Pushing Daisies: Season One

November 24, 2021 6:28 AM - Season 1 (Full Season)

Ned (Lee Pace) possesses a rare gift -- the ability to restore life to the dead -- with a touch. He puts his power to good use, helping an investigator (Chi McBride) solve murders by reviving the victim and asking the deceased to name the killer. Complications arise when Ned brings his childhood sweetheart, Chuck (Anna Friel), back from the dead with the intention of keeping her alive. There's just one snag: If Ned ever touches Chuck again, she goes back to being dead, for keeps.

Created by Bryan Fuller. Currently streaming in the US on HBO Max.

posted by DirtyOldTown (13 comments total)

Some of the CGI aged pretty badly, and this is still twee as fuck, but it's pretty adorable.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 6:29 AM on November 24, 2021

What is it with Bryan Fuller and death anyway?
posted by wabbittwax at 7:40 AM on November 24, 2021

The one thing about rewatching this now that is realizing that, while it is sad it was canceled too soon, had it continued, there is about an 85% chance Fuller would have quit and the show would have been taken over by meatheads and ruined.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:45 AM on November 24, 2021 [5 favorites]

Bummer this is on HBO Max. I'd love to do a rewatch with y'all. I loved this show to death, and count it as my #1 most-missed casualty of the writers strike.
posted by Thorzdad at 10:11 AM on November 24, 2021

I loved this show so much.

At some point someone pointed out that Ned the Piemaker's last name was most likely Edwards, given how names went on the show, and that amused me.

Darned if Ned and Chuck didn't make that relationship work, under the circumstances!
posted by jenfullmoon at 11:22 AM on November 24, 2021

“Contraptions” still makes me chuckle. Best line reading of a single word, ever.
posted by Mr. Excellent at 11:37 AM on November 24, 2021

Great show, mired by the ever present studio executive problems.

DOT above is right, this was twee as fuck. Easily the twee-est show I've ever watched regularly.

Pace and Friel had good chemistry, the guest stars were mostly good and the plot worked for some reason.

Still kinda miss it.
posted by Sphinx at 1:39 PM on November 24, 2021 [1 favorite]

well now I want pie
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 5:02 PM on November 25, 2021 [3 favorites]

Yeah I don't know what it is about pie, but this show and the movie Waitress are some of my primo cozy rewatch viewing.

Agreed that it is both a travesty yet probably for the best that this never got a second season.
posted by the primroses were over at 8:19 AM on November 26, 2021

Ack, and by 2nd I obviously mean 3rd, I blame the turkey hangover and the fact that the seasons are quite short for US broadcast seasons.
posted by the primroses were over at 8:41 AM on November 26, 2021

An absolutely magical show. The narration was brilliant, too.
posted by davidmsc at 9:36 AM on November 26, 2021

A wonderful experiment, but there was no way it could have continued and still been wonderful. The excessive narration was quickly becoming grating, as was the ridiculousness. It probably would have been perfect if it had been planned for just one season or two or 6-10 episodes and then given a proper finale.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 5:52 AM on November 27, 2021 [1 favorite]

What is it with Bryan Fuller and death anyway?

I saw Bryan Fuller interviewed at a festival once, and the interviewer asked some version of this question. He said he grew up in a small town with a suspected active serial killer.
posted by showbiz_liz at 6:10 PM on November 29, 2021 [1 favorite]