One of the best fan videos for Chuck. . .ever! Love the editing with the timing of the music on this video. 

I love both shows equally, although Scarecrow and Mrs. King still edges out Chuck as being my favorite television series of all time. Nonetheless, I thought it would be fun to take a moment to discuss the similarities between the two shows. 

Scarecrow and Mrs. King was a American action-comedy/spy-drama television serial that aired between 1983-1987. Usually somewhere in the middle of the Nielsen rating numbers, it did quite well in it's time slots until the lead actress was diagnosed with cancer and the show was not renewed. The show ran successfully for four seasons and finished with 88 episodes. Chuck was an American action-comedy/spy-drama television serial that aired between 2007-2012. Always on the cancellation bubble, it struggled to stay on network television, but after successful fan-mounted campaigns, the series ended with 91 episodes. Although, there is no proof the creators of Chuck watched Scarecrow and Mrs. King, I find many of the similarities quite humorous and a bit suspect. 

To begin with, the whole premise of the show. Both revolved around ordinary people becoming paired with the loner spy and being thrust unexpectedly into the world of espionage. Amanda, a mother of two and a homemaker, is passed secret government information by a spy who is in trouble. While Chuck is a young man working at a computer store, who is passed secret government information by a spy who is in trouble. Both Chuck and Amanda help the agents they are paired with by often thinking outside the box and using unconventional ways of taking out the bad guys. In addition, both Chuck and Amanda dislike guns, although both as they progressed as agents learned how to handle them. I also have to add a similar plot device, in Scarecrow and Mrs. King Amanda put sugar in a gas tank to help her and Lee escape, while in Chuck, Lester put sugar in the gas tank to stop the baddies from kidnapping Casey's daughter. 

Both shows focused heavily on relationships. For Amanda it was her mother and two boys, while Chuck had a close relationship with his sister. For both of them family meant everything.  While Lee and Sarah were the hardened agents, both with circumstances that lead to them growing up in a hurry and each having to deal with the element of abandonment. Of course, these tough agents were never supposed to fall in love with their partners for it was against the cardinal rule of spying; however, cover kisses lead to real kisses, and denial lead to dating others and finally them getting together and getting married. Both shows also had a great ensemble cast.There are several other reasons; i.e. both shows were filmed at Warner Bros. Studios, both shows moved to Friday nights their last season and lost viewers, and both shows ended before they should have. In addition, most fans feel the last three or four episodes do not exist; Scarecrow and Mrs. King, because of Kate's illness and the star being unavailable to film those last episodes, and Chuck, because the final story line had Sarah losing her memories and forgetting Chuck and the five years they had together. Of course, the series finale, fans cried in agony as we did not get closure or our "happily ever-after." I feel the same way about Scarecrow and Mrs. King because us fans never got closure or had the chance to say goodbye to the characters we had grown to love over the years.  

Finally, both shows have the brilliant and talented Bruce Boxleitner. In Scarecrow and Mrs. King, he was of course Lee Stetson, codename Scarecrow, while in Chuck he was Dr. Woody Woodcomb, also known as, Captain Awesome's dad. Then the most humorous coincidence was the house on 4247 Warner Avenue. In Scarecrow and Mrs. King this was Amanda's house on the fictional street of Maplewood Drive in Arlington, Virginia, but in Chuck the same house was used as Sarah's dream house. The house she longed to live in with the white picket fence and red door, where she and Chuck could grow old together, and she could finally live the normal life she had always dreamed about.

For those who have watched both shows, I would love to hear your thoughts. 

In view of the fact, that today is the fifth anniversary of the premiere of Chuck – I thought I would celebrate by writing a list of my top ten favorite Chuck episodes. Egads! I just couldn’t do it – too many wonderful episodes to choose from – so I narrowed it down to my top fifteen favorites. I have no doubt everyone is going to have different viewpoints and favorites and I look forward to hearing your thoughts. Warning: lots of spoilers!!

15. Chuck versus the Intersect (Pilot episode)

This episode ranks up there with one of the best pilot episodes ever. It’s an incredibly strong, well-rounded episode –quirky with lots of exciting spy drama and does a great job setting up the characters and storyline for the up coming seasons. I was hooked. 

Warning: major spoilers after the cut. 

I know some are not going to believe this, but I really don’t watch much television. Sure, I have my favorites, but I much rather read or write, so don’t be surprised when I say I never even heard of the television series Chuck until a friend of mine told me Bruce Boxleitner was going to have a guest role in season two, and I needed to watch the show.

So the summer before the beginning of the second season, I found the episodes on-line, watched them, and immediately fell in love with the show. Now, I’m a faithful Chuckaholic.

Chuck is an action/comedy/romance hybrid television show, a lighthearted spy drama, mixed with comedy and romance.  The show is witty, full of action, with a spark of romance. . . in lots of ways like Scarecrow and Mrs. King, but in reverse.  You know, danger, excitement. . .  intrigue. You have an average, ordinary civilian, dragged into the world of espionage by extraordinary circumstances, but instead of a package passed to him at a train station, he is passed  government secrets via an opened email.