What to expect next year (http://scifiwire.com/2009/05/producer-what-to-expect-f.php)
The creators of NBC's Chuck aren't about to let the audience forget about the show during its long hiatus until midseason—they're planning some kind of Web presence, said Chuck executive producer and co-creator Chris Fedak.
"We're talking to NBC now about what is going to be the super-clever idea to kind of bridge that time. It is going to be something on the Internet to keep fan awareness alive and remind people about the show," Fedak told SCI FI Wire in an exclusive phone interview.
Fedak added that Chuck, which was picked up for midseason by NBC, may appear sooner than the expected March 2010.
Chuck is set to air in its same timeslot, on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT. That's good news for fans who lobbied NBC and key sponsor Subway for the show's renewal. But with Chuck's third season planned to premiere in March 2010, that's a very long wait. "We're excited to launch after the Winter Olympics and to launch also with NBC's other new show [Day One]. But schedules aren't written in stone for a reason. So you never know. Maybe you'll see us sooner than that," Fedak said.
One thing the producers will be faced with in the new season is a smaller budget. "Across the board in television this year there's been a contraction in regard that every show has had to find ways to lower their budgets," he said. "And then [creator] Josh [Schwartz] and I, we have a really an excellent production department here at Chuck, and we've made changes to the show. But essentially we're committed to delivering a show like the show last year, and the changes we're making will not impact the quality of the show. We've also, after two seasons of making the show, we've gotten better at it, just from a production perspective, and we find the efficiencies and just learning how we tell our stories."
Another factor will be the presence of Subway in the show in some way, thanks to NBC's deal with the sandwich chain. How will that presence work? "We're still in the early stages of figuring that out," Fedak said.
The show will resume production this summer. "We're actually just getting back up and running with our writers," Fedak said. "So I am knee-deep in the writers' room, working on story, kind of cutting into how we're going to tell this epic season of Chuck. ... We have some really fun, super-exciting stories up on the board, and we can't wait to tell them."
Asked about specifics, Fedak isn't too forthcoming. "You're getting nothing out of me," he said, adding: "Do you know what Schwartz would do to me if I give you anything? Mum is the word at the moment."
Maybe just a tiny, little detail? What about the teaser from a recent interview with Schwartz that there might be a romantic interest who would come between Sarah and Chuck? "Crickets. That's what you get from me. You're getting crickets on this one," Fedak said.
The one thing that isn't a secret is that the producers plan for the entire cast to return, he said. As for adding new characters, "We will be, but you're not going to get that out of me, I don't think," he said.
Expect a more physical Chuck (Zachary Levi), considering that he acquired new kung fu abilities after downloading the new Intersect. "Absolutely. Get ready for excitement," Fedak said. "And we also look forward to deepening the mythology of the show, learning more about our characters and, most importantly, having fun."
As for the possible romance between Chuck and Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski)? "In the interest of vagueness, I will say that this new upcoming season of Chuck will not be lacking in romance," Fedak said.
The cagey Chuck creator did have more to say when it came to discussing the season-two finale, "Chuck vs. the Ring," however. "We were very proud," he said. "We were very proud of our entire season, but we were really excited to tell the story and that we knew where we were going, and we knew we had this big, epic finale. All the writers and producers, everyone involved in the show, we knew we weren't going to leave anything on the table for the fans of the show. We knew that essentially there would be a point in time during the final episode where everything but the kitchen sink, and maybe even the kitchen sink itself, would fly through a frame ... and you would see the Chuck show at its best." Fedak gives plenty of credit for the episode to director Robert Duncan McNeill (Lt. Tom Paris of Star Trek: Voyager fame).
For Fedak, there was one specific moment that resonated with him, and it came during a table reading. "I sat down at the table with the cast of that episode, and I just shook my head," he said. "I felt like, for that episode, we hired most of Hollywood. I had Bruce Boxleitner, Morgan Fairchild, Scott Bakula, Chevy Chase and our cast. I mean, our fantastic, wonderful cast, and Matt Bomer as well, and I immediately demanded that we have a photograph taken, because it's something that, actually, ... [I knew] this would be one of my favorite moments, this cast read-through. And they killed. They were wonderful. They were wonderful just reading the script, and they were just as wonderful on screen. Allison Adler and I wrote that script, and it was a really wonderful kind of moment to see the Actors' Studio version of our story before we filmed it."
Fedak added: "I'd just like to say, and this is more like a general thing, that we're just so thankful to our fans for all the support that they've shown. It has been ... it was incredibly important to the show, to the show's return, their energy and excitement. And the other thing, too, is that critics and journalists have been just so helpful and supportive for the show. It just seems like we needed every arrow in our quiver, and you guys were there for us." Chuck will return on NBC after the Olympics in March.
I hate the frakking Olympics .
Yes , even the ones with Canuckistani sports .
Quote from: AdmiralDigby on June 01, 2009, 06:41:48 AM
I hate the frakking Olympics .
Yes , even the ones with Canuckistani sports .
Another reason to
blame Canada. ;)
Blame the IOC .
Whores .
March 2010? Ugh. It's gonna be a long wait. But we'll manage.
Didn't feel like making a new thread for this. I bought the 1st season DVDs and have been watching them
the last few days. What fun to watch without commercials even though I DVR'd them when they were on
and fast forwarded the commercials it still takes a little time. I did notice something though and it seems
like I am getting more with each show then what they showed on TV. I always felt when they came back
from commercials and when they first started the show that something might have been cut off. It seems
like I am seeing things I didn't see before. Has anyone else noticed this?
I'm not sure if we got the Chuck DVD...if we did, Jessi probably has it. I'm sure IF I make it to the Chuck panel (10am? The FIRST day of the Con?), I'll be in the mood to rewatch...so I'll probably do that.
*ooh, I just got a tummy tickle thinking about Comic Con almost here!*
Quote from: Saxon on July 13, 2009, 05:38:59 PM
I'm not sure if we got the Chuck DVD...if we did, Jessi probably has it. I'm sure IF I make it to the Chuck panel (10am? The FIRST day of the Con?), I'll be in the mood to rewatch...so I'll probably do that.
*ooh, I just got a tummy tickle thinking about Comic Con almost here!*
Sounds like fun. Is it this weekend or next? Looking forward to all the reports.
I enjoy rewatching this show. It's like Firefly in that aspect. Lot's going on so a lot you miss the first go around.
I wish they had renewed it for a full season next year.
We are heading down to Disneyland on the 22, Comic Con is the 23-26, then we'll do a partial day at Disneyland on the 27 and head home that night.
*whew*
I'm already exhausted.
I clicked on one of your programming links in the Comic Con thread and it felt like an hour to read through every day!!
Looks like some good programming. Big Chuck panel.
Now figure in all of us trying to coincide with who's going where with whom....you have to line up for hours for some of those panels, so you can't got off and see one, even though there is like 3 hours till the next thing you REALLY want to see....cuz, if you do, you'll lose your place in line. Last year we waited in line for HOURS to see the Dr. Horrible Panel, and they cut off the line right when I was near the door, I got to watch them walk out and get announced. Then they shut the door. :( I think they need to have big screens outside for those in line to watch...since people line up anyway, at least they could see stuff they are missing.