ABC - "Pushing Daisies" is the one to pick out of overcrowded field

by Robert Bianco

You have to hand it to ABC. Then you have to take it away.

As with the last 2 seasons ABC seems to have the fall's most intriguing, most discussed and flat-out best new series: Pushing Daisies, which got a primo promo during the Grey's Anatomy finale as a just reward. Created by Bryan Fuller (Wonderfalls) and directed by Barry Sonnenfeld (Addams Family Values), this romantic comedy about a shy man who has the power of life and death is the most creative, inventive, enchanting pilot since Lost.

Daisies would be a standout in any year — but in a season that, on first impressions, looks weaker than most, Daisies practically screams, "I'm the one to watch."

Unfortunately, there's a very good chance that Daisies' pronouncement will be swamped by the chaos that is ABC's schedule. The network introduced 11 new scripted shows to advertisers, far more than any other network — all crammed together in one, long clip reel that gave no series any chance to breathe and no good show any chance to escape the taint of the more numerous bad ones.

Granted, all of those shows aren't arriving in the fall, and some may not arrive at all. But the network just seems to be making it too hard for viewers to find a wonderfully cast, wonderfully written novelty that is likely to need nurturing and patience