ABC/DANNY FELDThe facts are these:
Pushing Daisies needs your help.
Production on episode 13 of season two begins Monday, and that is the last episode currently ordered by ABC for this series. So far the Alphabet network has given no indication to producers that a full-season pickup is coming.
Yes, the Emmy-winning fairy tale could very well end in just a few weeks, and if that were the case, no one who loves good TV would live happily ever after.
Is the situation really as dire as it seems? And can anything be done to save Ned the Pie Maker and friends?
THE CALL TO ACTION
TV fans of the world, in this time of ongoing international turmoil, economic collapse and environmental wackiness, it is important that we come together to save the last best hope of miraculous broadcast television: Pushing Daisies.
TV was once a vast wasteland, but through ingenuity and small-screen spirit it has been turned into a flourishing paradise of awesome. However, if we begin to let go of revelations like Pushing Daisies on ABC, there is a very real threat to quality television as we know it. The wasteland may creep back and overtake all that is gracious and good in our living rooms every night. Join the fight against the scourge of bad TV, won't you?
THE SITUATION
ABC has only picked up 13 episodes for the current second season, and show runner Bryan Fuller confirms to me that so far, his team has not received word of a pickup by ABC for a full season.
Despite widespread critical acclaim and fan adoration, ratings for season two are down, and Daisies is deep into the "Cancel" zone of TVbytheNumbers' Renew-Cancel Index (which predicts the TV futures market based on a show's 18-49 ratings as a proportion of its network's 18-49 average). If you wanted to freak out now, that would be OK.
THE PLAN
So what can we, the fans, do to show our support and convince the powers that be at ABC to keep Daisies on the air?
- SIGN UP: Sign the Save Daises online petition.
- TUNE IN: Tonight, watch the show. Live. In your house. Look for the glowing box that receives pictures via bunny ears, a satellite or a coaxial cable coming out of the wall. (Everything else on TV at that time? Obama, Obama and then more Obama. So there's no downside for you—you won't miss any other show—and the upside is that the show's prospects might perk up!) For that matter, email five of your friends right now and tell them to watch, especially if you happen to know anyone who has one of those magical Nielsen boxes.
- TURN ON: Go to ABC.com and play old episodes. If you have some spare change, download a few from iTunes. If Daisies brings in enough digital dime, that revenue might offset the on-air losses.
- REACH OUT: Contact ABC online or use the quaint ol' post office to send a letter explaining, in your own passionate but polite words, why and how Daisies is the birdhouse in your soul. The address for ABC is 500 S. Buena Vista St., Burbank, CA 91521-4551.
- PUSH THOSE DAISIES: There are 23,000 species in the daisy family of flowers, including marigolds, coneflowers, sunflowers, chamomile, chrysanthemums, dahlias and zinnias. Send a bunch of your faves to ABC, or better yet, send flower seeds. They're light and therefore cheap to ship. Seeds last for years and won't go bad or go to waste, and they could be planted to grow into something beautiful in the spring. Don't forget to include a note explaining that this is for the love of Daisies!
THE CHANCES
What are the chances of saving Daisies? I don't know what ABC programming execs are thinking right now, but I do know that I wouldn't be much of a Bryan Fuller fan if I didn't believe in miracles and magic.
Yes, this is show business and not show friends.
Yes, multinational corporations tend to favor fat profits over creative indulgences.
And yes, the economy is the tank, so if this world ran on logic alone, ABC would surely chop up Daisies and sell the parts for scrap.
But there is more to life than filthy lucre. I have to believe that the people at Disney-ABC understand the power of enchantment, and that if magic were easy, everyone would do it. The cast and creators of Daisies are making magic and shutting them down would be a travesty at a time when we need all the hope and happiness we can get. Something as unique, beautiful and truly special as Pushing Daisies deserves a second chance.
Speaking of second chances, Charles Charles (Josh Randall) is getting a second shot at life on Pushing Daisies, and I have an exclusive first look at Chuck's resurrected dad in the vid below. Check it out!
Pushing Daisies airs tonight at 8 on ABC. Please watch, especially if you've never seen it before. If you're already a fan, post in the comments below and tell the world about the wonder of Daisies...