Pushing Daisies

Bryan Fuller has a suggestion for how ABC can replace the just-axed sitcom ‘Roseanne’– with his own cancelled ABC series, ‘Pushing Daisies’.

<center><blockquote class=”twitter-tweet” data-lang=”en”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>NOT TO BE OPPORTUNISTIC, BUT IF YOU&#39;RE ITCHING TO FILL THAT <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/ROSEANNE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#ROSEANNE</a> SLOT WITH ANOTHER FORMER <a href=”https://twitter.com/ABCNetwork?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@ABCNetwork</a> SHOW… <a href=”https://t.co/UXYm5j6adx”>pic.twitter.com/UXYm5j6adx</a></p>&mdash; Bryan Fuller (@BryanFuller) <a href=”https://twitter.com/BryanFuller/status/1001538522631749632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>May 29, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you have heard by now that controversial comedian Roseanne Barr posted a series of racist, anti-Muslim tweets over the weekend, targeting Valerie Jarrett, an African American adviser to Barack Obama.  Following her rant, ABC cancelled her sitcom ‘Roseanne’, a series that had already been embroiled in controversy due to Barr’s conservative views and support of Donald Trump which she regularly posted on Twitter.  Barr has since deleted some of her posts and apologized, but the damage was done.  Wanda Sykes, who served as a producer on the show contacted her agent to quit but was advised that ‘Roseanne’ had already been canned by the network.  Other members of ‘Roseanne”s cast and crew posted similar statements denouncing Barr’s actions.

Fuller’s whimsical ‘Pushing Daisies’ was a critical darling when it premiered in 2007 and quickly established a passionate fanbase, but ratings were never great and it was cancelled after just two seasons.  The series revolved around sweet-natured pie maker Ned played by Lee Pace, who can bring people back to life with just a touch.  But the next time he touches them, they fall dead again for good.  He uses his power to revive his childhood sweetheart Charlotte “Chuck” Charles played by Anna Friel.  Together, they use Ned’s ability to solve mysteries in their surrealistic town.  They were surrounded by a quirky cast of characters including Ned’s lovesick waitress Olive (Kristin Chenoweth), cantankerous private eye Emerson Cod (Chi McBride) and Chuck’s eccentric aunts Vivian (Ellen Greene) and Lily (Swoozie Kurtz), who don’t realize their beloved niece has been resurrected.

Fuller’s tweet may have been partially tongue-in-cheek, but he’s made no secret of his desire to revive his cult classic series.  Fuller has since gone on to create or co-create the series ‘Hannibal’, ‘American Gods’ and ‘Star Trek: Discovery’.

Pace and Friel were both nominated for Golden Globes for ‘Pushing Daisies’ and Pace was also nominated for an Emmy.  Chenoweth won the Emmy for her role as Olive.  Pace is currently starring in the Broadway drama ‘Angels In America’ and will reprise the role of Ronan the Accuser in ‘Captain Marvel’.  Friel stars on the British series ‘Marcella’.  Chenoweth re-teamed with Fuller for season one of ‘American Gods’.  McBride stars on the series ‘Hawaii Five-0’.  Greene was last seen in the film ‘Love’s Labor Lost’ and has worked extensively in voice acting.  Kurtz was seen recently on the TV series ‘Lethal Weapon’.

Would you like to see a revival of ‘Pushing Daisies’?  Hopefully it won’t be as controversial as ‘Roseanne’!

Source: Deadline