Swoosie Kurtz is a veteran of television.

While she may become a new face for Pushing Daisies viewers, others have enjoyed this star's work for years. Here's a look at the awards and milestones the actress has achieved throughout her career:

Awards:

• OBIE Award Performance "The Mineola Twins" 1999
• Emmy Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series "Carol & Company" 1989 - 90
• Tony Featured Actress in a Play "The House of Blue Leaves" 1986
• OBIE Award Best Performance "The House of Blue Leaves" 1985 - 86
• Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actress "Fifth of July" 1981
• Outer Critics Circle Award Actress "Fifth of July" 1981
• Tony Featured Actress in a Play "Fifth of July" 1981
• Drama Desk Award Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical "A History of the American Film" 1978
• OBIE Award Performance "Uncommon Women and Others" 1977 - 78

Milestones:

• 2006 Cast in a revival of "Heartbreak House"; earned a Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
• 2004 Starred in Doug Hughes's play "Frozen"; received a Tony nomination
• 2004 Played Beth Huffstodt's mother on the Showtime drama, "Huff"; earned Emmy nominations in 2005 and 2006
• 2002 Appeared in "Rules of Attraction," based on the novel by Bret Easton Ellis
• 2001 Starred opposite Jake Gyllenhaal in the comedy "Bubble Boy"
• 1999 Played Dr. Regina Greenbaum opposite Ryan Phillippe in "Cruel Intentions" a modern version of Dangerous Liasons
• 1999 Returned to the NY stage as star of Paula Vogel's "The Mineola Twins"
• 1999 Co-starred in the CBS sitcom "Love & Money"
• 1997 Signed development deal for TV-movies and series with Warner Bros.
• 1996 Cast in role of a librarian in Fox series "Party Girl"
• 1996 Had recurring role of mother to Brooke Shields' title character in "Suddenly Susan"
• 1978 Primetime series debut as a regular on "Mary", a variety show starring Mary Tyler Moore
• 1977 Film acting debut in "Slap Shot"
• 1976 TV movie debut in "Ah! Wilderness"
• 1971 TV acting debut in the CBS daytime drama "As the World Turns"
• 1966 - 1970 Worked in regional theater
• Appeared as female lead in TV series "Love, Sydney"
• Played Alex on NBC's drama "Sisters"

New York Newsday recently published a keen article, questioning why so many networks emulate the success of other shows when crafting their new schedules.

Don't they know that originality always wins out?

With that in mind, the newspaper praises Pushing Daisies. There certainly isn't anything else like it on TV. Here's an excerpt from the article:

The fall's best pilot and most promising concept is, like Heroes, an invention all its own. ABC's Wednesday delight Pushing Daisies combines fairy-tale whimsy and Technicolor splendiferousness with English-accented narration (from Jim Dale) and all-American zest from an eccentric cast of characters.

It's so jauntily good-natured in its telling of a boy who grows into a man who can revive the dead with one touch - or kill them again with two - that you're not only willing but eager to swallow its absurdities.

"I suppose dying's as good as any an excuse to start living," says the boy's onetime childhood crush, after being resurrected but forbidden to touch her rescuer. That reward-seeking magic man has just as enchanting a way with resisting her advances: "I'm sort of exhausted from chasing your coffin."

Pushing Daisies looks a lot like Heroes in another respect: Its wondrous young stars - stage-acclaimed Lee Pace (Soldier's Girl, Wonderfalls) and British actress Anna Friel (Rogue Trader) - arrive in the series little-known but crisply talented and primed for greater fame.

Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth ("Wicked") co-stars as a waitress.

America will love Lee Pace.

So says a feature on E! Online, as the entertainment site counts down fresh faces on fall TV for the country to get excited about.

Here's what it says about the Pushing Daisies star:

Who He Is: The star of ABC's critically acclaimed dramedy Pushing Daisies, Lee Pace is best known so far for his work as Jaye's big brother on Wonderfalls, an earlier show from Daisies creator Bryan Fuller, and for his turn in the Showtime film Soldier's Girl.

Where to Meet Him: On Pushing Daisies, of course, the story of Ned, a gentle pie baker who just so happens to be able to resurrect the dead. Unfortunately, his power comes with strings attached, and as a consequence, he is forever forbidden to touch the love of his life: a girl named Chuck (Anna Friel).

She was dead once, you see, and he brought her back to life by his magic touch, and should he ever touch her a second time, she would die forever, never to return. Ah, the road of TV love never did run smooth.

Why You'll Love Him: He's smart, sweet and thoughtful, not to mention dead sexy.

Pushing Daisies may not premiere on ABC until October 3... but you can watch a snippet from the pilot now.

Sorry, we mean the Pie-lette.

Here's the opening sequence of the episode:

Lee Pace may be a relative unknown at the moment - but that should all change once Pushing Daisies becomes a hit.

Therefore, we wanted readers to get to know this actor a bit more before he's a household name.

The actor was born in Oklahoma, but spent parts of his childhood living overseas with his family. While studying in the States, he got involved in regional theater and was accepted to the prestigious Juilliard School.

Early on, Pace was a stage star, featured in plays such as Romeo and Juliet, King Richard III and Juliu Caesar. After receiving his BFA, Lee made his professional stage debut in the off-Broadway play The Credeux Canvas.

A year later, it was on to television and the Showtime original movie A Soldier's Girl, based on a true story. Pace received was nominated at the Golden Globes, Gotham Awards and the Independent Spirit Awards for his portrayal of transgendered nightclub singer Calpernia Addams.

In 2004, Pace landed a role on the Fox dramedy Wonderfalls. While the show gained a cult-following, it only lasted half a season. The actor's reputation was cemented, however, and he went on to star in well-received features Infamous and The Good Shepherd.

Lee Pace Awards:

Golden Globe
2003 Best Supporting Actor (TV Movie): A Soldier's Girl
Independent Spirit Award
2003 Best Actor: Soldier's Girl

Here is a series of promo pics of the Pushing Daisies cast, recently released by ABC:

Lee Pace stars as Ned.

Swoosie Kurtz stars as Lily.

Anna Friel stars as Chuck.

As Pushing Daisies moves along, fans might get annoyed by one tidbit: Will Ned and Chuck truly never kiss?

Considering the fact that any re-touching of his deceased love will cause her to die, it seems reasonable to assume that this will be a never-ending, possibly-annoying story line on the show, right?

Not entirely, claim creator Bryan Fuller and star Lee Pace.

They gave The Chicago Sun-Times a brief glimpse into one Pushing Daisies spoiler: how will these two lovers ever connect?

Fuller does say he's "steering right into" the unrequited love frustration: "We're doing an episode that's a procedural," he told the newspaper, "with dog breeders. So Chuck and Ned are surrounded with sex."

But they won't be able to actually have any themselves, right? Pace points to episodes that will see the couple using unsexy "prophylactics," such as when they kiss covered in Saran Wrap or wearing protective suits.

Like bear suits?

"I don't think we'll get that kinky," Pace said.

"Them dancing in bee suits, with bees swarming around them, is more our speed," Fuller said.

We now continue with the interview we started yesterday, courtesy of the Televisionary. Let's hear from Pushing Daisies co-stars Chi McBride and Kristin Chenoweth...

Q: You've become known for your dramatic work in such series as Boston Public and The Nine, so what is it like playing a more comedic character?
McBride: I actually started out in comedy in series like The John Larroquette Show and Married with Children and didn't get to do drama until [David E.] Kelley. In this business, you get pigeonholed and have to educate and re-educate people about what you can do. I went out for a part in Undercover Brother and had people say that Chi's not funny. What drew me to [Pushing Daisies] was a single line of Emerson's: "You couldn't have just scooted back?"

The part is closer to me, he's always got a smart line. I read a lot of mindless, vacuous scripts and wanted to do a smart TV comedy like Seinfeld or Frasier. It's a no-brainer opportunity to show another side of you.

Q: What excites you most about the series?
McBride: I really love the cast; I couldn't pick a favorite. I have great chemistry with Lee Pace and love the chemistry we share. Emerson is a guy with questionable morals. His main goals are to make money and go home. Lee's character is more empathetic but distant due to his power to bring the dead back to life; he's damaged and looks to Emerson as a father figure.

I really like the way [Bryan Fuller] juxtaposes the way Emerson looks at life with the way Ned does. I knew what this series could be when I read the script and, as soon as I saw Barry [Sonnenfeld] in the room, I knew what it would become. It turned out even better than I imagined.

Q: What's Emerson's back story?
McBride: I had lunch with Bryan [Fuller] and pitched an idea of why Emerson became a private investigator. All of the elements of Emerson's dark/sardonic nature are a cover for something. I told Bryan why I thought Emerson was the way he was and Bryan loved it. The [Pushing Daisies] comic actually deals a little bit with Emerson's story.

And here is what Kristin Chenoweth had to say...

Q: Will you be singing on Pushing Daisies?
Chenoweth: I don't want to sing just because it's gratuitous and expected. But I WILL be singing. It's a sad moment and it involves the dog. Olive just can't understand why she can't get the guy and she's a girl who always gets the guy.

Q: What's it like working with the rest of the cast?
Chenoweth: The dynamic between Anna and Lee is awesome. Usually there's a sour grape in the bunch but there just isn't here.

Q: Do you feel that ABC is behind the series?
Chenoweth: We're very nervous about being the prom queen, we all just want to do our thing. We're very excited about the show. I've been the recipient of when the network really is behind the show and when they're not and ABC is definitely behind this show. I did a show a few years ago called Kristin on NBC and they canceled it after four episodes and replaced it with Fear Factor. At the time I said that Fear Factor would never last. Shows what I know.

We know, we know: the Pushing Daisies season premiere hasn't even aired yet.

So how can we have insight into the show's second episode? We're just that good.

Therefore, consider this your Pushing Daisies spoiler alert, as we briefly summarize the events in "Dummy:"

• Ned revives Bernard Slaybaugh, an auto safety specialist who was murdered. While Bernard doesn't know who killed him, he does know he wants Ned and Chuck to tell a woman (Jeanine) that he loved her.

• Ned also accidentally revives a woman who died while on a ferris wheel and learns that she had donated her body to science.

• Meanwhile, Ned's power is shown through flashbacks to his childhood, including an incident involving the dissection of frogs in school.

• Ned, Emerson (Chi McBride) and Chuck later visit the morgue to inspect the body of a victim of a car accident. It's a 45-year old man who specialized in automobile safety.

The police are offering a reward to anyone who can find the killer; so, naturally, Emerson wants answers in order to get the reward.

Chuck asks the wrong questions of the (formerly) dead victim, nearly running out the clock on how long they can keep him alive, but the trio manages to get the information they need in time. With the assistance of Ned, the victim reveals that ia crash test dummy is responsible for his death.

• Olive sings to Ned's dog, Digby, foreshadowing her feelings for our beloved main character.

Pushing Daisies was a hit at Comic-Con in July. During that time, the Televisionary sat down with a few of the show's cast members.

Here's a look at what Lee Pace and Anna Friel had to say:

Q: How did you get involved with Pushing Daisies?
Pace: Bryan [Fuller] created the part with me in mind. I was not looking to do TV this year but asked my manager for a copy of the script and called Bryan up, who said, "I wrote it with you in mind." I really wanted to work with Barry [Sonnenfeld, who directed the pilot]. While the pilot is great, it just keeps getting better and better with the episodes I've read already.

Q: What excites you most about the series?
Pace: Really, the character's relationship with Chuck and the psychology of the character. Getting to mine life and death in a profound way. Also, with the show's procedural element, every eight days, you dive into a new world. The episode we're shooting right now is a total caper with a Scooby-Doo feel.

Q: What are the challenges of playing a semi-comedic character?
Pace: Basic acting works. Ned doesn't think he's funny so it's about playing the reality of the character. He's not cracking jokes. It's about the pathos of the moment and the idea that it's the reality of being able to touch something and bring it back to life. There are moral obligations with Ned's condition, an appetite for life and death. Chuck makes him feel like life is good, especially because we only have one life.

And here are a few words from Friel...

Q: Why did you decide to make the leap to American television?
Friel: I had sixteen movies under my belt, Broadway, and the West End and wanted to broaden my palette of work. I came over to LA to change agents and it happened to be pilot season. I read the pilot script and was struck by how joyful and playful Chuck was. I didn't want to play the girl on the arm of some guy and US television creates the best hooks for its characters.

Q: How similar or dissimilar to your character Chuck are you?
Friel: I'm much more anxious than Chuck. I worry about things and certainly don't wake up every day feeling that it's a fresh start and a beautiful day. (Though I should.) Unlike most of the roles I've played in the past, I wasn't able to channel that mood and anxiety into the character and had to get into a different frame of mind. As for similarities, Chuck lets me express the fun, quirky side of my personality. But there is one big thing that's not similar. Unlike Chuck, I'm not American.

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