Save Chuck!

I LOVE TV. Duh. I also happen to love a lot of shows that not many people watch, aka the ones that are pretty much in danger of being canceled every season. I think a rabid, loyal fan following is just as important as being a highly rated show. Yes, it would be nice to be a ratings juggernaut like Two and a Half Men per se, but if CBS were to cancel it, just how many of those millions would be hearbroken about it? And how many of those millions would take action to try to prevent it from getting canceled in the first place? Take a show like Roswell, which I was a HUGE fan of in high school. At the end of every season, fans sent the powers to be cases and cases of Tobasco sauce, the condiment of choice for the characters on the show. I stopped short of sending the hot sauce in, but my friend Christina and I made all of our classmates sign a 'Save Roswell' petition, and we sent it to the WB. Upon the cancellation of Veronica Mars, fans sent the CW execs 10,000 Mars Bars. These campaigns didn't work, but sometimes they can, as in the case of Jericho on CBS. Fans sent CBS over 2 tons in nuts, and the network listened. They renewed the series to return mid-season for 7 more episodes (it was eventually canceled).

Now, I don't normally watch NBC's Chuck, but the fan support for this beloved-but-little-watched show has been nothing short of amazing, and I'm really rooting for its renewal. The season (and quite possibly series) finale airs today, so fans are doing one or both of the following 2 things: 1) Sending Nerds (the candy) to NBC, and 2) going to Subway and buying a sandwich (and filling out a comment card in support of the show while there). Why Subway? The sandwich chain is a major sponsor of the show, and the product has been featured prominently on the show. I think it's one of the more brilliant campaigns, as it hits NBC where their heart is, money. The more people go to Subway, the more Subway notices that Chuck fans are powerful, the more money Subway is willing to give to NBC, the more Chuck we get next season. Yeah? Follow the Chuck campaign on Twitter. And, if you are craving a sandwich, go show some support for this stuggling but beloved show.