Loading...Our Man Chuck
Part of being in your thirties is that advertisers are aiming at you so there a sea of media tailor made for you. Monday is nerd night for the big three networks featuring House, 24, Heroes, Big Bang Theory (lame), How I met your Mother and Chuck – all geared for us. That’s not even factoring the cable options – like The Princess Bride, Malcolm X, and the Transporter all on tonight, but if you haven’t seen those by now you deserve a Jason Statham grade ass whup’in.
Tonight, I choose Chuck – without 3D glasses. I see three dimensions everyday, and no presentation can surpass the best use of this optical effect shown in JAWS 3. You’d think such an obvious rip off of the 40-year-old Virgin starring a clone of Jim Halpert from the Office with a splash of Alias would suck, but remember all those things individually aren’t bad.
I like how Chuck (Zachary Levi) is a fish out of water that isn’t really hampered by his geekness because his challenges are worthy of international intrigue -anyone would get owned by a real ninja. Another asset is the cast outside of the hero and his love interest. Every character is uniquely funny from the past geek prime lush loser Jeff to super anti-nerd Devon to John Casey (a name with the same feel as Jane Cobb as is played by Adam Baldwin, whom played Serenity‘s Jane Cobb) being a shadow version of Chuck – a bad ass plunged into mediocrity for his cover.
Yvonne Strahovski’s agent Sarah Walker, Chuck’s protector/faux girlfriend/kinda crush, I’m not quite feeling. Oh, my eyes feel her. Even to the point of forgiving them for not dying her brunette to complete the proper effect of the Hutt bikini. The pathos of her mysterious background seems a bit out of place with the core comedy of this show. I do very much appreciate the professionalism of her character in not falling for Chuck – as though he were in her league – yet having a friendly appreciation for his naiveté.
I got to check out its competitor, Fox’s House one of these days. Is it too late to try to jump into fifth season? Does its drama with dark comic relief compare to Chuck’s reflection of comedy with dark tension? Speak Citizens.
Popularity: 4% [?]
Now I’ve got a choice to make. My favorite shows are (in order of preference) Frasier, Golden Girls, and iCarly. Two shows that have been off the air for years (one never even aired in this millennium) and a show that I watch daily with full knowledge that it’s designed to entertain my six-year old.
Tonight, it occurred to me that 24 may be on (I think you guys said Monday) and I decided to forgo THE Jack Bower/Bauer so that I could read every blog and listen to every cast (wink).
Now this Chuck and I think, “great, more shit for me to do.” I’ve watched House once and it was intellectually stimulating, trying to figure out what was making the nun sick. I hope Chuck is better than that.
I’ll let you get a few more episodes in on this Chuck and you regurgitate your pleasure or displeasure and then I’ll consider coming on board. Till then, I’ll get my kicks off Bea Arthur’s biting wit and great comedic timing and Frasier’s strangely Hunin appeal.
Don’t lety me take you away from Golden Girls. It’s not like all of the episodes are magic stored on some kind of digital disk that you can get and play whenever you want. Chuck will be syndicated somewhere for you to check out … in 16 years
The shows are set up to give you an option of genre. Chuck(NBC) is meant to compete with Big Bang Theory and How I met your Mother (CBS), comedies. House(Fox) is against Gossip Girls (CW). The Bachelor (ABC) is on it’s on for the reality fix – though it’s gotta share demographics with Gossip G.
So it depends on what you’re into. I’ll be examining whether Chuck is a better comedy than House is a drama in the future.