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Ratings are in for last night’s episode of Chuck and it has slipped 6% to 1.5 adults 18-49 rating with approximately 4.32 million viewers. Everything was down last night across the board. Even Dancing With the Stars premiered at 20% less than last spring’s audience. Ouch! Also in the 8PM timeslot, House was down 3%, while How I Met Your Mother dipped 15%. Where did everyone go last night?
Reminder: Head over to RewardTV.com and complete the Chuck game/survey to be counted by Nielsen as a viewer last night. Also check out the renewal campaign activities here and help get a season 5!
Ouch! Hate to say it but thats the proverbial nail in the coffin. Have to really enjoy the last 5 episodes cause its looking like its coming to an end.
It’s not quite the nail in the coffin, but close. NBC is in bad enough shape that there is still a (small) chance of one more season of Chuck on a Friday, as a mid season replacement, or as Sunday filler if the NFL lockout continues.
wat!!!!4.3 million ,wat happened
A 1.5, barring an upward adjustment in finals, is very bad news. A 1.5 is not an acceptable number, even on NBC. This is Chase and Undercovers territory (one canceled, one all but officially canceled). That’s a new series low for an entire episode if it stands for a first-run episode. IIRC, it had a 1/2 hour at 1.5 last week.
Dancing With The Stars can be explained, in part, with two reasons — an unusually high percentage of “stars” few people have heard of (I counted three people in their line-up — and considered only two of those to be “stars” of any significance in the past, but not today) and the lack of a lightning rod (Bristol Palin) to draw interest to the show. Bristol’s presence on the show, whether you were a fan of her or the Palins in general or not, was a ratings booster.
The rest of the night’s drops? No idea. I suppose blame could be put on the first full day of spring, but that’s a stretch. Maybe it was the “super moon” effect lingering from last Saturday? 😉
I hate to say this, but Chuck’s ratings trend is not going to earn the show a renewal. It’s trending the wrong direction, Harry’s Law is still drawing more eyeballs for its segment of the night (although it was down also), and Chuck is now solidly sub-2.0 for the season’s average.
I’m just going to enjoy the rest of the shows this season (series?) and hope that it is not ended with some outrageous cliffhanger that may never be resolved.
Everything during the 8PM hour fell, and DWTS and HIMYM fell by double digit percentages. Ouch! These aren’t good numbers for Chuck, but I’m still optimistic about a renewal given the context of these numbers.
Man that really sucks. Hopefully whatever Cliffhanger the showrunners have planned wont be something that will piss people off when Chuck doesn’t come back next season. Its been a good run but damn, these are the ratings that killed Undercovers and The Chase and if Chuck keeps slipping it’ll end up in The Event and The Cape territory.
Undercovers was down to 1.2 before they decided to kill it. Chase was 1.5 when they decided to move it, and was 1.0 when they decided to kill it. So no, these aren’t the ratings that killed those shows.
But it’s getting too close for comfort, and the bar for renewal is definitely higher than the bar for not getting pulled mid-season.
Sorry, but Undercovers passed through the 1.5 territory on the way to cancellation. So did Chase. Both shows were eyed for cancellation long before the official announcements came out because of the cumulative sub-2.0 performances. Sub-2.0 ratings are what ends a show’s run. That’s where Chuck, unfortunately, is right now. Same territory. These are ratings numbers that stop shows.
The main differences are (a) Chuck is a veteran with 4 years on the books, (b) Chuck has (had?) a few unusual traits in the demo numbers working for it (young male viewers, the hardest group to reach, for one), (c) NBC leadership has been supportive of Chuck (in spite of a lack of promotion), and (d) the fans (the ones that are still left) have been organized, vocal, enthusiastic, determined, yet (mostly) polite, and respectful. The Subway campaign was a good example of all of these traits in action.
I agree with you about the bar, though. Chuck is looking at a pretty high one at this point and the ratings are acting like quicksand under his feet. Chuck needs to get a good, solid vaulting jump over these final episodes for season 4 to clear that bar and pull off a season 5. If he does, it’s going to be a near-miracle, given the downward, season-long ratings trend.
I won’t say it won’t happen. I won’t say it will. I’m just going to wait until the up-fronts and see what NBC says then while I enjoy the rest of the episodes from now until the season finale.
Bubble here we come….again! Too bad really, but there hasn’t been much advertising of the show.
Would be nice to see them get the 100 episodes, but the writers need to get back to the level of Season 2…it was great!
Chuck has been on the bubble since season 2. We’re now at the point where they’re trying desperately to not fall off the bubble.
I…think….I…just…died. 🙁 Me want season 5
I love this show…
But after seeing this slip during the last few weeks..
I am now just waiting for the cancellation notice. We are sinking deep into cancellation territory now.
I really really hope we our season 5…
wat!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great episode last night too! Stupid ratings. Mel what is the chance? I mean NBC has canned so many shows this year, would it be wise to end Chuck?
I’ve already started reconciling to myself that this is the end. There’s no positive way to spin these numbers.
Terrible news. Where have all the viewers gone? We need to do better than this next week or I really can’t see a season 5 happening.
There ain’t an episode next week; it returns in April. The loss of momentum from show breaks clearly does not help.
Since the momentum is down, down, down, I sort of welcome a break in that momentum. There seems to be a general dip in TV viewership this time of year anyways. If the networks anticipated higher than usual viewerships now, then sweeps week wouldn’t be when it is. That is when they anticipate the upsurge and showcase their product. If “Chuck” tanks during sweeps, then it’s all over.
Well this was it. There’s no way to twist it now. Chuck hitting a new low in the verge of ANOTHER break is officially the nail in the coffin for the show. If cancelation is coming, I would be happier if they announced it soon to make final tweaks to “Chuck vs. The Cliffhanger” before something wrong happens, and it sucks that otherwise we will know about the show’s fate the DAY OF THE FINALE!!!! Everything totally sucks now :\'(
Wow, lots of negativity here, I’d expect better from fellow Chuck fans. I’m going to stay optomistic about renewal and say ratings will get adjusted up, if people do the reward TV game.
R.I.P. Chuck
Can’t agrue with numbers. I just started watching Chuck this past year and really got into it. (Own all 3 Seasons on Blu-Ray) While I would love to see a season 5, I will admit that having watched the first 3 seasons multiple times, Season 4 hasn’t had the same quality feeling of the previous years, Not to say they didn’t have great episodes.
In hindsight, I think adding the extra 11 episodes might have been a little to many with too little time to write.
I know I will get the thumbs down by many, but being someone who was at C2E2 for Chuck and has tickets for San Diego Comic Con, I fear that I won’t see them there this year
I must agree.
There’s a sense of overall quality that has diminished with Season 4 (compared to Season 1 and 2, and the second part of Season 3), though I love it, and love that Chuck and Sarah are a couple and getting married.
There has been many great episodes this season, and a few meh ones. Season 5 would be great, but I feel like the writers have some trouble coming up with great spy stories this season (except the Volkov arc). TPTB still develop their characters very well, but they’re kind of running out of gas with the story ideas.
4.19 was not a bad episode per se, it was just…dull (except Team B. back together, and the last scene with Chuck, Sarah and Casey coming back home and relax).
It looks like the Volkov arc, part 2 will be good, and that, added to the wedding arc, will be a very fitting end for the season, and most probably, the series.
Let us hope that their cliffhanger is good, and kind of opening a new scope of adventures for Chuck, Sarah and Casey!
This is all I know for sure, DWTS may have a greater number of fans, but Chuck fans have more passion by MILES!
4 Seasons is a pretty darn good run. Look at how many shows don’t even make it through ONE. I’m no insider, but I would guess the chance of a CHUCK renewal (for NBC to keep in it’s back pocket as a “replacement show” for something that tanks – and believe me, new shows on NBC WILL tank next year) at about 10%. It all depends – again – on what kind of a deal that can be worked out between WB and NBC. Something inside me – even if it’s against conventional wisdom – says that there’s SOMEHOW going to be a 13 episode pickup for CHUCK for a 5th (and this time definitely FINAL season – it’s time for Levi, Strahovski et. al., to move on to other projects). But again, cancellation won’t come as any big surprise, either.
If we “end well” this season with the wedding, etc., cancellation won’t be so painful. If we had ended after Season 2, it would have been a lot more painful.
I don’t know why, but I was thinking the same thing with a 13 episode pick up. Chuck’s ratings are low but they are fairly consistent and it seems like they at least are targeting the right demographic for advertisers. Nothing new that NBC tried this season really seems to have worked. A 13 episode mid season replacement order of Chuck seems like a smart way to fill in the gaps whenever they run into the same problem next season. At least with Chuck, there is a small but loyal audience. They can launch it mid-season with minimal promotion and still count on an audience, albeit small, being there.
Why all the negativity?? if we give up now then there definitely wont be a fifth season!! Im sure ratings will improve!
One low ratings night does not mean a 5th season is dead. Chuck has been in more danger of cancellation in the past. We just need to make sure that people tune in on April 18 when the final 5 episodes resume.
Its not just 1 night of Low ratings, its all time lows and decreasing.
2.1 down to 1.5 its not just 1 bad week. What shocks me is some of the best shows didn’t do well on the ratings.
It is not just 1 night of low Ratings. Chuck has been as high as 2.1 This year and they have had a slow progression down. From 2.1 – 1.5 was a gradual decrease in viewer ship. I actually watch the program, record it on my DVR and play it back w/o Fast Forwarding in case those numbers actually matter.
Either way, it’s not just one week and unless NBC actually tries to promote the show, I don’t see it getting any better.
I telling you people it got nothing to do with Chuck. Everything was down Last night.
I be more worried if everything last night went up or stayed the same and Chuck went down.
Oh man this is bad news. I think the lack of promotion is still a big part. This was the first week all season when I didn’t see a 2nd promo for the episode. I follow spoilertv closely, and usually a 2nd promo for the coming episode gets posted on either Friday or Sunday night. This week, there wasn’t even that, which really pissed me off because that’s the bare minimum amount of promotion a show should get. Promoting the show is important because it causes all the casual viewers who don’t watch the show regularly but just watch whatever’s on to watch and that increases the ratings. I don’t know where Chuck’s promotion has gone this spring, but it’s killing the show. I’m definitely going to reward tv today.
DST is noticed here just look at FOX and CBS show numbers. We are experiencing same weighting factors as last spring. We had approximately 1 million less total viewers than last week and expected another drop could happen with full new episode competition. If history repeats as last seasons the demo will go go back up some. If same factors as past season are still in place
Why is Chuck taking a two week break? This could potentially hurt the ratings even worse… Seems like a risky move.
Sidenote: The spoiler for S4:E20 says it will air on April 18, 2011, but http://tvlistings.zap2it.com/tv/chuck-chuck-versus-the-family-volkoff/EP009307790080 has it airing on Apirl 11, 2011. Just wanted a verification.
Wow! what a bunch of Negative Nancys, Debbie Downers, etc. At least you could do is circle the wagons and put up a fight. A lot of you sound like you are ready to give up on Chuck. There are still 5 episodes left and the numbers could still go back up to the norm, for Chuck.
We still don’t know how much weight is given to other forms of counting viewership of Chuck….DVR, Reward TV, supporting sponsors of the show, which by the way, other sponsors could take a closer look at knowing how supportive we Chuck fans are of our favorite show and are more than willing to patronize the sponsors. (not sure how many people buy Toyotas just because of Chuck, though).
I love coming to this website and reading all the comments, but it is getting a bit depressing lately and I am hesitant to log on here.
So maybe we all could subside with the doom and gloom and get some positive energy going.
Here’s to a Season 5 people!!!
And my week just keeps getting worse 🙁 However, I will never be torn away from this show, so I’ll keep watching every night it’s on (just like I have for the past 3 seasons.) Let’s keep our heads up Chucksters.
I really hate to say but I think people besides us hardcore fans have lost interest in Chuck. Just my opinion though
It’s true! Even my family has lost interest and it kills me!
Amen to that!!!! Same here. I know Mel & Liz and company are really hardcore in the show, going as far as saying Season 4 is the best. If it is, why have many lost interest in the show? I still like it but it is in no way better than Season 2 and (yes I will say it. Flame me if you want, I’m no shipper) Season 3. And my own sister, who was once a hardcore fan, couldn’t care less now. So it’s no surprise if there’s no uptick next time around (or it could be, no one knows)
There is so much negativity in the fandom, I don’t feel like going to fansites anymore. A 1.5 is not good, but come on, there are 5 episodes left and alot can happen. What happened to the fans who rallied back in Season 2. When did we give up? This is still a fun show and the same great cast we have come to love. Now tighten your chuck taylors and don’t give up.
All of yoy Chuck fans dont you dare to give up the hope. You just have to stay positive and hope for a season 5 because everything dropped last night its not the show chucks fault its great dont you forget that. Just do everything you can to support chuck.
What are people doing!!!!??!! Obviously people don’t want a season 5 enough!!! Me, personally, i want a season 5 soooo badly!!! I watch the show live and online and do all I can to advertise! It’s Chuck guys…maybe it is the same quality of season 2, but it’s amazing in it’s own way!!! Season 4 is like the miracle season that no one thought was gonna happen!! Chuck may have hit a low to NBC, but to me, Chuck is just as great as ever! You shouldn’t compare Chuck episodes to OTHER Chuck episodes. Because there will always be a better episode but PEOPLE AT LEAST IT’S CHUCK!!! Just remember how lucky we are to be watching and don’t complain. Watch watch watch and tell tell tell and get more viewers! We are partly responsible for this because obviously as Chuck fans we aren’t doing our part to help raise the shows ratings!!!
LONG LIVE CHUCK(: <3
Chuck rarely flash now. He is no longer nerdy and act like a dork. The show is still great but chuck character has changed after season 3. This maybe why the rating goes down. they film the entries show in the castle……pretty boring.