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Pushing Daisies 1.2: "Dummy" |
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Monday, 15 October 2007 |
By John Keegan
Visit Critical Myth for an archive of John's TV Review archives, with more than 1100 entries.
There was one main question to be answered by this episode was rather familiar: how would the producers handle the transition from pilot to series? Whenever a pilot manages to overcome the usual pitfalls and achieves some level of success, and especially when a pilot breaks the mold and looks more like a short film than a presentation to a network, it can be daunting to consider how that would work in a weekly format. Some shows falter when the energy that went into the pilot fails to translate to the daily grind.
If this episode is any indication, the transition will go well for “Pushing Daisies”. The quirky sense of humor is intact, if not quite so infectious, and the style has barely changed at all. Part of the equation is the use of the same director for both hours; it allows for a more organic translation. It remains to be seen if other directors can manage the same level of whimsy (recalling similar difficulties with “Twin Peaks” and the absence of David Lynch’s vision), but if the writers can pull it off, the direction should follow.
Because this show doesn’t pretend to exist within the confines of our familiar world, things that would normally be annoying work rather well. Having characters break into song is practically expected. Everything is hyper-real, bigger than life, and that will be one of the defining aspects of the show. It should also contribute to its success. No matter how morbid it might get, it’s not a reminder of the day’s doom and gloom like some random procedural. It’s a chance to step into a fun and quirky fantasy world for an hour, one that happens to involve a lot of death.
Invoking “Twin Peaks” was not incidental. This series will have its grace period, but it should avoid being bizarre simply for the sake of being bizarre. It should also avoid any major long-term plot threads. I don’t often say that, but the somewhat random absurdity at play in the series would be better served by a lack of continuity concerns. A format similar to “Dead Like Me” would be the preference, with opportunities to delve into the past and present, but no driving arc.
Such elements can come later, after the show gains momentum and the trust of the audience. That’s why the ratings for this episode will be very important. They will serve as a referendum on the series premiere. If the ratings drop slightly, that’s a very good sign. If they drop significantly, the network could easily determine that the high concept of “Pushing Daisies” was too much of a risk. I, for one, would love to see this series succeed.
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