13 episode run, but lower budget and possibly saying bye-bye to a cast member. At least it’s coming back! 
WooHoo!
Thanx Subway!
I am sooooooooooooooo happy. I haven’t loved a show this much in a long long time. And I never would have watched it if not for GWC! Thanks, guys!
Awesome!
baltar
Fantastic. It’s a shame about the reduced budget and episode order but it’s a lot better than nothing. I just hope they don’t leave the next season on a cliffhanger as unless this series does really well in the ratings it probably won’t get a fourth.
<<<<< Dancing like a fraggle!!!
UPDATE
Looks like it’s not quite as bad as we at first thought. From The Watcher
News of “Chuck’s” renewal leaked out over the weekend (for my original post on that, go here). The word then was that the show’s budget had been cut, but in a conference call with the media, NBC co-chair Ben Silverman said that was not the case. And it sounds like a sponsorship deal with Subway will help the show’s bottom line. The New York Times reports that next season, Sarah Walker will work at a Subway sandwich shop (previously she worked at a frozen-yogurt store and at a hot dog restaurant). There is more information about the Subway deal in the “Chuck” renewal press release at the end of this post.
Also, “Chuck” will still air on 8 p.m. Eastern Mondays, but it won’t return until March, after the 2010 Olympics. Right now, the order is for 13 episodes, but that order could increase and the show could run through the summer if “Chuck” does well. Co-creator Josh Schwartz told TV Week he was fine with NBC’s decision. “We have the best audience in the world and we will do everything we can to make this worth the wait,” he said. (By the way, “Chuck’s” Vik Sahay, a.k.a. Lester, thanked fans here.)
“Chuck” co-creator Chris Fedak spoke to critic Alan Sepinwall, and Fedak intimated that there might be some tweaks to the show. Due to the 13-episode order, not every character will be seen in every episode (which has always been the case on the show, so it’s not really a change). And it sounds as though there might be some alterations in the budget department, but Fedak noted, “I think if you look at TV shows across the board, there’s been contraction for most shows. However, for any type of budget cuts we’ve looked at, Josh and I are committed to delivering the same show. The same level of entertainment you guys saw last season, you’ll get next year.”
I’m really glad that Subway are helping out. I may just have to go an get a sandwhich from them soon. I just hope the advertising won’t be too blatent. I’ve no issue with the odd mention of it or Sarah working in a store, but I hope they won’t shoe horn advertisments into the dialogue or plots. Subtlety is key.
I actually remember thinking that last time they were blatent, but clever. I really dont care how obvious or corny they are, as long as it keeps chuck going:)
“Watch the hot blone super-agent use a Subway BMT sandwich as a baton to pummel the bad guy. He may be unconcious, but look at the smile on his face.”
I would hope that they would go for something a little more subtle than this, but Quiznos did set the bar really high.
This isn’t really too related to its renewal, and I’m not sure if this is old news, but I just came across this website that lists all the songs used in Chuck in season 1 and 2, episode by episode. Reminded me of Chuck’s Chuck mix, so anyhoo, it’s pretty great for those interested:-