We also watched the pilot with trepidation-- will it get cancelled just like DayBreak right at the part of the season where it gets REALLY interesting? (but at least with DB they let us watch the end online...)

It reminded me of a cheerier Tim Burton film. Or a theme park ride come to life...but mostly Tim Burton. Possibly the whole dark comedy had something to do with it. But we like it nonetheless.

Please---intelligent TV watchers unite! Watch this show?

Something I've been wondering that's slightly related--- how DO they pick people to get those Nielsen boxes? And how much TV do they have to watch and is there tons of paperwork to be a Nielson box family? Because there are so many shows that the general audience just does not appreciate....Arrested Development, anyone?

I watched a number of premieres this season, hoping to find 'that show'. I tried:

* Chuck
* Heroes
* Journeyman
* House
* Kid Nation
* Bionic Woman
* Life
* Pushing Daisies

Of that list, I'm still watching:
* Chuck
* Heroes
* Life
* Pushing Daisies

Of that list, Chuck is tenuous and I'll cut it loose if it gets any sillier. However, as the lead-in to my favorite show from /last/ year, I'm willing to cut it some slack.

Speaking of Heroes, Bryan Fuller was a writer for Heroes last season and pitched the idea for Pushing Daisies. At one point, he was writing for both shows simultaneously. I think he may have been the difference in last season's writing, because this season has been a little... off. I'm still watching, but I'm a little bummed that it's not up to the writing of last season.

Life is a preposterous show that I'm watching only because of Damien Lewis, Major Winters from Band of Brothers. Orson Scott Card loves Lewis, and so do I. He's a quirky treat who brings much more to his role than is on the written page.

And that brings me to Pushing Daisies. This is the most original show in years, and is funny, smart, engaging, and moves briskly. It seems to have a gleeful disregard for normal network tv series tropes, and I love it, including the delightful British voiceovers. It's a modern day fable, and is my surprise favorite show of the season thus far.

Johne, You hit the nail on the head with the two shows you list that I'm familiar with---Pushing Daisies and Life. I agree with your points on Life word for word. I wouldn't be bothering if it weren't for Lewis, but he just rivets me---elevates some pretty trite material with his presence and delivery.

I was thinking of some other things that Pushing Daisies puts me in mind of. One is the old British show, The Prisoner---not in tone, certainly, but in set design and near-whimsical plotting. The Prisoner was a very dark, paranoid vision, which PD certainly isn't. But there's a connection there, at least in my mind. And I definitely see the link (mentioned earlier) to Tim Burton's stuff (and a dose of David Lynch, perhaps). But I love the writing (in terms of plot and dialogue), the inventiveness of character interactions, the necessary limitations placed on the obvious "couple" (of anything-but-obvious people) in the show---just a breath of fresh air on the airwaves.