Sunday Night Football around 9PM on October 23rd.

        Prior to the premiere this year, NBC aired 139 promos for Chuck.

        Sixty (60) of them were partnered spots with Grimm.

        The other 79 were just for Chuck. Of the 79 Chuck promos, twenty (20) aired on USA to get additional reach.

  2. I don’t get the whole “boycotting the network” reaction. Seems pretty immature.

    Ultimately, you are punishing the makers and actors in those other shows and not the network.

    I’m going to watch Smash because I already saw the pilot and I like it. I’ll watch Awake if it ever makes the air. If Community comes back, I’ll watch that too.

    Let’s say this whole thing happened to another show and fans of that other show started boycotting Chuck, when Chuck had nothing to do with it. Would that be fair?

    Watch the shows you want to watch. NBC will continue. Those other shows are the things that are potentially temporary.

    • I don’t plan to boycott NBC (I do watch Community…when it’s on), but as I said on the podcast, this whole incident has really soured me on the network. As you noted, boycotting is silly and wouldn’t be very effective. It’s natural to be upset with Greenblatt, to acknowledge that he wasn’t tactful in his comments, but don’t feel guilty when you start watching Smash or Community or something else on NBC again.

  3. This is a PR guy doing a PR event. His tone deafness in that light is incredible.

    He could have just as easily said some PR thing.

    “We’re very proud of Chuck creatively. We were excited that the show got to end in a way that will be satisfing to it’s incredibly devoted fans. We hope that those fans will soon find the next Chuck to be devoted to.”

    Even if he didn’t mean it, it would be the thing to do.

  4. Following the spirit of #notanielsenfamily – perhaps the sale of Kleenex will sky rocket for the final episode showing Greenblatt that the fans do in fact exist.

  5. Getting away from Greenblat’s comments, I really liked the episode, and thought it was CHUCKat its comedic best. I laughed out loud multiple times.

    Its interesting how people can have a different opinion on the same thing, cuz I thought the first 30 min or so were great. I actually looked at my clock and thought wow there is still another 30 min to go, what a great episode. Granted it wasn’t anything like the last two episodes, but I dont think it was meant to be…the calm before the storm if you will, (but I am sure you guys know that).

    Anyway, keep up the good work, I always enjoy the podcast

    • I had the same reaction when I looked at my clock. A bit of a step down from Santa Suit (I missed Baby because of holiday stuff), but still a very good episode.

  6. O one more thing I forgot to mention. Now I could be completely wrong and if I am I will eat some crow, but I don’t think Jeff’s board will have any siginficance. Really Jeff shouldn’t know about half that stuff. I think it was just the prop guys having some fun.

    Like I said though, I could be wrong…Jeff and Lester have been surveying the Buy More as creepy stalkers for some time now…lol

  7. jeremy anne lucero

    it’s really embarrassing because he is just trying to rub it in(in a worst manner), making it more difficult for us to accept the fact that it is ending. he did not even realize the network also gain benefits from chuck!!!!!!

  8. An important thing to point out is that the “rabid fanbase that was going crazy on the Net” didn’t “find the show” because we couldn’t. Gone are the days of watching live TV. It’s all about Hulu and Netflix and similar sites, which we weren’t afforded access to this season. In my opinion, that’s why it’s the most pirated show, because if you miss it, there’s no other way to watch it. I’m a paratrooper stationed overseas and Internet TV is really the only way I can catch up on the shows I like because the DoD sponsored TV network takes a bit of getting used to. However I couldn’t do that this season and I know a lot of my friend had to seek out the show through alternate means as well.
    So all in all, I’m disappointed that a network exec would treat fans that way, and once the Office is over I don’t think I’ll be tuning into NBC for much more than hockey and football

  9. Congratulations on Podcast 100, Liz, Mel, and Gray! Cake all around! 😉

  10. “Maybe (that rabid fan base that was going crazy on the net) didn’t come to the show because it was Friday, but you think they would find the show.” Mr Greenblatt, we’re not idiots. We know how to read a TV Guide and mark our calendars. You’re not an idiot, either. You knew what Chuck’s demographic was and moved it into a timeslot you knew to be the least convenient for that demographic. It is disingenuous to feign amazement that the fans couldn’t (or wouldn’t) find the show. You led the show away from its 5-million-viewers timeslot, to certain death. “Gee, I took the prisoner from his cell, walked him to the death chamber, pulled the switch, and he…he died! You’d think he’d have found a way to survive!”

    • Good one, Doctor Bob. And this prisoner wasn’t allowed visitors before the death chamber, ie, no internet access.

  11. Hi All,

    I really think NBC should have given Josh, Chris, Cast & Crew a further 9 episodes out of respect for them & the time and effert they have put into the show – (not to hit the magic 100) so that they could finish the series properly! Season 5 has been brillent thus far, however I have a feeling that the final Big Baddie arc (Quinn) will feel rushed because of time constrants that the network placed on them! If they had had the back 9 the Quinn arc & how he fitted into the conspiricy Papa B mentions (S2’s vs The Dream Job) more effectively! Alas they didn’t! Not living in the US I don’t know how it works but I suspect NBC will miss Chuck & the revenue it generated. They will realise a little to late that they shot themselves in the foot! We maybe be a small demagraphic but like Morgan Grimes we are a Loyal bunch 🙂

  12. Good bye NBC forever.

  13. I honestly believe that the network could have treated the show a lot better and atleast given them the opportunity to create a befitting end to this series , instead of rushing them this way . If nothing else I would like to say that this show has one of the best basic concepts I have seen and I sincerely fell in love with it the day I saw the pilot . The lovable whimsical characters , the upbeat soundtracks just drew me in deeper . This is a show that appealed to the geek & the action junkie in me , all the while tickling my funny bone . Not being from the states and not having access to a tv in my hostel certainly didn’t make it easy for me to keep up but I always found a way . If nothing else , I would atleast want to find a way to show the cast and crew members how many people are gonna miss this series , apart from its regular viewers in the states , maybe some groups on social networking sites if that’s what it takes. Regardless of how this series ends , i’ll miss it from the bottom of my heart