Starting in 1996, Alexa Internet has been donating their crawl data to the Internet Archive. Flowing in every day, these data are added to the Wayback Machine after an embargo period.
(S03E07) This was the last 'Chuck' until after the Winter Olympics, so it was important that we made some progress with the intersect -- natch -- and also the Hannah and Sarah situations. Ever since she flew into Chuck Bartowski's life, Hannah has seemed too good to be true. Is she really? And what of Chuck and Sarah's on/off relationship? Fortunately, we got a good take on it all, as well as some edge-of-the-seat thrills. More after the jump.
The February 8th episode of 'Chuck' will be the last until after the Olympics, so here's a bit a news that should keep all 'Chuck' devotees panting for the return. Christopher Lloyd will be guesting on 'Chuck' in the spring. He's playing a psychiatrist/therapist/shrink who Chuck consults with when the rigors of morphing into a spy starts to get to Agent Bartowski.
This will hopefully be a case of the right actor in the right role and the writers rise to the occasion to create something memorable. There's every reason to hope for big things because executive producer Josh Schwartz has admittedly being a geek when it comes to anything related to 'Back to the Future.' Having Doctor Emmett "Doc" Brown in the house should be an inspiration, don't you think?
There is only one more episode of 'Chuck' before NBC puts on the brakes in order to broadcast the Winter Olympics. For those in need of their 'Chuck' fix early, USA Today and co-creator Josh Schwartz has put up a clip from Monday's episode in which Chuck and Sarah argue about... stuff. I would have probably noticed the content of the discussion more if Yvonne Strahovski wasn't changing her clothes throughout the entire conversation. An interview with Schwartz follows the clip.
'Chuck' has been very enjoyable this season with the episode guest-starring 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin being the highlight. Even Kristen Kreuk, who was way too whiny as Lana on 'Smallville', has been cute as a button during her run on this show. It was a concern when Chuck got the new intersect at the end of the last season that the show would be less interesting to watch. Thankfully that hasn't been the case. 'Chuck' returns on March 1st.
(S03E06) What happens when an honest guy like Chuck becomes a spy? Apparently he becomes a stone-cold liar and deceptive schnook. Or maybe that's just Chuck Bartowski. The more he becomes a spy, the more Chuck is morphing into someone he doesn't like very much. And if you think Chuck is upset about his changing, his nearest and dearest are even more conflicted. More on that and Hannah, the new Nerd Herder, after the jump.
Guest stars can be a good thing... or a bad thing. Some shows handle it better than others, incorporating the usually familiar stars into the episode(s) for maximum effect. The recent turn by Robert Wagner on 'NCIS' was an example of a terrific guest appearance.
Speaking of Robert Wagner, you're probably aware that he starred on the much-loved ABC's romantic detective series 'Hart to Hart' with Stephanie Powers. Now, two other stars will be playing a 'Hart to Hart' type of couple on a current show. Swoozie Kurtz and Fred Willard will be on 'Chuck' later this season as a pair of former spies who were romantically involved. 'Hart to Hart' was mentioned in Michael Ausiello's scoop, and he even went so far as to suggest a spin-off.
(S03E05) What a great episode! Forgive me if I gush, but this was -- for me -- the best Chuck of the third season. And I think it may well be a game-changer for Chuck Bartowski, fledgling spy and man with the Intersect in his brain. For the first time, Chuck really achieved altitude, which may coincide with the plot that had Chuck, as the title suggested, taking flight.
(S03E04) Do you have the nerve? That was the question a few times this go-round. If you get off on the "I double dog dare you" kind of action, then you were right at home. Chuck was put in an impossibly emotional situation, a continuation of last week, with Awesome drawn into Chuck's web of espionage. Would he be able to keep it together and use the Intersect to help his bro-in-law? And what about the new guy in the mix, the off-camera character the General was talking to? All that and more after the jump.
In an attempt to promote the third season of Chuck, Warner Brothers has released their own iPhone app for the show titled "Chuck Me Out". This is probably better than calling it "Chuck Me", which has certain other connotations.
I particularly like the painted image on the splash page of the app, which is reminiscent of spy movie posters of days gone by. The app itself allows the user to superimpose Chuck-related images onto the photos saved on their iPhone or iPod touch. For example, the user can appear in a Nerd Herd tag or a backstage pass for Jeffster (for the Jeffster groupies out there). Did I mention that it's free?
True, there is a tag on the bottom of each image that says to watch it on NBC, but that can be taken care of in Photoshop. If you own an iPhone or iPod touch and are a fan of Chuck, then this app is recommended.
(S03E03) With two strong opening episodes, Chuck has been off and running in this third season. Even the ratings have been great. Would episode three be on target like the others? Survey says: yes.
Oh, it wasn't a perfect show, but it was fun to see Devon -- Dr. Awesome -- getting some major attention and almost a cliffhanger ending. More after the jump. Light up a double corona cigar and let's go.
Jericho became famous for becoming the first show to really be saved from cancellation by an internet fan campaign. While it did get its second season, the online fervor failed to translate into ratings, and Jericho never saw a season three. Now the NBC comedy Chuck is back for its third season after being similarly saved by devoted fans. So the big question is, did they actually watch?
(S03E01/S03E02) Welcome back, Charles. Wasn't that fun? The return of Chuck Bartowski picks up the story where we left off at the end of last season. What we quickly learn is that this is not the same old Chuck. That Intersect thing is an ongoing issue, and as long as Chuck's the man with the data, he will be the man in the middle of the action. Unless General Beckman says otherwise ... more on that and the guitar playing fool after the jump.
This Sunday night, Chuck returns to NBC for a special two-episode, two hour jump start into season three. Expect to be dazzled. NBC was good enough to send an impressive press kit for Chuck's new season, including five episodes.
For those of you who were concerned about how the show would handle the many changes promulgated by the end of last season, you can relax. While it's no spoiler to reveal that Chuck now has the fully integrated Intersect 2.0 inside his head, complete with martial arts skills and other talents (Flamenco guitar?) it's also not a surprise that having all that in his brain doesn't mean that life is any easier for a simple, Burbank IT guy.
One of the pleasures of blogging here at TV Squad is getting a press kit from a network to promote a new or returning show. Sometimes it's just a folder with a screener. Sometimes it's a cornucopia of doo-dads and tchotchkas that might be cool. I've seen some reviewers build an entire wardrobe from press kit tee-shirts, hoodies and caps. So, it was with real excitement -- like the anticipation of a birthday gift -- when Fedex turned up with NBC Entertainment Publicity's big box of promotion for Chuck.
I really like this new series of promos for Chuck. It was always a show that could have been cancelled, so it's great to see NBC promoting it with new TV promos, posters, and these new web promos. If some fans haven't seen the show, they want you to know that it has Action! Romance! Comedy! The show returns on January 10.
2009 was a good year for television. It offered the resurgence of the comedy on network television, and the continuing growth of original programming on cable. In all honesty, I don't think I could just do a list of what was great and what was horrible on television because I would need pages and pages.
Instead, I'm going to focus on the things that really stood out this year. Sorry, Mad Men fans, but even though this was a great third season and an amazing finale, I expect it at this point. It's the only way I could come up with to keep my list manageable.
Also, as a point of protest I did not include Jon, Kate or the balloon boy hoax. These events got more attention than they deserved already this year, and I feel bad I even mentioned them.
The February 8th episode of 'Chuck' will be the last until after the Olympics, so here's a bit a news that should keep all 'Chuck' devotees panting for the return. Christopher Lloyd will be guesting on 'Chuck' in the spring. He's playing a psychiatrist/therapist/shrink who Chuck consults with when the rigors of morphing into a spy starts to get to Agent Bartowski. 
There is only one more episode of 'Chuck' before NBC puts on the brakes in order to broadcast the Winter Olympics. For those in need of their 'Chuck' fix early, USA Today and co-creator Josh Schwartz has put up a clip from Monday's episode in which Chuck and Sarah argue about... stuff. I would have probably noticed the content of the discussion more if Yvonne Strahovski wasn't changing her clothes throughout the entire conversation. An interview with Schwartz follows the clip.
Guest stars can be a good thing... or a bad thing. Some shows handle it better than others, incorporating the usually familiar stars into the episode(s) for maximum effect. The recent turn by Robert Wagner on 'NCIS' was an example of a terrific guest appearance.
In an attempt to promote the third season of Chuck, Warner Brothers has released their own iPhone app for the show titled "Chuck Me Out". This is probably better than calling it "Chuck Me", which has certain other connotations.
2009 was a good year for television. It offered the resurgence of the comedy on network television, and the continuing growth of original programming on cable. In all honesty, I don't think I could just do a list of what was great and what was horrible on television because I would need pages and pages.
Nick Offerman on Being Ron "F@%&in'" Swanson
TV 101: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love 'Jersey Shore'
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. on 'Faces of America' and the Beer Summit
