What's Up, Chuck?
Looking at this year's slate of ordered series, there are definitely a few trends that emerge, like an emphasis on dramedies (Dirty Sexy Money, Big Shots, Reaper) or a pre-occupation with just what the geek half of the beauty and the geek paradigm gets up to (shown in no less than The Big Bang Theory, Chuck, Aliens in America, The IT Crowd).
But one of the strangest trends has got to be next season's series creators' absolute obsession with the name Chuck, which pops up in no less than three fall series, including Chuck (duh), Pushing Daisies, and Gossip Girl.
So, how to keep each of these Chucks straight? Below is a handy guide to doing just that.
Name: Chuck (Chuck)
Actor: Zachary Levi
Occupation: Nerd Herd/Buy More employee; living intelligence database; Zork memoralist
Likes: Video games, hot blondes, hiding in his bedroom with best friend Morgan.
Dislikes: Being forced to talk to women about things other than his college girlfriend; shifty and aggressive co-workers; Captain Awesome (well, sort of)
Love Interest: Sexy intelligence agent Sarah; however, she's way out of his league.
Nerd Alert?: Defcon 5. There's a reason he's the leader of the Nerd Herd.
Name: Chuck (Pushing Daisies)
Actor: Anna Friel
Occupation: Caregiver to her aunts, the mentally unbalanced Darling Mermaid Darling synchronized swimmers; organizer of charity Honey for the Homeless. Currently assumed to be dead.
Likes: Exotic cruises; homemade honey; Play-Doh; last wishes.
Dislikes: Being murdered and thrown off a cruise ship; betrayal by travel boutique owners.
Love Interest: Ned; though with the whole no-touching thing, it's gonna be a star-crossed romance.
Nerd Alert?: Hardly. She's a quirky beauty who happens to have been resurrected by her childhood sweetheart.
Name: Chuck (Gossip Girl)
Actor: Ed Westwick
Occupation: Bon vivant; high school student; sociopath-in-training.
Likes: Naive freshman girls; emotional blackmail; underage drinking; truffled grilled cheese; date rape.
Dislikes: Serena van der Woodsen; the word no meaning no; getting punched in the face.
Love Interest: Any girl foolish enough to agree to go somewhere private to "talk."
Nerd Alert?: Nah. If you discount the haircut, he's not a nerd but a stylish and evil member of the glitterati.
In any event, I'll most likely be watching all three Chucks duke it out for the title this fall as Pushing Daisies, Chuck, and Gossip Girl (okay, the latter slightly less so) were among my favorite viewed pilots for this fall.
So, who do you predict will be your favorite Chuck and why?
What's On Tonight
8 pm: The King of Queens/The King of Queens (CBS); Hidden Palms (CW); The Next Best Thing: Who is the Greatest Celebrity Impersonator? (ABC); So You Think You Can Dance (FOX)
9 pm: Criminal Minds (CBS); Dateline (NBC; 9-11 pm); One Tree Hill (CW); American Inventor (ABC); So You Think You Can Dance (FOX)
10 pm: CSI: New York (CBS); Traveler (ABC)
What I'll Be Watching
8 pm: Hidden Palms.
On the second episode of this eight-episode teen thriller/relationship drama ("Ghosts"), Johnny is reunited with a former friend from rehab (Tessa Thompson, who joins the cast tonight) now living in Palm Springs, while Cliff sets out to rid himself of Tess' new boyfriend.
10 pm: Top Chef on Bravo.
On tonight's Top Chef special, cast members from the first two seasons of Top Chef compete for charity money. As long as Sam's given the opportunity to compete (and an apology from the show's producers for not making it into the final two), I'm happy.
10 pm: Traveler.
On tonight's episode ("New Haven"), Tyler and Jay return to New Haven in order to get their hands on some items that may exonerate them, while Carlton arranges a press conference.
But one of the strangest trends has got to be next season's series creators' absolute obsession with the name Chuck, which pops up in no less than three fall series, including Chuck (duh), Pushing Daisies, and Gossip Girl.
So, how to keep each of these Chucks straight? Below is a handy guide to doing just that.
Name: Chuck (Chuck)Actor: Zachary Levi
Occupation: Nerd Herd/Buy More employee; living intelligence database; Zork memoralist
Likes: Video games, hot blondes, hiding in his bedroom with best friend Morgan.
Dislikes: Being forced to talk to women about things other than his college girlfriend; shifty and aggressive co-workers; Captain Awesome (well, sort of)
Love Interest: Sexy intelligence agent Sarah; however, she's way out of his league.
Nerd Alert?: Defcon 5. There's a reason he's the leader of the Nerd Herd.
Name: Chuck (Pushing Daisies)Actor: Anna Friel
Occupation: Caregiver to her aunts, the mentally unbalanced Darling Mermaid Darling synchronized swimmers; organizer of charity Honey for the Homeless. Currently assumed to be dead.
Likes: Exotic cruises; homemade honey; Play-Doh; last wishes.
Dislikes: Being murdered and thrown off a cruise ship; betrayal by travel boutique owners.
Love Interest: Ned; though with the whole no-touching thing, it's gonna be a star-crossed romance.
Nerd Alert?: Hardly. She's a quirky beauty who happens to have been resurrected by her childhood sweetheart.
Name: Chuck (Gossip Girl)Actor: Ed Westwick
Occupation: Bon vivant; high school student; sociopath-in-training.
Likes: Naive freshman girls; emotional blackmail; underage drinking; truffled grilled cheese; date rape.
Dislikes: Serena van der Woodsen; the word no meaning no; getting punched in the face.
Love Interest: Any girl foolish enough to agree to go somewhere private to "talk."
Nerd Alert?: Nah. If you discount the haircut, he's not a nerd but a stylish and evil member of the glitterati.
In any event, I'll most likely be watching all three Chucks duke it out for the title this fall as Pushing Daisies, Chuck, and Gossip Girl (okay, the latter slightly less so) were among my favorite viewed pilots for this fall.
So, who do you predict will be your favorite Chuck and why?
What's On Tonight
8 pm: The King of Queens/The King of Queens (CBS); Hidden Palms (CW); The Next Best Thing: Who is the Greatest Celebrity Impersonator? (ABC); So You Think You Can Dance (FOX)
9 pm: Criminal Minds (CBS); Dateline (NBC; 9-11 pm); One Tree Hill (CW); American Inventor (ABC); So You Think You Can Dance (FOX)
10 pm: CSI: New York (CBS); Traveler (ABC)
What I'll Be Watching
8 pm: Hidden Palms.
On the second episode of this eight-episode teen thriller/relationship drama ("Ghosts"), Johnny is reunited with a former friend from rehab (Tessa Thompson, who joins the cast tonight) now living in Palm Springs, while Cliff sets out to rid himself of Tess' new boyfriend.
10 pm: Top Chef on Bravo.
On tonight's Top Chef special, cast members from the first two seasons of Top Chef compete for charity money. As long as Sam's given the opportunity to compete (and an apology from the show's producers for not making it into the final two), I'm happy.
10 pm: Traveler.
On tonight's episode ("New Haven"), Tyler and Jay return to New Haven in order to get their hands on some items that may exonerate them, while Carlton arranges a press conference.