Yvonne Strahovski in ‘Sea Patrol’

The Australian series Sea Patrol is now showing on Hulu, accessible here in the U.S. Yvonne Strahovski guest starred in the 13th episode, “Cometh the Hour”, as Fed Agent Martina Royce. Watch the episode below:

Chuck Me Mondays: “Chuck vs. the Sizzling Shrimp”

It’s week five of Chuck Me Mondays! This week we’re watching “Chuck vs. the Sizzling Shrimp”, when Chuck runs into his first major moral complication. Here’s the official synopsis:

MORAL STIR-FRY?– Chuck (Zachary Levi) faces his first moral dilemma as a spy. When agents Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski) and Casey (Adam Baldwin) refuse to help an unauthorized mission that is taking place in Chinatown by a top Chinese spy, Chuck is faced with a tough decision. Either go against the U.S. government and his friends, or do what he believes is right? Meanwhile, Morgan (Joshua Gomez) is caught in a dilemma of his own when Buy More forces him into a sales competition that could cost him his job.

Check out the promotional photos released for this episode, plus we have almost 1900 screencaps in our Gallery. You can also download the songs using this episode on our Music page.

How To Watch

• We recommend watching this episode at theWB.com for the biggest impact.
• If you don’t have access to watch online or would prefer to watch using a different method, then pull out your season 1 DVDs or download the episode from or Amazon.

When To Watch

• Americans watch at 9PM ET (convert to your time zone here)
• Europeans watch at 8PM GMT (convert to your time zone here)

Where To Discuss

• Discuss in the comments below.
• Discuss on Skype – send a message to DarthRazorback on Skype to be admitted to the chatroom.
• Discuss on Twitter using the tag #ChuckMeMondays. See our Twitter tutorial and a list of fans to follow here (be sure to read the comments for more fans to follow).
• Twitterers can also visit this site to watch and Tweet in the same window.

Season 3 Scoop: Carina Returns!

What a timely bit of news to hit this week. We just watched “Chuck vs. the Wookie” on Chuck Me Monday, and now Chuck writer/producer Ali Adler announces that, “Carina the super sexy superagent will be making an appearance in Season 3!”

The Chuck writers have been at work on season 3 for a couple of weeks now, but this is the first confirmed piece of news to escape into the Interwebz. So what do you think? Are you looking forward to the return of Carina (Mini Anden) as Sarah’s sometime partner (and keeper of a certain secret involving Casey and Prague)?

VIDEO: Zac & Josh at the Saturn Awards

Frosty from Collider caught up with Zachary Levi and Joshua Gomez on the red carpet at last night’s Saturn Awards. They talk about facial hair, Comic Con, E3 and more:

Scott Bakula, Bruce Boxleitner to Attend London Film & Comic Con

A pair of Chuck dads will attend the London Film & Comic Con July 18-19. Scott Bakula and Bruce Boxleitner are scheduled to appear both days, with Scott giving a talk on Saturday. Both sci-fi icons will be available for photo sessions on Saturday as well as autographs, and Scott will also be participating in photo sessions on Sunday. For more information, visit the convention website. If you’re going, we expect a full report!

Chuck Me Mondays: “Chuck vs. the Wookie”

**Congrats to Sidney C, winner of this week’s giveaway!**

It’s week four of Chuck Me Mondays, and we have another giveaway for you at the end of this post! Often cited as one of the best season 1 episodes of Chuck, “Chuck vs. the Wookie” gives us a glimpse into Sarah’s past when her old pal Carina shows up looking for assistance on her latest mission. Poor Chuck, tasked to help two gorgeous women on a secret spy mission. Is he in over his head? Speaking of in over his head, the episode begins with a cozy couples’ game night at the Bartowski apartment (plus, you know, Morgan) as Chuck and Sarah’s cover relationship deepens. Here’s the official synopsis:

DIAMONDS ARE A GIRL’S BEST FRIEND-Chuck (Zachary Levi) faces an unusual task, when Sarah’s (Yvonne Strahovski) hot colleague from the CIA shows up requesting help for a mission. Morgan (Joshua Gomez) tries to get Chuck to set him up with Sarah’s new friend. When Chuck finds out that a million dollar diamond hidden in a Malibu mansion is being used to help fund terrorists, he must help these two beautiful women steal it back. Chuck is finding out that Sarah’s job of living a double life, which she is all too good at, is really preventing him from getting to know who she really is.

Lots of promotional photos were released for this episode, plus we have almost 1900 screencaps in our Gallery. You can also download the songs using this episode on our Music page.

How To Watch

• We recommend watching this episode at theWB.com for the biggest impact.
• If you don’t have access to watch online or would prefer to watch using a different method, then pull out your season 1 DVDs or download the episode from or Amazon.

When To Watch

• Americans watch at 9PM ET (convert to your time zone here)
• Europeans watch at 8PM GMT (convert to your time zone here)

Where To Discuss

• Discuss in the comments below.
• Discuss on Skype – send a message to DarthRazorback on Skype to be admitted to the chatroom.
• Discuss on Twitter using the tag #ChuckMeMondays. See our Twitter tutorial and a list of fans to follow here (be sure to read the comments for more fans to follow).
• Twitterers can also visit this site to watch and Tweet in the same window.

Win Chuck Me Swag

This week we’re giving away a Chuck Me t-shirt from the ChuckTV.net store.  One winner will receive their choice of any short-sleeved t-shirt in the store to proclaim their love of Chuck. Here’s how to enter:

• Leave a comment below about today’s episode before 11:59PM PT on June 22, 2009.
• Be sure to use a valid email address as that’s how we contact the winner.
• Contest is open to Chuck fans worldwide.
• Winner will be drawn at random from eligible entries and contacted via email.

Good luck!

Forbes Sees Potential for Yvonne Strahovski, Plus More Polls

Forbes.com recently released their predictions for The Next Breakout Stars, a selection of actors who they think will go far. Yvonne Strahovski is included on the list:

The increasingly popular prime time drama about computers and government secrets has built a fan base for Strahovski as NSA agent Sarah Walker. Her star is growing: The Australian actress has signed on for four movies during 2009 and 2010.

Of course we knew she had potential since the first episode of Chuck, but it’s nice that other people are noticing!

Chuck is nominated for a few more categories in the Tator Tops awards, plus TWOP’s Tubeys, so if you’re in the mood to do some clicking, cast your votes below and help keep Chuck’s buzz growing!

• Tator Tops 2009: Who’s Your Favorite Funny Guy?
• Tator Tops 2009: Which Couple Has the Best Romantic Chemistry?
• Tator Tops 2009: Who Was The Best Guest Star?
• Tator Tops 2009: Who Is This Season’s Breakout Star?
• Tator Tops 2009: What’s the Best comedy on TV?
• Tubeys: nominated in multiple categories, including Best Almost-Romantic-But-Not-Quite Relationship

Ausiello Chats with Zachary Levi

A couple of weeks ago those of us who follow EW’s Michael Ausiello on Twitter were excited when he Tweeted that Zachary Levi had stopped by to say “hi” while he was in New York City. Instead of a quick visit, Zac sat down with Ausiello to talk about the renewal, Subway’s sponsorship, Chuck’s new abilities, the possibility of Chuck returning earlier than March 2010 and a full season. Watch the video at EW.com.

Matt Roush at TV Guide Answers Chuck Questions

In this week’s Q&A column, Matt Roush from TV Guide Magazine answered several questions about Chuck and the show’s future:

Question: I can understand why certain shows of quality never really make it huge with the populace. I guess the relatively slow pace of Friday Night Lights and realistically drawn characters would turn off those who love escapism and easy watching. The Wire, I suppose, could be too complex, too “hard to watch” (although I’ve never been anything less than captivated by the show). Arrested Development wouldn’t appeal to those who don’t like hilarity and intelligence in their comedy (okay, that was snarky but comedy is subjective and I get that). I can even get, reluctantly, how Pushing Daisies might be too eccentric and a bit of an overload for some. But one struggling show I just cannot fathom is Chuck. I’m glad NBC is bringing it back for at least a partial season, but I simply cannot conceive why this one isn’t a breakout, mainstream hit. It’s fun, it’s exciting, it’s sexy, it’s marketable, and the continuous story isn’t so dense or prevalent that one would be lost if they jumped in midstream or missed an episode here or there. I just honestly don’t get it. You must get mail from the show’s detractors. Can you help me understand why this, of all shows, seems designed to ride out the rest of its days on the bubble?—Brad

Matt Roush: I’m with you. I’ve always thought Chuck has all the attributes of a mainstream hit. It’s well-made, smart (but not too smart) and funny, hugely accessible, with big doses of action and comedy each week. In short, it’s a blast. It’s not as if the idea of a reluctant spy is exactly ground-breaking, and with stars as appealing as Zachary Levi, Yvonne Strahovski and Adam Baldwin, I can’t imagine why people wouldn’t want to go on the ride. In the mail I get about the show, the most substantive criticisms have to do with the cartoonish subplots at Buy More—see Chris’s comments further down the column—which really do seem like annoying filler many weeks (and which I presume will be reduced significantly in the shortened season to come, or at least I hope will be), along with the much-discussed topic of whether Chuck might not work better at a half-hour than an hour. For me, part of what’s been holding Chuck back has to be NBC’s scheduling and the network’s overall misfortunes. Chuck has had to fight to get noticed in Monday’s most overcrowded hour, and being yoked to Heroes as it struggles season by season hasn’t helped. The writers’ strike cutting off the first season so abruptly also stalled whatever momentum it might have had early on. Otherwise, though, I’m as stymied as you. If we were still doing our “Best Show(s) You’re Not Watching” features, rest assured Chuck would be high on the list.

Question: There seems to be a recent trend these past several years for fans of lesser-watched series to organize and make pleas to network executives regarding the fates of their favorite shows. Fans have been successful in earning new seasons for CBS’ Jericho and NBC’s Chuck in the past two years. With Jericho, I believe ratings were a fraction of what they were at the beginning of the show’s first season, and I fear the long hiatus for Chuck may lead to a similar result. Do you think there is the possibility that network executives will become immune to the pleas of fans, no matter how unique said pleas might be? I thought the Chuck ploy by fans to appeal directly to a corporate sponsor was extremely smart, but if viewership levels do not increase as a result of any attempt by fans to bring their favorite back for another season, I fear executives will learn that listening to the fans is a waste of time.—Alex M

Matt Roush: By now, and especially in the Internet age, networks expect an uproar anytime almost any show is canceled. The short-lived resurrection of Jericho and the last-minute renewal of Chuck are less a reflection of networks bowing to fans’ desires (though it makes for a good story any time it happens) as they are strategic and specific decisions made for a variety of reasons, fan outcry being a big part of it. CBS, which builds most of its schedule around mainstream procedurals, was certainly responding to the viral online fan interest surrounding Jericho, and hoped to tap into the sort of “community” that doesn’t have nearly as much interest in CBS’s bread-and-butter programming. It didn’t translate into numbers, so CBS abandoned the experiment. (And this network tends to get punished any time it tries to break formula, with shows like Viva Laughlin, Swingtown and Harper’s Island, though it would help if the shows themselves were better. But that’s another topic.) With Chuck, the fact that a corporate sponsor (Subway) was drawn into the save-our-show fan campaign, and has since signed on as a significant sponsor of the next season, makes this particular renewal especially interesting. Whatever the numbers are for next season, NBC and Subway both get good p.r. for their parts in keeping a much-loved show alive. If Chuck fails to break through once again and is axed a year from now, I don’t see it having any significant impact on the way the networks will view fan campaigns. We win some, we lose many. That’s probably not going to change.

Question: You may have moved, but your column is still a “must-read” every week, so thanks for coming back better than ever. Now to business. I have finished the second season of Chuck and my thoughts to improve the third season is a better focus on the spy-angle rather than the Buy More adventures. It seems that for the most part, these stories are just padding and have no relevance most of the time to the series premise. Sure, sometimes they are funny, but at times they take up valuable real estate on the series, especially when Chuck isn’t part of those stories. I am left wondering: Does this series have a split personality going on? With the series about to do some budget snipping, my first instinct is to reduce the Buy More into a recurring stint rather than a focus on every episode. And although I don’t expect Emmy to come knocking for Chuck, I can’t deny the passion, energy and uniqueness of the second season. Every episode felt like it was a work of love for everyone involved. Zachary Levi, Yvonne Strahovski and Adam Baldwin had three of the best performances of last season, although I must admit I love it when Ryan McPartlin has a bigger role, too. And lastly, do you think Chuck will get the ratings it deserves or will this be the latest in a sadly long list of series that never find their true audience? I can’t remember a drama that “came out” in its third season, which makes me worried.—Chris

Matt Roush: This covers some of the same ground as Brad’s earlier question, but reveals just how anxious many Chuck fans are to move away from the Buy More arena. The show has played that out about as far as they can go (if not farther), and as long as they can keep Morgan in the stories (shouldn’t be hard), I don’t think it will be missed much at all, if in fact they do decide to move on. And couldn’t agree more that when they beefed up (so to speak) Awesome’s part in the last few episodes, it was truly awesome. As to whether Chuck can grow in the third season: It seems unlikely, but maybe launching the show at midseason instead of fall will be a blessing, not a curse. We’ll certainly do our part to make some noise when it comes back. The upside in this renewal is that expectations aren’t exactly high, so even staying on par with last season’s numbers might look like a success.

Chuck You Tuesday: First Fancast Is Live

The Chuck You, Tuesday Fancast is a compilation of the Skype conversation happening during Chuck Me Mondays. Listen in as fans talk about the Renew Chuck campaign, then rewatch Chuck from the beginning, cheering favorite moments and finding new things to discuss. The fancast is the brainchild of DarthRazorback and includes an international cast of characters. Enjoy!

EPISODES:

Episode 1 – The beginning:
Participants:
Dwarf – Announcer
Darth Razorback – Host

Krrrr – Guest star
Old Darth – Guest
Rachel – Guest
Richard – Guest
Siskj – Guest

Let us know what you think in the comments or in the ChuckTV.net forum.

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