Pushing Daisies

Hey folks! I’m still on holiday mode but I could not resist checking online to check and see what is up with our favorite show. Over Christmas, I’ve been telling friends and family about Pushing Daisies. They have yet to try viewing at least one episode. Our local cable channel will begin airing it sometime next month and of course I’ve been yakking and pushing it to them. I think I ruined their Christmas, haha!

Anyway, some fairly random news to fill the holiday void and it’s all filled with recognitions left and right!

The Globe And Mail thinks Pushing Daisies is one of the 10 shows that mattered: “Pushing Daisies managed to be arch, poignant and gorgeous…”

EW listed Pushing Daisies as the second best TV show of this season: “Pushing Daisies is a fantastically fantastical, bubble-gum-colored fable…”

The Star Telegram’s writer tried to resist but couldn’t and now has listed it as 2007’s Best: “I initially resisted this romantic fantasy about a young man who can bring folks back from the dead because of its tendency to rub your nose in its cleverness.”

Sometimes, the praise this show is receiving worries me. Why? Because they have such huge expectations to live up to come second season (if and when that should happen)! And you know how some of best television programs do terribly by Year 2. I hope this isn’t the case for Pushing Daisies.

Finally, remember Pushing Daisies winning that Best New TV show from Family Television awards? If you’ve got nothing eventful on your calendar tomorrow, watch the whole Family Television Awards ceremony on CW (December 27th 9/8c). The show is hosted by Phil Koeghan.

I’ll try to be back and post some more this week but in the meantime, have a happy, happy new year!

P.S. A reminder for those in the US — Pushing Daisies is on repeat tonight. Catch the episode on its usual time slot on ABC.

Pushing Daisies, Family Television Awards, Best TV show 2007

As it was announced two days ago, the Paley Center for Media will be giving honors to two freshmen television shows –Pushing Daisies and Gossip Girl during the annual PaleyFest celebration. The event will be held on March 14 to 27, 2008 at the historic Cinerama Dome at the ArcLight Cinemasin Hollywood. Also part of those being honored is writer/producer Judd Apatow.

The PaleyFest is named after the founder of CBS and the Paley Center, William S. Faley. It is a celebration of television for the last twenty fiver years — its culture, effects, creative process and diversified programming.

During the nights of the the festival, audience and participants will not only be able to watch the shows or perhaps get first dibs on some highlights and specials, they will also have this rare chance to come face to face, meet and ask questions from the creative team and cast of the TV series. Previous shows honored during PaleyFest include Brothers and Sisters, Grey’s Anatomy and The Office. Just look at its previous activities over here.

More details about the festival will be announced on February 4, 2008 and tickets will be on sale beginning February 7, 2008 (for members) and February 10, 2008 (for the public).

In relation to this, if you would like to become a bonafide member of the Paley Center, you will receive a number of special privileges like unlimited access to the center, advance discounted ticket sales to events such as this one, invitations to by-members only special events, complimentary admissions, and more. Check this for the rates per membership.

Pushing Daisies, Pushing Daisies Paley Fest

Big congratulations and an extra special Christmas cheer to the people behind Pushing Daisies as it wins the award for Best Comedy or Musical in the recently concluded Satellite Awards organized by the International Press Academy.

For more of the winners, please check here.

Pushing Daisies, Pushing Daisies Satellite Awards, Pushing Daisies Best Comedy

Thanks to a tip from friends of mine who know how I love both pies and Pushing Daisies, they led me to this blog where someone was kind enough to share a recipe that is closest to Charlotte Charles’ Apple-Gruyère Pie.

Tisha, the lady behind the recipe, shares that on the night she decided to return the piece of (very dry) Gruyère she bought, it was the same night of the episode where Chuck first baked a pie for her aunts, mixing Gruyère into it. And according to Tisha, the idea is a stroke of genius. She writes:

Unlike the cheddar traditionally used in pie crusts, Gruyère doesn’t turn oily and leathery when melted and cooled, but instead takes the texture of the surrounding flour. The crust holds between your teeth for just a moment, then shatters delicately into the juicy apple filling.

I know very little about baking or cooking pies. I am just an expert at eating it. And how she describes it leaves me feeling like Janine (from the episode, Dummies). I want to have that apple pie! As in, right this minute.

Anyway, here’s her recipe…and at five days before Christmas, I found it just at the right time!

3 lbs. tart red apples (Northern Spy, Romes, Empires, or Harralsons)
1/2 c. sugar
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
5 tsp. cornstarch or all-purpose flour
1 egg, lightly beaten

1 Gruyère Pie Crust–recipe

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Take dough out of fridge.
• Peel, core and slice apples into quarters. Slice each quarter thinly. Mix with other ingredients.
• Roll the larger piece of dough into a disk about fourteen inches in diameter. I use a piece of parchment paper dusted with flour to prevent sticking. Flip parchment paper over 9 inch deep dish or 10 inch glass pie plate, and ease dough into plate.
• Roll smaller piece of dough into circle twelve inches in diameter. Pile apples into pie plate, scraping any juice on top of the apples. Place smaller round of dough on top of the apples. Seal two crusts together, brush with the beaten egg, and make three parallel slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape.
• Place pie on a cookie sheet to catch any drips, put in oven, and reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Bake 50 minutes to an hour, or until you can see the filling bubbling up between the slits in the crust. Cool on a wire rack at least 20 minutes before serving.

The complete procedure is found in Tisha’s The Rice And Spice Cupboard.

Pushing Dasies, Pushing Daisies pie recipe, Pushing Daisies gruyere pie, Pushing Daisies apple pie

The facts are these:

One Charles Charles, also known as Chuck’s father, may not, in fact, be her actual father.

As Aunt Lily (one of Chuck’s father’s sisters) has revealed in the last episode — she was actually her mother. It was a fact not known to Chuck, who we last saw grieving and relieving the pain of losing her father at such a young age, all over again.

There are too many questions raising in my mind. Like….was it every established that Charles Charles and the Darling Mermaid Darlings are related…by blood? Because I would hate to think Chuck is a product of incest. I’m actually having a hard time digesting the idea of Aunt Lily being her mom, surprising as that may be. Dramatic twists are not usually the kind I subscribe to.

I speculate Aunt Lily may have been a troubled youngster once, more so troubled when she becomes pregnant out of wedlock. And with a personality disorder to boot, the responsibility of having a baby may be too much for darling Aunt Lily to bear. So, in comes Chuck’s father who steps into the role of the parent.

Gaakk! That plot sounds straight out of daytime soap (which is why we have these incredible people as writers!)

But if my speculation is a fact, the question in my mind now is this — is Chuck’s real father still alive? And if he is… who is he and who is the perfect actor to play him? I asked the same question to a friend of mine and she replied without blinking, “William Shatner”. Eh? “Cause Bryan Fuller = Star Trek = William Shatner”

I haven’t got a prime candidate so I’m throwing the same question right back at you.

Who would you like to play as Chuck’s Daddy?

Let see if we can keep this family tree interesting.

Pushing Daisies, Pushing Daisies Aunt Lily, Pushing Daisies Chuck, Pushing Daisies Chuck’s father

In my excitement over the nominations and recognitions from previous days, I forgot to include how the year-end finale of Pushing Daisies has fared in the ratings. So below is the result for Corpsicle:

1. “CSI: NY” (CBS) 14.25m
2. “Criminal Minds” (CBS) 14.17m
3. “Deal or No Deal” (8-10) (NBC) 13.17m
4. “Dateline” (NBC) 8.73m
5. “Kid Nation” (Season Finale) (CBS) 7.45m
6. “Pushing Daisies” (ABC) 6.85m
7. “Kitchen Nightmares” (Season Finale) (FOX) 6.12m
8. “America’s Next Top Model” (Season Finale) (CW) 5.49m
9. “Private Practice” (Rerun) (ABC) 4.98m
10. “Back to You” (Rerun) (FOX) 4.25m
11. “Til Death” (Rerun) (FOX) 4.18m
12. “Dirty Sexy Money” (Rerun) (ABC) 3.77m
13. “Crowned: The Mother of All Beauty Contests” (Season Premiere) (CW) 2.46m

It’s the lowest rated episode to date. Have viewers been doing their Christmas shopping that night? Those are surprisingly low numbers, not even just for Pushing Daisies. It did not help that it was the only show with a fresh episode for that night on ABC (Private Practice and Dirty Sexy Money were on reruns).

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More Awards and Recognition: The American Film Institute (or AFI) has just released its choice for Top Ten TV Series for 2007. And it isn’t surprising Pushing Daisies found its way into the list. The prestigious honor, to be presented in January 11, is just one of the many recognitions the show has earned roughly in the last seven days…the honors keep pouring.

Along with Pushing Daisies, the following shows are also listed by the AFI as this year’s best: Dexter, Everybody Hates Chris, Friday Night Lights, Longford, Mad Men, The Sopranos, Tell Me You Love Me, 30 Rock and Ugly Betty. | AFI Awards

TV Guide Entertainment writer Matt Roush has always been a Pushing Daisies fan. In fact I think he’s one of the first ones I’ve read praising this show as early as June 2007, and so naturally, he picks it as one of his Top 10 choices for this year.

And in reaction to her Golden Globe nod, Anna Friel via TV Guide says: “I’m so thrilled for Lee [Pace] and [Pushing Daisies] and myself! To get this affirmation warms my heart. I already feel so welcomed in this country!”

REPLAY OF DUMMIES: ABC is either 1) making sure fans have daisies and pies over Christmas or 2) is a planning on winning more viewers who will finally have a chance to watch TV… so if you’ve missed an episode of Pushing Daisies, or would want to start watching the show, or are planning to watch the episode again, Dummies will be replayed on December 26th on its regular time slot. In it’s first airing in October, the episode earned about 10 Million viewers in ratings.

Pushing Daisies, Anna Friel, AFI Top Ten TV Series 2007, Dummies

This week, the nominations and recognitions poured in for Pushing Daisies and I am more than ecstatic! It’s the most any new show has earned this season. There is no denying now, critics be stumped — Pushing Daisies is the number one show of 2007!

First, Time Magazine has listed Pushing Daisies as one of the Top 10 New TV Shows for this year, along with Mad Men, Flight of The Conchord and The Riches. Most shows from that line-up  come from cable television and Pushing Daisies is the only one outside of that scope since it’s carried by ABC.

Time Magazine says of the show:

It’s whimsational! It’s twee-riffic! It’s preciously precious! In this grown-up fairy-tale, a piemaker (Lee Pace) can raise the dead with a touch, but kills them if he ever touches them again. This complicates matters when he resurrects the love of his life, whom he can never kiss, at pain of her life. Playful, fantastical, and art-directed within an inch of its life in candy colors by Barry Sonnenfeld, Daisies is as romantic as it is outlandish.

Secondly, the Golden Globes nomination list that was announced yesterday came with some very good news. As those who follow television by now know, Pushing Daisies is nominated for Best TV Series - Musical or Comedy. It’s not the least bit surprising, though. Other than because the show did offer comedy and a few musicals, I think every recognition this show is receiving to date — from Best TV Show to Best Performance by An Animal-Extra (those squirrels dying in an early episode worked for me, too!) — is much, much deserved. I’m literally running out of adjectives to praise it.

Lee Pace and Anna Friel both earned actor and actress nominations from the said academy, too. I was hoping they would also give credit to anyone from the supporting cast. But that category is already full, with the inclusion of performances not just from a series, but also from a made for TV production or mini-series.

Third and last… strike or no strike, WGA is also having its annual awards early next year. The writers of Pushing Daisies (and let’s not forget to put their names down) — Chad Gomez Creasey, Dara Resnik Creasey, Bryan Fuller, Abby Gewanter, Jim Danger Gray, Lisa Joy, Kath Lingenfelter, Rina Mimoun, Jack Monaco, Scott Nimerfro, Peter Ocko — have all earned nominations for Best New TV Series. Also nominated under the same category are the writers from Damages, Mad Men, Flight of Conchords and The Sarah Silverman Program.

Golden Globes will air in January 13.
Writer’s Guild Awards will be held in February.

Congratulations to everyone responsible for making Pushing Daisies a show to truly rave about!

Pushing Daisies, Pushing Daisies awards, Pushing Daises Best TV Series, Golden Globes, Writers Guild Award, Time Magazine Best TV Show

Olive: Oh, you were very loud. After all the commotion I peeped my peeper out the peep hole.

Olive: I also heard you walking the streets and moaning her name like in a Tennessee Williams. Romantic, but not very dignified.

Narrator: Olive Snook had been delivering pies for weeks, not realizing she was a homeopathic drug mule.

Coroner: My niece gave me this sweater.
Emerson: That thing’s uglier then a chipmunk’s ass.
Ned: He means the sweater, not your niece.

Emerson: Why would somebody give somebody a Christmas sweater for Christmas? You can only wear it that day.
Ned: He means should. Only wear it that day.
Emerson: Yeah. Either you got to take off what you got on to put it on. Or you got wait another year for the next holiday season.
Coroner: Why are you going toe-to-toe with me on fashion?

Coroner: Rent feels a little light.
Emerson: Maybe you’re just getting stronger.

Vivian: Thank you very much for lighting our furnace so Charlotte’s ghost wouldn’t have to.
Ned: Am I leaving?
Lily and Vivian: Yes!

Photo courtesy of Pushing-Daisies.Com

Olive: Did he beat you?
Chuck: No.
Olive: Did he look like he wanted to beat you?

Ned: But do you hate me?
Chuck: I have to hate you a little, just for a little while. But I can’t do that if you stay.
Ned: I don’t want you to hate me, I’ll stay.
Chuck: If you stay, I’ll just end up hating you more. Just go.

Emerson: I’m a father.
Ned: As in a priest?
Emerson: As in a man… with a daughter.

Emerson: The relationship between a father and his daughter is tenuous. It’s very fragile. It could take a life time to sort out all the issues there. And what you think? You can just all “happily ever after” after just one minute? Man, you a dreamer.

Emerson: Would you quit wiggle-worting? You’re steaming up the windows and giving neighbours the wrong idea.

Ned: It’s carbon monoxide poising. Someone put a potato in our tailpipe
Emerson: Oh lord. Please tell me I ain’t dead.
Ned: You’re not dead
Emerson: I can be not dead longer than a minute?
Ned: There are no minutes involved. You’ll continue to not be dead until you’re dead. But I’ve never undeaded you at any point.

Emerson: We are giant, enormous idiots. And don’t you say ‘ginormous’ because that ain’t a word.

Corpse: If I’m dead, why are you the one with the long face? Let me guess: girl problems?
Emerson: Hell no.
Corpse: Hell yes. I can see it in his eyes.

Emerson: The wish-a-wish lady.
Ned: She’s a kill-a-killa.

Ned: You don’t have to do this, Madeleine. Please put the gun and the bat down. Or definitely the gun.

Teen: I said ladpdance, not tapdance!

Aunt Lily: I’m Charlotte’s mother.

For a recap to this episode, check this entry.
For quotes from previous episode check our Quotable Quotes section.

Where do I begin recapping tonight’s episode? There sure left us viewers with too much of everything and something to miss during the hiatus. Bryan Fuller made a couple of adjustments to this story with a cliffhanger that left my 10-year old’s mouth wide open.

But before that, I’ll get to the murder of the week first. The case tonight involved the murders of insurance agents from Uber-Life Life Insurance, who were all found frozen like popsicles (hence the title corpsicle). Ned and Emerson learns that a very bitter, but very sick teenager was denied a heart transplant by these insurance agents insurance adjusters (as one of them would like to be called), and so they make a few visits to his house. There they meet a lady from the Wish-a-Wish Foundation who was trying her hardest to make the teenager happy. She does all she can to grant his wishes, including the fact that he wished all those who have denied him the transplant he needs be dead. Desperate to grant that wish, Ned and Emerson caught Wish-a-Wish Lady just in the nick of time. She was about to kill another insurance adjuster, but ended up getting dead herself. The pet monkey she brought along with her to provide the teenager some entertainment, accidentally ran over her. In the end, it was her heart that the teenager received in the transplant.

And on to the bigger story….

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After its successful USA premiere last October 3, Pushing Daisies will soon be touching the hearts of a wider audience, as channels from Europe, Australia and Asia plan to air the series for its 2008 roster.

Australian Channel 9 is reported to have already began airing teasers for the show, promoting the series for early airing in the first quarter of next year. ITV in the United Kingdom, which is incidentally Anna Friel’s mother country, has acquired the rights from Warner Brothers to air the show in that region while Hongkong is following suit. And an early press release from a Philippine Cable channel indicated Pushing Daisies will be part of their new show line-up next year.

Canada actually airs Pushing Daisies a day earlier than USA as CTV has scheduled it for Tuesday nights, with the exception of this week’s final episode before the hiatus, Corpsicle, running on Dec. 12th at 8 PM.

Pushing Daisies, Pushing Daisies in the UK, Pushing Daisies in Australia, Pushing Daisies in Asia, Pushing Daisies in Canada, Pushing Daisies international airing

ABC has come up with another teaser to tonight’s final episode, Corpsicle. Watching it made me suddenly feel that Christmas is definitely just around the corner; and also, it made me wish ours is a Christmas that is as lovely as the set of Pushing Daisies! Isn’t it just magical? It brings such a festive mood!

But at the same time, we all know this will be the last episode. *sniff*. Based on the teasers, it looks like we’re in for some of that….sniffling, as a hurting Chuck tells an apologetic Ned “I can’t look at you…” Aww, shucks.

Sad, sad, sad…:(

After this episode, ABC is planning on airing repeats of Pushing Daisies, beginning Dec. 26. Plus, sometime today, ABC will announce its latest schedule for January to April 2008.

Pushing Daisies, Pushing Daisies teaser, Pushing Daises Corpsicle Preview, ABC

Well, this Wednesday is it….the final episode to what isn’t hopefully a very short season for Pushing Daisies.  (Bummed!) :( 

The episode this week, airing December 12th, is a follow up to what happened after Ned told Chuck about the circumstances of her father’s death.  The teaser below will show that Chuck avoids Ned and rans away from him but a fresh spoiler from E! is telling us, it will not be such a devastating news to Chuck as we would have imagined.

According to E! reporter Kristin Dos Santos (who once had a cameo appearance on the show and who has confessed to being a great fan of this series) —- “the dead father might not be so dead after all”…. Huh?? How could that be? The only way Chuck’s dad is still alive is if the one who is actually pushing daisies six feet under is not Chuck’s biological father.

Kristin also mentions another big twist in relation to Chuck’s mother, who could still be very much alive. The coming episodes, sans WGA Strike, would have to deal with major parental issues.

In the meantime, here’s what we have to look forward to this week, in the episode, Corpsicle. The episode is written by Bryan Fuller and Lisa Joy and directed by Brian Dannelly, who has also directed a couple of episode for the TV show, Weeds  —

Episode Summary: After a shocking turn of events, Ned tries to make peace with Chuck. Meanwhile, Emerson tries to get him to concentrate on their latest case, an insurance adjustor found frozen solid. And scent expert Oscar Vibenius (guest star Paul Reubens) returns, trying to figure out what’s so different about Chuck and Digby.

And here’s the teaser:

Pushing Daisies, Pushing Daisies episode guide, Pushing Daisies Corpsicle, Pushing Daisies spoiler

Are you dreading this week, the week of Pushing Daisies’ last run?

With nothing happening from the latest strike negotiations that failed last week, I’ve been hearing people say that new shows like our favorite will be very sorely affected. The long absence and the sudden hiatus might just kill the momentum. But I don’t especially buy this. I’m on a different plain altogether because the longer I wait for new episodes to come, the more I anticipate it, hence the more the momentum is piling up.

In the meantime, I’ve been pushing the show to my friends and family. My 10 year old boy is already a big, big fan and I’ve got a couple of friends hooked on it, too. What’s my pitch? Other than telling them of the fantastic story and the adorable characters, I also say there are only 12 episode to follow; the series is short and sweet. I mean, I might as well dwell on the positive to this strike, if there is any. Not every one has a firm idea how the writers’ strike affects the shows we watch, all they care is if they will be able to finish it right away. So far, for every 5 people I recommended this show to, at least one would decline and say it’s too cutesy for their taste. My simple statistic isn’t so bad, though, that’s 4 converted viewers to one, meaning — more viewers who will anticipate its return.

And of course, sites like ours will hopefully help sustain the momentum.

Anyway, the episode from two weeks ago left a cliff-hanger of sorts, with Ned finally confessing to Chuck that he “inavertedly, accidentally” killed her father. Here’s the that scene to refresh your memory, before we’ll finally know Chuck’s reaction to this revelation this Wednesday:

Pushing Daisies, WGA Writers Strike, Pushing Daisies final episode, effects of writers’ strike

I just read this unconfirmed news from TV Guide earlier. It seems Dilly Balsam might be a permanent cast addition. Ausiello writes: If you thought Molly Shannon was as much a hoot as scheming (and possible killer) taffy merchant Dilly Balsam as I did, then you’re in luck: I’m hearing there’s a chance her role could become permanent. That is, if this strike ever ends!

Before anything, I’ve rounded up what others have said about her last performance:

• IGN thought Molly Shannon did a great job.
• Televisionary writes that an “absolutely evil” recurring character is a good addition to the show: I was utterly shocked that Dilly was a murderess, even if it was revenge-based for the killing of her brother. Did anyone else absolutely howl with Dilly’s motorboat trip whilst being attacked by those Hitchcockian birds? I think we need a recurring character who is absolutely evil and hell-bent on destroying Ned and the gang.
• Remote Access thinks that the rivalry between the Pie Hole and Bitter Sweets is a clever way to highlight Ned’s handling of unpleasant situations (in which he can’t).

I find no difficulty saying that I love the addition of Dilly’s character in the show, and I simply adore Molly Shannon. But whether or not she stays put as a series regular? I personally don’t see the need for that. “Recurring” would have just been perfect. Because while this rivalry, no doubt, made an excellent story arc for the show, a permanent rivalry can have steam the first few times but it can quickly lose its novelty.

Dilly Balsam is supposed to originally appear on three episodes. Although the jury’s still out on the status of a permanent role for Molly Shannon, do viewers actually like for her character to stay put?

Pushing Daisies, Molly Shannon, Dilly Balsam