Author: johnnyjay Published Date: December 5, 2025 Comments: Leave a comment 0 Bryan Fuller’s beloved Pushing Daisies was cancelled too soon by ABC after two seasons back in 2009, but now there are talks that the show could return for a third year. What Is It? This whimsical, fairy-tale-styled mystery series follows Ned, a pie maker with an extraordinary ability: he can bring the dead back to life for one minute with a single touch, but a second touch will kill them again permanently. He uses this gift to help solve murders alongside a private investigator, but things grow complicated when he revives his childhood sweetheart, Chuck, and the two must navigate a romance where they can never physically touch. Aired: ABC, 2007-09, 2 Seasons Totaling 22 Episodes Starring: Lee Pace, Anna Friel, Chi McBride, Kristin Chenoweth, Ellen Greene, Swoosie Kurtz Created By: Bryan Fuller Why Was It Cancelled? This unique series hit ABC’s schedule in the Fall of 2007 and piqued the interest of Prime Time viewers, pulling decent ratings during its first-season run. The numbers did drop off some, but it still performed well enough that the network gave it a second-year renewal, though its first season was cut short at nine episodes due to the Writers’ Strike. When it returned in the Fall of 2008, the ratings had dropped notably, possibly in part due to the ten-month break between episodes caused by the strike. The numbers continued to slide, and ABC announced the show’s cancellation in late Fall, also pulling it from the schedule. The final three episodes were allowed to air in Spring 2009 on Saturdays, but those left this rather delightful show without much of a resolution. Pushing Daisies offered a quirky and distinctive show unlike anything else on television at that time, and it was driven by the strong chemistry and excellent performances of its cast, which included Lee Pace (Foundation), Chi McBride (Human Target), Anna Friel (Limitless), and Kristin Chenoweth. It grabbed the audience’s attention when it first premiered, but may have been just a bit too unique for a sustained run in Prime Time. To ABC’s credit, they did promote the show, but that long hiatus between seasons (which is actually pretty short compared to what we experience these days with some productions) may have led to viewers losing interest and looking for the next shiny object. And considering that Pushing Daisies was an expensive show to produce, the network could not justify keeping it on the schedule. How Did the Fans React? After the cancellation announcement, fans banded together and started sending daisies and other flowers to the ABC offices to try and convince the network to bring the show back for at least one more season. But Pushing Daisies was one of the lowest-rated shows on ABC’s schedule in its second year, so a third season was not doable for such a costly entry. There was also an effort to get one of the cable channels to pick up the show—mostly targeted at A&E—but that venue could not afford to take it on. Bryan Fuller started working on a movie continuation after the cancellation, and when Rob Thomas successfully crowdfunded a Veronica Mars revival movie, there were talks of doing the same for Pushing Daisies (more on that at this link ). But Thomas had targeted $2 million for his film (though he eventually raised over $5 million), and Fuller said that a Pushing Daisies movie would likely cost $10 to $15 million, which was out of the reach of a crowdfunding campaign. He also talked about a graphic novel at that time, and possibly even a jump to Broadway, but nothing ever came of those, and the show faded into the Television Wasteland as yet another promising genre entry cut short. Can It Be Revived? It has been over fifteen years since Pushing Daisies last aired a new episode, and the main cast have gone on to productive careers with other productions. It pretty much seemed like the story of the show was over—unless that graphic novel or Broadway production were to happen—until just recently. Bryan Fuller has been promoting his new film Dust Bunny (starring Hannibal’s Mads Mikkelsen and Alien’s Sigourney Weaver; more on that one at this link ), and he mentioned a third season of Pushing Daisies in an interview with The Mary Sue : Well, we’re working on a Season 3, and the whole cast wants to come back. And, we’ve got a whole story. We’re trying to do another season this year. No further information was provided, but that is certainly an exciting announcement for fans of the show. It is unclear where that third season would air, especially since Warner Bros. holds the rights to the property and that company is in the process of being sold. The first two seasons are currently streaming on HBO Max, so that might be the landing place for a third season, which could certainly draw in a subscription boost. This has also not officially received a greenlight that I am aware of, though, so there is no guarantee that it will go forward. But fans should certainly take this as an opportunity for a Call to Action , and start doing what they can to bring more attention to the show. They should start getting it trending on social media, and also stage watch parties on HBO Max to potentially get the show into the Nielsen Streaming Rankings. In addition, buying episodes VOD will impact the bottom line and certainly give studio execs a strong reason to consider bringing this one back for a third season. Nothing is set in stone at this point, but Bryan Fuller has renewed hope that the series could return, and fans should jump at the opportunity. If this one gets enough attention (and does not get squashed amidst a buy-out), perhaps Ned the Piemaker, Chuck, Emerson Cod, Olive Snook, and the rest can return for some more tales in the wonderful world of Pushing Daisies. Where Can You Watch It? The entire series was released on DVD and Blu-ray, but those have gone out of print and are fetching high prices from third-party sellers. As mentioned above, it is currently streaming on HBO Max, and you can purchase it VOD from sellers like Amazon.com . Did you watch Pushing Daisies, and would you support Bryan Fuller’s efforts to bring it back for a third season? Chime in with your thoughts in the comments below. Keep up with the status of all the current sci fi and fantasy shows as well as news and updates on new and upcoming shows at CancelledSciFi.com . Cancellation Watch: Status updates and breaking news on renewals and cancellations Sci Fi TV Highlights: Listings for the upcoming week along with the latest sci fi TV news and trailers. Sci Fi TV Production Report: News on which sci fi TV shows are moving into production. Source: https://www.cancelledscifi.com/2025/12/05/why-was-pushing-daisies-cancelled-and-can-it-be-revived-bryan-fuller-has-said-a-third-season-is-in-the-works/