recess guides you through this fall's hottest shows

I am willing to put it out there: Chuck is the best new show on network television.

I know what you must be thinking: But Varun, how can you claim Chuck is the best when there are shows like Cavemen and Dirty Sexy Money classin' up the airwaves?

Sarcasm aside, there are very few shows that are as hip, smart and cool as Chuck. It is straight entertainment-a blend of television brevity and film production quality.

Chuck Bartowski (Less Than Perfect's Zach Levi) is a Stanford dropout working at a television-universe version of Best Buy's Geek Squad. Chuck, who surprisingly reminds us of Jim from The Office, has his simple life complicated when his former roommate/rogue CIA agent sends him thousands of photos encrypted with government secrets. Now he is under the watch of the NSA and the CIA, who begrudgingly set aside differences to protect "The Intersect," until the state secrets can be extracted from his noggin. In a very Scooby-Doo-ish fashion, Chuck has to stay out of danger and thwart any baddies wanting his secrets for whatever nefarious plans they concoct.

Once you get past the ridiculous premise, Chuck becomes a show with serious action sequences that doesn't take itself too seriously. The budget is extremely high for a new show-the pilot episode featured a parkour fight sequence reminiscent of Casino Royale, a metal-crunching car chase and a Mexican standoff.

However, beyond its sleek surface, Chuck is a character-driven vehicle. The OC's Josh Schwartz's script is filled with witty, realistic dialogue-nothing that will make you roll on the floor, but definitely worth a few Chuck-les. Sorry, too easy.

Levi is comfortable as the lead character and is joined by an outstanding supporting cast. Adam Baldwin, who plays scary NSA thug Major John Casey, delivers one-liners with an attitude missed since he played Jayne in Joss Whedon's Firefly.

The only problem is that a show with such a bizarre plot and high budget is vulnerable to burning out well before its time. Chuck may not make it to a second season, but there is no reason not to enjoy it while it's still running.