Tim's Pick: Why the Subway-'Chuck' Deal Doesn't Rewrite TV Formula [1]

Summary: When nerdy Chuck Bartowski, the character at the center of NBC's comedic spy-serial "Chuck," returns to the airwaves Jan. 10 for a special premiere, he will do so thanks in part to the financial generosity of Subway Restaurants. Last year, the sandwich chain agreed to earmark support for the ratings-challenged program rather than see NBC pull it off the air.