Why Support "Save Chuck" and not Dollhouse or Better Off Ted? (h/t: @suprcharger5150)
I fully expected to be called out on my last Better Off Ted/Dollhouse post about my Chuck fandom and thinking the show should be saved. Thank you, Liz. Well, here's why: saving it could be justified: Unlike Better Off Ted and Dollhouse, Chuck has actually maintained respectable ratings (and in a very competitive timeslot) to where renewing the show was a realistic possibility, not just because of fanwankery. Its 18-49 demographic rating was in line with NBC's average last year, despite NBC having the lowest ratings among the 4 major broadcast networks. If NBC hadn't lost, er, given 5 hours of primetime to Jay Leno, the show probably wouldn't have had such a dramatic renewal process. Chuck's improved ratings plus expanded primetime schedule make its renewal more certain than last year, although NBC does have that similarly-themed JJ Abrams spy show Undercovers coming. And it is NBC.
Basically, I'm far more likely to support something if I know it isn't futile from the start. Dollhouse and Better Off Ted were renewed under such odd and unexpected circumstances (Dollhouse's budget was cut to near cable levels, and Better Off Ted...it must be a budget thing as well, or blackmail was involved) in the first place and have yet to see any reason why they would even realistically be saved that I'm not going to waste my time with those campaigns. Sure, all the Chuck fan campaigns did was get NBC some good PR (and saying 'the fans saved the show' makes them feel special, true or not), and maybe that Subway deal (that has yet to see fruition on the show) but really, it came down to the fact that the show had respectable ratings and it could have its budget cut. I'm a bit too cynical in that sense, perhaps, and I could totally see where there are maybe flaws in my arguments - the point may be that I'm not going to waste my time on something I find ultimately futile like trying to save shows that aren't going to be saved anyway. I say this, and somehow Better Off Ted will get a 3rd season, to be watched by 243 people exactly. Not that I'll be complaining. And of course, I've gone on plenty of futile endeavors in my everyday life, so I freely admit I'm being something of a hypocrite here. But I've come to peace with that.TV...SRS BZNZ
