Best of the Small Screen, Limited Run Series No. 4


Over the next 24 weeks I'll be taking a look at some of my favorite TV series, broken down into three groups (Limited Run Series, Comedies, and Dramas). In my post on March 1 I laid out the ground rules for these categories and this exploration, the biggest of which is no series that are currently airing. To read the whole thing, check out the post "Best of the Small Screen" from March 1.

Today the countdown continues with another Bryan Fuller series.

Pushing Daisies (2007-2009)
Number of Seasons/Episodes: 2/22
Network: ABC
Starring: Lee Pace, Anna Friel, Chi McBride, Kristen Chenoweth, Swoosie Kurtz, Ellen Greene, and Jim Dale
Creator: Bryan Fuller
Favorite Season/Episode: 1/1.01, Pilot
About: I said last week Fuller's whole career could almost end up on this list. He was the co-creator of last week's entry, "Wonderfalls." In between he managed to be one of the few people to get a show on Showtime that wasn't renewed past two seasons, in "Dead Like Me," and he gave the world three seasons and 30 episodes of "Hannibal" on NBC. In between, he created and ran this delightful gem about a pie-maker named Ned (Pace) who has the power to bring people or things back to life with a touch. That gift isn't without its rules and consequences. But Ned breaks one of those rules to bring back his childhood crush, a girl named Chuck (Friel), setting off the series in the season one pilot. There were a lot of things I loved about this series. Its use of color was incredible. I also loved the delightful narration from Dale each week and the cast of characters. Pace, who was part of "Wonderfalls," is great in the lead role, and the trio of Pace, Friel and McBride really helped the show go. The pilot does a near-perfect job of setting the stage and pulling you into the world, and it really cemented my love for the series from the jump. The show premiered in the fall of 2007, and ran its nine-episode first season through December that year. Surprisingly the series earned a second run despite only nine episodes in season one. The second season kicked off in October of 2008, lasting 10 episodes before going on hiatus. The final three episodes aired in the summer of 2009 after the regular broadcast season. That's never a good sign, and that, indeed, was the end of the series. Still, if you like something that looks beautiful, creates a rich world and provides a true escape from everyday life, "Pushing Daisies" fits the bill.

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