Fuller Arrangements

In my most recent post, I spoke disparagingly of "Pushing Daisies," the latest brainchild of Bryan Fuller, creator of such gems as "Dead Like Me" and "Wonderfalls." I wrote erroneously.

"Pushing Daisies" does things no other television shows dares. Mostly that simply means it is highly imagined and stylized. Yes, the show at its worst is quite twee, occasionally saccharine, and at times it gets a little bit stuck for being so cute and clever, and yet there is something completely delightful about the risks taken--characters repeating voice-over narration; unabashed wordplay and rhythmic exchanges; splashingly vibrant sets and costumes. In the most recent episode, a full minute of airtime is dedicated to one of the actresses belting away at Eternal Flame by the Bangles, to hilariously obvious "did they really?"-type interruptions after the "say my name" lyric. There was a scene with an entire class full of boarding school boys lured to the kitchen after midnight by the scent of a pie, cooked by the young protagonist because he longed for the scent of home. Eventually the entire kitchen is fired up, pies and filling fly and each and every boy has a berry smear on his face. I hope that if a show could contain an image as wonderful as this in every episode, it would be an enormous success.

My problems occurred when the dramatic tension went slack. Nothing colorful for the goofball team of lovers, dreamers, and investigators to engage in. But recently, shit from their history is coming up, and colorful new characters are being introduced, such as Chuck's dad, recently reincarnated and wrapped in bandages. I wonder if there is room for a show like this--any of Bryan Fuller's shows, really, as of yet none have made it out of season 2--on network television. What I really want is "Wonderfalls" back on the air, but since that can't happen, maybe Fuller can sell a grittier version of his vision to the cable networks, which is the only place good television that is not also a soap opera can live a long, unslaughtered life.