Network picks up back nine episodes

By MICHAEL SCHNEIDER

NBC is giving an early vote of confidence to “Chuck,” picking up the back nine episodes of the sophomore skein.

“Chuck’s” full-season order comes more than a month before the show’s Sept. 29 premiere date. Exec producer Josh Schwartz called the pickup “unexpected.”

“It’s an incredible show of faith by NBC and so amazingly nice to get based on the work alone,” Schwartz said. “We’ve had a great partnership with NBC since day one on ‘Chuck”… to have the cast and crew’s hard work already rewarded is a great gift and truly inspiring. Now we have to work harder to prove it was a great idea.”

Peacock execs said they were pleased with the first six episodes of “Chuck’s” season two order, and wanted to keep the momentum going.

“This show has really hit its stride and deserves a full-season commitment to carry out the producers’ vision for this unique series,” said Teri Weinberg, exec VP of NBC Entertainment.

“Chuck” launched last year but was cut short by the writers’ strike. Rather than bring it back in the spring, NBC opted to hold the show back and relaunch it this fall.

Schwartz and Chris Fedak created “Chuck” and exec produce with McG and Scott Rosenbaum.

Zachary Levi stars as Chuck Bartowski, an electronics store clerk who accidentally downloads government secrets into his brain – and must now deal with assassins and terrorists. Adam Baldwin, Yvonne Strahovski, Joshua Gomez, Sarah Lancaster, Ryan McPartlin, Mark Christopher Lawrence, Vik Sahay, Scott Krinsky and Julia Ling also star.

Warner Bros. TV is behind “Chuck,” along with College Hill Pictures and Wonderland Sound and Vision.

Posted: Wed., Aug. 27, 2008, 5:15pm PT

Source: Variety

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