Welcome to another edition of TV or Not TV where I am sad for The Pie Maker.
As I mentioned a few weeks ago it is the time for shows to be judged by their presenters and they either get to continue on or they fall by the schedule wayside. We, the viewers, do not actually get to decide on the fates of these shows (except with our viewing habits as reported by the all-mysterious Nielsen ratings system). That decision, for right or wrong, is made by those in charge of the networks.
I’m sad this week to learn that one of the more enjoyable and original shows is falling in a trifecta of cancellations (or non-order of new episodes) over at ABC. Pushing Daisies, along with it’s Wednesday night companions Eli Stone and Dirty, Sexy, Money, hasn’t been given a pickup. The network has no interest in new episodes, so the 13 that have been produced will potentially be the last new episodes that we will ever see. Those of you that have been fans of the show about a Pie Maker with the ability to bring those back from the dead with the touch of his finger will also be upset to know that episode 13 will end on a cliff hanger leaving us with a lingering question mark that may never have an answer.
I’ve never actually followed the ratings for Pushing Daisies so I don’t know how it performed before the Writer’s Strike occurred. I do know that that Pushing Daisies was critically acclaimed (which oddly enough in television isn’t always a good thing) and that the show felt like it had good momentum before the abrupt halt it had to endure last year. I’m left wondering if its ratings sag has anything to do with the strike. Had it been to long for the audience of the show to remember (or even care) about it anymore? Was some of the magic lost in that downtime? All of these are questions without answers, of course, but that nagging feeling in the back of my head makes me believe that there is a connection.
The passing of Pushing Daisies is once again another painful reminder that creator Bryan Fuller just can’t seem to catch a break. His first original venture about a woman receiving messages from inanimate objects was the short lived Wonder Falls which was critically acclaimed and didn’t complete its first season. The Showtime original Dead Like Me was another great show, critically adored and completed only two short seasons. All of his shows have unique and extremely entertaining concepts, superb writing, and all never seem to last long enough. Here is hoping that this at least means he can return to Heroes now and try to fix that damned show.
My apologies to fans of Eli Stone and DSM for not going in to more detail as I only sampled either of these shows. I can simply say that to see an entire scheduled night of television go is quite a shock to the TV viewing system.
NBC once again also proves itself to be the network that can’t give a show a chance to prove itself. The incredibly well made and compelling My Own Worst Enemy has also not been given a pick up, along with the returning Lipstick Jungle. Having only watched the former I can say that I’m shocked that the show isn’t getting a season to prove itself. This is a condition I feel that the sagging lead in of Heroes (as well as the cost to make the show) are coming heavily in to play.
I’m sure that before we know it more shows will continue to fall. We have a whole slew of mid-season replacements on the way as well as the “winter” schedule shows due in January. As always, stay tuned.
If you are one of the five people that actually read this column then you will pick up on the fact that at least two shows from last week are appearing again this week? What I do isn’t a perfect science and sometimes the wires can get crossed. Last week they got completely jumbled. My apologies to the confusion it may have caused.
Now it is time to take a look at the shows that are still with us.
MONDAY
NBC – 8:00 PM: Last week we found out that Chuck‘s ex-girlfriend is actually the enemy, too bad Chuck doesn’t know it yet. He will within 42 broadcast minutes.
FOX – 9:00 PM: Last week on Prison Break they spent the entire show breaking in to a high tech room to get at this Scyla thing. This week presumably they get it, but since we’re only half way through the season you can put even money on the fact that it all doesn’t just go off without a hitch (betrayal is a comin’).
NBC – 9:00 PM: So you know how all this Heroes stuff happened with an eclipse? Well, amazingly enough another is happening and things get screwed up more than me writing last week’s column.
TUESDAY
NBC – 8:00 PM: Jerry Rice and Steve Young show up on The Biggest Loser: Families to put the players through NFL style workouts. I swear I’ve had nightmares about this EXACT same thing.
ABC – 8:00 PM: Nothing says loving like A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. I haven’t seen this one in years and I just can’t wait to see it.
FOX – 9:00 PM: A man on Fringe is so convinced he is being attacked by butterflies (you read that right) that he leaps from a window to escape them (seriously, butterflies?).
WEDNESDAY
NBC – 8:00 PM: Not since Sonny & Cher or Donnie & Marie have we seen a really good variety show. Rosie O’Donell hopes to change that tonight with Rosie Live! Good luck Ro, I’m rooting for you.
ABC – 8:00 PM: As mentioned above there are a limited number of Pushing Daisies left so you may want to enjoy tonight’s episode. Stephen Root is on one again so it can’t be all that bad.
THURSDAY
NBC – 9:00 AM: If you’ve really needed a David Archuleta fix than you will want to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
FOX – 8:00 PM: FOX’s answer to what to show on TV when no one is really watching is the Adam Sandler movie Click.
NBC – 8:00 PM: I think I like NBC’s decision to air one of the best super-hero movies ever: The Incredibles.
FRIDAY
SCIFI – 8:00 AM: Wondering what to do for the next 24 hours? How about watching a Mork & Mindy marathon that pretty much covers the entire series run? Nanu!
USA – 8:00 – 10:00 PM: It’s the day after Thanksgiving so naturally the Christmas things need to be brought out. Tonight special holiday editions of Monk and Psych give us our season’s greetings.
FX – 8:00 PM: Here’s something I never thought I’d see, a Wayans brothers marathon. If you can stomach Little Man than your constitution is sturdy enough to handle White Chicks.
SATURDAY
TBS – 9:00 PM: Wow, I wasn’t aware this was officially variety show week. This night it’s Ellen’s Even Bigger, Really Big Show.
USA – 9:00 PM: The movie Elf is one of my all-time holiday favorites. I know, it feels kind of wrong to put it up there with A Christmas Story but it is just good wholesome fun.
SUNDAY
ABC – 9:00 PM: It’s the post-fire episode of Desperate Housewives. Now we know who the crazy blonde guy is out for, but what is the REAL reason he’s after him?
MTV – 10:00 PM: You might be surprised by Britney: For the Record as this 90 minutes is nothing at all like the last semi-reality show we saw her in. This one may have you actually feeling sorry for her.
COMEDY – 10:00 PM: It’s a night of Kat Williams with The Pimp Chronicles Pt. 1 and American Hustle: The Movie.
TNT – 10:30 PM: If you are like me you probably couldn’t muster the desire to buy or rent Lost Boys: The Tribe. If you have TNT you only have to endure commercials to sit through it. Don’t worry, I’ll be with you in spirit as I sit through this too.
– Will Wilkins is counting down to turkey.
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