Chuck - TV-PG

Fun spy show is more about comedy than danger.

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Common Sense rates it
4
Seen the show?
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details
  • TV Rating: TV-PG
  • Network: NBC
  • Cast: Zachary Levi, Yvonne Strahovski, Joshua Gomez
  • Genre: Comedy
  • >Available On: DVD,Download

Parents need to know

Parents need to know that this action comedy makes espionage look exciting and fun. Though Chuck is involved in life-or-death missions, the danger seems unrealistic. Chuck and his non-spy pals are big-time nerds who often discuss video games, and when he's trying to save the world, the tone seems more like a game than a perilous assignment. Chuck doesn't use weapons, but the people trying to help/hinder him do; some conflicts involve guns and shooting, though the violence is never really graphic. There's an undercurrent of romantic tension between Chuck and his "handler" Sarah (and a few somewhat gratuitous scenes of her in her underwear), as well as some social drinking.

Families can talk about how the media portrays spies and espionage. Do you think TV shows and movies romanticize what it's really like? How do the agents in this show compare to spies in other TV shows and movies? Do you think that real spies are more like these James Bond-like agents or more like Chuck, an average guy who tries to make sense from seemingly unconnected bits of data?

Message

Social Behavior:

Chuck is a reluctant spy who becomes a pawn in a turf battle between the CIA and the NSA, and the real spies sometimes suggest that the easiest way to deal with their internal conflict is to make him disappear.

Consumerism:

Some video games/platforms are mentioned by name, including Xbox and Call of Duty. Chuck works at an electronics superstore that has the very unsubtle name "Buy More."

Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco:

Some social drinking.

Violence

Frequent martial arts fistfights and stylized hand-to-hand combat featuring knives and other weapons, but there's little blood or gore. Other fights involve guns and are more graphic. The spies carry guns and sometimes use them, but Chuck is a self-defined nerd who handles conflicts without weapons. Some explosions, car chases, and the like during missions. Some dead bodies shown, but the camera doesn't linger, and there's not too much blood.

Sex

No sex or nudity, though there's plenty of flirting and kissing, and some scenes show scantily clad women (who are ogled a fair amount). Chuck has to access a porn Web site to disable a bomb (nothing graphic shown). Some innuendo/discussion of sex, but it's generally light, with little shown.

Language

Fairly infrequent use of words like "damn," "hell," "crap," "oh my God," "idiot," etc.

Common Sense says

What's the story?

Reviewed by Will Wade

A secret agent breaks into a top-secret government facility to steal an enormous trove of data gathered by all of the U.S. intelligence agencies, but is shot making his getaway. As his dying act, the spy emails the entire file to an old friend, now a tech-support worker at an electronics store. When Chuck (Zachary Levi) opens the message, every seemingly unrelated scrap of data about global espionage is subliminally implanted into his brain. The CIA and the NSA track the email to him, but they can't decide whether to take advantage of his newfound knowledge or try to scrub his mind clean. But as he slowly starts to connect the dots, Chuck's ability to spot dangerous plots as they unfold makes him an invaluable asset, and they recruit him to join the war on terror.

Is it any good?

4

Believable? Absolutely not. Fun? Most definitely. CHUCK is a completely improbable but highly entertaining romp through two worlds that rarely meet in the media: secret agents and high-tech nerds. And there's good reason to keep the worlds separate. Chuck's biggest concerns are playing video games and finding a date, preferably with his new CIA handler, Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski). But Sarah has other things on her mind, including protecting the world and mourning her late boyfriend, the same spy who emailed the secret data to Chuck in the first place.

It's the contradictions between these agendas that make the show fun, as Chuck pursues his extracurricular activities while maintaining his cover as a tech-support nerd. His geek skills also prove useful in his new job, such as when he intentionally accesses a virus-infected porn Web site to disable a laptop that is controlling a ticking time bomb. Though Chuck's spy life is obviously a farce, the interactions between Chuck and his tech-support pals ring true and are often quite funny, especially his relationship with best friend Morgan (Joshua Gomez), who is, if anything, a bigger nerd than Chuck.

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Parents and kids say

All Reviews

There are 8 reviews.

5

Posted on 06/27/08 by Anonymous Kid contributor, age 16

The Nerds aren't nerdy any more.

There are only two words that describe "Chuck", nonstop fun. This show is full of comedy, drama, and suspense. The first season did great. The only problem is that I don't see how they could keep this show going longer than a few seasons. The originality will soon end. But until then lets all enjoy the ride.
5

Posted on 06/12/08 by Anonymous Kid contributor, age 13

BEST SHOW EVA!!!

ok heres the deal. im a 13 year old. i would say most 11 and ups can watch this. its extreamly funney and entertaining. it is a little violent but if your familey is ok with that i would recomend this show.
5


Posted on 05/05/08 by ninjaofthewind Adult contributor

One of my favourite shows

I was very upset that this show hasn't come on in a while. It's one of my favourites. It is very funny, and has it's share of action and adventure. I don't know what show the other reviewers have been watching, but they have rated it much too harshly. There are sexual references, but younger kids most likely will not get them. I think it's certainly fine for 13+, it's a very funny show, and I hope it starts coming on again soon!
5

Posted on 10/26/07 by Anonymous Kid contributor, age 11

Awesomely Funny!

Funny, Kickbutt Action, Awesome! For 10 and up.
2


Posted on 10/20/07 by oehde4u7f5 Adult contributor

I can't believe it's not rated TV14 for D and S

Women take off their clothes to seduce men. Loaded with sexual references.
4


Posted on 10/07/07 by Stanley Kid contributor, age 12

One of the best new shows of the 07-08 season!

Ever since I saw the first episode of this, I have watched it avidly. This show is hilarious, and you don't have to be a nerd to understand the humor like some other shows out there (cough, the Big Bang Theory, cough) Plus, if you have a perverted teenaged son, they watch the show just for the secret agent chick... To conclude, this action comedy works, and its definitely worth a shot!
5


Posted on 10/01/07 by brownie94 Kid contributor, age 13

my fave show

THIS SHOW IS DA BOMB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1


Posted on 09/29/07 by geo51288 Adult contributor

See all 8 reviews >

Adult Reviews

There are 3 reviews.

5


Posted on 05/05/08 by ninjaofthewind Adult contributor

One of my favourite shows

I was very upset that this show hasn't come on in a while. It's one of my favourites. It is very funny, and has it's share of action and adventure. I don't know what show the other reviewers have been watching, but they have rated it much too harshly. There are sexual references, but younger kids most likely will not get them. I think it's certainly fine for 13+, it's a very funny show, and I hope it starts coming on again soon!
2


Posted on 10/20/07 by oehde4u7f5 Adult contributor

I can't believe it's not rated TV14 for D and S

Women take off their clothes to seduce men. Loaded with sexual references.
1


Posted on 09/29/07 by geo51288 Adult contributor

Kids Reviews

There are 5 reviews.

5

Posted on 06/27/08 by Anonymous Kid contributor, age 16

The Nerds aren't nerdy any more.

There are only two words that describe "Chuck", nonstop fun. This show is full of comedy, drama, and suspense. The first season did great. The only problem is that I don't see how they could keep this show going longer than a few seasons. The originality will soon end. But until then lets all enjoy the ride.
5

Posted on 06/12/08 by Anonymous Kid contributor, age 13

BEST SHOW EVA!!!

ok heres the deal. im a 13 year old. i would say most 11 and ups can watch this. its extreamly funney and entertaining. it is a little violent but if your familey is ok with that i would recomend this show.
5

Posted on 10/26/07 by Anonymous Kid contributor, age 11

Awesomely Funny!

Funny, Kickbutt Action, Awesome! For 10 and up.
4


Posted on 10/07/07 by Stanley Kid contributor, age 12

One of the best new shows of the 07-08 season!

Ever since I saw the first episode of this, I have watched it avidly. This show is hilarious, and you don't have to be a nerd to understand the humor like some other shows out there (cough, the Big Bang Theory, cough) Plus, if you have a perverted teenaged son, they watch the show just for the secret agent chick... To conclude, this action comedy works, and its definitely worth a shot!
5


Posted on 10/01/07 by brownie94 Kid contributor, age 13

my fave show

THIS SHOW IS DA BOMB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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