Chuck Vs The Third Season

Chuck Versus The Third Season

Or

Hanging On By A Thread, er Tie?

Short term pain for long term gain.

That is the dilemma that is facing the Chuck TV series. When Chuck should return with new episodes is a topic of much discussion amongst fans. Should the show be returned to the air as soon as possible? Would you feel the same knowing that such a course could very well spell the end of the series? Or would you be willing to wait until March if the chances for a fourth season improved?

Chuck faces its biggest challenge yet; making it past the third season. This is the do or die season for the series. It is rare for a show that is given an extension to survive beyond it. So when Chuck returns it has to be under the best conditions.

A slew of good episodes to hit the ground running is a given. It is also the only thing the show has control over. From all accounts the showrunners realize this. Early word has it that the show is in a great creative groove. Unfortunately everything else is out of the show’s hands. Such is the nature of the TV business.

In Chuck’s two seasons it has never enjoyed an uninterrupted run. The first season was truncated by the writer’s strike. The second season had a network imposed month layoff over the Christmas holiday plus a last minute preemption due to a presidential address. The main impetus to garnering good and consistent ratings would be an uninterrupted season long story arc run. A thirteen episode order with a complete story arc almost guarantees that possibility.

These are two main scenarios in which Chuck could return:

Sceanario 1

• return in March 2010 after the Winter Olympics
• major promotional opportunity
• people will be used to tuning into NBC
• a strong and complete thirteen episode run

Scenario 2

• Coming back in late 2009 or early 2010 in relief of a failed show
• lack of promotion would be a serious blow
• interrupted season due to the Winter Olympics

There also exists the possibility of Chuck becoming a summer show and used to help launch a sister summer show. This scenario could also include an order of an additional episodes to allow Chuck to play out the summer. The drawback with this plan is that if Chuck were to get a fourth season the wait would be until June 2011.

All of these scenarios have their pluses and minuses. For me the best choice is the one where Chuck returns after the Winter Olympics. The promotional opportunity and a tight, complete, thirteen episode season arc are the best combination of making a fourth season a reality. Plus this scenario gives the best shot for Chuck to get the order for the additional episodes. Worth the pain of a longer time between seasons.

If Chuck came back earlier the joy of getting the show back could be a transient one.  It could be at the expense of the show’s long term future. The lack of promotion plus another interrupted season could kill any momentum the show builds. That combination could spell the end of the series.

What does everyone think? Do you feel the show could survive and thrive if it came back earlier? Or do you feel that its best chance for long term survival lays in waiting until after the Winter Olympics?

Please post your comments etc here or in the comment section or the ChuckTV forums.

Till next time!