“Pushing Daisies” may be on its deathbed.
According to talk around town, ABC is leaning toward not picking up anymore episodes of the critically acclaimed, but little seen, drama this season. Hourlong is winding down production on its 13-episode order.
But an ABC spokeswoman stressed that no final decision has yet been made. Alphabet execs are still big fans of “Pushing Daisies” and blame its strike-induced 10-month hiatus for its ratings struggle this fall.
As a result, the net may be mulling a plan to extend its options on the show’s cast and attempt another relaunch next year.
But that’s a longshot possibility. At a recent Paley Center panel, showrunner Bryan Fuller said he’d consider continuing the “Daisies” storyline via comicbook if the show was canceled.
“Pushing Daisies,” which has earned raves for its quirky storylines and stylish design, has averaged just 6.6 million views overall and a 2.3 rating/5 share after five episodes this season. Show has been preempted the past two weeks, first for a “Dancing With the Stars” results show and this week because of the CMA Awards.
Warner Bros. TV is behind “Daisies,” which launched last year to decent ratings as part of ABC’s Wednesday night lineup. But the show’s ratings started to dip — and then came the strike, which shortened the skein’s freshman year. Alphabet opted to bring back its Wednesday sked intact for a do-over this fall, but so far the numbers have been disappointing.
