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

Thank you Sohini for the link!!

By Christopher Stipp

Yes, I’ll get back to the usual griping and nitpicking of what was awesome and what was not in moments but I had to start by saying that after seeing a screening of TROPIC THUNDER on Friday night during the Comic-Con I have had every ounce of ill will towards Tom Cruise expunged from my pores.

No longer can I honestly bag, rag or tease the couch-jumping midget with incisors that could fillet a tin can (and still cut a vine ripened tomato!) as I have to go on record as saying that he gives a brilliant comedic performance that I will not spoil in TROPIC THUNDER. I was shocked by the amount of blue eminating from his mouth in this film and, so much so, I had double-take a few times as I wondered why he would go out on that limb; it was completely against type of everything you think you know about him. There was the kind of ferocity brought into the character he plays that, damn near like Heath Ledger’s iconic performance as The Joker, you forget about all the batshit crazy antics that drove him to the point he is today. Needless, the movie was spectacular and you really do need to go into that movie with as little spoiler-y information as possible. This is honestly a movie that rewards people who go into it blind as, without question, it was the second best comedy I saw all summer. What was the first, you may never ask yourself?

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CHUCK

No one loves Zach Levi more than me. Pressured to talk to the guy based on his role in BIG MOMMA’S HOUSE 2 I could not have been more impressed with an actor on the bubble. The man was well read, had a jolly disposition, loved video games and was honestly engaged with the conversation the entire time. I’ve since interviewed him a few more times since then and I did it again after his well-attended panel in Room 20, a step up from his previous Room that did not hold nearly as many individuals who were in love with his lovable geek. One of the highpoints for this panel was Levi’s interpretation of Yvonne Strahovski, and her command of her Australian accent, when she uses the word “No.” AEIOU plays a part of the punchline and it was just nice, in case you’re wondering about these things, to see these co-stars all hanging out afterwards at the Hard Rock, just enjoying each other’s company and the rather tasty delights of fried calamari. (I had some and it was delicious) The interview I did with Zach and co-star Josh Gomez needs to be seen to be believed and shortly you will when I upload the video to celebrate Season 2 of CHUCK when it comes back on NBC at the end of September. If I could give out an award for Person I Would Defend In A Battle of Public Opinion, Zach and Josh would get it just from the standpoint that these guys are genuinely appreciative of where they are and how they got there.

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Source: Trailer Park

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