Can Subway Save Chuck? Campaign One of Many Fervent Crusades
Zachary Levi
It's Chuck and the Footlong vs. NBC.
As the geek-tastic comedy remains in limbo for a third-season pickup, fans hope they have all the fixings of an inspired movement to save the series. The Finale and Footlong campaign implores fans to go to Subway before Monday's season (series?) finale, buy a $5 footlong sandwich and leave a note in the suggestion box. Why Subway? The restaurant chain is one of Chuck's main sponsors and was notably featured in a recent episode.
"It's pretty cool and super-grass roots," cast member Joshua Gomez tells TVGuide.com. "It's one of those things where you go, I think no matter what happens now — and we're all fingers-crossed that we'll get our Season 3 — but I think just the reaction of fans and critics alike has been so overwhelming and so positive, special and touching for us as a cast, crew and the creators, that no matter what happens, it's just like I couldn't be prouder."
Chuck fans' "Eat Fresh" mobilization is just the latest in a long line of creatively overzealous and mouthwatering campaigns to save a struggling series.
Just take a gander:
- In 2000, Roswell fans sent 6,000 bottles of Tabasco sauce — the condiment of alien Katherine Heigl & Co.'s choice — to WB brass. The show was renewed for a second season and moved to a new night.
- Jericho earned a second season after CBS honchos received more than 20 tons of nuts — a reference to Jake Green's "Nuts!" catchphrase.
- Reaper harvested a second-season renewal after fans sent socks in honor of Sock to the CW. Unfortunately, a third season doesn't look to be in the cards.
- Fans of USA's The 4400 filled up the network's offices with bags of sunflower seeds in homage to the seed-spitting Dr. Kevin Burkhoff.
- In addition to hiring a plane banner and mailing in fake $2 bills, Veronica Mars fanatics flooded CW offices with 10,000 Mars Bars upon the show's cancellation.
- Journeyman fans didn't (Kevin) McKidd around when it came to their time-traveling show. They sent in the San Francisco treat, Rice-a-Roni, to NBC executives, as the show was based in the Bay Area.
- Coordinating with the American Red Cross, Moonlight-ers launched a blood drive in hopes of giving the vampire series new life. Sadly, well, you know.
What do you think of the Finale and Footlong campaign? Will it be enough to save Chuck — especially with five fewer hours of real estate on the NBC primetime schedule next season? And most importantly — what will you be ordering?
(Additional reporting by Erin Fox)
