Tonight marks the end of a tumultuous five-season run for the NBC action-comedy/spy-drama series Chuck, from creators Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak.

The story of “Chuck” revolves around computer service technician Chuck Bartowski, played by Zachary Levi, who inadvertently becomes a CIA/NSA asset when his former Stanford roommate turned CIA operative downloads the only copy of a secret government database, the Intersect, directly into Chuck’s brain. The government assigns two agents to protect and work with Chuck, CIA Agent Sarah Walker (Yvonne Strahovski) and NSA Major John Casey (Big Hollywood’s own Adam Baldwin).

The supporting cast includes Chuck’s best friend Morgan (Joshua Gomez), sister Ellie (Sarah Lancaster), brother-in-law Devon (Ryan McPartlin) and fellow computer technicians and lackeys Jeff and Lester (played to comedic brilliance by Scott Krinsky and Vik Sahay). Guest stars over the years have included Chevy Chase, Scott Bakula, Linda Hamilton, Timothy Dalton and Carrie-Anne Moss.

The cast worked incredibly well together which, when combined with good writing and interesting storylines, produced a series that was extremely entertaining and kept me watching from the first episode. For whatever reason, the show was never able to draw in a large audience and slipped in the ratings in each subsequent season.

Chuck was able to stave off cancellation numerous times thanks to a very vocal and loyal, but unfortunately small, fan base who mounted multiple “Save Chuck” campaigns. If not for a unique sponsorship deal with the Subway restaurant chain, the series would have never even seen a third season. A deal between production company Warner Brothers and NBC for a 13-episode fifth season was only struck to get to the minimum syndication threshold of 88 episodes, which brought the series to a total of 91 episodes.

I recently spoke with Big Hollywood contributor Adam Baldwin about the series, its finale airing at 8 p.m. EST tonight and being a conservative in Hollywood.

How did you get involved with “Chuck?”

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It’s that time of year again- the Hollywood award season- whereby producers, writers, directors, actors and other craftspeople come together to honor one another in great style for their contributions to the world of media as we know it today. According to Tom O’Neil, America’s leading awards expert and founder of GoldDerby.com, 4,000 award ceremonies are held each year to honor this industry alone. And he should know he’s been tracking show results and making predictions on the competitions since 2000 while penning three books on the subject and blogging for the LA Times’ TheEnvelope.com.

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Unfortunately, with so many ceremonies to watch and so many opinions to account for, often times the lines between the intentions of the awards are blurred. But last year, I was asked to cover the PRISM Awards, a jewel of an honor presented by the Entertainment Industry Council (EIC) for the accurate depiction of substance abuse and mental health issues within television and film productions. The storylines are mostly heavy and often controversial, but more importantly, they touch the reality of average people’s lives. Actors are not measured against one another based on genre, but rather as they compare to a real person afflicted with an illness such as alcoholism, drug addiction, bi-polar disorders, etc. One Tree Hill actress, Shantel VanStaten, had this to say about the PRISM, “I think its one of the highest honors you can get. It’s not ‘oh you did an amazing job’ —  it’s ‘you did the most realistic portrayal of something that we could find’.”

The EIC was founded in 1987 by Brian Dyak, and the first PRISM Award was presented ten years later as a direct result of the progress the EIC had made. “The PRISM Awards encourage creators to make the most of their rights to free creative expression, while at the same time showing the reality of these health issues,” Dyak said of his coveted award. “As a part of the industry, EIC never wants to inhibit the creative process; however, we take pride in being the first to applaud creators who use their power and influence over their audiences wisely and responsibly, informing them while at the same time entertaining them. This is what we refer to as “the art of making a difference,” and that is what EIC and the PRISM Awards are all about.”

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The 2007 fall season was to new television shows what a gold-digging Russian home wrecker with a tape recorder was to Mel Gibson’s career.  Most of the new network offerings that year met with a premature ratings death and were unceremoniously cancelled.  One of my favorite shows, “Chuck,” emerged from the carnage.  Despite some trials and tribulations, this show has clawed its way back from the same chopping block that took “Back to You,” “Caveman,” and “Dirty, Sexy Money” and is now once again part of the NBC Prime Time lineup.  The trip was not an easy one, though.

”Chuck” is a well written, snappy, multi-layered show that doesn’t hang its hat on one particular peg.  It can be funny, poignant, dramatic, and action packed (sometimes all at once).  These are all points in its favor; none of it would be any good if the cast couldn’t deliver what the writers had created.  Let’s face it, Shakespeare’s best work would seem absolutely silly if Paris Hilton was delivering the dialogue. 

The “Chuck” cast is led by Zachery Levi in the title role of Chuck Bartowski, a computer repair person at an electronic store who accidentally becomes a national security asset (or liability…it depends on your point of view).  Yvonne Strahovski plays his occasionally lethal but always stunning CIA minder and girlfriend, Sara Walker.  Television and film veteran, Adam Baldwin, rounds out the main cast as Colonel John Casey.  Colonel Casey is an NSA agent, and the third member of “Team Bartowski.”  He is what one would get if they combined the patriotism of Ronald Reagan, the crabbiness of Lucy from the Charlie Brown cartoons, and the sheer destructive power of Godzilla or Mike Tyson. (more…)

It might not be my place to do the first “Chuck” post at Big Hollywood, what with Adam Baldwin being a contributor here and all, but one needed to be done (especially since the season finale airs tonight) and I am all about stepping up.  It is probably better for a fan of the show to write about it anyway because it would be a bit embarrassing for Baldwin to have to go on and on about how incredible his John Casey character is. 

For those who have not yet watched “Chuck,” let me explain what you are missing while you still have time to rent and watch the first seasons on DVD before reruns of the current season begin.  “Chuck” is an hour-long comedy/action/drama airing Monday nights on NBC.  The show is now completing its third season and has just been renewed for a fourth. 

The series follows the adventures of Buy More electronics store employee, Chuck Bartowski, who is sucked into the world of spies when his former college roommate downloads the “Intersect” into Chuck’s brain via encrypted email. The “Intersect” turns Chuck’s brain into a super computer full of the country’s most vital security secrets.  Later in the series, Chuck downloads the Intersect 2.0 which not only fills him with information about foreign agents and secret missions, but gives him special skills that enable him to function as a kickass trained spy. (more…)

The day got started with cloudy, cold, and windy weather as the group made its way to breakfast. By the time the ride briefing was over and it was time to start, the skies became blue and the roads dry. It was a beautiful day to ride to Austin. On Day 2, the ride always goes smoother and the pace picks up a bit as everyone settles into their rhythm. Despite a brisk head wind, the groups finally formed and the fun got into full swing….

Each day along the route, the USO Canteen sets up a lunch rest stop which is a great relief for all of the riders. Today, the town of Manchaca hosted the ride. A local insurance agent, Lety Johnson, was so happy to have met us–her son is leaving on Saturday for US Marine bootcamp. She hopes the group comes back next year so she can sponsor lunch. (more…)

The TV series “Chuck” this last week had some dialogue on the benefits of carrying one’s gun with them (Chuck Versus the Predator). Chuck (Zachary Levi)  formulated a mission at the Buy More electronic store and insisted the team — Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski) and Casey (Adam Baldwin) — not carry guns. Chuck then gets captured by a Fulcrum Agent… (more…)