Whedonesque Mobile : Comments on 14317 : NBC's CHUCK Premieres tonight.

Also in the cast is Julia Ling, who was one of the Potentials activated in "Chosen".

Is Adam's character going to be introduced in the first ep? I also wonder if we can look forward to any Serenity mentions (given that Chuck is supposed to be an uber nerd).

kerfuffle | September 24, 22:27 CET

Jayne fans across the globe can rejoice that Chuck, Adam Baldwin's new show starts tonight @ 8 on NBC.

Hmmmm Jayne versus Willow versus Gage in the same time slot? Which show will come out on top?

Simon | September 24, 22:33 CET

Oh, why must they force Whedonites to choose sides? I'll stay true to HIMYM, and perhaps I can find an alternative venue to catch Chuck.

kishi | September 24, 22:40 CET

I've seen the pilot on NBC OnDemand, and yes, his character is intro'ed in the pilot, and he's kinda more Hamilton-like than Jayne-like, but definitely comic relief/muscle-type still. Also, the pilot is really very charming, I definitely recommend checking it out. Unfortunately, according to my local TV critic (Tim Goodman), the second episode is lacking.

dottikin | September 24, 22:43 CET

I'll tape this one and watch HIMYM live.

unscrewed | September 24, 23:10 CET

I'll be watching Chuck and Heroes, while taping HIMYM for later. Does there seem to be more interesting shows on this year? With Bones tomorrow night, Bionic Woman (with Mark 'Badger' Sheppard) on Wednesday night, James Marsters in Without a Trace on Thursday, and of course Nathan in Desperate Housewives on Sunday, I will be watching more TV than usual.

[ edited by embers on 2007-09-24 20:54 ]

embers | September 24, 23:41 CET

I'm excited to see Adam Baldwin is on this show. I've never watched HIMYM, so it's no contest for me. I just hope he is in the show a decent amount of time. I hate it when they tease you and make you sit through an hour show just to give you 2 minutes of the actor you really want to see.

luvspike | September 24, 23:45 CET

Chuck will also be ran on USA network and SciFi on occasion (according to my TiVo)

Yay for HIMYM tonight!!

Arabchick | September 25, 00:29 CET

I believe NBC will also be rerunning the episode this Saturday evening.

Shiai | September 25, 00:39 CET

He's in the show a pretty decent amount. I can think of 3 or 4 scenes or sequences he's in in the premiere. He's not the star, but he's not in the background either.

danregal | September 25, 00:47 CET

I've already seen the pilot, and I want to say: Adam Baldwin fans, you are not going to be disappointed. He is awesome in this-- the role is perfect for him. Everyone on the show is cast perfectly.

His role is also a lot bigger than I thought. The commercials make him look like a side character with 3 lines. Not so. I don't want to spoil it, but, his character isn't only critical to the plot, but he gets a lot of screen time. The order of screen time seems to be: Chuck (of course), the Agent Chick (of course), Chuck's best friend, then Adam, then Chuck's sister, then all the rest.

The ending also makes it clear (or at least heavily implies) that that's going to continue. My only problem is, now that I've already seen the pilot, I wish it was the next episode that was showing tonight.

[ edited by dispatch on 2007-09-24 22:10 ]

dispatch | September 25, 01:01 CET

I downloaded the episode from Amazon (it was free, not sure if it still is) and really enjoyed it. I had my doubts but was going to watch it for Adam, and I found myself laughing frequently. If you are a geek or nerd or know one, you'll appreciate the humor and antics :-)

QueenBee | September 25, 01:42 CET

Uh, anyone else extremely disappointed by HIMYM tonight?

MySerenity | September 25, 04:57 CET

Just watched Chuck and I have to say it was a good origin story. We'll see what the next few episodes bring. And AB was perfectly cast.

alexreager | September 25, 05:20 CET

Please oh please let the TV gods be kind to this one. Mondays look to be even more exciting if this stays on. :)

deepgirl187 | September 25, 06:11 CET

I can't wait til next week.
It's in a great lead in position, great cast, funny lines, catchy idea... I hope the tv gods are good to it too, because I'll be in my seat every Monday night waiting to watch it. :)

FollowMal | September 25, 06:24 CET

OMG I love LOVE LOVE Chuck! The show is smart and funny and exciting, great casting, and great writing. My Monday nights are now totally booked with Chuck and Heroes!

embers | September 25, 07:44 CET

Uh, anyone else extremely disappointed by HIMYM tonight?

Uh, nope. *shrug*

Oh, and Chuck is really good. Who knew internet porn could save lives...?

Haunt | September 25, 08:50 CET

The Los Angeles Times review of "Chuck" in today's (Monday Sept. 24) paper describes Adam Baldwin as "the gold standard in lantern-jawed creepiness." I'm not sure "lantern-jawed creepiness" is really in the ballpark as a description of Mr. Baldwin, but "gold standard" is always nice :) There are other Whedonverse folks in the regular cast as well -- that's Tony Todd (Vyasa from "Angel's" "Shroud of Rahmon" episode) as the CIA boss, and Bonita Friedericy (Cordelia's dress shop boss on "Buffy," Jasmine's assistant Patience on "Angel") will be coming in as Adam Baldwin's boss in the second or third episode.

Shapenew | September 25, 08:59 CET

The Monday night lineup on NBC is certainly "Genre-friendly"; a great lineup and I watched all three. "Chuck" was wonderful, and I'm gonna be a regular viewer. I must confess I'd never watched a full episode of "Heroes" before, and the season premiere was really good. "Journeyman" looks intriguing as well; Plot seems intricate, and I don't know if folks will be able to follow it, but it's a very interesting premise.

Good going, NBC/Universal! :)

TDBrown | September 25, 09:26 CET

I really enjoyed watching Chuck! The humor is woven right into the story and characters, and manages that tricky balance of having fun with their personalities without making fun of them. The plot and action kept rolling right along, and there wasn't an ounce of fat on the story.

Adam certainly can do the "menace thing" as naturally as breathing, yet he still retains an undercurrent of likeability and humor to keep his character fun to have around... for a stone cold killer that is... heh...

Me like. :-)

11thHour | September 25, 09:30 CET

Took the words out of my mouth, 11thHour. I wasn't quite sure how I'd react to this, but turned out to be more than pleasantly surprised. The humor was great, and the plot setup was handled well.

Adam was easily watchable and believable as usual, and Zachary Levi was actually quite adept with the accidental-action. The momentum never really waned, and I like the amusing establishment of the NSA-CIA tug-of-war over what's in Chuck's head.

Definitely hope this one continues on the same track and can find an audience.

clarkkent179 | September 25, 15:37 CET

Standard issue Adam Baldwin as thug, I thought. Yes, they do seem to have caught on that he can do humour as well and I hope that builds up more for his character.
I liked the show quite a bit though. Not must see TV but fun.

Lioness | September 25, 15:51 CET

I was pleasantly surprised :) Well delivered (for the most part) humor and action. It gives me a little bit of what the lack of Alias has me missing, though I feel it will probably be a little less tightly plotted (perhaps a little more grounded in reality, or not -- see also McG ;) But it'll be a fun lack of believability and that counts for a lot) and less secretive/sparing about where its going. They gave away some things in ep1 that I probably wouldn't've given away. Anyway, enough quibbling, I will definitely be watching to see where this one takes us :) Enjoyed the acting all around, especially pleasant was the ability of the lead to lace the comedy through the action.

zeitgeist | September 25, 15:52 CET

I was pleasantly surprised with Chuck. I thought I might be so far out of the demographic that I would be channel surfing in the middle. But, as everyone else has said, it is witty, tightly-paced, well acted, and who can get enough of AB in a role that clearly fits him like a glove? I'll be coming back for more.

palehorse | September 25, 16:24 CET

I'm so excited everyone is liking Chuck. I taped it last night and will definitely be watching it tonight. YAY!

MySerenity | September 25, 16:43 CET

It's nice to see the networks trying lots of different things this season; there's much more genre bending going on than in recent years. In the end, some are bound to be keepers, and this one looks to have a chance at it. Also, it is good to see AB with the humour, where I think he really shines.

After watching this premiere, and Heroes, and reading about some others, it occurs to me that the job setting of the moment is definitely the warehouse-type store, front or back.

toast | September 25, 17:16 CET

Chuck was pretty good, but it had some definite problems. Chuck's buddy Morgan isn't funny at all, just annoying. The acting's not great. A lot of it's a little too obvious, and lacking in wit. The pilot was directed by McG.

Still, I enjoyed it. Here's to hoping it improves.

UnpluggedCrazy | September 25, 17:38 CET

O.k I had a whole thing to post but I can't get the spoiler tags to work. Can anybody help? Do you have to do the whole spanclass="invisible" thing?

I don't want to spoil anybody's fun who has Tivo'd things.

[ edited by Clementine on 2007-09-25 15:34 ]

Clementine | September 25, 18:33 CET

I really enjoyed it. My only concern is that I hope they don't take themselves too seriously. Although, a silly little show called Buffy the Vampire Slayer became pretty damn dramatic/emotional while still keeping with the funny...so what they hell do I know? It can happen.

Harmalicious | September 25, 19:02 CET

Clementine:

<span class="invisible">text that you want to hide</span>

zeitgeist | September 25, 19:37 CET

Thanks, Zeitgeist. Didn't put the space in span class. And helps if you spell invisible right.
A review said that only he can sell lines like: "I break things. I don't fix them." I totally agree. Reminded me of "I like smackin' 'em." Hope he grows the 'goat back. He looks too baby-faced without it.

And in JourneyMan (still not sure about it), did any one else think it was ironic that he saved Neil from being hit by a trolley only to cause him to be hit by a bus?

Clementine | September 25, 19:51 CET

I agree with what you said about Journeyman, Clementine. It's like... He caused the whole timeline disruption by saving the guy, then corrected it by letting him die in the same fashion.

TDBrown | September 25, 20:55 CET

Chuck did not hit it out of the park in ratings. It was more like a infield single. It goes on the watch list. I think Journeyman is already dead man walking.

That being said, I liked Journeyman quite a lot. There were a couple twists I didn't see coming and that always makes me happy. Chuck was cute but I could have done without all the crotch jokes. They are simply stupid and not funny.

TamaraC | September 25, 22:19 CET

I liked Chuck okay - well, enough to give it some more time and another shot, and Adam was a pro as always, but... oh, I dunno. The production values were good, and I enjoyed playing Spot-the-Location, but, heck...

I'm always hoping for a little more, and I've been spoiled by the best.

There is certainly the potential for this to develop and be more interesting...

(...and I quite liked Journeyman - I think the irony is completely intentional.)

QuoterGal | September 25, 22:22 CET

I set up the season pass - Chuck was very, VERY, good! Adam was (as always) perfect. i hope this stays on the air...

refuge5 | September 25, 23:17 CET

I think Journeyman is already dead man walking.

Aww, man, I really rated the "Journeyman" pilot, hope it sticks around. Very nice ending. He's not a superhero, doesn't have six degrees including a medical doctorate or a holographic pal BUT he's also not a stupid man, not willing to lay down and be the victim of his own life. I liked that.

I agree with what you said about Journeyman, Clementine. It's like... He caused the whole timeline disruption by saving the guy, then corrected it by letting him die in the same fashion.

Not really, if he doesn't save Neil the first time then the child is never born, by causing his death the second time the child is saved as are all the people he saves and so on ... His instincts were spot on both times IMO (so about as ironic as ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife ;).

'Chuck' surprised me, didn't think it'd be as good as it was though they've still got some work to do. Not at all bad for a pilot though (even if, as I mentioned in another thread, Adam seems to be playing "rent-a-fed" a bit - hopefully they'll get the chance to round him out a bit).

Saje | September 26, 00:20 CET

Re: Saje: "Not really, if he doesn't save Neil the first time then the child is never born, by causing his death the second time the child is saved as are all the people he saves and so on ... His instincts were spot on both times IMO (so about as ironic as ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife ;)."

Yeah, I quite thought that was quite one of the whole points - how he learned to get it sorted, finally, and the irony of saving Gaines earlier to then use him as a sperm bank and let him die by similar means was... harsh. Nice darkness. I don't believe in overarching deities or controllers so much, but if they show PTB, I like 'em pretty yin-yangy like that.

Oh, man, if this show doesn't make it, then bugger, bugger, bugger.

QuoterGal | September 26, 00:59 CET

I enjoyed Chuck. Of course, anything that references Zork gets mad bonuses in my book.

Lady Brick | September 26, 02:21 CET

I really liked "Chuck." It was a good show with a lot of potential, and could finally be a show Adam Baldwin is in that won't be cancelled tomorrow. It is a nice show to warm people up for "Heroes" (which I loved last night!), but "Journeyman" won't last long. The guy who stars in it is good, but the show is mediocre.

Nebula1400 | September 26, 03:38 CET

I actually liked Morgan (reminded me of Silent Bob for some reason), and I liked the show. Am a little annoyed though that they killed off the coolest character before the opening credits were finished. I wouldn't have minded seeing more of his Jackie-Chanesque acrobatics.

AlanD | September 26, 03:56 CET

AlanD, he may be dead but he will still be on the show.

TamaraC | September 26, 04:15 CET

Really? They are going for the dead reoccurring character? I love it.

embers | September 26, 04:40 CET

Where's that from TamaraC ? I know the guy's available since 'Traveller' was cancelled but surely his ultra-cool "proper" spy stuff was there just as a contrast to Chuck and his (supposed) ultra-lack-of-cool ?

Though I suppose there's room for him in college years flash-backs ? Or is he actually being raised from the dead (presumably in some sci-fi way) ?

(I say "supposed" because though Chuck's set up as an ineffectual geek he's actually pretty clear-headed in a crisis and willing to stand up for himself when necessary - so fairly effectual in fact, just coasting s'all)

[ edited by Saje on 2007-09-26 10:37 ]

Saje | September 26, 13:32 CET

O.k so we'll have to see if Journeyman continues to use the "Public transit as an instrument of destiny" theme. I like the show, it has complex stories. I've already had to ping my husband over the "he's in love with two women" thing. He totally thought the guy should have slept with the fiance while he was back in time. But I did like the "I will always come back."

I liked Chuck and Morgan. I'm a little worried it will get formulaic. Three just-in-time video flashes lead them to a tension-filled climax where Chuck does some nerd thing to save the day. I just hope they use Adam effectively. Maybe even let him do the heroic thing every now and again.

Clementine | September 28, 17:43 CET

September 24 2007