Pushing Daisies - Pilot - Short Review

[galathea]

I just watched the Pilot of the new show Pushing Daisies and I have to say that I found myself utterly enchanted. My first impulse to watch the show came from its lead actor Lee Pace, with whom I fell in love when he played Jaye’s neurotic older brother Aaron in Wonderfalls. He brought such a wonderful quirkiness to that character that he left a lingering impression on me ever since, so I was thrilled to see him on his own show as a lead character. ♥



The premise of Pushing Daisies isn’t overly original, it’s the execution that sets the show apart. The show is about young Ned, who one day finds that he can bring the deceased back to life, simply by touching them, but if he touches the same person again (or the person accidentally touches him), they drop back dead. So far so good, the universe has to be balanced though, so there is a clause: if he brings someone back to life and the person doesn’t return to its death-ly status again within one minute, someone else, who happens to be in close proximity, will die instead. The discovery of his ‘gift’ turns into a troubling series of events for Ned and he finds himself 20 years later as a pie-maker with an odd occupation for his spare time: helping a private investigator uncover unsolved murders, ‘cause y’know, who knows better about how they came to kick the bucket than the deceased themselves, right? *g*

If you now think, ah Six Feet Under meets Dead Like Me, then you are quite mistaken though. The show can best be described as Roald Dahl and Lemony Snicket meet Tim Burton (Big Fish & Charlie and The Chocolate Factory era rather than Batman), add a shot of Jeunet’s The wonderful world of Amélie and you get the picture. This is not (at least not for the Pilot) about the angsty confrontation with our own mortality. It’s a colourful, bright, magical fairy tale world, with playful settings and a jaunty tune as score set in the background. The animating story of Ned is charmingly told by Jim Dale as the narrator from the off, who brings just the right amount of ironic vibe into the narration to deliver the sometimes slightly morbid voiceover for the story.

The characters are all quirky, funny and loveable and the dialogues are wonderfully light-hearted and sophisticated. The romantic subplot is very predictable from the beginning, but that’s just how these kinds of stories go, it’s part of the fairy tale and hence comes logically with the package, but Lee Pace and his childhood sweetheart played by Anna Friel hit just the right note between sweetness and playfulness without turning too sugary.

This is absolutely the show that I was looking for this season. Light-hearted, humorous fun, with a light edge and enough eccentricity to keep me interested. If you like movies like Lemony Snicket’s Series of Unfortunate Events, Tim Burton’s Big Fish or the aforementioned Amélie, this show will entertain you. If you look for drama, action and special effects this might not be your cup of tea, but I for one am curious to see if they manage to hold up the expectations and standard they set up with the Pilot!

Comments

[winterevanesce.livejournal.com]

I love Pushing Daisies! It's such a great show and I love all the characters.

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

Very true! I fell in love with every character on the spot. I am so looking forward to the rest of the season! ♥

[ehlwyen.livejournal.com]

Concerned with losing grasp with the seriousness of death considering the list of shows I'm watching this season, I decided to forgo trying out Pushing Daisies. But your review sounds so delightfully intriguing I'm tempted to try this week's episode. I did not know about the 1 minute rule so that does put the show into perspective.

For the first time, every single show I am watching this season has the likelihood of someone dying or put in harms way in each episode. (Chuck, Heroes, Smallville, Bones, Bionic Woman, and multiple SN viewings. XD ) It's depressing to step back and see how obsessed shows are with death. Human lives for the most part don't revolve around it death and I don't want my life to feel so centered around death.

Anyway, marvelous review hon!

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

Heh, I know what you mean! That's the reason why I initially didn't want to watch the show either. I love shows like Dead Like Me and Six Feet Under, but I was definitely not looking for another show that wallows in drama and death and morbid fascination with our mortality and when I read the premise of Pushing Daisies it seemed to go into the same direction, so I found myself totally surprised by the light-hearted tone of the show.

It's funny that you reacted to this review, since I would never have recommended this show to you, because I'd assume that this isn't your kind of show. Too colourful, playful and sweet for you would've been my guess. *g* Mostly probably because I read all your reviews on Pilots that you liked and none of them is anything like PD. So I am curious if this kind of show appeals to you after all! :D

Anyways, it was the first time since I discovered SN that I had the urge to re-watch something on the spot, because it made me feel so utterly content and light spirited. So I have high hopes for the show, it might be the perfect balance for SN induced anxiety attacks! *g*

[ehlwyen.livejournal.com]

Dare I ask which shows this year I could have watched to have been anything like PD? LOL!!! Seriously though, I can't say I've seen a single movie or show that you've mentioned above. *blush*

I'd say what turns me off the most from what I know of the show is that it's about solving murder mysteries. I just don't know if I can find the will to watch another of those. :( I am this close to just dropping Bones and waiting for the dvd.

It's so weird that you think of me as dark and against light and sweet feelings. Granted I love my niche of action/adventure shows, and feel compelled to at least try any relatively interesting scifi/fantasy shows. After all the other bells and whistles that draw me in, what really what it always comes down to is heart and whether the show has a positive and hopeful message or caring about its characters.

If anything, I'd say Chuck is my favorite new show just because it is upbeat and less than completely serious. The characters are all so endearing. As well as the seemingly innocent backgrounds stories of the characters just seem waiting to be revealed and intersect with current storylines. Obviously I'm rooting for it because McG and the creator of the OC are doing it, but I really feel a lot of potential in it and am delighting in the afterglow of last nights ep.

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

Dare I ask which shows this year I could have watched to have been anything like PD? LOL!!! Seriously though, I can't say I've seen a single movie or show that you've mentioned above. *blush*

See, this is why I assumed this isn't the show for you! *lol* If you haven't seen a single of those movies, you're obviously not drawn to this kind of storytelling! *tongueout*

I'd say what turns me off the most from what I know of the show is that it's about solving murder mysteries. I just don't know if I can find the will to watch another of those. :( I am this close to just dropping Bones and waiting for the dvd.

They don't solve murder mysteries, well, not the way you think of it anyways. It's far far away from procedurals or crime shows. They just awaken the (very disgruntled) deceased, asking them for their murderer, dropping them dead again and then collect the reward! It's kind of a quick opportunity to make some cash. *lol* While they do try to find out in the Pilot why Ned's long lost childhood sweetheart was killed (which would constitute as solving a murder mystery), it's done in a such unique way, I promise you, shows like Bones wouldn't even come near entering your mind! Hehe ... I don't know of course how the show unfolds and where their focus will lie in the future, but I can't wait to find out!

It's so weird that you think of me as dark and against light and sweet feelings. Granted I love my niche of action/adventure shows, and feel compelled to at least try any relatively interesting scifi/fantasy shows. After all the other bells and whistles that draw me in, what really what it always comes down to is heart and whether the show has a positive and hopeful message or caring about its characters.

Maybe it's because we found our common grounds with rather dark shows like AtS, SN and FL. Although I do know that you watch shows like OC or Passions as well, but PD is nothing like that either. Maybe you'll just sneak a peak at the ABC site for PD, 'cause I think I am not completely able to explain it further without those movie examples. *g* I do know that you love hopeful and upbeat shows/movies, I just wasn't sure if this kind of Roald Dahl-ish storytelling was your 'thing'.

Chuck is on my to-watch list, just didn't get around to see it yet. I know that you liked Bionic Woman though, which I just found horrible, to be honest. You didn't like GG, which I loved, so we have yet to find a common light-hearted show. :D

[ehlwyen.livejournal.com]

LOL! Well, most of those tv series were on cable and I'm not paying an arm and a leg to buy the dvds. And as far as the movies, I'm half of a two part team. And my husband, like many guys, not so much interested.

And yeah, I do emphasize the parts of me that I share with my husband so that we can do more things together. Spending all this time apart has been utterly weird. Usually we are inseparable.

I do love Tim Burton and, well, Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is truly an essential part of my life so that's what drew me in here.

I would never have recommended this show to you, because I'd assume that this isn't your kind of show. Too colourful, playful and sweet for you would've been my guess.

You are right that the show would probably not be my most favorite. I'm just overwhelmed that "colourful, playful, and sweet" doesn't apply to me in your mind. Fluffy? Do I at least get fluffy? XD

Oh I knew Bionic Woman wouldn't attract you. It doesn't have a strong or likeable character base. And I did mention that my Alias love probably contributed there.

I'm pretty diverse in what I like. What I don't like is things that are pretentious or oblivious. There's a narrow line of knowingness and being able to laugh at yourself that, among other things, I need.

[galathea-snb.livejournal.com]

I ♥ Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, the book as well as the Tim Burton movie!

Fluffy?! FLUFFY?!?! Uhm no, fluffy is definitely not the adjective that comes to my mind when I think of you! *tongueout* I'll give you a "good-natured, caring and optimistic" though. Would that be okay? :D