Pushing Daisies

Barry Sonnenfeld has been involved with past television projects, such as The Tick. But those shows failed to find an audience - and the director admits that was largely due to his lack of attention on them.

But, not to worry Pushing Daisies fans, that won't be a problem this time around.

"I get dailies, I talk to the visual-effects people, I read scripts, I e-mail the actors about how to stay in character," he said. "The lesson I've learned is, if I love a show and I want it to succeed, then I need to stay involved on every level."

Anna Friel stars as Chuck.

Of course, Sonnenfeld doesn't take all the credit for the show's advance buzz, giving credit to ABC's marketing-savvy Entertainment president, Stephen McPherson.

"I've directed movies that have had fewer billboards and TV ads than Pushing Daisies," he said. "Stephen has been great to work with."

Along with Pushing Daisies, Sonnenfeld also is overseeing ABC's Notes From the Underbelly.

Here's a quick Kristen Chenoweth note to pass along:

The Pushing Daisies star will be a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live Monday night, October 16. We'll be tuning in for sure.

Bryan Fuller, the man behind Pushing Daisies, is a Washington native.

Therefore, he was recently featured in The Seattle Times, discussing his motivations for the show and the good fortune that has enabled him to get it on the air. Here are excerpts from the article:

At a computer dotted with action figures and surrounded by the Addams Family Values soundtrack music, Bryan Fuller created the most original, should-be-a-hit new TV show of the fall.

ABC's Pushing Daisies tells the story of magical, whimsical, romantic pie-maker Ned. Ned grew up in small-town Coeur d'Coeur and, as a boy, he discovered he could resurrect the dead.

Fuller, 38, is an ordinary human, but with unique talents of his own. His vivid imagination was birthed, in all places, teensy Clarkston, Wash. (population: 18,000. Go Bantams!). He was the youngest of five in a household dominated by the letter B: electrician dad Buck; floral designer/housewife Betty; and siblings Brad, Brenda, Becky and Brett.

And, no offense to friendly, sunny Clarkston, but there wasn't even a movie theater in town. So the kid who thrived on watching "The Twilight Zone" and who'd read sci-fi books under the covers even though it was bedtime used to hop on his bike and cross the Snake River to twice-as-big Lewiston, Idaho, to catch a flick.

Clarkston, with its paper mill, Arby's and Taco Time, lacked oomph. And from early on, Fuller itched to leave: "I knew I was going to. I just hadn't charted the escape route yet."

A talent for tracking
When he was about 15, Fuller hoped his ticket out might be Anne Rice. Yes, Rice, who penned the story of fabulous, immortal Lestat in her cult book, Interview With A Vampire.

Click here to read the full article.

Based on the opening scene of the Pushing Daisies premiere, we know things don't go so well for Ned's dog, Digby.

Below, though, is a screen cap of Ned and his best friend before tragedy strikes.

Fast forward the Pie-lette, and Ned is a lot older. He's also fixated on a strawberry:

In earlier Pushing Daisies spoilers, we took you inside episode two.

Now, here are a couple pictures from the hour entitled "Dummy," courtesy of Pushing-Daisies.com.

Chuck (Anna Friel) and Ned (Lee Pace) are on the case!

Ned and Emerson (Chi McBride) appear to be visiting someone in a hospital.

Pushing Daisies is unique. There's no doubt about that.

Recently, a few involved with this incredible show commented on the appeal, and challenges, of working on such a series.

- Anna Friel plays a character that can't ever touch the man she loves. That's certainly a change from most programs, which are centered around sex and bed hopping... or at least hand holding. But Friel finds this kind of romance sweet.

"It makes it more exciting not to be able to touch," she said. "[It's] the longest foreplay ever in existence."

Friel also joked about her tenuous status on the show: "I've behaved myself extremely well on set because a simple touch and I'm out of the series."

- Then there's Barry Sonnenfeld, the director behind movies such as Men in Black and Get Shorty. He's been behind the camera on other TV pilots before, but then left to focus on a film. Now, however?

"I'm much more involved in the continuing of the show than I used to (be)," he said.

Sonnefeld plans to direct three of the first 13 episodes. He talked about the special tone of the show, one that's a whole lot brighter than most.

"There's a dial that if you turn to 11 instead of 10, just makes it that much more colorful."

- Finally, longtime actress Swoosie Kurtz finds her daily life affected by this unique palette.

"I find myself thinking in primary colors," she said.

Paul Reubens isn't the only goofy personality joining the cast of Pushing Daisies for a few episodes.

Sources confirm that former Saturday Night Live star Molly Shannon will come aboard the new show for a multi-episode arc staring in November.

She'll play Dilly Balsam, the owner of a salt-water taffy emporium that's set up shop across the street from the Pie Hole.

Sounds like a perfect piece of casting to us.

Previous Pushing Daisies spoilers have taken you inside episodes two and three.

So it's time for episode four, "Pigeons." During this upcoming hour...

- Jayma Mays (from Heroes, pictured below) will guest star as Elsita, a woman who lives and works in a windmill.

- Emerson, Ned and Chuck (Anna Friel) take on a case of stolen jewelry, while also solving a murder/suicide. They also find out about a missing prisoner who may play a role further down the line.

Funny.

Sentimental.

The best new show on television.

Pushing Daisies creator Bryan Fuller (pictured) is hearing the sort of praise all writers wish to receive about a new series. But can he handle the pressure of such expectations? He was recently asked this, among a few other questions...

Pushing Daisies doesn't premiere until Oct. 3, but critics love it and the network is pushing it like crazy. How much pressure is on the show to live up to expectations?
Really no more pressure than I'm already putting on myself. It's kind of nice to have so much support. It's a big hug.

Are you surprised by the negative rumors people want to spread about the show, such as its struggles to stay on budget?
No, the currency in this town is information for a lot of folks. I had to giggle at [a report the first episode was $1.5 million over budget]. That number was so violently exaggerated it is hard to take it seriously. But we are over budget on a lot of episodes. If you talk to any show in town, they are going to be over budget. I read that Bionic Woman cost $4.3 million, but other people are just trying to shove that show under a bus, too.

How is this show's budget situation similar or different to that of Heroes [on which Fuller was a writer last season]?
On Heroes, we were over budget before we started because studios under-budget it to increase the margin of profitability with the network. They want you to do it for a certain number, they realize you can't, then they change the numbers. We were more over budget on Heroes than we were on Daisies. So the third episode we cut back to try to catch up. Then the network and the studio saw it and gave us more money to keep it in line with the first two.

Is Pushing Daisies the best of a pretty average bunch of pilots this fall?
I don't think so. I loved Chuck, I think it's fantastic, it is already on my TiVo. So is Sarah Connor Chronicles, and Reaper is fantastic

The following is an ABC press release, regarding the streaming of Pushing Daisies episodes on its official website:

Disney-ABC Television Group's ABC Entertainment and the Warner Bros. Television Group announced today that they have reached an agreement regarding the digital distribution of "Big Shots," "Men in Trees," "Notes from the Underbelly" and "Pushing Daisies."

Under the terms of the experimental deal... ABC has the ability to distribute all four series as non-permanent offerings, which includes streaming episodes online and retaining the advertising revenue generated on ABC.com's Emmy Award-winning broadband player, as well as utilizing the pilots on alternative platforms to launch the shows.

The episodes will be available at ABC.com the day after their broadcast premieres.

The unique two-year deal allows ABC.com to stream each episode up to four weeks after its broadcast, and in return, Warner Bros. will have the same rights the following year with respect to past episodes previously streamed on ABC.com, and in addition will be able to offer digital downloads of the prior year's episodes, as well as DVD boxed sets. While Warner Bros. will be able to stream the episodes to unlimited outlets, the episodes will be branded ABC and promote back to the network.

"This announcement reiterates our commitment to keep our viewers and their needs front-and-center as we continue to lead in the digital arena," said Anne Sweeney, co-chair, Disney Media Networks and president, Disney-ABC Television Group.