No 'Dancing' Fears For Geek Drama 'Chuck'

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (September 24, 2007) Actors Zachary Levi and Yvonne Strahovski have no qualms about their little-geek-drama-that-could, facing off with "Dancing with the Stars," on Monday night. Instead, the stars of NBC's "Chuck," are simply thrilled to have scored the timeslot right before a returning "Heroes."

"It is so fantastic," "Chuck," star and title character, Levi told Access Hollywood during a recent set visit. "'Heroes' is much more sci-fi, [while] we're much more of [a] mystery-espionage kind of a thing, but I think that it's all kind of within that same demographic. I think that guys like Chuck watch 'Heroes.'"

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Well, when they have time anyway, because as TV viewers will see in the first episode of the new NBC show, Chuck is pretty busy being a computer store worker, whose head is filled with the US government's secrets. With various agencies after him, Chuck needs the constant protection of Sarah Walker, a CIA agent, to keep him and those secrets safe.

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Yvonne Strahovski, who looks like a young Maureen McCormick mixed with Carrie Underwood, plays the CIA operative. Though it's her first stateside role, Strahovski lights up the screen.

"It's a little bit of a fairy tale story," Strahovski explained of how she netted the part. "I came over just for pilot season to see what it would be like, not expecting anything, and then basically on the third day that I got here they had seen my tape and then it was, 'Get her in!' and I had the job by the end of the week."

A dream job and so far a dream reaction for the new series, which netted major props from Comic-Con attendees, who caught one of the first screenings of the pilot earlier this year.

"Comic-Con was a really big deal for that," Levi told Access. "There were like 2,000 people there and they got to see the pilot [and they gave it a] standing ovation. It was like the most incredible, one of the most incredible [things ever]. I almost cried. Yvonne and I were both there and I know she almost cried . . . It was incredible."

So far, the actors on "Chuck" have only shot a hand full of episodes, but as the season develops, Levi thinks a "Friends" style plot favorite could keep viewers interested.

"I think one of the great things they built into the show is there's this kind of this love interest and this love story that may never be capitalized on. It's like the Ross and Rachel kind of a thing I guess. I feel really lame comparing us to 'Friends.' I don't know why," Levi laughed. "And maybe Chuck will have a little monkey at some point. I mean who knows? I'm all about that!"