Pushing Daisies 2x1: Grading/Discussion. Spoilers.
- Thread starter AstroSmurf
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I'd expect the normal amount of 22-ish if they don't get cancelled first.
You would be expecting wrong.
Because of the strike no shows got canceled, but all the new episodes only got picked up for 13 episodes.
Ok... you kids are going to have to stop using the C-word around here! You are freaking me out! This is one of the only shows left that I actually watch on the tube these days and I don't want it going anywhere.
But it looks like almost every show is down across the board so I am not sure how the networks are going to look at killing shows this year. The previous law of averages doesn't really work right now. I also want to kick the crap out of the marketing department at ABC. As far as I can tell, they did very little advertising for any of their shows, except Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice and Desperate Housewives, all of which are turning in grim ratings anyway.
But it looks like almost every show is down across the board so I am not sure how the networks are going to look at killing shows this year. The previous law of averages doesn't really work right now. I also want to kick the crap out of the marketing department at ABC. As far as I can tell, they did very little advertising for any of their shows, except Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice and Desperate Housewives, all of which are turning in grim ratings anyway.
Wonderfalls was more successful than Dead Like Me because it had a preplanned resolution---reconciliation with the sister---just in case it was cancelled. Dead Like Me, as charming as it was, was not a strong success, because the basic situation, George grows up, was artificially delayed. The basic situation in Pushing Daisies, the separation of Ned and Chuck (Ned and Chuck---it sounds gay when you write it like that!) is by premise irresolvable. Contrary to the fetishization of the serial, resolution is desirable.
I love the series but I don't think the secret mom turn is particularly clever or deeply engaging. The series offers sweetness, which is an unusual thing, so very appealing to a minority. But TV wants mass audiences and will throw away minority audiences in pursuit. The show is doomed. Whether we'll get a full season? We'll see.
I love the series but I don't think the secret mom turn is particularly clever or deeply engaging. The series offers sweetness, which is an unusual thing, so very appealing to a minority. But TV wants mass audiences and will throw away minority audiences in pursuit. The show is doomed. Whether we'll get a full season? We'll see.
Well if the mother is not the aunt, and in fact the father was the brother of the mother, then that means that Chuck has another father who Ned did not kill, because"Vivian's finance" if Swoozey was not still lying more again is hardly the description of the lad who we have come to think of Chuck's Pappy. Now although only killing her uncle who she thought was her father may not have been much better, it is certainly a little better...
Worst case scenario...
Chuck and Ned are Brother and sister.
Now [prodigy]keeping them separated[/prodigy] after they made out at the funeral makes a hell of a lot more sense than that Ned's dad is a cad.
Worst case scenario...
Chuck and Ned are Brother and sister.
Now [prodigy]keeping them separated[/prodigy] after they made out at the funeral makes a hell of a lot more sense than that Ned's dad is a cad.
You would be expecting wrong.
Because of the strike no shows got canceled, but all the new episodes only got picked up for 13 episodes.
If the c-word does not occur (sorry to be negative here
), what would stop PD from getting a full season? Sure, it's been picked up for 13 eps, and later in the year, if ABC wants to keep the show, they can pick up the back half for a full season run. If they don't - ulp.Now for a Positive Thought of the Day.
The 2x1 premiere ratings: 6.32M viewers, 2.0/ demo.
12/12/07 (the last regular episode: 6.84M viewers, 2.4 demo.
Sure, PD shed viewers over the first season's run, but it looks like most viewers remembered to tune back in even after the looooong haitus. That, combined with criticial acclaim, maybe boosted some with DVR ratings and paid downloads, just might be enough to salvage things. But I sure don't want to see that number go down any further.
I think they should realize that it's more difficult than ever to grab a loyal audience and the shows that do manage to get their core viewers to return should be credited with that. The real killer is the Bionic Woman situation, where the ratings tank with no end in sight to the downward curve.
That would be more in line with the perverse version of PD that I've been hoping for. I think PD could use a bit more edge but not quite that much.
^ I have been meaning to look at how well the first season DVD's are selling. If they are doing well than I think ABC might take it as another good sign. I am thinking positive!
I also hope that ABC pulls a Seinfeld here and keeps it on long enough to build a following. In this day and age, Seinfeld would have been dropped after the first season because of its ratings. Maybe, just maybe, someone will allow things to build. (And with things looking so bleak for many Americans, a little sweetness might be just what the doctor ordered. Folks might find the show, fall in love and keep watching just to have something to feel good about each week. Comedies might start making a comeback too.)
I also hope that ABC pulls a Seinfeld here and keeps it on long enough to build a following. In this day and age, Seinfeld would have been dropped after the first season because of its ratings. Maybe, just maybe, someone will allow things to build. (And with things looking so bleak for many Americans, a little sweetness might be just what the doctor ordered. Folks might find the show, fall in love and keep watching just to have something to feel good about each week. Comedies might start making a comeback too.)
A Clockwork Lim
Lieutenant Commander
Regarding the "permanency" of Ned and Chuck's inability to touch, that's not necessarily true. We honestly don't know much about Ned's power, nor does Ned. He's certailny dreamed that the second-touch aspect wears off after time, but since he's only had two examples of prolonged "alive again"edness there's know way to no for sure. Especially since he's utterly unwilling to test it out on either Digby or Chuck.
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Remember that full body condom suit from the first Naked Gun movie?
A Clockwork Lim
Lieutenant Commander
Personally I think the show needs a genuine antagonist. Perhaps someone who discovers Ned's power and wishes to use it to gain immortality. Since it's unknown how such abilities would work if Ned were to die, there'd be reason for the antagonist to keep him alive and simply disappear after procuring the revival.
And since the show features what's effectively a detective agency, hunting the antagonist down could easily become a series-spamming B-story. Thus allowing the current type of stories to continue while also having a bit of edge there, too.
And since the show features what's effectively a detective agency, hunting the antagonist down could easily become a series-spamming B-story. Thus allowing the current type of stories to continue while also having a bit of edge there, too.
You know the narrator is possibly an evil stalker who is actually across the road with a spyglass and a Dictaphone gathering information for the forces of evil?
And the return of "Dad" is going to be huge, really shake things up... Oh. he died, his wife brought him back and he couldn't touch her, but when Ned redeaded his Mom, it became clear that dad was also too in danger of being redeaded by his own son??
Of course what does "huge" really mean? A three episode arc?
And the return of "Dad" is going to be huge, really shake things up... Oh. he died, his wife brought him back and he couldn't touch her, but when Ned redeaded his Mom, it became clear that dad was also too in danger of being redeaded by his own son??
Of course what does "huge" really mean? A three episode arc?
It needs more of a focused, high-stakes conflict than they've come up with so far. Keeping all the secrets isn't really high-stakes enough. So what if Chuck's aunts found out the truth? So what if Chuck found out Lily is her Mom? They just cry and scream some and then make up. Big deal.
For that matter, so what if the world found out about Ned's ability? Nobody would believe it anyway. Lily and Vivien would assume Chuck had never really died. The character played by Pee Wee Hermann is an antagonist of sorts, but all he's doing is threatening to expose the truth. The conflict needs to be more than just keeping secrets.
Ned's ability could make him the antagonist of sorts - what if he realized that he could allow "good" people to come back to life at the expense of people who don't really deserve to live? He did this in a small way in this episode, bringing bees back to life at the expense of cockroaches. Well, why are bees better than cockroaches? Just because the bees belong to Chuck and the human prejudice against cockroaches is all, plus he probably doesn't want cockroaches in his kitchen.
In an objective sense, bees and cockroaches should be considered equally valuable, both having their roles to play in the ecosystem, and Ned doesn't have the right to choose one over the other simply because he has the ability. But he seems to assume his ability confers that right upon him.
And he certainly was stepping over the line to bring Chuck back to life and kill someone randomly in the vicinity. It could easily have been a totally blameless person and even the guy he killed never did anything meriting a death sentence, even if Ned had the right to be judge, jury and executioner.
Who is Ned to play God like that? He seems utterly oblivious to the fact that he's committed a terrible crime - that's kind of interesting because it means he could easily do things like that in the future without thinking very deeply about consequences - using his ability amorally for his own self-interest without being cognizant that his behavior is evil. They need to start pushing this notion further to keep this show from being too damn sweet for its own good.
This series has some very interesting possibilities but I don't see any intention to fulfill them. Too bad.
A Clockwork Lim
Lieutenant Commander
Wow. I didn't even think that Ned's power may have been inherited...
I couldn't agree more about a clear antagonist. However, this is a show that never got a chance to finish its first season. Bryan Fuller has said in a couple of interviews for the second season that he was playing catch-up to fill in what should have been the end of the first season. I think they have a plan up their sleeve but we need to be patient for it to be made apparent.
Too bad viewers and networks are as patient. Having a plan means nothing.
And i swear I heard Bryan Fuller say Sharon something, the candy lady would play more of an antagonist for a few more episodes. Maybe that was canceled because of the strike.
^ Yeah. He did say that but I don't think that is going to happen now. Molly Shannon has a new show of her own, Kath & Kim, on NBC.
But I will say this again... I am not being logical about this. I am being positive about this. Plan or no plan, superb ratings or a viewer vacuum, I don't care. I love this show. I need this show. And I refuse to resign this fantastic quirky show to the dreaded C-word. Period.
But I will say this again... I am not being logical about this. I am being positive about this. Plan or no plan, superb ratings or a viewer vacuum, I don't care. I love this show. I need this show. And I refuse to resign this fantastic quirky show to the dreaded C-word. Period.
^ 
I hate to say it but Kath & Kim will get the axe rather quickly. You see, this is a remake of an Australian comedy and American television has the tendency to screw remakes. The original was over-the-top and raunchy which is what made it great... and that is the first thing that NBC probably excised. Add in the massive reshoot for the pilot and things are not looking to good for it. I don't think it has a prayer... but I have been wrong before.
I hate to say it but Kath & Kim will get the axe rather quickly. You see, this is a remake of an Australian comedy and American television has the tendency to screw remakes. The original was over-the-top and raunchy which is what made it great... and that is the first thing that NBC probably excised. Add in the massive reshoot for the pilot and things are not looking to good for it. I don't think it has a prayer... but I have been wrong before.
Do you know what raunchy means?
Sure, they talk about sex to no end, but visually these are not the sort of people you want to hear talking about thier sex and sexuality.
I would describe it as gaudy and jarring. Lower middle income Australians who have just enough social education to make tits of themselves... It's quite like how people would react tot he Beverly Hillbillies whenever they thought their old world charm was infinitely sophisticated.
I doubt pushing Daisies will grow, but the only reason it's going to get cancelled is if people don't know about it, because it is quite addictive in a sweet and charming way.
Sure, they talk about sex to no end, but visually these are not the sort of people you want to hear talking about thier sex and sexuality.
I would describe it as gaudy and jarring. Lower middle income Australians who have just enough social education to make tits of themselves... It's quite like how people would react tot he Beverly Hillbillies whenever they thought their old world charm was infinitely sophisticated.
I doubt pushing Daisies will grow, but the only reason it's going to get cancelled is if people don't know about it, because it is quite addictive in a sweet and charming way.