The List: #27 Pushing Daisies

#27
Number of Seasons (To Date): 1
Years Active: 2007 - Present
Network: ABC

I wish that I could put this show higher up on the list, but since only nine episodes have aired so far, and it is still in production (Firefly and Freaks and Geeks get high placement due to premature cancellation erasing any chances of new episodes), I am forced to put it here. I'm still amazed that Pushing Daisies is still in production; quirky shows like this, with such a dark sense of humor, tend not to last very long. Bryan Fuller had two shows prior to this, both with similar personalities, and both did not last very long. But somehow, Pushing Daisies not only has survived to see a second season, it has actually become somewhat popular.

The series follows Ned, a lonely piemaker, who is gifted/cursed with the ability to bring the dead back to life with a touch. However, there are two caveats; the first is that if the reanimated being stays alive for more than one minute, something of equal size has to die to balance out the scales of life. And if Ned ever touches the resurrected again, they die again, and his touch will not bring them back again. He also works along with a PI to "solve" murders and claim the monetary reward, but things take an unexpected turn when Ned's childhood sweetheart ends up dead. He touches her to solve her murder, and makes an impromptu decision to keep her alive. Her presence unnerves the PI, saddens Ned's only employee, who harbors a crush on Ned, and doesn't make Ned's life any better since the couple can never be intimate.

The series makes frequent use of musical sequences, fast-paced banter, alliteration, bizarre coincidences and many other off-beat elements. Bright colors and landscapes are mixed in with dark stories and settings (the morgue is decorated with candy stripes), and many characters seem to have childlike innocence, but reveal complex and dark personalities. The series consistently makes me laugh uncontrollably and feel touched by the characters and situations. There are plenty of times when these seemingly conflicted reactions are based on the same scene.

The writers' strike cut short the first season, but the fact that Pushing Daisies is coming back for a second helps reaffirm my belief that sometimes, quality entertainment can survive. This series is probably the first on my list that I believe everyone should watch.

Up next: #26...