Last week, the New York Times spoke to “Chuck” co-creator and co-producer Josh Schwartz about the series, tonight’s season finale and the potential plans for a third season (should NBC grant “Chuck” a renewal).
Below is the interview, courtesy of the New York Times Arts Beat blog.
As of this moment, do you know where “Chuck” stands?
Sitting here today, I do not know. Which is a tricky place to be, emotionally. The last two episodes are certainly the best that we’ve done, and I feel like the whole season has been building. To feel this coalescing of the inter-Web forces, in support of the show, has been really remarkable.
The show started strong in its first season, but hasn’t fared as well since. What do you think happened?
We got hit by the strike, as a number of first-year shows did. And then we were in this very competitive time period, Mondays at 8. As “Monday Night Football” was ending, we were like, “O.K., now we finally grow.” And then Fox decided to move “House” into the time period. In a weird way, the survival of the show has been a catalyst for helping to make people more aware of the show. In a fortunate way. That’s the silver lining that I’ve seen.
Is it strange for you that that “Gossip Girl,” which has been renewed for next season, gets fewer viewers than “Chuck,” whose fate is up in the air?
“Chuck” probably gets double the ratings of “Gossip Girl.” “Gossip Girl” has obviously hit this cultural nerve in really specific way. And has a lot of ancillary, iTunes, online viewing. Clearly, its audience watches things in other ways. I’ve never had a show like “Chuck,” that was this kind of cult favorite. I wouldn’t describe “Gossip Girl”’s audience as a cult audience. When I think of cult audiences, I think of more people like me than people like Blair Waldorf.
How are you preparing for what could be “Chuck”’s final episode?
Emotionally, you mean? Therapy.
I meant narratively.
If, in two weeks, that is the last episode of the show to ever air, it will be one of the least satisfying finales of all time. Chris Fedak, the guy who created the show, said people will set their living rooms on fire.
Is that your plan to win a third season?
It wasn’t so much a strategy for survival, it’s the story that we wanted to do for a while, before we ever knew our ratings information. But it certainly was designed that in the third season, the show would shift and become something even bigger than what is now. There was always a way designed to, like, kick out the jams and take it to 11, in the next season. Am I being cagey in my description? But it does. It whets your appetite for what could come.
Did you go through a similar grieving process when “The O.C.” came to an end?
“The O.C.” had a different kind of life, in that it came out of the gate very, very big, very quickly. The cast was doing magazine covers right away and we were put behind “American Idol.” And then it had to deal with this backlash. We did 27 episodes of an inordinate amount of story, and were trying to sustain that in subsequent seasons. And then weirdly, in the final season, the critics came back to the show, but the audience had left. Creatively it was very, very satisfying. And at this point in my career, I’d rather have a good show than a hit show. If I had to choose between the two. Although some days, you’re like, “Ah, [forget] it.” Because it’s a lot of anxiety. Every morning, when you get the ratings, you have a stomachache.
Does having other shows on the air and in the works help take your mind off “Chuck”?
Yes, it does. But I’m also very, very good at zeroing in on the one thing that is anxiety-producing and obsessing on that. I guess it’s called being Jewish, I suppose.
Being who you are, and someone that a network would want to have a good relationship with, does that give NBC an incentive to renew the show?
I guess it doesn’t hurt. But it certainly isn’t a guarantee. People far bigger than I am have had their shows go down much more quickly. So it’s never 100 percent. That being said, I’ve got a lot of ideas for a lot of other shows. I don’t know how to answer that without sounding totally arrogant. The good news is that NBC does really like the show, creatively. They’re rooting for it. They’re not like, “Eh.” They are invested in the show, which is remarkable, considering they don’t own it. Often those are the shows that become orphans.
Can these grassroots “Save Chuck” campaigns really mean the difference between renewal and cancellation?
The difference between being a hit show and being an on-the-bubble show is so small now. The metrics have become so narrow that everything does help. If you do have a loyal fan base that really can make a difference. Now, more than ever, that kind of fan support can really have an impact. The cost of launching a television series is as high as it’s ever been. And obviously the odds have never gotten any better. If you look at NBC they’ve had a history of being patient with “The Office,” “30 Rock.” “Friday Night Lights” is a show where they’ve found a way to maintain its audience. Word of mouth is the most old-fashioned trend in entertainment and it still holds true. To sustain and hold onto our audience would be significant enough.
A couple years back, “Jericho” was briefly spared the axe when its fans sent peanuts to CBS. What should “Chuck” fans send to NBC?
In lieu of peanuts, I would ask our fans to send Nerds. The candy. Not actual nerds that they can find on the street. Don’t go to MIT, put them in a box, send that over to Burbank.
Mighty Utu says
I have indeed bought my foot long sub today
Joe Klemmer says
It would be a crime if “Chuck” wasn’t picked up. If it goes off the air it’ll be the second worst tragedy in TV series history, eclipsed only by the completely disgraceful debacle that happened to “Kyle XY.” “Chuck,” along with “The Big Bang Theory,” is one of the best series on TV today. Regardless of genera.
Robin says
“In lieu of peanuts, I would ask our fans to send Nerds. The candy. Not actual nerds that they can find on the street. Don’t go to MIT, put them in a box, send that over to Burbank.”
Brilliant! If this campaign happens, I will definitely participate. With candy. (Although I do live pretty close to MIT…)