Larroquette would go on to star in his darker, self-titled NBC sitcom for 84 episodes, and continue to make a name for himself on other series—including recurring role on ABC’s “Boston Public” that scored him one of his Emmys—but there’s an entire generation of viewers who may not have had the chance to appreciate his dry delivery before last night’s episode of “Chuck.”

Let’s face it: “Chuck,” while struggling to collect, maintain and build an audience, was already a helluva show before Larroquette agreed to do a one-episode cameo. But last night’s main storyline might have been among the three best the series has showcased to this point. As superspy Roan Montgomery, Larroquette was one of the reasons why this edition was particularly hilarious, engaging and fun all the way around. They’d be smart to bring him back.

Even fans of “The OC,” which was the brainchild of “Chuck” creator Josh Schwartz, had to have been elated to see Melinda Clarke play a rogue KGB agent.

The only weak parts of this episode were the subplots: Ellie’s demands for more romance from Awesome, just felt contrived. And Lester’s losing control of the Buy More staff felt more reaching than funny. Does the Buy More really need a true bad guy? I thought that was why the show got rid of Harry Tang, played by C.S. Lee. (I’m still sad about Lee’s departure, but not sad to see his unlikable character go.) Lester’s more fun—obviously—when he, Jeff and Morgan are just being slackers. But before I complain too much, I should remember that there’s an arc building here to allow for the arrival of Tony Hale’s shape-up-or-ship-out character, coming soon!

I’ve been swamped of late, so I’ll recap some of my favorite parts of “Chuck vs. The Seduction” later today or tomorrow. Thanks in advance for your patience.

In the meantime, what did you think of “Chuck vs. The Seduction”? And what did you think of the subplots? Post your thoughts below.

(Photo by Adam Taylor, courtesy of NBC/Universal.)

Not that the beginning was anything short of dramatic, either. “Before you do anything rash, I think you should know that I have the cipher,” sputters Chuck as he’s dangled by his ankles high above a busy street by Michael Clarke Duncan’s baddie character, Colt.

So begins Season 2, which, with any justice will begin to amass the ratings needed to sustain another few seasons with some stiff competition (“Dancing with The Stars,” “Gossip Girl” and “How I Met Your Mother”). Insert “Chuck vs. The Nielsens” joke here.

The “Chuck vs. The First Date” synopsis and analysis are ahead, so stop reading now if you’ve got the first “Chuck” ep DVR’ed and awaiting your perusal.

Because an entire season of “Chuck” would be difficult to pull off without its title character, NSA agent Major John Casey and FBI agent Sarah Walker bust in to free Mr. Bartowski while Colt escapes. And while Chuck disobeyed orders to stay in the car, he did manage to endear himself to them both by retaining the cipher.

In a video-conference debriefing with General Beckman and CIA Director Graham, the trio learns that the cipher is the final piece of the beta version of the Intersect, meaning once the government installs it, Chuck Bartowski’s days with the CIA are over. Thing is, he doesn’t know his life may be over as well if frenemy John Casey succeeds in a subsequent mission to kill him. Beckman’s just not comfy with the idea of two Intersects out there running amok.

Unaware that Graham’s “Enjoy the rest of your life” sign-off could refer to a considerably shorter span than he anticipates, Chuck begins to mull his life after the cipher is installed. Sarah dismisses his prospective career at Buy More, declaring he could get anything he wanted. Mreeow.

But when Beckman has a one-on-one with Casey, the cranky NSA agent is quick to defend the novice spy, pleading for another exit strategy.

“You have your orders, Major,” Beckman emphasizes. “Tomorrow night, eliminate Chuck Bartowski.” She abruptly signs off.

While Casey’s quick to cock his gun as the screen goes black, he laments, “I used to like the sound of that.”

Cut to the new and improved opening credits, which now gives props to more of the talented, diverse cast. I’ll say it again: I’ve always loved Cake’s song “Short Skirt, Long Jacket,” but it’s endeared itself to me even more since it’s become the theme song to “Chuck.”

Three consecutive laugh-out-loud moments greet the viewer after the first commercial break: Chuck’s waking up to the hysterically horrifying discovery of his sister Ellie and her fiancé Devon (a.k.a. Captain Awesome) sharing a shower; his still-in-shock eating of Nuts & More cereal (nudge, nudge) in front of them shortly thereafter; and his subsequent commentary after an understandably awkward silence:

“OK, first of all, congratulations, Devon on, uh, on, y’know, whatever God gave you there. Second of all, the door was not locked, so I’m not a complete pervert. And third of all, this is just another reminder of why I need my own place.”

At the Buy More, best buddy Morgan is there to greet Chuck with an elaborate war strategy for the Call of Duty video game. Chuck spots Casey, who’s almost too busy scoping out a sexy blonde to deal with the nerd’s request. With the perfect deadpan, Casey mumbles: “Not now, I’ve got a single white female pining for the Beastmaster.” (Note to the ‘09 Emmys: This dude deserves a best supporting actor nod for comedy next year. Seriously. Oh, and no more reality hosts hosting. Thanks.) Chuck thanks Casey for their time together: “You were always there to catch me when I fell, which sounds horribly cheesy now that I’m saying it aloud.”

Big Mike offers Chuck the opportunity to be the branch’s assistant manager, an offer New Chuck declines. Big Mike in turn asks him to interview and select the person for the position.

Another fantastic moment: The use of Flight of the Conchords’ hilarious “Foux da Fa Fa” as background music for the gratuitously sexy montage of Sarah Walker’s new cover job at the Orange Orange. Brilliant!

True, Sarah’s new undercover venue is not the Wienerlicious, but wow, the Orange Orange has its perks. At her old job, “My clothes smelled like sausage,” she says. Touché. So when New Chuck asks Sarah if she wants to go out on a date, her eyebrows jump and she barely contains her smile. And while she knows the government would frown upon the idea, she accepts. It’s their second attempt at a first date. No gunfight this time, they swear.

Cut to Chuck and Sarah prepping for their dates at their places. Eye candy galore for everyone, including the oft-celebrated shot of Sarah going from a matching black underwear set to a slinky purple dress. Wow.

Peppered in this montage are visuals of Casey prepping for his own date of sorts, busting out target practice with a wheel of prospective enemies. Ever astute, he hits the bulls-eye on photos of Osama bin Laden and Adolf Hitler and holds his fire at a pic of his idol, Ronald Reagan (and winks at him). But his shot misses badly when Chuck’s photo comes around. Hmm.

Casey answers the door to deliver the cipher to whom he believes is a government agent. But, whoops, it’s a member of Colt’s crew, who sprays Casey’s face with a toxic powder. Colt instructs his henchman to go to the “second location” to take out Chuck and Sarah, who’s without her gun because it’s a real date. Uh oh.

At the restaurant, sparks are flying between Chuck and Sarah. After Chuck takes a few moments to compliment Sarah, she smiles and says his comments are sweet and that he’s not so bad himself.

Chuck: “Please. I’m fantastic.”
Sarah: (Pause.) “Yeah. You are.”
Chuck: (Pause.) “What would Casey think if he knew we were doing this right now?”
Sarah: “It would probably kill him.”

Casey crashes through the window in his signature car. “Did somebody order drive-through?” Colt punches him in the face so hard, the pattern of his ring embeds itself in Casey’s cheek. The good guys manage to escape, but when Casey admits he lost the cipher, Chuck’s crestfallen.

Chuck awakens the next morning, dejected, but he must soldier on at the Buy More, where Morgan chooses not to apply for the assistant manager position. He wants to do as little work as possible. In the ensuing interview process, Anna toys with Chuck by running her foot up his leg. (“I like making my boyfriend nervous,” she coos.) Less alluring is Jeff’s napkin résumé, as is his own running his foot up Chuck’s leg. (“That’s not called for,” Chuck deadpans. “Or welcome.”) Lester references his own Wikipedia page.

But when Chuck flashes on the ring pattern on Casey’s face, he learns of Colt’s hideout and kicks the assistant manager candidates out of the room. Casey and Sarah prepare to head out without Chuck, who protests because Morgan has the interview process under control. That is, if you call a Thunderdome-inspired cagematch involving bungee cords “under control.” Upon Chuck’s return to the store, Big Mike sends him on a “computer emergency” that was called in by someone requesting Bartowski.

When Casey and Walker arrive at Colt’s supposed hideout, which is empty. Meanwhile, Chuck arrives at the supposed computer emergency site, whose front door is opened by Colt. D’oh.

About to be punched into submission by Colt, Chuck claims Colt and his crew is surrounded and recounts the military strategy that Morgan referenced earlier. When Colt cries foul, Chuck calls his cell phone to have Morgan repeat it. Panicked, Colt and his crew look out the window for proof, allowing Chuck to pilfer the cipher and grab about a 10-second head-start for an escape attempt. And although Casey and Walker are on their way for backup, Colt catches up to Chuck and punches him through a window onto the roof.

Once again, Colt dangles Chuck by his ankles high above the ground and demands the cipher. Despite being held at gunpoint by Walker, a fed-up Colt drops Chuck. Walker screams as she’s never screamed before and Chuck plummets to certain death. That is, before Casey is there to catch him (by the arm) as he falls. So it wasn’t just a cliché!

Thinking Chuck’s dead, Colt knocks the gun out of Sarah’s hand and the adversaries throw down with some martial arts. After both fall to the ground in a virtual draw. Casey ascends to the roof, where he appears to have the advantage until he’s surrounded by Colt’s henchmen. But then Chuck’s even larger posse of gunmen show up to outnumber (and arrest) all the baddies. And he’s still got the cipher!

That evening, Beckman holds another teleconference with Casey, reminding him to eliminate Chuck now that the cipher is being uploaded to the server. But in a rare display of rebellion, Casey protests yet again.

“Chuck served his country with honor. Maybe he even has potential as an analyst for the organization.”

Meanwhile, Graham installs the cipher into a computer at CIA headquarters. But instead of embedding all the Intersect information into the brains of Graham and a half-dozen other CIA agents, the computer monitor connected to the cipher reads “Fulcrum thanks you,” then explodes, killing them all. Yes, Fulcrum — the (hopefully fictional) rogue agency set out to destroy the CIA from within.

As Casey is about to fire at Chuck, Sarah arrives at the front door and tells Chuck the date yet again will have to wait. The mechanical Intersect has been destroyed, she says, and a stunned Casey silently retreats. Chuck remains the only known Intersect. And his hopes of chasing his dreams are dashed.

Back at the Buy More, Lester — who apparently won the Thunderdome challenge — is harrassing Chuck as the new assistant manager. Chuck laments his future at Buy More with Morgan, who cheers him up by telling him that Jeff has agreed to eat 90 Twinkies in three minutes. When they run off excitedly to check it out the potential for the greatest death-by-Twinkie scenario since the metaphorical one explained by Egon in “Ghostbusters,” Chuck nearly brushes off a surprisingly cordial Casey:

Casey: “Good to see you there, Bartowski.”
Chuck: “Hey, Casey! Ninety Twinkies in three minutes. Be there.”
(Casey grimaces.)
Chuck: “Jeff might die!”
(Casey perks up, then runs to catch up to Chuck, who pats him on the back on the way to the back room.)

Next week’s episode, “Chuck vs. The Seduction” is even better. John Larroquette plays a legendary James Bond-like spy, and there’s yet another twist at the end of the episode that seamlessly carries into episode three, “Chuck vs. The Break-Up,” which ends with perhaps the most engaging twist of all three episodes. Stay tuned! (Please!)

(Photos courtesy of NBC/Universal.)

How do I know it’s outstanding? I’ve seen the first three epsiodes, thanks to the good people at The Peacock. And these episodes are as good or better than last season’s best. Just ask Entertainment Weekly guru Michael Ausiello, who also screened the first two eps and declared “Believe the hype.”

And the ratings-challenged show doesn’t just need you; you need it. The first scene after the opening credits of “Chuck vs. The First Date” prompted three laugh-out-loud moments within mere minutes. It’s accessible to new viewers, loyal to devout ones and has no shortage of Awesome, Captain or otherwise.

Speaking of opening credits and Awesome, kudos to the show for incorporating more regular characters into the intro, including Ryan McPartlin (Captain Awesome), Vik Sahay (Lester), Scott Krinsky (Jeff), Julia Ling (Anna) and Mark Christopher Lawrence (Big Mike).

Keep an ear out for an amazing nod to one of the best songs to be featured on “Flight of the Conchords” this season when Sarah Walker’s new cover job is revealed, and an eye out for an excellent twist at the end of the episode.

Cameo alert: Michael Clarke Duncan (“The Green Mile”) is in the first episode, followed by John Larroquette (“Night Court”) in the second. Beyond the third episode, look out for Gary Cole, who was cast as Walker’s dad. Good times.

(Photo courtesy of NBC/Universal.)

Yes, they’re thrilled to be picked up for a full sophomore season. Yes, guest stars like Michael Clarke Duncan and John Larroquette were fun to work with. But I was looking for something a bit more of the off-camera flair.

So when opportunity came a-knockin’, I asked the happy tandem the following: Which regular cast member is most likely to laugh during a scene, and which scene from Season 1 was the most difficult to get through without laughing?

Gomez took the first part, Levi took the lead on the latter. Hear his reply—and my parting shout-out to one of Season 1’s key phrases—here:

Download:

My thanks to both NBC for the hook-up and to Levi and Gomez for taking the time to chat with—and give thoughtful, funny answers to—an enthusiastic group of reporters. I’ll hopefully have more “Chuck” updates in the coming days.

(Photo by Carin Bae courtesy of NBC/Universal.)

First, and most important, NBC announced Thursday that “Chuck” will be picked up for a full second season! (Thanks to fellow Accessory Brian Howard for the tip.) Here’s what Teri Weinberg, an executive veep for NBC Entertainment, had to say about the pick-up:

“We couldn’t be more excited with the creative direction Josh (Schwartz) and his team are executing on ‘Chuck.’ This show has really hit its stride and deserves a full-season commitment to carry out the producers’ vision for this unique series.”

Speaking of Awesome casting, Entertainment Weekly’s Michael Ausiello (does that guy ever sleep?) reported Tuesday that Morgan Fairchild and Bruce “Scarecrow” Boxleitner have been cast as Dr. Honey Woodcombe and Dr. Woody Woodcombe, the parents of Ryan McPartlin’s Captain Awesome. And Ausiello reports that transplanted fans of prime-time spy shows will recognize Carl Lumbly (who played Marcus Dixon on “Alias”) playing a “sensei” to NSA agent John Casey (the ridiculously amazing Adam Baldwin).

Mel at the mind-blowing ChuckTV.net (seriously, check it out; you’ll get lost for hours) discovered that the Season 2 premiere will have advance showings in New York City and Los Angeles. The NYC version on Sept. 11 will also feature the opening episodes of “Life” and “Lipstick Jungle,” as well as a preview of “Kings,” starring “Deadwood” superstar Ian McShane and a bunch of other people. The L.A. premiere, however, boasts the “Chuck” cast on Sept. 8. Dang.

Last but not least, some eye candy for you loyal readers. NBC Universal’s released some more photos from the upcoming season, including a bunch from the intriguingly titled season premiere, “Chuck vs. The First Date,” featuring the Oscar-nominated Michael Clarke Duncan. Lots of jaw-dropping photos of the stunning Yvonne Strahovski (Sarah Walker) and one of Adam Baldwin, who may or may not be driving a vintage Crown Vic. You’re welcome!

(Photos by Trae Patton/Courtesy of NBC Universal)

The actress known in fan circles as “Strahotski” plays Sarah Walker, who is as triumphant as an FBI agent as she is pathetic expressing her romantic feelings. On a dramedy with no shortage of eye candy, the blonde Aussie bombshell not only shows about as much skin that can allowed on prime-time network TV but also surprising dexterity as an actress. Ruthless in her treatment of international criminals, Sarah still crumbles when Chuck (or Bryce) triggers her more vulnerable emotional side.

Plus, let’s face it, people. She’s frickin’ hotter than Casey’s blown-up Crown Victoria.

Anyway, while I settle down over here, feel free to check out Strahovski’s recent interview with BuzzSugar. In it, she elaborates on her character’s geekier teenage self, raves about working with Nicole Richie, and chooses between her retired Weinerlicious attire and her new cover outfit.

(Photo courtesy of NBC.com.)

I’m not sure which came first: the i09.com rough-cut of the “Chuck” segment from NBC’s fall preview special, or the decision to post the finished product on NBC.com. But if you’re like me, you saw the rough stuff first.

No matter. Here’s the official version of the two-minute recap of “Chuck” Season 2.0, courtesy of NBC.com:

And if you’re new to “Chuck”—or just want a four-minute refresher of Season 1—click here to check out the Cliff’s Notes version on Hulu, which in baffling fashion doesn’t let anyone embed the video elsewhere. Really? You don’t want potential new viewers to learn about the show unless they make a point to seek it out on Hulu? Someone overthought that idea.

With a little snooping around, I was able to track down what appears to be a leaked version of the “Chuck” segment from that special more than two weeks before it officially airs.

Scroll a little more than halfway down this page on io9.com and search for the video that appears just under the phrase “And here’s the EPK for Chuck.” While there’s not much content that hadn’t already been revealed at Comic-Con, it’s still two minutes of rough-cut excellence. Just above that Electronic Press Kit are a couple of other promo videos unseen by this blogger. Same situation; previously released content re-edited for new commercials.

That i09.com post has a bunch of videos pertaining to fall sci-fi series, including “Knight Rider,” “Heroes” and “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.” And another post from that science fiction fan site has spoilers for upcoming “Chuck” Webisodes. Perhaps the NBC powers that be were inspired by the Internet traffic generated by the Web-only mini-mini-miniseries for both “The Office” and “Heroes.”

According to io9, “The good news: Unlike the Heroes webisodes, they actually feature the regular cast of Chuck (but not Chuck himself, as far as I can tell.) The other good news: They’re actually pretty great.” Employees of Buy More—Morgan, Lester, Jeff and Casey—have been tabbed for the Webisodes, according to the site. Good times.

(Photo courtesy of NBC.com.)

Zachary Levi, who deftly plays the dramedy’s charmingly nerdy title character, will be hosting NBC’s prime-time preview special across the network’s broadcast and online platforms from Aug. 30 to Sept. 28. And in this blogger’s humble opinion, there couldn’t be a better choice.

With the proliferation of the Internet, cable networks and other entertainment sources in recent years, it’s no secret that networks these days have a short leash for new series that struggle to find large audiences. (See ABC’s “Emily’s Reasons Why Not”... because no one else did! Hiyo!) Back when “Seinfeld” struggled to find an audience for The Peacock, networks could exhibit more patience in the hope that word of mouth would not only keep a show afloat but, in time, deliver a ratings champion. But it’s no longer the ‘90s, and networks that fail to land quick hits often pull the plug, leaving audiences disappointed by premature cancellation and more wary than ever to dedicate the time to newer series.

Which brings us back to Levi, “Chuck,” the preview special and NBC’s classy gamble. In having Levi host the show, it’s essentially dedicating a half-hour of subliminal advertising to “Chuck,” which was on the bubble as far as second-season pickups were concerned. For its fall preview special a few years ago, NBC showed similar faith in handing over hosting duties to the stars of another show on the ropes: “The Office,” which since has become a critical darling and modest success in the Nielsens. Here’s hoping “Chuck” receives the same boost.

Of course, “The NBC Primetime Preview” will do more than offer “an exclusive backstage look” at new series like “My Own Worst Enemy” (starring Christian Slater), “Kath & Kim” (Molly Shannon and Selma Blair) and “Crusoe” (Philip Winchester and Sam Neill). It’ll also show off some teasers for returning series (“The Office,” “30 Rock,” “Heroes,” “Life,” et al.).

The special’s being offered to all of NBC’s broadcast and Internet affiliates and will even be shown on “selected United Airlines flights.” Chuck’s flown a helicopter, after all, so I suppose that works.

NBC’s premiere week officially kicks off Sept. 22.

(Photo courtesy of NBC.com.)

And then, thanks to a reader named Suzane, I was alerted to an amazing, non-spoilery 6 1/2-minute montage of Season 2 snippets that premiered at Comic-Con and found its way to YouTube.

The video seriously has everything that “Chuck” fans love about the show: Humor, intrigue, drama, action, eye candy for all and stunt casting ahoy.

What’s lost in audio and video quality (it’s obviously a bootleg from an audience member) is gained in emotion: Hearing the rabid, devout audience’s visceral reactions to the show and its cast is inspiring. The screams for guest star John Larroquette were great, but all the “Arrested Development” fans watching went all Motherboy crazy when a new “Chuck” regular—the lovably goofy Tony Hale—hit the screen. Very good sign.

We got some more footage of Michael Clarke Duncan, and some first looks at former New York Giant Michael Strahan, Jordana Brewster as heartbreaker Jill, . I was mildly disappointed by not shocked to see that few in the Comic-Con crowd seemed to recognize Strahan, cheering instead for the first montage appearance of his sparring partner, Joshua Gomez, a.k.a. Morgan Grimes.

Seriously, though. The video is a great appetizer for the season ahead and, despite Nicole Ritchie’s guest spot, I couldn’t be more psyched about it.

And if you liked that, here’s a 45-minute(!) video from NBC.com of the “Chuck” crew at Comic-Con. I haven’t even watched it yet—and I can’t wait to do so—but I felt it was my duty to immediately post it here to pass the savings onto you.

UPDATE: There’s one expletive in this video, so I guess parental discretion is advised blah blah blah:

Check out more official “Chuck” videos here, and some fun related YouTube clips here.

(Photo and videos courtesy of NBC.com)

First, a blind search for new “Chuck” clips on Hulu resulted in a couple of teaser trailers for the sophomore season, which launches Monday, Sept. 29 on NBC.

Within the first few seconds of the this trailer (the better one), we see cameos by Michael Clarke Duncan and John Larroquette:

Nothing really new from either actor; Duncan seems to be playing a heavy not unlike his role from “The Whole Nine Yards” and Larroquette’s deadpan, dry wit has been celebrated since he first played Dan Fielding on “Night Court.” But I like what I’ve seen so far with regard to their contributions to “Chuck.” This trailer also promises a “new mission, new danger, new action, new enemies, and new… underwear.” Part of me wants to protest the shameless shot of Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski) getting dressed with the door wide open, but most of me is asking why in my right mind I would do such a thing.

The other trailer isn’t trying so hard, resorting to a single shot of Chuck struggling to descend from a ceiling, spy-style. Its slogan, however, is trying waaaay too hard in its attempt to play off the James Bond specs for a martini:

Still, it’s “Chuck” stuff! So I’m still OK with it.

A second reason to get excited for the second season are some photos of the cast doing things. And a third reason? Remote Access’ access to a picture from the upcoming episode “Chuck vs. The Cougars.” Oh, double meaning, how I love thee. Check out all those pix after the break.

“Chuck” star Zachary Levi and creator/executive producer Josh Schwartz chat at the Sophomore Dramas Session of the NBC Universal Press Tour at the Beverly Hills Hilton on July 21. NBC Photo: Chris Haston.

Zachary Levi, Yvonne Strahovski and Joshua Gomez hang out at an All-Star Party as part of the NBC Universal Press Tour at the Beverly Hills Hilton on July 20. NBC Photo: Trae Patton.

Sarah Lancaster and Adam Baldwin hang out at an All-Star Party as part of the NBC Universal Press Tour at the Beverly Hills Hilton on July 20. NBC Photo: Chris Haston.

A photo from “Chuck vs. the Cougars,” Episode 204. NBC Photo: Byron Cohen.

As you may or may not recall (hey, I assume nothing as it’s been a while), Jill is the mysterious girl who broke Chuck’s heart when they were Stanford University students. Entertainment Weekly’s Michael Ausiello is reporting that star Jordana Brewster, of “The Fast and the Furious” fame, will be playing the woman who slept with Chuck’s frenemy Bryce Larkin at Stanford and caused Mr. Bartowski’s post-collegiate downward spiral.

Here’s what “Chuck” creator Josh Schwartz told Ausiello in an exclusive:

(Jill) is basically responsible for setting his life crashing off course and landing him at the Nerd Herd. He always has imagined seeing her again, and being able to impress her with all he’s accomplished. Unfortunately, when he does meet her, he’s doing a computer install and she’s a brilliant, successful, beautiful doctor working to create antibodies to horrible diseases.

It’s the juiciest arc we’ve done yet and one that ties very deeply into the mythology of the show and the character of Chuck.

I know one person who probably isn’t thrilled about it. Her name’s Natalie Martinez, who appeared in early “Chuck” promotional shots (seen here and here) and may or may not have been tabbed to play Chuck’s steady girlfriend before the pilot aired. D’oh!

(AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Thanks to TV Guide and fellow Accessory Amy Vernon for finding the longer video. For now, they’ll have to keep fans occupied until “Chuck” returns to NBC on Monday, Sept. 29.

In the meantime, it appears Michael Strahan isn’t the only guest-star to be receiving raves for a “Chuck” cameo. Hollyscoop reports that Nicole Richie, playing Sarah’s high school nemesis, “did such an amazing job … that the studio bosses are considering giving her a regular spot on the show.” Eep. I’d much prefer Strahan.

(Videos and photo courtesy of NBC/Universal.)

I might have been able to get a scoop about acting from the Giants’ recently retired defensive end, whom I spotted wrapping up a conversation with someone else outside a Midtown restaurant at about 10 p.m. June 23.

I love my Giants, big-time. (18-1, baby!) So when Strahan flashed what might be the third-most famous gap-toothed smile in sports and entertainment (behind David Letterman and Madonna), I wanted to keep things cordial and brief. I approached, shook his hand and congratulated him on his retirement and outstanding Giants career. He was gracious, as I’m told he often is with fans.

But an item that appeared the next morning in The Star-Ledger indicates he was also a laugh and a half on the “Chuck” set, according to Josh Schwartz, the show’s creator and exec producer:

When the cameras rolled, Michael was really, really funny. Everyone on the set was completely blown away. Broadcasting or acting, he’s got a future.

Strahan—whose off-field TV appearances are about to be far more frequent as an analyst for Fox’s NFL pregame broadcast team—was so good on “Chuck,” Schwartz did not rule out the possibility of Mitt’s return:

After everyone saw him, they were like, ‘Well, maybe we should get Mitt back here.’

Oh, and I guess Nicole Richie’s going to be on, too. Hey, look over there, is The Fonz trying to jump a great white? Entertainment Weekly has other, and equally valid, concerns.

Thanks to fellow Accessories, Brian Howard and Amy Vernon, for the heads-up on the “Chuck” fronts.

(Photo of Strahan by Mike Derer/AP; photo of Richie by Diane Bondareff/AP)

Well, a few months later the idea is taking shape. The Times confirmed the news once again last week in a profile interview with Jason Bateman.

A big-screen version of Arrested Development is planned for next year. “When it was on TV, if you missed one word the whole third act could be blown for you. And TV is a different experience. You come home and you’ve got to finish a call so you miss the first ten minutes or you get snacky and you go to the fridge and you miss another two minutes, so it’s a different experience to film.”

“After months of speculation. I think we have finally figured out for sure that we are indeed doing an Arrested Development movie,” Tambor told EW.com at the premiere of Hellboy 2 on Sunday. “I am very excited about that. I love that cast and crew and I felt like we had more to say.”

Glancing at that cast photo (courtesy Fox), it’d appear all those folks should be available. None of them are dispensible.

• Tony Hale (Buster Bluth) has four projects due out later this year and four more next. He’s also joining the cast of Chuck. OK, he’s busy. I don’t care. Lock him in. It’s not AD without Buster. (Better call Liza Minelli’s people too.)


• Michael Cera (George Michael) is a superstar on the heels of Superbad and Juno. He’s got a handful of projects in the works too, but he’s an Apatow guy now and I’m sure old Judd will keep his slate clear for this.


• Alia Shawkat (Maeby) looks eminently available.


• Will Arnett could be a problem. He’s huge. But if he can make time for 30 Rock cameos, he can make time for AD.


• Tambor is surprisingly busy, but from the comments above he sounds eager as ever.


• Bateman stars in Hancock with Will Smith, due out tomorrow, and is part of Ricky Gervais’s all-star cast in This Side of the Truth, which is in post-production.


• Jessica Walter (Lucille) looks like she has more free time these days than Shawkat. Sorry, ma’am.


• Ditto for Mrs. Ellen Degeneres, aka Portia DiRossi.

Well, as you probably already know by now from reading the title of this post, the two will be making appearances on “Chuck” this fall.

As a fan of “30 Rock,” I’ll be the first person to say that stunt-casting rules when it comes to well-written shows, especially comedies.

TV Guide quotes Chuck himself, Zachary Levi, who says Duncan “plays a great bad guy” and Larroquette portrays “a spy debonair who teaches me how to seduce women.” Although Duncan, who earned an Oscar nod for his performance in “The Green Mile,” can be engaging, the prospect of Larroquette’s role sounds particularly funny—right in line with his Emmy-winning performances as the lecherous Dan Fielding on “Night Court.”

As for “Chuck” Season 2.0, Levi tells TV Guide this intriguing bit:

It’s twice the action, twice the drama and twice the romance. It’s Chuck squared. ... Chuck dies, twice. It’s crazy.

Oh, and in case you were wondering about the “SNL” movie cameos, Duncan was in Will Ferrell’s “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby” and Larroquette was in Bill Murray’s “Stripes.”

(Duncan: AP Photo/Stephen Chernin; Larroquette: AP Photo/Mobile Register, Mike Kittrell)

When I informed Brian Howard—my Remote Access video podcast partner and an ardent “AD” supporter—about The Hollywood Reporter’s scoop that Tony Hale joined the cast of “Chuck,” he said Hale might just have become the funniest person on an NBC sitcom he already likes.

“I think it’s amazing that that guy’s not working all the time,” Brian told me moments ago.

On “Arrested Development,” Hale played Byron “Buster” Bluth, the neurotic brother with mommy issues. If his “Chuck” character is anything like that, that kind of comedy should complement the gut-busting deadpan style of Adam Baldwin’s John Casey.

Here’s the dish on Hale’s role, according the Reporter:

Hale will play Emmett, the new assistant manager of the Buy More store where Chuck (Zachary Levi) works. An efficiency expert, he is sent in by Buy More corporate and decides to stay on when he realizes how poorly run the store is.

Hale fans will have busy Monday nights, thanks to another gig the actor just landed. He’s playing the new doctor of Christina Applegate’s character on “Samantha Who?” So after “Chuck” ends at 9 p.m. EST on NBC, viewers might just have to wait a half-hour to see Hale again on ABC.

Thanks to another fellow Accessory, Amy Vernon, for the news tip.

(AP Photo/Alex Berliner)

30 Rock doesn’t return until Oct. 30, more than a month later, to make room for prime-time, election-editions of Saturday Night Live on Oct. 9, 16 and 23.

Other highlights include Heroes’s three-hour premiere (which includes an hour-long compilation show) Sept. 22, the Oct. 9 debut of Kath & Kim (9:30 p.m. ET) and the relaunch of Knight Rider Sept. 24 (8 p.m. ET). Entertainment chief Ben Silverman unveiled the lineup today.

Chuck returns (Thankfully!) Sept. 29 (8 p.m. ET) and leads into Christian Slater’s new show, My Own Worst Enemy 10 p.m. ET).

Kath & Kim,” starring Molly Shannon and Selma Blair, replaces Scrubs —which jumped to ABC—on Thursdays. Reality hit The Biggest Loser launches with a two-hour Families edition, filling the America’s Got Talent slot on Tuesdays.

America’s Toughest Jobs jumps its Summer 2009 scheduled debut with a two-hour episode on Sept. 12 (8 p.m. ET). Check local listings. Its schedule is zany. Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (10 p.m. ET) starts its 10th season Sept. 23.

Knight Rider leads the Wednesdays lineup, followed by Lipstick Jungle. Unfortunately, Deal or No Deal returns eventually as well.

The Thursday night lineup starts, as usual with My Name Is Earl, premiering Sept. 25, at 8 p.m. ET. The Office follows at 9 p.m. ET. ER, oddly, isn’t dead yet but soon. Its 15th and final season starts Sept. 25 at 10 p.m. ET. Kath & Kim, starring Molly Shannon and Selma Blair slots in at 9:30 p.m. ET, right after 30 Rock.

Life is back, which is just wrong since Journeyman is the show they should have saved, on Friday, Oct. 3 (10 p.m. ET). Crusoe debuts Oct. 17 at 8 p.m. ET.

Premiere Schedule

Sept. 22
Heroes 8 p.m.

Sept. 23
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit 10 p.m.

Sept. 24
Knight Rider
Lipstick Jungle 10 p.m.

Sept 25
My Name Is Earl – 8 p.m.
The Office – 9 p.m.
ER – 10-11 p.m.

Sept. 29
Chuck – 8 p.m.
My Own Worst Enemy – 10 p.m.

Oct. 3
Life – 10 p.m.

Oct. 9
Kath & Kim – 9:30.

Oct. 17
Crusoe – 8 p.m.

Oct. 30
30 Rock

New Series Descriptions:

Knight Rider—On the heels of NBC’s hit movie, the iconic 1980s television classic comes roaring back to life as a reinvented, updated and super-charged action series showcasing the new KITT (Knight Industries Three Thousand). Absolutely the coolest car ever created, KITT is equipped with “AI” (artificial intelligence) that is capable of hacking almost any system. Its weapons systems matches that of a jet fighter, and its body is capable of actually transforming into other vehicles and uses sophisticated holographic imagery to elude villains. “Knight Rider” stars Justin Bruening, Deanna Russo, Sydney Tamiia Poitier and Bruce Davison. David Bartis, Doug Liman and Gary Scott Thompson are executive producers.

Crusoe—An epic and ambitious take on Daniel Defoe’s legendary tale that finds the dashing and resourceful Crusoe after many years of being a castaway on a desert island with his companion Friday. Written by Stephen Gallagher and directed by Duane Clark, Crusoe follows the adventures of the two island dwellers while looking in flashback at Crusoe’s life before he was thrown into an isolated existence filled with danger and adventure. Among those are his tragic childhood with widower father James (Sean Bean), the blossoming relationship with the love of his life, Susannah (Anna Walton) and his entrepreneurial aspirations under the watchful eye of family friend, Jeremiah Blackthorn (Sam Neill). Overcoming marauding militias, hungry cannibals, wild cats, starvation and apocalyptic lightning storms on his seemingly idyllic island, Crusoe dreams of the day he will be reunited with his beloved family.

Kath & Kim—They’re the most dysfunctional duo in suburbia. Kath Day (Molly Shannon) is the mom, a foxy, 40-something divorcée who finally has time for herself and her valiant search for love. Kim Day (Selma Blair) is the daughter, a self-absorbed princess recently separated from her husband who finds consolation in stuffing her face. When Kim decides to move back home, Kath reluctantly agrees—but to Kim’s chagrin, Kath is not about to cater to her every whim as she has in the past. Based on the most successful comedy in Australia of the same name, Kath and Kim are two brassy women who prefer the finer things in life like acrylic nails, big hair and faux diamond chips.

America’s Toughest Jobs—A new extreme competition series that will test 12 people who venture out of their safe, comfortable careers and are injected into some of the most challenging, dangerous and demanding jobs on earth. From logging high in the Oregon Forest to oil drilling on the Texas range, or from driving icy roads to extreme fishing—each job requires guts and stamina, and they’ll have to live up to the same standards as the pros. In the end, their new boss and co-workers will determine success or failure, and those who don’t make the grade get sent home. Upping the ante, the annual salary of each job will be thrown into the pot until the finale, where one rookie will take home the well-earned cash.

Showtime’s Premiere of "The L-Word" Arrivals served by picapp.com • Eric Lively, late of Showtime’s L Word (and brother to Gossip Girl queen B Blake Lively) will play the president’s son. Not clear if this means the current president’s son, or son of the incoming president, played by Cherry Jones.

"The Cherry Orchard" Opening Arrivals served by picapp.com • Gil Bellows, perhaps best known for his role as Ally McBeal’s former boyfriend, “will play a State Department officer ordered to serve Bauer with a subpoena to appear before the Senate.”

AFI FEST 2007 Presented By Audi: World Premiere Of "Public Enemy" Arrivals served by picapp.com • Tony Todd, who’s familiar to Chuck fans as CIA Director Graham, “will play cruel African dictator Gen. Juma.” He’ll also appear in Season 7.

They join previously cast Robert Carlyle (who plays Jack’s mentor).

TV’s new No. 1 network (sorry, CBS) announced its new lineup at yesterday’s upfronts and it’s pitting “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles” against NBC’s “Chuck.”

That’s bad news for sci-fi/action fans who like both shows and good news for ABC’s “Dancing With The Stars,” which crushes almost everything in its path, and CBS’s “How I Met Your Mother,” which often scores higher ratings than “Terminator” or “Chuck’s” 8 million some-odd viewers. Without a shift in time slot and because the fall run of “Chuck” rarely if ever conflicted with the spring run of “Terminator,” I’m guessing one of those action shows will be canceled by season’s end.

There’s interesting news for “Idol” fans, who have been abandoning the No. 1 show in droves lately. The Wednesday night results show has mercifully been reduced to a half-hour. It’s one thing to keep an audience wondering; it’s another to bore them to tears. Long overdue move there.

As for new fall shows, the network is debuting only two. “Fringe” (pictured right) is a one-hour sci-fi drama by an up-and-comer by the name of J.J. Abrams. Slated to air Tuesdays this fall before “House,” “Fringe” stars former “Mighty Ducks” trilogy/”Dawson’s Creek” star Joshua Jackson as a scientist who investigates paranormal activity with a female FBI agent.

The other fall debut is “Do Not Disturb” (formerly called “The Inn”), a half-hour Wednesday comedy starring recent “Carpoolers” star Jerry O’Connell as the general manager of a hotel and “Reno: 911’s” hilarious Niecy Nash.

Like any J.J. Abrams project (see: “Lost” and “Cloverfield”), “Fringe” has a lot of buzz. And it’s hard to frown upon anything affiliated with an “Arrested Development” alum, who in this case is Jason Bateman; he directed the “Do Not Disturb” pilot.

In the spring, expect more debuts: The Joss Whedon project “Dollhouse,” starring Eliza Dushku, whom I’m convinced is most famous for being hot; the animated “The Cleveland Show,” a “Family Guy” spinoff; and another animated series, “Class Dismissed” (or “Sit Down, Shut Up,” depending on the source) featuring voice-overs by “Arrested Development” stars Bateman and “30 Rock” regular Will Arnett. Also in the mix is “Secret Millionaire,” a reality show version of “The Prince and the Pauper.”

Beyond that, expect a lot of familiar fare (“Idol,” “House” and the 20th[!] season of “The Simpsons”), including a ton of reality programming ranging from the inane (“Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader”) to the insane (“The Moment of Truth”). And if someone wants to tell me why “Prison Break” is still on the air, I’d be willing to listen.

Among the shows not to return this fall are two sitcoms with great stars but poor execution: the Parker Posey-Lauren Ambrose vehicle “The Return of Jezebel James” and the Kelsey Grammer-Patricia Heaton-led “Back to You.” Fans of “The Office” might be disappointed AND relieved that the talented Rashida Jones’ awful sitcom, “Unhitched,” was axed.

Also gone, according to the (New York) Daily News: “Anchorwoman,” “Canterbury’s Law,” “K-Ville,” “Nashville,” “New Amsterdam” and “The Next Great American Band.” (The lesson on that last one: There’s only one “American Idol.” You’d think they would have learned that lesson after the frightfest that was “American Juniors.”)

After the break, check out the full Fox fall schedule for 2008. (Thanks to BuddyTV and E! for making this easy for me.)

FOX FALL LINEUP

Sunday:
8 p.m.: “The Simpsons” (pictured)
8:30 p.m.: “King of the Hill”
9 p.m.: “Family Guy”
9:30 p.m.: “American Dad”

Monday:
8 p.m.: “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles”
9 p.m.: “Prison Break”

Tuesday:
8 p.m.: “House”
9 p.m.: “Fringe”

Wednesday:
8 p.m.: “Bones”
9 p.m.: ”’Til Death”
9:30 p.m.: “Do Not Disturb” (pictured)

Thursday:
8 p.m.: “The Moment of Truth”
9 p.m.: “Kitchen Nightmares”

Friday:
8 p.m.: “Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader?”
9 p.m.: “Don’t Forget the Lyrics”

Saturday:
8 p.m.: “Cops”
9 p.m.: “America’s Most Wanted”
11 p.m.: “MadTV”
Midnight: “Talk Show with Spike Feresten”

FOX SPRING LINEUP

Sunday
8 p.m.: “The Simpsons”
8:30 p.m.: “King of the Hill” in January and February; “Class Dismissed”/”Sit Down, Shut Up” (pictured) beginning in March
9 p.m.: “Family Guy”
9:30 p.m.: “American Dad” in January and February; “The Cleveland Show” beginning in March

Monday
8 p.m.: “Dollhouse”
9 p.m.: “24”

Tuesday
8 p.m.: “American Idol”
9 p.m.: “Fringe”

Wednesday
8 p.m.: “House”
9 p.m.: “American Idol”
9:30 p.m.: TBA (comedy)

Thursday
8 p.m.: “Hell’s Kitchen”
9 p.m.: “Secret Millionaire”

Friday
8 p.m.: “Bones”
9 p.m.: ”’Til Death”
9:30 p.m.: “Do Not Disturb”

(All photos and logo courtesy of Fox.)

Filming for the fall begins next Friday and, to TV Guide, the Intersect and his buddies will return to TV for 13 consecutive new episodes this fall. Nice.

Zachary Levi revealed the date to resume filming to TV Guide, but not much else about Season 2. “I have a huge mouth, so if they tell me anything, we’re screwed,” he told a TV guide reporter.

“Heroes” is expected to receive the same treatment of 13 straight new eps this fall, according to the mag.

Now, I know I’ve been critical of NBC for deciding to wait until the fall to bring the show back while allowing more established comedies (“The Office” and “30 Rock,” for example) to return for a mini-season shortly after the conclusion of the writers’ strike. But while “The Office” and “30 Rock” are critical darlings that have devout, passionate and may I say extremely intelligent fans, post-strike ratings for those shows went from strong to wrong once “Grey’s Anatomy” and “CSI” returned with new episodes. “The Office” dropped 21 percent from its season high (earned May 1) while “30 Rock” posted its “lowest-rated episode this season,” according to Entertainment Weekly. Blerg.

Perhaps the NBC execs had a point when they decided to wait a bit; “Chuck’s” ratings were slowly building an audience and collected some momentum in the fall. Bringing it back too soon only to cut it short again for summer break might have crippled any chance for the show to build or even retain its humble ratings, meaning all but certain cancelation.

What should we expect for Chuck version season 2.0? And will “Chuck” fans ever see an appearance by Natalie Martinez, who may or may not have been tabbed to play Chuck’s steady girlfriend, thus completing a love triangle with him and Sarah? Plus more teasers, minor spoilers and photos await for “Chuck” fanatics after the break.

TV Guide has lots of great candid and posed stills of the “Chuck” gang in action, some of which are posted below. But I was floored when I found a photo of a gorgeous actress by the name of Natalie Martinez, who reportedly plays “Kayla,” a character I don’t remember seeing but is in one of the show’s earliest promo photos. At the Paley Fest ‘08 convention in March, co-creator Josh Schwartz said he initially considered having Chuck torn about choosing between Sarah (played by Yvonne Strahovski) and an existing girlfriend, according to TV Guide. Could Kayla have been that girlfriend before the change was made? Hmmm.

Here’s looking at what could have been, namely Ms. Martinez:

In the same must-read TV Guide article that references abandoned plans for an existing Chuck girlfriend, Schwartz said he’d love to land Jean-Claude Van Damme to appear as a villain on the show. What’s not to like about that idea? It’d be a great comeback for him (by default) and the show would could land some buzz similar to Britney Spears’ appearance(s) on “How I Met Your Mother.”

TV Guide’s correspondent also gauged the amount of applause each guest received at Paley Fest. Even with Sarah Lancaster (Ellie) out, the results were no surprise to me as a devout “Chuck” fan:

Applause meter: No contest — Baldwin won by a landslide. Levi came in second, followed by (Joshua) Gomez and Strahovski.

(Chuck/Sarah photo by Carin Baer for NBC/Universal; Natalie Martinez photo courtesy of Chris Haston/NBC; Sarah’s Weinerlicious uniform photo courtesy of Mitch Haddad/NBC Photo.)

Memory still a little fuzzy? That’s why I’m worried.

By the time the dramedy returns to NBC this fall, I fear not enough people will miss it or, worse, even remember it. With other shows returning to the lineup in recent weeks, I fear it was a bad move to wait until the fall to bring back a show that was just barely finding its audience when the writers’ strike hit.

Future Best Supporing Actor nominee Adam Baldwin (pictured) deserves better. Because he’s so frickin’ awesome.

Need a quick “Chuck” fix? Watch Zachary Levi as Chuck and Joshua Gomez as Morgan—really just playing themselves—as they recap movie classics so you don’t actually have to watch fine cinema. Here’s part one and here’s part two. I’d embed the clips but Hulu, which often grants permission to do so, won’t let me.

Oh, and after the break are a couple of random photos of the lovely and talented Yvonne Strahovski with my own captions that may or may not accurately depict the scene. Because it’s been a while since she’s gotten some Remote Access play and, well, she’s hot.

“Hmm… this situation I’m observing looks like it’s headed for a violent turn. Better look tense and gorgeous, then strike.”

“There’s another Australian I know who has a line about a knife. And if Chuck crosses me, I’ll just have to make the same threatening observation.”

(Photos courtesy of NBC/Universal.)

Anywho, I kept meaning to hold up my end of the bargain, and I finally have. It’s the movie meme, and the idea is that I’m supposed to look up my 15 favorite movies on IMDB, choose quotes from them, list them here and make you figure out what movies they are.

Aha, but this is a TV blog, I hear you thinking! Never fear, I’ve got that all figured out. No worries, I didn’t choose a bunch of Lifetime women-as-victim movies. Rather, I started with actors from our favorite TV shows. Then, I found relatively well-known characters they played in movies, found quotes from them and posted them here.

So not only do you have to figure out what movie the line is from, but you also have to figure out which actor uttered it. To make things a weeeeeee bit easier, I’ll tell you the actors I selected, but they’re not in the same order as the quotes. I’ve alphabetized the actors, by last name:

Adam Baldwin (Chuck)
Alec Baldwin (30 Rock)
Summer Glau (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles)
Katherine Heigl (Grey’s Anatomy)
Cheryl Hines (Curb Your Enthusiasm)
Jim Krasinski (The Office)
Hugh Laurie (House)
Chi McBride (Pushing Daisies)
Mary McDonnell (Battlestar Galactica)
Sandra Oh (Grey’s Anatomy)
Edward James Olmos (Battlestar Galactica)
Donald Sutherland (Dirty Sexy Money)
Kiefer Sutherland (24)
Skeet Ulrich (Jericho)
Ray Wise (Reaper)

NO CHEATING. You may not look the quotes up on IMDB and then get all the answers correct. You must use your brain; you know, the part of your brain that stores all that useless movie trivia. You all have it; if you didn’t, you wouldn’t be reading a television blog now, would you?

After the break, the quote list:

1. Now Sid, don’t you blame the movies, movies don’t create psychos, movies make psychos more creative! Skeet Ulrich in Scream (Erika)

2. Well, that’s ‘cause he’s the television version. America isn’t ready for the real me. Kevin Spacey in L.A. Confidential (Nick) (Note: Kiefer played the same character Spacey did in the unsold TV pilot, which makes this quote rather ironic, though ineligible for this quiz.)

3. Was that M.C. Hammer?

4. Don’t write this down, but I find Milton probably as boring as you find Milton. Mrs. Milton found him boring too. He’s a little bit long-winded, he doesn’t translate very well into our generation, and his jokes are terrible. Donald Sutherland in Animal House (Nick)

5. I don’t have to tell them right away, I’m only gonna start to show when I’m like, I don’t know, 6 months or something like that. Katherine Heigl from Knocked Up (Yvonne)

6. You’re getting really good at this; people might think you actually like it.

7. Boy, it sure would be nice if we had some grenades, don’t you think?

8. I am El Cyclone, from … Bolivia. One-man gang. This classroom is my domain. Don’t give me no gas, or I’ll jump on your face and tattoo your chromosomes. ... If the only thing you know how to do is add and subtract, you will only be prepared to do one thing: Pump gas. Edward James Olmos in Stand and Deliver (Yvonne)

9. My place is with you. I go where you go. Mary McDonnell in Dances with Wolves (Yvonne)

10. Tiny little vandals! Hugh Laurie from Stuart Little 2 (Yvonne)

11. They’re creepy. Creepy Italian trees. Of course, the baby’s going to like them cause it’s going to be a creepy Italian baby who goes around saying things like ‘Ciao mama’ and doing that weird backward hand wave thing. Life is strange.

12. If you haven’t noticed, my right boob is way up here in Maine and my left boob is danglin’ down here in Florida. Cheryl Hines from Waitress (Adam)

13. Today, thirty years later, I’m asking you twelve ladies and gentlemen to act boldly; to hold this defendant accountable and find him guilty … simply because it is right, it is just, and Lord knows, it is time. Is it ever too late to do the right thing?

14. You better be careful. You know those flight attendants ain’t like regular women, Viktor. They’re flying back and forth between all those time-zones kinda messes with their biological clock or something. Always ready for sex. Why do you think they can’t stop smiling?

15. It isn’t mine. The memory, it isn’t mine. And I shouldn’t have to carry it. It isn’t mine. Don’t make me sleep again. Summer Glau from Serenity (Nick)

Post your guesses in the comments section; I’ll cross ‘em out and give credit where credit’s due as the correct answers are posted. Extra points if you guess which actor.

File photo by Jesse Mobley/The Journal News.

We had dozens of initial options at the start—I offered at least one actor for every scripted show we at Remote Access cover on a regular basis—but after 630 votes, it seems to have built itself up into a two-way throwdown between Jenna Fischer (Pam on “The Office”) and Brad Beyer (Stanley on “Jericho”).

Each had 171 votes—27 percent of the total vote apiece—as of this post’s publication.

Interestingly, actors from those shows also fill the poll’s next two slots: Rainn Wilson, Dwight on “The Office,” and reader-submitted Skeet Ulrich, Jake on “Jericho.” (I’d argue that Ulrich is a lead actor, but it’s an interesting poll trend regardless.)

We’re going to keep this hotly contested poll open until Monday, April 14, so you’ve got a little more than a week to launch your last-ditch campaigns for your favorite supporting actors in the poll, which appears in the right column of this blog. Mail all your Northern Attack and Office Tally friends using “limitless paper in a paperless world”! Give your “Jericho” friends on Jeritopia or JerichoNet2 more incentive by shipping them a few packages of nuts! Or throw everyone a curveball and convince “Chuck’s” Adam Baldwin to record a YouTube video requesting your vote for this very poll. (How cool would that be?)

And remember, it doesn’t have to be Fischer or Beyer. As long as it’s a supporting actor, you can pick another name on the list or submit your own.

(Photos of Fischer and Beyer courtesy of NBC and CBS, respectively.)

This unrelated photo of Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson), courtesy NBC Universal, is from the April 24 episode “Night Out”. It’s my blog and I felt like including it. So there.

Well now NBC is announcing that Heroes and Chuck are slated for their own series of online shorts come July. Additional chapters of Webisodes for each show will roll out throughout the season, the network says. The Office Webisodes, dubbed “The Accountants” won an onlin Emmy for the 10-installment saga of a missing $3,000.
In less exciting news, 30 Rock 360 will launch, bringing the same kind of zany fun (i.e. excruciatingly un-fun) that we’ve already seen for The Office and Heroes.

I was skeptical of The Office 360 when I first heard about it a year ago, and Dunder Mifflin Infinity, as it became to be known, fell short of even my lowest expectations. In this case you might be thinking, “It’s 30 Rock-related. How could it not be fun?” I thought the same thing about The Office and was painfully wrong.

I have to admit, though, I’m intrigued when I read that 30 Rock 360 “will include faux online business courses taught by Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin), as well as Jack’s blog.” (Actually, how could that not be funny?)

Other challenges will include submitting skits for “TGS with Tracy Jordan”, responding to the “Ask Tina” blog and guided tours of workplaces (in response to Kenneth the Page’s tours).

And while it’s not quite “360”, Chuck fans will be able to go online and join Buy More, take Big Mike’s Management Lessons and see inside the Nerd Herd “Help Desk”. They can also look at the villains photo gallery and check out the Buy More Music Section featuring music from the show. That sounds kind of cool, actually.

Heroes 360 will expand with webisodes, online manhunts for villains, and more micro sites to allow users to “uncover more of the Heroes universe, wireless iTV interactivity and the ability to view the graphic novel on mobile platforms.”

Almost two months ago, we asked our blog readers to weigh in on the “most heinous, classless (and/or) horrifying reality show ever.” The options presented to them included “Temptation Island,” “Joe Millionaire” and “Paradise Hotel.”

Although those three would be the shows on the original poll to top the list, readers threw even more support for a suggestion made by one of their own: “It’s a tie. All of them.”

That wound up “winning” the poll, with more than 1 in 4 voters — 101 voters total — declaring their hatred for these, and possibly all, reality TV shows. Another reader-suggested poll nomination, Fox’s “Moment of Truth,” finished close behind in second with 95 votes. “Temptation Island” finished third with 67 votes.

Other reader-nominated shows were “Kid Nation” (fourth), “Flavor of Love” (fifth), “Rock of Love” (eighth) and “The Real Housewives of Orange County” (tenth). Check out the complete poll above.

So, now we’ve got a new poll, one that might be more fun for fans of scripted television. We’re asking you to determine the SUPPORTING actor most crucial to his/her show.

Think “The Office” is nothing without Pam? Vote for Jenna Fischer. Would “Lost” be just that without Michael Emerson? Make your voice heard. Should “Chuck” be chucked without Adam Baldwin’s John Casey? Vote for him or fear for your Monte Carlo’s well-being. If you don’t see a supporting actor on the list, just click “Add an answer” and you’re good to go.

Remember, we’re looking for supporting actors here. No Tina Fey or Steve Carell nominations, please. They deserve many awards, but they don’t qualify for this poll.

Adam Baldwin, who plays my favorite character in FBI agent John Casey on “Chuck,” voices the lead role for 2007’s animated “Superman: Doomsday,” a loose interpretation of the Death of Superman trilogy.

Although I’ve always been partial to Marvel Comics, it’s almost impossible to dismiss DC Comics’ Superman and Batman. And while many correctly argue that Batman’s a more intriguing superhero because he has no superpowers and that “Batman Begins” was better than “Superman Returns,” I’ve of late preferred the Man of Steel. I think that decision was solidified when I became a newspaper reporter (Clark Kent, after all, is a scribe for the Daily Planet) and started watching “Smallville” on DVD a couple of years ago.

As a “Chuck” fan, I was curious when I saw Baldwin’s name in the Netflix synopsis for the direct-to-video “Doomsday”:

To defend Earth, Superman (voiced by Adam Baldwin) battles an evil entity known as Doomsday. But the powerful being, created by Lex Luthor (James Marsters), proves too strong for the Man of Steel. Lois Lane (Anne Heche) joins the world in mourning the fallen superhero, but Luthor’s joy in his enemy’s demise is short-lived: Even death can’t stop Superman. This animated epic is based on DC Comics’ 1993 “The Death and Return of Superman” story arc.

I figured I’d stream just a couple of minutes of it on my computer—yes, Netflix allows you to do that with selected content legally—to hear him give a voice to Kal-El. Some 75 minutes later I had completed an above-average animated adventure.

From what I’ve read, the movie strays quite a bit from the plot lines revealed in the comic book. I suppose that would upset me more if I read comic books regularly, but I found it to be engaging, fun and worth the view.

“Doomsday” producer Bruce Timm gives Baldwin his due in an interview on the movie’s glossy Web site:

The thing about Adam is that he’s such a good actor. He often plays heavies or characters of that type, but he’s such an immensely likable guy that he can have that authority that you expect from Superman, but he also has that vulnerable warmth.

The voice casting is a mixed bag. Baldwin’s baritone quips fit Superman perfectly, and devout fans of the caped crusader probably appreciate Marsters on another level as he’s played Professor Milton Fine on “Smallville.” Heche isn’t a bad Lois Lane, but I was hoping for a little more oomph for one of the coolest comic book characters ever created. But veteran voice-over artist John Dimaggio, perhaps best known for providing the pipes for robot Bender on “Futurama,” is a standout for his portrayal of the villainous Toyman.

For those who remember the groundbreaking “Batman: The Animated Series” from the ‘90s, “Doomsday” has the same, distinct Warner Bros. animation style—Deco-inspired motifs, sharp facial features and moody nightscapes. It’s not Pixar, but it’s not trying to be, either.

The score is excellent. Robert J. Kral deserves his due for composing bombastic and haunting themes throughout the movie, saving his most triumphant for the opening and closing credits.

The movie’s rated PG-13 for good reason. While the extent of cursing is limited to what you’d hear in a CBS sitcom, there’s a lot of action and comic book violence, both shown and implied. Plus, Lois Lane and Superman are both seen in towels. Random.

In short, I’d give “Doomsday” 3.5 out of 5 stars, and recommend it to non-purist Superman fans and to “Chuck” fans who’d rather not incur the wrath of John Casey.

(Photo of Baldwin courtesy of NBC; Drawing of Superman courtesy of Warner Bros.)

Who knows, but when a new show is over budget, behind schedule and has okay ratings, that’s never a good thing.

So when ABC made a post-strike announcement to bring back “Daisies” in the fall—instead of for a handful of new episodes this spring, like established series “Desperate Housewives” and “Ugly Betty” —creator Bryan Fuller saw it as sort of a blessing.

Fuller tells Variety that the extra time gave him a chance to completely rethink the direction of the show, which was in danger of careening off course, and plan the production more carefully.

One reason the quirky series was off track? Fuller needed more post-production time than originally anticipated (to put all those death-defying special effects and the show’s trademark color palette in place).

“Daisies” isn’t the only newbie to benefit creatively from the hiatus. Freshman shows like “Dirty Sexy Money,” “Private Practice” and “Chuck” are also being held over until fall.

But there’s always a catch, isn’t there? Show runners may be getting more time to pump up the volume, but that means there’s not much room for error next season.

As Josh Schwartz—creator of NBC’s “Chuck” and “Gossip Girl” on the CW—told Variety:

“No sophomore slumps allowed.”

So here’s a question: Would you have wanted more “Daisies” right now, instead of waiting almost a year for new, hopefully super-improved episodes?

(Photo courtesy of ABC)

NBC also recently announced it had picked up the American series adaptation of the popular Australian comedy, Kath & Kim. The American version would star Molly Shannon as Kath, “a cheerful, forty-something divorcee,” and Selma Blair as Kim, “her self-absorbed daughter.”

Speaking of, NBC and CBS also announced when several other shows would come back.

First, NBC.

• Medium (Mondays, 10-11 p.m. ET) — Continues current run

• My Name Is Earl (Thursdays, 8-8:30 p.m. ET) — Resumes April 3 with one-hour episode

• 30 Rock (Thursdays, 8:30-9 p.m. ET) — Resumes April 10

• The Office (Thursdays, 9-9:30 p.m. ET) — Resumes April 10

• Scrubs (Thursdays, 9:30-10 p.m. ET) — Resumes April 10

• ER (Thursdays, 10-11 p.m. ET) — Resumes April 10

• Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (Tuesdays, 10-11 p.m. ET) — Resumes April 15

• Law & Order (Wednesdays, 10-11 p.m. ET) — Resumes April 23

Then, CBS also had some announcements:

• How I Met Your Mother, returns March 17, 9 new episodes expected

• The Big Bang Theory, March 17, 9 new episodes
• Two and a Half Men, March 17, 9 new episodes

• CSI: Miami, March 24, 8 new episodes

• Cold Case, March 30, 5 new episodes

• Criminal Minds, April 2, 7 new episodes

• CSI: New York, April 2, 7 new episodes

• CSI, April 3, 6 new episodes

• Without a Trace, April 3, 6 new episodes

• Ghost Whisperer, April 4, 6 new episodes

• Numb3rs, April 4, 6 new episodes

• NCIS, April 8, 7 new episodes

• Moonlight, April 11, 4 new episodes

• Rules of Engagement, April 14, 6 new episodes

• Shark, TBA, 4 new episodes

CBS pointed out that The Unit, Cane and Shark are on hiatus to accommodate the midseason Big Brother, Jericho and Dexter runs. And Swingtown still hasn’t been scheduled, but will resume production.

Other new episode tidbits out there:

Check out TVGuide’s post-strike chart. And Ausiello had some good news for me: Reaper is expected to shoot 5 or 6 additional episodes to air in April or May. And Supernatural is definitely getting new episodes, too.

“The Office,” “30 Rock,” “Gossip Girl,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Desperate Housewives” and more will likely be able to churn out a handful of new episodes by April.

But others—mostly newbies like “Dirty Sexy Money,” “Pushing Daisies” and “Chuck”—  probably won’t be back until the fall.

Then there’s “24,” which won’t return until January 2009, returning to the show’s standard winter premiere strategy—but leaving fans without their Jack Bauer fix for nearly TWO years.

As for serialized dramas like “Heroes” and “Lost,” the decision is a bit more difficult.

Networks and producers are trying to figure out if it’s worth the trouble to produce just a few episodes for the rest of this season, leaving viewers hanging in the middle of convoluted storylines until September.

“Lost” exec producer Damon Lindelof seems to think the island drama can crank out more than the 8 episodes we’ve been promised this season—but then again, it’s all up to ABC as to when they’d air.

E!’s Kristin Dos Santos got the scoop from show runners for some of Remote Access’ faves, including all of the above mentioned shows.  Check it out here!

(Photos courtesy of ABC, FOX and NBC)