ABC Kills Pushing Daisies, Further Proves Ignorance of Network TV

by Josh Roth @ 1:34 pm December 28th, 2008

Let’s be honest with ourselves, it was nothing short of a miracle that Pushing Daisies was renewed for a second season in the first place. But that doesn’t mean it was any less devastating to find out that it wasn’t being picked up for a whole season this year. It’s a perfect example of a show that is too good for network television. It’s heartwarming, charming, clever, and tragic all in the span of one hour-long episode. I have been watching the show religiously since I caught the pilot early two summers ago. I shouldn’t be surprised that in a world where Dollhouse is given a Friday ‘death slot’, and shows like TMZ are renewed for another two seasons, that gems like Pushing Daisies get shafted, but I think the fact that this show survived for two seasons make its death that much more tragic.

Pushing Daisies is the brainchild of Bryan Fuller, of Dead Like Me, Wonderfalls, and Heroes (season one, when it was terrific, not mediocre) fame. I first found Bryan Fuller with Dead Like Me, his other death-defying fantasy show that aired on Showtime, on DVD. Fuller really is a genius when it comes to story telling. His characters are deep, his dialogue is witty, and he has an uncanny ability to use fantasy elements in dark and new ways.

Of course this is only the latest example of  network television killing a show before its time. Every once in a while a show comes along that is so out of the box, so incredibly creative and wonderful that it just can’t last. Fuller’s creations in particular tend to not be well received by the networks, Wonderfalls and Dead Like Me were both also cut short. Hopefully Pushing Daisies will live on in DVD and comic books. Joss Whedon’s Firefly, yet another show I sorely miss, found new life with its DVD release, prompting a feature film (Serenity) to wrap up the storyline.

All we can do now is spread the word of Pushing Daisies, and hope that people will find it on DVD. So go and tell your friends, show them a few episodes and get them hooked. Isn’t this show worth saving??