Subway's support of 'Chuck' has not gone unnoticed in TV land

NBC spy-lite series Chuck may not have the market cornered on partnerships with fast-food restaurants that rescue TV shows on the verge of cancellation. Glenn Gordon Caron, executive producer of paranormal-tinged drama Medium, said he had an ace up his sleeve to stay in the good graces of NBC at renewal time. "We had a whole Quiznos thing set up," he said at the Television Critics Association press tour in Pasadena. He was kidding, but it sure wouldn't have hurt to write a story line for a big media-spending fast-food marketer, like Chuck did with Subway. Medium, which stars Patricia Arquette and Jake Weber, was indeed dumped by NBC, even though it had better ratings than Chuck. The latter show's buzz, whipped up in part by Subway promotions and stunts, translated to a new-season order. Medium, meanwhile, will head to CBS, paired with the well-watched Ghost Whisperer. Caron sees a silver lining (read: better marketing) around the fall launch of the show's sixth season. "CBS has already run more promos than NBC did in five years," he said. "But I say that with love in my heart."

—Posted by T.L. Stanley