Although the Renew/Cancel index lists Chuck as safe and likely to be renewed, the index has never encountered either an NBC that is performing as poorly as NBC is this year, or an NBC that is cutting five hours out of its prime-time lineup next year to make room for Jay Leno.
While I won’t be terribly surprised if NBC renews Chuck, I won’t be surprised if they don’t either. Chuck’s performance relative to NBC’s average season-to-date 18-49 viewing (minus the Super Bowl) is OK, in fact it’s almost performing exactly at the average. However, NBC’s average stinks. Still, normally shows that perform average are not canceled by networks. But normally, networks don’t clear five hours of the prime-time schedules for Jay Leno. Since Chuck’s numbers aren’t great (or even good, honestly) in the absolute, I don’t think its fate is sealed just because of its performance in the index.
We probably won’t know anything before NBC announces its lineups in early May and are just going to have to ride it out until then. While hand-wringing won’t change the show’s fate any, it at least gives fans something to do between now and early May! And the fans don’t have to sit idle because the results for tonight’s episode which we will report tomorrow (Tuesday) morning will be interesting at least for me.
The last time Chuck aired two weeks ago, it aired against a full line-up of competition, including the premiere of Dancing With the Stars (one of the best premieres it had in years). Tonight though, House is a repeat. Two weeks ago when it wasn’t Chuck averaged 5.7 million viewers and a 2.0 rating with adults 18-49. Without a new House, I am looking for Chuck to improve by at least 10% — meaning it will go back to having more than 6 million viewers, and more importantly at least a 2.2 rating with adults 18-49.
If it does increase by 10%, I don’t know that it will really mean anything positive to its survival. But if it doesn’t increase by at least 10%, I would view that as a significant negative and think it likely the folks at NBC would too.
While I am a huge fan of Chuck, there are some things I don’t necessarily share in common with the fandom. For one, if NBC winds up canceling Chuck because it thinks it’s a marginal performer, I won’t be able to fault NBC for such logic. I won’t be mad or upset at NBC, and I will be happy that they at least aired around 35 episodes of a show I really liked. That’s how I feel about most shows. Life (also on NBC) will surely be cancelled, and Life on Mars (ABC) already has been canceled and its series finale will be on April 1.
I don’t feel like the networks are treating me personally badly by not renewing shows that don’t have great ratings, and the knowledge that those two shows are done doesn’t really do anything to take away my enjoyment of them, and if NBC winds up not renewing Chuck, I will feel exactly the same way. But I understand I do not in any way speak for all of the fans with that particular viewpoint. Indeed, I may even be in the minority.
I think NBC should move the last 5 shows to Weds. or Sundays. There are too many good shows on Mondays. Take my word for it move the last shows to either night and watch the rating go up. If Chuck is as good as NBC says it is why not move the night and help the show find a larger audience. What does NBC have to lose? The shows Kings did a 4 milliion rating last night and the Chef show did even worse on Weds.
Man…this is so stressful for us Chuck fans! Waiting sucks…but I completely understand and agree with your viewpoint. While I will seriously be heartbroken if it is not renewed, I will at least UNDERSTAND the rationale. I am still hopeful and I think Chuck has a good chance for renewal, it’s still nerve wracking in NBC’s current situation. I think Chuck SHOULD be renewed as it is one of NBC’s best, but it’s not in my control. In the meantime I’m going to remain hopeful and keep watching a season that looks to be even more exciting in the coming weeks!
but if you change the time, your gonna loose viewers…
Wait, Robert. Do you mean to tell me that when a network cancels a show it’s nothing personal? That’s crazy talk! We all know that Moonlight, Jericho, and Lipstick Jungle were canceled to spite millions of people.
While I won’t be terribly surprised if NBC renews Chuck, I won’t be surprised if they don’t either.
Uh, oh, Chuck fans. I think Robert’s track record is that when he says this, the show ends up being canceled.
I think CHUCK is gonna be renewed.
I like KINGS. Do you think it’s gonna be renewed? I mean, it’s a great show! They could try it on a different time slot. That time slot sucks.
Julia, are you trying to incite a riot here? lol
I’m a huge Chuckaholic and would be extremely devastated if NBC decides to let it go. I won’t blame NBC.. I’ll just blame Jay Leno
Julia, I’m sure I said exactly the same thing after TSCC’s first season, and they got another season out of it! While there may have been special circumstances involved with making that happen that don’t exist for Chuck, NBC has the special circumstance of being NBC…
so there is nothing we can do right now but enjoy the show while it last… no metter it will lest for 6 more episodes or 56 more
although i hope for 3rd season… go team bartowski!
You said it, Jenna. SO stressful! When I saw the word “Chuck” under new stories, my heart skipped a beat, because honestly, every time I see news on it now, my first thought is that NBC has announced that they’re canceling it. I really, really, REALLY hope that House being in reruns boosts Chuck’s ratings.
I keep hearing conflicting things about whether we’ll now Chuck’s fate before the upfronts in May or not. I really hope we do, as having to watch the finale and not knowing if it’s the last ep will be torture. And like Chuck, I’m a 1 out of 10 on the torture pain scale.
ricardo, Kings time slot does not suck. it’s ratings suck. in fact all it goes up against is Fox’s animation block and two reality shows. it has no scripted drama competition in the hour. i doubt this show would have worked anywhere else. before i get a slew of people saying nbc should have left it in the thursday 10pm slot, let me say that unless that slot would have somehow doubled it’s numbers it would still be a goner.
NBC is TANKING. They have a show that is doing perfectly fine by any standard in NBC I mean friggen lipstick jungle was getting what 2-3 million viewers and eventually it got cancelled but it got renewed for ANOTHER season (season 2) even with such sucky ratings. a show that gets double sometimes triple that amount IS IN NO DANGER. im not worried at all!
Ricardo, Kings is doing the worst of any NBC scripted show not on Fridays or Saturdays. It’s done.
Matt, Lipstick Jungle was getting 3-4 million viewers when it aired on Fridays. When it was renewed, it was getting between 6 and 7 million viewers. Chuck’s last new episode was less than 6 million viewers.
I wonder if TV producers should start thinking about mini-series. I figure that as fans we will know there will be a definitive ending, and won’t have to stress about the show being canceled or not. We can just enjoy it.
A mini-series can still be yanked early if the ratings are horrible enough.
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that Chuck will be renewed, but for only 13 episodes to premiere on Sundays at 8pm in the winter after football.
When one of the more optimistic sites is now stating that Chuck is on the bubble, I get worried.
tony, i think there is a really good chance that Chuck will be back either in the fall, or like you have suggested in the spring. NBC always saves some shows for midseason, and at the very least they could do that.
I would wonder if they decide to cancel a fairly reliable show.What happens if jay leno tanks and they have to seriously fill those spots… I know nbc won’t completely cancel jay but what if jay can’t do well every nite and nbc decided to only air him on certain nites??? I don’t see them cancelling chuck, doesn’t make much sense to me!
by being in the minority, you simply mean that you aren’t in the self-important majority who seem to think that what they like should be on the air 24-7.
well reasoned arguement. I like the ‘bubble’ shows NBC have put out (Life, Life on Mars, Chuck, etc…) and also understand numbers. What is happening (stated many times, I know) is that people are finding other things to do. Wanna watch a show? “I’ll tape it and if I get around to it…” or “yeah, it’s on TiVO and I’ll watchit later (when I can FF through commercials”
unless you’re American Idol, Football or willing to eat bizaare foods while escaping an island to marry a bachelor that just lost 150pounds, get in line to be cancelled.
Terry, anything is possible but I don’t think Jay Leno three two or three nights a week is going to happen. It’ll be all five nights, or no nights. I wonder if NBC is secretly hoping Conan gets fed up and with the raw deal he got and leaves at some point and they can just move Leno back to 11:30 and act like nothing ever happened. But that’s a subject for another post.
That’s a slant nobody’s brought up yet, Robert. (Conan getting fed up) I like it, although not for the sake of Conan. He seems to be getting a milder version of the treatment Letterman got in 1992.
But I would still vote for Wednesday nights as the best night for Chuck. Chuck is already in a precarious position, being the only scripted show that premiered last year, not brought back following the strike, yet survived to a full second season. Chuck needs a night with a fighting chance in the 18-49’s, and getting it away from Mondays would be the first thing they have to do. There’s a tremendous Chuck/House/Big Bang-Met Your Mother crossover group, and Chuck would do better if it only had to compete against one network (likely Fox) on Wednesdays instead of 3 like they do now.
I think putting Bubble/Chuck in your heading is a great way to increase traffic to your website.
marenamoo, what should he have titled the post? Something completely ambiguous so no one would know what it’s about?
Brett,Life on Mars is on ABC.
Patrick,Life also survived to a second full season. I’d call 21 episodes a full season.
they wouldnt cut it….maybe nbc will cut it’s tvshow seasons short so that they can fit as much as they can with the new leno i mean they only ordered what was it 20 episodes of hereos…
marenmoo, I think this site has a pretty strong Chuck fanbase already – what’s the problem with writing articles that cater to the interests of your visitors?
batman, they haven’t ordered any episodes of Heroes yet, just talked about how they plan to.
I didn’t take Marenmoo’s comment as ill-intended. Though I’m not sure the headline will be particularly meaningful in terms of traffic, it was shorter and less ominous than “Look for Chuck’s ratings to go up by 10%, or else!”
There aren’t really many shows on the bubble this year, but I probably wouldn’t have posted this at all if tonight wasn’t a little different with the House repeat. Also How I Met Your Mother and The Big Bang Theory are flip-flopping – that might help Chuck a little as well.
HIMYM and TBBT are flipping? That seems kind of random and pointless, but hey, if it helps Chuck, I’m all for it! Why exactly would it help Chuck, though? It’s still the same 2 shows and both have really decent ratings, so I don’t think retention would be a huge issue.
Geekily, I don’t think it’s necessarily random or pointless, it’s that they are still negotiating for HIMYM for next year and how well or not well it does standing on its own might impact what CBS wants to pay for it. I think it may help Chuck in that there might be more crossover at 8pm with TBBT than HIMYM and that a few more people might tune into Chuck as a result. That is PURELY speculative on my part though and I honestly have no idea.
Robert, by posting this blog you have cut my productivity at work in half today LOL. I dunno if I can handle checking the ratings tomorrow. I’m too nervous… HAHA Sad I know, but I love this show! (believe it or not it’s rare that I care this much about a certain TV show)…
Robert, that makes sense.
Jenna, my school productivity is like, a third of what it should be because of this site, haha. I type a paragraph, check the site, repeat. And I’m so nervous about the ratings that I doubt I’ll be able to get much done at work tomorrow, heh.
haha Jenna, but you can’t blame me for your decreased productivity! And I’m 100% certain you will check the ratings tomorrow anyway!
HAHAHAHA I know I know…I don’t blame you (well not REALLY). But yeah…you’re probably right. The urge to check the ratings is going to be too strong. I doubt I’ll be able to resist. How do you know me so well!?
My crystal ball sees all (you too, geekily!). But seriously, while stressing over Chuck’s ratings might not be as much fun as a pint of Ben & Jerry’s, it’s still probably way more fun than work or homework!
Haha, that’s a very good point, Robert. It’s just too bad I don’t get a grade for thread participation or get paid by the comment.
Yes…it’s absolutely more fun than work (or homework from what I remember). What you do is probably a lot more enjoyable and engaging than what I do! How do I get a sweet job like yours??
Robert are you basically saying that Chuck and Heroes, two of the most highly rated NBC shows are basically carrying NBC at the moment?
Just your talk of Chuck performing at the NBC average..
When did Chuck become one of NBC’s most highly rated shows? I know NBC is in the toilet but lets not forget that Chuck’s in the position its in now because its ratings aren’t strong enough.
How much “Chuck” – would a wood-Chuck, “Chuck” if a Wood-Chuck would Chuck, Chuck
It keeps fluctuating between 6 amd 7 million which is pretty good for its slot. Heroes has dipped to 7m in recent weeks and that is/was NBCs highest rated show
Could be wrong though but if Robert said Chuck is performing at the average then the highest NBC show rating must be around 7m
Let’s just hope tonights episode will be “awesome” and we get the numbers we need. Then hopefully Chuck will retain viewers because it’ll be aired without interruptions until the final!
Chucks ratings are somewhere in the middle. based on the renew/cancel index they’re in good shape based on how other shows are doing and where Chuck falls in relation to the networks average. HOWEVER the Leno deal throws a big wrench into the situation because they’re cutting out 5 hours of time for scripted TV to fit into. This makes the situation complicated and confusing (and stressful for us fans!)
…..well – I think I’m funny…
Please don’t cancel CHUCK
Chuck Fans Are idiots, Because there are way too many people talking about chuck if it’s getting the boot or not. For once talk about something else for a change, MOTHER F…ers! Don’t worry about if it gets cancelled or not. Even if it gets the boot who the hell cares. It’s like not anyone will die just because of it.
I honestly think chuck is going to get renewed and i think giving the right chance it will finally find its footing better.Its not the shows fault everyone and there brother watches dancing with the stars and house.House i dont mind but i watch it on the usa network.Dancing on the other hand is just as worst as american idol another pointless reality show.
What is the order of “highest rated shows” for NBC currently? I’d like to know???
Ant, I was comparing only Chuck’s 18-49 averages, not its total numbers which aren’t meaningful. Jenna, if it’s any consolation I’m pretty sure your job pays better and has better benefits!
Ant total viewers aren’t important, in the demo where it really matters Chuck is not perform ring well even by NBC standards.
Two weeks ago (last original episode) during the 8PM hour when you exclude The CW it was a 1.6 and 1.5 away from its nearest competition in the 18-49 and a 0.8 and 1.3 in the 18-34 and it was the lowest rated show on any of the big four networks that night across the board. Even compared to the rest of NBC’s line-up on the night it’s not holding its own. It’s more than a point behind Heroes in both demos and its even behind Medium at 10 by 0.5 and 0.3 respectively.
On another note I should really stop reading the comments for this Chuck topics, they just annoy me.
5506…why come into a blog about Chuck’s renewal chances if you don’t want to hear people talk about whether or not it will be renewed!? The title should have steered you away if you weren’t interested in hearing about it…
Alex, it is performing well as it is performing at, albeit it low and poor, NBC standards. To me it is worded like Chuck is carrying NBC in the 18-49 demo
5506 I agree with Jenna.
Ant, it is not worded like it is carrying NBC in the 18-49 demo. It’s worded like it is performing exactly near NBC’s pitiful average! It is NBC’s SEVENTH best performing scripted show and if you throw in Sunday Night Football, Biggest Loser and the Apprentice, it slips even further. If it were carrying NBC’s 18-49, it wouldn’t be on the bubble!!
Why aren’t Chucks total numbers meaningful at all? I know the demo is impt but do any other numbers count in NBCs eyes?
Total audience isn’t completely meaningless but for a show that’s pulling numbers as low as Chuck it is. No one cares if 6 million people are watching your show – if it were 16 or 20 million then it would be another matter although if it were the demos would be higher. In general terms though advertisers care about the demos and the advertisers are the ones who pay the bills as a result all the networks care about the demos.
Thanks Alex.
I’m not sure if any one else said this, but those bubbles don’t look much like bubbles. They look more like marbles or something.
According to my on=screen program guide, CBS is starting the night with two eposodes of HIMYM. First a new one then a repeat. Maybe that’s only for our area.
ljo,
Just checked TVGuide.com and it says the same for me… hopefully this can only be good news for Chuck!
Question for Nick C, or anybody in the business…given that NBC probably isn’t going to say one way or the other about Chuck till May, about what time of year will the network give shows slated to return for next season the go ahead to start lining up directors?
I had heard that FOX did this last season when Terminator’s future was in doubt, and it kind of showed FOX’s hand without them having to say the show was renewed. Does it work the same at NBC, or are things totally different now since it’s so far removed from the strike?
Michael says:
March 23rd, 2009 at 1:20 pm
Brett,Life on Mars is on ABC.
Patrick,Life also survived to a second full season. I’d call 21 episodes a full season.
Whoops, you’re right. Of course, Life isn’t getting a third season, so that doesn’t ring very well.
And 5506, what SHOULD we be talking about in an article about CHUCK, may I ask? Desperate Housewives? CSI? The NCAA tournament?
bad investigating on my part — CBS is definitely airing a new HIMYM followed by a repeat of HIMYM. No TBBT tonight.
Frank it varies from network-to-network and show-to-show.
As far as Chuck and likely everything else currently on the NBC schedule I’d say mid-April is probably the final cut-off point in terms of the decision making process, purely because the NBC up fronts are the first week of May this year and they should know what’s coming back (and what isn’t) a week or two before then. In all honesty though I suspect the Chuck producers will know the fate earlier than that, assuming they don’t already know.
Jenna – I totally feel the same way. I usually don’t care much about any particular show, but I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE Chuck. I think it is just awesome. And I am very worried about whether it will be renewed, and check this site almost every day!
Oh – and I totally wish that they would give it a chance on Wednesdays – or even Tuesdays – before they go and make a rash decision to cancel it. It hasn’t had a chance to fully shine being in such a tough time slot.
If NBC decided last minute to go against having Leno on everyday at 10, would that change ‘Chuck’s outlook for next season? Just curious… Iknow it probably wouldn’t happen, but hey, I can hope…
Cancel Chuck = Don’t Care
Cancel Heroes without Closure = Care
Cancel Heroes with Closure = Happy
Jon…I don’t think there’s any chance of that happening…
Please don’t cancel Chuck.
jon, they already ran previews for the leno show during the superbowl and i assume the contract is already written and signed
Keep Chuck!!
Jon I’ll play along with your hypothetical and say that I don’t think Leno is making that much difference to Chuck’s future. I don’t think Chuck’s in trouble because of Leno, I think its in trouble because its performing badly but you’ll get just as many people telling you its all Leno’s fault.
And if Chuck is axed people will blame Leno regardless but I stand by my, if NBC wants to keep Chuck they’ll find room for it five hours of Leno or not.
Robert, and all: what creative acronyms can we come up for a network whose best decision this season can’t be determined, because there’s precious little evidence that they have made even a mediocre one?
NBC shows with a 4.0 or higher demo the past five weeks (as listed on the NBC section of TVBTN) have numbered as few as seven, and as many as ten. Two (Celebrity Apprentice, Biggest Loser) are reality programs, and one Dateline special had the highest demo NBC had in the past 5 weeks (7.5), but was bilge water the rest of the period.
The consistent (each of the past 5 weeks) over 4.0 demo scripted shows: L&O SVU, ER (gone in two weeks
), Medium, Heroes – and that’s it! With Office and 30 Rock safely in the black in the Renew/Cancel index, that’s 4 hours of readily renewable programming (and one hour – ER – that NBC should have renewed in October).
Add 5 hours of Sunday Night Football, 5 hours of Jay Leno, and an hour of cheap Dateline, and that still leaves seven hours of programming for the No Brains Club to fill – and do better than the Crank Wazzoos.
The Noodles Brains Conglomerate needs some help – and more help than even Julia could possibly give
Marenamoo says sorry for anyone who took my comment the wrong way about attracting visitors to the site with the words Bubble/Chuck. It was meant to humorous based upon the recent If Kings is down Chuck must be up and other wishing all new NBC shows ill to improve Chuck’s chances. I am a rabid Chuck fan and I am amazed at the number of responders.
So, sorry – totally tongue in cheek.
Theoacme, I would say The Office is consistently above 4.0, and Heroes is not. It had one week above 4.0 since October.
marenamoo, there are too many fans who say that sort of thing seriously because they think the only reason someone would claim [insert show with <2.0 in the demo here] is going to be canceled is to get hits. Because there’s no way it will actually be canceled. So it was hard to read your comment.
CHUCK producers have yet to hear bad news. Last I heard they heard decent things (which was just this past week). I think CHUCK will be ok.
FrankJ, that’s an interesting question. There are just too many variables. The biggest way to find out if a show was canceled when dealing with tight lipped producers is the stage. If their stage is taken down, chances aren’t good. Sometimes they do some hiring before the May announcements, and those hires are generally reported on by sites that supply news, rumors, etc.
I don’t watch Chuck, but I DID see Yvonne Strahovski at the WonderCon panel, and as a consequence I’m looking out for the pics and Chuck videos of her posted on the Superiorpics site.
So I don’t want Chuck canceled – unless she quickly gets another show where she strips as often as she does on Chuck!
And, yes, Robert, you are in the minority of fans who don’t get upset when their favorite show is canceled.
It’s called “addiction”.
Tonight’s episode was so good, it will make Chuck being canceled hurt that much more. It wouldn’t be the first great show canceled. Sadly, the public isn’t usually as turned on by truly great shows as they are by predictable and easy to digest ones.
julia, the office has dipped to a 4.0 only once this season, and to a 4.1 twice. allthe other episodes have done higher numbers than that.
If Nielsen are so accurate, explain to me why most Sci-Fi shows do so poorly while crap like DWTS an AI do so well. Could it be the Nielsen are skewed towards old people? Why don’t they just use DirecTV or iIsh data to determine what people are really watching. They whould have about 100x the sample size and would give a much more accurate picture of what is really being watched.
Sycore, the primary problem with set top box data is that it doesn’t represent the overall demographics well, and it can’t actually separate out that information as Nielsen does with the people meters. The set top box data will give you a very accurate accounting of what was watched, but not of WHO was watching it (age, gender, how many people, etc).
Asking why a talent show is more popular than a science fiction show is sort of like being a sports purist lamenting that the swimsuit edition of Sports Illustrated sells more copies than any other edition. And I know that there’s discussion that Nielsen doesn’t measure the science fiction niche well, but I think those people would also agree that it still measures the trends correctly (like Heroes having many fewer viewers than it used to have).
Robert is right, while it isn’t good at measuring niche demos, it does a good job of at least measuring trends in those demos. I’m not a huge fan of Nielsen. It is no where near as accurate as box office receipts! I feel sorry for Pete moving from film to TV. The Nielsens will drive him crazy. The facts are that Nielsen will admit that their accuracy is between 10 and 20 percent off (and some make claims the niche demos are about 20 to 30 percent off). For some shows that could be the difference of staying on the air. So Nielsen is annoying. Then again it can move the other way. So some shows really might not be doing as well as they appear to be. So some shows might get saved by the inaccuracy.
Country music was considered a niche market until SoundScan. I know Nielsen’s TV ratings system is more accurate than how album sales were once counted, but it does make you wonder what niche market is popular that Nielsen is not representing.
@ Jack: The Chuck niche market. Obviously.
What is NBC going to do next year when Leno fails? There is a basic reason those talk shows lived at late night – they died in Prime time. Leno is NOT going to survive. Some great performers worked ever so hard trying to find a prime time nitch and failed. Now, 5 days a week in Prime time, we have a friendly chat show that is just going to dominate ratings — NOT! NBC is going to get blasted in the ratings and considering contracts that have to be for major money deals — NBC executives better start worrying if this move will have them looking for a bail out!’
Here’s the Chuck talk again!!!
Chuck is overrated in this site I can’t stand it!
am i the only one who thinks that bubble picture in the middle of the article is a tad too random?
@John, “Now, 5 days a week in Prime time, we have a friendly chat show that is just going to dominate ratings — NOT!”.
Haven’t you listened to Zucky boy, they don’t hope for it to dominate in the ratings they want a cheap time filler. Cheap shows + mediocre ratings = profits for NBC. The “We don’t care about ratings only the bottom line” Network.
ABCFanaticGold, this article is entirely about Chuck, what did you think we’d be talking about? It’s not like we hijacked a post that has nothing to do with anything even remotely related to NBC.
Said it before and I’ll say it again, Chuck Rocks! Where can I make my voice heard and start a save chuck movement?
FYI, if NBC cancels Chuck they will have to deal with my 9 year old! Seriously, there is not much on TV that a 9 yr old boy can watch. (other that Knightrider and Big Bang, he’s left with Disney channel stuff)
Jim
“Chuck is overrated in this site I can’t stand it”!
You knew this topic was about Chuck and people would be talking about it. If you can’t stand it why would you click on the article and come on here and read all the comments ? People avoid they don’t like, you seem to be the other way around.
I’m sooo nervous to see the ratings for last night! I get off work at 12 (CST), too, which means I might miss them being posted by a few minutes and have to wait until I get home later this afternoon.
Oh god, this article sure is going to stir up the Chuck freaks!
Robert, got any numbers yet? Mediaweek has the share breakdown and says Dancing killed last night. Gained audience like crazy at the first half hour. I am curious to know if Chuck gained the 10% that you were hoping for.
Oh, no, Frank, that makes me even more nervous! I hope House being in reruns didn’t just mean that DWTS got even MORE viewers.
Chuck got a 3.7/6. Heroes did not do much better apparently (3.8/6). But I don’t know what that translates to in numbers.
Logically, I know you are right. Whether we like it or not, a show with poor ratings will be canceled. That’s just the way tv works. I know that. I understand that.
Emotionally, however, I will be very upset if Chuck gets canceled. It’s a tv show and my life will obviously go on if it’s canceled, but I rarely get into a show as much as I have this one. I just caught up with the last couple of episodes that I hadn’t seen and they both now among my favorite of the whole series so far. I know some people tend to go overboard in expressing how much they like the show, but I understand the feeling behind it, if not the way they express it.
The early numbers aren’t that reliable, but the last new episode of Chuck got 3.4/5, so that’s just about a 10% increase in these somewhat meaningless numbers. Hopefully it holds up. (And Heroes is actually down from its last new episode, which was 4.0/6.)
And, Heather, DWTS is actually down from last week. (If the numbers hold up, of course.)
Thought for Chuck fans to digest – If Chuck can’t make gains when House is in repeats and up against a How I Met Your Mother repeat at 8:30 then what prompts NBC to bring it back? If the House and HIMYM viewers went everywhere but NBC last night at 8/8:30 then it seriously dents the ‘it needs another timeslot’ arguement.
While I love CHUCK, I think the problem they ran into is the same many showes run into. They pushed the romantic relationship too fast and are then forced to reign it back in to crate “drama”. I think it gives the show a very uneven tempo. When they deal with the mission or now with Chuck’s quest for freedom, I think the show is much more crisp. Last night’s show was, I think, a good example of this. Very little romance but a very good episode.
I want them to get a third season because I am a fan. I just want them to get past the “Will Chuck and Sarah have a realationship?” Because a) they are in a realationship (just unconsumated) and b) if they tried to put a stop to the relationship now, what was the point?
I don’t know if they made any sense there it is!
Am I the only one who finds it odd that certain anti Chuck people just keep going on and on and on about the show ? It’s normal human nature to avoid what you dislike but these people don’t do that. Rather than avoiding talking about the show they seem to be obsessed with it. There is one particular person who makes about 15 to 20 Chuck related posts per day yet he obviously doesn’t like the show. It just seems a bit unnatural to me, I meanm I hate reality shows but you don’t see me going out of my way to read all the articles about them and then making dozens and dozens of posts about them.
Clay, not thinking that Chuck should be renewed based on numbers doesn’t say a single thing about the quality of the show or whether Alex enjoys it. This is a site about ratings. Based on ratings, Chuck should be canceled. Saying so is not bashing the show.
That’s not what I said. I couldn’t care less if someone bashes the show, I’m not on the cast or crew. What I am saying is that it’s normal human nature to avoid things you dislike, but rather than doing that certain people seem to be obsessed with the show and go out of their way to read articles about it and make dozens upon dozens of comments about it. He or she is more than welcome to do so I’m just saying that it seems a bit unnatural.
This is a site about ratings where the fate of shows is discussed. The fates of shows that are on the bubble or canceled are discussed more than shows that are completely safe. A regular poster here who discusses many different shows is going to contribute to conversations about shows where he thinks they should be canceled, whether he likes the show or not, which is never mentioned. You are making assumptions about that. It is completely natural for Alex to contribute to these conversations since they take up so many threads here.
Bubble ? Those look more like marbles.
Thanks for the info, Julia! That makes me feel a little better, even if they’re just earlier numbers.
This might add some clarity: Chuck got a 4.2/6 last night. Heroes followed with a 4.0/6. No demos yet, but this is more than the 10% bump in overall viewers. It will be interesting to see how the demos fall.
David, where did those numbers come from?
were those the number reported by Media LifeThese were the Berman reported metered market HH ratings/share.Chuck (3.7/ 6)
Heroes (3.8/ 6)
Edit: I see Media Life is reporting the 18-49 ratings as follows: Chuck 2.1, Heroes 2.9.Our overnight ratings are posted.David where are you getting these numbers ? Anyway I hope those are correct.
“Edit: I see Media Life is reporting the 18-49 ratings as follows: Chuck 2.1, Heroes 2.9″.
I’m not quite sure what these numbers mean but I’m guessing 2.1 is horrible.
Glen you’d pretty much be right.
Actually Julia I think Clay was talking more about ABCFanaticGold’s post up above than at your’s or Alex’s post, although, its not entirely true to say that its never mentioned whether or not the show is liked in posts by the “regulars”. Even Bill and Robert occasionally mention how they feel about a show, they are however still being completely objective to it, which I really appreciate.
This isn’t a dig on Heroes….but honestly, doesn’t the network see that Chuck obviously needs help…they should move it and put a better lead in show in front of it…a show that can actually hold their own. How I Met Your Mother is a great example. It usually gets high numbers and thats mainly because of their lead in show, Big Bang Theory. Obviously, Heroes isn’t doing well, so how is that good for Chuck? If and when the show gets picked up..NBC really needs to re think their schedule and make some moves, not only to save Chuck, but make them a “Must See TV” network again.
I love how this site reports on Chuck!
chuck canceled?? it can’t be true xD chuck is awesome, the best tv-show in the whole world, it’s better than heroes, house, prison break… Ivonne and Sarah are wonderfull
I think that my life would end without chuck =P
-Save Chuck-
While Chuck is certainly not the greatest show out there and the acting is certainly not flawless, Chuck is without a doubt one of the most entertaining shows I’ve seen in years. The Character development and character interactions are witty, the plot twists suspenseful, and the overall product is light television escapism coupled with meaningful attachment.
Chuck is a valuable entertainment commodity that suffers from a lack of appropriate and effective advertising and exposure. NBC, if you’re listening (or rather reading), do not cancel Chuck. Promote it better, get the name out into the masses, give it another chance; there is a loyal Chuck fan base out there, one that will surely grow with appropriate nurishment. Chuck is an asset to your network.
Move the damn show if it’s not doing well enough. Monday’s are seriously harsh. TV is seriously lacking in fresh entertainment. We’ll likely lose Life, Life on Mars is already gone (ugh), we should not also lose Chuck due to horrible scheduling.
So I just watched all of season 1 and every episode that is out of season 2 this past weekend (I know–wasn’t a good idea because I had a lot to do, but it was SO worth it.) Now, as I watched this show, episode after episode, I COMPLETELY fell in love with it — and I thought “wow, this is a REALLY good show for NBC–at least I won’t have to worry about it being canceled as I do with almost every other NBC show that I ever watched (minus the office and 30 rock)” and then I start to google to find info about a 3rd season and I see all of this speculation on how the show may be canceled. I CANNOT BELIEVE IT– from this day forward I vow not to get into any new NBC shows because they break my heart over, and over, and over again–honestly, I’ve NEVER had this problem with ANY other network, it’s become absolutely absurd–no wonder why they have the worst ratings of any other network (as Jay Leno jokes about all the time)–they don’t give anything a chance! OK–needed to let that out .. I’m quite sad now. Thanks for the heads-up though
Heh,heh, well, that’s TWO networks that don’t give anything a chance – Fox and NBC.
The reality is that you only get ONE chance. So you’d better be ready when your shot comes up – even if it’s against Monday Night Football.
As Dick Marcinko’s superior officer told him when he ordered him to set up his SEAL team as a counterterrorist unit: “Dick, you will not fail.” And Marcinko took that back to his team: “There will be no excuses. If something goes wrong, it’s not because your equipment failed. It will be because you failed. And that will not happen on my watch.”
So if your favorite show fails against the competition, don’t blame the competition or the night it’s on. Blame the show runner whose job it was to make it stay on the air regardless of the competition.
Can we keep Chuck and cancel Leno??
Oh and yes in case you can’t tell I am a huge Chuck fan. I have watched every episode and love the show.
I think it is HORRIFIC that they’re trying to cancel Chuck OR Life. Both shows are well written and leave me wanting more after each episode. If I can’t watch the shows at the normal aired times, then I do “tape” them on my DVR. Both shows are clif hangers normally, where the story lines make you want to come back to find out the answer to the big secrets of the shows. I can’t believe that NBC would be so ignorant to remove such quality shows! I’m in my mid 30’s myself, and I know my pre-teen children both LOVE Chuck and Life. I hope NBC gets a clue and keeps both shows.
There are not very many shows I like on NBC but Chuck is exceptional. It is very well written, it targets alot of age groups you don’t have to worry about your kids watching it. Chuck is interesting and hilariously funny and always leaves you wanting more. The acting is great and is alot better entertainment that most of the reality shows that are airing. I feel they would be making a huge mistake if they don’t bring Chuck back.
Explain 30 Rock. Terrible rating and no one watches it
J.j., actually quite a few people watch it, but what’s more important is that quite a few people aged 18-49 watch it. In fact, more 18-49 year old people watch it than over half of the other stuff on broadcast television. Unfortunately for Chuck fans, that’s not quite the case for Mr. Levi.
I hope they don’t cancel Chuck. It is my favorite show! TV needed a show like this. Comedy, action, drama and mystery in one!
The big shame to me is that I like both Chuck and Life. It seems that everytime I like a show they cancel it. I’ve never been a big fan of Jay Lenno so I may boycott him just out of protest.
Chuck and Life are amazing shows. NBC should definitely keep them both. If it is between Life and Kath & Kim, I think Life is a no-brainer. I don’t see anyone supporting Kath & Kim, and lots of people who are going to hate to see Life go! We NEED more shows like this. All TV is nowadays is reality. These are two really good shows that have awesome scripts and actors.
This is a joke. TV execs are stupid old men that have no clue how to run a T.V. Network. Overall every station on cancels great shows for these things called ratings. So next year when LIFE is gone and they start a new show what do they expect. Good ratings for the first 4 shows. Then like every show around DROP off. So they get their advertisement money and start over next season. Giving us CRAP every year. We need to just stop watching shows at all in their first 5 years. So at least when we watch them it doesn’t just end with nothing resolved. This is a short list of the shows I can think of canceled before they were finished.
Carnivale
Rome
Jericho
Stargate Atlantis
Firefly
Journeyman
Enterprise
etc etc etc
Support HULU and lets get rid of these major networks. They have no clue what the American public really wants.
With all these shows I like getting canceled, I am wondering if it is worth my while to even look at any new shows. If I like it, it will get canceled, so what’s the point?
I believe NBC is taking a big risk with Leno. They’re putting most their eggs in one basket and if he tanks, their overall network ratings will tank and take advertising dollars away from all their shows. I just can’t see the late night audience following him… completely different demographics… completely different competition. The last thing I want to watch is a talk show five nights. I don’t have the time. Remember what happened to ABC when they over-exposed Who Wants to be Millionaire in four time slots? When it tanked in 2001, it took the whole network with it that season. Networks can’t replace four or five time slots plus all the other struggling shows too.
NBC is going to cancel an hour of programming a night to make room for Leno. That doesn’t bode well for Chuck. However, I believe that NBC won’t take any other risks than Leno. This means they’re likely to keep current scripted shows rather than order new ones. If new shows like Southland don’t do well, it’ll help Chuck.
BTW… There are only three shows I look forward to watching each week and that’s Chuck, NCIS, and Life… Life has probably already died.
If “Ed” can get canceled………than any great show can get canceled. It’s all about the money.