First of all, let me say that I love television. Not as much as I love sports but I am a shameless television junkie and the addition of a TiVo to my life hasn’t helped to curb my addiction any.

After a recommendation from the guys on the Totally Radio Show (http://www.totallyradshow.com), I decided to give the new ABC show Pushing Daisies a try. Let me start by saying that I love this show but have real serious problems with. The reason I bring this up is because the third episode of the season is on tonight (unfortunately the same time as the endlessly-entertaining Kid Nation) and in the absence of any sports of import or Top Chef, it is something that I think is well worth an hour of your time.

The premise of the show is great. The show’s protagonist Ned (played subtly and masterfully by Lee Pace) has an ability that allows him to bring people back to life with a simple touch but the catch is that the person can only be alive for a minute and if he doesn’t kill them again with his touch then someone else must die to take his place. The show is very well-written, clever and has a very whimsical, fairy tale feeling that makes watching it a real delight.

The show’s supporting cast, Kristin Chenoweth, Chi McBride and Anna Friel are all really great and the show would be hands-down one of my favorite shows on television if not for the show’s blood-sucking, trite narrative voice-over. The voiceover is so on-the-nose and obvious that it really gives things away that should be left to the viewer’s imagination. It has the opposite of the problem that I have with another of my favorite shows, Lost. With Lost, the writers don’t tell you anything and make you figure out everything on your own. Not so, with Pushing Daisies. I really want the show to let me figure some things out for myself but the over-indulgent voiceover really prohibits that entirely.  It’s terrible. Really, truly, terrible and the show would do well to get rid of it altogether.

While I love this show, I really wonder if its premise lends itself to a long life on the air. I think the story’s underlying plot points really restrict it in a way that will make it very difficult for me to continue to love and be amused by this show. I guess I’ll just enjoy it while it lasts.

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