<Tr> <Th_colspan="2"> External links </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> Website </Td> </Tr> <P> Chuck is an American action - comedy / spy - drama television series created by Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak . The series is about an "average computer - whiz - next - door" named Chuck Bartowski, played by Zachary Levi, who receives an encoded e-mail from an old college friend now working for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The message embeds the only remaining copy of a software program containing the United States' greatest spy secrets into Chuck's brain, leading the CIA and the NSA to assign him handlers and use him on top - secret missions . Produced by College Hill Pictures, Fake Empire Productions, Wonderland Sound and Vision, and Warner Bros. Television, the series premiered on September 24, 2007, on NBC, airing on Monday nights at 8: 00 p.m. / 7: 00 p.m. Central . </P> <P> As the second season finished, flagging ratings put Chuck in danger of cancellation, but fans mounted a successful campaign to encourage NBC to renew the show . The campaign was unique in that fans specifically targeted a sponsor of the show, the Subway restaurant chain, leading to the chain striking a major sponsorship deal with NBC to help cover costs of the third season . The series' renewal was uncertain in each subsequent season . The fifth season was the last, beginning on October 28, 2011, and moving to Friday nights at 8 p.m. / 7 Central . The series concluded on January 27, 2012 with a two - hour finale . </P>

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