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Ausiello at EW.com has an exclusive interview with Josh Schwartz talking about some of the rumors swirling around Chuck’s third season, plus the promise of more info in a future column:
I don’t know about you, but NBC’s official renewal of Chuck has been the highlight of upfront week for me. (ABC’s cancellation of According to Jim finishes a very close second.) But it’s time to bring the victory celebrations to a close and get down to business — the business of asking questions. Will a tighter budget lead to a less awesome (and populated) show? Does the massive Subway deal mean an end to Sarah’s yogurt shop? Will the midseason launch kill the show’s momentum? Will Chuck and Sarah start dating for real? Will exec producer Josh Schwartz answer all of these and then some in the following exclusive Q&A? I can tackle that last one: Yes!
NBC said the show’s budget will remain unchanged from last season. I’m hearing different. What’s the deal?
JOSH SCHWARTZ: I can tell you that [Warner Bros.] asked us to make budget cuts to meet a decrease in the NBC license fee. That’s how it was presented to me. That’s as far as I know. My job is to then be able to produce the show at the number the studio is able to deficit it for.How will the cuts affect what we see?
SCHWARTZ: Hopefully, you won’t be able to tell. I don’t think the look of the show is going to change. We might have certain episodes where Chuck’s mission is such that we don’t get the opportunity to go to the Buy More [as much]. We love our cast and, obviously, we want to use them as much as possible in as many episodes as possible.I heard Julia Ling [Anna] might not return. True?
SCHWARTZ: No. We have plans for Anna to return.Has she been taken off contract?
SCHWARTZ: We actually haven’t finalized all of our actor deals yet. It’s all being sorted out. But, like I said, we’re going to do whatever we can to try to keep the ensemble together.Will the show’s central trio be in every episodes?
SCHWARTZ: Yes. Chuck, Sarah, and Casey are in all episodes.Will Sarah be working at a Subway next season?
SCHWARTZ: [Laughs] You know, I don’t know the full details of the Subway integration yet. I know it will be significant. Chuck is a show that happens to be well positioned for effortless product integration, especially because Chuck works at an electronics shop in a strip mall. If Sarah or someone worked at a Subway it would hopefully be no more intrusive or unrealistic than Liz Lemon working at NBC.Are you concerned at all about the show being off the air for 10 months?
SCHWARTZ: It was really a tough choice that the network faced: Put us on Friday or [hold us until] midseason. I really believe Chuck is the little show that could. Our fans are clearly passionate, clearly loyal, and hopefully all we’ll do is get them more and more [excited] for our return. And we’ll come up with fun ways of stoking the fans throughout the fall. We also have something very, very fun planned for Comic-Con this year.How about a season 3 spoiler in honor of the show’s renewal?
SCHWARTZ: The biggest thing, obviously, will be dealing with the ramifications of how we ended the season. What does it mean for Chuck [and] how will it manifest itself? And I think for anyone who is concerned that he’s no longer going to be the Everyman, or an accidental hero, fear not.Will Chuck and Sarah start the season off as a full-fledged couple?
SCHWARTZ: I don’t want to give anything away, but obviously, Chuck having the Intersect in his head will severely complicate their ability to be a couple. Oh, here’s something: Look for… [the rest of this answer will run in this week’s Ask Ausiello, posting tonight.]Really? For who?
SCHWARTZ: [The rest of this answer will run in this week’s Ask Ausiello, posting tonight].Male or female?
SCHWARTZ: Gosh, isn’t it more fun to tease?I guess.
SCHWARTZ: Teasing is what you’re good at.
I’ll say one thing. YES, having the Intersect in his head complicates things betwen Chuck and Sarah. But if they have the same constant “on again,” “off again,” “Yes,” “No,” that they had in Season 2 what will wind up happening is that the loyal CHUCK fans who want to see SOME PROGRESSION FORWARD will wind up getting ticked off. Characters are supposed to DEVELOP, yes? And these two as a couple should develop as well. Is it going to be as easy as an “Ellie and Awesome?” No. But if it stays like it was in Season 2 (or Season 1 for that matter), the majority of the die-hard fans are going to get ticked off.
Let’s be honest. The future of this show has caused the devoted fans sufficient ANGST for months! You know the future of the show will also be up in the air again next year – you can’t avoid that in the world of TV anymore – so there will be ANGST again. If the show itself winds up causing the fans ANGST, then you’ve got BIG PROBLEMS.
I love this show. I’m addicted. I’m recruiting as many fans as possible. But PLEASE, in the name of all the is good, don’t “up” the Chuck/Sarah ANGST factor in Season 3. It’s NOT a development, it’s a stagnation. And the die hard fans – the majority of whom WANT to see SOME movement forward – some progress in the happiness that these two characters deserve (remember, both of their childhoods kind of sucked!), will be less than pleased.
So please, let’s not repeat Season 2 all over again when it comes to the Chuck/Sarah thing. THANKS!!
Yes I agree with Rick Holy, no more on and off again relationship! Explore the the spy who loves me theme and go from there! Sarah can kill anyone sixteen differnt ways who threatens Chuck, not to mention Casey!
I told you not to mention Casey. 🙂
I have a suggestion about how to keep the Chuck fans seriously engaged for the next several months. This past Tuesday at the official press release regarding the renewal of Chuck, Mike Pilot, President for Sales and Marketing at NBC Universal said, “We were thrilled when Subway…expressed a desire to expand their relationship with the series in a creative way.”
That being said why not give the fans a chance to expand their relationship with the show in a creative way by competing in a contest for the best dialog or scene suggestion for one of the upcoming shows in season three? The winner would have his or her suggestion included in some way by the show’s writers. Perhaps he or she could even be flown out for the filming of the episode. This would allow the fans to truly have some creative input with the show beyond buying $5 subs at Subway.
bummer, i’ll be at the san diego conference center the week before for the ESRI conference…Tell all the cast to come early!!!!
Chris fedak is on record saying that there will not be a lack of romance next season.
Dave – I just wish he’d be a little “less vague” about what (or more accurately WHO) that romance involves. Notice in the interview above he says having the Intersect back in his head will “complicate” their relationship. Dear God! It’s complicated enough!!!! I’ll hold off flipping out until I see the rest of the interview posted. I just don’t want to see another back and forth series of episodes where Chuck has a romantic interest in someone (i.e., Season 1’s Lou and Season 2’s Jill), and then Sarah has a romantic interest in someone (i.e., Season 1’s Bryce and Season 2’s British Spy). Yes, as Josh says, there could be “no shortage of romance” in Season 3. I just want that “no shortage” to be between the right people!! 🙂
Oops. I meant “as CHRIS says…..”
Knowing Josh Schwartz’s other works (yes I even watched Gossip Girl until recently) he has often shown an inability in developing relationships. Usually someone else will come along, or some major event will occur that will force the couple apart and then you have this off-on again thing dragged painfully out. It happened with Dan and Serena in GG so much that I eventually realised I just didnt care about their relationship or the characters anymore. And thats when I switched off. Im hoping Chris Fedak has a much better idea how to create drama from a healthy, continuous relationships.
Michael, I’m with you buddy! Chris and Josh – are you listening? You wanted us to make our voices heard in order to “save” the show – now we’re making our voices heard about what we hope to see in the show. Not telling you how to do your jobs – you the experts – but just giving you an example of the “voice of the people” who WORKED SO HARD – and are STILL doing so – for the sake of this show.
Chuck and Sarah will probably have to sneak around. With hillarious results.
After Chuck vs the Colonel, I don’t see how they cant have Chuck and Sarah be in a real relationship, or at least attempt to. They can’t go back to how they were after the last few episodes. I’m still a little worried about the 10 month wait, but as long as NBC promotes the you-know-what out of the show during the olympics and the true fans stay tuned in, I think we’ll be ok.
I’m all for Subway being a sponsor of the show, believe me, I just hope they don’t go overboard with the product placement
it’s only been a day since we got the official announcement, but already season 3 sounds like it’s going to be awesome!!! Can’t wait
Based on the rules that Sarah has broken for Chuck in recent episodes it doesn’t make sense that she wouldn’t atleast try to have a secret relationship with Chuck. If they continue the back and forth will they or won’t they in Season 3, they will destroy the show and all our hard work that we have done and will continue to do will be for nothing!
Here’s the “rest of the answers” from the “Ask Ausiello” post alluded to in the interview above. What is below is from the EW.com web site:
During your interview with Chuck boss Josh Schwartz, did he happen to mention if Chuck’s new abilities will be all over the spectrum? –Dana
Ausiello: No, but speaking of that Q&A, here’s the (extra spoilery) portion of the interview I held over for AA:
Will Chuck and Sarah start the season off as a full-fledged couple?
SCHWARTZ: Chuck having the Intersect in his head will severely complicate their ability to be a couple… [And] look for a potential new love interest on the show.
Really? For who?
SCHWARTZ: Someone who could triangulate between a couple of characters.
Male or female?
SCHWARTZ: Gosh, isn’t it more fun to tease?
O.K. – that’s all the “more” that Ausiello reported.
As far as my comments, Josh doesn’t really say anything more about CHUCK/SARAH other that “having the Intersect in his head is going to complicate things.” (Can anyone say, “this is a recording!” (re: Seasons 1&2).
As far as the new love interest that will “triangulate” things, all I can say is that if it involves CHUCK and SARAH, I’m going to CRAP!! NOT AGAIN!! Hopefully it will be a love interest for either Jeff or Lester, thus “triangulating” their “relationship!” ANYTHING but a CHUCK/SARAH/3RD PERSON trinagulation – PLEASE!!!!!
And Halley Smith – I “echo” your sentiments COMPLETELY! I sure hope the “powers that be” are listening (or reading)!!
Hey whats this I hear about chuck not coming back until febuary 2010? Thats outragous!! thats too long I know Im greatefull that its coming back at all but still!
@Laura, you heard right
Chuck won’t be back until 2010. After the winter olympics.
I think I speak for all of us when I say that we were all super excited when we heard Chuck was coming back, but we were all just as bummed as you are to hear that we have to wait 10 months for the new season. Trust me.
i completely agree. when i heard chuck was renwed i was sooo happy, and then BAM it was like a punch to the face when i found out its not coming back for almost a year. like casey punching me. heh heh.
judging by the last couple of episodes, i really dont see how sarah can leave chuck and vice versa. hell, sarah was going to stay for chuck! so i think that love interest might possibly be for jeffster, considering chuck’s not working at the buymore anymore, they might have to spiff that story up to make it interesting. or casey, maybe? didnt josh say yonks ago that casey would have a story of him own or something along those lines?
I agree that the Chuck and Sarah relationship must move forward. If it gets dragged out too long like Moonlighting by the time they end up together it would become a who cares event.
Here is a couple of follow-up thoughts to my previous post. The first is if Josh Schwartz wants to slow down Chuck and Sarah’s Relationship or perhaps what the fans see, there maybe away of doing so without enraging us fans. Since Sarah already said that her apartment has no surveillance in it, maybe the cameras should end showing them in the hallway going into the apartment and the door closing. So we fans see that they are together sort of, but we aren’t seeing what we want to see. Hence the storyline continues and the desire of the fans to get through that door.
The second thought which would be quite hysterical if it worked the way I envision it. Assuming the Powers At Be move Sarah and Chuck in together as part of the continued cover. General Beckman realising that it will be difficult in keeping them apart allows them to be together, but only when it is determined by Casey to be safe which will depend on that particular week’s mission. How would Casey keep Chuck and Sarah apart? Simple install one of those shower heads(like the one Casey used to wash off the poisonous powder in Chuck Versus The First Date) right above the bed. I can just imagine Chuck giving out his girlish screams and Sarah sternly yelling “Casey!”. Of course Casey would get carried away with using it which would drive Sarah and Chuck crazy. And in turn Sarah and Chuck would find ways to drive Casey crazy. This would keep them somewhat apart in a very hysterical way, but move the storyline forward.