The early start of production on "Chuck" has paid off handsomely for the series.

NBC has picked up the second-year show for a full season of 22 episodes. The network had initially ordered 13 episodes for this season coming off the writers strike.

Rather than bring "Chuck" back on the air after the strike, NBC decided to wait until fall, which in turn meant production on season two could start earlier than usual. After seeing the first six episodes the network decided to pull the trigger on a full season.

"This show has really hit its stride and deserves a full-season commitment to carry out the producers' vision for this unique series," says Teri Weinberg, the executive vice president of NBC Entertainment. She also praised co-creator/exec producer Josh Schwartz and his team, saying the network "couldn't be more excited with the creative direction" of the show.

Season two of "Chuck" is scheduled to premiere Monday, Sept. 29. Chuck (Zachary Levi) is now something of a marked man after the government starts building a new Intersect computer to duplicate the secrets that are in his head, while his NSA handler Casey ( Adam Baldwin) has conflicted feelings about making Chuck "disappear" once the new machine comes online.

The new season will also feature a host of guest stars, including Michael Clarke Duncan, Jordana Brewster, Tony Hale, Melinda Clarke and John Larroquette.