Sniff, Sniff

It figures that a few days after my last entry, the announcement came that ABC is canceling Pushing Daisies. The show will air through episode 13; that means there are only 4 episodes left! Of course, episode 13 will be a cliffhanger, so there will be no closure. I hate unresolved, or at least unintended, cliffhangers! The only glimmer of hope is that Executive Producer Brian Fuller is exploring avenues for bringing some kind of conclusion to PD fans: "We are talking to DC Comics about doing comic books that will wrap up our story lines, and I already have a pitch for a [big-screen] movie ready to go." I guess all we can do is keep our fingers crossed that Fuller's efforts come to fruition. That, and savor the few remaining episodes. How sad that such an imaginative and visually stunning show is getting the ax. Granted, this season hasn't quite captured my attention in the same way the premier season did, but Pushing Daisies is still the most refreshing show on television. The fantasy it wraps us in is such a lovely antidote to the slew of self-multiplying reality shows dominating the airwaves. Sigh.

Missing Daisies

I’m bummed that I haven’t been able to get my Pushing Daisies fix these past couple of weeks. Two Wednesdays ago, I turned on the TV at 8 only to find that Dancing with the Stars was airing. Last Wednesday, I was disappointed again because ABC was broadcasting the Country Music Awards. Being Daisy-less these past weeks made me impatient, so I checked the ABC website and was assured that a new episode will grace the airwaves this coming Wednesday. Now if only I can get some of Ned’s pies to consume while I watch the show… A cup pie would be perfect…

Livestock Free for 23 Days...

Alas, the streak stops here. I've been so proud of the fact that in recent weeks, I managed to write about topics besides livestock and animal husbandry. (See previous animal-themed entries.) However, those stealthy alpacas have resurfaced again! Last Sunday evening, I was channel surfing when images of alpacas suddenly appeared on the screen. I did a double-take because it was not a nature show, but a contemporary comedy. I could not figure out what the show was about from the bits I saw... only that the episode dealt with pranks and family-owned alpacas. I've since learned that what I witnessed was the last few minutes of a CW sitcom called Aliens in America. The following day, KPGirl brought in her alpaca finger puppet! It really is quite adorable, and I can see why it made an effective focal point during labor. Doesn't this woolly little camelid just make you want to smile?

A Bouquet of Daisies

Due to the Country Music Awards, I wasn't able to get my weekly fix of Pushing Daisies tonight. So, I thought I'd relive the show's finest verbal moments by listing some of my favorite quotes thus far. A bouquet of Daisies quotes, if you will. (No, I do not have a photographic memory. Yes, I am enough of a geek that I re-watched the episodes online to jot down quotes. But, to be fair, I also re-watched the episodes simply to enjoy them.) Anyway, here goes.

1. Emerson: Words that sound alike get mixed up in my head.
   Olive: Me too. I used to think masturbation meant chewing your food. (pause) I don’t think that anymore.
2. Chuck: I'd kiss you if it wouldn't kill me.
3. Narrator: In fact, Emerson Cod had finished knitting a sweater vest and two handgun cozies in the week since Chuck's return.
4. Olive: This isn't Pies 'R Us, Pie City, or Thousands of Pies in One Place. This is a bells-on-the-door, pies-baking, mom-and-pop place. We chit-chat here. Chit!
5. Ned: What's so great about knowing? When you lift up a rock, do you find whipped cream? No, you find worms. I say no to knowing.
6. Chuck: You love secrets. You want to marry secrets and have little half-secret half-human babies.
7. Mark Chase: The Dandy Lion car is the culmination of my life's work. It's a flower-powered phenomenon born of a thousand sleepless nights, intense Ritalin abuse, and a long sublimated interest in botany. So what if in the unlikely but not impossible event that the car gets up to a speed of 70 miles an hour, with the headlights on, and the seat warmer on low, a short circuit in the radio causes a cataclysmic chain reaction that blows the car and its precious human cargo to smithereens?
8. Narrator: Emerson Cod did not like to knit in public, but he often left the house with the needles in his pocket should an opportunity to rib-stitch a ski cap present itself.
9. Chuck: Remember, mind over matter makes Pooh un-fatter.
   Emerson: I may be stuck, but I can still reach my gun.
10. Chuck: Kick, Pooh, kick!
11. Wilford Woodruff: I think you should know that I was thrice named alternate sword master at the southern area regional volunteer infantry reenactment regiment.
    Ned: I wanted to be a Jedi.
12. Ned: I'm gonna see if I've got some plastic wrap.
13. Emerson: Is that a dead bird? Why are you holding a dead bird? Throw that away. It's swimming with disease, and you serve food!
14. Emerson: What is the rate of exchange on the life of a bird? Because if it's equal to or greater than mine, I need to get back to my car.
15. Ned: It's raining dead birds!
16. Emerson: Because Big Daddy needs some new yarn.
17. Ned: He's not Conrad; he's the hijacker. And he's going to the bathroom in my kitchen!
    Chuck: Boy, you miss one trip to the morgue.
18. Ned: Good news is you're not blind. Bad news is you're dead.
19. Ned: Why did they send it to Nam? Do the Vietnamese need windmills?
    Chuck: NARM--National Area of Retired Mills.
20. Elsita: Oh no, you didn't use bows to tie me up, did you? You take a hostage like you tie your sneakers!
21. Olive: Ned hates Halloween, you know. Makes him moodier than a pumpkin full of PMS.
22. Ned: They put a bomb in your daybed?
23. Emerson: His goat killed you?
24. Olive: Sweet Secretariat.
    Emerson: That don't look like John Joseph.
    Olive: A horse with no name.
    Emerson: Or legs.
    (shudder)
25. Chuck (to Digby): You know what we are? We're the walking dead on Halloween.
26. Chuck: First of all, huh? And secondly, Olive thinks that I faked my death, which is completely different to knowing that I'm dead.
    Emerson: Yeah, different like purple and mauve.
27. Mama Jacobs: Well, you wouldn't need all that bait if your belly were full of fish, dear.
28. Vivian (about weekly pies): I don't know how we survived without it. It's like a sex addiction. I would imagine.
29. Chuck: What if he changes when his blood sugar level drops?
    Olive: Like a hypoglycemic werewolf!
30. Olive: Tell Ned I love . . . his pies.
31. Emerson: I love you, shovel!
32. (doorbell)
    Vivian: Is that clock right? It's two o'clock in the a.m.!
    Lily: I'll get my gun.
    Vivian: And I'll get the candy bowl.

Everything's Coming Up Daisies

I cannot say enough about this season's quirky, enchanting new show, Pushing Daisies. Not only is it a visual delight--full of vibrant colors and breathtaking imagery--but it also delights the soul with its whimsy, humor, romance, and tincture of darkness. There truly is nothing quite like it on television. The show is a modern fairy tale peopled with very human, albeit unusual characters inhabiting a world that is both familiar and otherwordly. There is a touching (pun somewhat intended) tenderness underlying the sometimes witty, sometimes sardonic, and sometimes laugh-out-loud funny moments.
This lavish storybook-come-to-life has captured my heart. It engages my senses, my emotions, and my intellect. The creators of the show cleverly include so many visual and verbal details that you notice something new every time you watch it. And the chemistry among the cast members, particularly between Lee Pace and Anna Friel, is sparkling. I have to admit, I am rather enamored of Lee Pace in the role of Ned the Pie Maker. He is absolutely adorable and such a sweetheart. ;P
Since the series finale of Frasier, I have not faithfully followed a show until now. I've managed to catch every episode of Pushing Daisies so far and have even re-watched some episodes online. It is such a wonderful breath of fresh air in this age of reality TV; I am utterly charmed and hope it stays on the air for many seasons to come.