Requiem for Pushing Daisies

I'm sad to say that another fine TV show, Pushing Daisies, has been cancelled prematurely. And of course I'm a fan of it.

The basic premise is that Ned, a pie maker, has the gift of bringing dead things back to life with just a touch. But if that living thing remains alive for more than one minute, something nearby of "equal" value will die permanently. And as a bonus a second touch to that living thing will kill it forever, too. So naturally Ned used the magic touch on his childhood sweetheart Charlotte ("Chuck") and now he can never touch her. They have a fanciful and developed relationship nevertheless. Ned uses his ability to assist PI Emerson Cod in solving murder cases.

What made the show great was a really lush, storybook-like visual style with myriad bright colors and scenes, fully-developed characters that were only getting richer and deeper, and above average writing. In other words it was a smart dramedy that never took itself too seriously and was thoroughly enjoyable.

After the writers' strike, Pushing Daisies stayed off the air until earlier this year and the second season - while excellent - did take a little time to warm up. I think that combo did it in, which is really too bad.

If you're in the US you can watch episodes online free at ABC's site as of this writing. Give it a go, and join me in already missing a show that's still on the air but won't be much longer.