Chi McBride, Lee Pace Hope for Best in Season Two

Due to the writers' strike, fans of Pushing Daisies have been deprived of their favorite show for far too long.

Star Chi McBride recently admitted to USA Today that he's "concerned" about the potential disruptive effect of a new series being off the air for so long. He referred the newspaper to the effect of the long break on some top shows.

"The audience does not like to be fooled around with," McBride said. "You look at Grey's Anatomy's numbers when they came back — there was a huge drop-off. Eventually I think we can get them back, but these hiccups have got to stop."

Pushing Daisies won its time slot last fall, but ratings tapered late in its abbreviated run. How well viewers respond will, of course, determine the show's longevity. Like other second-chance series, it has just 13 episodes to prove itself anew, down from the 22 afforded most second-year shows.

"It's not for everyone," Lee Pace told the newspaper. "It's fairy tale-like, it's very romantic, it's very quirky. There's a very specific mark to hit with a squirrelly arrow. But luckily [creatpr Bryan Fuller's] got great taste."