Commenter Nick C says he hears NBC is now narrowing down to a decision between Medium and Chuck, but I hope commenter David is right that it is merely a ploy to negotiate licensing fees down even further.
In the event the information is correct (and though I trust Nick did hear this, it still should be considered rumour) looking at both shows, if it’s one or the other I’d probably give a slight advantage to Medium. Medium already has some syndication deal with Lifetime, and it will be at 95 episodes at the end of season. I could see CBS Paramount (producer of Medium) wanting to get to around ~110 episodes to make a better case for syndicated Monday through Friday airings.
On the other hand, Chuck, as commenter Holly notes, is laden with product placement. I’m not sure how much that will really offset costs. Holly also notes that Medium has some scheduling flexibility advantage and it has already shown it can be off the air for many months and not take a huge ratings hit.
On the ratings front, Medium has a slight seasonal lead on Chuck in 18-49 ratings and factoring in DVR viewing, recently even with a weeks worth of DVR viewing, Medium held a slight edge with 18-49 viewing.
In Chuck’s favor is it fares much better with 18-34, both on a live basis and with DVR viewing factored in.
CHUCK.
and thank you for posting more chuck news i can’t get enough.
I’m impatient…Nick, will we know before Monday? If so, when????
The obligatory daily Chuck post!
Although I don’t watch either show, given what I know about the premises of each, I’d pick Chuck. And based on the cast lists, I’d say Chuck wins again. There’s no comparison between Arquette and Strahovski.
For the networks, the question will be: go for a show that’s been on a while and still strong and risk it drops, or go with a newer show which is doing OK but also has a perhaps greater risk of dropping in a new season.
In other words, Medium is a more well known quantity, Chuck is still “experimental”.
CHUCK!
Medium will win over. Its unique too, guys. NBC is proud of it – and its flexible. WHat show like this has ever dealt with family life?
Actually, how flexible is it? It can’t run at 8.
CHUCK!!!!! What is the Mediat? Mediun? Melium? huh…
Chuck. Medium actually doesn’t have a scheduling advantage in that it is a very serious 10 pm show, and can’t really move around from that. Chuck has a younger, more exciting cast, with better opportunity to expand. Medium is, to be honest, becoming dull and repetitive. Now I’m sure you’ll say that quality doesn’t really factor in to these decisions, so I suppose pointing that out is completely 100% pointless.
Secondly, No one is really voicing their desire for Medium return in any noticeable way. Doesn’t NBC think that giving Chuck a chance, with a Lost “One last shot” mentality might be better than paying for Medium to get consistently less popular? Maybe throw some money in to advertising Chuck more instead of one season finale preview on T.V. in the week leading up, and a little post-it in Subway saying Watch Chuck in tiny letters?
CHUCK CHUCK CHUCK CHUCK CHUCK CHUCK !!!!!!!
Medium all the way
Chuck, no contest for me. There are a lot of shows on tv somewhat like medium but barely anything like Chuck. It’s just a fun hour all around. Probably my 2nd favorite show currently on the air (Burn Notice #1)
Hey Robert, actually just saw an advert for Medium at 9 pm on Monday. Looks to me like their going to do a test and see how it does at an earlier time? Which isn’t a good sign for Chuck. Bothersome…
Referenced twice in one post? I feel special
Personally, I’d give the edge to Medium. The flexibility of scheduling is definitely an advantage, especially considering NBC’s limited scheduling options.
How about you figure in the fact that Chuck is up against unbelievable competition.
Chuck, its just a better show.
How is Medium flexible? Explain yourselves. Barring the fact that it can go off air for months at a time. That’s great, if NBC is really looking at stopping programming for months at a time as a positive, they’re in worse shape than I thought.
@jimbo
I agree, Chuck is completely different than any other show. Medium is predictable
I enjoy Medium, but if I had to choose between the two, I’d vote for Chuck to return.
will be whacing the 2 hr Meduim on Monday hope its saved
CHUCK
While I heard it, it’s not from a direct source in the know, just another guy like me in the industry who hears things. We both like CHUCK.
David, since Tuesday the NBC people have shut up. I think they want some drama. Still someone will leak something out, they always do.
Robert, we’re in the same boat. I believe this is all about negotiations. MEDIUM being so close to the brass ring of “100,” and all.
Medium!!
So hope for Chuck is basically gone eh? Bummer.
As I mentioned in the other thread, Medium is flexible in that they can use it as a mid-season replacement, either on Sundays after football or to replace something else at mid-season. I also think if viewers are willing to come back after months off the air, it’s more likely they will be willing to follow Medium when it is moved to a different time slot. I’m not so sure that the same can be said of Chuck.
Put medium on at 8 and see how it does, i bet it tanks.
For the record (since I’m sure I’ll be attacked as a Chuck-hater), I watch Chuck, but I think I’ve ever seen Medium.
Medium could be used as a midseason replacement if Leno tanks. That’s unlikely to happen. Also, Medium’s numbers aren’t that much higher than Chuck’s, actually lower in some aspects. It’s really neck and neck
Grrr… *I don’t think I’ve ever seen Medium.
Not really a fan of either show, but I’ve watched both and liked Chuck better so I too am going with Chuck. Besides, Medium is an aging show and it’s had its time. Why not let Chuck have a shot?
Knight Rider
I watch both, and as much as I like Medium would pick Chuck in a heartbeat. I actually watch Chuck, rewatch it on DVR during Heroes then watch Medium. Why oh why can’t Heroes just go away.
And I don’t think your a Chuck hater, I was just legitimately perplexed as to how Medium was more flexible. I wasn’t starting a fight! I just see that Medium’s subject matter can’t be moved around to much.
Nick, thanks. This screams negotiations to me. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if this is to get both to come down, and then bring both back. I’m not doubting your information, but as someone involved in negotiations (not related to this industry), the sudden silence is very familiar. With that said, I also think the drama is itself worth something. NBC’s received a great deal of daily free publicity for it and Subway, and if it renews Chuck, it will get a second waive of publicity for it and Subway. If it does not renew it, it will again get publicity, although I don’t know that it will be as good for Subway. Finally, and don’t take this as a criticism, I’m glad your source is more removed then the WB source I believed you’ve mentioned in the past. That at least gives it more of a chance of being negotiation positioning.
Dylan, That wasn’t really directed at you, just the general trend of fan responses.
Chuck Chuck Bo Buck
To behonest i dont think i have ever watched medium.
Whenever I come on here now I expect to see the worst about Chuck lol. I think the silence and the negotiating behind the scenes is giving me an ulcer. Chuck is pretty much the only show in years I’ve become attached to, I mean I watch a bunch of different shows but this one struck the right chord for me in every way so I hope that it comes back over Medium.
)!
I know more people that watch chuck than medium anyway. I only actually know one person who watches medium and that’s my mom who isn’t in any demo anymore (sshh, dont let her know I wrote that
Chuck for me. Hopefully NBC listens to the fans
“I watch both, and as much as I like Medium would pick Chuck in a heartbeat. I actually watch Chuck, rewatch it on DVR during Heroes then watch Medium. Why oh why can’t Heroes just go away.”
I knew a comment like this was going to eventually come… Chuck fans… you gotta hate ‘em.
Combine both shows into one megashow chudium or mehuck.
“I watch both, and as much as I like Medium would pick Chuck in a heartbeat. I actually watch Chuck, rewatch it on DVR during Heroes then watch Medium. Why oh why can’t Heroes just go away.”
wtf why do people have to rip Heroes at any given chance?
LOL @ lopan.
fck chuck. medium ftw
Do you think nbc takes into account that most shows brought back because of big campigns tend to still not do well the season that they are brought back and just end up getting cancelled anyway.
Because Heroes is horrible now. And I LOVED the show and defended it up until this season
@ lopan,
It is possible. If you are talking about Jericho, I never watched it. Did it like Chuck have steady numbers or was it all over the place or falling in ratings?
Because Heroes deserves scorn.
One factor that may help Chuck, but only if everything else is equal, is the web traffic. Earlier today, there was an article here about Chuck being somewhere around 16th in web traffic, and I believe 3rd at NBC. I realize that web traffic is not enough of a money maker to justify a loser show, but it does generate some money (Robert could speak better to this as I suspect that’s how this site is supported). If it’s numbers are significantly better than Medium’s, and I’d bet they are, that could be worth some additional cash consideration at the negotiating table.
Nick C,
So is NBC leaning towards medium or Chuck. I can tell you if they cancel Chuck they are going to have one bad rep. They are going to throw all this good publicity into bad publicity in a heartbeat.
Not just Jericho,a lot of shows that are brought back because of fan campaigns and just end up in the same position next season then cancelled.
Medium!
Chuck is stupid.
Chuck please!!
Chuck is not struggling. It is doing fine for NBC. Put in on Wednesday at 8. The BBT crowd would love it. On a different night this show would be a hit. Especially Chuck 2.0 is going to rock.
Well getting Chuck renewed is only the first step. A night change is really needed. I don’t expect Chuck to be up there with House and DWTS. For some reason reality TV gets huge numbers, and House is a decent show that has won tones of awards and has a following. Promotion needs to pick up on NBC’s side. Honestly the real only promotion I remember for Chuck was the 3-D one. Where the other show after it, I see one ever 5 mins it seems
Ausiello weighs in on which shows are in, which shows are out
http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2009/04/fall-tv-cheat-s.html#more
“Southland cast says Season 2 looking positive”
http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/watch_with_kristin/b121348_southland_cast_says_season_two_looking.html
I enjoy Chuck but I love Medium so Medium wins hands down!
CHUCK PLZ!
Medium would be my choice.
Not that it means much, but EW, TV Guide, and tvguide.com all give the edge to MEDIUM.
There is no question. Looking at the numbers and the number of episodes that Medium is at, the only logical conclusion is Medium.
This article is the last straw for me. I’m done reading this site. When you start writing articles about comment’s and rumors FROM YOUR OWN SITE and so called ‘inside information’ from people I’ve never heard of instead of basing things on facts and figures – I’m out.
After all, this site is called tvbythenumbers, you may want to get back to that.
Is Medium that show thats on after i watch Chuck the second time? Thought they were talking about my drink from Burger King when they showed the promos for the spot after Heroes.
Chuck ftw!
CHUCK is the best show on television right now. Anyone who says otherwise simply hasnt given the show a chance. No other show combines comedy, action and romance with great characters, brilliant writing and phenomenal music as well as Chuck does. It has something for everyone, and it does that something extremely well.
NBC has to RENEW CHUCK. It has to!
NBC needs to take a long look. Who’s fans have been all over the internet lately? You don’t think that advertisers (i.e. their money) take notice?
NBC needs to take a long look. Who’s fans have been all over the internet lately? You don’t think that advertisers (i.e. their money) take notice?
I think advertisers are (or at least should be) smart enough to realize that online “buzz” rarely translates into viewer, which is what they are looking for.
Medium doesn’t exactly have a ton more viewers than Chuck. It’s aging, which will probably only hurt it in the long run.
I dunno, something about Medium just pulls at my heart. I’ll be devastated if she gets canceled!
I hate Chuck. Medium is such a better show. Go Medium!
Holly,
It depends. Before the Subway campaign, there was an article out that Subway loved the spot they had on Chuck and deemed it sucessful. In the day and age of DVR, a show like Chuck is perfect for product placement. Advertisers don’t need to worry about their “ads” being fast forwarded through. i can name off the top of my head Subway, Mac, Fable 2, Call of Duty and Sharpe TV all because of direct placement on the show. This doesn’t even include the Toyotas that they drive. How many other shows can people name off the products that were advertised?
Chuck does better with younger viewers. Chuck does better with male viewers. Chuck is a better fit for an early in the night airtime, while Medium is generally a 10PM show. I think I also remember reading that Chuck does better with upscale viewers. Chuck is also a younger show, with a lot of life left creatively. Medium has been on the air a while longer.
NBC should go with Chuck.
I Love Chuck and I do agree that a night change would be the best thing for the show (as long as it’s not Thursday because contrary to what people here think it’s not a good fit with The Office or 30 Rock and NBC wants 4 hours of Comedy on Thursdays!) But Wednesday’s at 8 may be very good for it. Like someone else said the Big Bang Theory fans would be into it. And people may tune into it before switching over to Lost at 9. The only reason I’d give a slight edge to Medium is because CBS may give the show away just to get over 100 Episodes for syndication. This is a long shot but if NBC can get both shows dirt cheap but only has room for 1 I’d give the edge to Chuck only because it’s got a longer life potential and NBC could burn off the Medium Episodes on USA or something like that….but like I said that’s a long shot.
Ummm… I wasn’t saying anything about product placement (which I think works in Chuck’s favor because the production company would be willing to lower the fees). My point was that online buzz is pretty much meaningless when it comes to viewership and advertising value.
Medium will win. Not only does Medium have higher ratings…but it’s been 100% more stable in the ratings than Chuck. Medium has also gotten a lot better lately
Honestly NBC needs an enema, keep both move chuck to schifi if it has no room on the network, chuck fans will watch it where ever and however. But Chuck will fit their earlier times and medium can jump in anytime as filler after leno and the new stuff tanks.
They make money off Chuck, subway was impressed, other companies took note, did medium do this, no, Chuck did. Creatively the show can go to new heights why ever one assumes it will fall next season. Its a show with a 1.5 season showing and look at its following. Funny, I seem to remember another little NBC show with a rabid following, spawning over 40 years and countless spin offs, going bodily where no TV show tread, so again Medium doesn’t really measure up.
But I can’t believe its between them, its not really a do or die situation with either show, but medium wouldn’t really be missed, and what, your going to bring it back for one year just to watch it dwindle further.
I think NBC has to take a serious look at Heroes, that will not preform so medium could end up filling the gap heroes will surely make, Chuck is the safe bet in its fan base and it will go up as more have caught chuck fever since the finale and DVD sales. Its something to build on not abandon.
At least in my skewed business sense and general consensus from my non scientifically based sample study, ie friends/neighbors I turned on to chuck, no neilsens just 18-49ers.
Chuck, 100% Chuck.
I mean, do you see Medium viewers running out to buy crystal balls? Chuck fans actually put their money (and their Subways) where their mouth is.
@Shea, Medium’s ratings have been all over the place this year. That may be an exaggeration, but it has dropped considerably. Meanwhile, Chuck has had some of the most consistent ratings in television. (Not the highest ratings, but they have been consistent, in a MUCH tougher time-slot might I add). Medium hasn’t really gotten better. It’s just doing the exact same thing it was doing from the day the show started. Chuck had a game-changer in it’s finale that’s begging to be explored. Medium has gone to hell and back for idea’s, and I think the well has run dry.
Mike from Canada, don’t you think that Medium would be the better fit on SciFi? The only reason I think that Medium moving to any cable network could be problematic is that it’s not a NBC Universal show. So I’m not exactly sure how that would work. But Lifetime might be interested in picking it up if NBC decides to drop it. Lifetime already has a stake in the show only question is are they willing to pay for the rights to air fresh episodes.
I’m a frequent reader, rare poster here. I watch both Chuck and Medium, and honestly would prefer to see Chuck stay on the air, but I think the numbers give the edge to Medium. That magic 100 episode is right around the corner, and knowing they already syndicate means they know they can make money off of it. If it really is between these two shows, I think my favorite show is going to loose that battle.
Let’s hope they bring back both!
Medium has served NBC for five years, used to have big ratings, is almost at syndication and has endured some strange scheduling; Chuck is in its second year with only 35 episodes under its belt and it has a lower key demo rating, so I would renew the more reliable Medium.
I’m tired of speculation, and since when did “Commenters” know everything? Seems to me all we’ve gained of the supposed knowings of these “Commenters” is foolish rumors that ended up having little to no truth. NBC is milking this for all they have, it seems they’re intent on canceling most of their lineup to satisfy Jay Leno’s wishes, I hope it all comes back to bite them. I still find it hard to believe another station wouldn’t pick Chuck up if NBC is foolish enough to cancel it, right now that looks like where it might be heading. Either way I’m now rooting more for the complete collapse of NBC more than anything now, I think they’ve thoroughly aggravated a lot of people within the last couple months.
The world needs Chuck Bartowski. Not to mention, Sarah, John Casey, Ana Melinda Wu (wow), Jeffster, Morgan, Big Mike, and on and on…
Seriously NBC. Are you out of your freaking minds? I LOVE these characters. You have the greatest show on TV and you’re even thinking about canceling it? Please.
Medium isn’t even in the same league as Chuck.
Medium! Medium! Medium! Come on you Chuck lovers, the ratings are horrid, the premise is dumb, and the acting is over the top exaggerated! I watched all of the first season and let me just say I am not impressed with the writing, acting, or just any of Chuck. Medium has much better ratings, is very flexible, has magnificent acting, lovely writing, and is just a good show all around. It’s much more sturdy than Chuck while all though has a huge fan base, Medium has a I’m gonna say much bigger fan base and the ratings are solid for NBC. I’m sure that when the time comes, the NBC exec will make the right choice and go with Medium.
I think only one other person mentioned this but….
Scrap Heroes and keep both. I have been watching Heroes from the very beginning but after seeing the season finale tonight (little behind on viewing) it’s gone off the reservation. Not going to be renewing my Season Pass on iTunes next year. I will however be renewing my Chuck SP when it gets picked up Tuesday.
Travis L.,
Dancing with the Stars gets 20 million viewers…..TV viewing is opinion not science. One man’s junk is another man’s treasure.
How significant will episode costs be in this decision? I’d expect Medium might be pricey, since it’s more established with a well-know lead? Will the almost-100-episode “magic syndication number” make up for increased costs?
JT,
I wish they would. I defended that show to everyone to try to keep them watching up until this season. I NEVER missed an episode of Heroes. But I am done. I stopped 5 episodes ago. But they already decided to bring it back. I am glad that NBC doesn’t own it outright (Chuck) So I don’t know why I am really worried. It would probably get picked up quickly by another network
Travis you can say the ratings are horrible. Both shows have comparable ratings and Chuck is in a more contested time slot. Are Mediums numbers higher than Chucks? yes by much? no. It will come down to negotiations and who comes in at the right price. I’d like it if both shows can stay even though I’ve never watched Medium. But Medium is aging and if both come it at comparable $$$ Chuck will win only because of the possibility of a longer life span.
CHUCK
but honestly I’d be surprised if either one of them was canned
ugh typo…..”Travis you can say the ratings are horrible.” Should be “Travis you can’t say the ratings are horrible.”
Travis, you hated Chuck so much and yet you watched an entire 13 episodes of it? Damn, that show really is addictive!
Imagine NBC execs sitting round the board room table Friday having a lunch of subway sandwiches. The head cheese spills some sauce down his tie, ‘Oh chuck me’, he exclaims, a pensive chuckle circles the room. ‘Alright then 13 episodes for both and we see how it goes, simple right now pass me a napkin.’
It is just that simple.
Tommy, I’m a bit of a purist, to me SciFi is future extrapolation/technology hybridization not paranormal gobbledygook so no didn’t really think of that, but I suppose it would fit, shes supposed to be clairvoyant right, I really haven’t watched it since the first season, which says allot.
lol @mike, good point
lol @ Mike – sad thing is I’m sure Network execs have made decisions without putting even that much thought into it.
Watch neither show, here’s my take on it.
If it comes down to those 2 it should be Medium for a few reasons.
1) Higher ratings. True the competition is less, but it’s also in a lower HUT slot.
2) Already in syndication. Seeing how the Leno deal was all about money, it’s obviously very important to them.
3) Better suited for Fridays. I can’t see them wasting a Monday or Wednesday(only slots available for fall) on Chuck or Medium. Medium would work better on Fridays.
There’s alot of Mike’s here.
Why would moving Chuck to Wednesday be a waste. It’s not like they have anything else going on at 8 on Wednesdays (actually none of the networks do really)
Lowercase mike, to be sure.
I’ve watched one/half of a Medium episode. As for Chuck, I have purchased season 1, pre-order Season 2, have purchased episodes on iTunes, watched it on Hulu, purchased Chuck products. What does all that mean, I love the show “Chuck” As stated above, its a joyful show, with great writing, terrific writing and a kind center. Exactly, the show that is needed in these times.
If nbc is reading, please get the deal done and bring Chuck back for a third season. I have told my friends and family. We will plan to watch each episode and bring more fans into he Chuck world. We will watch it through the magic hundred episodes if we are given the chance.
sincerely
Chuck!!!
Medium I hope.
Medium is like a 10, Chuck is a 2. There’s no decision here, Medium is by far the best in quality and ratings.
Be smart NBC, bring back Medium
“Why would moving Chuck to Wednesday be a waste. It’s not like they have anything else going on at 8 on Wednesdays (actually none of the networks do really)”
Where else are you going to launch new shows? No better place than where there’s no competition. From the looks of it Day One is getting the Monday @ 9 slot(execs have basically said this much), so then Wednesdays is the only other place to put a new show.
I don’t think you guys get it. This is is like the 90/10 split of CHUCK being done for, it’s specifically for negotiation. However I don’t think it’s aimed at Warner but at CBS. CBS has more to lose if they aren’t “chosen.” If I were a betting man I’d bet CHUCK gets renewed and MEDIUM comes as a mid-season pickup for the final time and at a lower cost than it would have been bought at last week.
I’m with you Nick, NBC’s silence has been deafening…
Mike that’s assuming that everything will run all season with no midseason replacements. There will be room in the schedule as I think that a lot of shows will be getting smaller 13 episode runs and not 22 episode runs next season. Wouldn’t you want to bring a stable fan base to a night with nothing on to try to launch a new show at 9?
We fail to see the biggest competition of all on Wednesday nights, though. Even if it is only in the Spring.
American Idol.
I would pick Chuck over Medium any day, if only for it’s marketability (Zachary Levi has clearly shown he has already sold his soul to keep this show alive) and flexibility with viewers. It could work in any time slot, really, and Chuck is all around a more versatile show. Medium has been around for far too long for NBC to even consider shifting nights (that would be a death sentence no matter what night you put it on) and the storylines are already getting stale and tired. While Chuck has shown incredible promise in it’s upcoming storylines, not to mention a confident and talented team of showrunners and writers.
But if all else fails, here’s to hoping that NBC works out a dual deal with either show like they did with FNL.
I figured Southland or SVU would be on at 9. And both of those would be more likely to run all season.
Midseason would open up more slots, but I still don’t think they give Chuck a prime timeslot like Wednesday @ 8. I could see it on Sundays leading into Celebrity Apprentice.
I think all the Mikes on this site need to agree on new names. I don’t mind switching to my online ID instead of my first name.
We wont see a FNL style deal for either of these. I don’t see anyone being interested in ponying up 1/2 the production cost to keep either of these on the air.
Well I’m a Chuck Canuck but my parents named me Mike so I’m stuck.
Now who wants to watch Chuck So3 ep 20 Chuck vs the Presidents, huh, huh, can you taste it, exactly, endless growth potential, medium vs the stale mushy banana mystery please doesn’t even tweak interest.
Enough I watching the finale again, got to be like 7 times now.
Subway?
I don’t know, the season finale of Chuck was disappointing to me. They pretty much went back on everything that changed in the season that was major – Chuck has the intersect back, Chuck still can’t be with Sarah. But the one change they did implement was not good – Chuck is now an agent like everyone else at certain times.
If I remember Correctly a Little Show called Family Guy originally got canceled it’s 3rd season. Cartoon Network picked up the rights to air reruns and put them on their Adult Swim Block of animated Shows. People started watching them, and in time it became the Highest viewed program in that time slot and soon DVD sales went through the roof and Fox decided to put it back into production and well the rest is how they say, history
Chuck Chuck and Chuck!
I have always found medium’s heroine to be whiny and self absorbed — she’s not welcome in my living room!
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118003070.html?categoryid=14&cs=1
Variety is reporting that all signs are pointing towards a renewal for Chuck. No mention of Medium.
To be honest, I’d never even heard of Medium until a few months ago, when I actually watched Chuck and Heroes when they aired. I’ve tried several times to get into an episode, and I just can’t. It’s not anytime television. If I want something intellectual, I’ll watch a movie or read a book. Shows like Medium seem to cater to a specific group, and generally there isn’t much growth. They either explode like Mad Men, they quickly fade away, or they continue to remain mediocre.
I think Chuck has a better chance of catching people’s attention if they’re channel surfing, and would probably be watched by the House and whoever else is against them audience, if moved to a different time. And I think it would do well on NBC’s Thursday night of comedy. Most people I know who love The Office (and 30 Rock) also love Chuck. The only problem I can see with it is that it would still be a lead-in show, and those shows generally don’t benefit as much.
As for big campaigns not being a good indication of future viewership, I would agree if Chuck was the only show in fear of being canceled. But there are several shows facing possible cancellation, yet Chuck fans are (as far as I can tell) the loudest. If the execs actually cared to look into what fans wanted, it would be pretty clear that Chuck fans want it more.
Medium is pretty boring. Chuck is always highly entertaining and full of great moments. Medium came off of the whole 6th Sense snooze pile. Put a nail in Mediums coffin, I’d rather watch Jennifer Love Hewitt whisper in ghosts ears rather than Medium put me to death.
Chuck. It’s plain and simple. Medium isn’t as good. And the chuck fan base = AWESOME.
Similar stuff about things looking better for Chuck at The Hollywood Reporter.
“The chances of “Mad,” “Found,” “Day One” and “Mercy” will depend on how many of its bubble drama series NBC will bring back. The midseason cop show “Southland” looks very likely to return, possibly for midseason. And to the delight of staunch “Chuck” supporters, the chances of survival for the quirky soft-rated series have improved slightly. And “Law & Order” is looking good to match “Gunsmoke’s” record 20-season run, possibly with a partial order.”
Medium has had its time. It doesn’t have the capability of performing at the NBC average if it were put in the timeslot Chuck is in.
Chuck has a very vocal, involved, and aware fanbase that advertisers have a better chance at targeting. Chuck also is a young show and has much more growth potential.
This should be a quick pick for NBC come Monday. CHUCK
For the record, I think everyone on this entire site is crazy.
I applaud the creators–it’s a great site, great source of information.
The endless debates, the retentionistas, the people who defend their show like idiots when the truth is staring them in the face…yeah guys, it’s a little pointless, no matter what any of you say, facts are facts–and the NUMBERS will determine things.
So could everyone stop hating on one another because you have different taste or you think T:TSCC or Dollhouse or Chuck or whatever is the greatest thing since sliced bread…
Sorry, I’ve had that on my chest for like 6 months.
Chuck 1000 times for good, ,medium sucks is boring, CHuck is fun, has action and have an excelent cast with very sexy’s woomans..!!!
ChucK season 3!!!
Im sorry Chuck peeps, you arent going to win out over Medium. Medium outdoes Chuck EVERY week in rating. Sorry you all will have to join us sulking Life fans in the world of cancellation. If you have never seen Medium, give it a chance, it is actually a very good show in my opinion.
Variety and Hollywood reporter are just reporting the same story right?
One more for Chuck. Medium is good, but Chuck is better.
CHUCK!!
I have privileged information (from a source that i’d rather not mention) that both Life and Knight Rider are looking good for a midseason renewal. However the format is said to be changing: at the request of NBC both shows will be combined as a 2hr crossover each week and will feature David Hasselhoff in a recurring role as the arch enemy of Crews.
The only catch is getting the Hoff to return. Word is he’d rather be a good guy. But I hear NBC and his agent are both hot on the idea, so hopefully they can work something out.
In addition, Crews will be driving KITT now, which will also be changing to a yet-to-be-determined Chrysler. Chrysler apparently approached NBC saying that they will soon be coming in to some money and are looking for a solid investment. Sources say the car will probably be a Fiat Punto, rebadged as a Chrysler compact and it will have a strong Italian accent.
Anyway, the idea is to combine the fan bases of both shows and keep them for a 2 hour run each week. NBC thinks if it can keep costs down (all backgrounds will now be handpainted on foamboard and the Fiat/Chryslers will be sold on eBay at the end of each season/model year) this could help boost the company’s bottom line.
As far as the odds of this happening? Well, my source told me its got a 80% chance of happening and a 65% chance of not happening. Then he winked at me. I’ll pass along anything else I hear.
Actually lopan, I don’t think they are, after reading both articles.
Gotta laugh at Ausiello’s prediction for TSCC: “A long shot”.
Try “miracle”, dude.
123 lmao, ok who said we we’re all crazy earlier, Charlie Crews and Kitt, what the chuck…
You have to compare apples to apples and with these two and that’s impossible. Yeah they are both on Monday but at completely different times. If medium was at 9:00 I would say you might be able to compare them a little closer, but you can’t. Face it 8:00 is the most competetive time slot. What are they going to do move medium to 8:00? It will get killed going against House, DWTS, TBBT, and HIMYM. Any show will, there is just too much competition and NBC doesn’t advertise any of their Monday shows nearly enough. You gotta keep Chuck because neither Heroes or Medium would be able to do better in that spot. If you do anything you cancel both and create a new show. I love Chuck, but I’ll be fine as long as they put Yvonne Strahovski in another show. Not only is she beautiful but the girl can flat out act. She can kick ass with action and hit you amazing emotional scenes.
Medium lost me along time ago, CHUCK is light years better
we all know CHUCK is a better show than MEDIUM. but face it guys, MEDIUM will get pick up before CHUCK.
MEDIUM is a long running hit show on NBC, but meanwhile CHUCK, well, … meh, sadly
lets hope that this two shows will be back next season
RSH, my guess is that Ausiello’s predictions are based almost completely on what he’s been told, likely by people with a wide range of agendas and credibility levels.
Not a contest, Chuck , for sure. I have watched both shows since their inceptions and I really like Medium . But Chuck is just Special, so enjoyable. It never fails to make me laugh out loud. I love every single character on the show. I am no youngster, I am old enough to have watched TV pretty much since it’s inception, and I have never loved a show like I have Chuck. It is my favorite show ,ever. And I have watched all the classics as first runs, not reruns. Shows like, I Love Lucy, The Dick Van Dyke Show, That Girl, Mary Tyler Moore, All in the Family, Maude,Three’s Company, Happy Days ,Golden Girls Friends, Seinfeld ,& The Office. And Chuck is the one that wins as my favorite of all time. That’s saying a lot. I hope it gets the chance to continue growing and making families happy. It is the only show ever that our family from different households has gathered to watch together. We would all be heartbroken to lose this unique family time.
128, didn’t that show already air? Remember Viper? The attempt at upgrading and rebooting a Knight Rider type show in the early 90’s. Aired on NBC, Chrysler paid for all the cars and built the Viper for the show. Then the show was cancelled…then it came back on another network.
CHUCK!
For what it’s worth, Variety is reporting that things are pointing in the positive direction for Chuck to return. No mention of Medium which supports Nick’s thought that it may be a midseason replacement, if at all.
It should and will be Medium if for no other reason that it’s the better show.
But if you’re looking for another reason — how about better ratings.
I think this is made up just to fan the flames and get more “hits” on this web page. The MISTAKE that NBC made was to renew Heroes. I USED TO love that show. The first season was great. The second was pretty good until the later part of it. This season has to put it simply SUCKED! If you’re looking at Medium, CHUCK and Heroes and considering saving only 2 of the 3, then DUMP HEROES. The smarter thing for NBC to do – which they most likely won’t – would be to renew each of the series with fewer episodes. Let’s be honest. Nothing against Jay Leno personally, but Jay on five nights a week in prime time has to be one of the dumbest ideas in T.V. history. He’s a nice guy, a good guy – but to put it simply, “he aint that funny!” (Unless you’re comparing him to Letterman – who is much worse – but he won’t be competing against Letterman anymore if he’s on in prime time). If they’re already committed to the mistake of renewing Heroes, then do it for fewer episodes – and then renew CHUCK and Medium also with fewer episodes initially – because after Leno tanks, they’re going to need to order more episodes of all three of these shows anyway. This way you keep the fans of all three shows happy. It’s called the Rodney King “Can’t we all just get along” strategy. Bottom line, if CHUCK gets axed without at least giving it a chance in a less brutal time slot – or moving it to USA, Sci-Fi or whatever NBC owned network, NBC will seriuosly honk off enough people who will NEVER turn on NBC again – me included. It’s not a threat, just a fact. I don’t know, but perhaps it’s past stupid decisions on their part that have honked off enough fans who have ALREADY permanently turnd OFF NBC – afterall they did go from “first to worst.” Just something to ponder.
Hassellhoff could guest on chuck, chuck could accidentally infect his car , in a tongue n cheek at KR, Chuck vs the Baywatcher, or chuck vs the Zen Master, Charlie Crews on loan from the LAPD teaches chuck inner peace and the beauty of fruit. Heh
Someone refresh my memory. Weren’t all the sources last year saying Moonlight was safe right up until it was canceled? Or am I remembering wrong?
God I love Chuck. I hope it gets renewed. Who actually watches Medium?? That show sucks! SAVE CHUCK.
Everyone needs to look at this decision as if they were a third party and then think about which show will be renewed. There is too much bias here.
I’ve been checking this site for many months now, but I still don’t know: Who is Nick C. and how does he know all this info? lol
If Medium can be off the air for months and still get the same ratings, it sounds like people who watch it would have watched anything that was on at the time. In other words, it doesn’t attract any viewers. It just exists and absorbs ratings from people who forgot to turn the TV off after Heroes.
I mean, that was the only reason I watched it. Then it became train-wreck viewing, watching only to see if the dialogue could possibly get any worse.
Since Heroes is only come back for 18-20 epi, Chuck could get a similar order and then they can run one in the fall and the other in the spring with no repeats/off weeks. It’s the off-weeks that hurt. Medium is still a surprisingly fresh show — I thought I’d be over it by now, but PA really sells it and the writing is good. Also, CBS produces it — so if NBC cancels I wouldn’t be surprised if CBS picks it up as a mid-season to put on Friday nights and to get those episodes. Medium has had three truncated seasons: (1st season 16, last year 16 and this year 13 + extra six after NBC’s flops at 10/9). I hope everybody gets their wish! Damn that Leno.
See? Crazy people.
Chuck! You Medium lemmings can go watch Ghost Whisperer if you want pseudo-spiritual mumbo-jumbo nonsense.
Chuck, without question, is the smartest, wittiest, most original show.
When is the 9:00 O’Clock Medium? One day before the upfronts? Are they really going to make the decision based on that one data point with minutes to go before their announcement?
So, since this site is TV by the Numbers, and quality = nadda when it comes to that, I’m looking for some numbers based analysis.
What are the production costs for Chuck Versus Medium? I’m hearing Chuck is about 2-2.5 mil per episode. Medium?
How much does the 18-34 demo matter compared to the 18-49 demo?
How much can Chuck feasibly make in product placement? How does this affect their margins?
If Subway has given their support to the idea of the show returning, does this indicate advanced advertiser interest on their part? Will their past budget for the show then be factored into cost-analysis for the future?
Medium all the way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
such a wonderful show!!~~~~~~
I vote for Medium…sorry Chuck fans!
NBC ought to renew both Chuck and Medium, and cancel Heroes!
My vote is for CHUCK all the way, I watch both shows and it is hard to get through an episode of Medium nowadays but CHUCK keeps me glued from start to finish.
The characters are amazing and the progressive change in Chuck’s attitude and competence as a spy is so intriguing to follow. The show has humour, drama, GREAT actors with some wonderfully developing relationships and story lines.
To cancel CHUCK at this point would go down in my books as a major network blunder like the cancellation of Surface and Threshold. Two shows that got canceled and left at pivotal points in the story.
The WB could probably offer Chuck much cheaper now because the DVDs have been selling decently of late. The pre-orders for Season 2 have been on par with 24 and is beating Heroes and LOST (according to Amazon). Season 1 DVD has had a resurgence in sales, so much so that Amazon has sold out of the DVDs (it will be in stock May 4th). WB obviously must be happy with the buzz the show is getting, and NBC probably knows this and of course would ask for a lower license fee.
come on! is this question of course CHUCK!! DONT LOST THE CHUCK NBC ?T ?S A GREAT SHOW DON’T LOOSE ?T
Besides, if they cancel Heroes, they could bring Ali Larter onto Chuck as a partnr for Yvonne Strahovski! Oh well, that’s just wishful thinking!
Argus (and others), since the schedule we had posted seems now to have been outdated at some point, and the NBC upfront announcements seem to be on Monday 5/4, Chuck and Medium have done their best with ratings this season and will not get another chance before decisions are announced.
correction: partner
I cant wait till Monday so I can stop thinking about whether or not Chuck gets renewed.
chuck is the greatest show i have ever seen pls nbc don’TTT
chuck has funny stuff people you can laugh a lot of thnik don’t u sick of thrillers like medium they are everywhere but chuck hasn’T youu can laugh you can get excited there are a lot of beautfil chasig seens you can not catch this miricles again at another show don’t cancelll ittt!
People are leaning towards Chuck because they love the show, not because it’s what makes sense. Unfortunatly (I love Chuck), if this is true and it’s actually coming down to these two I think things are in Medium’s favour. I don’t think the decision in the end (if it hasn’t already been made) will be based on the the show’s quality.
TSCC over Dollhouse and SDSU! oh crap, wrong board…
Chuck, never seen it but i dont like the occult.
@ Jon L – the decision will be made on how cheaply NBC can get the shows. Both have different things going in their favor so other than production cost they are on the same level. Medium is close to the 100 episode syndication mark, but NBC doesn’t care about that because they wont see any of that syndication money.
I dont watch medium, and i love Chuck. But from a network-POV, medium is just better.
Julia, you’re right many people tabbed MOONLIGHT as safe. That is a show that in a matter of weeks went from safe to bubble to canceled.
Nick C, what do you make of the Variety/Hollywood Reporter articles about Chuck’s renewal chances increasing? Variety painted a more positive picture for Chuck.
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118003070.html?categoryid=14&cs=1
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3if87cf911cde7b6e9429b49ac598c69af
I can’t wait until Monday either. I am goingn a little nutso waiting on news for Chuck. I want to get back to my real life! Hahah.
I wonder why NBC can fail to see the potential for Chuck. Have they actually looked around to see what fans are saying over and over? They can market Chuck as the show, that every member of the family can watch. They can really milk this.
Comedy for the kids, young and teens!
Romance for the Moms (okay maybe not that sexist)
Action for the Dads (ditto)
And great acting all around
That is definitely an edge to other shows. Everything is either too mature, too sedate, too sad, to dark, too gory…even sitcoms kids won’t necessarily get that. But this show we have a lot of people already saying they watch it with their kids, with their teens. I know I watch it with my 16 yr. old brother. He loves it. It’s the show that is safe to watch with all members of the family. God, why can’t I be an exec on NBC!
well…..
I also think NBC should have cancelled “Heroes”
they are the biggest dissapointment
and NBC should keep both Chuck and Medium !!!!!!!!!!
Medium is by far the better show. I have tried to watch Chuck and found it ridiculous! Wouldn’t waste my time in it again. Medium, on the other hand, is a smart, warm, funny, suspenseful show that is consistent, both in creativity and in ratings. It has shown time and time again, that no matter how long NBC holds it off the air, or where they schedule it, or how little they promote it, that it has a solid fanbase. And real fans who watch, not fanboys who spend all their time on the internet raving about it. I’d wager that all of those “millions of fans on the internet” are simply the same 6 million or so who tune in to Chuck every week, but they are just being loud and obnoxious just to try to convince NBC that the show is a megahit and has a gazillion more fans than those who are actually watching the show. But face it, the numbers don’t lie. Chuck has been falling steadily for months, and when put side by side with Medium, MEDIUM WINS HANDS DOWN.
NBC had better not cancel Medium!
S**** CHUCK! Save Medium!
Well if NBC cancel CHUCK there will be one hell of an uproar. Its not only the fans that love the show, its most critics aswell. Plus its a show (as many of my friends have seen), that can get you hooked in a matter of hours.
I got it! I got it! “Chuck vs Cameron”!
Satisfy both the Chuck and TSCC fans!
Terrific plot. This secret organization Chuck is fighting is actually working for Skynet and John Connor from the future has sent Cameron back to help Chuck defeat Skynet.
Naturally, he falls for Cameron (doesn’t everyone?) and Sarah gets PO’d and gets in Cameron’s face, so Cameron snaps her neck like a twig. Then Casey pulls out a Barrett .50 with depleted uranium bullets, but Cameron bounces his ass all over the room until Chuck stops her by using the Intersect to reprogram her to act like the Flying Nun. Then she goes to work at the Buy More as head Nerd Herder.
Well the question is, which show makes the most money?. All that matters to the suits is money money moneymoneymoney. I personally feel that Chuck has the most potential to make NBC money through product placement,merchandise etc.
Dawn, good thing you have an opinion. I just find it interesting that most TV critics, if not almost all, have nothing but positive things to say about the show. It’s not everyone’s brand of humor, but many families, with teens and young kids find tout this as the only thing that they feel safe watching. That’s not something that can be said about a lot of other shows. Not Medium.
And I did like Medium. I haven’t watched TV in probably two years, except for tuning in to an ep or so when in the kitchen with a good view of the living room TV. But chuck is one of the few shows I found worthwhile to watch. With everything going on in the economy, with depressing headlines crowding the evening news, with so much negativity in the world, I like that Chuck can make me laugh. Medium doesn’t do that.
But who cares right. It doesn’t matter how it makes me feel. It’s all down to the damn numbers, which, frankly, none of us know except the top brass at NBC.
All i can say is that if Chucks going down, then us Chuchaholics arnt letting it go without a fight. NBC better be ready for a backlash if they dont renew.
I vote for Chuck. Medium’s had a great run with 95 episodes. I think Chuck should get a chance to have get at least 50 episodes under its belt.
Of course, Einstein, this is a Chuck fansite, or haven’t you been paying attention LATELY? Caps lock off. I vote for Chuck, too, only because of the mob rule mentality which has come to prevail here. CHUCK CHUCK CHUCK SEIG HEIL SEIG HEIL SEIG HEIL!
Is there really a choice, CHUCK !
CHUCK FTW. Hands down the better and more dynamic and unique show with the added potential of easy product placement and lucrative Sci-Fi syndication down the road. Zac Levi and Yvonne Strahovski have more chemistry and character than all the Medium cast combined. To let Chuck not have another season and a less competitive time slot would be a travesty.
Chuck of course! I’ve never watched Medium and i’ll never do it!
Chuck is way better!!!!!!
This is pretty hilarious. How about NBC make a reality show where Chuck fans go up against Medium fans. Even better, put them all in a steel cage and the last fan standing gets their show renewed.
When Medium first came out I thought it might be interesting until I watched the first episode. It was a huge disappointment. Isn’t it really the same show as Ghost Whisperer? Yes it is. Medium would get murdered in an earlier time slot against any real competition. It would happen so fast that Allison wouldn’t even see it coming.
Remember that this is the internet so your show sucks and everyone else’s is better than yours.
I love Chuck, but if I were an executive, I’d probably go with Medium. The show gets better ratings and probably costs less money.
Wow I don’t envy anyone if they have to make this decision. On a personal level I really like both shows but Medium feels more like it’s run it’s course to me. Hard to say which way they will go. I would actually suspect that with those numbers CBS or some other channel might pick up Medium, at least as a mid-season replacement, to get it’s episode count up. Purely speculation there but I wouldn’t be shocked if NBC did refuse to renew.
Wow, I worded that really badly. What I mean is I wouldn’t be surprised if CBS or some other network picked up Medium as a replacement if NBC cancelled it. That seems to make more sense. I need sleep.
Why is this site so fixated on Chuck? All the Chuck fans congregate here, but for a site that is supposed to discuss ratings, it’s not objective at all. The entries aren’t even well researched.
I remember one of the authors wondering whether Kings was a miniseries or not, based on what was written in a magazine. If he had just researched it properly, he would have found out it wasn’t a miniseries.
SAVE Chuck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BEST PROGRAM EVER!!!!
THE ratings may not be the best but it has amazing potential to have a HUGE fanbase Next season
If it really is down to Medium vs. Chuck, as much as this pains me to say, I feel that Medium will be selected. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love Chuck and pray for it to be renewed and will be very upset if it isn’t, but the truth of the matter is that Medium is a bit cheaper to produce, it has better overall demo numbers (although Chuck does much better in the 18-34 category and several other non reported categories), and it has been on longer, so the fan base is a bit more established.
I believe that the only problem with Medium is that it really isn’t that flexible. If I remember correctly (and if I don’t I know that everyone will be all over me and correct me. LOL) the show has been tried at various timeslots throughout the five seasons it has been on and the only timeslot that it really does well in is the 10:00 hour. I believe that Medium has been “on the bubble” for almost every season because moving it around timeslot wise has caused the demo numbers to fluctuate, although it has been renewed. And this is the third season out of five that the show has been given a reduced schedule (meaning not the normal 22-23 episodes). Don’t know if that will have anything to do with the decision.
In the end, while I want Chuck, if what is stated is true, I think Medium will get selected. What I think is that it is more of a posturing and that negotiations are on going with WB for Chuck. I do believe that if WB/NBC can reach an agreement that both shows will be back.
I sort of look at what all has been reported like this. If you truly like something (whether it is a tv show or whatever) and the problem is that you don’t have enough room, but you want to desperately keep it, you WILL FIND A WAY to do it, even if it means getting creative. Since NBC loves both shows so much, if they really love both shows as much as I read and hear, then they would find a way to make it work if that is all it truly came down to. What this article and all the other ones that I have read recently has told me is that no deal has been finalized between WB/NBC and that until the two shake hands it will continuously go back and forth. It could come down to an 11th hour decision and likely what is going on is that some areas of agreement have been reached (maybe production costs) but other areas have not (such as number of episodes to renew the show for).
FUCK CHUCK!! RENEW MEDIUM!!!!!
Medium has Emmy awards and a great cast and good storey. Chuck i havent seen but i dont imagine will win any Emmys. Id renew medium on average it has better numbers.
John,
Actually Chuck has won an Emmy and been nominated for another, which isn’t bad for a show that has only been on essentially 1.5 seasons, but yes, I admit that Medium has won more Emmys.
JP No reason to say f**k chuck alright just cause you dont like it.
I want CHUCK to stay on, but i would not say F**K medium.
Anyway CHUCK has not really had a chance to build a fanbase with the huge gaps they have had during the season and season 1 cut off early due to writers strike.
If they have a CHUCK season 3 (i really hope) they should run it straight through no breaks what so ever.
they could probably get an extra million or two on top if they put it on a wed or Thursday.
Definitely Chuck! The best show on television…
Despite its premise of the protagonist being a psychic, it is the depiction of family and marriage that makes Medium must-see television for me. It is simply wonderful to see a “normal” portrayal of family life, albeit a mom who happens to be psychic. I really admire Patricia Arquette for not conforming to Hollywood norms when she undertook his role; she really is a positive role model in my personal opinion.
I still continue to be surprised by the writers, notably the endings to the recent two-parter. I really hope Medium is renewed.
@Fanatic
Hey, this is the daily Chuck. Here to save the Subway sponsored slice of delight. If you don’t like it, you can just Chuck off!
sorry but neither are very good.
anyone with half a brain will tell you ‘Charles In Charge’ remains the best show on TV. period. (…what are you all staring at?)
Medium ratings continues to fall, while Chuck showed improvements over its last several episodes. Chuck’s fan base is far more vocal and supportive. Chuck’s fan base is very supportive of shameless product placement. Chuck should get the green light over Medium, hands down.
Unless during their pitch to NBC & the studio Fedak & Schwartz layed out a plan to keep the weak, lame “will they / won’t they” crap going through season 3. In that case, then yes, Chuck needs to stay gone. Better to die now than to come back and watch the ratings fall away like leaves in Autumn.
I’m soooo sick of this guessing game! I need some facts! I need a renewal for Chuck….!
They better renew Chuck. I have never watched medium and i ne
TM, your message got cut off somehow?
i think they may renew chuck because medium is way down this season and is dropping very fast in viewrs from 10 – 11 mil viewers prev seasons to 6 mil – 7mil
chuck consitant and if moved to better timeslot will do much better
No offense to commentators Nick C or anyone else, but I could have posted a comment regarding hearing something about Chuck’s renewal possibilities and everyone would have reacted the same way. My advice to those dedicated, loyal Chuck fans, stay away from any boards until May 5th when you will actually know for sure.
*I never will.
Chuck is definitely flexible, it can be an 8, 9, or 10 oclock show. Medium on the other hand can only really be a 10 0clock show…and since Jay is taking the 10 0′clock time slot….is it a good move for NBC to save Medium? Lets just imagine that House and Dancing with the Stars never came on, Chuck would easily be holding steady at 7.5 million viewers, like it was in the beginning. Now lets continue to imagine that NBC starts at square one with Chuck and moves it to Wednesdays at 8 pm….it would easily have a ratings increase. It stays constant at 6 million with such heavy competition…that proves something right there. There definitely is more to explore with this show and it has potential. It would be a shame to cut…NBC go with your gut.
ahh the suspense!!! i’m praying madly it’s Chuck. let it be Chuck. pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease.
I have to go with CHUCK its the sensible option in my eyes.
Medium has the 18-49 edge. Advertisers want to reach that market. Networks are happy when their shows do. Sure, TV sites like this attract younger crowds but that’s not what networks or advertisers look at. I’d have to assume that anything said here by fans is of no interest the networks or the advertisers, nor should it be.
Fans against fans, great idea NBC, thats a way to build a solid following of your channel; they must be really lost
NBC didn’t create this madness. It happens every year on at least one of the networks, and it’s always a creation of internet commenters.
If NBC wants to get itself in an even bigger hole it’ll keep Chuck. And given the track record lateley i’m confident NBC will keep Chuck. They love being last apparently
Does NBC see any money from the deal with Lifetime? If CBS gives NBC a good deal because of that or because they want to get Medium to syndication numbers it seems like Medium would make far more sense in the business category and Chuck only makes sense if NBC is looking at creative factors (the quality of the show, wanting to have a good relationship with Josh Schwartz, etc).
But if this scenario is actually what’s happening, despite all the obvious reasons to go with Medium I’d like to hope that NBC would go with Chuck because they like the show (and they’ve been pretty loyal to their “pet” shows in the past). They’re saving money with Leno, so perhaps money isn’t as big of an issue if there’s not a huge difference in cost between the two.
Bring back both! Screw Earl and move L&O to USA!
Medium, who the hell watches Medium
Each show has its strengths and weaknesses:
Medium
Upsides:
Large episode count – close to syndication.
Lifetime subsidy (effectively – NBC doesn’t get the money from Lifetime directly, but they can say to CBS, “You’ll get $1.35 mil per on each episode from Lifetime, sell it to us at or below cost and get your profit from them”).
“Dependable” audience – fans find the show whenever it manages to creep onto the schedule.
Focused demo (older women).
Downsides:
Only schedulable at 9pm on Weekdays or 9/10pm on Sundays in March; much of NBC’s schedule is already locked in place in those timeslots or can only be placed there.
Ratings are going down, but whether that is an effect of airing at 10pm (which is dropping across the board), or audience withering remains to be seen.
Chuck
Upsides:
Critical acclaim.
Frenzied internet fanbase.
Surviving in timeslot with lots of competition.
Unlike most of NBC’s schedule, can work as an 8pm show.
Downsides:
Audience is simply not growing. Despite all the “save our show” projects, ratings are not seeing any major improvement – only the last couple episodes have approached the Fall average. Major Superbowl promotion resulted in no long term gains.
All things to all people demo approach difficult to advertise and capitalize on.
Personally, if I were NBC, I wouldn’t understand how this could be an either/or situation – the shows aren’t schedulable in the same slots, which means there is some other 8pm & 9pm schedulable show (L&O? Legally Mad?) that they don’t care about and are merely using as schedule filler – yet is guaranteed to air in 09-10. If I were NBC, I would honestly pick up both – give Chuck a short order, and Medium a short to medium order. Throw Chuck on Monday or Wed at some point during the year and schedule Medium for Sundays, moving to Mon or Wed at 9pm if the show there collapses.
But if I had to pick only one, it would be Medium. With Lifetime subsidy, it would be cheaper, and I can schedule it for Sunday and not have the entire audience lost to the Fox animated comedies.
OH NO!!! I love both these shows!!!! I hope NBC pick up chuck… then CBS can pieck up Medium and stick it behind Ghost Whispere on Fridays!!
I am physically in the room when both are on. I watch Chuck, I’m sleeping when Medium comes on. Something about PA being all tucked in bed just knocks me right out. Maybe that’s why it gets better ratings, it puts people to sleep and they leave their TV’s on.
If there really is a competition between the two then obviously more people are going to want Chuck. What NBC should do is renew both shows, Medium for 15 episodes atleast so it gets 110 total, and definitely Chuck for another season. Both shows deserve another season.
Dan,
I agree. It has been stated that no matter when Medium comes on, it gets viewers. So get enough episodes for syndication and do 13 for Chuck with the option for 9 more if they want
I agree with Dan here, keep both and get rid of MNIE and L&O, they dont need 2 L&O shows.
There are sooo many shows worse than both, I’ll never understand why they keep a primetime slot for L&O, nobody watches it anymore, stick it late or in a bad slot
i hope its not seriously one or the other but i am a huge medium fan and would have to say medium all the way!!! But i still hope its not one or the other cause i know we have many chuck fans!!!
Don’t really care as I don’t watch either show, but I’ll just be glad when this Chuck madness ends. It’s really getting tiring.
Hmmm, well, in terms of syndication value, that really favors the studio over the network, yes? So NBC really isn’t going to care about that, but it would be a reason why CBS Paramount would lower its “asking price.”
Another question: What competition does each show face on its broadcast night? Chuck’s up against CBS’s comedy block and FOX’s 2 biggest shows after Idol, House and 24. What does Medium go up against? If Medium has weaker competition, the slight ratings difference wouldn’t matter much in that case, correct?
Chuck, of course! But NBC should bring back Medium as a midseason replacement with 13 eps to get it’s 100+ episodes.
Cancel them both.
I am a moron.
@ um ok: How can it be possible for Medium to get better ratings “just because they already have their TVs on after watching Chuck” when Medium has consistently grown in the 10 pm hour, after Chuck and Heroes, in every airing this season? And Medium does better in the demo than Chuck.
Sorry, but that dog won’t hunt.
@Tom: As for your “upsides” to renewing Chuck, when stacked up next to Medium, those arguments just don’t hold water. Of all of your reasons to renew Chuck, none of them are what would be considered legitimate validations for renewal by NBC.
Critical acclaim- look how many shows that have been adored by the critics have been cancelled with equal or better ratings than Chuck. Unless it’s a favorite of the network execs, critical acclaim usually doesn’t mean jack in these decisions.
Frenzied internet fanbase- when are the Chuck fanboys going to learn that the networks don’t give two figs about the internet frenzy? All they care about is dollars and cents, and all of this internet ranting about Chuck is not putting one red cent into NBC’s pocket, so it means exactly squat to them.
Survival in time slot with lots of competition- Don’t you mean hanging on by the skin of its teeth? Those numbers are hardly ratings gold, and getting thrashed weekly by the competition, and even shows on its own network, are hardly worth crowing about. Chuck ranks somewhere around 40-50 in the list of top 100 shows every week, and that’s usually in a good week. And it’s usually around 10th-11th of NBC’s programs every week. Medium, on the other hand, ranks around 33-39 in the top 100 shows (in the high 20’s on a good week) and is usually in the 3rd-6th rank of NBC’s shows. Plus Medium has shown that it can win its time slot in key demos, or at the very least finish second. Chuck can’t say that.
Can work as an 8 pm show- Granted. Medium is more of a 9 pm show. No arguments there. But while Chuck wouldn’t fare as well in a later time slot because it’s more kid-friendly, Medium is flexible enough to work at either 9 or 10 pm.
Sorry, but when placed side by side, the reasons to choose Medium over Chuck, from a numbers standpoint, are more compelling. It’s a proven ratings performer, has a solid VIEWERSHIP (not frenzied internet fanbase), and is probably cheaper to produce than Chuck. It’s not a particularly effects-laden show, and doesn’t require a lot of sets and locations, as Chuck seems to. Plus, as has been pointed out, while the syndication deal with Lifetime doesn’t put any money in NBC’s pocket, it does make it easier for them to negotiate with CBS for licensing fees.
My money’s still on Medium. Sorry, Nick C., but all this just sounds like watercooler gossip right now. I’m betting on Medium for next season.
Go CHUCK GOOO
to master moron
your a moron
advice
walk around all day and just keep saying “CHUCK”
hopefully a bit of promotion will help
Reviewing the timeslot issue, I feel that Medium would do much worse in Chuck’s current timeslot compared to how Chuck did this last season.
Much of Medium’s key female demographic would be probably watching Dancing With the Stars, a show which attracts a high female demographic itself. At the same time that would give it ratings protection vs. Monday Night Football, however Chuck’s numbers didn’t change enough for that to be a factor.
Is there anywhere to get a demographic breakdown for Medium, Chuck, and Chuck’s competition?
Frankly NBC goofed with Friday Night Lights and Heroes, I highly doubt there is a debate about medium vs chuck, just gossip, the fat lady will sing next week, til then enjoy the frenzy.
Well, I have never watched Medium so I can’t speak to the quality of each show but just from the previews I have seen of Medium I know it doesn’t fill one shoe that Chuck does. Namely being able to watch it with my child with reasonable confidence that I won’t have to deal with nightmares or explain things I would really rather not have to explain. So many other shows on in the 8pm time slot are too violent or psychologically adult for her. Or just plain dumb. I go to TV for escapism not reality so all the reality shows are when I get other things done. I get that they are popular and I get that it is a business, I just hope that NBC decides that for whatever reason, it makes business sense for them to continue Chuck.
Chuck hands down!
Chuck’s fans do not support enough ratings or market share to support the show continuing, nor does it ever get any award nominations. ‘Chuck’ fans being on the internet more and more vocal will not save it, compared to ‘Medium’ having a solid fan base, having schedule changes and being mid-season, and still holding on to solid ratings. People stick with ‘Medium’, however have never even been with ‘Chuck’.
‘Chuck’ should be gone while ‘Medium’ is a keeper, has higher ratings, slightly better demos, critial acclaim, and award wins and nominations. ‘Medium’ has a lot more in its favor….and has done very well for NBC over the past 5 years…Chuck has flopped for 2 years.
Go with the FACTS: ‘Medium’ is the keeper, ‘Chuck’ is a flop.
‘Medium’ will be back.
With the ratings Southland got last night, it’s now a no brainer to keep BOTH Chuck and Medium. If Southland does this horribly against one new show and losing to a repeat, it deserves to go.
I don’t think it’s an either/or situation right now. Keep Chuck and Medium.
mwa, this site has made it clear that total viewers do not matter to advertisers, only demos. If that’s true, it’ll be very close but I think Chuck will ultimately win out. Medium’s average 18-49 is only 0.1 higher than Chuck’s even though it has less competition. Plus Chuck gets better 18-34 demos and earns more through product placements. Also Chuck’s DVD sales seem to be growing, whereas Medium will likely remain at a permanent low state.
Dang, Southland. Drop that show and keep Medium and Chuck. No way Southland can compete in a 9 pm time slot
I really don’t believe this was ever an either/or situation. The idea that NBC only has one spot on the schedule left and its going to one of Medium or Chuck just makes absolutely no sense to me. Not only are they two completely different shows in terms of style, genre, content and tone but I can’t imagine that Medium is really competing with Chuck for the same timeslot. It just doesn’t make any sense to me at all.
Personally though if I’m NBC I’d ditch them both and give and pick up another pilot. I don’t think either one is really strong enough to make a case for pushing them onto the schedule (unless the deal is great and if it were the show would be coming back regardless) and since they’re not NBCU productions the upside to keeping either of them going is fairly limited for them, for example NBC doesn’t really get anything out of pushing Medium past the 100 episode mark if CBS want it there let them get it there on their time.
Chuck all the way baby!!!!!!!!!!
The only reason I watched thirteen episodes of it was because my friends said it was really good. I jumped in at the second episode and watched the rest. And besides, I’ve watched every single episode of Medium, it’s just a better show and it’s just a better deal for NBC!
MEDIUM! MEDIUM! MEDIUM!
CHUCK all the way!
Does NBC have enough good shows left to actually lose both of them? Don’t we have some empty time on Wednesdays? And with Southland tanking…that’s an easy one. Monday, Chuck/Heroes, Tuesday B.L., SVU, Wed L&O/Medium, Thursday…whatever. Still have Friday thru Sunday for burning other junk off.
I’m off work today and just channel surfing. So far, I’ve seen “A 2 hour Medium event” promo on just about every channel!
looks like CHUCK ftw. Only a contractual screw up on Warner’s part can stop it.
Shawn, I seriously doubt that MEDIUM won’t be picked up again for another midseason scheduling fix. This was all about negotiations with CBS.
I want both but go MEDIUM !!!!! I WANT MEDIUM PEOPLE
@Dawn — a couple retorts to your arguments:
Critical acclaim — this is also known as “free advertising.” Having critics discussing your show in newspaper/magazine columns, or online, gives your network free advertising for the product (i.e. the show) and reduces your own personal promotion costs. Having a show like Chuck (which has been one of the most Twittered topics in the past few weeks, and has been written about extensively in the media) promotes the NBC brand very well. While it’s true that critical acclaim alone cannot help a show survive, if you’re going to compare two similar shows, you ALWAYS take the one with more critical acclaim or media “buzz” just because of the free promotional assistance the critics and buzz provides, as well as the corresponding help this provides your network brand. Or, to put it another way, if your network is winning Emmy’s and appearing on “best of” lists for a show like Friday Night Lights (or Chuck), media saavy viewers are going to trust your track record of quality long-term.
Frenzied internet fanbase — given the general fractioning of television viewing to cable channels and non-televsion (i.e. internet) options, having a show that is “buzzed” about online is a GOOD thing. Again, while this one criteria would not be enough to keep a show on the air, when comparing two SIMILARLY ranked shows by the numbers, you ALWAYS want a show with a heavy internet following — again, it provides more buzz, better bang for your advertising dollar, and tends to trend the show younger to more appealing demographics.
Survival in timeslot — the Chuck v. Medium argument on this point is important, because while Medium ends up with similar viewership numbers to Chuck, Chuck puts up its numbers in a MUCH more competitive timeslot. I mean, there are two whole NETWORKS (CW and FOX) that aren’t airing ANY programming (save local news) at Medium’s 10 pm slot….it just has to compete with offerings from CBS and ABC. Chuck, meanwhile, puts its numbers up against 4 networks, all of which have shows that have considerable cross-over appeal with Chuck’s audience: House (FOX), Gossip Girl (CW – made by Josh Schwartz, Chuck’s producer), Dancing with the Stars (ABC), and Big Bang Theory/How I Met Your Mother (CBS). For Chuck to put up the numbers it does, in the competitive timeslot it does, is MUCH more impressive than Medium meeting (or slightly surpassing) those numbers at a much less-competitive time.
Indeed, DVR and online viewership bears this out — Chuck has one of the largest percentage of its total audience that watches via downloading/online/DVR viewership of ANY show on television according to the numbers on this site (something like 48% of Chuck’s Live+7 audience is DVR/online watchers). Clearly it has fans — but fans with a lot of options when it is currently airing. Despite this time shifting (which, admittedly, is bad for advertisers) Chuck itself integrates product placement for advertisers into its show better than almost any other scripted series — it can do so easily because its set in a store.
On these factors, Chuck v. Medium would seemingly indicate Chuck as the favorite. Clearly, there is the factor of costs to consider as well (and I’d be surprised if Chuck didn’t cost more than Medium), but if we’re going to discuss the info we have access to based on an analysis of this site’s numbers, Chuck should beat out Medium (if it even is a competition between the two).
Now, on pure quality — I’m a Chuck fan. Medium I’ve never seen (so I’ll pass no judgment on it)….but I’ll add my voice to the chorus that thinks NBC should cancel Heroes (what a trainwreck that became). Oh, and NBC should scale back Jay to something like 3 nights at 10 pm….it’d be a much more effective use of him….
MEDIUM, of course.
There is no question here: Medium has grown to become a sophisticated and enjoyable hour of TV. Chuck has never been remotely watchable.
I hope NBC makes the right decision here.
Medium !!! of course
Sooo… Yesterday afternoon Nick says,
for the record I heard it’s now CHUCK vs the chick who sees things in her dreams. It’s a one or the other thing from what I hear.
Then 4 hours later he says,
I don’t think you guys get it. This is is like the 90/10 split of CHUCK being done for, it’s specifically for negotiation.
Gee…where would readers have gotten the impression that this was a real choice and not just negotiating?
I think Nick just likes to cause trouble.
Chaddogg -Thank you for your intelligent observation. It’s about time someone discussed the big picture. The lack of competition at 10 PM is glaring, but rarely discussed. The view that internet viewing, downloading and purchasing of content counts for very little is so short sited. The studios and networks have spent hundreds of millions of dollars investing in the net and have waged a 2 year WAR with the entertainment guilds and unions over jurisdiction and money over all things internet. The DVR viewing will change the way advertiser spend their dollars in the future. More product placement is here to stay, love it or hate it. More Principal actors of your favorite shows in the ads.
Nick, if you’re right, I’m going to regularly visit the blog that Bill or Robert suggested you start!
I’ve watched both shows. I was very excited when Medium first began, couldn’t miss an episode! But now, it has become COMPLETELY unwatchable! There is very little competition in the 10p slot, and I will always choose to watch the local news OVER Medium.
I am a huge fan of paranormal type shows. However, blech!! to Medium.
Chuck on the otherhand is outstanding! My husband and I never miss an episode, and if we are going to, DVR to the rescue, and should that fail, HULU. PLEASE don’t take Chuck away from us. There are so many positives about Chuck.
I think with Southland shedding repeat viewers as well as episodic viewers in the second half hour, there’s good reason for both to be brought back.
NBC needs to think long-term. Get Medium to its 100th episode and end it for good after that. Also, I don’t see Heroes or L&O the original lasting past next season, so that clears up three shows for the following season. You could also factor in what someone said above me about Leno possibly getting cut back a couple of days if it starts slipping. Putting Chuck at 8 on Tuesdays for the first half of the season would be a good idea, then when DWTS and Idol come back on, move it to Wednesdays at 8 or even someone suggested Sundays at 8. I think it could kill on Sunday nights as a lead-in to the Celebrity Apprentice.
PS – I love the “Chuck FTW” stuff. Priceless.
Can someone please tell NBC that Monday night at 8pm is one of the toughest timeslots on television, if not THE toughest? Chuck is against Dancing With The Stars, The Big Bang Theory (which probably has many of the same viewers as Chuck) and House (one of the most popular shows on TV right now!) NBC obviously doesn’t realize that being able to pull in 6 million viewers during House AND Dancing With The Stars is nothing short of amazing! Move Chuck to Wednesday or Thursday at 8pm and I’m sure it would bring in MILLIONS more viewers.
Holly, well I did hear it, but I read between the lines and figure it’s just for negotiating. I don’t totally buy that MEDIUM won’t return as a midseason show when it’s so close to 100, etc. CBS will practically give it away to hit that number.
First of all, I’m all for rooting for your favorite show, but actively bashing another show and its fans is just ridiculous. There’s criticism, which is fine. You’re welcome to not like something, but there’s no reason to bash the people who like other shows. Everyone has their cup of tea.
Having said that, I personally would have to go with Chuck in this instance. Monday nights on NBC used to be the only nights I watched all the way through; I liked Chuck, Heroes and Medium. But I have to agree with the people who said Heroes has lost all the quality it once had. It was my favorite show on TV at one point, and now it’s almost gotten painful. I also think the novelty of Medium has worn off a bit. I understand why others like it, but I just don’t feel like it’s very creative anymore. I also just can’t agree with whoever said Medium’s writing is better than Chuck’s. Medium has good actors who do well in their roles, but I don’t think the writing is anything to write home about.
I think Chuck has the greatest potential for growth, and that Medium has hit its ceiling. Chuck has kept very consistent ratings in a much tougher time slot. It has also been doomed by NBC’s promotions. And I don’t mean a lack of promotion (although that hasn’t helped). I mean that the promotions NBC does do tend to be all three of Monday’s shows, and they try to make them all look like intense dramas. Chuck’s biggest draw is its comedy, but from the promos it looks like a drama, which makes the premise seem ridiculous. Chuck will never get more viewers from its premise alone, the promos need to be more light-hearted and show the comedy. That’s what will draw people.
(Sorry for the really long post)
somethings to take into account also in favor of chuck. it has a much tougher time slot also the show has a lot more room to grow. It is more flexible time slot wise as you can play it early and families will watch while medium is more of an adult show.
I enjoy Medium, but it has already had its day. A crime happens, she has dreams, not one believes her, she has more dreams, she was wrong, she has more dreams, and finally they catch the criminal. Chuck gives you something to smile about. It is time Chuck’s time now.
Pls give me a break, a show that’s called ‘medium’ should die pronto. By definition, a roadblock on the road leading from sucks–>awesome!
Chuck is the final destination on the road to AWESOME!
Chuck MEDIUM! Besides fire dept is rooting for Chuck.
Besides fire dept is rooting for Chuck.
So very, very true.
From Ausiello on Twitter
http://twitter.com/EWAusielloFiles
Rival net exec on Chuck: “Its demo is fairly solid…NBC needs to build off what it has that works. They need MORE Josh Schwartz, not less.”
I wonder whose network exec said that. Very interesting.
Perhaps it was Dawn Ostroff who might not want NBC putting on something that would be even more competitive against the Josh Schwartz produced Gossip Girl
LOL!
It looks like the candy maker WONKA, maker of ‘Nerds’ candy, is pitching in on the ‘Save Chuck’ effort as well.
http://www.pitchengine.com/wonka/wonka-teams-with-nerd-herd-to-save-nbc-show/10378/
Yeah… I don’t see why both shows can’t remain on TV. Just get rid of Jay Leno’s need to be slotted at 10:00PM and we got a winner, keep his ass on at 11:30pm or better yet, MIDNIGHT. Who really needs him? Besides, CHUCK comes on at 8:00pm (and should stay that way), and MEDIUM can easily premiere @ 9:00pm.
With the way most people are acting on thie Godforsaken Blog, CHUCK is just a fad for twitter and LiveJournal bloggers; Not to mention has created a very passsionate hatred of the show inside of me. That series is exactly solid like MEDIUM, which has plenty of life left in it, thank YOU, very much. (You honestly can’t use the “Rinse, Dry, Repeat” jibe on, as most shows, especially CHUCK, do the exact same damn thing as well).
For the Past five Years, MEDIUM has undoubtedly been one of the more solid (and better) Television Programs to come out in recent years and despite the five year contract, it HAS to get renewed for a Sixith Season. Stellar Performances from all the cast, excellent writing and direction, wonderful depiction of family life, relationships and a compelling murder mystery every week. Medium has been NBC’s oldest and most solid performer, with a loyal viewership that returns every season to watch it.
Sadly, though, NBC treats it like a red-headed stepchild and does little to promote it, unlike its other series which flounder about with its viewership. Who the hell can complian about Joe in his underwear (Seriously what planet are you from?)? Joe walking about in his Boxers (and his relationship with his wife and daughters) is a major win for me and is not at all offensive. Even my Dad does it. Forget Jay Leno, NBC doesn’t need him if he thinks he too good for the 11:00pm timeslot. Medium’s the sure thing!
Willow shows a stunning lack of knowledge about the Leno situation.
The desperation in the tone of the Chuck posts is palpable. Jesus, it’s a TV show. Okay, you like it. So what? Life will go on for you if it’s canceled.
No wonder this site is getting a “tin foil hat” reputation.
VYuci, thanks for adding that link. It’s looking like Wonka now wants to cash in the way Subway did. So I think we can safely this whole grassroots movement did have an effect. I’m not saying it’s going to save the show or that if the show is renewed that’s why, but clearly people are really taking notice.
This is why you keep Chuck. Sponsors and the like love them. First Subway now Willy Wonka. LOL
http://www.pitchengine.com/wonka/wonka-teams-with-nerd-herd-to-save-nbc-show/10378/
“Can someone please tell NBC that Monday night at 8pm is one of the toughest timeslots on television, if not THE toughest?”
Just because I’m a little tired of Chuck fans throwing this out there
This Monday 8PM averaged out across the 4 big networks at a 14.4 18-49, that’s the same average as 9PM does this mean Heroes fans can blame the shows fall on competition and that NBC are right to renew it? Meanwhile Tuesday this week at both 8 and 9 had a higher 18-49 average, 8PM was by an entire point whilst 9PM isn’t that much lower once the Idol over run is stripped out. Thursday at 9PM meanwhile also has a higher 18-49 average this week a 14.8. So Chuck isn’t in a worse position (and statistically a better position in some cases) than anything that airs Monday at 9, Tuesday at 8 or 9 or Thursday at 9.
“Chuck is against Dancing With The Stars, The Big Bang Theory (which probably has many of the same viewers as Chuck) and House (one of the most popular shows on TV right now!) NBC obviously doesn’t realize that being able to pull in 6 million viewers during House AND Dancing With The Stars is nothing short of amazing!”
Was it amazing when Chuck was pulling similar figures against Terminator rather than House? Chuck fans have this horrible habit of forgetting that the show wasn’t riding high before House arrived on Monday nights.
“Move Chuck to Wednesday or Thursday at 8pm and I’m sure it would bring in MILLIONS more viewers.”
And I’m sure that when/if it didn’t Chuck fans would be ready with a whole new list of excuses as to why the show isn’t pulling great numbers.
Now cue the normal ‘you hate Chuck’ responses.
Chucks christmas epsisode drew almost 8 million. Then DWTS the stars and house then they went down to 6 million.
[Chris the TV sage:
"Willow shows a stunning lack of knowledge about the Leno situation..."]
Well, it goes to show how much I actually care about it, sir or ma’am. Doesn’t “Prime Time” usually mean sometime before 11:00PM Timeslot, or 11:00PM included in “Prime Time”? That’s where Leno wanted to be, last I heard.
Alex, how is 2.6 similar to 2.2? They both a 2 in it. That’s about it. CHUCK has been trending back up to similar numbers though. A 2.45 (the number from the last episode) is more similar to a 2.6. In that regard a 2.6 would be a good show for NBC rather than a slightly above average show.
Southland is down again. I dont expect it to get renewed if it keeps diving a mil plus every new episode.
Chuck and Medium might come back, just separated.
SAVE CHUCK !!!!!!!
@Alex — I would say, pretty definitively, that Mondays at 8 pm and Thursdays at 9 pm are television’s most competitive timeslots. For example, while you claim Monday at 8 pm averaged out to a 14.4 across the big 4 networks, this ignores A) Gossip Girl (which, while behind in ratings, is one of the CW’s highest rated shows, and certainly makes the night more competitive) as well as the elephant in the room — ESPN’s Monday Night Football, which during the fall pulls a huge number of viewers (15 million plus for the week of Dec. 22-28th, for example).
I’m not here to bury Medium (a good show according to its fans and supporters, with decent ratings), but rather to make the extremely compelling case based on ratings in a competitive slot, DVR/Hulu viewing, DVD sales, product placement opportunities, critical/internet buzz, and demographics that Chuck has a strong case for renewal. Personally, I think Medium AND Chuck should be renewed — Medium because it’ll be cheap and it does have a fan base, and Chuck because of the reasons mentioned above. Certainly with 16 non-Leno hours of primetime to fill every week, and a dirth of other high quality/rated shows, NBC could stand to stick by affordable and/or well-regarded shows, rather than rolling the dice on too many new series (which, generally, I should note, have low expectations of success/growing an audience).
What makes me sad is that we are arguing about two shoes that should be renewed ad ignoring the real problem on monday night…Heroes. I have never seen a show go more downhill.
Plus the average number of viewers on any given time slot doesn’t make that hour more competitive. It’s the shows you’re up against. He mentions Tuesday at 8pm. Seriously? ABC airs ACCORDING TO JIM! He can’t really be serious and be implying that is competitive. Plus REAPER on the CW isn’t really one of their big hitters either.
FRINGE, MENTALIST, BIGGEST LOSER, DWTS RESULTS, and 90210 are a decent batch though. Still I don’t think that compares to Monday at 8 at all. Neither does it compare to HELL’S KITCHEN, THE OFFICE, GRAY’S ANATOMY, CSI, and SUPERNATURAL. Although it would compare for HELL’S KITCHEN.
I’ll take Medium.
“The desperation in the tone of the Chuck posts is palpable. Jesus, it’s a TV show. Okay, you like it. So what? Life will go on for you if it’s canceled.”
I’m pretty sure “C***k” _is_ their life.
Can you blame them? They’re obviously not going to bag a hot chick or be a hero in the real world.
“Alex, how is 2.6 similar to 2.2? They both a 2 in it. That’s about it. CHUCK has been trending back up to similar numbers though. A 2.45 (the number from the last episode) is more similar to a 2.6. In that regard a 2.6 would be a good show for NBC rather than a slightly above average show.”
The two numbers aren’t similar at all it is however stretching the truth to suggest that Chuck consistently pulled a 2.6 during the first half of the season, off the top of my head I believe it hit the lofty heights of a 2.6 twice before going on hiatus. I’m also fairly confident that during the first half of the season it dropped down to a 2.2 and a 2.3 against Terminator which are numbers incredibly similar to what its being doing up against House.
“Plus the average number of viewers on any given time slot doesn’t make that hour more competitive. It’s the shows you’re up against. He mentions Tuesday at 8pm. Seriously? ABC airs ACCORDING TO JIM! He can’t really be serious and be implying that is competitive. Plus REAPER on the CW isn’t really one of their big hitters either.”
Yes Nick why would anyone think a timeslot that includes, American Idol, NCIS and Biggest Loser would be equally as competitive if not more competitive than Monday’s at 8. And why would anyone think a line-up that includes, American Idol, Lost and Criminal Minds would be considered as competitive if not more competitive than Monday’s at 8. And what insanity to think a timeslot that includes Grey’s Anatomy, CSI and The Office would be considered one of the most competitive slots on television. Yes Nick you’re right there’s really no correlation between big viewing figures in a timeslot and the shows that occupy them. I mean, Tuesday’s at 8PM would be pulling those kind of numbers without Idol, NCIS and Biggest Loser because obviously audiences just really want to watch network TV Tuesday’s at 8 regardless of what’s on – maybe NBC should put Chuck there next season and watch the numbers skyrocket because lets face it people aren’t watching NBC for Biggest Loser on Tuesday at 8, they’re watch NBC on Tuesday at 8 because they really, really want to watch NBC.
How foolish of me to forget that the combination of House, Dancing with the Stars and Big Bang Theory/How I Met Your Mother is in fact completely untouchable in terms of its all-powerful ratings conquering performances. How silly to think that shows like American Idol, NCIS, Biggest Loser, Lost, Grey’s Anatomy, CSI and The Office could ever hope to compete – what do they think they are some of the biggest shows on television or something!
Also how stupid am I for thinking that when part of the ‘holy trinity’ of shows is on repeats or simply not on the schedule Chuck should show audience increase if it is indeed the competition killing it. No obviously that theory doesn’t make any sense at all what does however make sense is that people aren’t watching Chuck because of the ‘holy trinity’ and when one (or more) of the ‘holy trinity’ isn’t on air people aren’t watching Chuck because… erm… because they’re mourning the loss of part of the ‘holy trinity’…?
Is it Monday yet??
Oh please now your just fanning the flames. People are very passionate about chuck, and rightly so, but didn’t you momma ever tell you if you can’t say something constructive shut the chuck up, lol, couldn’t resist.
Anyway this whole medium/chuck debate is pointless, each show has its base, different people watch them, so it makes no sense to pair them up. Not that NBC has ever shown much sense anyway.
But insulting people is never an answer even if your tired of reading their comments, then don’t read them and goto another article.
Oh god! They are both great shows, im torn between the two. If I could decide, NBC should keep both of the series’ because NBC wouldn’t be stupid enough to let either of them go!
Alex, no matter how crazy and illogical you think other people seem on these boards, to an outside person, you seem just as crazy arguing the other way. What is the reward to this futile exercise? You are going to convince fans that their show is doomed, they were foolish, and they should ask for forgiveness? Haha give it a rest.
Ok, why can’t they just keep CHUCK??? There are so many shows on TV with pretty much the same plot but different show-names….so, why not cancel one of these “same plot different name” shows (like medium) and keep CHUCK???????
the128boy says:
“that both Life and Knight Rider are looking good for a midseason renewal. However the format is said to be changing: at the request of NBC both shows will be combined as a 2hr crossover each week and will feature David Hasselhoff in a recurring role as the arch enemy of Crews”.
I had just reached a state of acceptance about the 3 empty pictures, now this…How to reach a zen state now is beyond me.Hope the show returns but only as is.THANKS for the news the128boy…
FrankJ says:
128, didn’t that show already air? Remember Viper? The attempt at upgrading and rebooting a Knight Rider type show in the early 90’s. Aired on NBC, Chrysler paid for all the cars and built the Viper for the show. Then the show was cancelled…then it came back on another network.
I remember that too awful show…Had the new Dodge Viper as the Defender or something..I think it had 4 eps on NBC..Chrysler needs to accept no one is buying from them but the PreZ..Democrats can’t or just won’t say No..I blame Nancy Reagan and her reverse psychology,(JUST SAY NO)SMART Lady… lol JaJ
BTW I say CHUCK for it’s loyal fan base….
CHUCK
well lets all hope this two show are coming back next season.
nbc should put chuck on a timeslot with a powerful lead-in
and nbc should put medium on sunday 10pm next season
“and nbc should put medium on sunday 10pm next season”
SUNDAY? The Hell?
Sunday = Death for all TV Shows. Didn’t you see what happened to “Felicity” when they moved her show to Sunday?
@Willow,
Actually, Sundays in the spring is a good option for Medium. I don’t think Sunday is necessarily a death-slot for NBC. We know it can survive being held to mid-season, and depending on what happens with CBS Sundays, it won’t necessarily have a lot of same-target competition.
Alex, so for the record you’re saying ACCORDING TO JIM is one of the top shows on TV right?
The only show that can claim to be in a similar position to CHUCK is FOX’s HELL’S KITCHEN. To have to go up against great shows on every network. You can’t honestly be saying ACCORDING TO JIM is one of the top shows that ABC has.
Then again your hatred of CHUCK still hasn’t explained how doing better than average means bad.
Please, I’ve been asking you for weeks to explain that.
Also my math is pretty good, and the first 11 episodes average out to 2.6 when rounded.
chuck! please
Chuck kungfu
Jonathan says:
“The desperation in the tone of the Chuck posts is palpable. Jesus, it’s a TV show. Okay, you like it. So what? Life will go on for you if it’s canceled.”
Actually, ‘Life’ probably won’t go on much longer either.
I actually agree with Alex. Other shows that pulled similar numbers were canceled quickly, and now Medium might be gone to save Chuck? Should not happen!
I think that would be a bad move on NBC’s part. Chuck’s season 3’s ratings aren’t going to be any better than season 2, most likely.
Chuck by far. Medium sucks
From Ausiello:
http://twitter.com/EWAusielloFiles
BREAKING Chuck UPDATE: Hearing NBC may not make a decision on Monday as expected. I’m told not to read anything into that. Developing.
Chuck by far it’s so much better
VYuci, I was way ahead of you, or at least 15 minutes
See the new posts list in the sidebar.
Chuck please!!!!
Chuck!!! it’s amazing
CHUCK all the way
Chuck is a much better tv show!!!
Chuck is sooooo much more fun to watch!!!!
I just think medium is boring. Chuck is a better show
CHUCK is the best show ever!
Chuck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chuckk!!!
I love Sarah!!! go Chuck!!
Chuck equals best!!! save chuck!!!
Yvonne Strahovski is the hottest girl i have ever seen. I would kill myself if she wasn’t on tv anymore
I profess my love of chuck!!!
Umm i dont find very many shows interesting to watch but Chuck is definitely one that i always want to watch because it’s so enjoyable
I agree with michael. i am not lesbian but yvonne might change my mind. she is so pretty! KEEP CHUCK
CHUCK!!!! OOMG OMG I LOVE IT!!!!!
Zachary Levi is sooo hot!!! and a good actor!! i only watch chuck because zachary is so pretty
Jane i hate you!!! Zachary is my lover and please please save chuck
Sounds like the kids are up past their bed time.
Yeah umm i pretty much watch the show chuck just just one reason……Sarah….. she is so HOT!!!!!
I have heard the certain malicious rumor that the tv-show chuck is going to be canceled. This is an outrage to television as we know it. The only time a good show comes on air, they just cut it. Just look at Arrested Development, one of the funniest shows ever. After three glorious, and i mean glorious, seasons the show was cut from the air. I havent had much interest in any television since. But about 35 days age a friend told me about this new series, Chuck. He said it matched that of Arrested Development. I laughed…..I am not laughing any more. SAVE CHUCK
Yall have no idea how annoying medium is it keep running out of places to go and plot stories and Chuck is fairly new and the season finale opened up huge potential for the next season and it has so many possibilities to choose from. Go CHUCK
CHUCK CHUCK CHUCK AND MORE CHUCK!!!!!!
Sorry Robert, I didn’t realize you had posted that already =P
If want your network to be a network for idiots, then Medium. Only idiots believe in mediums anyway. The same idiots believe in ghosts, ufo’s and jfk conspiracies.
If you want to grow into a smart, original network, then Chuck. But, an IQ above 80 is required. No such problem for Medium. Two open eyes and an empty head is all that show requires.
Hmmm, what’s a network exec to do? Turn the country into an Idocracy by renewing Medium, or try to preserve wit and intelligence by renewing Chuck.
I vote for intelligence, I vote for CHUCK!
Chuck !!! only Chuck
Has to be medium
Medium has always been a hit for NBC but chuck hasn’t
I will hate NBC more if Medium goes. Chuck does not deserve a third chance at all
Medium has only had the one season that has seen it’s ratings slide.
@AJ
Intelligence required to watch Chuck? You gotta be kidding me right? It’s so predictable how could this challenge someone? You can put your brain on auto-pilot and watch Chuck. It’s not rocket science is just a light hearted comedy. Nothing more. If you want really smart plots I suggest you follow Lost and Terminator. Actual brainmatter required for those 2 shows.
Medium is also an auto-pilot show but it’s ratings will hold up much easier than Chuck. I say axe Chuck. Next year there will be another light hearted comedy like Reaper or Chuck and you will forget all about Chuck. It’s just a forgettable show.
Chuck’s problem isn’t just that it’s up against rating giants like DWTS… a big part of its issue is that it airs against several shows that share the same demos Chuck would appeal to. For a while, it was up against both T:SCC and Big Bang Theory, shows that also appeal to the geek culture. And then on top of that Gossip Girl, which shares the same co-creator as Chuck, plays at the same time too. Now throw in Dancing With The Stars issue, and 8 pm becomes a death slot for *this* show.
If I could, I’d watch 6 shows live, but 4 of them air at the same time, and that’ the Chuck slot. NBC really needs to figure out this counterprogramming thing. 4th place networks can’t afford to go toe-to-toe with the bigger kids.
Chuck isn’t a “smart” show but it is a very smartly written and produced show.
Furthermore, there are not all that many light hearted comedy action adventure shows with casts as talented as Chuck. It just does not happen very often.
I Love the whole “Put X on at 8, and I bet..” well, NBC gets to figure that out a lot this year, as they don’t have a 9PM(CST)/10PM(EST) slot anymore. Good times.
Ah some good old fashioned straw man argument from Nick.
“Alex, so for the record you’re saying ACCORDING TO JIM is one of the top shows on TV right?”
When did I say this?
Of course I can understand why you’d have trouble comprehending that American Idol, NCIS and Biggest Loser are amongst the biggest show on television (all of them air at 8 on Tuesday) because you seem to have issues with the idea that an average audience for any given slot is an indication of how popular the shows that air in that slot are…
But yes lets argue about whether According To Jim is a big show or not because that’s easier than making a case for Chuck.
“The only show that can claim to be in a similar position to CHUCK is FOX’s HELL’S KITCHEN. To have to go up against great shows on every network. You can’t honestly be saying ACCORDING TO JIM is one of the top shows that ABC has.”
1) Please provide a quote where I said that According To Jim is one of the top shows ABC has.
2) Please explain how Chuck is one of the biggest shows NBC has because that logics the only way you can infer that According To Jim is one of ABC’s biggest shows.
3) Please provide a quote where I said I was comparing any other show to Chuck. You won’t find it because I was actually pointing out that there are several slot as competitive if not more competitive than Monday’s at 8.
“Then again your hatred of CHUCK still hasn’t explained how doing better than average means bad.”
And I have on several occasions but you opt to ignore it because it doesn’t fit your everything is roses for Chuck spin.
“Also my math is pretty good, and the first 11 episodes average out to 2.6 when rounded.”
Then your maths isn’t pretty good.
Medium, it’s a great show.
I cant believe there are so many comments on this lol. Have u people no lives??
I’m not sure what the cost differential is between the 2 shows but considering all people keep saying is how expensive Chuck is without any comparison of costs to any other show. If that holds true I would think Medium has the edge.
I wouldn’t mind seeing cost breakdowns for different shows on different networks so we really can see actual facts and figures vs people throwing whatever out there.
Why not just cancel both shows? Huh, huh!!!
Neva mind the “huh, huh!!!”
Never mind the “neva”
Nikki Finke at DeadlineHollywoodDaily is reporting that NBC has renewed Medium, Law & Order, & Chuck, and will announce it on Monday.
chuck chuck chuck
Medium was just renewed.
You dont wanna come between me and Yvonne…
CHUCK CHUCK CHUCK!!!!! BUT, MEDIUM MEDIUM TOO!!! I WATCH BOTH SHOWS
I LOVE ‘EM!! THEY ARE VERY INTERESTING SHOWS TO WATCH!
BUT, IF I HAD TO CHOOSE, I WOULD SAY CHUCK BECAUSE MEDIUM HAS HAD IT’S TIME. IT’S BEEN GOOD, BUT NOW IT’S JUST REPEATING ITSELF EVERY EPISODE!!!! IT’S JUST STARTING TO GET ON MY NERVES. GOSH!! IT’S HAD ALOT OF SEASONS AND NOW GIVE A NEW SHOW A CHANCE!! CHUCK IS WATCHED ALOT NOW. PEOPLE LOVE IT. AND I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW ALOT OF PEOPLE WILL NOT WATCH NBC IF CHUCK (or even Medium)IS NOT THERE!! YOU HEAR THAT NBC????? HAHA.
i love both, but gooooooooo chuck!!!!!!!!!!!!!
you can’t end it in a to be continued.
Totally stoked that they renewed MEDIUM!Y
Yay.
chuck ia awesommme!!!!!!
it deserves a third season.
NBC shouldnt cancell Chuck!!!
id say that they shouldnt’t cancell Knight rider either but i guess thats understandable.
CHUCK is wickedd, funny, and the best damned show on TV!!!
MEDIUM!!!!!
One of the best shows ~ Buh-bye Chuck
CHUCK CHUCK CHUCK!!!!