Channel Surfing: AMC Finds The Killing, Lotus Caves for Syfy and Bryan Fuller, More Office Rumors, FNL Launch Date, and More

Welcome to your Thursday morning television briefing.

AMC has given a series order to pilot The Killing, which hails from writer/executive producer Veena Sud and Fox Television Studios and is based on Danish television series Forbrydelsen, ordering thirteen episodes which will air sometime in 2011. Series, which will star Big Love's Mireille Enos, revolves around the murder of a young girl and a police investigation that connects several seemingly separate story threads. "We are thrilled to be moving forward with this stunning piece of television," said Joel Stillerman, AMC's senior vp of original programming, production and digital content, in a statement. "It is a crime drama, but it is also a gripping character based story that pulls you in and doesn't let go. The storytelling is completely compelling, and the show is visually breathtaking." In addition to Enos, the project--which will be renamed, sadly--also stars Billy Campbell, Michelle Forbes, Joel Kinnaman, and Brent Sexton, among others. (Hollywood Reporter)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Syfy is teaming up with Pushing Daisies creator Bryan Fuller to develop a drama series based on John Christopher's novel, "The Lotus Caves." Fuller and Jim Grey will write the pilot script for The Lotus Caves, which--like the novel before it--will revolve around a group of "rebellious lunar colonists [who] dare to take a peek beyond their borders and discover a bunch of brainiac aliens living in the caves of the title." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Could Portia de Rossi or Tony Hale be headed to The Office? New York Post's Jarett Wieselman looks at an unconfirmed report that says that Danny McBride will be dropping by Scranton this season but not as the replacement for Steve Carell's Michael Scott, who will instead be replaced by someone who once starred on Arrested Development. Wieselman then goes on to say that the most obvious suspects, should we believe the report, are Tony Hale, Jeffrey Tambor, and Portia de Rossi. (New York Post's PopWrap)

The date you're waiting for: the fifth and final season of Friday Night Lights will kick off on DirecTV on October 27th, according to Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello. No word on when Season Five will turn up on NBC, though it's likely to air next summer on the Peacock. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

The Chicago Tribune's Maureen Ryan has an interview with Sons of Anarchy's Ron Perlman, who plays Clay Morrow on the gritty FX biker drama. "None of us really know where we go from week to week," Perlman told Ryan. "And there's something really exciting about that. I feel if Kurt needed for us to know where we needed to go from week to week, he would tell us if it was going to affect something in our playing of it. The hallmark of his writing is -- he writes in a way that's very vivid and the only thing you ever need to worry about is the moment that you're in. The kidnapping of the child is the event that drives at least the first few episodes. Of course, it's all hands on deck. Whatever is going on in [the characters'] personal relationships is shelved for the moment while we address ourselves to the matter at hand. But beyond that I really can't say. But my guess is -- and I'm like an audience member, in terms of [not knowing] where the show is going to be later in the season -- Kurt is too smart to introduce something without it, at some point, resolving itself. He doesn't feel like he's in any hurry to put all the cards out. That's my guess." (Chicago Tribune's The Watcher)

Vulture has an interview with former Lost star Michael Emerson about the release of the DVD and the twelve-minute epilogue entitled, "The New Man in Charge." "I was so pleased with it," said Emerson of Lost's finale. "Instead of employing some narrative device or science-fiction device or time-travel device, [the writers] humanized the whole affair and brought it back to characters and souls, and so I thought it was really a fine solution and one that I’m onboard with. And I’m especially delighted with the way they wrapped up the Benjamin Linus [story]." Asked about some of the negative reactions to the series finale, Emerson said, "It surprised me a bit because a lot of people who were unhappy had been misunderstanding the show for a long time, so why were they still watching it if they’d mixed up what they were seeing? But I guess that’s the deal: It works magically for all sorts of people at all different levels of understanding." As for the epilogue, he described it as a sort of "dessert" to be enjoyed after the main course. (Vulture)

USA Today's Whitney Matheson also has an interview with Emerson about the finale and the epilogue. Asked whether the epilogue was truly the end, Emerson said, "Yeah, they've always made that clear. I think we can take them at their word. These writers will never revisit the material, or at least not soon. And you'll never get the cast together in one place again. But as some people have noted, you might get a couple of cast members together to do something that takes off on a tangent." (USA Today's Pop Candy)

It looks like Jennifer Lopez won't be taking a spot at the judges table on American Idol after all. Citing a report by People, The Hollywood Reporter has a look at why talks with Lopez fell through: "Her demands got out of hand," an unnamed source told People. "Fox had just had enough." (The Hollywood Reporter)

Which brings us to this gem: Hollywood Reporter's James Hibberd offers seven reasons why there has been such a delay in FOX announcing replacements for the outbound American Idol judges. (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)

20th Century Fox Television has signed a three-year overall deal with Family Guy writers Alec Sulkin and Wellesley Wild, under which they will remain aboard the FOX animated comedy while also developing new projects for the studio. (Variety)

Entertainment Weekly's Lynette Rice reports that CBS will debut its new daytime talk show The Talk, developed by Sara Gilbert, on Monday, October 18th. Series features six female hosts with kids, including Julie Chen, Sara Gilbert, Sharon Osbourne, Holly Robinson Peete, Leah Remini, and Marissa Jaret Winokur. (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)

E4 has released the first photo of the cast of Season Five of Skins, featuring an entirely new cast of characters. (E4)

Syfy is planning holiday-themed episodes of its series Warehouse 13 and Eureka and has tapped Judd Hirsch and Paul Blackthorne to drop by Warehouse 13, while Chris Parnell and Matt Frewer will be stopping by Eureka this winter. (via press release)

Jay Mohr is set to guest star in the fourth episode of NBC's new legal drama Outlaw, where he will play Henry Ashford, whom Jimmy Smits' Cyrus Garza will face off with in court in a case involving a mother who accidentally kills her baby after locking it in a car, according to TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck. "NBC is keeping mum as to whether Cyrus or Jay's character, Henry Ashford, will be representing the bad mother," writes Keck. "The network says it will be a weekly guessing game as to which side of the law Outlaw Smits attaches himself." (TV Guide Magazine)

Nick Cannon will remain the chairman of TeenNick through January 2012 under an extension of the deal Cannon has with the Nickelodeon cable network. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Emmys: The Morning After (The Morning After)

No, it's not quite the morning after the Emmys but I spent yesterday recovering from a bit too much overindulgence the night before and still wanted to get in my thoughts about this year's Emmy awards before the door for such discussion slams shut.

Emmy host is a rather thankless job and we've seen, thanks to last year, just how much the show can go off the rails in the hands of less-than-qualified hosts. However, I thought that Neil Patrick Harris did a legendary job and infused the proceedings with wit, sparkle, and humor and kept things running smoothly. (Did we really only run over by a few minutes? Fantastic.)

I spent the evening carousing at two post-Emmy bashes, HBO's luxe red-hewed affair at the Pacific Design Center and AMC's latenight after-after-party at Chateau Marmont. Both fetes were absolutely, ridiculously fun and the stars were out in full-force for both events, with this gleeful partier catching glimpses of Jon Hamm, Glenn Close, Ricky Gervais, Chloe Sevigny, Kristin Bauer, Anna Camp, Maria Bello, Christina Hendricks, Daniel Dae Kim, Kevin Connolly, John Slattery, Grace Zabriski, Douglas Smith, Shirley MacLaine, Jemaine Clement, Bret McKenzie, Kristen Schaal, Anne Heche, Aaron Paul, Rose Byrne... and the list goes on and on. (That's just off the top of my head.)

I had a lovely time sitting with Top Chef judge Gail Simmons and her husband at the HBO event and discussing professional chefs, sci-fi TV, and a host of other topics and I got to catch up with Inbetweeners creator Iain Morris and his girlfriend, there to support Flight of the Conchords, for which Morris had written two episodes with writing partner Damon Beesley, and co-creator James Bobin, whom I interviewed recently for The Daily Beast, and ran into at the AMC party with Jemaine Clement. I also caught up with the always delightful Anna Camp of HBO's True Blood, who introduced me to her fiancé Michael Mosley, who will be a series regular on Scrubs this season.

And, at the AMC bash, I got to congratulate Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner--who was holding his two Emmys--on his two wins and he very kindly and graciously thanked me for the piece I did on him and Mad Men for The Daily Beast recently, saying that it was a pleasure to be interviewed by someone who genuinely loves the series. (Aw!)

So what did I think of the awards themselves? Let's discuss. (The full list of award winners can be found here.)

I'll admit that I watched the awards ceremony via an East Coast feed while I was getting ready but that it seemed to be moving at a pretty even speed and Harris provided a charming host throughout the evening, looking quite dashing in a white tuxedo and managing to make me roar with laughter during his Dr. Horrible-style takeover of the airwaves, buffering and all. (The fact that I was watching the Primetime Emmys on a computer made this gag even more hysterical and meta.)

As for the awards themselves, they were more or less pretty predictable, though there were some nice surprises spread throughout the evening. I was thrilled to see Kristin Chenoweth take home an Outstanding Supporting Actress statuette for her role as Olive Snook on Pushing Daisies , a bittersweet posthumous (for the series, not Cheno) acknowledgment of the whimsical series. (By the same token, however, I'd have much rather seen Tina Fey take home the prize for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy to match Alec Baldwin's win for Jack Donaghy, rather than United States of Tara's Toni Colette.)

I was thrilled that Little Dorrit and Grey Gardens took home some prizes in the movies and mini-series categories; both were excellent examples of how classy, upscale longform can still work on television and I was extremely chuffed that BBC/PBS mini Little Dorrit took home the top mini-series prize and writing for Andrew Davies. (If you haven't seen Davies' Little Dorrit, get thee to a video store--or Netflix--straightaway.) And, despite many critics saying that the movies/mini-series section of the ceremony dragged on for far too long, I loved Jessica Lange's acceptance speech and Ken Howard's Kanye West allusion. Unexpected, that.

I love The Amazing Race but I was really hoping that the addictive and slick Top Chef would take home the gold for Bravo this year. It's such a fantastic format and, as much as I adore TAR, I am ready to see it sit out from the reality competition category for one year at least.

Michael Emerson and Cherry Jones were about as professional as can be and I loved Cherry's promise that she was going to plonk down her Emmy on the craft services table at the 24 set in Chatsworth the next day. Likewise, I kind of assumed that Glenn Close and Bryan Cranston would take home statuettes but I'll admit that I was pulling for Mad Men's Elisabeth Moss and Jon Hamm to take home those prizes respectively instead, especially for Mad Men's incredible second season. (I was thrilled for Kater Gordon and Matt Weiner to win for writing the awe-inspiring "Meditations in an Emergency" episode of Mad Men.)

But I'm extremely pleased by 30 Rock and Mad Men's continued win this year for Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Drama Series respectively. If Big Love couldn't have won for the truly outstanding third season they had, then I'm exceptionally happy that Mad Men took home the prize. In an era of reality television dominating the airwaves, it's comforting to see so many fantastic drama series making their marks and I think we're truly blessed to have complex series like Mad Men, Big Love, Lost, and Damages on the air today.

What did you think of the awards? How did Neil Patrick Harris do? Were you happy with the winners? And, if not, who would you have awarded the top prizes to? Discuss.

Channel Surfing: Ed Norton Drops By "Modern Family," Bryan Fuller and Bryan Singer Team Up at NBC, Anna Camp Heads to "The Office," and More

Welcome to your Thursday morning television briefing.

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Ed Norton will guest star on an upcoming episode of ABC's new comedy series Modern Family. Norton will play "the bassist of a famous band whom Claire (Julie Bowen) hires as an anniversary surprise for husband Phil (Ty Burrell)," writes Ausiello. His episode is slated to air in November. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Pushing Daisies' Bryan Fuller and Bryan Singer are teaming up to develop SelleVision, a comedic one-hour adaptation of Augusten Burrough's novel, which is set behind the scenes at a home shopping network. Fuller will write the pilot script while Singer is attached to direct; both will executive produce with Mark Bozek and Russell Nuce. Universal Media Studio is behind the adaptation. "We were all big fans of Augusten and the book, and we all got along great," Fuller told Variety. "So we decided to get into bed together... I love the world of home shopping -- it's such a rich world," he said. "There are those great metaphors of consumerism, buying happiness, all of that chasing material thing." Elsewhere at NBC, Fuller also has a half-hour workplace comedy pilot script called No Kill, which revolves around the employees of a no-kill animal shelter. Project, from Universal Media Studios and BermanBraun, will be executive produced by Fuller, Gail Berman, and Lloyd Braun. And there's still the Pushing Daisies comic book. "Fuller is still working on a comicbook adaptation of his late ABC series Pushing Daisies," writes Variety's Michael Schneider. "Fuller said he remains hopeful that the 12 issues of the comicbook will eventually serve as a blueprint for a Pushing Daisies movie.(Variety)

True Blood's Anna Camp has been cast as a guest star in an upcoming episode of NBC's The Office this season. Who's she playing? E! Online's Megan Masters has the scoop: Camp, who very memorably played Sarah Newlin on the HBO vampire drama this summer, will play Penny, the sister to Scranton's Pam Beesley (Jenna Fischer) on the October 8th episode that features the wedding of Pam and Jim (John Krasinski). (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Ellen DeGeneres has been named the fourth judge on FOX's American Idol, filling the seat left vacant by the departure of Paula Abdul. "I've been dealing with this for the last couple of weeks, and I've been dying to tell everyone," DeGeneres announced to the audience of her eponymous daytime talk show. "It's been so hard to keep it a secret." DeGeneres will join the judges in January and will continue to also host to her Warner Bros. Television-produced daytime series through 2014. (Variety)

Peggy Lipton (Twin Peaks) has been cast in a multiple-episode story arc on Starz's drama Crash, where she replaces Valerie Perrine, who has dropped out due to surgery. Lipton will play Suzy Fields, the ex-wife of record producer Ben Cendars (Dennis Hopper) who is now married to author Owen Fields (Keith Carradine). (Hollywood Reporter)

The BBC has teamed up with Ecosse Films to develop a mini-series adaptation of Kate Atkinson's 1999 novel "Behind the Scenes at the Museum." Written by Brian Fillis (The Curse of Steptoe) and executive produced by Lucy Bedford (Mistresses), the four-hour Behind The Scenes At The Museum is slated to air in 2010 on either BBC One or BBC Two. "I’ve loved the book for ages but was conscious that it is a very difficult adaptation," said executive producer Lucy Bedford. "It’s structurally complex because there are multiple timeframes and the sweep of the story is enormous." (Broadcast)

FOX has ordered a pilot script (with a penalty attached) for a comedy Texts From Last Night, based on the website of the same name, to be written by Steve Holland (The Big Bang Theory). Site invites users to submit embarrassing text messages they sent while drunk or tired. Project, from Sony Pictures Television and Happy Madison, will focus on "he whole idea of racy -- and sometimes embarrassing -- communication, particularly among the twentysomething set." (Variety)

Adam Rodriguez (CSI: Miami) will appear in at least five episodes of ABC's Ugly Betty this season. According to TVGuide.com, Rodriguez will play Bobby, a high school boyfriend of Betty's sister Hilda. "He's an old high school boyfriend, and [he comes] back into their lives," Rodriguez told TVGuide.com. "A little romance buds, and there's some drama to go along with it." (TVGuide.com)

CBS has renewed reality series Big Brother for a twelfth season, slated to air next summer. (Hollywood Reporter)

Season Two of Canadian soap Being Erica will air Stateside on SOAPNet beginning on January 20th. The cabler has also announced that it will repeat the entire first season beginning October 17th. (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)

The Wrap's Josef Adalian takes a look at the "disappointing" premiere ratings for the CW's Melrose Place (about half of that of the series premiere of 90210) and investigates whether or not a further drop-off would spell doom for the nighttime soap. "It will be at least a month before CW programmers have a clear sense of just how well or poorly Melrose is actually doing," writes Adalian.
"The big mystery: Will Melrose suffer the same massive week two dropoff experienced by 90210 last fall? That show lost 30 percent of its premiere audience in week two, and was down to just over 2 million viewers by its finale. If Melrose slides another 30 percent next week, then it could very well be curtains for the show, since it's starting from a much smaller premiere base." Still, cautions Adalian, it's too soon to call the series dead. (The Wrap's TVMoJoe)

Stay tuned.

TV on DVD: "Pushing Daisies: The Complete Second Season"

I'm hopeful that in the years to come Bryan Fuller's gorgeously technicolored and bittersweet drama series Pushing Daisies will be remembered for not only its wacky and memorable characters but also for being one of the most original, compelling, and groundbreaking series to arrive on the small screen in quite a long time.

Pushing Daisies was, rather sadly, also one of the most mistreated series in recent memory as well, having its first critically-acclaimed season cut short by the writers strike (only nine episodes were shot) and then its sophomore season even more cruelly cut short by ABC, which held on to the final three episodes of its run for several months and then unceremoniously dumped them on Saturday nights.

Today, however, fans of Pushing Daisies have something to celebrate as Warner Home Video releases a four-disc box set of the series' sensational second season, complete with a plethora of bonus features, all in a honey-themed jewel case that deliciously appropriates the honeycomb sweetness of Charlotte "Chuck" Charles and, well, the terror of the Bee-Man from second season premiere "Bzzzzzzzzz!"

The sophomore season of Pushing Daisies was a thing of beauty as creator Bryan Fuller and his talented writing team dove even deeper into the backstories of our main characters, Ned the Pie Maker (Lee Pace), a man gifted (or cursed?) with the ability to bring the dead back to life with a single touch; Chuck (Anna Friel), the alive-again avenger and Ned's childhood sweetheart/current girlfriend whose return to life came with a caveat: she could never again touch Ned; Emerson Cod (Chi McBride), a gruff-talking gumshoe with a penchant for pop-up books on the hunt for his missing daughter; Olive Snook (Kristin Chenoweth), a pint-sized bucket of sass with a serious case of unrequited love; and Lily and Vivian Charles (Swoosie Kurtz and Ellen Greene), Chuck's reclusive aunts (ahem!) and former synchronized swimmer darlings who hadn't recovered from their niece's death.

The second season jangles some skeletons in the closet, most notably those of Ned's errant father (George Hamilton), the truth about Chuck's parentage (double ahem!), Olive's past as a kidnap victim and her true feelings towards Ned (which lead her, surprisingly, to the cloistered confines of a nunnery), and Emerson's search for his daughter Penny, which leads him right to the double-crossing arms of his grifter wife Lila (Gina Torres).

It also deepens the relationships between the characters even as week-to-week they attempt to solve all manner of bizarro crimes, from elaborate murder tableaux in department store windows to falling nuns and everything in between. Early publicity materials for Pushing Daisies likened it to a "forensic fairy tale" and I have to agree with this. Aided by the dulcet tones of narrator Jim Dale, Pushing Daisies does take on the manner of a fairy tale or at least one in which the protagonists also solve crimes between their star-crossed courtship.

The four-disc set includes all thirteen installments from Pushing Daisies' second season, as well as an extra heaping of bonus features including The Master Pie Maker: Inside the Mind of Creator Bryan Fuller, From Oven to Table: Crafting a Script into Reality; Secret Sweet Ingredients: Spotlight on Composer Jim Dooley's Work, and Add a Little Magic: Executing Some Giant-Sized Visual Effects. (If they had included recipes for Ned's truly awe-inspiring pies, I would never leave the house.)

All in all, Pushing Daisies: The Complete Second Season is a must-have for fans of the short-lived (but much missed) ABC series. It's a reminder of the power television has to enchant and enthrall and that certain well-crafted characters can live on forever, even if their series don't.

Pushing Daisies: The Complete Second Season is available today on DVD for a suggested retail price of $39.98. Or pick up a copy today in the Televisionary store for just $22.99.

The Ending is the Beginning: A Night of 1000 Bubbles (and Tears) on the Series Finale of "Pushing Daisies"

In the topsy-turvy world of Bryan Fuller's candy-colored Pushing Daisies, death isn't always the ending but quite often the beginning.

This weekend's series finale of Pushing Daisies ("Kerplunk"), which sadly went off the air without much in the way of fanfare after being delayed six months and unceremoniously dumped on Saturday evenings, followed through on this underlying thread, which had deliciously wriggled its way through the entire series.

After all, it's a series that began with the resurrection of a beloved dog by a grief-stricken young boy who soon learns that he has the power to bring the dead back to life with a touch. But it's an ability that has deadly consequences for those around him, even if he uses his powers to solve murders and avenge the dead.

The death of lonely tourist Charlotte Charles has lasting repercussions, particularly to her aunts Lily and Vivian (or, I should say, her mother and her aunt), who have become withdrawn recluses following Chuck's death, removing themselves even more from the world that once adored them as the Darling Mermaid Darlings. On the eve of their return to fame and fortune with the Aquacade, long-buried secrets have a nasty way of rearing their ugly heads, but so do second chances.

And really, that's what Pushing Daisies is all about in the end: second chances.

I had the opportunity to watch the final three installments of Pushing Daisies back in April (and wrote about my experiences watching these incredible episodes here) but, now that the final episode has aired, I'm curious to know what you thought of the series' send-off as it heads to the big piehole in the sky.

Pushing Daisies clearly meant to go out with a bang rather than a whimper and one need only look at the slew of guest stars assembled for the final installment to see how the series retained its unique quirkiness right up until the end. What other series could boast a single episode featuring Wendie Malick, Nora Dunn, Wilson Cruz, Michael McDonald, Joey Slotnick, and Josh Hopkins at a traveling sea show? (My answer: none.)

While "Kerplunk," written by Gretchen Berg and Aaron Harberts and directed by Lawrence Trilling, was clearly not meant to be the series' ultimate episode, I thought that creator Bryan Fuller and Company did a good job of quickly wrapping up many of the storylines. The swooping CGI-laden camerawork as we soar over the familiar landmarks of the already-missed Papen County was a delightful and bittersweet way to end the series, by backtracking through the entire series' many stops along the way, an aerial trip down memory lane that culminates in a final image of Digby running through the fields of daisies, heading inexorably towards his death... and his life.

Elsewhere, Vivian finally learns that her fiance Charles Charles had cheated not with some unnamed woman but with her sister Lily and that Lily had secretly given birth to a baby girl and concealed her pregnancy and Charlotte's true parentage all these years. And, while I assume that had the series continued Vivian would have kicked Lily out of the house they've shared all of these years, their row is interrupted by Ned and Chuck at their front door. And Chuck finally gets to tell her aunts that she is in fact miraculously alive. I can't help but wonder what their reactions would have been to seeing the once-dead Charlotte alive again (or how Ned would have explained that without exposing his ability) and I can only hope that the adventures of this diverse band of eccentrics does get to continue on in comic form.

Meanwhile, the publication of Emerson's book, "Lil Gumshoe," has the intended result: it manages to bring him together with his missing daughter Penny, who uses the pop-up book to track down her detective father. Again, while we don't get to see the reunion between the two (we hear Penny knock at the door and say she's looking for Emerson Cod), it leaves things open enough to continue in another medium.

And lovelorn Olive Snook finally finds love with the loopy Randy Mann, allowing herself to keep her heart open even after it got broken (over and over again) by her unrequited love for the Pie Maker. I loved that this unlikely duo would open up The Intrepid Cow, a cow-shaped restaurant focusing on macaroni and cheese. (And that said macaroni would be Lil' Ivey brand, a clever shout-out to Fuller's own short-lived FOX series Wonderfalls, where the cocktail bunny spoke to Jaye.)

Was it a perfect ending? Definitely not but it was bittersweet, featured the dulcet tones of unseen narrator Jim Dale, tied up some of the series' dangling plotlines and made me tear up all over again.

Ultimately, I'm going to miss Pushing Daisies, which remains one of the most unique, inventive, and original series ever to air on US television, and most of all, it's compellingly quirky and lovable band of characters. To Ned, Chuck, Emerson, Olive, Lily, and Vivian: I'll see you on the other side.

What did you think of the series finale? Was it everything you hoped for? Did you tear up or sob? And is this the end for the forensic fairy tale? Talk back here.

Stakeout/Makeout: Love, Dam Rubies, and Other Crimes on "Pushing Daisies"

Each airing of Pushing Daisies is like another knife in my heart and Saturday's airing of the penultimate episode, "Water and Power," was like another slash from a bitter dagger.

I reviewed the final three episodes of Pushing Daisies back in April but I've been watching them again as they air on Saturday nights on ABC, just so I can squeeze just a little more enjoyment out of them before they disappear into the television graveyard forever. And no magical touch from Ned is going to bring them back to life.

This week's installment of Pushing Daisies ("Water and Power"), written by Peter Ocko with a story by Lisa Joy and Jim D. Gray, provided some answers about Emerson's mysterious past... specifically his relationship to his baby-stealing baby mama Lila Robinson, who was played with delicious flair by the incandescent Gina Torres. Even as our stylish gumshoe finally found happiness with dog trainer Simone Hundin (Christine Adams). Meanwhile, Chuck and Ned debated whether their love was hearty enough to withstand the many obstacles placed in their way and Olive pondered whether a rebound with Randy Mann (David Arquette) would be just the thing to help her get over Ned.

So what did I think of this week's episode on a second viewing? Grab yourself a piece of pie, put on an inordinately large hat, cut yourself some glow-in-the-dark flowers, and let's discuss "Water and Power."

While this week the Pie Maker and the Alive-Again Avenger took a backseat, plot-wise anyway, their relationship was still a strong throughline for the episode, which investigated three very different relationships: that of Emerson and Simone (Adams), Emerson and former flame Lila (Torres), and Olive and Randy. Each is complicated by a series of events beyond their control, just as Chuck and Ned's own unconsumated relationship is bound by the fact that they can't touch. While their relationship would sure end in death by any shared (physical) intimacy, it's the others who remain separated by emotional chasms that they can't quite cross.

For Emerson and Simone, it's the fact that Emerson hasn't come clean about the fact that he has a daughter, Penny, and his guilt over this error of omission is clearly eating away at him, though it's also brought to the fore all the more by the return of the dastardly Lila, who absconded with Penny years before. Did Lila truly love Emerson or was their relationship yet another con in a long line of grifts for this drop-dead drifter? After all, we learn that they fell in love under some rather suspicious circumstances, as Emerson was assigned to keep an eye on Lila, then engaged to the Papen County Water and Power magnate Roland Rollie Stingwell (Fred Williamson). The duo quickly fall in love and Lila becomes pregnant with Emerson's child, even as she attempts to get her hands on the fabled Dam Ruby.

So why doesn't Emerson tell Simone about Penny's existence? I think it's a combination of factors but really it's a secret he keeps from everyone because it reveals that the cocksure gumshoe is weak when it comes to matters of the heart... and Lila well and truly pulled the wool over his eyes.

And yet Olive's doing the same thing to Randy Mann, attempting to convince him that she's in love with him and that his objections to being a rebound guy are absolutely insane. (Love the bit about the dog whistle.) It's clear that Olive's feelings for Ned have prevented her from finding love with someone who returns the gift, even though Randy stands there offering himself to Olive. Can she get over Ned and finally find the happiness she deserves? Let's hope so because our girl Olive Snook deserves romantic fulfillment just as much as everyone else on this delightful series.

So what did I love about this episode? The flashback to Young Emerson (sadly, the last we'll ever have) as he became a lovelorn fool, constantly in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the gorgeous principal; Ned and Chuck folded up in Lila's trunk; Lila's final con; Emerson finally getting a publisher to agree to publish "Lil Gumshoe" in the hopes of Penny finding him; the aforementioned dog whistle speech; Simone saving Emerson's life at the dam; Robert Picardo dropping by as Detective Puget; Chuck's line about having two birthdays; the glow-in-the-dark flowers; the photograph of Stingwell surrounded by his white employees, the Mennonite lawyers who have taken a vow of honesty; Penny waving at Emerson as Lila took off. (The list goes on and on, really.)

All in all, a fantastic episode that's a bittersweet reminder of why many of us fell in love with Pushing Daisies in the first place. Throughout the series, we've been treated to some memorable and well-crafted characters, each of whom gets to shine in this episode, along with some madcap mysteries, and some of the very best screwball comedy writing on television (or anywhere) today. Sigh. I'll miss the pies, puns, and paper chases.

Next week on the series finale of Pushing Daisies ("Kerplunk"), The Darling Mermaid Darlings get an opportunity to come out of retirement when one-half of the synchronized swimming duo The Aquadolls meets with an unfortunate end that may have been murder-by-shark; Ned, Chuck and Emerson go undercover to solve the murder and encounter a slew of suspects at the Aquarink.

Touching Dead Things: Double Negatives, Alive-Again Avengers, and Window Dressing on "Pushing Daisies"

I saw the final three episodes of Pushing Daisies back in April but that hasn't stopped me from getting excited (and saddened) all over again now that ABC is airing the last three unaired installments this month on Saturday nights. (You can read my original advance review of Daisies' swan song here.)

This week's delightful episode of Pushing Daisies ("Window Dressed to Kill"), written by Abby Gewanter, picks up where we last saw the gang at the Pie Hole: with Olive and Ned dangling precipitously off of a branch over a rather yawning chasm. Fortunately, neither the dashing Pie Maker nor the delicious Pie Waitress perish though the near-death encounter is not without complication, thanks to Ned's unforeseen usage of a certain double negative, which infuriates the love-struck Olive to no end.

Furthermore, Ned's decision to become just an ordinary guy who makes pies and doesn't touch dead things and bring them back to life leads to a parting of ways among the group when Emerson decides to investigate the mysterious death of the Dickers' Department Store window dresser, leading him to team up with Chuck, the "Alive-Again Avenger" to solve the crime while Ned tries on a life of mediocrity as Clark Kent, rather than Superman.

But this is Pushing Daisies, after all, and things have a way of working themselves out in rather unexpected ways. In this case, it's the reappearance of Olive's childhood kidnappers, Jerry Holmes (Richard Benjamin) and Buster Bustamante (George Segal), on the scene along with Olive's ardent admirer Randy Mann (David Arquette). And a very large stuffed rhinoceros.

So what did I think about this episode of Pushing Daisies on a second viewing? Grab yourself a slice of pie, make yourself a wig or mutton-chops from some animal pelts, and let's discuss "Window Dressed to Kill."

First, I just want to say that I was absolutely blown away by the sheer amount of guest stars that Bryan Fuller and Co. were able to pile into this single installment. In roughly forty-odd minutes, we were treated to memorable turns by such actors as George Segal, Richard Benjamin, David Arquette, Willie Garson, Diana Scarwid, Wayne Wilderson, Sam Pancake, and Constance Zimmer. Some series don't manage to get this many compelling guest turns in an entire season, much less in a single episode and it's a testament to Daisies' off-kilter charms that so many small-screen luminaries jumped at the shot to tread the streets of Papen County.

I loved the fact that we didn't see the group split down its usual lines with Chuck and Ned investigating a facet of a particular case while Emerson follows a lead and Olive gets stuck at the Pie Hole. Instead, writer Abby Gewanter gives each of the series' leads equal weight and pairs them off with Emerson teaming up with sidekick Chuck to take the murder case while Ned and Olive go on the run with the escaped cons. That Ned and Olive do so whilst pretending to be betrothed (much to the chagrin of poor Randy Mann) only adds to the fun. (I especially loved the scene where Chuck pretends to be various members of the Devotee crowd in order to get Emerson paid and where Olive bursts into a snow-swept rendition of "Hello" at Lily and Vivian's house.)

Olive's simmering love for the Pie Maker has proven to be one of the series' most enduring subplots and this episode confronts it head on, with Ned acknowledging that he loves Olive... as a friend and gives her the kiss she's been waiting for this whole time. But she also realizes that she'd rather not have Ned than only have him as a pretend fiance in the end. It's a real transformative moment for Olive that's juxtaposed beautifully with the flashbacks to her childhood plotting and her life-long belief that she has to lie in order to try to obtain affection. For a series that has delved into the childhood root causes of our protagonist's adult lives (and their psychological issues), Olive coming clean to her not-really-kidnappers and Lily and Vivian was a fantastic moment of self-actualization for the lovelorn Olive Snook. (Let's hope that she does find love with the clearly head-over-heels Randy Mann.)

For Ned too, the entire false engagement was an effort to try on a disguise of his own, to pretend just for one day that he was Clark Kent and not Superman: that he had a "normal" relationship with a woman that he could touch and kiss (without her, you know, dying again forever) and that he was nothing more than a man who made pies. In playing house with Olive, Ned gets the chance to see a life without "the cape," without his paranormal ability or its inherent complications.

But ultimately Ned realizes that he is Superman and not the "tall, clumsy" Kent. Like Clark, he might wear a disguise concealing his awesome abilities but Superman is who he really is, cape and all. He'll take the winter hand-holding with Chuck (thanks to some glove-clad hands) and the "plot holes" that come along with it because she knows and accepts the real him.

I also loved seeing Chuck and Emerson attempt to solve a gruesome murder case (or a string of murders case) using "hustle" rather than Ned's supernatural stroke and this week's case was a luscious blend of kooky characters, over-the-top window displays, and some nice bait-and-switches involving the super-talented Erin Embry (Rachel Cannon) responsible for Dicker's department store windows... and Coco Juniper (Constance Zimmer) "to a lesser extent." Plus, we got to see Olive use some window dressing of her own to spirit away her errant kidnappers/father figures under the guise of restroom-seeking nuns, thanks to the help of the Mother Superior (Diana Scarwid).

All in all, yet another fantastic installment of Pushing Daisies that makes me remember why I fell in love with this brilliantly original series in the first place... and why I'm heartbroken all over again that ABC has decided to snip these beautiful Daisies.

Next week on Pushing Daisies ("Water and Power"), Emerson gets a lead in his daughter Penny's whereabouts when he investigates the murder of millionaire Roland Stingwell and fingers Penny's no-good mama, Lila Robinson (guest star Gina Torres) as the prime suspect; Randy Mann (guest star David Arquette) attempts to romance Olive.

Reminder: "Pushing Daisies" Returns with New Episodes Tomorrow

Just a quick reminder that Pushing Daisies returns tomorrow evening with a brand new episode.

While Daisies is sadly dead (and even Ned can't bring it back to life with a touch), ABC will be airing the final three unaired episodes of Pushing Daisies Saturdays at 10 pm ET/PT beginning this weekend.

I had the opportunity to see the final three installments of Bryan Fuller's masterpiece back in April and I loved every second of the three gorgeously crafted unaired episodes. (You can read my advance review of Daisies' final three installments here.)

It's with more than a little sadness that Daisies wraps its run but, given the series' own penchant for blending life with death, I urge you to approach these episodes with the excitement and zest that they deserve. (And be sure to come back here each Monday to discuss the latest installment.)

So why not grab yourself a piece of pie (preferably with gruyere baked in the crust), get out the plastic wrap, and settle in tomorrow night for one of the very last adventures with Ned, Chuck, Olive, and Emerson?

Tomorrow night on Pushing Daisies ("Window Dressed to Kill"), Emerson enlists Chuck's help to investigate the murder of a window dresser after Ned declares he's no longer using his "gift" to solve crimes; Olive gets a blast from her past when the two cons who kidnapped her as a child break out of jail.

Channel Surfing: Shonda Rhimes Talks "Grey's" Twists, FOX Delves into "Past Life," CW Staffing on "Melrose Place" and "Vampire Diaries," and More

Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing.

Still reeling from last night's season finale of ABC's Grey's Anatomy? Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello has an exclusive interview with series creator Shonda Rhimes about some of the shocking plot twists in last night's season ender. Responding to rumors about whether Katherine Heigl and T.R. Knight wanted off of Grey's Anatomy and how this impacted their characters' fates, Rhimes said simply, "I don't think there are any coincidences. I think Katherine's stated publicly that she's happy to stay. I think that there have been lots of rumors about TR, but TR's never said anything. Take from it what you will." Rhimes also discusses the fates of Izzie and George, Mer and Der's wedding day, Jessica Capshaw, and a host of other Grey's related issues. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

FOX has given a series order to supernatural drama Past Life (formerly known as The Reincarnationist), about a psychologist and a former NYPD homicide detective who assist people in solving "their past-life traumas and present-day crimes." Project, from Warner Bros. Television, is written and executive produced by David Hudgins. Cast includes Kelli Giddish, Nicholas Bishop, Richard Schiff, and Ravi Patel. (Variety)

The CW has reportedly locked Melrose Place and Vampire Diaries into its fall schedule. Both series were given the go-ahead yesterday to bring staffing, which points rather strongly to both projects getting ordered to series. Meanwhile, Beautiful Life, Life Unexpected, and Privileged continue to battle it out for the last remaining slot on the schedule and the Gossip Girl spin-off is said to still be in contention for a midseason bow. (Hollywood Reporter)

ABC is said to be considering making some rather big changes to bubble comedy Samantha Who? and is reportedly even debating whether to change the series' format into a traditional multi-camera comedy, albeit it one that follows a similar format to 20th Century Fox Television's How I Met Your Mother, which shoots over four days on a soundstage with multiple cameras but without a live audience. The network still has seven unaired episodes of Samantha Who?, which would mean that it's unlikely ABC would renew it for a full 22-episode order. (Variety)

Zach Braff and Sarah Chalke have signed on to appear in six episodes of Scrubs, should ABC opt to renew the series for a ninth season. Additionally, John C. McGinley, Donald Faison, and Neil Flynn are set to return full-time for a potential ninth season if their pilots aren't ordered to series. The short-term return of Braff and Chalke would help the series set up new storylines for the younger doctors. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Meanwhile, ABC is said to be high on Patricia Heaton comedy vehicle The Middle, along with Bill Lawrence's Cougar Town (starring Courteney Cox), and The Law. Network was said to be less than pleased with the pilots for Romantically Challenged and Awesome Hank yet may still order one or both of them to series. On the drama front, The Forgotten has the best chances of landing on the schedule but the net is also considering such projects as V, Inside the Box, Eastwick, and Happy Town. (Variety)

Janeane Garofalo will not be returning for Day Eight of FOX's 24 next season. "I think the secret of this show is knowing when characters have had their story," executive producer Howard Gordon told Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello. "And to transpose everybody [from D.C. to New York] starts feeling very coincidental. Even getting Chloe there ... you have to explain how she got from Washington to New York and what happened. You can't do that for everybody." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

NBC has renewed Last Call with Carson Daly for the 2009-10 season, a move which solidifies NBC's latenight strategy. Series, entering its ninth season, will return with a significantly lower budget next season. (Broadcasting & Cable)

Pushing Daisies' Anna Friel is set to star as Holly Golightly opposite Joseph Cross (Milk) in an upcoming stage adaptation of Breakfast at Tiffany's, set to preview beginning September 9th for a September 29th launch at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London. (Variety)

Hilarie Burton has told Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello about her departure--which she says was "not a rash decision"--from CW's One Tree Hill at the end of the current season, which wraps on Monday evening. "There really wasn't a lot of turmoil," said Burton about her departure. "It was a fabulous six-year run, which is how long my contract was for, and I feel really lucky to have been a part of the show. So when I hear that there's turmoil or negotiations based on money it kind of hurts my feelings, because it's not what's been going on at all. I think my fan base in particular knows that money isn't necessarily a big motivator for me, that's why I work in the world of independent film... I've known for a little while. For me, it was definitely an emotional decision. And a professional decision as well. I got really, really lucky. One Tree Hill was my very first television audition; it was a fairytale. I feel really lucky to have that level of success right out of the gate." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Confirming a rumor swirling several weeks ago, Warner Bros has acquired screen rights to ITV series Primeval, which airs in the US on BBC America and Sci Fi, with the aim to adapt it into a feature film, set in the US, under the aegis of Akiva Goldsman and Kerry Foster. "There is a solid mythology to the series, but the movie has the dinosaur element of Jurassic Park and the time travel element of Lost, and it just feels like the kind of big movie that Warner Bros. does well," said Foster. (Variety)

UK network Sky1 has scored the world premiere of two Prison Break episodes that are being billed as a special event movie entitled Prison Break: The Final Break. The network will air the two-hour movie on Wednesday, May 27th at 10 pm, a week after airing the fourth season finale which marks the end of the series. (Digital Spy)

Comedy Central has ordered seven episodes of animated comedy Ugly Americans, about an alternate universe where mythological creatures live among everyday people. Project, from writer David Stern (The Simpsons), will feature the voice talents of Matt Oberg, Randy Pearlstein, Mike Britt, Kurt Metzger, Rebekka Johnson, and Pete Holmes. The cabler also announced several projects in development, including: Judah Friedlander and Jordan Rubin's animated comedy Gypsy Cab, about a taxi driver in Manhattan who looks to pick up celebrity fares; single-cam workplace comedy The Sklar Brothers Sports Comedy Show; Midwest Teen Sex Show; The Boys and Girls Guide to Getting Down; procedural cop comedy The Fuzz, where police are played by humans and puppets; buddy comedy Workaholics; Ghost/Aliens; and several others. (Variety)

Cabler The N (which will be rebranded as TeenNick this fall) has ordered thirteen episodes of half-hour dramedy Gigantic, described as a "a coming-of-age story set in the world of the Hollywood elite packed with parties and privilege" which will feature "testimonials by real-life Hollywood teenagers as well as celebrity cameos." Project, from Reveille, is executive produced by Marti Noxon and Dawn Parouse. (Hollywood Reporter)

Former Survivor executive producer Tom Shelly has signed an overall deal with Endemol USA, under which he will serve as executive producer on ABC's upcoming reality series Dating in the Dark as well as develop format ideas. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Life is For the Living: An Advance Review of the Final Three Episodes of "Pushing Daisies"

"True love stories never have endings." - Richard Bach

Yesterday, I joined a sold-out crowd at the Cinerama Dome at the Arclight in Hollywood to see Pushing Daisies creator Bryan Fuller introduce a Paley Festival screening of the final three episodes of Pushing Daisies, which ABC will finally air (after a delay of several months) beginning at the end of May.

On hand to send off Pushing Daisies with Fuller were series stars Chi McBride (who jokingly said that they would be giving out "torches and pitchforks" in the lobby after the screening) and a tearful Ellen Greene, who said that as much as the audience loved these characters, the actors who played them loved them even more.

And love them we did. I'm not at all ashamed to admit that I got misty-eyed watching the exquisite final episode of Pushing Daisies, which manages to both offer closure for those of us who were utterly devoted to the whimsical series while also leaving things open-ended enough for Fuller to continue telling the story of Ned and Chuck in another medium. (He plans to launch a DC-published Pushing Daisies comic book series this fall.)

Over the course of the final three episodes, the audience was treated to something that's been sorely lacking on television these last few months: the entryway to a magical world where a Pie Maker can bring back the dead to life with a touch, lovers can kiss though plastic wrap, and the murdered can name their killers. True love is found, the wicked punished, and much cheese is consumed. In other words: the return of Pushing Daisies--however painfully brief--is something to be celebrated.

The first of the final troika of episodes, "Window Dressed to Kill," written by Abby Gerwanter, finds the gang--or at least Alive Again Avenger Chuck and Emerson working in tandem--attempting to solve the murder of a window designer at local department store Dicker's where the lavishly created window displays seem to be eerily similar to a series of murders involving their creators. Meanwhile, a secret from Olive's past comes back to haunt her (sort of) when her childhood kidnappers (played by George Segal and Richard Benjamin) break out of jail to see her, leading Olive and Ned to embark on a daredevil adventure involving a stuffed rhinoceros, disguises, and oh, so many lies.

The second, "Water and Power," written by Peter Ocko (with a story by Lisa Joy and Jim D. Gray), involves the murder of Papen County's water and power mogul, the appearance of a certain femme fatale/baby mama (guest star Gina Torres) from Emerson Cod's past, a vendetta, and the little matter of his missing daughter Penny. Plus, a fist sized ruby, glow-in-the-dark flowers, and haughty dog trainer Simone (Christine Adams)!

Finally, there's the series finale "Kerplunk," written by Gretchen Berg and Aaron Harberts, which sees the Darling Mermaid Darlings re-embark on a professional career as synchronized swimmers with the Night of 1000 Bubbles, a traveling water-based circus act. In an intoxicating twist, this episode dives head-first into the childhoods of Aunts Lily and Vivian, exploring the dynamic in their co-dependent relationship and Lily's betrayal of Vivian with Charles Charles... with some, uh, rather explosive repercussions. It also features a slew of guest stars including Wilson Cruz, Wendie Malick, Josh Hopkins, Michael McDonald, Nora Dunn, and Joey Slotnick, some of the very best covers for Ned, Emerson, and Olive, and one of the most memorable deaths ever on Pushing Daisies. (Seriously, this one had my jaw on the ground.) This episode also marks the final installment of Pushing Daisies ever and it sails into the sunset with all of the grace, magic, and beauty with which you would expect of it.

I don't want to give away too much about these episodes, which are far better enjoyed by watching them in full than by reading about them, but I will give you a few tidbits about what to expect when these three episodes air later this summer. Look for a rather surprising declaration of love which is not what you might expect, Ned to explore the danger of being both Clark Kent and Superman, jealousy to rear its ugly head from all sorts of directions, Olive to burst into song (Lionel Richie's "Hello," no less), wintertime hand-holding, some rather clever deaths (and even more clever criminals and con artists), misunderstandings galore, wordplay aplenty, and the return of some familiar faces, including Christine Adams' Simone Hundin, David Arquette's Randy Mann, and Diana Scarwid's Mother Superior. All this, plus glimpses into the childhoods of Olive Snook, Emerson Cod, and Lily and Vivian Charles.

Cult series rarely get to present the endings that their creators originally had in mind. Too often, viewers are left with a cliffhanger of an ending that offers no possible resolution for the characters or a hastily cobbled together ending that unsatisfyingly throws star-crossed lovers together and heals all wounds. I'm happy to say that neither applies to the beautifully orchestrated finale of Pushing Daisies.

The final scenes of Pushing Daisies achieve what most series merely dream of: emotional closure for the audience. The gorgeously shot scenes provide the audience with a bittersweet trip down memory lane, as it were, revisiting several locales that have played key roles throughout the series and giving the climactic final scene a dramatic push; this very moment has been the culmination of everything that has come before. This last sequence also offers some of the series' characters a shot at their happiness while not tying anything up neatly with a bow. For a series that has always prided itself on its delicious whimsy, these final scenes are the icing on the cake. (Or make that lattice crust on the pie.)

The happy endings, in fact, aren't quite endings at all but new beginnings. The series manages to come full circle in its storytelling, bringing us back to the miracle of Ned's gift, which in the end he comes to accept and cherish, rather than fear. And the beauty of the playful and tender conclusion is that all of the characters, from Ned and Chuck to Lily and Vivian (and everyone in between), learn that life truly is for the living. It's a lesson that's underpinned by a decision that Ned and Chuck make together, one that forever closes the door on one element of the series while opening up the story to new possibilities in the future.

In Pushing Daisies, a series that's about the often times blurred lines between life and death, it's this message about really living one's life that each of the characters takes to heart in the very end. Just how Bryan Fuller and Company manage to achieve this, I'll leave for you to see when ABC airs these episodes. But I'll advise you to have a box of Kleenex nearby as we bid adieu to some of the most memorable and heartfelt characters ever to grace the small screen.

ABC will air the first of Pushing Daisies' final three episodes on Saturday, May 30th at 10 pm ET/PT.

Channel Surfing: Leonard Nimoy Beams Down to "Fringe," ABC Sets Returns for "Daisies," "Dirty," and "Eli," HBO Down with More "Eastbound," and More

Welcome to your Thursday morning television briefing.

Talk about perfect casting. Star Trek legend Leonard Nimoy will beam down to FOX drama series Fringe, where he will play none other than the enigmatic William Bell, the former lab partner of Walter Bishop (John Noble) and the founder of Massive Dynamic. "It was a delight to work with Mr. Nimoy on Star Trek," executive producer J.J. Abrams told Michael Ausiello. "The idea that he will play the mysterious, much-referenced William Bell is a thrill. I know I sound like a goofy fan boy, but I can't help it: Leonard is an icon of the genre and such a wonderful actor. To have him come on board Fringe is a mind-blowing honor." Nimoy is expected to first appear in the season finale of Fringe and then appear in Season Two in an extended story arc. (Entertaiment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

E! Online meanwhile checked in with Star Trek and Fringe writer/executive producer Roberto Orci about the casting of Nimoy whom he says will be "an active part of the story, not just backstory. He interacts with our players." (Whew.) "Several answers will come outside of William Bell, and then William Bell will be the beginning of the answers to even bigger questions," said Orci. "[Walter and William] have not only different approaches to the Pattern, but different interpretations of what the Pattern is. The Pattern is slightly in the eye of the beholder, you're going to find out. And sometimes what you think is real can become real. In a way, these two are the top minds in the world attempting to figure out the Pattern and how to react to it, based on their world view." (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

It's official: ABC has finally ended months of speculation and announced when it would burn off remaining episodes of scripted dramas Pushing Daisies, Dirty Sexy Money, and Eli Stone, following an earlier report that had the network returning Daisies to the schedule on May 30th. The network has now confirmed that Pushing Daisies will air its final three episodes beginning Saturday, May 30th at 10 pm over three weeks; Eli Stone will return in the same timeslot beginning June 20th with four episodes; and Dirty Sexy Money, which has four installments remaining, will likewise wrap its run starting July 18th. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Elsewhere at ABC, the network has shored up its summer schedule, announcing launch dates for all of its off-season series: The Bachelorette will launch on May 18th; Here Come the Newlyweds' second season kicks off on May 25th; Wipeout returns May 27th; animated comedy The Goode Family will launch on May 27th; I Survived a Japanese Game Show will return July 8th; The Superstars kicks off June 23rd; and Dating in the Dark launches on July 20th. (Variety)

Pilot casting alert: Xander Berkeley (24) has been cast as a regular in NBC sci-fi pilot Day One, where he will play Clark, a man who is "seriously injured in an explosion and whose daughter goes missing." Berkeley will also recur in ABC drama pilot Inside the Box, where he will play the network EVP and boss to Indira Varma's Washington news bureau chief. (Hollywood Reporter)

HBO has ordered a second season of comedy Eastbound and Down, starring Danny McBride as a washed-up pro baseball pitcher who returns to his North Carolina hometown. No episodic order was given, though the second season will be comprised of at least six episodes and possibly more, but all scheduling and episode counts will need to be worked around McBride's feature commitments. "We're really excited about the cult following this show has taken on," said executive producer Adam McKay. "Next year we'd like to see this cult develop into a full-flung religion. and we can start judging people and telling them that they're gonna go to hell." (Variety)

Could NBC replace Law & Order: Special Victims Unit leads Mariska Hargitay and Chris Meloni? That's what Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting, claiming that multiple unnamed sources have told him that the Peacock is threatening to replace the duo if Hargitay and Meloni don't back down from demanding salary increases. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Russell T. Davies has revealed that Bernard Cribbins will reprise his role as Wilfred "Wilf" Mott, the grandfather of Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) and take on the role as the Doctor's companion in the two-part Doctor Who Christmas special that marks the end of David Tennant's tenure on the series. (Digital Spy)

Meanwhile, David Tennant has admitted to BBC Radio One that he cried when he read the final script for his run on Doctor Who. "I might have had a little cry," said Tennant. "They were brilliant scripts and very moving. It was quite a big deal really. I sort of turned the phone off and made sure I could read it straight through without too much interruption. Filming is now always out of schedule, so I don't know if I'll be sadder on the last day or filming the final scenes. That remains to be seen. It's weird because it's been four years. It's been so all-consuming and so life-changing. It's been such a big thing." (Digital Spy)

Lionsgate Television has signed a first-look deal with Steve Buscemi and Stanley Tucci's Olive Prods., under which the production company--overseen with producer Wren Arthur--will develop scripted series for both broadcast and cable networks. The studio has a relationship with Buscemi, who just directed four of Showtime comedy Nurse Jackie's twelve episodes. (Variety)

Sam Linsky has been promoted to SVP, current programming at both TNT and TBS. He will continue to report to Michael Wright and has now assumed current duties at TBS in addition to his TNT current oversight. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: ABC Slates "Pushing Daisies" End, Sydney Andrews Returns from Dead for "Melrose Place," John Simm Returns to "Doctor Who," and More

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing.

The Pie Maker returns to ABC! Pushing Daisies fans will finally be able to catch the final three episodes of the prematurely canceled series. ABC is expected to officially announce that it will air the final three episodes of Pushing Daisies on Saturday evenings at 10 pm ET/PT beginning May 30th. (Sadly, still no news for when or if Dirty Sexy Money or Eli Stone will return to the lineup to burn off their remaining installments.)

Also on tap for May on ABC: four-hour mini-series Diamonds, starring Judy Davis and James Purefoy, on May 24th and 26th; the launch of The Bachelorette on May 18th; the return of reality competition series Opportunity Knocks on May 26th; Wipeout returns on May 27th; and comedy The Goode Family will kick off on May 27th. (Futon Critic)

Despite her character seemingly dying in the fifth season finale of Melrose Place (where she was run over on her wedding day), Laura Leighton will reprise her role as the manipulative Sydney Andrews in the CW's revival of soap Melrose Place. (Look for the series' writers to say that she managed to survive the near-fatal car accident.) Leighton's Sydney, who will be recurring, will be the landlord of the famed apartment complex, where a new crop of LA wannabes will be living. So far, Leighton's casting marks the first deal for a cast member from the original Melrose Place to reprise their role on the new project. (Hollywood Reporter)

Meanwhile, Shark's Shaun Sipos has also been cast in Melrose Place, where he will play David Patterson, the son of original series' Jake Hansen (Grant Show), described as a "bad boy with smoldering good looks who grew up as a rich kid but has been cut off from his family money." (Hollywood Reporter)

Confirming an earlier story that John Simm would reprise his role as The Master in the series of David Tennant's farewell specials of Doctor Who, Simm has been spotted on the set of the series' Christmas special, which--along with another installment slated to air a week later on New Year's Day--mark the end of Tennant's tenure on the series as the time-traveling Doctor. Matt Smith will take over the role with Season Five of Doctor Who, slated to air next year. (Wired)

Jason Katims (Friday Night Lights) has been hired by NBC as a non-writing executive producer on drama pilot Dorothy Gale, a modern-day retelling of "The Wizard of Oz," about Kansas native Dorothy who moves to Manhattan and deals with her wickedly witchy boss in the art world. Project, written by Bridget Carpenter (Bionic Woman), will be executive produced by Carpenter, Katims, and Meryl Poster. Katims, meanwhile, is attached this season to NBC drama pilot Parenthood, in addition to duties on Friday Night Lights. (Variety)

NBC has renewed Law & Order: Special Victims Unit for an eleventh season but while the deal covers the majority of the cast, it doesn't cover series leads Mariska Hargitay and Chris Meloni. The network is said to have already begun contract negotiations with both actors. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Doctor Who's Freema Agyeman, who played Martha Jones on the series, has offered her support for inbound series lead Matt Smith taking over as the Doctor. "He's great. I can imagine there must have been a fair few people up for that role and for the producers to have such confidence in him, he must clearly have blown them away," Agyeman told Digital Spy. "He looks absolutely fantastic. He's a really good actor in all the other things he's done. I think he's going to be outstanding." (Digital Spy)

Anil Kapoor (Slumdog Millionaire) has joined the day of FOX's 24, where he will play a Middle Eastern leader who arrives in the US on a peacekeeping mission in Day Eight of the series, which is expected to bow in January 2010 on the network. (Hollywood Reporter)

Sky One has acquired UK rights to Sci Fi's new Stargate series SGU: Stargate Universe, which it plans to launch this fall. (Variety)

Reaper creators/executive producers Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters have signed a two-year overall deal with studio 20th Century Fox Television, under which they will develop series for the studio and join the writing staff of a 20th Century Fox Television series. Their exclusive deal all but makes a cancellation for CW's Reaper, produced by ABC Studios, a certainty. (Hollywood Reporter)

Creator/showrunner Mara Brock Akil is hoping to save her single-camera half-hour comedy series The Game from cancellation at the the CW by pitching the series to network executives as a reformatted one-hour dramedy. (Hollywood Reporter)

FOX has announced that it will launch overweight dating series More to Love on Tuesday, July 28th at 9 pm and delay the launch of scripted drama Mental by a week; the latter series will now debut on May 29th. (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)

SAG and the AMPTP are said to be moving towards a tentative agreement on the feature-primetime contract, which would expire in 2011, and the SAG netotiating committee is set to meet on Tuesday following several recent informal talks between the two sides, brokered by Peter Chernin and Bob Iger. But there's no deal just yet. "Any report of a tentative agreement on any aspect of our TV/Theatrical negotiations is premature," said SAG spokesperson Pamela Greenwalt. "SAG's leadership remains engaged in ongoing efforts to secure a fair deal for SAG members." (Variety)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: AMC Renews "Breaking Bad" for Third Season, Lifetime Struts on "Project Runway," CBS Shuts Off "Guiding Light," and More

Welcome to your Thursday morning television briefing.

AMC has renewed drama Breaking Bad for a third season, only four episodes into the series' sophomore season, which launched with 1.7 million viewers, a 21 percent increase over the series premiere episode. Series, which stars Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn, RJ Mitte, Dean Norris, and Betsy Brandt, will join the ranks of AMC drama Mad Men, also renewed for a third year. (Hollywood Reporter)

The battle over Project Runway has finally ended and now that the dust has cleared, it's Lifetime who will air the sixth season of the reality series this summer. "I couldn’t be more excited that Lifetime will bring its viewers an amazing, all-new season of Project Runway this summer," said Lifetime president/CEO Andrea Wong in a statement. "As the highest-rated cable network for women, Lifetime is the perfect home for this outstanding program as well as its companion series Models of the Runway. All of us at Lifetime are thrilled to move forward with Heidi, Tim, Nina, Michael, The Weinstein Company and the entire Project Runway team. We are proud to add these shows to our growing slate of original programming, including the hit series Army Wives, the all-new upcoming series Drop Dead Diva and our top-rated original movies." (via press release)

It's official: CBS has cancelled long-running soap opera Guiding Light, the longest running drama on television (it launched as a radio series in 1937 before moving to CBS in 1952). The series, set in the fictional enclave of Springfield, will air its final episode on September 18th. (The New York Times)

Pilot casting alert: Justin Bartha (National Treasure) has landed the lead on FOX comedy pilot The Station, where he will play a covert CIA operative stationed in South America; Chris Elliott (Everyone Loves Raymond) has been cast in CBS comedy pilot The Fish Tank; and Melissa Rauch (Kath & Kim) has joined the cast ofLifetime's untitled Sherri Shepherd comedy pilot. (Hollywood Reporter)

Nikki Finke is reporting that NBC is considering cancelling comedy My Name is Earl, which is produced by 20th Century Fox Television, after the studio was said to be unhappy with a "drastically reduced" license fee offered by the Peacock. Finke says that FOX's Kevin Reilly, who originally developed the series when he was at NBC, could pick up the show. (Deadline Hollywood Daily)

Diane Farr (Rescue Me) has been cast in a ten-episode story arc on Season Three of Showtime's Californication, where she will play a randy grad student who falls under the spell of David Duchovny's Hank. "I am so excited to play someone who is girlie," Farr told Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello, "and wears a sundress without a gun or a fire hose in my hand." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

George Segal (Just Shoot Me) has been cast in a multiple-episode story arc on Season Six of HBO's Entourage, where he will play a veteran manager who takes Eric (Kevin Connolly) under his wing. Also attached to recur next season: Jami Gertz, Autumn Reeser, and Alexis Dziena. (Hollywood Reporter)

Season Two of Pushing Daisies will be released on DVD on July 21st. The box set will include all thirteen episodes of the series' second season, including three episodes that have yet to air on television, and will be priced at $39.98 for DVD and $49.99 for Blu-ray. (via press release)

SCI FI Wire talks to Eureka's Colin Ferguson about Season 3.5, which launches in July, about what to expect when the series returns. "Well, at the end of season three, or at the end of season 3.4, or 3.49, Nathan [Ed Quinn] dies, and Salli [Richardson-Whitfield's] character is pregnant," explains Ferguson. "So that picks up right after there, where Salli is pregnant through the whole season. One of Joe [Morton's] ... I keep using the actors' names ... One of Joe's long-lost loves comes back. My character has a love interest all the way through. And then Jordan [Hinson], my daughter, deals with 'Is she going to go to college and leave Eureka or is she going to stay?' So all that stuff gets resolved." (SCI FI Wire)

TLC has secured the life rights of US Airways pilot Chesley Sullenberger, which it will adapt into a documentary special about the life of the pilot, who successfully landed a passenger jet in the Hudson River in January, saving the lives of everyone aboard. The cabler is planning a late 2009 airdate for the doc, which will be produced by Daniel H. Birman Prods. (Variety)

Elsewhere, documentary filmmaker Nanette Burnstein (The Kid Stays in the Picture, American Teen) has signed a deal with RDF USA to develop and produce unscripted series. (Variety)

James Marsters is still open to reprising his role as vampire Spike, should Joss Whedon end up writing a Spike-centric project. "Oh, yeah, when Angel was coming down, [creator] Joss [Whedon] came to me and said, 'Do you want to do a Spike project?'" Marsters told SCI FI Wire. "And I said, 'Heck yes. In fact, whatever you want to do, whether it's Spike or not, wherever I am in the world, just call me. I'll come running. But you have seven years, Joss, because I don't want to do Spike aging. Let's keep him the same age, and I think that I can hold that look for about seven years before it starts to become too different.' Maybe there's a few more years, but at this point, really it would all have to do with a camera test. Can we light my face in such a way that it's still in the same ballpark as what the audience is used to? If that's possible, then I think that it would be a good thing to do." (SCI FI Wire)

BBC America will launch Apprentice UK, featuring 14 contestants competing for a job with tycoon Sir Alan Sugar, on Tuesday, May 8th at 8 pm ET/PT, with subsequent episodes airing at 9 pm ET/PT. The first four episodes previously aried on CNBC; those will be repeated with the channel having the US premiere of all other installments. (via press release)

Lifetime has ordered four-hour mini-series Everything She Ever Wanted, based on Ann Rule's book about a woman and her much younger husband who are determined, at any cost, to become members of Atlanta's elite. Project, written by Michael Vickerman and directed by Peter Svatek, will star Gina Gershon (Life on Mars), Ryan McPartlin (Chuck), and Victor Garber (Eli Stone). (Hollywood Reporter)

HBO, along with Paramount Pictures and executive producer Robert Evans, are developing a six-hour mini-series about the life of Sidney Korshak, a Chicago attorney who arrived in Hollywood and "leveraged relationships with politicians, labor leaders, showbiz and the underworld to become the ultimate behind-the-scenes showbiz fixer." Project, based on a Vanity Fair article by Nick Tosches, will be written by Art Monterastelli. (Variety)

Could drama be leaving UK's Channel 4? That seems to be under discussion as one board member is floating an idea in which the beleaguered channel would drop all of its drama series in an effort to save millions of pounds and refocus the channel on documentaries and reality series. However, many--including Liza Marshall, the head of drama, and Kevin Lygo, director of television and content, are strongly opposed to the idea. (The Stage)

CBS and Sony Pictures Television, along with executive producer Michael Davies, are said to be developing a daytime one-hour update of game show The $25,000 Pyramid as a possible replacement for Guiding Light. However, other options are being looked at, including in-house productions such as talk shows. (TV Week)

CMT has ordered eight episodes of reality competition series Runnin' Wild... From Ted Nugent, that will "feature the right-wing rock star and hunting advocate teaching contestants how to survive in the wild, then chasing after them along with his 18-year-old son, Rocco." Series is expected to launch in August. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

PaleyFest09 Full Schedule Announced: "Pushing Daisies," "Battlestar Galactica," "Fringe," "Big Love," "Dollhouse," and Many Others to Be Feted

Ending several months of speculation, The Paley Center for Media has today announced the full lineup for PaleyFest09, the 26th Annual William S. Paley Television Festival.

Among the honorees this year are the casts and creators of 90210, Battlestar Galactica and Caprica, The Big Bang Theory, Big Love, Desperate Housewives, Dollhouse, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, Fringe, The Hills, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Mentalist, Swingtown, and True Blood.

PaleyFest09 will be held from April 10th to April 23rd at the Cinerama Dome at the ArcLight Cinemas in Hollywood; the Paley Center will also present a special closing night presentation honoring Swingtown at The Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills on April 24.

Other festival firsts this year? PaleyFest09 will be the festival event to honor a new media property, in this case Joss Whedon's celebrated web series Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, and will be the first to premiere the last three unseen episodes of ABC's sadly cancelled series Pushing Daisies.

“For twenty-six years, we have celebrated the best of television, and now new media, with the creative teams who make the breakthrough programs. This interaction between the creative community and media enthusiasts has made this annual Festival a 'Must Be There' event,” said Pat Mitchell, President/CEO of The Paley Center for Media.

The full PaleyFest09 schedule can be found below but, as always, please note that events/participants are subject to change.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadephia
Friday, April 10 at 7:00 p.m.
In Person: Danny DeVito (“Frank Reynolds”), Glenn Howerton (“Dennis Reynolds”/Executive Producer/Writer), Rob McElhenney (“Mac”/Creator/Executive Producer/Writer/Director), Kaitlin Olson (“Sweet Dee”). Additional panelists to be announced.

90210
Saturday, April 11 at 7:00 p.m.
In Person: Panelists from the cast and creative team to be announced.

True Blood
Monday, April 13 at 7:00 p.m.
In Person: Alan Ball (Creator/Executive Producer), Ryan Kwanten (“Jason Stackhouse”), Steven Moyer (“Bill Compton”), Anna Paquin (“Sookie Stackhouse”), Sam Trammell (“Sam Merlotte”), Rutina Wessley (“Tara Thorton”). Additional panelists to be announced.

Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog
Tuesday, April 14 at 7:00 p.m.
In Person: Felicia Day (“Penny”), Nathan Fillion (“Captain Hammer”), Jed Whedon (“Bad Horse Chorus #2/Dead Bowie”/Composer/Writer), Joss Whedon (Creator/Executive Producer/Writer/Director), Zack Whedon (Executive Producer/Writer).

Dollhouse
Wednesday, April 15 at 7:00 p.m.
In Person: Joss Whedon (Creator/Executive Producer/Writer/Director), Eliza Dushku (“Echo”), Enver Gjoka (“Victor”), Fran Kranz (“Topher”), Dichen Lachman (“Sierra”), Harry Lennix (“Boyd”), Tahmoh Penikett (“Paul”), Olivia Williams (“Adelle”).

The Big Bang Theory
Thursday, April 16 at 7:00 p.m.
In Person: Kaley Cuoko (“Penny”), Johnny Galecki (Leonard), Jim Parsons (“Sheldon”). Additional panelists to be announced.

The Mentalist
Friday, April 17 at 7:00 p.m.
In Person: Simon Baker (“Patrick Jane”), Bruno Heller (Creator /Executive Producer) Tim Kang (“Kimball Cho”), Chris Long (Coexecutive Producer/Director), Amanda Righetti (“Grace Van Pelt”), Robin Tunney (“Teresa Lisbon”), Owain Yeoman (“Wayne Rigsby”). Additional panelists to be announced.

Desperate Housewives
Saturday, April 18 at 7:00 p.m.
In Person: Panelists from the cast and creative team to be announced.

PaleyFest09 Special Matinee Screening Event: Pushing Daisies’ Last Unaired Episodes
Sunday, April 19 at 1:00 p.m.
Introduction by Bryan Fuller (Creator/Executive Producer).

Battlestar Galactica/Caprica
Evening Sponsor: Microsoft Zune
Monday, April 20 at 7:00 p.m.
In Person: David Eick (Executive Producer), Ronald D. Moore (Executive Producer). Additional panelists to be announced.

The Hills
Tuesday, April 21 at 7:00 p.m.
In Person: Tony DiSanto (Executive Producer), Adam DiVello (Creator/Executive Producer), Liz Gateley (Executive Producer), Heidi Montag, Audrina Patridge, Spencer Pratt. Additional panelists to be announced.

Big Love
Wednesday, April 22 at 7:00 p.m.
In Person: Ginnifer Goodwin (“Margene Heffman”), Bill Paxton (“Bill Henrickson”), Chloe Sevigny (“Nicolette Grant”), Harry Dean Stanton (“Roman Grant”), Jeanne Tripplehorn (“Barbara Dutton Henrickson”). Additional panelists to be announced.

Fringe
Thursday, April 23 at 7:00 p.m.
In Person: Joshua Jackson (“Peter Bishop”), John Noble (“Dr. Walter Bishop”), Lance Reddick (“Homeland Security Agent Phillip Broyles”), Anna Torv (“Special Agent Olivia Dunham”). Additional panelists to be announced.

Swingtown Celebration
Evening Sponsor: Netflix, Inc.
*Friday, April 24 at 6:00 p.m. at The Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills*
Festival Closing Reception & Panel Discussion
In Person: Mike Kelley (Creator/Executive Producer), Alan Poul (Executive Producer). Additional panelists to be announced.

Tickets to PaleyFest09 will go on sale February 26th to Paley Center members and the general public beginning March 1st.

So who's in this year? And what panels are you hoping to see? Discuss.

Channel Surfing: More "Big Love" at HBO, "NCIS" Spinoff Nabs O'Donnell and LL Cool J, Anna Friel, Swoosie Kurtz to Get "Desperate," and More

Welcome to your Thursday morning television briefing. My mind is still buzzing after last night's double-bill of Lost and Damages.

Pay cabler HBO has renewed drama Big Love, about the polygamist Henrickson clan, for a fourth season. Production will begin later this year for a 2010 launch. "The stellar reviews and solid viewership this season confirm that this is a signature series for HBO," said Michael Lombardo, president of programming at HBO. "The series keeps getting better and better." (I have to agree with him: this season has been absolutely amazing!) Once DVR, encores, and VOD ratings are added in to Big Love's initial airing, viewing figures soar to about 5 million, on par with HBO's True Blood. (Variety, Hollywood Reporter)

Chris O'Donnell and LL Cool J are said to be in final talks to star in CBS' untitled NCIS spin-off. Chris O'Donnell would play Callen, a man capable of changing into various different personas with ease, while LL Cool J would play former Navy SEAL Sam Hanna. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Pushing Daisies' Anna Friel is said to be in high demand this pilot season. Friel has received three offers so far: ABC drama pilots Eastwick and I, Claudia and CBS drama pilot House Rules. Her former co-star Lee Pace was said to have been offered pilot but declined. (Hollywood Reporter)

Meanwhile, Friel's other Pushing Daisies co-star Swoosie Kurtz has been cast in ABC's Desperate Housewives, where she will play a potential love interest for one Wisteria Lane resident. Kurtz's first episode of Desperate Housewives is slated to air in March; she'll then be seen as high society dame Millie on NBC's Heroes in April. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

ABC will launch MRC's Bob Saget family comedy Surviving Suburbia (originally to air during MRC's Sunday night block on the CW) on Mondays at 9:30 pm, following Dancing with the Stars. Move comes on the heels of ABC's decision to move comedy Samantha Who? to Thursday evenings. Thirteen-episode Surviving Suburbia, starring Bob Saget and Cynthia Stevenson, was created by Kevin Abbott (Reba). (Variety)

Christine Baranski (Mamma Mia!) has been cast in at least three episodes of ABC's Ugly Betty, where she will play the wealthy mother of Betty's new love interest, sports writer Matt (Daniel Eric Gold). Baranaski's first appearance is slated to air in March. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

For the first time, Doctor Who will be filmed in high-definition, beginning with the Easter special, "Planet of the Dead." Move marks the first HD outing for the sci-fi series, although spin-off series Torchwood has been filmed in HD since it first launched. (Digital Spy)

Casting is underway for Serena's new European beau on the CW's Gossip Girl, possibly inspired by Anne Hathaway's real-life ex-boyfriend Raffaello Follieri, who was convicted last fall of wire fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy charges. Executive producer Stephanie Savage wouldn't confirm the rumor but said that Serena's new love interest Giorgio is "very well-traveled, part of the global elite. He's not a brooding artist like Dan or Aaron Rose. He's definitely a grown-up, and that's something Serena is very attracted to." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Vivica A. Fox (Curb Your Enthusiasm) will host TV Land's eight-episode dating competition series The Cougar, which will premiere on April 15th. And, yes, it's about exactly what you think it is. (Variety)

NBC has delayed the launch of geneology-based reality series Who Do You Think You Are? until the summer. Deal or No Deal will take over the Mondays at 8 pm timeslot, currently occupied by Chuck, for three weeks beginning May 4th. (Futon Critic)

Imagine TV is said to be looking for its next Arrested Development. The shingle, headed by Brian Grazer and David Nevins, is developing FOX single-camera comedy pilot The Chairman of Chatsworth, written by Dan Palladino (Gilmore Girls), about a lawyer with a "questionable moral compass" who is said to be loosely based on Grazer's own father. Also in development: an animated series based on Angry Little Girls (based on Lela Lee's comic) with Simpsons vet Josh Weinstein, the redeveloped Nice Girls Don't Get the Corner Office at FOX (it was originally shot as a pilot for ABC in 2007), and NBC comedy pilot Parenthood. (Variety)

Battlestar Galactica's Kate Vernon talks to The Daily News about her role on the sci-fi series and hinted at the scope of the series finale. "None of us saw the ending coming," Vernon said in an interview. "I would just say, erase your mind of any expectations and really watch the show with an open mind. So much is to be revealed." (The New York Daily News)

The House of Representatives has voted to approve the DTV delay, shifting the transition from Feb. 17th to June 12th, and has sent the bill to President Obama to sign. The delay, according to White House spokesperson Amy Brundage, "means that millions of Americans will have the time they need to prepare for the conversion." (TV Week)

Stay tuned.

ABC's Steve McPherson Talks "Pushing Daisies," "Dirty Sexy Money," and "Eli Stone," But No Return Dates

Fans of Pushing Daisies, Dirty Sexy Money, and Eli Stone shouldn't hold their collective breath waiting for ABC to run the remaining episodes of their favorite series, all of which the Alphabet cancelled last year.

Speaking at the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour, ABC Entertainment president Steve McPherson was maddeningly vague when questioned several times about when viewers could anticipate seeing the leftover episodes of Pushing Daisies, Dirty Sexy Money, and Eli Stone.

"I wish that we had been able to give the producers really series-ending notice to some extent so they could really get that done and really have kind of a finale, if you will," said McPherson. "Because of the way the timing worked out, we didn't, and we weren't able to. But I'd love to find a way to get those out, because Pushing Daisies and Dirty Sexy Money for me -- most of the time when shows don't work, you can really, in hindsight, look back and kick yourself and say, 'I should have seen that.'"

"I really love those shows [and] commend those producers," continued McPherson. "They delivered what they promised. For us, it was just a frustration that we couldn't get a larger audience or that Nielsen said we couldn't get a larger audience."

Still, ABC did not announce any scheduling of those remaining episodes today and McPherson pointed to a number of obstacles standing in there way from airing those installments, including the preciousness of "real estate on air," especially in these economically uncertain times, rights clearance issues, and just scheduling dilemmas.

So, would McPherson have done anything differently coming out of the writers strike in regard to these series? Would he have brought them back in the spring rather than attempt to "relaunch" them in the fall?

"It wasn’t like there were a lot of options," said McPherson, who said that they could have "maybe gotten two or three episodes of the Wednesday night shows back on the air in the spring... So we made the gamble. Hindsight is 20/20. People did not come back to them the way we hoped. I don’t know that we had a better option. But I wished the strike didn’t happen because we are all trying to recover."

As for Pushing Daisies, McPherson didn't really have any answer about why the series underperformed on ABC. "You could look back and maybe say, okay, Pushing Daisies was a little bit too much this or that, but [Daisies, Dirty Sexy Money, and Eli Stone] are great shows. There may be something out there in terms of the way we promote these shows, the way we deliver these shows, and the way that the viewership is actually counted. I think that there's a tremendous amount of viewership that nobody, no network gets credit for. And hopefully, if we can get those viewers and get them counted for, we can keep great shows like that on the air."

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: NBC Renews "30 Rock" and "The Office," Daniels Still Mulling "Office" Spin-off, Hopkins Scrubs in on "Private Practice," and More

Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing.

By the hammer of Thor! Good news for fans of 30 Rock and The Office: NBC has renewed both series for the 2009-10 season, which means that we're guaranteed a fourth and sixth respective season of each. Given 30 Rock's comedy win at this week's Golden Globes (and well-deserved statuettes for stars Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin), I would have been gobsmacked if NBC hadn't ordered an additional season of the critically beloved series. (press release)

Unfortunately, there's no news of the fate of ratings-challenged but critically loved NBC series Chuck and Life, which weren't mentioned in NBC's renewal announcement (which also included another season of The Biggest Loser).

And there's even worse news for fans of ABC's Pushing Daisies, Dirty Sexy Money, and Eli Stone. According to Kristin dos Santos' sources, the Alphabet won't be airing the remaining episodes of either series until June at the earliest. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Bryan Fuller is said to be contemplating a feature film version of Pushing Daisies but as co-star Kristin Chenoweth, recently cast in NBC pilot Legally Mad, told me and several other reporters on Tuesday, Fuller would only do it if all six of the series' leads signed on... and they are prepared to do so! "I'm sure that Bryan Fuller wouldn't do it without the six main characters," said Chenoweth. "Paul Reubens was a big part of it and we have certain guest stars that are standouts that we'd want back. But he has such a great idea for it [and] we all want to [do it]."

Scott Bakula (Enterprise) has been cast in Chuck as Chuck and Ellie Bartowski's estranged father; he'll first appear in an episode slated to air in April. "Chuck made a promise to his sister, Ellie, that he was going to find their dad in time for her wedding," co-creator Josh Schwartz told Michael Ausiello. "And it's something that Chuck becomes consumed with pursuing during the second half of the season. But when he finds him, he's not necessarily a guy who wants to be found. He's living in a trailer, he's disheveled, he's paranoid and he's claiming constantly that Ted Roark [Chevy Chase] -- who he used to work with -- stole all his ideas from him. And Ted Roark has now become this super-successful software billionaire, and Chuck's dad has become an eccentric, living in the shadows."(Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Elsewhere at the Peacock, NBC announced launch dates for four new series: Kings on March 15th, Southland (formerly known as Police and even more formerly known as LAPD) on April 9th; the Untitled Amy Poehler/Greg Daniels Comedy on April 9th, and reality series Chopping Block on March 11th. (press release)

Hugh Bonneville (Bonekickers) has been cast in NBC dramedy pilot Legally Mad, opposite Charity Wakefield and Kristin Chenoweth. Bonneville will play Gordon Hamm, a partner at the law firm and the father of Brady (Wakefield) who is going through a bit of a midlife crisis. (Hollywood Reporter)

Meanwhile, that spin-off of The Office (not to be confused with the untitled Amy Poehler/Greg Daniels comedy) could still be in the works. "It's not possible, physically, for me to be involved in it right this second, but I'm talking to people over at The Office about another idea, and [The Office's British creator] Stephen Merchant came back and directed an episode of The Office so were were talking about the idea," said Greg Daniels at yesterday's TCA panel. "It's possible that some combination of other Office people could produce it without my giving blood for it." (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)

NBC has reduced the episodic count for freshman comedy Kath & Kim to 17 episodes, five installments less than its original 22-episode order. Look for Kath & Kim to end its season on March 12th. (Futon Critic)

Greg Daniels says that he wants Amy Ryan to return to NBC's The Office as Holly Flax. Ryan will hopefully appear in the season finale of The Office and could return next season as well. "She will come back," Daniels told Michael Ausiello. "We haven't written it yet, but we're discussing her coming back for the season finale. We're hoping she'll be available... Because [Michael and Holly] have such a deep connection, I don't think she can blow in and out every so often. It would be too hard for him as a human being. So, we're hoping to find some very significant things for them. And if we can get her to sign on for a really long period, we'll do it." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

And, finally, Lipstick Jungle isn't quite dead just yet. "We officially have not canceled Lipstick Jungle," said Universal Media Studios' Angela Bromstad. "I think there are alternatives we may look into. It's all a conversation for the fall." (TV Guide)

Lifetime has ordered twelve episodes of dramedy Drop Dead Diva, about a wannabe model who, after a fatal car accident, is reincarnated in the body of an overweight lawyer. Project, starring Brooke Elliott and from writer/executive producer Josh Berman (Bones), will launch this summer. (Hollywood Reporter)

FOX is said to be close to ordering two drama pilots: Maggie Hill, from writer/executive producer Ian Biederman, EXPs Brian Grazer and David Nevins, 20th Century Fox TV, and Imagine, about a female cardiac surgeon battling schizophrenia; and Human Target, based on a DC comic about a shady security expert who goes undercover to protect clients, from executive producer McG and writer/executive producer Jon Steinberg (Jericho). (Variety, Hollywood Reporter)

Josh Hopkins (Swingtown) has been cast in a multiple-episode story arc on ABC's Private Practice, where he'll play a surgeon with whom Addison strikes up a flirtation... or, well, more than a flirtation in five episodes this spring. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

CBS has given a cast-contingent pilot order to comedy Tick Tock, about a 30-something single mom who attempts to focus her attention on finding love. Project, from writer/executive producer Bill Kunstler (The War at Home), will be produced by CBS Paramount Network Television. (Variety)

Christine Baranski (Mamma Mia!) has been cast in at least one episode of CBS' The Big Bang Theory, where she will play Dr. Beverly Hofstadter, Leonard's mother and an acclaimed brain researcher. (TV Guide)

TNT has ordered six additional scripts for freshman drama Leverage. (Hollywood Reporter)

Ronald D. Moore talks about Battlestar Galactica spin-off prequel series Caprica. (Variety)

Ugly Betty's David Blue has been cast in Sci Fi's Stargate Universe, the latest iteration in the franchise, opposite Robert Carlyle. Blue will play "Eli Wallace, a total slacker who just happens to be an utter genius with anything he puts his mind to -- mathematics, computers, video games. A lack confidence has left him with an acerbic sense of humor." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Also cast in Sci Fi's Stargate Universe opposite Carlyle and David Blue: Justin Louis (Hidden Hills), Brian J. Smith (Hate Crime), and Jamil Walker Smith (Sister, Sister). (Hollywood Reporter)

Everybody Loves Raymond executive producer Phil Rosenthal has been keeping busy. He's currently developing three HBO projects--comedy The Jeannie Tate Show, drama Random Family, and a telepic about the 1960s Freedom Riders--and has sold a series to the Beeb. (Hollywood Reporter)

Grant Show is said to be open to returning to the new iterations of either of his old haunts, namely 90210 or Melrose Place. But he does have one condition: he wants to rekindle his short romance with Jennie Garth's Kelly Taylor. "“That would be the only angle that would be really interesting,” said Show. “They never really explored that in enough depth.” (E! Online)

Stay tuned.

Top TV Picks of 2008

As it's nearly the end of the calendar year (only a few more days to go, in fact), I figured now was as good a time as any to look back at some of the shows that that have entertained and inspired me over the past year.

It's been a crazy year, between the WGA strike affecting everything from truncated freshman seasons for Pushing Daisies, Dirty Sexy Money, and Chuck, delayed seasons for FX's Damages and HBO's Big Love (and a host of others), and a generally frantic development season that only saw two relative hits emerge this fall.

So, what were the favorite series in the Televisionary household? Which left me wanting more... and which ones made me eager to change the channel? Find out after the jump.

Best Reality Series:

Top Chef
The Amazing Race
Flipping Out

Top Chef remains my number one reality obsession. Bravo and Magical Elves have done themselves proud with this sleek, slick production that makes the art of cooking into a nail-biting competition in which egos clash, visionaries emerge, and the judges knock the competitors down a few pegs each week. While those of us at home can't taste the food being prepared, the aura of creativity around this series is more than enough to sate us.

Despite some creakiness in The Amazing Race's format (this most recent cycle won't go down as the most entertaining iteration of the series), this reality franchise remains one of the most consistently high quality unscripted productions around... if the casting directors do their job right. I'm still engaged with the ride but I was hoping for a bit more out of this most recent season, given that one of the main reasons I tune in is for the interpersonal element, seeing which teams emerge stronger than ever after running this gauntlet and which crumble under the pressure.

Flipping Out remains one of the most gripping and tense hours of television around... and also one of the most bizarre. Its breakneck second season had boss Jeff Lewis installing a nanny cam in his office to spy on his employees, the dissolution of Jenni and Chris' marriage, and the Client From Hell which lead to Jeff quitting, not once, but twice over the course of the season. Flipping Out might nominally be about the Los Angeles real estate market (and speculative buying) but it's about some of the quirkiest characters ever to be drawn on the small screen and I just can't look away.

Reality Series Most in Need of Fixing:

Project Runway

Given the current legal battle over the future of the series (producers the Weinstein Co. tried to take it to Lifetime), it seems like the most recent season of Project Runway will be the last for some time (or until that case is tried)... and I have to say that I found it to be pretty lackluster as the contestants seemed more apt to making each other (and themselves) cry than wowing us with any sartorial finesse. And overall the competition seemed overshadowed by Kenley's tantrums. A series with that many seasons under its belt should know better and it's likely that it will be the last one I end up watching.

Best British Imports:

Doctor Who
Skins
Gavin & Stacey

In its fourth season, Doctor Who remained just as entertaining and exciting as ever, even as it introduced the Doctor's latest companion, Donna Noble (Catherine Tate, who originated the role in the 2006 Christmas Special, "The Runaway Bride"), easily the most heartbreaking character on the revival series. In a season that saw the return of three prior companions (including fan favorite Rose Tyler), it's the sacrifice that Donna makes that adds a sheen of loss and tragedy to this rip-roaring sci-fi adventure series. And its season finale altered the landscape of Doctor Who, featuring a final battle with some ancient enemies in the form of the Daleks and Davros and a bittersweet ending that had our Doctor (David Tennant) off on his own once again, just as he finally found a traveling companion who might have been his very equal.

Like a bolt from the blue, Skins has shown its devoted audience just what the teen drama genre is capable of, deftly turning out plots ranging from eating disorders and love triangles to the death of a parent, unwanted pregnancy, and teenage mortality. It also gracefully juggled a wide array of well-drawn characters that were alternately cruel, kind, funny, bitter, sly, witty, stupid, and gifted (often all at the same time) but who always remained sympathetic. At times laugh-out-loud funny and utterly traumatic, Skins redefined drama for the under-18 set while also remaining completely relatable to those of us who have left our teen years behind.

No romantic comedy has ever achieved the level of bittersweet emotion that Gavin & Stacey has managed to acquire. What started out as a simple love story between strangers--Essex lad Gavin and Welsh lass Stacey--transformed into a touching portrait of disparate national identities, the problems facing today's twenty-something lovers, and, well, omelettes. It's a rare thing to find a series that makes you laugh as much as it does make you cry, but Gavin & Stacey--created by co-stars Ruth Jones and James Corden--effortlessly achieves both ends with a wit and flair all its own.

Best British Import (Yet to Air in the States):

Ashes to Ashes

The sequel to the cult hit Life on Mars (which wrapped its series very early on in 2007 and thus gets an honorable mention), Ashes to Ashes follows a single mum forensic profiler who, after being shot in the head in 2008, finds herself seemingly sent back in time to 1981, where she encounters Gene Hunt, the New Romantics, a terrifying phantom Pierrot clown, and a mystery that involves the death of her parents. Can she figure out a way to return to her daughter in 2008 and cheat death? Both funnier and scarier than Life on Mars, Ashes to Ashes breathes new life into this franchise, which seemed to come to an end with John Simm's Sam Tyler. US audiences can catch this fantastic series beginning in March on BBC America.

Biggest Letdown from a Once Great Series:

The Office

I'll be blunt: The Office used to be one of my very favorite series but watching this sodden comedy has become more of a chore than a pleasure. While Amy Ryan's Holly Flax seemed to reinvigorate this comedy for a bit, her six-episode arc quickly came to an end and has left The Office at a bit of a loss this season. The comedy seems more prone to overwrought absurdity than tweaking humor from the mundane, Jim and Pam irritated me more than ever as a long-distance duo, and the moments of comedic genius, which The Office used to have in abundance, seem ever more isolated. To me, it's not Meredith who needs an intervention, it's The Office itself.

Best Canceled Series:

Pushing Daisies
The Wire

More than any other cancellation in recent television history (save perhaps, Arrested Development), I feel utterly betrayed by that of Pushing Daisies. After launching a nine-episode first season last fall (courtesy of the writers strike), Pushing Daisies should have returned with new episodes in the spring... yet ABC unwisely chose to "relaunch" the series this fall and squandered both the creative momentum and the ratings Pushing Daisies had achieved in its first season. Hilarious, touching, and quirky, Pushing Daisies was unlike anything ever to air on network television and redefined genre-busting sensibilities, blending together supernatural drama, romance, humor, and mystery procedural into one tasty package that was as comforting as a slice of warm apple pie. You'll be missed.

Over the course of five compelling seasons, HBO's The Wire tackled every issue facing today's modern American cities--from corruption and the drug trade to the failing educational systems and underfunded police forces--and did so while juggling a cast of deeply flawed individuals each trying to cope with the lot that fate dealt them. But it was the series' Dickensian aspect that earned it a place in my heart, as it gave equal weight to cops, drug dealers, homeless people, hoppers, politcos, and teachers, creating a memorable fabric of a city on the brink of destruction. Season Five of The Wire may not have been the series' strongest--with an indictment of the media and Jimmy staging a series of homeless serial killings--but it also paid off the series' long-standing storylines in a powerful and memorable way. Likely, there will never be another series as raw and honest as this one.

Best US Comedies:

30 Rock
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Chuck

Consistently belly-achingly hysterical, 30 Rock remains my favorite comedy on television and only seems to be getting better and better with age, even as it remains the most politically-minded program on television today. Not bad for a series that's allegedly just about the goings-on behind-the-scenes at an NBC comedy sketch series. In the hands of creator Tina Fey and her crack team of writers, 30 Rock continues to push the envelope for broadcast comedy, offering well-placed snarky jabs at the media elite, politicians, and pop culture icons while also giving the audience one of the most well-drawn (and realistic) portrait of a 2008 working woman in Liz Lemon. My only complaint: that it can't be on every single week, all year long. Blerg indeed.

Raunchy and provocative, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is a raucous laugh riot from start to finish. Set in a low-rent Philly pub owned by a bunch of shallow, self-absorbed, and selfish losers, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia follows Seinfeld's adage that the funniest characters need not be the most sympathetic. It's the best exploration of arrested adolescence ever to hit the small screen and its absurdist plots--Mac and Charlie faking their deaths, a story about the cracking of the Liberty Bell, a forensic investigation into bed-bound fecal matter--reach to new depths of bizarre depravity and hilarity. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Chuck isn't quite a comedy but it is a series that skillfully manages to conflate comedy, romance, workplace intrigue, and action/adventure into one satisfying thrill-ride each week, all while remaining uproarious and emotionally satisfying. And Chuck has something for everyone: a star-crossed romance between Everyman Chuck (Zachary Levi) and his handler Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski), explosions, double-crosses, quirky best friends, and fancy spy technology. In its second season, Chuck has only gotten better: more funny, more gripping, more touching. And I can't wait to see where it takes us next.

Best US Dramas:

Lost
Battlestar Galactica
Mad Men

In its fourth season, Lost seemingly rewrote its own rules, having the fabled Oceanic Six made it off of the island and return to normal society and chucking out its own flashback technique in order to make use of a groundbreaking narrative format in which we now flashed forward, seeing the castaways who made it off of the island adapt to life back home and see Jack (Matthew Fox) come to the realization that they had to go back. A brilliant gambit that paid off in spades, the flash forwards added yet another layer of dread and mystery to a series already teeming with intrigue. Having an end date for the series has invigorated the path to that ultimate end of the franchise and made each and every installment count. Plus, "The Constant," in which Desmond (Henry Ian Cusick) travels through time and encounters physicist Daniel Faraday (Jeremy Davies) in his quest to find his lost love Penny (Sonya Walger), remains one of the very best single hours on television this year and a reminder of why Lost breaks nearly every one of television's rules, resulting in a series that anything but predictable.

Halfway done with its final season, Sci Fi's Battlestar Galactica has remained must-see TV for lovers of high quality drama. Despite its setting in the far-flung reaches of space, Battlestar Galactica has remained a series that offers a dark mirror through which to view our own society, offering glimpses through the looking glass at the occupation in Iraq, racial cleansing, religious intolerance, human resistance, political tampering, civil war, and the hard choices governments must make in times of war. Having discovered Earth to be nothing but a radioactive wasteland, the crew of the Galactica--in an uneasy alliance with the Cylon race--learns to their dismay that we must all be careful what we wish for. There's still many mysteries to be solves as we begin the countdown to the series finale and I for one and dizzy with anticipation to see how Ronald D. Moore and David Eick manage to tie everything up.

AMC's Mad Men, which wrapped its second season earlier this year, is one of the most gripping dramas on television, regardless of what period of time it might be set in. Expertly recreating the 1960s with its attendant sexism, racism, and homophobia, Mad Men explores the public and private lives of the era's men and women with equal relish. This season produced some shocking twists, including Peggy (Elisabeth Moss) telling Pete (Vincent Kartheiser) that she gave birth to his child and gave it up for adoption, Betty (January Jones) kicking Don (Jon Hamm) out of the house, Don's trip to California and his rendezvous with the wife of the man whose identity he had stolen, and Peggy finally placing herself on equal footing with Don Draper. But none was more brutally shocking than the rape of Joan (Christina Hendricks), right in the offices of Sterling Cooper, by her supposedly "perfect" fiancé. Terrifying, brutal, and horrifying, the scene showed just how far women had come since then, just how little had truly changed, and just how quickly every vestige of power can be yanked away.

Best New Fall Series:

Fringe

I'll admit it: it was tough to find a new fall series that I could give the term "best" to. After a season that saw many new series strike out, only Fringe and The Mentalist emerged as justifiable ratings hits. Fringe is the far superior series and I'm somewhat enjoying it but I still have huge reservations about the series' choice to use self-contained storylines rather than serialized storytelling. (Additionally, I've twice now offered up suggestions on how to improve the series.) Fringe has an extraordinary amount of potential that I want the series to achieve sooner rather than later but it seems to be suffering in its execution: too much formula and water-treading and not enough layered mythology and trust in its audience.

And there we have it. A sampling of some of my favorites from 2008. As the year rapidly swings to a close, I'm curious to see what your favorite (and least favorite) series were, which shows you can't get enough of, and which ones you're happy to see the back of now.

Stockholm Syndrome: Waking, Baking, and (Heart) Aching on "Pushing Daisies"

Oh, hell no.

Not since the days of Twin Peaks have the Norwegians been so front and center and so quick to rush to judgment.

I'm speaking of course of last night's episode of Pushing Daisies ("The Norwegians") which featured Papen County's other team of crack sleuths, overseen by Emerson Cod's nemesis Magnus Olsdatter (Orlando Jones), who in investigating the mysterious disappearance of one Dwight Dixon (Stephen Root), one-time paramour to Aunt Vivian, stumble onto a secret that could finally expose Ned and Chuck. That is, if it hadn't been for the help of Itty Bitty herself.

Written by Scott Nimerfro (who previously scripted Season One's "Smell of Success"), last night's episode was another fantastic addition to the Daisies oeuvre, further complicating an already deliciously taut plot involving Chuck's alive again (and on the run) father, Charles Charles, a cover-up (Emerson and Chuck's disposal of Dwight's corpse), and the reappearance of a certain central character whose absence has haunted the Pie Maker his entire life. All this and the first episode of Daisies not to feature Ned's ability. Curious...

So what did I love about last night's oh-so-satisfying episode? Let's grab a cup of Olive's coffee and dive in.

I absolutely loved seeing the gang be the ones under investigation. Much of the series has presented our Pie Holers as investigative sleuths, waking the dead, asking questions, and solving murders, so it was wonderful to see them walking on eggshells as the Norwegian investigators--ably (and hysterically) embodied by Orlando Jones, Ivana Milicevic, and Michael Weaver--began to investigate them. And yet the crack team of Nordic PIs never noticed that lonely tourist Charlotte Charles was alive and working at the Pie Hole, which made their investigation all the more humorous to me.

But even more so I loved that our Norse sleuths had a mobile crime lab that they referred to lovingly as "Mother," but whose full name-- Mobile Investigative Lab Facility--actually forms the hysterical acronym of MILF. Those naughty, naughty Norse.

The biggest surprise, of course, was that it wasn't Charles Charles who came to Olive and Ned's rescue as they dangled over the edge of a cliff after destroying Mother (and the evidence inside) but rather Ned's own father, who seemingly abandoned him as a boy... and then abandoned his half-brothers Maurice and Ralston unexpectedly as well. Could it be that Ned's father has been keeping an eye on him for quite some time (he was, after all, at the Pie Hole once before) and has actually acted as an unseen guardian angel for quite some time now? Hmmm. Methinks his disappearance and reappearance have something to do with those pocket watches that Dwight Dixon was so keen to get his hands on. Just what secret do they unlock? Why was Dwight so keen to get his hands on them? And where has Ned's dad stashed the final one?

I loved that Bryan Fuller and Co. cast the incomparable George Hamilton as Ned's father in the present day. Absolutely wacky casting, but I'd expect nothing less from Pushing Daisies, which has always excelled at selecting some rather zany guest stars. And that Ned's dad went so far as to dig up the coffins of Charles Charles and Chuck, remove Dwight's body, and frame Dwight for the unearthing and burning of their bodies. All of which would seem to indicate that, yes, he has been watching Ned carefully. Could there be a bigger existential reason why he has chosen to remain far away from Ned? One connected to Ned's abilities?

And I was glad that Olive finally buckled under the pressure of being kept out of Ned, Emerson, and Chuck's confidence in a plot that mirrored Lily and Vivian's own ability to excel at keeping secrets from one another. I was beyond happy that Olive finally told Ned that he never looks at her like he does at Chuck and that Ned answered, "I wouldn't say never." Aw.

Plus, I was very pleased that Olive wasn't a really turncoat but rather a "reversible coat" who infiltrated the Norwegian's enterprise in order to sabotage it from the inside out. Throughout the series, Olive as been unerringly trustworthy yet has always remained outside the little circle of knowledge that our troika has formed. I'm happy that Olive stood up for herself and proved that she could be a valuable addition to their team... even if they guys didn't repay her kindness by telling her the whole truth.

What else worked for me? Emerson's explanation of dogs and cats up trees to Vivian when telling her that Dwight was a bad man; the Narrator appropriating Emerson's "oh, hell no"; the revelation that Olive has several long-standing restraining orders in place; Emerson's decoy speech about Shaft and the nature of PI work; Olive's description of her alleged attackers beating her with a blue and yellow sock as they "got high on ABBA and tiny little meatballs"; Vivian's Titanic-esque sketch of Dwight reclining,complete with necklace; Chuck thinking her dad was leaving her messages in the form of buttons; Olive and Ned's game of questions; the set up at Dwight's motel room including the can of fire accelerant and stolen jewels; Vivian standing up to Lily in their conversation about truth; Young Ned in jail after resurrecting that hunter.

Best line of the evening: "Oh, look at that: a dumb idea just found a friend." - Emerson

Tied with: "Waking the dead creates too many unfortunate variables. I'm just taking myself out of the equation." - Ned

All in all, a fantastic episode. I'm not entirely sure that Ned will be able to keep his hands off of dead fruit or dead people, but I am intrigued that he's attempting to go through life with the living rather than focusing on bringing things back from death. Nice touch seeing him cutting the fresh strawberries during his speech to Chuck. Just what that means for their future remains to be seen but it's clear that Ned is finally seeing the consequences of his actions...

Sadly, Pushing Daisies only has three episodes remaining before it disappears (like Chuck's dad) altogether and, as of press time, there are no air dates for those installments. On the next episode ("Window Dressed to Kill"), the team investigates the mysterious death of famed window dresser Erin Embry, Ned discovers that his resurrection abilities have inexplicably fizzled, and Lily and Vivian receive some visitors.

Corpse Face and Melty Mouth: Ghost Stories, Sea Captains, and Spoons on "Pushing Daisies"

I have to say that after last week's utterly perfect episode of Pushing Daisies, written by Douglas Petrie, last night's installment ("The Legend of Merle McQuoddy") felt a little subpar in comparison. Sure, there were elements about it that I liked and I found myself squealing with joy at Olive and Emerson's newfound camaraderie but the episode, scripted by Dara Resnik Creasey and Chad Gomez Creasey, just felt... lacking in some respects.

Last week's episode ramped up the tension, romance, and possible breakup of star-crossed lovers Ned and Chuck but this week's episode sort of swept it all under the rug as the duo was forced to deal with the alive-again status of Chuck's father Charles Charles. As much as I love Ned and Chuck as a couple, I did think he did forgive her a little too quickly for deceiving him and allowing her father to remain resurrected. After all, someone is now dead because of Ned (even if was the insufferable and slightly creepy Dwight Dixon who was about to kill them) and one would think that this would be more of an existential crisis to the Pie Maker than it apparently was.

Charles Charles, meanwhile, isn't shaping up to be the model dad that Chuck had hoped. In fact, he's stubborn, rude, and combative, especially to poor Ned. I loved their Pie Hole kitchen duel (with Ned leaping over counters and fighting Charles with a broom so as not to touch him) and the fact that Ned even went so far as to write up a little book of rules for Charles to follow and bake the pie-disliking Charles a chocolate cake. Ned definitely went the distance in trying and I don't think Charles Charles ever had any intention of sticking around Papen County, with or without Chuck. Even with Charles back from the dead, looks like Chuck gets to lose her father all over again...

I thought that the mystery of the week--involving a murdered lighthouse keeper, a glitter-loving diorama-enthusiast, and a creepy sea captain--smacked a little too much of an old episode of Scooby Doo for my taste (though I did appreciate the allusions to Pete's Dragon). It was blatantly obvious that the killer was Annabelle Vandersloop (Big Love's Mary Kay Place) so the actual mystery aspect of the storyline wasn't all that interesting for me, despite some red herrings in the form of Elliot McQuoddy's cash grab. I did love, however, seeing Weeds' Alexander Gould in a slightly more, um, innocent role than as Shane Botwin and I thought that he and David Koechner (who played Merle himself) made a deliciously loopy father/son sailing team.

What worked for me far more was the new dynamic between Olive Snook and Emerson Cod as Emerson takes Olive under his wing as a "junior PI-in-training." I absolutely loved the raincoats that Olive made up for each of them, with Olive's having, well, olives, Ned's having pies, and Emerson's having cod. Very cute and punny, that, even if Olive's hair this episode was distractingly dated (and sadly made the adorable Kristin Chenoweth look far older than she actually is). I have to say that I thought that they made an adorable pair of gumshoes together and I liked seeing them have their own storyline for a change, especially one in which Olive finally gained Emerson's respect and--dare I say it--friendship.

What worked for me this week? The aforementioned rain coats for one; Gould's Elliot crying into Olive's bosom (and then trying on Chuck's for size when Olive pushes him off) after paying the gang with nickles; Chuck telling Ned to pretend her dad has been in a coma for 20 years; the claymation opening with Charles and Young Chuck on camels in the desert; Chuck saying "electrons couldn't get between us" when hugging Ned; more plastic wrap-kisses; Annabelle's diorama telling the story of her gun manufacturer magnate husband's death by errant fireworks; Emerson giving Olive the cigar to celebrate their success; Charles leaving the note "I chose too" with the spoon for Chuck to find; the dueling brooms and Ned's speech about Dr. Frankenstein; Lily freaking out about the clown doll in the closet; the shout-out to The Secret; the tarp hug between Ned and Chuck on the roof (even if, as I said earlier, he forgave far too willingly).

I was hoping that this episode would have played up that tension between Chuck and Ned a little more and I felt that it was going through the motions a bit more than usual for Pushing Daisies. But still, even a slightly lackluster episode of Daisies is far superior than most everything else on television.

Best line of the evening: "Pie is simple. It's limited. Just a bit of pastry and filling. Cake is complex, layered with treasures waiting to be discovered." - Charles

Tied with: "Make it look like an accident. Trip over an Ottoman and Dick Van Dyke that ass." - Emerson

Next week on Pushing Daisies ("The Norwegians"), Emerson turns down Vivian's request to investigate the disappearance of Dwight Dixon, leading her to hire to another PI team, led by Emerson's bitter rival Magnus Olsdatter and consisting of Norwegian gumshoes, exiled from their own country, whose snooping may unearth all of Ned and Chuck's secrets.