The Pushing Daisies Insider staff is preparing for the exciting series premiere this Wednesday.
With that in mind, we’ve officially posted our Pushing Daisies Forum page.
Check it out HERE and NOW and talk with other fans about the pilot - sorry, “Pie-lette” - as well as actors Lee Pace, Anna Friel and the entire cast.
Enjoy!
Lee Pace isn’t exactly complaining that Pushing Daisies is receiving such critical praise. But there is one drawback to such acclaim: pressure.
“If I’m feeling good, I’m very grateful for that,” the actor recently said in an interview with Zap2it. “Some days, though, it makes me nervous, like, ‘Oh, God, I hope we don’t mess it up.’”
We doubt they will. Meanwhile, the actor took readers inside the character of Ned a bit.
“From the beginning moments of the pilot, (Ned has) created a place that he understands,” Pace said. “He can give people fresh pie and goodness and be a generous person within a small world.
“Then he brings Chuck back to life, and his entire world is blown open. He learns something new, I think, in every episode about how to enjoy his life, how to make other people’s lives a better place. That’s the big psychology, I think, behind his gift, in that … it’s a tricky one, one that comes with a consequence and a dilemma.”
Speaking of Chuck - or Anna Friel, the actress that portrays her - how does this British star feel about really making a splash in the United States?
“I was a little bit frightened because I never had done quite this style of acting before, where it’s a little bit and there’s a lot of comedy involved,” she said. “But I thought, ‘I’m going to choose the thing that scares and challenges me the most.’ I loved the whole fairy-tale essence of it all, and I thought it was the most exciting script I had seen in a very long time.
“Chuck is just a wonderful character. I mean, she makes honey for the homeless and she’s been raised by these two extremely mad aunts and learned several languages and read thousands and thousands of books. That’s a great start for a character.”
In an article on TV Scoop listing five British actors bound for glory in the States, a certain Pushing Daisies star topped the rankings.
Here’s what it said:
1. Anna Friel
Still best known for smooching with a lady as Beth Jordache on British soap Brookside, Anna Friel is set to bid for US stardom in Pushing Daisies. This new offering from Bryan Fuller has been described by Friel’s co-star Kristen Chenoweth as “phantasmagorical” and she could be onto something.
Following in the footsteps of other big concept shows such as 24, Lost and Heroes, Pushing Daisies centers on pie maker Ned who discovers he can bring the dead back to life with one touch. This somewhat unorthodox party trick proves useful when the love of his life Chuck (Friel) dies.
The only problem is that once revived, Ned cannot touch the person again otherwise they will die for good.
We can’t imagine why anyone would ever miss an episode of Pushing Daisies.
But we suppose life events can’t be changed or delayed sometimes. With that in mind, here’s good news about where you can watch new episodes of Pushing Daisies after 8 p.m. on Wednesdays…
ABC and AOL recently announced that they’ll partner up to stream full episodes of various network shows on AOL Video. This new partnership will cover the majority of ABC’s primetime content, including new shows such as Pushing Daisies and Dirty Sexy Money.
AOL Video will offer the videos a day after the TV premiere. Typically, four episodes per series will be available at any given time.
What’s our favorite part of Pushing Daisies so far?
Aside from the dynamite casting, unique look of the show and overall mix of romance, humor and mystery?
Gotta be the episode titles. The first offering - which is just a week away! - is called “Pie-lette.” That’s pure genius. Here’s a look at the first eleven names:
Pie-letteHow can you not get excited about a series with episode titles such as these?!?
We’ve already reported that Kristin Chenoweth will be appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live on October 16. Turns out the actress will also sit down with Jay Leno on October 2.
And we hope you drink some coffee with dinner that night. Because Chi McBride will be on the Late Late Show with Conan O’Brien on the same date.
Also, Lee Pace (pictured here as Ned) is scheduled to appear on ABC’s The View on Pushing Daisies premiere day, Wednesday, October 3. Check local listings for times.
Finally, Barry Sonnenfeld (director/executive producer) stops by The Late Show with David Letterman on Monday, October 1.
Barry Sonnenfeld has been involved with past television projects, such as The Tick. But those shows failed to find an audience - and the director admits that was largely due to his lack of attention on them.
But, not to worry Pushing Daisies fans, that won’t be a problem this time around.
“I get dailies, I talk to the visual-effects people, I read scripts, I e-mail the actors about how to stay in character,” he said. “The lesson I’ve learned is, if I love a show and I want it to succeed, then I need to stay involved on every level.”
Anna Friel stars as Chuck.
Of course, Sonnenfeld doesn’t take all the credit for the show’s advance buzz, giving credit to ABC’s marketing-savvy Entertainment president, Stephen McPherson.
“I’ve directed movies that have had fewer billboards and TV ads than Pushing Daisies,” he said. “Stephen has been great to work with.”
Along with Pushing Daisies, Sonnenfeld also is overseeing ABC’s Notes From the Underbelly.
Here’s a quick Kristen Chenoweth note to pass along:
The Pushing Daisies star will be a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live Monday night, October 16. We’ll be tuning in for sure.
Bryan Fuller, the man behind Pushing Daisies, is a Washington native.
Therefore, he was recently featured in The Seattle Times, discussing his motivations for the show and the good fortune that has enabled him to get it on the air. Here are excerpts from the article:
At a computer dotted with action figures and surrounded by the Addams Family Values soundtrack music, Bryan Fuller created the most original, should-be-a-hit new TV show of the fall.
ABC’s Pushing Daisies tells the story of magical, whimsical, romantic pie-maker Ned. Ned grew up in small-town Coeur d’Coeur and, as a boy, he discovered he could resurrect the dead.
Fuller, 38, is an ordinary human, but with unique talents of his own. His vivid imagination was birthed, in all places, teensy Clarkston, Wash. (population: 18,000. Go Bantams!). He was the youngest of five in a household dominated by the letter B: electrician dad Buck; floral designer/housewife Betty; and siblings Brad, Brenda, Becky and Brett.
And, no offense to friendly, sunny Clarkston, but there wasn’t even a movie theater in town. So the kid who thrived on watching “The Twilight Zone” and who’d read sci-fi books under the covers even though it was bedtime used to hop on his bike and cross the Snake River to twice-as-big Lewiston, Idaho, to catch a flick.
Clarkston, with its paper mill, Arby’s and Taco Time, lacked oomph. And from early on, Fuller itched to leave: “I knew I was going to. I just hadn’t charted the escape route yet.”
A talent for tracking
When he was about 15, Fuller hoped his ticket out might be Anne Rice. Yes, Rice, who penned the story of fabulous, immortal Lestat in her cult book, Interview With A Vampire.
Click here to read the full article.
Based on the opening scene of the Pushing Daisies premiere, we know things don’t go so well for Ned’s dog, Digby.
Below, though, is a screen cap of Ned and his best friend before tragedy strikes.
Fast forward the Pie-lette, and Ned is a lot older. He’s also fixated on a strawberry:
