Chuck, the new action-comedy from
The OC creator Josh Schwartz, is easily one of Fall's best pilots. About a computer nerd who suddenly becomes an invaluable tool for the government,
Chuck's pilot is uniquely funny with surprisingly fast-paced and polished action. When NBC decided to switch up their Fall schedule and move
Chuck's time slot to Mondays at 8pm, many saw this as a positive change. After all,
Chuck will now be leading into
Heroes, currently NBC's prized franchise, which airs Mondays at 9pm. At first glance, this may seem to be a show of faith from NBC, but if we look a little further, tough times may be ahead for
Chuck. Its competition is nasty.
This is what the TV landscape will look like at 8pm on Mondays this Fall:
Your Take
bobbinrob said:
chuck is a awsome show
its won me over from pb
*hides form pb fans*
Th3OC43ver said:
Chuck can do it, this show has potential!!
NBC:
Chuck
ABC:
Dancing with the Stars
FOX:
Prison Break
CBS:
How I Met Your Mother, The Big Bang Theory
The CW:
Everybody Hates Chris, Aliens in America
ESPN: Monday Night Football
Yikes. That's a whole lot of good stuff. At best,
Chuck can hope to secure the number three spot in the network ratings behind
Dancing with the Stars and
Prison Break. I suppose
Chuck could become a runaway success and entice more viewers than
Prison Break, but even then it won't be taking down
Dancing with the Stars. Monday Night Football, which begins at 8pm ET/5pm PT will impact viewership on both coasts as the games typically run at least three and a half hours.
CBS may pose problems for
Chuck, because they'll be competing for similar demographics. In fact,
How I Met Your Mother may become the biggest casualty of this Monday night scheduling quagmire. I hope not. It's a damn good show and it deserves better. The CW shouldn't pose much of a problem for
Chuck, although
Everybody Hates Chris is well-regarded and
Aliens in America has garnered overall positive reviews. It's still the CW, though.
Chuck's success will have to come right from the start, if it comes at all. If
Chuck doesn't hook viewers from the beginning, the show may be doomed. Good luck trying to pry people away from the bevy of other Monday night options.
-Oscar Dahl, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image Courtesy of NBC)