ok, so i don’t have tons of time to watch tv. in fact, if it weren’t for tivo, i would never watch tv at all. i am perpetually behind on the few shows that i watch (house, the office, prison break, and heroes) by at least a week, so the last thing i needed was another show. nevertheless, i heard about this new show on abc called ‘pushing daisies’ that was supposed to be interesting, so my curiosity got the best of me.
in short, it’s about a guy whose first touch has the power to bring people back from the dead. however, this seemingly cool ability comes with two caveats: 1) if the now-undead person stays alive longer than one minute, someone else in the vicinity must die in their place; and 2) if he ever touches them again, they’re dead…for good. but the catch is this: it’s not really a sci-fi show. it’s a comedy. and a bit of a romance (albeit an awkward one). and even a suspenseful whodunit drama at times. with a tim burton-esque twist.
now i know you’re probably thinking the same thing i did when i first read the premise…”how stupid. someone actually greenlit THAT?” but i gave it a whirl anyway. within minutes of the opening of the pilot (cleverly titled ‘pie-lette’…the main character is a piemaker), i knew that this show was different from anything i’ve ever seen. it features fantastically bright colors that seem torn from something in between a dr. seuss book and scenes from the remake of willie wonka. the music is whimsical and frolicking at times, mesmerizing and evocative at others, and somehow manages to tightrope the line between being out of place and being just plain weird. the pacing of the storylines resemble that of a feature-length film, making it hard to stop watching. the actors are all perfectly suited for their roles, and, with the exception of a kristin chenoweth solo in the second episode (?!?!), the script is witty, quick, and well-delivered. and it has the best narrator i’ve heard in a while…whose casually formal ‘bedtime story’ air and impeccable timing add immensely to the seussian effect that the show exudes.
it’s still too early to tell if it will be consistently good enough to maintain such high standards (there was even a slight falloff from the pilot to the second episode)…hence the disclaimer in the blog post title. either way, it is BY FAR the most i’ve enjoyed a new show since heroes first aired over a year ago. in a time when 75% of tv shows seem to be a ripoff of some OTHER tv show (c.s.i. cleveland, anyone?), ‘pushing daisies’ is fresh, original, and fun.
if you’re interested, i’m pretty sure you can watch the season pilot on abc.com for free. if you like it, tell people about it. if it does turn out to be consistently good, it’d be nice for it to run longer than six episodes without getting cancelled.
