Why They Saved 'Chuck'

NBC’s Chuck, about a geeky Stanford grad. played by Zachary Levi, pictured, who becomes a spy, has gained esteem from critics and uber-nerds alike. But, despite good reviews, the sleeper-hit, created by O.C. writer Josh Schwartz and Chris Fedak, pulled in a little over 5 million viewers for its third season finale on Monday.

The show has had a rocky tenure — the first season was interrupted by the Writers Guild strike of 2008 and the second season appeared to be its last until fans created a "Save Chuck" campaign.

In a currently uncommon move by network execs, NBC has decided to keep Chuck on air for a fourth season despite its lackluster numbers. Lemondrop.com explores the reasons why: www.lemondrop.com/2010/05/24/why-i-heart-chuck-bartowski/