Coming back to life

On a podcast last week I heard Sir Michael Grade (the man in charge of ITV) talking about the networks Saturday night schedule. The unusual part of it (the rest is reality TV or celebrity game show) is that it includes "Pushing Daisies" a top US show from (I think) ABC. He seemed to think that this would be a good move for ITV as they rarely buy US shows and then broadcast them on prime time ITV1.

I was also recommended to watch the show by my mate Steve ( hello America) who has seen the first series and thoroughly enjoyed it.

So I forgot to watch it on Saturday, but have just watched it via the ITV website. (Unlike the truly excellent iPlayer - which is giving the major ISP's a very large headache - ITV do show US shows on their catch up service).

It's good but after the first episode (never the best way to judge a series) I would have to say not great. Visually it is stunning with great use of bold colours and filmed in a style which reminded me of the remake of "Charlie and the Chocolate factory". The plot is that this guy can bring the dead back to life (what did the deep south make of that?) but then if he touches them within 1 minute they die again. His childhood sweetheart dies (wouldn't you just believe it) and he can't bring himself to touch her and thus she stays alive. But he can't ever touch her again! She by the way is played by Anna (first lesbian kiss on British TV) Friel who has not got any uglier!

There are obviously lots of twists on that theme to use and no doubt the series will develop them as we go.

The only slight thing I didn't like was the main musical theme, used at all times when our hero and his sweetheart are together. It's a direct lift from the theme used in "The Railway Children" when Iain Cuthbertson appears through the steam and I kept expecting Jenny Agutter to appear screaming "Daddy my daddy!"

Finally Anna Friel's character is called Chuck which strangely is the name of the other US series I've just started watching...but that can wait for another blog!