TV Revivals: Can ‘Pushing Daisies’ come back with Lee Pace, more pie?
All the way back in 2009, ABC decided to do one of its most unforgivable things and end the run of “Pushing Daisies” after just two seasons on the air. It’s the sort of move we still haven’t forgiven them for. The show was funny, poignant, romantic, and completely different than anything else on TV. It also may have been a little bit ahead of its time both visually and creatively.
For those who do not recall, the show from creator Bryan Fuller (“Hannibal,” “Dead Like Me”) starred Lee Pace as a man with a unique ability to bring people back to life by touching them. However, in doing so if he touches them again, they die once more … and if he leaves them alive longer than a predetermined amount of time, someone dies in their place. He ends up bringing a woman he cares about deeply in Chuck (Anna Friel) back to life, but then has to live an existence with her that does not involve ever touching. During the day he operates a restaurant called The Pie Hole, while he also uses his skills to solve crimes for reward money.
Now that we’ve laid the groundwork, is there any way at all that we can have this show back? That’s what we’re going to get into in the latest edition of our TV Revivals series.
How it ended – We had an ending-of-sorts that was clearly rushed knowing that the series was coming to an end, at least in that it gave some further resolution to supporting characters Emerson (Chi McBride) and Olive (Kristin Chenoweth) as they started to chart out more of their future. Also, Chuck was able to come out more from the shadows, and even the Darling Mermaid Darlings had a comeback! It was nice to see the characters end the story on a happy note, but a bummer since Fuller and the writers surely knew this was the end.
How to bring it back – The main thing “Pushing Daisies” needs above all else is consistency. Season 1 was hurt badly by the writers’ strike, which caused it to end early and not come back on the air until the fall of the next year. Had that not happened, maybe more viewers would’ve remembered the show. We propose that you bring it back, complete with some of the same whimsy, to a service like a Hulu or a Netflix where its sort of quirky charm could be utilized properly. It’s the sort of show that format-wise, you don’t have to change much and you don’t need to. Just keep the humor, and recruit great guest stars.
Could it happen? – We’d love it, but it’s unlikely so many years removed for many reasons, starting with Fuller himself. He already has “American Gods” and the upcoming “Star Trek” revival on CBS All Access on his plate, let alone the people clamoring for more “Hannibal.” If he wasn’t involved, there’s no point in bringing “Pushing Daisies” back. Meanwhile, Lee Pace has “Halt and Catch” fire plus a movie career, and many of the other main cast members are wrapped up doing movies / other shows. Maybe you could find a way to put together a few episodes or a movie, but that would be all they’d likely have time for.