ITV launched the quirky drama, about a pie maker who can bring the dead back to life, on Saturday night and enjoyed the highest consolidated premiere of a US series since Friends. But the broadcaster was unhappy that the series, starring Britain's Anna Friel alongside American Lee Pace, was delivered as nine episodes when it wanted to allocate it an eight-week slot, so made the decision to lose the second instalment.
ITV spokesperson Ian Johnson said: “Episode two was the only self-contained episode that did not affect the storyline so the decision was taken not to screen it.” He said the US writers’ strike had disrupted filming of the series, leading it to be delivered as an unusual nine-episode package, when the channel usually receives dramas in parts of six or eight. “Because of the US writers’ strike, shows were delivered in random episodes,” he explained. Johnson said the missing episode might be screened at a later date as a stand-alone show.
The ITV1 debut of Pushing Daisies at 9pm on Saturday night attracted an average of 5.7 million viewers, and a total of 7.3 million once Sunday’s repeat was accounted for. The figures mean the show, which has made Anna Friel a star in America, can claim a more successful premiere than the high-rating launches of Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives and Heroes.
Although the show is yet to be completely embraced by the British critics, in the US, Pushing Daisies has been both a ratings and critical success, and has already won a clutch of awards. The second 22-episode series is currently being filmed in the US.
David Finkelstein thinks he knows where ITV could've made room on their schedule. "Carefully reviewing the packed ITV schedule we've done something that you might have thought impossible," he suggests. "We have identified ten top class shows that could, just could, be dropped to make way for the extra episode, without, we hazard, damaging this nation's cultural life unduly"...
1) The Jeremy Kyle Show: You Cheated on Me With My Friend, So Prove I'm the Dad!
2) Katie & Peter: The Next Chapter
3) Sally Jessy Raphael: Gotcha! Spying on Dangerous Teens
4) Police Stop! Real-life footage of criminals and ordinary people behaving badly
5) Used Car Roadshow
6) Judge Judy
7) Daily Cooks Challenge
8) All Star Mr & Mrs. Celebrity couples reveal how much they know about each other
9) Loose Women
10) Teleshopping
Glad to be of service.
