Oh Chuck Me: NBC's Decision May Be Delayed

Chuck fans hoping to have their anxiety about a Season 3 pick-up put to rest come Monday might want to brace themselves for a bit more waiting.

Though NBC is expected to discuss its fall season plans at a Monday "infront" presentation, there is talk that the final word on Chuck, among a few other series, could be delayed.

Series lead Zachary Levi told E! Online at a Friday event, "I just got an email from [Chuck executive producer] Josh Schwartz, and he said stay positive, [but] we're not going to find out on Monday. It could be another week or two."

Flying in the face of what Schwartz told Levi, Nikki Finke's Deadline Hollywood blog — albeit without a lick of elaboration — claims that NBC is set to renew Chuck, Medium and Law & Order on Monday.

Any hold-up in unveiling a full fall slate this week is partly due to a glut of pilots that NBC brass are still wading through. The days-long screening process was halted on Thursday, when NBC programming executive Nora O'Brien suddenly died of a brain aneurysm while visiting the set of prospective series Parenthood.

In an interview with TVGuide.com last week, Schwartz predicted a tough decision ahead for NBC, which he said "has always really loved [Chuck]." Addressing the ongoing fan campaign to save the action-comedy, he said, "It's not lost on [NBC], the fan reaction, the critical support, and this grassroots movement that's taken hold. All of that is very significant in indicating momentum for the show, growth for the show, and a really loyal and fervent fan base for the show."

Thus far, NBC has renewed Southland, The Office, 30 Rock, SVU, Celebrity Apprentice, Biggest Loser for the 2009-10 season.

The aforementioned Parenthood, based on the 1989 film, is one of many pilots being eyed by NBC. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the one with the best buzz thus far is Community, starring Chevy Chase, while David E. Kelley's Legally Mad and Dick Wolf's Lost & Found look like good bets.