And Another Network Television Show's Life Ends Too Early....

This evening one of the only television shows I enjoy will air it's final episode despite widespread critical acclaim and a rabid base of fans. If you liked the movie Princess Bride, then you would have liked the show Pushing Daisies. It has the same fairy tale atmosphere mixed with quirky characters and a great sense of humor. And here it is, playing out the final episode of it's shortened run on a Saturday night in the summer which is basically the morgue for television shows.

Have you ever had a television show you really enjoyed suddenly get canceled despite great reviews and award nominations? Of course you have. And it sucks.

From Jericho to Arrested Development to Firefly, fans have had to sit back and watch the corporate suits axe their favorite show prematurely in order to put up yet another CSI crime drama or some new reality show where a foreign woman picks an American gay best friend to marry for a green card.

As usual, money plays the big role in these decisions. Why spend money on the sets and cast of a good show when they can spend next to nothing and put up another stupid reality show that becomes your girlfriend's next "guilty pleasure"? Occasionally, a producer or fan base uses some prestidigitation to save the show for another season, but usually fans have to accept the fate and hope for a movie to get made.

So I would like to give my salute to Pushing Daisies. You had a good (albeit short) run filled with Emmy nominations and good reviews all around. Unfortunately, America is apparently not ready for a quirky show with subtle humor and wonderful characters. Maybe I'll just read a book. I hear that's cool and stuff.