ChuckTV.net The CHUCK archive
In today’s Television Critics Association presentation, NBC President Robert Greenblatt confirmed (again) that Chuck will end on January 27. I’m not sure which hardcore Chuck fan in the audience of television critics asked him if it might get a last-minute reprieve, but Mr. Greenblatt’s response was one of the most direct I’ve ever heard from a network exec:
“Have you seen the ratings of Chuck?” asks Greenblatt. “Unfortunately that rabid fan base that was going crazy on the net, didn’t come to the show. Maybe it didn’t come to the show because it was Friday, but you think they would find the show. The show is doing a 1 rating. I think Chuck’s time has come. Chuck is over. Let’s alert the masses.”
Props for honesty, sir, but geez. Way to insure none of us want to stick around for any of your other shows.
Well said, Mel. If Mr. Greenblatt wants to help his struggling network, alienating one of its most loyal fanbases is definitely NOT the way to go about it.
Yeah, it does seem to go against the idea of trying to get the networks ratings up, doesn’t it? Alienating fan bases isn’t a good idea, especially when you’re already so far behind in the numbers.
Sure chucks ratings are low but it is on a Friday and all of NBC shows are not doing very well! Also chucks has more fans around the world which don’t count towards the ratings system!
His comments have virtually assured that my days of watching anything on NBC end in three weeks, after Chuck is gone. There was a right way and a wrong way to make the point he wanted to make, and he chose the wrong one. Chuck (and the fan base) deserve a little more respect than that. It wasn’t that long ago that Chuck was the only show on NBC thats ratings weren’t in the toilet.
I agree with you Mel. As one of the members of those so called “rabid fan base” (who watches the show live every Friday). I don’t think I will be watching any of NBC’s other new shows after the end of Chuck. Maybe if they made it more available like putting it on Amazon, iTunes etc. we could share it with others.
And that´s why I believe quantity is sooo diferent from quality.
“That´s super NBC, thanks for thinking outside the box on that one, and here I thought I couldn´t get more freaked out.”
Another issue with this season is it’s not streaming online and not available for purchase on iTunes, so if you don’t catch it when it airs (and don’t have a DVR), you’re out of luck, so even fewer people are watching.
Wow. He could have phrased that less… mean.
I don’t watch any other NBC shows except Chuck and I agree with others that his comments will prevent me from trying others. My only caveat would be if it had one of the Chuck cast as a main character. NBC has fallen a long way from the days of “must see tv.”
1. Chuck has been on life support for the last few years. Season 4 and 5 were simply gifts to be with our favorite show just a little bit longer. We got to hold its hand, tell it we love it and slowly be prepared that indeed its time was coming to a close like all shows. It had a good life. Celebrate it.
2. However the NBC President is a doctor with no bedside manner. We’re all gathered in the hospital room around our show that will be ending soon (just a few weeks). He walks in, someone asks if there is anymore time left for our beloved show…. he looks up with a frown, stares straight ahead and says, “no… it’s dead.” An elderly woman among us raises her fist and slowly lunges at him as others hold her back. This room is emotional right now.
3. NBC has been like a poorly run hospital the last couple of years. Sure alot of shows dying on it. The best staff are heading off to other networks. A lot of strange decisions going on in administration and alienating quite a few viewers over things such as Leno/O’Brien, ect. Not even House over on FOX could figure out what rare disease is going on with the NBC ratings.
Phil, my English major heart is so proud of you right now.
lol – thanks Mel. 😉
Excellent. Your diagonisis is top notch. I still beleive the Neilson system is broken, but if its the metere stick used on ALL the networks then at least its consistant.I too am thankfull for the run we got.
That’s deep man… that’s real deep
How differently would Chuck have played out if Chuck had been on NBC’s sister station USA Network? Odd ball shows like Monk, Psych, White Collar, Burn Notice, and Royal Pains have thrived on USA Network for years, despite an audience that is probably a fraction of the Chuck audience…
“NBC has been like a poorly run hospital the last couple of years. ”
More like since the new century began. Outside of Friends and Frasier (which were introduced in the 1990s), nbc (the diminutive is deliberate) has had nothing of note to hang its hat on, ratings-wise, in the realm of scripted programming that has lasted more than a short time. Its only real ratings successes have been short-lived or limited in scope — and mostly in non-scripted programming (America’s Got Talent, Deal or No Deal,etc.)
As to the current administrator’s bedside manner, yea, it should have been handled better and a bit more diplomatically. He could have simply said, “There’s nothing more to add to that subject beyond the statements we have already released. Chuck is done in January and filming has already concluded” or something to that effect and moved on.
However, I also suspect that he has been asked (he may think badgered) about that subject a lot (he may think far too much especially in comparison to the ratings, which rules the accounting roost in their world) and finally lost his temper a bit. Not making excuses for him, just thinking that, if you get asked the same question over and over again at some point you simply lose your patience and decide that a blunt, possibly mean response will finally get the message across to stop asking a question that won’t have a changed answer. Again, not making excuses, but that’s what I sense in the blunt response.
No doubt it that he could have said it in a much classier way, but it is true, the ratings don’t justify it to go on and they really didn’t justify it before. I feel very lucky to have gotten this far.
The fact is twitter/on-line activity/and level of passion of the fans does not mean it is a large number of fans. Chuck fans have been able to mobilize and get their voices despite the small number because they have used social media in such smart ways. Hats off to that and thanks because it gave us 5 seasons.
I think the rabid fans have tuned in to watch, its just that rabid fans = small number, sadly. People need to realize that tons of twitter mentions, tons of internet chatter, tons of comments on reviews, etc. do not necessarily mean there is a number that are actually watching that justifies a show continuing. A true sample of people who watch TV is not represented by the people who are active on social media.
I understand the anger at his insensitivity, but the truth is tough to hear sometimes. He could have just stated ratings do not justify it continuing but we have appreciated and valued the passionate vocal fan base, etc.
I am not going to boycott NBC, they did a good promotional push before season 3 and it just didn’t work. I hope this once proud network can get back on its feet again, as it still has quality shows like The Office, Parks & Rec, Community – I appreciate those more than the NCIS fair of CBS. But again, we are obviously in the minority here – millions and millions more do prefer the CBS counterparts.
Lev, as I said in the article above, he was telling the truth. A truth Chuck fans have known for months and haven’t hesitated to voice in the Ratings threads. He could have been more tactful about it, though.
(BTW, the season 3 push got very good results…until a Presidential speech pre-emption followed by a 3-week hiatus for the Olympics killed all of our momentum.)
Especially when you consider that it’s his job to be tactful. Personally, I would have said something like, “I’m sorry no but the ratings just aren’t there. In the meantime we at NBC will work diligently to bring you new shows you can love and enjoy.” But I’m just an engineer, I’m not supposed to have social graces. I’m supposed to be good at math.
A NBC está cometendo um grande ERRO!
NBC is making a big mistake :S
I was not going to watch anything on NBC anyways but this guy totally put a nail in it for me. I know he being honest but I want to beat him up.
Grimm isnt bad. CEOs tend to be insentistive btw it goes with the sallary and the EGO.
Do they have other shows?
I think it’s just called “airspace” now…. (rabbid fan mouth foaming now – lol)
CBS is just dominating with their original programming followed by ABC and FOX. NBC coming up 4th with football being their only saving grace. It’s sad because NBC has had quite a few shows that could have panned out well. TNT picked up Southland off of NBC (which we followed over to TNT to watch) as “characters are welcome” over there. Around the same time two other shows got the axe on NBC we watched as well.
That NBC president doesn’t have faith at all and he’s says we’re rapid. Try making it better then, As all others said, put the current episode out on Itunes, Amazon or just let us watch it on the NBC website. I think the NBC president doesn’t deserve to be it. We are CHUCK! and we are the world greatest fanbase of any tvseries!! VIVA LA CHUCK!
Like said by everyone here before me, what a poor poor way of handling that question! Way to alienate a very loyal fan base. After the 27th I will have no reason to watch NBC again.
You know i actually was not mad at NBC cause they seem to sort of treat Chuck fair. I think they wanted it to be a success they just didnt know how to market it cause their well dumb. But with this comment I say Screw you NBC. I hope you keep falling.
The day Chuck ends. I will probably listen to this song; Linkin Park – Robot Boy
to keep and want to move on. But will cry probably for days.
Struggling network (NBC) shows little concern for incredibly loyal fanbase (Chuck’s). A post-it note reminder might be helpful for NBCs’ future. Moving the show to Friday for it’s final season? Dumb.
Yeah. When networks hold little value or have little faith in a show they typically just dump it off into the Friday death slot. If it swims good. If not who cares really. It fills out the lineup.
Execs figured they paid for “X” amount of episodes for Chuck, they need to give that Monday slot over to new programming. Riding the wave of game shows they did Fear Factor and Who’s Still Standing (not this show for long). Game shows can be made cheaper than sitcoms. It’s a money game.
I prefer Wipeout though as it reminds me of that poorly dubbed show MXC “most extreme elimination challenge” with japanese contestants. Hilarious. Kenny Blankenship & Vic Romano. Field reporter Guy LeDouche and field marshall Captain Tenneal. Oh man I miss that show.
This Greenblatt dont know what he is talking about I want to use a bad word but I will pass:)
This is just typical NBC. They go out of their way to kill great shows and then blame the fans. They did it to Star Trek, and probably did it to JAG (which went to CBS and ran for 9 years after 1 year on NBC).
GOOD Example. In CHUCK’s case thou I think the 5 year run was prefect. I feel bad that they had so much stress being on the bubble all the time, BUT they in my opinion came through. True professionals.
Well said Mel good on you. they should of just left CHUCK on monday nights and not moved to friday nights.
Alison (ali)
From
England
P.S THANK U MEL FOR ALL THE HARD WORK IN DOING THIS POST SO THANKS AGAIN.
I’m lost on this man’s logic. It’s like moving the highway then blaming the drivers for the loss of businesses that were along the old highway.
And if the networks refuse or are slow to adapt to new technology and their business suffers because of it, is that the fault of the people using that technology? (Hint: No.)
Honestly, I wish people would just stop asking whether there’s any chance because I’m sick of having the show’s end mentioned in every article I read. It had finally died down and here it is again.
On a brighter note, thanks to the showrunners, writers, cast and crew for a jam-packed season so far. It’s still so much fun! 🙂
As much as I do not want Chuck to end… its obviously for the best. It is better for the show to actually end than get cancelled with no proper ending. Havnt we known for some time now though that this was Chuck’s last season and no more last-minute reprieve? I mean come on! Episode 13 is titled “Chuck vs. The Goodbye” and Chris said this was the ending of the show. I am glad we had 5 seasons but I am more thrilled that we at least have a proper ending.
WOW. that was harsh. i only learned about chuck last year. i fell in love with it from the first episode and has been a fan of it since.
it breaks my heart that it is going to an end when i am still so happy that i discovered this awesome show.
NBC is stomping on the already bleeding hearts of all the Chuck fans. they apparently don’t what they are loosing.
just correcting >>>> don’t know
I appreciate Mr Greenblatt’s honesty. He was straightforward and to the point.
He was probably concerned that there might be another Chuck fan campaign and he didn’t want to waste the viewers’ time or efforts.
And honestly, even if he had lied a little and hinted that Chuck might be renewed, I probably still would not watch NBC after Chuck ended.
The ratings are not what the show was receiving S2 to mid season S3 and the demos for Fridays are not worth bragging about for any network. He didn’t have to give Chuck S5 and did want to give fans closure so he had to be appreciative you think just from that point. I be only speculating reasons for his latest statement but yea you think he had more class.
Wow, I have to say it. The comments by that NBC Exec, were just Nasty.
I agree with the others in this thread, who have mentioned that letting us fans buy the S5 Episodes on ITunes & Amazon certainly would have helped ratings. As well, as letting us watch episodes for free on NBC.com or on Comcast On – Demand. Poor choices this yr by NBC.
Eventhough Chuck has lasted for 5 seasons on NBC, I feel that it has done so, in spite of its network. As, I think that NBC has never really cared to promote Chuck or support it, in an effort for it to do well.
I site the mis matched scheduling of the show, the poorly timed & lengthy Hiatuses, that Chuck has had to endure & also, instead of giving Chuck full season orders each yr, twice NBC added on episodes mid yr, which led to seasons that stopped & started & had somewhat poor stories & flow, because the writers did not have a set schedule.
No, I don’t feel NBC ever cared about Chuck. The shots that this exec took in his statements just shows that.
As far as his remarks about Chucks fans & the ratings doing a 1 this yr.
I just don’t know how much we are expected to do?
Speaking for myself, I have bought the DVD’s.
The Eps (Available) on ITunes, I have also purchased. They are on my computer right now. I also watch the Live Eps. every week & rewatched them in On – Demand. (Not S5 though? Thanks NBC!)
Chuck may just be coming to its own natural end? However, I do think that it could have had more commercial & not just critic sucess, with more support from the network that carried it. NBC is at fault for that
BMB
I think this is the natural conclusion for Chuck, and I am thankful that NBC allowed a proper goodbye. I really expected more tact from Greenblatt, though. He turned USA Network into a commercial success; my hopes were high when he took over NBC. My guess? He’s bitten off more than he can chew, and the indigestion is causing him to speak before he thinks it through.
Mel- I am also thankful for NBC allowing a proper goodbye. Suprised too when Year Five was granted. So it could have been worse. But, after reading what Greenblatt said, all my thankfullness disappeared. What a stupid and unprofessional thing to say.
This guy is running a NETWORK?!? I agree with the others. To be honest, Chuck is the ONLY show I’ve watched on NBC for a while. I refuse to watch
all that reality JUNK . Once Zac, Yvonne,Adam,Josh, etc get too big (famous), NBC will be kicking themselves for letting them go. If NBC or somebody doesn’t sign a development deal for any of them, they need their heads examined.
Aside from Chuck, I only watch Notre Dame Football and other football on NBC.
On that point… yes… NBC provides me with valuable football games in the fall/winter. I won’t bash them too hard. We all make off the wall remarks and I’m sure this dude at NBC is no different. It is what it is and I take it with a grain of salt. Its his job to ensure highly rated programs make it to air and if they don’t he’s fired so he has a lot of pressure to weed out lower rated programming in favor of trying new ones.
Seriously!? Well Mr Greenblatt, you’ve just made sure that I’m not going to watch any other NBC show ever again! Blame yourself! Even if I know that he was telling the truth he could have said in such a more appropriate way! We are the loyal fan base, it’s not our fault that Chuck never got as many viewers as it should have!
P.S Holy crap I’m gonna miss Chuck!! 🙁
He definitely lacked tact.
But, he didn’t say anything that was untrue.
The ratings–even on a Live + 7 basis which includes DVR time-shifting–are down a lot from last year.
And I’m sure we all know a fan or two who used to watch regularly but stopped watching (example: Old Darth)
NBC’s nightly news isnt bad, and then there is SNL, and GRIMM but to be honest NBC has only iself to blame for its low ratings. I only started watching CHUCK this year from word of mouth. I am glad they gave the show a chanceand let it have a good run. As far as getting people to watch their other programing? They need to do a little better promoting and get some more quality shows, because other than the ones I listed above, NBCs line up is a bit of a wasteland.
Yeah what he saying is the truth. But they moved the show to Fridays. Did anyone think it actually get good ratings. I didnt i knew they sent it their to die. Fox did the same thing to Dark Angel and CW did it to Smallville. Really though we are really lucky to have this season really.
Well, he certainly has an abrasive manor. I guess he’s not much of a people person.
We all know the show is over, but he cerainly could have presented the news in a much better way.
Then again, he is probably under a great deal of stress right now. He probably see’s his job sliding away from him as NBC’s fortunes wain.
By the end of the year he could be announcing that NBC is over.
Also, although the ratings are a 1.0 if I’m not mistaken those are fairly typical ratings for a Friday night show.
When I saw what he said, I tweeted an angry response to the person that posted about it.
What did NBC expect would happen? You take a show out of its’ original time slot, and move it to Friday. Friday is not a place that many shows have moved and thrived. You cannot expect a show to be moved to Friday and have the fans all follow. Friday is a movie release day. TGIF survived on Fridays for many years because the younger crowd would be home to watch it.
I guess I should expect this from a network that kept tired old Jay Leno rather than cutting edge Conan O’Brien around, regardless of the cost that they should never have agreed to with Leno.
NBC is screwing things up continuously. I mean, they didn’t have to bring Chuck back for a final 13 episodes. They didn’t do the same thing for Heroes, and I don’t think I was alone in thinking that the fourth season was finally as good as the first season of that show.
I guess I’ll be hoping for the best with Fox when Alcatraz and Touch both start this month. I’m also hopeful that, wherever NBC puts Community, it’s not going to be in a really strange place, like Chuck’s old Friday night spot, to burn off two episodes a week.
Side note, to Curtis: The creative team of Smallville opted to end the show after the tenth season.
Sorry this comment is so everywhere, I could almost write a book about this stuff.
P.S. I just wanted to add, I think you should post a schedule of the upcoming episodes on the site somewhere, like in the sidebar on the right, under the ad, or something. I came to this site looking for a calendar of episodes with airdates, and was disappointed that I didn’t find one.
Chuck airs every Friday through the 2-part finale on January 27. We post a preview/reminder every Friday, send out a reminder newsletter, the airdate is included with every post containing photos or clips from the episode, and each episode’s airdate is listed on its page in the Spoilers category. I’m hoping that’s enough!
That’s a lot of places… though with the series coming to a close, I think a place that makes it unmistakable could be beneficial to casual fans as well as show NBC a thing or two.. I think it could do a little bit to help the ratings some. For instance, until you mentioned it, I didn’t know the finale was a two-parter. I dunno. That said, I love what you’re doing here on this website. It’s my go-to place for information about one of my favorite shows.
Sounds like you’ve got it all covered Mel. However I’d love a courtesy phone reminder and email blast too if possible? (wink) 😉
although i appreciate the 13 episode “gift” that NBC gave the fans the only other think i watch on there network is football .Its difficult for me to start watching a show on there network because they seem to cancel all the good shows
Maybe if NBC in 5 years had run commercials for Chuck… it’s ratings wouldn’t be what it is..
It’s obvious. Greenblatt hates us, NBC hates us, and Chuck deserves better than this. We never forget. Wave as your audience leaves on the 27th and never comes back. Let’s end this with a bang. LONG LIVE CHUCK, BE IT DEAD OR ALIVE!!!
I’m so sick of NBC. The years of abuse they have given Chuck, the midseason benching of Community, the not scheduling premiere of Awake, what else? James Spader over saturating The Office?
It’s hard for me to say I will never watch a show on NBC again because I watch The Office, Parks & Rec, Community, ect. But they certainly put a bad taste in my mouth and I will always remember how they treated Chuck fans. I certainly will never invest as much in an NBC show as I did Chuck. Let’s hope the finale is awesome!
They seemed to jerk us around from the first time we wanted to keep it. They never really gave it a good shot after that. Shows tend to go to Fridays to die. What is left of NBC. Can’t think of anything
NEVER WATCHING nbc AGAIN!!!!!!!
He was insensitive, that’s for sure. Though, I will concede the point he was making…I have barely seen any of the episodes this fall because of it’s move to Friday (I will finally see it all on DVD). At the same time, I think it’s silly to stop watching shows on NBC. I get that people feel insulted but I guess…I watch The Office, Parks and Rec, Community, and on occasion Up All Night. Ive been wanting to give Grimm a try but again, Friday is an issue.
DItto! I AGREE with 98% of the comments. NBC has simply lost touch with their audience thus there meal ticket is being slowly evicted and they’re handing out the pink slips while at the same time they smile and believe they know more than the fans/consumers do! They flushed so many good, decent and entertaining shows that a family could watch together down the sewer its really sad. Tho one comment was definitely wrong. NBC is still “NBC see us” yea NBC see us be last and give our FEW viewers the middle finger and smile at em. I miss Heroes. Knight Rider. Bionic Woman. Las Vegas and on and on. KR was even fixing their initial mistake and rswbooting and NBC STILL kept pounding in the wooden stake. CHUCK should have simply been sold to TNT or USA ect and it would most likely have taken flight and soared. The brainless execs at NBC must be dreaming that they are the BBC. The BBC does 13 (+/- a few) episode seasons like Doctor Who. WAKE UP NBC!!! You’re not in Wales!! and we already have a game show network. This reminds me of what the Pres of CBS did when his wife told him to get rid of the Beverly Hillbillies. His wife had him by the jewels and he canceled all those shows at a whim and many were hits with good ratings and then CBS did the same thing to Ghost Whisperer!! So with less and less decent programming every week on NBC, I’ve listened and started watching alternate channels like TNT, USA and such. Atleast they know drama and their VIEWERS. After the 27th I’ll cheerfully tell NBC to See Ya and NO more. Just my $.99 worth! 😉
man, i am going to hate to not get more new chuck’;s, but i am thankful for the five years we have had. the cast and crew have been amazing on the show and more importantly, they have been loyal to us fan’s. i don’t know of another show that the cast interacted so openly with and truly seemed to enjoy being with us. it’s just a shame that nbc opts to put on show’s that don’t come close to chuck in getting the viewer more passoniate about the show and the character’s in the show……so long chuck, thank you all and god bless..
Well Chuck will live on and who in the hell will remember him. a**hole
Could anyone see a Chuck movie in like five years? I would pay to see it .
No. Its just not popular enough. DVD sales just arent good enough. That was the only reason Firefly got a movie and the movie really wasnt a success at the box office. People have petitioned for a Veronica Mars movie and look how well that is going. Chuck, I hate to say it, just isnt nearly popular enough. it would need a very intense and highly rated sindication run (highly unlikely) and I doubt anyone would ever even consider a made for tv movie. As much as I would love a movie, it just will not happen. What we have now is all we’re ever going to get, unless Schwartz or Fedak decided to make some like special edition comics. Thats about all I could see, but even those would most likely be short run only (see the Firefly comics as an example).
Yeah, this Greenblatt is just another NBC idiot who has no clue what is good TV. As everyone has said once Chuck departs the scene NBC can go to hell and I’ll proably cancel COMCAST (don’t they have some ownership of NBC) too and go satellite. You look at what NBC has to offer, 30 Rock, Community, THe Office, Parenthood – mindless shows for mindless Nielsen drones. I was hoping that maybe USA or TBS/TNT would pick Chuck up but that is not to be. At least they go out on their own terms. Then NBC insults us even more by not making Season 5 shows available on line or On-Demand. This Greenblatt piece of crap I’m sure will be looking real soon for a new job maybe as a page somewhere when NBC goes further into the toilet. The network that brought us Seinfeld, Friends and CHeers will go the way of the gooney bird. Good riddance NBC!