Zap2it Fall TV Preview 2007: Best Shows

Chuck
NBC
Premieres: Monday, Sept. 24
Airs: Mondays at 8 p.m.

Quick, colorful and eager-to-please, "Chuck" is the small screen version of a better-than-average summer blockbuster, so it isn't surprising that the pilot was directed by McG ("Charlie's Angels"). Nor, after listening to script's steady patter of hyper-articulate, pop culture infused geek-speak, is it surprising that "Chuck" was co-written by Josh Schwartz (along with Chris Fedak). In fact, it's tempting to view the "Chuck" narrative -- computer nerd turns super-spy -- as "Seth Cohen, FBI," which should be viewed as a compliment. "Chuck" ends up being NBC's most likeable new show in large part because of leading man Zachary Levi and a supporting cast that includes reliable laugh magnet Joshua Gomez and the incomparably dead-pan Adam Baldwin. Throw in Sarah Lancaster -- eternally deflowering babysitter Madison in our book -- and Polish-Australian newcomer Yvonne Strzechowski -- sure to be one of the fall's most talked about fresh faces if anybody could pronounce her name -- and "Chuck" may also have one of TV's most camera-friendly young casts, which was a big asset to Schwartz's previous program, a little show we like to call "The O.C."

-Daniel Fienberg