My Tale of Two TV Shows

Monday nights are bookended by two of my favorite shows, Chuck and Castle. While both have one word titles that start with C, boatloads of unresolved sexual tension, and ties to Joss Whedon, the two shows are on two different trajectories.

Last night's Chuck rebounded a little bit in the ratings, while Castle had one of its best nights ever. What that means is Chuck is firmly on the bubble and Castle just got picked up for a third season. Talk about a range of emotions.

I guess I'll focus on the positive because I'm not really expecting a fourth season of Chuck, and while I was confident that Castle would be renewed nothing is ever certain when it comes to TV. I'm just glad we got an early pick up, which means we don't have to wait until May to hear about Castle & Beckett's fate.

But when I thought about it, these two scenarios make sense. Don't get me wrong, I love Chuck and I'm really digging season 3, but it's always been a niche show with a loyal following. Shows like this don't stick around too long. The shortened season 3 order was the first sign that Chuck was running out of time. The falling ratings don't help either.

Castle on the other hand has been great at showing constant improvement, and while it may rely too much on its Dancing lead-in, ABC knows it has a sleeper hit on its hands. I don't see the show headlining a night on its own, and it might still need some help, but it's an accessible show with a die-hard following. ABC has the best of both worlds with Castle.

So for now, I'm going to enjoy Castle's pick up and try to forget about Chuck and possible demise.