Pilot Review: Chuck

Chuck (NBC)
Premieres September 24 at 8pm

Here we have a concept that in theory would not have worked terribly well, either coming off as too comical or falsely dramatic. It is a fantastic surprise that this show works so well. The tagline "he's the secret, she's the agent" perfectly describes this clever comedy about a computer geek/specialist who gets government secrets downloaded to his brain after they are e-mailed to him by his former college roommate slash rogue CIA agent Bryce Larkin (played by Jay from "Traveler" who does a much better job in his several minutes here than he ever did on the ABC show). In any case, the cast here is fantastic. Zachary Levi is a great lead as the nerdy but well-intentioned Chuck, and he is surrounded by perfectly casted characters played by Yvonne Strzechowski, Joshua Gomez, Adam Baldwin, and Sarah LAncaster. Also great to see C.S. Lee, Masuka from "Dexter", as a nemesis of Chuck's. This is a fantastic and fresh show which almost flawlessly combines action, suspense, and comedy, and should hopefully last quite a while. Bonus points for using the soundtrack from "The Bourne Supremacy".

How will it work as a series? As long as everyone keeps trying hard and the concept does not die with the pilot, I think this should work extremely well. The amazing cast should be able to sustain it well for quite some time.
How long will it last? I am predicting a second season renewal for this show, and I think its timeslot and serving as a lead-in to "Heroes" should only help.

Pilot grade: B+