Pushing Daisies Cast at Paley Fest
LA Television Festival at Cinema Dome Features TV Cast and Crew
The Paly Festival unites fans and the stars of their favorite shows like "Pushing Daisies."
The 25th Annual William S. Paley Television Festival occurred March 14-27 in Los Angeles at the historic Cinerama Dome. The second night of the festival, open to fans and members of the industry, featured the cast and creative crew of “Pushing Daisies.”
The inventive, visually spectacular one-hour dramedy was one of ABC’s hits this past season. While the writer’s strike pushed it off the air prematurely, the team was able to give insight into what fans can expect when the show premieres in the fall.
The evening opened with a speech from the Paley Center for Media’s president and CEO Pat Mitchell. She welcomed the almost packed theater to the event, and then showed a clip from the star, Lee Pace’s previous television show, “Wonderfalls.”
The creator of “Pushing Daisies,” Bryan Fuller, followed by introducing a clip package displaying the show’s beautiful cinematography and talented cast. Then the panel was brought forward, including Pace and his costars Anna Friel, Kristin Chenoweth, Ellen Greene, and Chi McBride.
"Pushing Daisies": the Story
The show features Pace as Ned who discovers a gift he possesses where he can touch dead people and bring them back to life. He falls in love with his childhood sweetheart, Chuck, played by Friel, who he brings back to life after she was murdered. The catch (and what makes this show delightfully unique) is that the two lovers cannot touch—if they do, Chuck will drop dead.
Aside from the touching (and challenging) love story, the supporting cast creates an environment of laughs and character that add a much needed warmth to the show. Greene and Swoosie Kurtz portray Chuck’s aunts, who have sunk into a depression since their niece died. They cannot know that she was brought back to life. Chi McBride plays Emerson Cod, a private investigator that has come to rely on Ned to solve his cases. They go to the morgue, Ned touches the victim and asks how they were killed, and then touches them so they’re dead again. Then Emerson is able to solve the crimes and collect the reward.
Perhaps the most humorous character is Olive Snook, played by Broadway star Chenoweth. Her character pines over Ned, and is even given the chance to show off her amazing voice in musical numbers sprinkled throughout the episodes.
The Television Festival
During the panel session, the cast spoke of how they got the roles for the show, and how much they enjoy coming to work. They seemed to really enjoy each other, especially McBride, who continually cracked up his costars with jokes about the rest of the cast.
Questions were taken from the audience, and fans were able to express their love for the show. The evening was thoroughly enjoyable as one of the best events in Hollywood every year. The show is aimed at letting lovers of great television have the chance to see their favorite stars in person, and it certainly succeeds in providing for a great night of entertainment.
