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Pushing Daisies Rundown: Episode 6, "Oh, Oh, Oh...It's Magic"

BuzzSugar — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 11:30:21 PST

A few weeks back, it was the circus that got a melancholy treatment on Pushing Daisies, and this week, it's magic. No cute bunny rabbits and white handkerchiefs here - just a whopping dose of death, daddy issues, and the dastardly Dwight Dixon. Ready to chat about it? Just

read more. So Ned's half-brothers are magicians ("illuuuuuusionists!"), which has Ned hitting the Tums pretty hard. It's understandable: If my magician dad ditched me, only to go find some other family to love instead, I'd probably have some intestinal distress when forced to watch said loving family perform magic tricks, too. Ned tries to get himself up for the Two for the Show show ("I love magic. As much as I love other forms of popular entertainment."), but despite the "sequins and drama and the promise of bloodshed," the fact remains that magic just makes Ned think of the father he lost. And he realizes Maurice and Ralston can go about their magic business so easily because they don't know the truth about their father leaving; the Great Herrmann protected them, letting them believe their dad was attending to "manly man business." Of course, the Great Herrmann ("Call me Great." "No.") meets his demise when a trick called Cementia goes horribly wrong. While the first suspect is Herrmann's assistant, it soon becomes clear that the real evildoer is the Geek, a magician who desperately wanted Herrmann's attention and possibly to be his successor on the Conjurer's Castle stage but never managed to be anything more than an opening act. And I gotta say, I'm with Herrmann on this one; all that glass-chomping and animal-regurgitating just made me feel queasy. Anyway, Ned and co. unravel the plot (removed shoe magnets, switched blocks of cement, etc.) and send the Geek off to the slammer. Meanwhile, now that Ned can reconnect with the family he never knew he had, he wants Chuck to do the same. With the help of a little bug microphone pinned to Olive's sweater, Chuck can ask Lily all the questions she has about being a mother. After that hilarious but sad sequence of Chuck desperately trying to get Lily to admit to being a mother (as a telemarketer, cheese saleswoman, and life insurance peddler), it was touching to see her get some answers. And just in time, too, because that rascally Dwight Dixon is poking around again. He already knows too much about Chuck's family, he's cozying up to Vivian, and now he's exhuming Chuck's coffin only to find it empty - making Chuck's "no body, no murder. Makes for a great urban legend, though" seem awfully prescient. Some other thoughts:

I had to pause my DVR because I was laughing so hard at Olive accidentally calling Maurice and Ralston "magically delicious little devils" to Emerson.
Lily's bird drinks martinis!
What on earth was that black feather getup of Chuck's?
Some of the special effects in this episode (the red velvet curtain, the random sperm interlude) seemed a little odd to me.
So wonderful that Alexandria is getting a copy of the Magic Book of Magic, too. Unlike the Geek, her loyalty deserves a reward.

Anyone else crack up at Chuck's suggestion that they play "ding-dong, ditch" at the aunts' door? Wondering what Dwight is up to now that he's found the empty coffin? Hoping this show lasts long enough for a happy ending? Discuss. Photo copyright 2008 ABC, Inc.

TV Tonight: Pushing Daisies

BuzzSugar — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:30:23 PDT

Tonight, the Barack Obama political message will dominate the 8 p.m. hour. But if that doesn't sound like must-see TV to you, then might I direct your attention to another option? The lovely Pushing Daisies will air on ABC as normal in what some are considering the show's last, best chance to show it can draw an audience.

While NBC, CBS, and Fox are airing Obama, Pushing Daisies will have the only scripted program in the 8 p.m. hour (the CW's America's Next Top Model will also air as normal). It's a rare thing, for sure, and the question is whether the desire to watch something non-political will draw enough people to the struggling show. Even series creator Bryan Fuller is hoping people will "be voting for 'Daisies' instead of some silly old political ad."

Tonight's episode should be especially delicious, as the gang investigates a murder at a dim sum bar. Meanwhile, Stephen Root guest-stars as a character named Dwight Dixon, who stops by the Pie Hole saying he's an old friend of Ned's father's. And is there romance in the air for Emerson? Simone the dog trainer is back!

Will you put politics aside to give Daisies a try? To watch a preview, just

Buzz News Roundup, 8/4

BuzzSugar — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 13:30:01 PDT

Stephenie Meyer's final installment in the Twilight series, Breaking Dawn, sold 1.3 million copies in one day, the AP reports.
The new Metallica album, Death Magnetic will be released on a Friday - September 12 - rather than on a Tuesday, which is the norm, writes Billboard.
Stephen Root of Office Space and NewsRadio is joining Pushing Daisies for four episodes as a character with connections to both Ned's dad and Chuck's dad, Entertainment Weekly reports.
According to ComingSoon, Universal Pictures will make an action-adventure Island of Lost Souls, an adaptation of the Danish film De fortabte sjaeles o.
So You Think You Can Dance has been officially renewed for a fifth season, Variety reports.
Zap2It has the news that Robert De Niro will join Mel Gibson for the dramatic movie Edge of Darkness.
E! reports that, according to Shonda Rhimes, the rumors that Izzie will have a brain tumor on Grey's Anatomy are totally bogus.
Billboard reports that James Taylor is covering songs from the '50s, '60s and '70s for an album put out by Starbucks' music label.

Source

Announcing the 2012 Grammy Award Nominations

Rose Curiel — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 07:51:21 PST

For the second year in a row, the Recording Academy has given a hip-hop artist the most Grammy nominations. Last year, it was rapper Eminem with eight, and this year, Kanye West leads the nominees with seven chances at the golden gramophone, including a song of the year nod for "All of the Lights." West is also nominated twice in the rap album of the year category for his collaboration with Jay-Z on Watch the Throne and his own album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Brit crooner Adele wasn't far behind Kanye, picking up six nominations for her album 21, as well as a shot at song of the year with "Rolling in the Deep."

Bruno Mars also did well, racking up six nominations (that's down one from last year for those keeping track), while newcomers like Nicki Minaj and dubstep artist Skrillex are up for the best new artist category. See what other artists have a chance of walking away with a Grammy during the February 12 award show when you read more

Jimmy Fallon Launches Late Night Snack With Ben and Jerry, Calls Colbert's Flavor "Ridiculous"

Allie Merriam — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 09:28:01 PST

Jimmy Fallon could hardly contain his enthusiasm last night when he joined forces with Ben and Jerry of, well, Ben & Jerry's at NBC headquarters in NYC. The trio were finally able to announce a project they've long been working on - Jimmy's brand-new ice cream flavor called Late Night Snack! The dessert, which melds salty and sweet with fudge-covered potato chip clusters in vanilla bean ice cream with a caramel swirl, will be available nationwide this week.

The three men sat down for a short press conference, which included Jimmy chatting about their shared interest in fair trade products and explaining how the idea of a collaboration stemmed from his "Ladysmith Snack Mambazo" skit with The Roots. Jimmy even managed to start a good-natured rivalry over Stephen Colbert's Americone Dream. Jimmy said:

On the flavor being inspired by a Late Night skit: "This is why I say everyone should get their own talk show . . . We were just thinking about ideas, something about late night snack. What do you have when you watch our show? Is popcorn good? You can't have pizza. Pretzels - they kind of did that with Chubby Hubby. Then we were like, potato chips!"
On donating the profits to fair trade organizations: "Two of the main ingredients are fair trade - and I was like, I've heard of fair trade, but I don't know what it is really, but I know it's fair . . . the cocoa from the fudge on the potato chip is fair trade and the vanilla bean in the vanilla ice cream is fair trade . . . it just gives farmers in developing countries a fair shot to make a living off farming. It's a fair price. It's just a great thing. I was just so psyched that was part of the deal. [Ben & Jerry's] said you get a percentage of this, you and NBC can split it. And I was like, all right! Then they said, 'Or you can donate it to charity.' So it went to Fair Trade Universities, which goes around to college campuses and teaches kids about fair trade."
On how his flavor stacks up to Stephen Colbert's: "Stephen Colbert is a jealous son-of-a-b*tch. I wish I never see his ice cream next to mine. In fact, I asked to be separated from his ice cream flavor. Americone Dream? Oh my gosh - ice cream cones in ice cream? What a genius idea! He's Albert Einstein! Whatever. I don't want to even discuss it . . . I'd rather not besmirch the name of Late Night Snack by bringing up Stephen Colbert's ridiculous ice cream."

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Will Ferrell Plays It Straight in the Everything Must Go Trailer

Becky Kirsch — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 14:56:03 PDT

Will Ferrell has made a name for himself playing outrageously over-the-top characters like Ron Burgundy and Ricky Bobby, but every now and then he reminds us that he's got a flair for more serious characters as well. Such is the case in the upcoming indie comedy Everything Must Go, where Ferrell plays a guy named Nick who hits rock bottom after he's fired (by none other than It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's Glen Howerton) and his wife leaves him. To purge himself of reminders of what once was, Nick decides to sell all of his belongings in a yard sale - and manages to make a young friend in the process.

The story of a man who hits rock bottom and tries to rebuild his life with a new outlook has definitely been done before, but it's a treat to see Ferrell taking a break from his usual routine. The trailer is peppered with bits of dry humor and heart, with a cast that includes Rebecca Hall, Laura Dern, and Stephen Root. Have a look after the jump.