Pushing Daisies, the one I can't miss.
I'm not going to lie, I like TV. I like DVD's more, and my older brother (read San Chonino) has introduced me to a number of priceless television jewels, mostly stuff by Joss Whedon. The entertainment I favor reads a-like so: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, Angel, (all Whedon's) Gilmore Girls. Those are all Big Brother specials. The one I like the most has recently been Supernatural. Good and scary, with clever dialog and familial relations. Combine that with a dose of violence and two beautiful men, and you have a decent show!
Then came the Bryan Fuller masterpiece, Pushing Daisies. Wait, let me preface. Fuller is the mind behind Dead Like Me and Wonderfalls. Both clever and good, but the former is extraordinarily vulgar and crude, with a side of depressing. Wonderfalls ended early because of its weirdness, and eventually would have ended sadly. So, I was a little trepidatious about this new show. The premise made me a little nauseous: someone who can bring people back to life for only a minute to solve murders? Ugh. Then I watched it.
What a beauty! The cinematography is gorgeous, with bright, primary colors and fanciful costumes and rosy cheeked characters. Visually stunning. The story, while a little morbid, is irony free. The main character, Ned, lives by one rule concerning bringing back the dead: first touch life, second touch, dead forever. Additionally, he can only keep someone alive for 60 seconds or someone else dies to take their place. So when his childhood sweetheart dies, he brings her back, but can't touch her. Ever.
The interactions between the two lovers is perfectly cute and sweet, and Kristin Chenoweth, who plays Ned's only employee at his pie shop, gets to sing! She, of course, loves Ned but he doesn't even look at her, he's so hooked on his childhood girlfriend who he can't touch, named...now get this...Chuck. All of the characters are sweet and endearing, and you can relate to each of them at varying times.
If you haven't yet discovered this crown jewel among television, nominated for three Golden Globes, DO IT!!!!!! I promise, you won't be disappointed.
(Granted, I know nobody cares about the Golden Globe Awards, but, hey...it's got to count for something )