Enjoy this hilarious St. Patrick’s Day video directed by Chuck actor Julia Ling:

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:

Unfortunately, an expensive audio interface device I use for my podcasting went literally up in smoke last night.  It comes at an awkward time, because I am between day job gigs and cash flow is tight.

Can you please spare a donation, to help replace it?  Consider the value you’ve received from our 85 high quality podcasts with 115+ interviews.  Even DVD box sets have only a fraction of the behind the scenes content we have offered.

Every little bit helps…  No amount is too small (nor too big).

[UPDATE 3:15pm EST]
I’m absolutely blown away by the responses! The cost of the audio device is now covered, and some extra can go toward replacing a fried laptop I use heavily for podcasting, and also an upcoming yearly server bill. If you haven’t had a chance to donate, these other needs are still pending. That said… countless thanks to all!

Many thanks,
Gray.

We’re thrilled that out of over 2,900 podcasts submitted, your support resulted in our podcast being nominated in both the Best Video Podcast and Best Produced categories!

Please help us spread the word about Chuck to the 1,000,000 people watching the Podcast Awards, by voting daily for Chuck vs. the Podcast! Votes reset at midnight EST every day until December 15th. Just click the graphic above to access the voting page!

PLEASE NOTE: After checking the boxes next to Chuck vs. the Podcast, you must scroll to the bottom of the voting page and follow the instructions to ensure your vote is counted.

Amazon.com is running its Black Friday deals promotion all through this week… To find amazing deals and support the podcast at the same time, just click on the image above!

 

 

 

 
 
 
 

New! If you’re in Canada, you can now shop Chuckazon Canada or the full Amazon.ca store, and get local shipping rates while you support the podcast.

As you may have seen on Twitter, I had some technical meltdowns in recent weeks, which had a final impact of several thousand dollars.  As the podcast accounts for a good percentage of what I use my home system for, I thought it would be a good time to remind you that we do need your support to help keep the podcast running.  We are VERY thankful for our sponsors, but they represent only about half of what we need to maintain the podcast.

Consider what you pay for DVD rentals and purchases, or a feature at the cinema, for an hour or two of content. Our podcasts have provided countless hours of behind the scenes, “special feature” style content… over 75 interviews with the cast & crew of Chuck so far. What is this resource worth to you?

 
1. DONATIONS

The most effective way to support the podcast will always be straight donations.  No amount is too small… nor too large!

 
2. SPONSORS

We are always looking for more sponsors. If you have a product or service, you’d be surprised how cost-effective it can be to advertise it on the podcast and on the website.

 
3. AMAZON.COM / CHUCKAZON

 

 

 

 
Did you know that anything in Amazon.com’s massive site can support us, not just at Chackazon, as long as you use THIS LINK to start? You can even support us with mp3 downloads and video-on-demand.

The cost is the same to you, but a percentage comes back to support the podcast.  With free shipping over $25, ordering online can save you gas & valuable time!

Amazon.com is amazing for cost-effective Christmas gifts. Why not browse through our new “TV on DVD” section at Chuckazon? There are some amazing deals in the 60′s and earlier TV, Great 70′s & 80′s TV, Great 90′s TV, and 2000+ TV sections!

 
4. CAFEPRESS MERCHANDISE

 

 

 

 

 

You can show your support and advertise the podcast to your friends with the cool and unique podcast-themed merchandise at Cafepress.com. These also make great gifts for Chuck fans!

 
———————-

CLICK HERE to find out more.

Thanks so much,
Gray.

After seeing the TV Writer Twitter Database I put together for my TV Writer Podcast, many have asked for a similar Twitter community where Chuck fans can easily find each other.

I decided it would be easiest to run it as a “Twitter List.” This makes it much easier to understand and follow, and also easy to check if you’re already on it.

 

TO FIND OUT IF YOU’RE ON THE LIST:

First, go to your profile page on Twitter. It should look something like this:

On the right, you should see a number with the word “listed” below it. That number tells how many Twitter lists include you (are “following” you). If you click on “listed” it brings up the following page:

Make sure that “Lists Following You” is active, and look to see if “@GrayJones/chuckfans” is on that page. If it is, you are already on the list. Skip ahead to the “Higher Rez Chuck Twibbons” section below.

 

TO BE ADDED TO THE LIST:

If you’re not on the list, just follow me on Twitter, and send me a message asking to be added. I will not send you a confirmation tweet, but if you check the list within a few hours you should be on it.

Please check whether you’re on the list first before tweeting to ask me! And please don’t take it personally if you’re already following me and I haven’t added you. I only started this list recently, and haven’t been able to get through my older follows to add everyone yet.

 

HIGHER REZ CHUCK TWIBBONS:

If you need a “Chuck” Twibbon for your Twitter avatar (a Twibbon adds the word “Chuck” beneath your Twitter avatar), I don’t recommend using the Twibbon service, because it shrinks your profile image so that it can not be enlarged. If you have Photoshop or a similar graphic editing program, just use one of these black or red high resolution Chuck images:

Just cut one out and add it to your high resolution image. Now everyone will know you’re a Chuckster!

 

TO FOLLOW THE CHUCKFAN TWITTER LIST:

Programs like TweetDeck will actually let you create a feed just for one list — that way you could have a column just for your Chuck peeps and what they’re tweeting about. You can also view their tweets on the Twitter website by clicking here. You don’t even need a Twitter account to see the news!

To follow the list on your Twitter, CLICK HERE to open the list in a web browser. It should look like this:

Just click the “Follow” button on the upper left, and you can start tweeting with lots of new Chuck peeps!

I had a wonderful lunch with Chuck co-creator Chris Fedak on the second day of my L.A. trip last fall… he was very generous with his time, and told me all about how he got started, and how he came up with the idea for Chuck.

We’ve had him on the podcast a few times, as part of the Wonder-Con panel and press room in early 2010, and the panel and press room from Comic-Con in July, 2010.

However, we’ve never had him do a one-on-one phone interview… until now! And this time, we’re taking your questions! What would you like to ask the co-creator of Chuck?

The floor is open… until Sunday, September 12th, at 11:59pm EST. Send your questions to mail@chuckpodcast.com, or follow Gray on Twitter and ask in a tweet!

I can’t guarantee every question will be asked, but I’ll do my best. I will assume it’s OK to use your first name when I ask your question, unless you say otherwise. Also, please feel free to let me know the city and state where you live, if you want me to mention it when I ask your question.

[UPDATED] Why not ask him yourself? Grab a webcam or a microphone, and record your brief question! Send it to mail@chuckpodcast.com, and you just might appear in the interview! Be sure to mention your first name and the city you’re in.

Thanks,
Gray.

Not be outdone by his co-writer Lauren LeFranc’s recent Q&A, Rafe Judkins emailed my a few days ago to say he would take questions too. The twitterverse jumped on the chance, and gave a pile of great questions. Here are his answers!

[MINOR SPOILER WARNING]


1. Amy Berg: Tell Rafe I say hello. He was my PA on The 4400. Love that guy.

Rafe: Amy!!!  I love you too.

2. @MattG1978: What role, if any, does feedback from the cast members play when writers–particularly new ones–create new material?

Rafe: Especially because Lauren and I were new writers on the show last season, we definitely tried to listen to what the actors had to say about who their characters are and what kind of decisions they would make.  Zach, Yvonne, Sarah, Ryan, you know, they’ve been here since Day 1, so they know these characters better than anyone.  For instance, Yvonne had mentioned to us that she was hoping to try a little more comedy once Sarah and Chuck were together, that that might loosen up her character a little, so we tried to put some of that into Chuck vs. the Honeymooners based on that conversation.


 
 
Rafe: Is this picture a question?  It’s amazing!

3. @LittleChuckFan: Which #Chuck character are u the most like? Please don’t say Jeff : )

Rafe: Hm… never thought of this before.  My kung fu skills are considerable, though, so I’d probably have to say Sarah.

4. @LittleChuckFan: Which character is your favorite?

Rafe: Sarah.  Don’t read into that

5. @LittleChuckFan: If I personally promise to be their Twitter bodyguards, would he and Lauren consider joining Twitter? Pretty plz

Rafe: If only we could figure out how it works!  All the @’s and #’s leave me bewildered.  You should bug Lauren about it though.

 
 
 
 
 
6. @remilma: Is there any chance Gary Cole will reprise the role of Sarah’s father ?

Rafe: We talk all the time about bringing him back for another Sarah-backstory episode, so there’s definitely a chance.

7. @SooperpowerTV: Does he have any pull to get Jennifer Garner cast?

Rafe: Does SuperPowerTV know my deepest secrets??  Jennifer Garner is my celebrity crush.  If I could cast her in an episode it would make my life.  I will use any power I wield to make that happen.  Sadly, I wield almost zero power.

8. @anniepatterson: When is he joining the fandom on Twitter?

Rafe: Is this considered joining?  maybe?

9. Lou (OldDarth): Who is his fav character to write?

Rafe: I love to write Sarah/Morgan scenes for some reason.  I like seeing two characters who never get scenes together.  There’s one of these coming in Episode 307

10. Lou (OldDarth): Guest star he is most excited to write for?

Rafe: Lind-Ham!  How can someone not be excited about that?

11. Lou (OldDarth): Dalton – a Bryce or a Daniel?

Rafe: Bryce.  Only due to extremely dreamy eyes.

12. Lou (OldDarth): What’s your favorite genre to read?

Rafe: I like epic fantasy stuff, Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, etc.  But I’ll read most anything.  Right now I’m reading Guns, Germs, and Steel;  His Majesty’s Dragon; Under the Banner of Heaven; and the Lonely Planet Guide to China.

13. Lou (OldDarth): Any plans, desires to write a book? Direct? Act?

Rafe: I’d love to write a book, no real interest in directing or acting though.

14. Lou (OldDarth): Please get someone to take up Ali’s spot as fan liason. (hint)

Rafe: No one can ever fill Adler’s shoes!

15. Lou (OldDarth): If more eps are ordered will there be separate 13/N arcs again?

Rafe: Most likely, we found that that worked really well last season just from a storytelling perspective, so I think regardless of when/if we get a pick-up, we’ll try to tell this season’s story in a similar fashion.  Gives some heat to the middle episodes that can sometimes be doldrums on a series

16. Lou (OldDarth): Approx how many episodes will MamaB and Dalton be in?

Rafe: As many as we can possibly get them in!  (Yes, cop out answer, but you don’t want everything spoiled, do you? )

17. @queuebert: if he can write any scene for Sarah, regardless of context, what would it be?

Rafe: I have always said that my only desire in life is to see Sarah emerge naked from a muddy lake in Laos with a knife between her teeth.  And then kick ridiculous amounts of ass.  And as of now, it seems like that scene may actually become a reality!

18. @nicolab123: thanks for this, Gray! (and thanks to Rafe too, of course) how about any writer/director/title info for episodes he can give?

Rafe: I think everything I’m allowed to give has been posted already to the Internet!

Rafe: Thanks so much for questions guys, sorry again for the delayed response!  Let me know if you have any more, I’m more than happy to talk Chuck

When Chuck writer Lauren LeFranc broke the news to me about all of the changes in the Chuck writers room, she was gracious enough to let me open the floor to fans for questions on Twitter. She was surprised by how many came in under 30 minutes, but answered them all…  Here are the results of the Q&A!

[MINOR SPOILER WARNING]

• Thank you guys!  Get ready, Season 4 is gonna be awesome!

And that’s all she wrote!  Thanks again to Lauren for answering all of our questions, and for doing such a wonderful job writing Chuck! Please feel free to comment below.

Along with the exciting news of Chuck’s season 4 renewal came news of a different kind: Chuck’s writers room, which had already lost senior writer and executive producer Scott Rosenbaum to be showrunner of the new remake of ‘V,’ has lost not one, not two, but three other writers.

Thursday, it was announced that senior writer and executive producer Matt Miller has been hired as the showrunner of ‘Human Target.’

Friday, we learned that senior writer and executive producer Ali Adler had accepted a position on the new ‘No Ordinary Family.’

Late Friday, Gray broke the news that writer Phil Klemmer would be leaving Chuck to write for another new show.

What does this mean?

Gray has pulled from his experience in the business and relationships with these writers, and has written a very detailed and informative blog post about this issue.  We urge you to read the article, as well as the comment thread, and post any questions you have.

Please click here or on the photo at right to access the article.

You’ve heard it everywhere else; you might as well hear it here…

Chuck has been renewed for a 4th season!

While NBC has yet to make an official announcement, sources inside and out are confirming a 13 episode order.

Here are just a few of the sources (no particular order):

• Nikki Finke at Deadline Hollywood (reported to be the first)
• Michael Ausiello at EW.com
• The Live Feed at the Hollywood Reporter
• Alan Sepinwall
• TV By the Numbers

And it’s not just a good news day for Chuck…  Chuck showrunner Josh Schwartz said it best on Twitter:

“Congrats to @skeeterosenbaum on the news of V season 2 and Chuck EP Matt Miller on Human Target season 2. Will miss you guys!”

Former Chuck writer/EP Scott Rosenbaum had moved over to be the showrunner for ‘V’ a few months ago, and news just broke today that V has also been renewed for a 13 episode new season.

Scott’s old roommate and fellow Chuck writer/EP Matt Miller has also made the jump to showrunner — it was announced yesterday that he will be running Human Target, which has just been renewed for a second season.

All of these shows are produced by Warner Brothers…  I guess they’re doing something right?

This just in:

Joshua Gomez, who plays Morgan Grimes on Chuck, will be signing autographs at a “Meet & Greet” at the NBC Experience Store in New York, this Monday, March 29th, at 10am.

If you’re in New York, let’s show Joshua some Chuck love!

Wish I could be there…

Here’s a link to the poster if you’d like it: LINK

Also, if you get photos of the event, please send them to us so we can include them in the podcast!

Cheers,
Gray.

 
We’re very excited to bring you new ways of watching and listening to the podcast! We tried our very first all-video podcast recently, and we’re hooked! And as the reports come in, we see that you are too.

The main challenge we face is the high cost of bandwidth, so we have decided to start hosting the podcast on Blip.tv as well as our site.

What does this mean?

Apart from not us having to pay for the bandwidth, Blip also offers many great benefits to us and you:

1. More flexible player, which can be embedded anywhere, even on your own blog or site.
2. Fully browsable Blip channel, for those who have had site connection issues here.
3. (in progress) Distribution to other places, like Tivo and Boxee.
4. Embedded advertising, which helps us with our server costs.
5. We will still always be available on iTunes and here on the site.

It should be a pretty seamless transition, and you may not even notice the difference here.  We imagine there will be some happy campers among those who don’t like iTunes or who have had connection issues with our site.  Also, we will not need to rely so much on donations and merchandise to support the podcast.

Click here to see what our podcast looks like on Blip.tv.

This is a work in progress, and we really need your feedback.  Please post feedback here on this post, or send to mail@chuckpodcast.com.

Chuck is back tonight!  Set your DVR, plan your viewing parties, call your family and friends, and don’t miss out on on not one, not two, but three hours of Chuck action between today and tomorrow.

Two back-to-back episodes play tonight, Sunday Jan. 10, at 9/8c on NBC.  Then, there is a third episode tomorrow night at 8/7c, which happens to be Chuck’s season 3 time slot, exactly the same as it was in season 1 and 2 — Monday nights at 8/7c.

Please check your local listings to verify when and where it is playing in your area!

Also, please call your friends and family, Facebook, Twitter, email, and do whatever else you can to spread the word.

Chuck creators Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak, as well as star Zachary Levi and many critics who have seen the first few episodes have said that even someone who has never seen Chuck can hit the ground running with season 3, without needing to have watched season 1 and 2.  Having seen some of the episodes myself in L.A., I assure you that’s true!

Plus, Chuck’s “Matrix-style” new abilities and “No More Mr. Nice Spy” attitude might just appeal to a broader range of people.  Never fear, Chuck’s nerdiness and clumsiness are never going away, and the Buy More antics are as funny as ever.

Let’s make sure Chuck’s season 3 ratings are much higher than last year!