A pastry chef with the power to bring dead people back to life solves murder mysteries with his resurrected childhood sweetheart, a cynical private investigator, and a lovesick waitress.A pastry chef with the power to bring dead people back to life solves murder mysteries with his resurrected childhood sweetheart, a cynical private investigator, and a lovesick waitress.A pastry chef with the power to bring dead people back to life solves murder mysteries with his resurrected childhood sweetheart, a cynical private investigator, and a lovesick waitress.
- Won 7 Primetime Emmys
- 35 wins & 81 nominations total
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When I first saw this advertised on television I thought it might be a fun little show, I didn't think it would be something I'd want to own on DVD though... I soon realised that this was something special; the colours are all brighter than normal, the dialogue is more wordy than people really use and the plot is surreal to say the least. All these things could have lead to a disaster but it worked perfectly for me. The cast did a great job bringing their surreal world to life.
Ned isn't like ordinary people; he can bring the dead back to life with a single touch, there are two major catches though, if he touches that person a second time they will die forever and if he leaves a person alive for more than a minute somebody else nearby must die. Using this skill he is able to help private detective Emerson Cod by questioning murder victims. Things change for Ned when one of the victims he revives is his childhood sweetheart Charlotte "Chuck" Charles. He can't bring himself to touch her again which apart from causing somebody else's death leads to a very difficult relationship between them. When Ned isn't dealing with dead people he cooks in The Pie Hole, the pie-restaurant he owns.
Most of the episodes are of the murder-of-the-week variety although there are some continuing threads to the story. The murders are never anything normal; their strangeness reminded me of the 1960s series "The Avengers". As well as having two great leading characters the supporting cast does a great job, I especially liked Kristin Chenoweth's portrayal of the diminutive Olive Snook a Pie Hole employee with a soft spot for Ned but who does not know his strange secret.
It is a shame that the series was cut short but I'm glad that it was given a proper ending even if there were a few loose ends left untied the main story had nice conclusion. This series won't be for everybody but if you want to watch something a bit different I'd recommend giving this show a chance.
Ned isn't like ordinary people; he can bring the dead back to life with a single touch, there are two major catches though, if he touches that person a second time they will die forever and if he leaves a person alive for more than a minute somebody else nearby must die. Using this skill he is able to help private detective Emerson Cod by questioning murder victims. Things change for Ned when one of the victims he revives is his childhood sweetheart Charlotte "Chuck" Charles. He can't bring himself to touch her again which apart from causing somebody else's death leads to a very difficult relationship between them. When Ned isn't dealing with dead people he cooks in The Pie Hole, the pie-restaurant he owns.
Most of the episodes are of the murder-of-the-week variety although there are some continuing threads to the story. The murders are never anything normal; their strangeness reminded me of the 1960s series "The Avengers". As well as having two great leading characters the supporting cast does a great job, I especially liked Kristin Chenoweth's portrayal of the diminutive Olive Snook a Pie Hole employee with a soft spot for Ned but who does not know his strange secret.
It is a shame that the series was cut short but I'm glad that it was given a proper ending even if there were a few loose ends left untied the main story had nice conclusion. This series won't be for everybody but if you want to watch something a bit different I'd recommend giving this show a chance.
Let me start by saying there are some annoyingly cheesy moments in this show. However, this show has so much about it that's amazing and watchable. The cast is amazing and have great chemistry. They effortlessly deliver some amazing one liners. It's also visually pretty to watch and the costumes are great. Especially chuck's incognito morgue visit looks. Overall the show is beautiful, funny and will give you good "awww" moments. I could watch this over and over again.
After 10 plus years I still miss this show. Lee Pace was born for this role and Chuck was adorable, but my favorite was Chi McBride.
One of the best casts that has been on TV for
long time. If it came out now it would be bing
heaven. So many characters driven into one storyline, just a joy to watch.
This show is addictively wonderful. The writing and acting are fantastic. Funny, touching, and also intrigue all wrapped into one. Be sure to get this into your DVD player and enjoy it from the beginning to the unexpectedly short end. Watch it, watch it, watch it! There are some great characters and great guest appearances that only help add to the endearing aspect of the show. Kudos to the writers for developing a great storyline that only gets better over time. I just don't understand why this wasn't interesting for the American TV public. Bad time? Too quirky? Not enough studio support? I suspect that the production costs were very high, but all parts of the show (directly, special effects, costumes, sets) are great. Thank goodness it's on DVD, and I can only hope that it somehow comes back in one way, shape, or form.
This was my number one show to watch. I have decided not to start watching a new show so that I won't be disappointed because of it's abrupt end. I loved the show. Even though it was frustrating regarding the plot line, the writing and humor got me every show. They could have found a loophole. There is always a loophole, especially with such a magical plot line. Everyone on the show was very talented, and I could believe their fanciful characters. The musical numbers helped drive the suspension of disbelief. Glee has show us that. The only reason I turned to Glee was because of the loss of Pushing Daisies. It is much less mature and negative in humor, but it has it's fun parts too. I wish that a show like this would get more support.
Did you know
- TriviaBased on a rejected plotline for Dead Like Me (2003) where Ellen Muth's character couldn't collect any souls because somebody was resurrecting them with a touch.
- GoofsThroughout the series, the way Ned's gift works contradicts itself. Most notably, his entire business is based around touching dead fruit to make it ripe again for use in his pies. When he touches the fruit, it is restored to its pristine physical shape. However when he touches a sentient creature that has died, the broken/harmed/rotted body remains that way.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Siskel & Ebert: Lakeview Terrace/The Women/Surfer Dude/Towelhead (2008)
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- Also known as
- Живий за викликом
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- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime44 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.78 : 1
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