Pushing Daisies – Season 1
Reviewer: Lee Griffiths
Issue 106 August 2008
(2 votes, average: 9 out of 10)
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Bringing the dead back to life.
The Lowdown: As a young boy, Ned discovered that he was able to bring people back to life with one touch, though if they’re revived for more than a minute, someone dies in their place! Now, many years later, Ned has teamed up with a private investigator to tackle a series of seemingly unsolvable crimes.
Review: It was unfortunate that Pushing Daisies was doomed to a fate on ITV, where it was broadcast after ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ and gradually lost viewers with each passing episode (something which wasn’t helped by the fact the network decided to simply not air the second episode). You can’t help but feel that any other channel would have seen the show achieving the attention it so rightly deserves.
Imagine Amelie (2001) being shoved through Warner’s TV grinder together with ‘CSI’, and you’ll have an idea of the kind of show Pushing Daisies is. From the creative minds of Bryan Fuller (‘Heroes’, ‘Dead Like Me’) and Barry Sonnenfeld (Get Shorty, Men In Black), the show’s oddly endearing appeal kicks in from the word go. The pilot provides the background info on Ned, his bizarre ability and why he uses it on his childhood sweetheart (Anna Friel, with flawless American accent) when he hears of her death on the news. To be fair, it’s an awful lot of absurdity to be swallowing from an introductory episode. However, with the 40-minute opening delivering such a sweet and vibrant slice of standout entertainment, you’ll want to follow the show through to its season finale (there are nine episodes in all).
Bright, funny and hugely inventive, the oddball series features terrific narration from Jim Dale and top notch performances across the board (the excellent Kristin Chenoweth even treats us to a musical number in episode 2). While the murder/mystery elements tend to be a little flimsy, the show’s lively spirit and glorious visuals (looking spectacular on DVD) help maintain momentum, though the lack of any special features in this box set is a huge disappointment.
FILM: 7
EXTRAS: 1
DVD Info:
Certificate: 15
Starring: Anna Friel, Lee Pace, Jim Dale
Directed By: Various
Distributor: Warner Home Video
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1
Visuals: 16:9 Anamorphic Widescreen
Running Time: 380 mins
Price: £29.99
Special Features:
Episode Selection
August 21st, 2008 at 10:27 pm
this series was a total suprise - quirky and entertaining, i really enjoyed it. on dvd you get to see the episode the idiots at itv left out!! this is worth getting for that alone. enjoy it (don’t worry about the lack of special features- you’d only watch them once!)
September 4th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
This is definitely a “Marmite” type programme - I loved it, my OH couldn’t be bothered! His loss
The only downside is the fact he makes lots of pies, made me hungry all the time!
September 16th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
Enjoyed the first few episodes, but then became boring, same all thing all the time