RIP Pushing Daisies

The best show in the past two years just got canned, quietly and quickly. Pushing Daisies is now off the air. At least I'm assuming that I have just watched the last episode. The show has definitely been cancelled and there was no "Next time on Pushing Daisies" bumper at the end of this weeks show like there usually is. It's a harshing my Christmas buzz.

I was addicted to the show quickly after it debuted. The language was both clever and honest. It was modern and timeless and kinda like the Princess Bride meets the Thin Man. The writers were surely big fans of old Detective movies and radio shows. It is one show I always looked forward to watching. Our office organized a TV Thursday to watch Pushing Daisies eps and we'd swap off making pies to eat with our TV lunch. There is a buzz that the producers will wrap up the loose ends on PD with a comic book? Do they know their demographic? Maybe if they did, the show would have survived.

ABC also recently cancelled Boston Legal. Judging from the tenor of the last few episodes, Boston Legal did not go gently into that good night. BL was topical, funny and touching. It also had William Shatner, which was a cherry on the top-notch writing cupcake. While BL had it's share of naughty bits, it didn't focus on sex like a lot of other "lawyer"-y type shows and hospital dramas. It focused on story and character. Kinda like Pushing Daisies did. I'm going to miss that kind of intelligent writing.

I'm not one to campaign for TV shows (there are too many real problems in our crazy, mixed up world to take up my time.) I have the attitude of enjoy it while it's here and let it go when it gets axed. Plus, losing the good shows on TV is actually great for helping kick my addiction to TV. I would not have commented on either show, except that ABC decided to pour lemon juice into my wounds by showing a trailer for a new show, the same trailer followed the Series finales of Boston Legal and the Pushing Daisies ender.

The trailer was for a wretched, new reality steaming load about an "Inner Beauty" contest. To quote Emerson Cod, "A stupid idea just found a new friend." (For the record, I hate reality TV. The only reality show I've ever watched was "The Swan" which was wicked brilliant. Bunim-Murray's offices are directly across the street from our gym and I give it the bird every morning. They are responsible for starting reality TV, with The Real World, nearly 20 years ago. Ass Hats.)

So farewell PD and BL. You are in the excellent company of Arrested Development, Freaks & Geeks and a handful of other shows that were too good to get ad buys. It's true what they say, Only the good die young. (see Two & a Half Men, that mess will not die.)