A Push for Pushing Daisies

The great German director Werner Herzog has said that we live in an era starved of new images. In our entertainment we keep getting different versions of the same old images - car chases, explosions, etc. Furthermore, he states that if we keep seeing these recycled images, our imaginations will become deadened.

Don't get me wrong - I love me a good car chase/explosion. But I am always most excited by artists who can show me places and things that I have never seen before, things I would never even think or dream of on my own. That is one reason why I am so drawn to the films of Hayao Miyazaki. In his films he creates an entire world that I have never seen before that is so pure that it seems to have poured straight out of his imagination onto the screen. His worldview is so colorful, whimsical, and full of childlike wonder that I get irresistibly sucked in. The first time I saw Spirited Away I had a serious goosebump overload because every inch of the screen for every second of the running time was full of delightful new surprises and wonders. For weeks I told every single person I saw that they needed to go see it and I returned to the theater four more times to take new friends to experience it.

This past week I discovered a show that has captured my imagination and ignited my desire to proselytize in the same way: Pushing Daisies.

Every single episode is like a perfect little miracle - full of sights and sounds that no one has ever shown me before. Everything about it works perfectly. The color palate is bright, vivid and beautiful - like a gorgeously illustrated story-book come to life and with the most elaborately designed and terrifically imaginative sets and costumes. The writing is absolutely top notch, the performances are all fantastic (especially the bubbly and hysterically funny Kristen Chenoweth).

But what is most special about it is the tone. If you have heard any synopses of the plot, you might expect the show to play like a forensics drama with an odd supernatural twist. While the plots do revolve around forensic investigations, the show is like a forensics fairy tale. The show is sweet, romantic, quirky, whimsical, and funny. It provides me with sights and situations I have never seen before. Consider this scene:



Be honest - have you ever seen a scene where a pie shop waitress, two former synchronized swimming stars, and a resurrected dog follow a carrier pigeon that has a parrot's wing grafted onto one side, all while harmonizing to a They Might Be Giants song? This show consistently delivers wholly unexpected and delightful scenes like this that make my heart happy.

Now I know what you're thinking: "Brian, please tell me where I can watch this fabulous show!" It is currently in its second season on ABC, where it airs on Wednesday nights. I would recommend starting from the beginning - the pilot episode is the finest pilot that I have ever seen. The first season is on DVD, so you can buy it, check it out from the library, or find a friend who will lend it to you (no, I don't own it yet, but I hope to rectify that soon). You can watch all of the episodes that have aired so far from the second season for free at abc.com (click on "Full Episodes" and then "Pushing Daisies").

Hopefully many of you have already discovered this little treasure on your own. I just love it so much that I couldn't help myself from using my blog to gush about it, so I hope at least a few of you out there will decide to check it out. Trust me - you'll love it.