Inspiration, Basis Behind Pushing Daisies

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Give Pushing Daisies Creator Bryan Fuller points for honesty: he admits that the upcoming ABC show used a certain French movie for inspiration:

"I can definitely cop to ripping off Amelie," Fuller told The New York Daily News.

Inside the Pie Hole

But there is a difference between the foreign film and Pushing Daisies, one ABC pretty much instructed Fuller to follow; he had to figure out how to translate such dense subject matter into an easily digestible one-hour TV format.

"There definitely was not necessarily an edict, but a strong suggestion [from the network] that if the show were procedural, then it would definitely be much more digestible to audiences, and they would have a framework to allow all the more special and different things to go down easier."

Therefore, the show has been built around the concept of romance and intrigue. Each week viewers can expect an open-and-shut case regarding the various dead folks Lee Pace (who plays the life-giving-and-taking Ned) encounters via his restorative touch.

The series itself will stretch out the personal relationship between Ned and his untouchable love, Charlotte (Chuck) Charles, played by Anna Friel.

"It's not so much about celibacy as much as it is about intimacy," Fuller said of Ned and Chuck's unconsummated love. "Sometimes, physicality gets in the way of true intimacy."

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.

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Pushing Daisies Quotes

Chuck: Do you believe in reincarnation?
Emerson: Hell no. The planet's falling apart. Right now, it's the children's problem. We reincarnate, it's our problem

Vivian: Charlotte was a nice girl.
Lily: With the exception of puberty.
Vivian: Which was when Lily was going through a change of life.
Lily: Impolite to talk about one's menopause in mixed company.