There are shows that get a lot of hype, only to disappoint once they’re finally on the air. And then there’s “Chuck.”

Even with the countless commercials and print ads everywhere from billboards and busses to popcorn bags at the movie theater, this action-packed, heartwarming, clever show still manages to live up to the buzz—thanks in big part to the great cast, including Zachary Levi (“Less Than Perfect”) as the titular character, creator Josh Schwartz (“The O.C,” “Gossip Girl”) and McG (“Charlie’s Angels”), who directed the pilot.

Schwartz, McG and Levi, along with fellow castmates Josh Gomez (who plays Chuck’s best friend Morgan) and Yvonne Strzechowski (sizzling onscreen as secret agent Sarah) gave their thoughts on geeks, nerds and kick-ass ladies and joked about violence and danger in the workplace…and with Nintendo Wii.

We’ve seen a lot of geeks and nerds as main characters on TV lately—is that evidence to the truth of the rumor that most TV writers are geeks and nerds themselves?
Josh Schwartz: I think we are evidence enough that that is completely untrue. [Laughs] I think, as a writer, you want to write what you know. And certainly we know more writers who resemble Chuck than, say, Jack Bauer. [Laughs] Just saying…

Yvonne, you just burst onto the scene with this great, kick-ass character. Are you anything like Sarah?
Yvonne Strzechowski: She’s very strong, she’s really intelligent and she’s very physically capable. And, yeah, I like to put that into my own life as well.

Any ass-kicking favorite ladies for you to model this role after?
Yvonne Strzechowski: People like Uma Thurman, when she killed Bill…that was awesome. I loved that.

What made you guys decide to have Chuck work at Buy More, an everything-in-bulk store?
Josh Schwartz: I think the big box culture is very much a way that we live our lives right now. And in trying to figure out what was sort of the best home for a character like Chuck, the Nerd Herd—obviously inspired by such things as the Geek Squad, though vetted legally to be different enough…[Laughs] It felt like a really natural environment for him. I also liked that even in the uniforms that the Nerd Herd guys have to wear, they kind of resemble G-men from 1950s FBI movies.
McG: We tried to do the great things that, for example, “The Office” does, where there’s so much humor that comes from the workplace. In this, it’s just as dangerous for Chuck to be working at Buy More as it is to get caught up in the spy world.
Josh Schwartz: Yeah, his work environment—there’s Harry Tang, the gentleman who is vying against him for assistant manager position. Because he’s an affable guy and a natural leader, everybody wants to take Chuck down at work.

So, did “Chuck” come out of wondering what would happen if a character from “The O.C.” became a spy?
Josh Schwartz: I think he’s very much like Mischa Barton in that respect. [Laughs]

Is there any similarity between Zachary Levi and Mischa Barton?
Josh Schwartz: They’re both tall and shapely. [Laughs]

You guys got prime placement right before “Heroes”—blessing or curse?
Josh Schwartz: “Heroes” is one of my favorite shows, and so to be able to air before it and be a part of that night is incredibly exciting.
McG: Obviously, there’s a lot of eyeballs that are watching “Heroes.” And, I think, it’s guys like Chuck who like “Heroes,” so it seemed organic even though they’re very different shows.

Zach, how do you feel about being this action hero guy now? And will the action be as amazing all season as it is in the pilot?
Zachary Levi: One of my concerns is that, with the pilot, you get to do so many cool things. We had so many great explosions and fights…are we going to be able to continue that through the season? Are we going to have the budget and the time? But then I found that the next episode, there’s maybe even more action.

Do you consider yourself an action hero type?
Zachary Levi: No, I don’t know. I eat a lot of pizza and don’t work out as much as I should. I do play a lot of video games. Josh Gomez and I couldn’t find ourselves in a better situation playing the characters that we do. Maybe five minutes into [meeting], it was just kind of a mellow and Josh looked at me like, “Are you a video gamer?” And I think I said, “Oh yeah, buddy. Oh yeah. I ‘game.’” [Laughs]
Joshua Gomez: He “games.”
Josh Schwartz: In the pilot, Chuck’s hands are bandaged…after we wrapped, Zach’s hand was bandaged and we were like, “What happened?” Apparently you were playing tennis with a Wii…
Zachary Levi: Yeah, I was playing Nintendo Wii.
Josh Schwartz: And put his hand through a light fixture.
Zachary Levi: And I got 14 stitches. I put my hand through a light fixture in my living room. So I’m cool. Who can cut their hand playing Nintendo? This guy right here.

Very cool. So is this role your opportunity to let your inner geek shine?
Zachary Levi: Everyone is throwing around “geek” and “nerd”—I would say “cool-challenged” maybe, is we can coin that phrase. [Laughs] But I find myself being myself, I guess, playing video games and being a nerd. Which I really am in so many ways…
Joshua Gomez: And a hero. Don’t sell yourself short.
Zachary Levi: And a hero. A cool-challenged hero.

“Chuck” premieres Monday, Sept. 24 at 8 p.m./7c on NBC.