Wayne's Worlds: What's Up 'Chuck'?

Why wasn't this series in our schedule? Honestly, I don't think it caught the interest of many of us. Was it too close to home? Maybe, but that's for another column.

So, to make up for this apparent oversight, I thought this time I'd give my general impressions about "Chuck" as well as some observations I have about the new fall season in general especially when it comes to the new crop of genre programs.

As I've mentioned previously, I try to watch all the shows that fall under what I think might be the SF umbrella. That means I've watched everything from "Moonlight" to "Journeyman," and I've come away with one general feeling – nothing new really stands out.

Does that mean the programs are bad? Not at all. It does mean that while they are passable, most of the shows just make me want to tell all my non-SF friends to watch them. They are perhaps in the worst category possible – just OK.

Ah, the dreaded word, "potential." "Why, that show had such potential!" is the clarion cry for many a series that has left the airwaves. The bad news is that you really only have a few minutes to catch the viewers' attention. After that, I can hear people saying, "What else is on?" and the channels being changed across the country.

I'll talk more about "Bionic Woman" again in the future, but this show is in the same boat. I watch an hour, and when it's done, I am left feeling just OK. And in these days of constant and powerful competition for our attention, that's not a good thing.

Add to that, the notion that all the new genre shows are recycles of older programs. "Chuck" is "Jake 2.0" revisited. "Journeyman" is "Quantum Leap." "The CW's "Reaper" is a rehash of "Brimstone." And "Moonlight" is "Angel" redubbed. That doesn't help.

All right, on to NBC's "Chuck," which airs on Mondays at 8 p.m. As part of NBC's "genre night," "Chuck" seems to be intended to balance the night. "Heroes" includes a wide variety of characters, from slick to "unslick." After that, "Journeyman" leans to the cultured among us, with a lead actor who resembles the new James Bond. Everyone is always wearing fashionable clothing, working in upscale jobs and dealing with unusual circumstances with dignity.

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