I never realized that bakers had such interesting and varied lives. I mean, I knew they had to get up at 3am to start kneading dough, bribing the yeast with beer to start fermenting already (the four bakers who got that joke are laughing uproariously, I assure you), and having their agents do another archeological dig at the Bjelke-Peterson farm for Flo’s Lost Pumpkin Scone Recipe, but I had no idea that your average croissant-peddler wielded the very power of life and death in their flour-coated claws- and I don’t just mean inflicting those awful cheese and vegemite scrolls on an unsuspecting public. So before I run out of atrocious cooking puns, put on your hair nets as we knead the bejeezus out of PUSHING DAISIES (Tuesdays, Foxtel’s W Network, 5:30pm).
PUSHING DAISIES comes to us from the strange, whimsical, poisoned candy mind of Bryan Fuller, who previously brought us the trainee Grim Reapers of DEAD LIKE ME and a cynic harassed to do good by talking plush animals in WONDERFALLS. Both of these series were simultaneously darkly quirky and sarcastic, gay inclusive, developed found a quick cult following – and both were cancelled after only one season. PUSHING DAISIES takes after its predecessors in both the former departments and unfortunately the latter one too, only lasting a literal baker’s dozen of episodes before the network bigwigs popped its delicious soufflé early- probably to make way for some useless new reality TV concept like ‘Celebrity Orthodontist!’.
PUSHING DAISIES continues Fuller’s preoccupation with trying to make human mortality less…er, grave. He describes it as a ‘Forensic Fairytale’. Lee Pace (WONDERFALLS and the ace queer film SOLDIER’S GIRL) plays Ned, a baker for a small town restaurant, who discovers that he can return the dead to life by touching them. Whilst this does wonders for extending the life of the fruit he puts in his pies, when it comes to bringing *people* back to life, there’s a catch. Unfortunately, if Ned returns a person to life and the person he’s revived stays alive for more than a minute, someone of ‘equal life energy’ will drop dead (finally a plausible explanation for Sean Connery’s wooden acting, continued career and the high turnover in James Bond actors!). In addition, if he ever touches the person he’s brought back again, they will instantly and permanently die.
This becomes something of a problem for Ned when his childhood sweetheart, Chuck (don’t get your hopes up yet, it’s short for Charlotte, played by Anna Friel), is murdered by a serial killer. Ned can’t bear to let her die, so brings her back- only now someone else close to him is doomed to take Chuck’s place, and, if he ever touches her again, she’ll have one heck of a case of cold feet.
PUSHING DAISIES is a dark comedy with an edge of cynicism sharp enough to puncture your humour gland. Much like the people that Ned touches, the viewer is kept off balance, never quite knowing whether they should laugh or cry or run screaming from the room (much like what happens whenever I get a date). Lee Pace is excellent as the sweet-natured pie-maker with fingers that can make a lot more than just dough rise up or fall flat. He’s also a card-carrying member of my favourite type of beefcake, the adorkably cute geeky guy. Also along for the ride are Swoosie Kurtz (CRUEL INTENTIONS) as Chuck’s mother, David Arquette as Randy, a oh-so charming friend of Ned’s, Paul Reubens (cursed to carry the proviso ‘Pee-Wee Herman’ around his neck like an albatross for the rest of his career) as a travelling perfume salesman of fine olfactory skills who smells the reaper on Ned, and the wonderful Ellen Greene (Audrey in LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS) as Ned’s Aunt. Greene sings several songs throughout the show, including a knockout version of ‘Morning has Broken’ that would have Nana Mouskouri choking on her Moussaka.
Help yourself to a slice of this pie! (just don’t touch the chef…)
Gavin Pitts
