Let us pray... for ABC's Pushing Daisies.
Last year, this delightful Bryan Fuller concoction was the best new show of the season -- but it was a short season because of the strike, and ABC opted to stockpile episodes and return this fall rather than resume last spring. Big mistake.
Pushing Daisies has lost a significant portion of its audience since coming back this month. Last week's episode didn't even make the overall Top 50. But creatively, the show is as charming as ever, and as excellent. If anyone is dropping the ball in this equation, it's ABC.
One reason: ABC is presenting a new episode of Pushing Daisies tonight at 8 ET. Maybe that's considered counter-programming -- but when there are only so many episode left in the show's 13-episode order, it feel more like burning off an episode, when stockpiling might make more sense. (As opposed to last spring, when it didn't.)
Another reason: I've been watching carefully, and prime-time ABC promos for Daisies are almost nonexistent these days. Pushing Daisies airs on Wednesdays, but on last night's Eli Stone, there wasn't one promo for Daisies. Nor was there one on Monday's Boston Legal, or on Sunday's Desperate Housewives -- all shows with sensibilities similar to Daisies, where you'd expect promos to be run.
And finally, a third reason it's fair to fear ABC has given up on one of its best shows: The network hasn't yet ordered any additional Pushing Daisies episodes beyond the initial 13. Even the horrifyingly awful Knight Rider has gotten a full-season order from NBC this week.
If NBC can embrace utter crap that fervently, why can't ABC show some love to its sweet-smelling Daisies?