Though the show doesn't air until Oct. 3, I figured it's never too early to let you know that you have to watch "Pushing Daisies." The premiere marked my second time viewing the series' pilot, and, if anything, it was even better the second time around. If you've managed to miss any of the many billboards and advertisements touting the show, let me tell you what it's about. Ned (Lee Pace, who will no doubt be one of the season's breakout stars) can bring the dead back to life with a single touch. His gift is complicated, though -- if he revives someone for longer than a minute, than someone else must die to take his or her place. And, if he touches the person a second time, he or she goes back to being dead, for good.
His gift comes in handy when he's hired by a shady PI with the priceless name of Emerson Cod (Chi McBride) to bring murder victims back to life, ask who killed them, then send them back to the Great Beyond. The two men then split the reward money.
But matters are complicated when Ned's childhood sweetheart Chuck (Anna Friel) is murdered. He brings her back to life, permanently, but finds himself in the awkward position of never being able to touch the woman he loves.
Created by Bryan Fuller (the man behind such beloved cult shows as "Wonderfalls" and "Dead Like Me"), the series is like a modern fairy tale: whimiscal, sweet, and utterly charming. It's also, like all great fairy tales, hideously unfair. Think about it. All fairy tale heroes and heroines have some major obstacle to overcome -- a curse, dead parents, an unnatural attachment to apples or spinning wheels. For Ned and Chuck, the obstacle is physical danger.
During a red carpet interview before the screening, Fuller said his goal for "Pushing Daisies" was to explore a relationship in which physical intimacy wasn't possible. "I really wanted to do a story about the nature of romance," he said.
Indeed, at a time when many series try to create false sexual tension between leads, it's refreshing to see a show where that tension exists organically. It's sweet, poignant and deeply romantic.
Also, the pilot is visually stunning, no surprise considering it was directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, of "Addams Family" and "Men in Black" fame. It has the same colorful, funhouse vibe as his feature films -- bright, beautiful and unique.
I can't say enough good things about the show. In fact, I plan to write a longer piece on it closer to its TV debut. But I'm taking a quick moment now to beg you to mark your calendars from 8 p.m. Oct. 3.