Filed under: iTS, iTunes, Apple History
Original Mac appears in Season 2 of "Chuck"
If you downloaded the freebie episode of the week from iTunes, then chances are you saw some vintage Apple hardware. That's because episode 1 of Chuck's second season features one of the original Macs in it. It's kinda funny that they're supposed to be building a new system to take over Chuck's job, but they use some really old hardware (at least it's a Mac). Still, this is consistent with last year's premiere, which featured a Mac Plus at the core of the CIA system.
We won't spoil the episode ending, but it involves the Mac blowing up (just sayin'). This is, however, an awesome start to another season of Chuck.
It is ironic that most of the computers in the show are Macs ... despite the fact that it airs on NBC. Get this free episode while you still can! It's definitely worth a watch.
Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
AndyK said 9:24AM on 9-29-2008
Does NBC & Apples' new iTunes agreement include some gratuitous product placement for Apple? The Office premiere had quite a few Macbooks & Macbook Pros in it. In other words, NBC can get the pricing concessions they want, but can Apple lace your shows with product?
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LuminousNerd said 9:40AM on 9-29-2008
It's not really that ironic. A lot of NBC's shows have Apple product in them. They haven't really shown to shy away from eachother at all in any other arena than the infamous NBC liefest.
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Karl said 9:44AM on 9-29-2008
a pretty big part of the office featured a MacBook Pro... and I don't see where this is really surprising....
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frogbat said 9:48AM on 9-29-2008
i've become quite a fan of the show - it appeals to my inner geek. That mac was there in the first season as well as lots of other macs - mainly G5 towers... and references were made "we're artistic we only fix macs"... but they also had other products mixed in like xboxes and it seemed to give quite a realistic store setting...
the product placement was perhaps more evident in heroes...
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Yan said 9:51AM on 9-29-2008
They are rebuilding a system they had in season 1. Here's a screencap of episode 1 in the first season.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/yansarazin/2898936768/
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freshyill said 9:50AM on 9-29-2008
I'm going to say two things.
1. It's probably not an original Macintosh. Maybe a Mac Plus? The keyboard and mouse give it away.
2. No company in the world is paying to place a 20-something year-old, long-discontinued, totally irrelevant product in a TV show. Just sayin'.
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Bubbasmiff said 9:58AM on 9-29-2008
Looks like it's not free any more ... I went to download it in iTunes and it says $1.99.
Bummer .. missed out again!
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Silvio said 9:59AM on 9-29-2008
This is not an original Mac, neither a Mac Plus. It is a Mac Classic, released only in 1990.
The original Macintosh and the Macintosh Plus have another keyboard and mouse. The Mac SE have the same keyboard but the grid on the side is different.
S*
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thall1606 said 11:30AM on 9-29-2008
Thank you. Finally someone figured out it wasn't a PLUS. Maybe Classic Color? No too advance for CIA. They would never blow up a LISA. Woz would cry.
Gordon Werner said 9:59AM on 9-29-2008
Comcast onDemand has had this episode available for viewing in HD for some time now ... in HD > TV Entertainment > Fall Preview > NBC (or something like that)
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gib said 10:05AM on 9-29-2008
As of Monday morning, this episode is no longer free on iTunes... You can still watch it on nbc.com if interested.
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Ian Betteridge said 10:27AM on 9-29-2008
That's an SE series - you can tell from the colour, shape, and the kind of mouse it's using.
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F said 10:45AM on 9-29-2008
I don't care if it's an original Mac, a Plus, an SE (one of which I still have stashed somewhere), or a Classic. I'm not watching that episode, or any other, of "Chuck". Ever.
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Warner said 12:01PM on 9-29-2008
Thank you, Chuck sucks. What a horrible, horrible show.
jonathan ober said 10:53AM on 9-29-2008
Pineapple
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Marc said 10:56AM on 9-29-2008
that's still pretty much a spoiler.
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mrtotes said 11:29AM on 9-29-2008
Defintely not a Mac Plus or original Mac because of the ADB Mouse. Probably a Classic but could be a Classic II as the speaker grill's not visible in this picture.
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puhsitch said 11:56AM on 9-29-2008
Yup, it's most definitely a Classic (or Classic II). The SE's side vents were vertically-oriented. Still amazing that it's showing up anywhere on TV!
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BHendrix said 5:14PM on 9-29-2008
And I thought I was the only one who knew :-)
My secondary school used a number of Pluses, SEs and Classics, as did my family. For the record, the Mac in this picture must be one of the following: a Classic, Classic II, or Performa 200.
(And the speaker grille on the Classic II--some had 'em, some didn't.)
puhsitch said 5:34PM on 9-29-2008
Ah, I forgot about the Performa 200! Hard to believe they sold Macs at Sears at one point. The Classic was my first computer...I owe a lot to that little underpowered beast.