Chuck review
It’s fun, it’s exciting, it’s sweet and endearing—we love ‘Chuck’!
By Maggie Furlong, Metromix
September 23, 2007
We always go into watching new shows with a very strict rating system: To TiVo or not to TiVo. But never before has a season pass been set as fast as it was for “Chuck,” NBC’s new winner for the Most Deserving of All the Hype Award.
“Chuck” follows Chuck Bartowski, a super smart and sweet-as-can-be Nerd Herd employee who’s unlucky in love and even less successful at deciding what to do with his life. But one evening, an email decides Chuck’s future for him—he opens the email, absorbs all of the top secret government information encrypted in it and instantly becomes the most vital tool the government has for fighting off terrorists and keeping the country safe. And, yes, he’s still helping battle computer viruses too.
Who’s that?: Zachary Levi (“Less Than Perfect”) plays the title character; relative newcomer Yvonne Strzechowski plays CIA agent Sarah; Adam Baldwin (of “Angel” fame) is NSA agent Major John Casey; “What About Brian” alum Sarah Lancaster plays Chuck’s sister Ellie; and Joshua Gomez is Chuck’s best friend Morgan.
Buzzed about: For the past few months, you could hardly turn on the TV or drive down the street without having Chuck’s adorable face staring back at you on an ad. She’s the agent, he’s the secret, saving the world at 11 bucks an hour—you know the ones. But what you can’t see from the promos is how much heart the show has and how adorable and lovable Chuck is.
The “ooh” factor: With a strong pedigree behind it—creator Josh Schwartz of “The O.C.” and the new CW show “Gossip Girl” and director-Executive Producer McG of “Charlie’s Angels” fame—“Chuck” takes everything good from its predecessors (lovable characters, action sequences and killer music) and none of the bad (melodramatic plotlines, cheesy character arcs, sappy Marissa Cooper-style death scenes).
The “eh” factor: The pilot is almost too good…we’re just hoping they can keep up the action and continue to develop great characters and stories for seasons to come.
The verdict: It’s sexy and action-packed, but it doesn’t take itself too seriously. Basically, if “Chuck” were real, we’d marry him.
”Chuck” premieres Monday, Sept. 24 at 8 p.m./7c on NBC.
“Chuck” follows Chuck Bartowski, a super smart and sweet-as-can-be Nerd Herd employee who’s unlucky in love and even less successful at deciding what to do with his life. But one evening, an email decides Chuck’s future for him—he opens the email, absorbs all of the top secret government information encrypted in it and instantly becomes the most vital tool the government has for fighting off terrorists and keeping the country safe. And, yes, he’s still helping battle computer viruses too.
Who’s that?: Zachary Levi (“Less Than Perfect”) plays the title character; relative newcomer Yvonne Strzechowski plays CIA agent Sarah; Adam Baldwin (of “Angel” fame) is NSA agent Major John Casey; “What About Brian” alum Sarah Lancaster plays Chuck’s sister Ellie; and Joshua Gomez is Chuck’s best friend Morgan.
Buzzed about: For the past few months, you could hardly turn on the TV or drive down the street without having Chuck’s adorable face staring back at you on an ad. She’s the agent, he’s the secret, saving the world at 11 bucks an hour—you know the ones. But what you can’t see from the promos is how much heart the show has and how adorable and lovable Chuck is.
The “ooh” factor: With a strong pedigree behind it—creator Josh Schwartz of “The O.C.” and the new CW show “Gossip Girl” and director-Executive Producer McG of “Charlie’s Angels” fame—“Chuck” takes everything good from its predecessors (lovable characters, action sequences and killer music) and none of the bad (melodramatic plotlines, cheesy character arcs, sappy Marissa Cooper-style death scenes).
The “eh” factor: The pilot is almost too good…we’re just hoping they can keep up the action and continue to develop great characters and stories for seasons to come.
The verdict: It’s sexy and action-packed, but it doesn’t take itself too seriously. Basically, if “Chuck” were real, we’d marry him.
”Chuck” premieres Monday, Sept. 24 at 8 p.m./7c on NBC.