Thursday, October 11, 2007

the cutest couple on TV

The cutest couple on TV comes from the best new show on TV: Pushing Daisies. If you haven't seen it, it's a quirky, beautifully produced kind of gothic fairy tale romance thriller about a pie maker who can wake the dead by touching them, but only for a minute, or else someone else will die in their place. So what happens when his childhood sweetheart is murdered on a cruise ship? Watch and see. I just love the weird tone, bright colors, awesome production values (it LOOKS like a movie, kind of Tim Burtony, and reminds me even a little of Babe: Pig in the City, lookswise), awesome writing, and total sweetness. Ned & "Chuck" are just the cutest, and their yearning for each other is easily the most romantic thing on TV.

Here's the trailer for last night's episode:


And here are some pics. Look at the colors!

There have been 2 episodes so far, and if you haven't seen them you can download them at abc.com, somehow -- don't ask me how. Oh, and teeny tiny adorable Kristin Chenoweth from Wicked is on it, and also Swoozy Kurtz, who plays a mermaid who lost an eye to flying cat litter. It's that kind of show -- in a good way!

We tried to watch a few other new shows, like Bionic Woman and Reaper, but they didn't take. They were pretty lame, actually. We've even forsaken all but two old shows we were watching, including Heroes, which has gotten super boring and lame (See Jim's interpretation of this season's Heroes here.) So now all that's left is: The Office, 30 Rock, and Pushing Daisies. I hope it stays good, and ABC better not cancel it!!! By the way, the star of Pushing Daisies was the brother in the awesome-but-canceled Wonder Falls on Fox. If you haven't seen that, I would Netflix it even though it was canceled -- they managed to wrap up a satisfying story arc before going off the air and it too was so weird and yet sweet. I love that!

14 comments:

Sara said...

Hey, thanks for the recommendation, Laini. When I heard people talking about this show, I thought it was on HBO, which I don't get. I'll try to catch up with back episodes. It looks great.

I agree on Heroes, BTW. I tried to stay interested, but...

Jim Di Bartolo said...

Let's hope the weird tone and quirkiness won't cause people to tune out. Even though we've only seen part of one episode of "Ugly Betty" it seems like there's a potential viewership for quirky/weird based on that show's success, so let's hope it translates to "Pushing Daisies" which pretty much had me hooked within minutes.

Smooch!
Husbles

Liz B said...

I'm going to start watching this one (and I think the first couple of eps are available on line for me to catch up.)

Do you have HBO? Even if not, just keep this in mind when it comes out on DVD: Five Days, made jointly by HBO and BBC. Set in the UK, it's five episodes covering five days in a missing persons investigation; the days are scattered (day one, day three, etc.) I've watched the first two episodes and its great TV, leaves me guessing, and shows the POV of the different characters, from the press, the police, the family, bystanders, etc.

Laini Taylor said...

Hi Liz -- my dad told me about that one too. We'll have to wait for El Netflix. If we could just buy HBO by itself without all the other crud, we would. Why CAN'T we??

Anonymous said...

Dudette,

I think maybe this TV show was made for you. I can't wait to see it!

And for the opposite experience of non-color and anti-sweetness have you guys seen Black Books? It is Netflixable!

Deb R said...

I'm with you on Pushing Daisies - I think it's fabulous! I'm worried about it making it for long though, based on a lot of the buzz I've been seeing on various sites online. It seems to me that for every one of us who loves the quirkiness of it, there are a dozen other people who totally don't get the show at all. I read several comments this morning on one review site where people were annoyed with the narration (one of my favorite things about the show!) and were saying things like how "stupid" it is that there was a car running on dandelions or that Olive (Kristen Chenowith) burst into song at The Pie Hole, and more. It was very disheartening to realize how many people were totally missing the point.

Have you tried Journeyman? I like that one a lot too. It reminds me of the book The Time Traveler's Wife. Of course, that said, you probably shouldn't bother because that means it probably won't make it either!!!

Katie said...

How funny Laini - I love this show too! Especially because of how it looks visually and the guy that narrates is the same guy that read the audiobook Peter and the Starcatchers - I think. (listen to that book on tape - you'd love it.)

Anyway, I hope it survives - I am always on edge worrying that he'll bump into Chuck or his dog accidentally and kill them -ha!

Laini Taylor said...

Ha ha -- Katie, I KNOW. I kept wishing Chuck would wear long sleeves or something. It seems so precarious!

And Deb, I'm so sorry to hear that people are so DIM with such bad taste! I love the narrator, and I loved the musical number. It was so touching. I guess what America really wants though is another police procedural or another comedy about a dysfunctional marriage where the husband is a doof and the wife is way too hot for him! Or, something with sex and stabbing and autopsies! Well, I guess Pushing Daisies does have bodies in morgue drawers. Is that not enough to satisfy the masses?

Annie Jeffries said...

I haven't caught Pushing Daisies yet but now that you have used the words querky and Tim Burton, I will have to drop in. Thanks for the "push".

Anonymous said...

My hubby and I have been downloading Pushing Daisies so that we can watchit here in France.

I like the show a lot, but was a but suprised that is swiped so many ideas from Jean Pierre Jeunet, the director of Amelie, Delicatessaen and The City of Lost Children.

Oh well, imitation is the highest form of flattery, eh? I still like the show. And WhatsHisName, the lead actor, is a cutie pie.

Deirdre said...

I LOVE this show. We've watched both episodes and laughed all the way through each time. Out loud. It reminds us of the old Fractured Fairy Tales cartoons. (Which are also available on Netflix.) I haven't had this much fun with a t.v. show since Buffy ended.

Anonymous said...

Have you noticed how isolated the characters are? Even when they are in the company of others?

I think the show is brilliant. A wonderful hour spent.

Bianca

Anonymous said...

I read this post last Thursday, clicked over to abc.com and watched both episodes on there - and now I'm hooked! Just when I thought I had kicked the TV habit. I can handle an occasional show every now and then - I can stop anytime I want... :)

smileynann said...

Try CHUCK on NBC -- it's so funny! My husband is a computer guy, so the humor really appeals to us.