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Welcome to How to Spend $20, BOP's look at the latest DVDs to hit stores nationwide. This week: Chuck returns to NBC, 10 Things I Hate About You celebrates 10 years and Rose Byrne shifts her attention from Glenn Close to Hugh Dancy.

Pick of the Week

For people who think all the Baldwins deserve a show on NBC: Chuck: The Complete Second Season

It's hard to believe that the network that once broadcasted new episodes of Seinfeld, Friends, Frasier and ER (in its heyday) in the same week now relies on reality fare like The Biggest Loser to make money. Next to football on Sunday nights, The Biggest Loser is the network's sole major player, having been the only program to average more than 10 million viewers per episode this season. Of course, a show that averages that many eyeballs on any other major network, namely CBS, would likely face the threat of cancellation. But lo! On NBC, 10 million is royalty. Ten million is hot stuff. Ten million will get you renewed for many years to come. (Heck, just a few days ago, NBC confirmed plans to bring back Law & Order for a historic 21st season. And that show does poorly in total viewers and adults 18-49, the demographic advertisers love. Of course, much of the decision was based on (NBC Prez of Primetime Programming) Angela Bromstad's desire to bust Gunsmoke's long-standing record of 20 television seasons, but still!).





The take home message here is that NBC could use a break. A hit. A sign that firing Ben Silverman was the right thing to do. That very aspired for relief could come in the form of Chuck, NBC's quirky comedy-actioner that oozes with cool, so much so that its opening theme is an instrumental version of Cake's "Short Skirt/Long Jacket." (That's how you know it's legit). There's been solid buzz about the new season (at least on the Internet) for what seems like a few months now. And if the series, about a computer whiz who receives an e-mail that copies the world's greatest spy secrets into his brain, not only matches last season's average audience – 7.36 million – but increases it to maybe eight or nine million, NBC will be happier than a kid on Christmas.

Originally brought back for a third season consisting of 13 episodes, Chuck's order was later increased to 19 episodes. And its premiere, bumped from a planned February or March-ish debut to this weekend (Sunday), is a hefty two hours. NBC, shall I say, has some holes to fill, especially since football has vacated its schedule until next fall.

Disc includes: Truth, Spies and Regular Guys: Exploring the Mythology of Chuck featurette; Dude in Distress: Explore Some of This Season's Best Action Sequences featurette, Chuck Versus the Webisodes: Wed-Originated featurettes, Chuck: A Real-Life Captain Awesome's Tips for Being Awesome featurette, John Casey Presents: So You Want to Be a Deadly Spy? featurette, deleted scenes, gag reel

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