Me with Zachary Levi & Joshua Gomez, on Zac's 29th birthday in 2009

Today is the series finale of Chuck on NBC, closing a 5 season run as “the little engine that could.” I can’t overstate what this experience has brought me — looking at photos of myself 5 years ago, it is clear that I am a completely different person now!

One of my original Chuck nights, in January, 2008

I’ve made incredible friends, have grown in my confidence and public presence, lost 40 pounds, been featured in the Toronto Star & on CNN, had the world’s leading TV-themed podcast for 3 years straight, got to visit the Chuck cast & crew for 2 weeks, restored my vision for myself of working in Hollywood, rekindled my desire to write, made a partnership with Script Magazine to launch the successful TV Writer Podcast, helped found the weekly TV Writer Chat, connected with 80,000 podcast viewers and over 2,000 on Twitter, and was even the subject of someone’s PhD thesis!

Shooting the falling scene for Chuck vs. the Podcast opening

All this was from a show that everyone thought was sure to be canceled after the second season… Quite poetically, as indicated in a great blog by Ryan Schwartz, Chuck is a show about having enough faith in yourself to reach your full potential. That theme has clearly not been lost on me!

My Twitter background, with WB lot in background -- symbolic of my Hollywood dream

I’ve put around 1400 volunteer hours into this endeavor… when I look at what has been accomplished, it has clearly been more than worth it. That said, I’m not the only one who has sacrificed. My family has had to put up with countless late nights editing, missing dinners and bedtimes because of interviews, gutting our living room for green screen shoots, the stress of me sometimes unsuccessfully balancing my long work hours with the demands of the podcast, and much more. It has also impacted my friends and extended family. I say both “sorry” and a huge “thank you” for putting up with me and believing in me through all of this!

Me on the Chuck set, in September, 2009

And many other thanks are in order. To Melissa Lowery and Liz Henderson, who have recorded 103 podcast episodes with me, have become great friends, and have done an incredible job promoting Chuck and the podcast through their websites. To the loyal fans of both my podcasts, who have supported with generous donations, encouraging emails and tweets, merchandise sales, and spreading the word through social media. To the podcast sponsors, who have helped cover the financial needs as well as donating equipment to help the podcasts maintain high production values. To the Chuck cast & crew, who opened their lives to me, paid for many lunches & dinners while I was in L.A., have sent holiday cards and gifts, continue to keep in touch outside of Chuck, and even invited me into their homes.

At the home of Chuck composer Tim Jones

And for Chris Fedak and Josh Schwartz, who fought to get (and keep) a show on the air about an ordinary guy who would rise to do extraordinary things.

Me with Chuck co-creator Chris Fedak, outside WB studio

Goodbye, Chuck. You will be missed.

Chuck vs. the Bullet Train was an absolute roller coaster. It kept us at the edge of our seats, right to the bitter end… literally! What will happen to Sarah? Will the sinister Quinn succeed at stealing Chuck’s life away?

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We only have two back-to-back episodes to find out, and then Chuck is gone for good. And that brings up something important to consider… As fans of the show, Chuck and its cast and crew (both on and off screen) have become like close friends. It may seem odd to describe it this way, but you may indeed be experiencing extreme emotions of real grief. We devote some time in the podcast to talking about what this grief might look like, and how we can help each other get through it.

This will be an exciting week… watch ChuckTV.net for some amazing give-aways, including actual wardrobe pieces from the show. Also, ChuckTV.net, CNN.com, NBC.com and many other websites will be having special features this week. Here are just a few:

CNN: Vik Sahay • Adam Baldwin • Yvonne Strahovski • Joshua Gomez • Zachary Levi

As you plan your viewing parties (and stock up on the Kleenex), make sure you also plan to take some photos and send them in. Let’s honor Chuck and have a grand old time, complete with Subway sandwiches, cheese balls, grape soda, Buy More gear, and any other creative ideas you can think of!

If you’re in Toronto, SEND AN EMAIL if you want to join Gray’s viewing party.

Visit Chuckazon to pre-order Chuck season 5, and support us on our home stretch! Make sure to watch Chuck this Friday at 8/7c on NBC, for the 2-part series finale.

Follow us on Twitter for the latest updates – @chucktvdotnet, @prlsoflizdom, and @GrayJones.

Miss any episodes? You can find them all at our new Blip.tv page: blip.tv/chuckpodcast, and every time you watch it helps to support us!

Also, if you like the show, please consider supporting us with a monthly vote at Podcast Alley.

Chuck vs. Bo was a hilarious instalment in the Chuck saga, with Bo Derek playing herself as a spy, a return to the frosted tips, and Groundhog Day-style capers by Jeff & Lester. However, the end of the episode spun us in an unexpected new direction: to escape a tough situation and to save her beau, Sarah has now uploaded an intersect.

Oh, no!

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It’s coming close to series finale time… As you plan your viewing parties (and stock up on the Kleenex), make sure you also plan to take some photos and send them in. Let’s honor Chuck and have a grand old time, complete with Subway sandwiches, cheese balls, grape soda, Buy More gear, and any other creative ideas you can think of!

Visit Chuckazon to pre-order Chuck season 5, and support us on our home stretch! Make sure to watch Chuck on Fridays at 8/7c on NBC, right up to the 2-part series finale on January 27th.

Follow us on Twitter for the latest updates – @chucktvdotnet, @prlsoflizdom, and @GrayJones.

Miss any episodes? You can find them all at our new Blip.tv page: blip.tv/chuckpodcast, and every time you watch it helps to support us!

Also, if you like the show, please consider supporting us with a monthly vote at Podcast Alley.

On Friday at the Television Critics Association presentation, NBC President Robert Greenblatt rocked the world of Chuck fans — in a bad way. We heard you! And we devote the first 10 minutes of the podcast to talking all about it.

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We also discuss Chuck vs. the Kept Man, including a good look at HD screencaps from Jeff’s research board. You might have missed some interesting details… take a look back with us!

It’s coming close to series finale time… As you plan your viewing parties (and stock up on the Kleenex), make sure you also plan to take some photos and send them in. Let’s honor Chuck and have a grand old time, complete with Subway sandwiches, cheese balls, grape soda, Buy More gear, and any other creative ideas you can think of!

PLEASE NOTE: Because of a malicious attack on the podcast site server, iTunes and mp3 versions of the podcasts may be temporarily affected. The best place to view (and always the highest resolution) is at blip.tv/chuckpodcast.

No, we don’t think the malicious attack was by Robert Greenblatt. Well, not this one, anyway.

Visit Chuckazon to pre-order Chuck season 5, and support us on our home stretch! Make sure to watch Chuck on Fridays at 8/7c on NBC, right up to the 2-part series finale on January 27th.

Follow us on Twitter for the latest updates – @chucktvdotnet, @prlsoflizdom, and @GrayJones.

Miss any episodes? You can find them all at our new Blip.tv page: blip.tv/chuckpodcast, and every time you watch it helps to support us!

Also, if you like the show, please consider supporting us with a monthly vote at Podcast Alley.

While we were all on holidays, Chuck sure wasn’t! Between Chuck vs. the Santa Suit, written by writing assistant Amanda Kate Shuman, and Chuck vs. the Baby, directed by first-time TV director Matt Barber (and written by fan favorite writers Rafe Judkins and Lauren LeFranc), Chuck delivered a one-two punch of back to back amazing episodes!

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In our 100th podcast (because of a half-episode early on), we celebrate 4 years as a podcast and 37 consecutive months as the #1 TV-themed podcast in Podcast Alley’s “TV & Film” category. What better way to celebrate, than with some of our liveliest discussion ever, singing the praises of these two episodes.

Visit Chuckazon to pre-order Chuck season 5, and support us on our home stretch! Make sure to watch Chuck on Fridays at 8/7c on NBC, right up to the 2-part series finale on January 27th.

Follow us on Twitter for the latest updates – @chucktvdotnet, @prlsoflizdom, and @GrayJones.

Miss any episodes? You can find them all at our new Blip.tv page: blip.tv/chuckpodcast, and every time you watch it helps to support us!

Also, if you like the show, please consider supporting us with a monthly vote at Podcast Alley.

It’s holiday time again! The Chuck team goes all out on the holiday episodes, and so do we! We’re so thrilled that in this holiday extravaganza, 18 of the Chuck cast and crew share not only their holiday wishes for the fans, but many of their favorite moments from working on the series.

Click image to play video… more details below. Click the full screen icon to watch episode in full screen HD!

Thanks to crew member Suwannee Wilhelm, the podcast is chock full of behind the scenes photos, of many of the cast members wrapping, empty sets, the wrap party, and tearing down of the sets. Break out the Kleenex!

We hope this episode encourages you… if you want more, CLICK HERE to play last year’s extravaganza with 35 guests, including Timothy Dalton, Scott Bakula, and Matt Bomer. There’s lots of Chuck cheer to go around!

From Mel, Liz, and Gray, we wish you a safe and happy holiday with your loved ones!

Make sure to watch Chuck through the holidays, on Fridays at 8/7c, up to the 2-part finale on January 27th.

Visit Chuckazon to pre-order Chuck season 5, and while you’re there, there are lots of great gift ideas for Chuck fans (including yourself).

Follow us on Twitter for the latest updates – @chucktvdotnet, @prlsoflizdom, and @GrayJones.

Miss any episodes? You can find them all at our new Blip.tv page: blip.tv/chuckpodcast, and every time you watch it helps to support us!

Also, if you like the show, please consider supporting us with a monthly vote at Podcast Alley.

Is it really a curse to be a Bartowski? Not if you’ve met Ellie! In Chuck vs. the Curse, Ellie stole the show, as she & Devon were unwittingly whisked into the spy world. Rebecca Romijn shone as the evil lady torturer, Alex had some tricks up her sleeve, and Sarah got to kick some butt rescuing her husband… Ladies night on Chuck got thumbs up from all of us!

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Next week features Stan Lee, the return of a serious villain, lots of surprises, and… another holiday podcast extravaganza! Remember to watch Chuck every Friday night at 8/7c, including during the holidays, as we prepare for the 2-part finale January 27th. Watch for the holiday podcast by Christmas eve.

Visit Chuckazon to pre-order Chuck season 5, and while you’re there, there are lots of great gift ideas for Chuck fans (including yourself).

Follow us on Twitter for the latest updates – @chucktvdotnet, @prlsoflizdom, and @GrayJones.

Miss any episodes? You can find them all at our new Blip.tv page: blip.tv/chuckpodcast, and every time you watch it helps to support us!

Also, if you like the show, please consider supporting us with a monthly vote at Podcast Alley.

Talk about unexpected twists! First Decker is blowed up real good, and then the promo… Wowzer, we’re in for quite a ride as Chuck motors through the holiday break!

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In this week’s podcast, we have a blast talking about Chuck vs. the Hack-Off, announce our upcoming holiday podcast, and lots more! Remember to watch Chuck every Friday night at 8/7c, including during the holidays, as we prepare for the 2-part finale January 27th.

Follow us on Twitter for the latest updates – @chucktvdotnet, @prlsoflizdom, and @GrayJones.

Miss any episodes? You can find them all at our new Blip.tv page: blip.tv/chuckpodcast, and every time you watch it helps to support us!

Also, if you like the show, please consider supporting us with a monthly vote at Podcast Alley.

Fan favorite writer Kristin Newman penned the latest episode of Chuck, Chuck vs. the Business Trip, and boy did she deliver! The episode was jam packed with relationship development, spy intrigue, action, laughs, and moments we didn’t see coming! Well, and some we did.

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Chuck vs. the Business Trip satisfied on all levels, and is sure to provide even more enjoyment on multiple viewings.

Follow us on Twitter for the latest updates – @chucktvdotnet, @prlsoflizdom, and @GrayJones.

Miss any episodes? You can find them all at our new Blip.tv page: blip.tv/chuckpodcast, and every time you watch it helps to support us!

Also, if you like the show, please consider supporting us with a monthly vote at Podcast Alley.

We finally get to see bullet time on Chuck, and things heat up with Gertrude and Casey. A major development with Jeff Barnes, and… pantsing? Chuck vs. the Frosted Tips gets thumbs up from Gray, Mel, and Liz, and we’re all incredibly excited about what Chuck writer Phil Klemmer says will be a very strong run of episodes coming up!

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We also discuss the ratings, the lack of Chuck online, and what could be some potential good news about air dates before the holidays.

BREAKING NEWS that didn’t make it into the podcast: NBC announced their mid-season schedule, and Chuck will be airing its 2 final episodes back to back on January 27, 2012. Don’t worry, we’ll have some post-finale send-off interviews to soften the blow.

Follow us on Twitter for the latest updates – @chucktvdotnet, @prlsoflizdom, and @GrayJones.

Miss any episodes? You can find them all at our new Blip.tv page: blip.tv/chuckpodcast, and every time you watch it helps to support us!

Also, if you like the show, please consider supporting us with a monthly vote at Podcast Alley.

Morgan as an over-confident Intersect… Verbanski stealing Carmichael’s thunder… Casey chickening out when making a phone call… Chuck vs. the Bearded Bandit was a lot of fun, and set up what is sure to be a string of great episodes.

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We introduce a number of new sponsors this week… make sure to check them out for great deals on camera accessories, and computer hardware and software!

Follow us on Twitter for the latest updates – @chucktvdotnet, @prlsoflizdom, and @GrayJones.

Miss any episodes? You can find them all at our new Blip.tv page: blip.tv/chuckpodcast, and every time you watch it helps to support us!

Also, if you like the show, please consider supporting us with a monthly vote at Podcast Alley.

Chuck is back, and so are we! We kick off the new season in costume (well, at least Mel & Liz). We’ve got a new much shorter opening, new widescreen format, new look, and lots more!

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We have a fun time talking about Chuck vs. the Zoom, mention a giveaway, and have a great talk in the spoiler section about why the next few episodes of Chuck are going to be awesome!

Follow us on Twitter for the latest updates – @chucktvdotnet, @prlsoflizdom, and @GrayJones.

Miss any episodes? You can find them all at our new Blip.tv page: blip.tv/chuckpodcast, and every time you watch it helps to support us!

Also, if you like the show, please consider supporting us with a monthly vote at Podcast Alley.

As you wait patiently for Chuck season 5 to kick off at 8pm Friday, October 28th, why not enjoy a little Vik Sahay humor?

Timm McCoy of ppl.tv.net caught up with Vik for a great 13 minute interview.

To listen, just click the player at the bottom of this post.

Enjoy!

In preparation for season 5, Gray’s highlighting Chuck writers on his “TV Writer Podcast.”

You’ll love his interview with comedy writer Kristin Newman, who was responsible for fan favorite episode “Chuck vs. Phase Three,” among many others!

Click to play video on Blip.tv

Yvonne Strahovski… need we say more? In our 4th Comic-Con coverage, Mel & Liz finally nailed a press room interview with Yvonne Strahovski! They also had great interviews with Chris Fedak, Ryan McPartlin, Zachary Levi, Joshua Gomez, Adam Baldwin, Vik Sahay, and Scott Krinsky.

Everyone was a little emotional at what was most likely Chuck’s final appearance at Comic-Con. But take heart! Shooting has already begun on season 5, which begins in its new Friday 8/7c time slot on October 21st. It’s coming fast!

We will be taking another much needed podcast hiatus until Chuck returns in October. Please visit ChuckTV.net for all your Chuck needs, and also www.chuckpodcast.com to catch up on old podcast interviews.

Follow us on Twitter for the latest updates – @chucktvdotnet, @prlsoflizdom, and @GrayJones.

Miss any episodes? You can find them all at our new Blip.tv page: blip.tv/chuckpodcast, and every time you watch it helps to support us!

Also, if you like the show, please consider supporting us with a monthly vote at Podcast Alley.

Click to play video on Blip.tv

Oh, boy! Chuck is renewed… Morgan has the intersect… Chuck & Sarah are married… Volkoff is now Winterbottom, and he & Vivian have given Chuck & Sarah a billion dollar wedding present… Team Bartowski now owns the Buy More and are mercenaries for hire… Yowzer!

The season 4 finale, Chuck vs. the Cliffhanger, was an amazing, game-changing episode in all respects. It was intense, full of action, yet tugged at the heart-strings, and even drew some tears on the podcast! We have a lot of fun talking all about it, and reliving all our favorite moments. So many Russians…

And if that’s not enough, Mel had a great interview with Chuck executive producer Robert Duncan McNeill, who also directed Chuck vs. the Cliffhanger. He takes us behind the scenes of the finale, hints at season 5, and will not confirm or deny whether a certain Bartowski could be back…

PLEASE NOTE: This is the last Podcast before Comic-Con San Diego in late July, as we will be taking a much needed break. Please visit ChuckTV.net for all your Chuck needs, and also www.chuckpodcast.com to catch up on old podcast interviews.

Follow us on Twitter for the latest updates – @chucktvdotnet, @prlsoflizdom, and @GrayJones.

Miss any episodes? You can find them all at our new Blip.tv page: blip.tv/chuckpodcast, and every time you watch it helps to support us!

Also, if you like the show, please consider supporting us with a monthly vote at Podcast Alley.