by kellie abrahamson kabrahamson1@aol.com
Pushing Daisies was a clear critic favorite going into the fall 2007 television season and for good reason. The series has been described as a “forensic fairytale” and is truly unlike anything on TV now.
Ned (Lee Pace) realized he was different long ago. The young pie maker is blessed with a mysterious power that allows him to touch dead things and bring them back to life. His ability has its limitations: a second touch will cause the recently revived to go back to being dead permanently and should the dead thing stay alive for more than 60 seconds, something nearby dies in its place. Ned learned these rules the hard way as a little boy and has since vowed to use his power very precisely. For a while he would simply use it for baking pies, making rotten fruit juicy and ripe again with a single touch. But when his secret was discovered by private investigator Emerson Cod (Chi McBride), Ned began using his ability more often. The two became a team- Emerson would be hired to find a murderer and Ned would head to the morgue, touch the victim, find out who killed them and touch them again to de-animate them. The duo would then collect and split the reward money.
Everything was going fine until a case puts Ned face-to-face with his recently deceased childhood sweetheart Charlotte “Chuck” Charles (Anna Friel). After touching her to find her killer, Ned just couldn’t bring himself to touch her a second time. So Chuck remains alive, which is both wonderful and terrible for the pie maker because she’s still in his life yet he can never touch her again or she will be gone forever.
Pushing Daisies is an inventive, charming fairytale that is the perfect combination of macabre and whimsy. It’s something Tim Burton would create if he were to make the switch to television. Narration by Jim Dale adds to the storybook quality of the series, allowing the viewer to be taken into this colorful world without ever questioning the off-kilter logic. You just accept that this is another universe, so you don’t spend all your time picking it apart. The writing is smart and witty, providing rapid-fire laughs that sometimes take a second viewing to truly appreciate. Kristen Chenoweth plays Olive, a waitress at Ned’s pie shop and his not so secret admirer, who has delivered a lot of giggles so far. My favorite Pushing Daisies moment came last week when Olive, obsessing over her love for the pie maker, bursts into song, belting out “Hopelessly Devoted to You” while closing up the shop. Her Grease channeling had me in stitches and really made the character a keeper in my mind.
Chenoweth really excels here but the same can be said for all of the actors, each perfectly suited for their roles. Pace is superb; carrying the show with a quiet confidence that stands out when compared to the leading men in ABC’s other new shows. Friel epitomizes the girl next door: sweet, a smidge naive and likable. She and Pace share an undeniable chemistry which will no doubt grow as the series continues. I imagine the fact that these two can never touch will drive fans nuts as the episodes tick by, but for now the wholesome innocence of their relationship adds a lot to the show and the characters.
In addition to the phenomenal work by the principle actors, the show is also boasting some big names slated to make guest appearances in upcoming episodes. Chuck’s aunts, played by Swoozie Kurtz and Ellen Greene, appeared in the pilot and will show up in future episodes. Paul “Pee Wee” Reubens, Molly Shannon, Jayma Mays, Tony nominee Raul Esparza, and E! Online columnist Kristen Dos Santos will all pop up at some point during this season.
Many times with TV shows you fall for the first episode but the magic fades as the series goes forward. Not so with Pushing Daises, which has kept that momentum going, turning in a second episode that is actually better than the pilot. I hate getting my hopes up about a series because I’m either bitterly let down at around episode 5 or the show gets cancelled, but I’m optimistic about Pushing Daises. Thus far ratings have been good, critics like it and the storylines keep getting better and better. The show was in my top three at the beginning of the fall season but has now secured that number 1 spot thanks to its imagination and consistency. If you’re not watching Pushing Daises, you’re truly missing out.
Pushing Daises airs Wednesdays at 8 pm on ABC.
|
EU Critic’s Choice Awards
