Jim Dale's British accent welcomes the television viewer into the warm and colorful (in every sense of the word) world that Ned, Chuck (or Charlotte), and friends inhabit in ABC's delightful comedy, Pushing Daisies. He speaks in rhyme, because quite obviously, prose is for the common television show, which Pushing Daisies is not. Every year, more series premiere and claim to be like "nothing else on TV," yet very few actually live up to that self-promoted claim. Pushing Daisies definitely lives up to that distinction. Where else can you find mystery, romance, and comedy all in the same hour? It was a gamble when ABC put it on last season, but the gamble paid off. I was afraid that the show might fall victim to the writer's strike earlier this year, but luckily ABC knew it struck gold, and brought the show back for a second season that premiered last Wednesday.
Why critics have been divided over the worth of Pushing Daisies is a mystery I wish Ned, Chuck, and Emerson could investigate. Some critics join me in lauding the series for doing something fresh and actually funny - funnier than most of the sitcoms being aired today. Others, though, criticize the show for being too saccharine, creating a fantasy world full of sugary characters without substance. Personally, I believe that anyone who thinks this has to get over themselves. Does television always have to include a broader message, complicated web of secrets, or sex and violence to be considered substantive? It's no secret that I love shows like Heroes and Lost more than most, but my head would probably implode if every single television show was like that.
Every once in a while, television needs to be a vacation. I would bet that most people watch television to escape from their everyday lives and jump into a different world. Who wouldn't want to be in a brightly hued world where people own pie shops, keep bees, and murder people in humorous, light-hearted ways? Think of how much more fun it would be to watch the news at night. Last week I wrote about people hooking up on TV, and while I don't retract any part of that column, I would be lying if I said I don't enjoy Chuck and Ned finding special ways to be intimate without actually touching each other - so that Chuck doesn't die once more. Fictional relationships do not have to be hot and steamy to be fascinating and to become emotionally invested in. So I celebrate Ned and Chuck, and Pushing Daisies in general, for finding unique ways to entertain their audience.
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