Chuck (2007–2012)

When a twenty-something computer geek inadvertently downloads critical government secrets into his brain, CIA and NSA assign two agents to protect him and exploit such knowledge, turning his life upside down.

Creators:

Chris Fedak, Josh Schwartz

Stars:

Zachary Levi, Yvonne Strahovski, Joshua Gomez

Won 2 Primetime Emmys. Another 6 wins & 22 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Zachary Levi	...	Chuck Bartowski (91 episodes, 2007-2012)
Yvonne Strahovski	...	Sarah Walker (91 episodes, 2007-2012)
Joshua Gomez	...	Morgan Grimes (91 episodes, 2007-2012)
Vik Sahay	...	Lester Patel (91 episodes, 2007-2012)
Scott Krinsky	...	Jeff Barnes (91 episodes, 2007-2012)
Sarah Lancaster	...	Ellie Bartowski (91 episodes, 2007-2012)
Adam Baldwin	...	John Casey (91 episodes, 2007-2012)
Ryan McPartlin	...	Devon 'Captain Awesome' Woodcomb (88 episodes, 2007-2012)
Mark Christopher Lawrence	...	Big Mike (87 episodes, 2007-2012)
Bonita Friedericy	...	General Diane Beckman (78 episodes, 2007-2012)

Storyline

Since geeky Chuck accidentally became the mental host of the Intersect, an unprecedentedly powerful computer mind containing all information available to the US government, he's a primordial national security asset and risk. So CIA and NSA each appoint a top agent to guard Chuck, and often get involved with him in spy adventures. Meanwhile his identity must be kept secret from Chuck's sister, her perfect partner Devon, both surgeons, and Chuck's goofy colleagues in Buy More, the Burbank electronics store where he works as a cover.

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Plot Keywords:

nsa | cia | sister | childhood friend | forbidden love | 

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Taglines:

Not Shaken...Just Nerd

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Genres:

Comedy | Action | Drama

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Official Sites:

NBC [us] SCI-FI Channel

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 September 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cakas

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

College Hill Pictures Inc., Fake Empire, Wonderland Sound and Vision

Technical Specs

Runtime:

43 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

During an interview with The A.V. Club, Vik Sahay said that he first auditioned for the role of Morgan, and when the auditions came down to just himself and Joshua Gomez, and Gomez got it, the producers instead offered Sahay the then-smaller role of Lester. Lester has since become a more prominent character than he was in the pilot.

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Goofs

General Beckman's message "report to Castle immediately" to Chuck (in Chuck versus Family Volkoff) and to Casey (Chuck vs the Last Details) is at 8:09 am.

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Connections

Referenced in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: Episode #8.80 (2010)

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Soundtracks

"Short Skirt/Long Jacket"
(theme song)
Performed by Cake

User Reviews

Very Enjoyable if you take it for what it is.

I'm totally surprised by the amount of negative comments made about Chuck. though at the same time the good comments are very good.

I half wonder if the negative comments comments are because people are watching it in the mode of "This is comedy why aren't I laughing every single second".

I agree the show isn't laugh-a-minute. However I think it far more than that. I once heard this show described as "joyous" and I think that is a perfect description. This is a show that should produce joy rather than laughter. Laughter is reflexive and ephemeral while joy is more lasting and requires sympathy for the characters.

I enjoy the show because I love the characters. They may seem to be clichés but the are all archetypes in new contexts. We not only have meek nerds in dangerous situation but train killers in mundane situations.

I love watching these characters trying to adjust to these environments that are alien to them.

The other thing I like is that there is forward movement in nearly every episode especially in season 2. I'm so sick of shows that are stand alone bad-guy-of-the-week. Chuck has a clear story arch. It is a very plot driven show and secondarily a character driven show. The script is a formality much like Star Wars.

Really it is a classic story about man who is being forced to be the man he is meant to be. Chuck has the potential to be a hero but years as a lowly computer store clerk have obliterated his self confidence.

On the flip side it is the story of a girl who has been running around saving the world and just wants a normal life.

I guess if you don't have sympathy for the character you will never understand what is great about this show. It is FAR more than a bunch of spy clichés.

Another thing I love is the chemistry between Chuck and Sarah. It is more than just sexual tension the to characters are actually in love. This makes things a bit different to the usual sexual tension theme where the boy is trying to get the girl to like him. We know they like each other from the start. It is merely the circumstance that keeps them apart. This raises the stakes of the story arch of chuck trying to get the intersect out of his head.

In summary I believe you enjoy it more if you don't think of it as a purely as a comedy but as journey for the main characters.