Warner Bros. Television Distribution, Living Dead Guy Productions
After two seasons, 22 episodes, and a writers strike, Pushing Daisies, the series about Ned, a pie maker/re-animator who is in love with Chuck, his once-dead childhood girlfriend, had come to its premature end.
Created by Bryan Fuller, the show had me from the ‘Pie-lette’ with the vindication of a dog named Cantaloupe and a change of luck for Lonely Tourist Charlotte Charles of Couer d’Couers. Absolutely charming. And while death is a big part of the show, it’s not morose or gory. It’s a colorful, comical version of death, largely courtesy of the fantastical creations by head make-up artist, Todd Macintosh. Also fantastical is Ned’s pie shop, The Pie Hole, whose facade is in the shape of a pie and inside, illuminated by oversized cherry lamps. For the architectural buffs, Ned lives with his dog Digby, next door to his not-so-secret-admirer Olive Snook in the Los Angeles landmark, The Bradbury Building.
The characters are a playful mixture of happiness and trepidation, real and magical – a pie maker who’s an re-animator, an investigator who's a knitter, a dead girl who’s alive, and her aunts, the synchronized swimming duo, The Darling Mermaid Darlings, who are shut-ins with an affinity for exotic cheeses.
Lush and delightful, this show came to life with an eclectic cast, whip-smart writing and absolutely visually stunning, swoon-worthy production design by Michael Wylie. You’ll be hooked faster than you can say gruyere-baked pie crust.