by Catherine Wignall
From the mind of Bryan Fuller (responsible for shows such as Wonderfalls, Dead Like Me, and NBC’s Hannibal) Pushing Daisies was a forensic fairy tale for the ages, cruelly cancelled after two seasons on ABC, despite seventeen Primetime Emmy nominations, seven wins, and a massive audience of diehard cult fans.
From the mind of Bryan Fuller (responsible for shows such as Wonderfalls, Dead Like Me, and NBC’s Hannibal) Pushing Daisies was a forensic fairy tale for the ages, cruelly cancelled after two seasons on ABC, despite seventeen Primetime Emmy nominations, seven wins, and a massive audience of diehard cult fans.
For those unfortunate enough to miss the show while it aired, Pushing Daisies tells the tale of a prince who wakes his sleeping princess, and lives happily ever after. Except, the prince is Ned the Pie Maker, a man who possesses the remarkable gift of bringing the dead back to life with just one touch, and he doesn’t wake the princess from a long nap, but from the eternal(ish) sleep of death. As with all good fairy tales, Ned’s powers come with conditions: one touch brings the dead back to life, a second touch kills them permanently. If Ned fails to touch them a second time, a bystander will die in their place.
In partnership with Emerson Cod, a private detective, Ned uses this power to solve criminal cases and split the reward money, helping him to finance his restaurant, The Pie Hole. It is during one of these cases that he discovers his childhood sweetheart, Charlotte ‘Chuck’ Charles has been murdered, and he brings her back to life with the simple touch of a hand. Unable to send her back into death, the thieving funeral director dies in her place and Chuck returns to live with Ned.
In partnership with Emerson Cod, a private detective, Ned uses this power to solve criminal cases and split the reward money, helping him to finance his restaurant, The Pie Hole. It is during one of these cases that he discovers his childhood sweetheart, Charlotte ‘Chuck’ Charles has been murdered, and he brings her back to life with the simple touch of a hand. Unable to send her back into death, the thieving funeral director dies in her place and Chuck returns to live with Ned.
What follows is a unique, quirky love story as Ned and Chuck fall in love while the constant threat that a single touch will kill Chuck hovers above them. They sneak kisses by placing plastic wrap between their lips, but are otherwise unable to advance their romance any further, which leaves a sizzling current of tension running through each episode while retaining the innocent tone needed for this modern day fairy tale.
The show crosses genres, switching between mysterious crime episodes and quirky romance yet remains touching and sensitive at all times. From the very first episode we are thrown into a whirlwind of emotions, watching a young Ned resurrect his mother after an aneurysm, causing Chuck’s father to die in her place, only to lose her again as she gives him a goodnight kiss. From there the emotional punches continue, as the show’s inhabitants are forced to walk the line between life and death, forcing them to develop a new appreciation for what it means to be alive and the importance of coming to an understanding – if not an acceptance – of death.
The show crosses genres, switching between mysterious crime episodes and quirky romance yet remains touching and sensitive at all times. From the very first episode we are thrown into a whirlwind of emotions, watching a young Ned resurrect his mother after an aneurysm, causing Chuck’s father to die in her place, only to lose her again as she gives him a goodnight kiss. From there the emotional punches continue, as the show’s inhabitants are forced to walk the line between life and death, forcing them to develop a new appreciation for what it means to be alive and the importance of coming to an understanding – if not an acceptance – of death.
While the constant stream of murders could jar uncomfortably against the optimism that permeates the rest of the show, the murders themselves are wildly eccentric (drowning in a vat of taffy, anyone?) and actually manage to increase the overall whimsy and fairy tale qualities of the show.
The visual design of the series is a standout feature, a veritable storybook of larger-than-life characters accompanied by eye-popping and delightful colours and patterns, contrasting charmingly with the undercurrent of death and preponderance of morgue scenes that run throughout. Accompanied by the Doctor Seuss-like narration and occasional musical numbers, Pushing Daisies was unlike anything else on TV.
After the show was cancelled mid-way through its second season (the final episodes were screened during PaleyFest) there were several attempts at bringing the story back in another form. A comic detailing further mysteries and information not included in the show was distributed during the 2007 San Diego Comic Con, and Fuller went on to have conversations with DC Comics’ WildStorm imprint in 2009 in an attempt to have a full ‘season three’ told in comic form. These plans were put on hold after WildStorm was shut down in 2010. Since then there have been discussions about a possible Kickstarter film, mini series, or even a Broadway musical. Fuller and many of the cast members have all expressed a desire to continue their involvement with any future incarnation of Pushing Daisies, and there is a certainly an enthusiastic fanbase clamouring for their return. Only time will tell, but, as the final line of the series reminds us, endings are never really endings:
“At that moment, in the town of Coeur de Coeurs, events occurred that are not, were not, and should never be considered an ending. For endings, as it is known, are where we begin.”
The visual design of the series is a standout feature, a veritable storybook of larger-than-life characters accompanied by eye-popping and delightful colours and patterns, contrasting charmingly with the undercurrent of death and preponderance of morgue scenes that run throughout. Accompanied by the Doctor Seuss-like narration and occasional musical numbers, Pushing Daisies was unlike anything else on TV.
After the show was cancelled mid-way through its second season (the final episodes were screened during PaleyFest) there were several attempts at bringing the story back in another form. A comic detailing further mysteries and information not included in the show was distributed during the 2007 San Diego Comic Con, and Fuller went on to have conversations with DC Comics’ WildStorm imprint in 2009 in an attempt to have a full ‘season three’ told in comic form. These plans were put on hold after WildStorm was shut down in 2010. Since then there have been discussions about a possible Kickstarter film, mini series, or even a Broadway musical. Fuller and many of the cast members have all expressed a desire to continue their involvement with any future incarnation of Pushing Daisies, and there is a certainly an enthusiastic fanbase clamouring for their return. Only time will tell, but, as the final line of the series reminds us, endings are never really endings:
“At that moment, in the town of Coeur de Coeurs, events occurred that are not, were not, and should never be considered an ending. For endings, as it is known, are where we begin.”
RSS Feed
