Chatting with the "Chuck" Nerds: Josh Schwartz and Zach Levi on What to Expect

Just got off the phone with the dynamic duo of Josh Schwartz and Zach Levi, the co-creator and star (respectively) of NBC's new dramedy Chuck, which is already a favorite in the Televisionary household.

While the full details of the conference call will be posted later, here are a few tantalizing morsels gleaned from Schwartz and Levi:

Stop the presses! Former OC star Rachel Bilson will join the cast of Chuck in a multiple-episode arc playing a new potential love interest for Levi's Chuck, a sandwich maker who likes magic and seems to be a sweet girl. But, given Chuck's current situation, is Bilson's character really who she appears to be?

There will be an overarching mythology to the series, layered on top of the self-contained villains/mysteries of the week, including the backstory on Bryce (Traveler's Matthew Bomer) and the Intersect. Schwartz said that they are now shooting an episode in which Chuck returns to Stanford for his "origin story" and we see the relationship between him and former roommate/future rogue agent Bryce play out in flashback. (So Matthew Bomer fans, set your TiVos now!)

Musically, Schwartz will be leaning on his favorites for this series, just as he did for The OC. He said that as Chuck is set in the Silverlake neighborhood of Los Angeles, it has a sound of its own. Look for the musical stylings of Spoon, The National, and the New Pornographers in the first few episodes. And, um, quite possibly an appearance of Britney Spears' "Toxic," though it wasn't entirely clear whether Schwartz was joking or not.

As for action, look for an out-of-control helicopter flight, car chases, and that spy favorite, the ejector seat. Schwartz and Levi said that subsequent episodes will "deliver the action." And that everyone was exhausted from all of the high-octane action. Levi himself prefers to do a lot of his own stunt work. Because, after all, how many times do you get to soar through the air, fall down from great heights, or participate, as in the pilot episode, in a backwards car chase? Not bloody often.

Chuck launches Monday, September 24th at 8 pm on NBC.