Adorable a la Mode

Pushing Daisies, ABC's critically-loved - but sadly, cancelled - romantic dramedy, was a show I was interested in watching from the beginning. The quirky plot sounded right up my alley, but my Wednesday nights were taken with church and of course, Lost. The show suffered from last year's writers' strike, unable to complete it's original order for the first season and left with insufficient time to pick up and engage new viewers. A second season was ordered but after airing ten episodes, the show was officially cancelled and no word yet as to when the last three episodes, already shot, will air.

Point being, I never did get around to watching it while it aired. So last time he was at the store, Ben picked up the first season on DVD. We've spent the last few nights falling head-over-heels in love with this adorable show. Witty, spunky writing, a fresh-faced cast, the vibrantly stylized look - all icing on the cake... er, icecream on the pie... of a truly original premise.


Aside from making delicious pies, our leading man Ned has an unusual gift. One touch and he can bring something dead back to life. A second touch, and whatever it was is dead again - this time forever. He enters an unusual partnership with a private investigator, using his talents to help solve crimes. The romantic crux of the show is that in a moment of weakness he revives his murdered childhood sweetheart, a girl named Chuck. How very Prince Charming/Sleeping Beauty, I know. But now, despite the fact that they're falling in love all over again, the fact remains - he can never, ever touch her, or she's dead for good.


Isn't that just wonderful? Aren't they just precious? I can hardly stand it. And I'll admit, I'm a sucker for whimsy. I love shows, books, movies, and music that somehow blur the lines between genres - the way something can be adventurous, dreamy, frightening, enlightening, hilarious, all at once. To me, the magic of story-telling has to be just that - a little bit magical. Pushing Daisies has definitely fit the bill. But I need to stop getting attached to TV shows that have already gotten the ax!