TVSquad

Defying all odds and the writers' strike curse, Chuck has managed to snag a third season on NBC. So what now? Obviously, new episodes won't start airing until after the Winter Olympics, so fans and those associated with the show and NBC have a few months before they need to begin obsessively tracking the ratings. But that doesn't mean that fans are taking the summer off.

Chucktv.net, a Chuck fansite, is hosting "Chuck Me Mondays," starting June 1st. They're inviting both current fans and those who are just wanting to know what all the Chuck fuss is about to watch the spy comedy as a group Monday nights at 9 PM. While you watch, you can comment on the episode right on their site, or on Twitter, with the objective being to make Chuck a trending topic on the micro-blogging site every Monday. They're starting with the pilot and working all the way up to the season 2 finale-- it's a crash-course in all things Chuck.

NBC is finding itself in the same position that CBS found itself with Jericho a few years ago. A modestly-rated series has been saved by a rabid fan base. Unfortunately for Jericho, when it returned, the internet interest didn't translate into television ratings. Chuck fans seem to be trying to learn from that by using the summer months to build interest in their pet show.

This push by ChuckTV.net and all of their "Save Chuck" compatriots is important for the future of television. While the internet managed to get Jericho renewed for a second season, the fact that it didn't make it to a third made a lot of people in the industry doubt the efficacy of fan campaigns. If this, or the continued fan support of Subway, Chuck's main sponsor, actually translates to more eyeballs pointed at the show come Fall, then that could have lasting ramifications when it comes time for the networks to decide which shows stay and which shows go.

The squeaky wheel gets the grease, which is why Chuck ultimately got renewed while fellow sophomore series Life, did not. However, it all comes down to the bottom line. If the newly-greased wheel can actually make money for the network, fans may have a lasting voice in the process. However, if Chuck crashes and burns next season, all of the nuts or the $5 footlongs in the world won't make networks continue to listen to the fans.