TV Sucks

And so another mid-season TV restructuring (before February sweeps) brings the axe to another show. Most shows that are axed are crap. But not one, not Pushing Daisies.
Pushing Daisies was, shall we say, and acquired taste. It wasn't conventional in any way. The bright colors, quirky characters, the script, the quips and brilliant acting made me want to stick with this show from the beginning.
For those that came in last: Ned learned at an early age that if he touched something dead it would come back to life. Unfortunately, this meant something or someone else had to die in it's place. He discovered he had a two minute window of bringing someone back before someone else had to die. Then he could touch the same person again and they would die. Following, so far? Ned's childhood sweetheart, Chuck, is murdered on a cruise ship. Ned finds out, goes to the funeral and brings her back to life. The catch is that he can't touch her again, ever, or she will die again. Meanwhile, a private eye is using Ned's talent to find out from murder victims who killed them and then collecting the rewards from the grieving families. There are spinster aunts of Chuck, a crazy waitress in love with Ned and all this activity is centered around Ned's restaurant, "The Pie Hole." What's not to love? I would giggle every time I saw the marque of the restaurant.
The story lines were crazy and right out of the mind of someone like Tim Burton.
This magical show had some of the best actors in the biz and for my money were the only ones that could pull off such a wild concept show.
I am sure some stellar piece of television artistry is what did the show in like some mindless reality show. I feel the main suspect was the writers' strike and afterwards, lack of support from the network. When Pushing Daisies premiered in the fall of 2007, it was preceded by a huge advertising campaign including full length trailers in the movie theaters. When it returned in the fall of 2008 it arrived without a peep. I think the network did a disservice by not having a "re-launch" (as The Beauty Alchemist would say). Another big media blitz would have helped.
I now mourn my show. There was absolutely nothing like it on TV. The only thing that comes close would be Ugly Betty and I am sure that show is not long for TV either.
Bring on the reality shows by all means! We need more celebrity cat fight! Are you smarter than a Senator! Survivor Toledo! Real World: Richmond! Amazing Strolls!
I am sorry that Pushing Daisies was smarter than 99% of the viewing audience. Well, not really sorry because it was a bright light in TV blight - for a moment.
Mediocrity reigns on TV...as it always has.