Why Pushing Daisies Was Canceled Too Soon, According To Creator Bryan Fuller

"Pushing Daisies" is a fitting name for a show that was sent to the TV graveyard, but what led to its demise? Speaking to Esquire in 2015, creator Bryan Fuller revealed that the acclaimed fantasy series suffered due to the advent of modern television. This is despite receiving ratings that would be considered successful nowadays, and airing one of the best pilots in television history. 

"It was at the beginning of all of these cable channels really upping the ante in terms of programming quality entertainment and it was before the networks had accurately gauged how audience erosion was going to affect everything, because networks were hemorrhaging viewers. Also, we were off the air for a long time because of the writers' strike."

Fuller added that "Pushing Daisies" could have benefited from a shorter episode count and speculated that the story was too complicated for viewers. The series follows Ned (Lee Pace), a pie-maker who resurrects his deceased ex with his magic touch — but touching her again means that she'll permanently die. The story is a metaphor for the online culture we live in, where it's common to connect with people we'll never physically interact with. According to Fuller, this element of "Pushing Daisies" might have been too much for viewers to comprehend at the time.

"Pushing Daisies" was one of many shows affected by the writers' strike in 2007 and 2008. The protests happened shortly after the series' premiere, which was unexpected at the time. As such, Lee Pace felt a sense of relief when ABC eventually greenlit Season 2 — but the actor's positive feelings didn't last long.

"When we got the second season, I think everyone felt raised from the dead in a way. So when we got canceled in the middle of that second season, we were stressed about that," Pace told Vulture in 2022. "We were also grateful to get the chance to come back and do that second season, but it happened very suddenly."

The good news, though, is that "Pushing Daisies" could be set to join the list of great TV show revivals. In 2025, Bryan Fuller revealed that he was working on trying to get Season 3 made, and the original cast members are keen to return. That doesn't mean the show will be resurrected, but Fuller has a story idea in mind that he wants to tell and "Pushing Daisies" is a show that deserves an extra season.