Pushing Daisies
 

Anyone catch this? The wife and I watched it this morning and I thought it was insanely good. Quirky, likeable characters, dark humor, forbidden love. Of course this means that it will last five episodes, have me completely hooked and then promptly get canceled.

Hopefully not but I think it may be over the head of the average couch potato.



http://z.about.com/d/tvdramas/1/0/p/L/pushdaisies.jpg


The show was created by Brian Fuller who also did Wonderfalls and Dead Like Me.

Re: Pushing Daisies
 

This has been the only new show of the season that I've watched, and I loved the pilot. It's got that quirky and funny quality, and I love the way the show looks. To get gay for a second, it's also one of the most romantic things I've seen in a long, long time. Just watch this show.

I'm a little afraid that the pilot was so good, that they wont have anywhere to go after it, so I'm a little tentative for the second episode, but I can't wait. If you guys want just a happy show, this does it perfectly.

And it's got Chi McBride, who ruled in Boston Public, so it's got that too.

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It was a great first episode. I'm glad I caught it on Wednesday. My big problem is the first half hour is going up against "Back to You". So I'll have to flip back and forth for that part. I'm frankly surprised that no one made a thread in OOT about this show until now. I was hoping they wouldn't have solved her murder so quickly and it was a storyline for the whole season. I hope this show does well.

Re: Pushing Daisies
 

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I watched the pilot over the summer, tried way way way too hard.

OMG LOOK AT ME I'M SO CUTE AND CLEVER OMG!!!

Also, Gray's + Desperate Housewives both suck, and now I hate them even more for making TV producers think narration = great. Other than AD, narration pretty much always sucks and this show used way too much of it.

[/ QUOTE ]

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I love it. I'm a big fan of Kristin Chenowith

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"I watched the pilot over the summer, tried way way way too hard."

Actually the show is quite restrained for the genre.

A quirky, colorful show like Daisies is always going to be accused of trying too hard by people who are turned off by quirky, colorful shows.

Re: Pushing Daisies
 

Posted this in The Lounge TV thread couple weeks ago:

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[ QUOTE ]
MrWookie,

The premise for Pushing Daisies seems gimmicky and more suited to be a 12-issue comic book miniseries, but I'll give the first few episodes a chance on the DVR. If it sucks, I'll let Aloysius fall on the sword for that. In general though, his level of taste is high.


[/ QUOTE ]

Haha... thanks I guess [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

I've actually only seen the pilot for Pushing Daisies, have not gotten a chance to view other episodes. But in the many years I've been a part of pilot seasons, this screening received one of the best responses I've seen, almost uniformly praised as "amazing".

The premise is very high concept and seems gimmicky, but it's executed brilliantly... the acting is very good and the writing is very above average for a network one-hour.

Also Barry Sonnenfeld directed the pilot. The look of the world he creates is really captivating (think Edward Scissorhands-esque) and a unique template going-forward for the series.

So I would definitely recommend watching the premiere, and seeing if it's something you'd enjoy and want to stick with.

-Al

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Re: Pushing Daisies
 

[ QUOTE ]
"I watched the pilot over the summer, tried way way way too hard."

Actually the show is quite restrained for the genre.

A quirky, colorful show like Daisies is always going to be accused of trying too hard by people who are turned off by quirky, colorful shows.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'd agree with this and personally thought the pilot felt very organic- not forced at all.

But it's just a question of taste levels and expectations. If you're going in ready to slam it because the premise seems so silly, sure, you probably won't like it. And to be fair, it's very difficult to execute on such a high concept premise, so I can see people just not buying into this world.

Ironic though how a network airs an incredibly original series, gets criticized for "trying too hard", when considering the standard complaint that everything is recycled / retread.

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The show was created by Brian Fuller who also did Wonderfalls and Dead Like Me.

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Also staffed as consulting producer for Heroes - sure IMDB can tell you which eps. he's credited with writing.

-Al

Re: Pushing Daisies
 

[ QUOTE ]


Also staffed as consulting producer for Heroes - sure IMDB can tell you which eps. he's credited with writing.

-Al

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I read that he wrote a handful of episodes one of which was "Company Man" which may have been the best episode of the season.

EDIT: imdb states he wrote 2 eps

Re: Pushing Daisies
 

Wires - cool, good to know, and I really did think the writing on Pushing Daisies pilot was incredibly good.

(I actually don't watch Heroes at all but I figure the nerds here who do might be interested to know this.)

As an aside, typically a writer staffed on a TV series will get official credit for 2-4 episodes. But Fuller was in the writer's room pitching story ideas, editing, etc. for the entire series, and I think he was a "consulting producer" which is fairly high position in the room, so he probably had a decent amount of influence on Heroes overall.

-Al

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I liked the pilot. Something about the colors in the show are very cool.

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Interesting show..not great in my view but def unique
the female lead is unbelievably cute

got great ratings for its premiere but it had tons or press n hype.

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this show could be completely terrible, but it looks so good I'd watch anyway.

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It was fantastic. It married the best elements of GET SHORTY, the world of TIM BURTON, and some Coen Bros. comedy a la THE HUDSUCKER PROXY. I hope every episode is as good as the pilot; if so, it's the best network show since LOST.

Re: Pushing Daisies
 

I loved this show. Like, legitimately went back immediately afterwards and watched it again. I hope they keep this up.

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[ QUOTE ]
It was fantastic. It married the best elements of GET SHORTY, the world of TIM BURTON, and some Coen Bros. comedy a la THE HUDSUCKER PROXY. I hope every episode is as good as the pilot; if so, it's the best network show since LOST.

[/ QUOTE ]

I just watched it, and this is a surprisingly apt description, esp. the Tim Burton quality. It definitely does feel like one of his dark fairy tales. I wouldn't have thought anyone could conceive of a show that fit your description here, but they pulled it off. It's definitely the best new show of the season.

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Yeah, I have to admit, I've watched it twice. And recommended that hubby hit it up too.

Might have been because I was baked, but I loved the pretty colors...

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I thought it was great.

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Dead Like Me is so good, I watched an episode of Pushing Daisies and it was also very good in the same vein as DLM, looking forward to this show.. and ya that means it'll probably get canceled in a season or two..

Re: Pushing Daisies
 

I really enjoyed the premier episode and as stated previously the lead female is incredibly alluring..

however, though I hope I am wrong, I can see the whole thing getting very old in a pretty short period of time... The entire scenario has already been completely established and I just don't see where they can go with it... all they have are a few common themes to constantly rehash - raise dead person and solve crime with L&O style twist - ZOMG If he touches her she will die - ZOMG someone recognizes supposed-to-be-dead girl, drama ensues

although I am curious to find out her reaction when she finally finds out he killed her dad, it's gonna get really annoying if they just dance around it for 2 seasons with no reslution

Re: Pushing Daisies
 

I just watched it and yes this thread is what piqued my interest. I was kind of apprehensive from the previews b/c of the narration--it sounded like a Tim Burton Desperate Housewives or something. I must say the praise in this thread is right on, it was pretty good and I am not the type to just like something b/c it looks good--the show has to have some substance and not just be visually stimulating which is all I thought it was going to be.

Hopefully it continues to put out ep's like the pilot. The only negative thing I thought when it ended is that I didn't know where they were going to go w/ the whole forbidden love theme...there is only so long they can drag it on--them not being able to touch or show their affection etc. then what?

Overall really good. + [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]Anna Friel

Re: Pushing Daisies
 

thank you for the thread, OP

i love tim burton, coen bros, dark comedy, quirky humor, and wonderfalls, so i'm gonna watch pilot on computer and set dvr for this each week; i love the colorful look of it

Re: Pushing Daisies
 

Excellent show. Visually felt a lot like Edward Scissorhands in addition to the parallels in the story line. I was almost dissapointed that it was a TV show and not a movie since I fear the following episodes will not be able to continue at the level of the premier.

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Great show! Only thing is that almost every time my husband and I like a show it get's canceled before the end of the first season.

Has a really interesting new approach and hope it catches on.

Re: Pushing Daisies
 

I, too, liked it but a couple things really bothered me:

1) The one minute you have to talk to the undead person is NOT the time for witty banter.

2) The main character (forgot his name at the moment) gets WAY too physically close to the girl he revived. WAY too close. As if they won't touch by accident at some point. Whoops! I slipped! Dead. Ha, ha, you're so funny, here's a pat on the leg. Dead. And when they slammed the monkey statues together, their fingers were like a quarter inch from touching.

3) If he doesn't re-kill someone, do they stay alive for ever? His childhood dog is still with him.

All that aside, I liked the show a lot.

Re: Pushing Daisies
 

I caught most of the first episode by accident. Very well done, and the narration didn't bother me. The descriptions comparing Tim Burton and HSP are right on. Also seemed more like a movie or miniseries than a full series, so who knows if the writers will be able to keep it up.

Also, when he revives the strawberries, etc. for his pies, do other pieces of fruit elsewhere have to die?

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I thought the Narration almost sounded like a Dr. Seuss book. Which I absolutely loved!

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Bump for episode 2 tonight. What did everyone think?

I thought it was still awfully good, although a slight letdown from the pilot. The singing break about halfway through was a little strange I felt, but I still thought the episode was really, really good.

[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] the lead girl.

Re: Pushing Daisies
 

Singing break wouldn't surprise anyone who knows who Kristin Chenowith is. She was a Tony award nominee for her part in Wicked.

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I didn't think there was any dropoff from the pilot. Easily the best show of the fall.

And I also [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] the lead girl.

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This was the first episode of it that I caught. It's very funny, but I hope it gets a full run or at the very least, a full season.

Chi McBride is great and the girls so far are likable.

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Chi McBride is great indeed. Very good casting overall. However, the singing break was...blah.

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awesome. she's so hot.

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I laughed more this episode. I liked it alot, thought the singing bit was odd. Overall, good episode, and it's gonna be on my "Record all" setting for the rest of, hopefully, a normal season.

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I kinda really liked this and really hated it.

It's very well done, it's funny, but it's just too precious and really started grating on me. I think it might be better in a 1/2 hour format. It's like the whole time I was watching I was saying to myself "wow, this is really good but christ I hate it"

Aslo the singing was horrible and I they do that again I will not watch. I'm not the kind of person who hates musicals, but that was out of place and painful.

Bonus points for thrusting the leads terts out as us the whole ep, that was nice.

I'll watch again, and maybe it's just mood or something that made me dislike it.

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So Dids hates cute and happy. Noted.

More death sadness and curmudgeoness for Dids please!

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'Tone,

Not usually.

I'm having a very hard time putting my finger on exactly what I don't like about this.

A few guesses

1- I have an irrational and unfair dislike for English accents if it's not Terrance Stamp.

2- see also for Chi McBride, Boston Public is one of the biggest pieces of [censored] ever.

It's more/different than that though. Usually I dig surreal, but this just irriated me. I wans't in the best mood last night, so maybe I just need to be happier when I watch it or something.

Re: Pushing Daisies
 

I really liked the second episode. Hopefully the series continues like this. I tried explaining to my girlfriend before hand the plot line, I'm lucky they explained it all again in the first few minutes. Is it just me or was Kristin Chenoweth's hair different in this episode from the first? Maybe I'm just not remembering right. Either way, I'm watching or taping this for the rest of the season.

Also it's a good thing those birds died in place of those birds. That would have been one heck of a body count otherwise. Must be a size/species relation.

Re: Pushing Daisies
 

My wife saw Kristin on Ellen the other day and apparently she actually caught her long hair on fire throwing up when her hair ran into a lit candle that was on the back of the bowl and had to cut it off. She wore extensions but didn't like them so now she has short hair.

Re: Pushing Daisies
 

Has the feel of a fairy tale to me, with the narration and surreal lighting, colors and mood.

Also, is it just me, or is there a lot of random cleavage in this show? Pushing Daisies? How about Pushing Titties?