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By WALT BELCHER

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 28, 2008

TAMPA - A visit to the Hollywood set of "Pushing Daisies" is like entering a whimsical, surreal world where fantastic things happen in a diner with a pie-crust-shaped roof.

On a sunny day in July, a gaggle of TV critics wanders into the studio where the fictional town of Couer d'Couers (heart of hearts) comes to life.

Cherry-shaped lamps dangle over the tables, which are covered with green-and-white checkered table cloths. The windows are large and round like pie pans. The menu promises rhubarb, apple and three-plum pies. A la mode is "a la recommended."

Sitting on one of the shiny chrome counter stools in the Pie Hole eatery are "Daisies" co-stars Lee Pace and Anna Friel.

He plays Ned, the pie maker. She plays the love of his life, Charlotte "Chuck" Charles.

In this "forensics fairy tale," Ned has the miraculous ability to bring the dead back to life with a mere touch.

However, a second touch is deadly. Ned brought Chuck back to life after she was murdered. Now he dares not touch her again.

Now that's unrequited love.

"Pushing Daisies" is so quirky, ABC officials worried last season that viewers wouldn't get it. Some didn't. Others fell in love with it because it was so offbeat.

Getting a second chance is one of the themes of this romantic comedy, and the show itself is getting a second start. It returns to ABC on Wednesday night.

And it returns with a pig joining the cast.

"We're excited about the second season because the first one was cut short by the writers strike," says Pace, a 29-year-old actor whose first TV role was a guest shot six years ago on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit."

"There were only nine episodes, and we were rushed and trying to get started," he says. "The strike gave us time to look at what was working and what was not working."

It has been more than nine months since the last original "Daisies" aired, and when the show returns, narrator Jim Dale will note that in Couer d' Couers exactly one year, 22 weeks and four days has passed.

New and returning viewers will be brought up to speed on the story about Ned and his partnership with investigator Emerson Cod (Chi McBride). Ned brings murder victims back to life so Cod can solve cases and then collect the rewards.

Also reintroduced is Pie Hole waitress Olive Snook (Kristin Chenoweth). She has a big crush on Ned and often breaks into song. This season, broken-hearted Olive joins a nunnery (in a scene that winks at "The Sound of Music") and adopts Pigby, a porcine pet.

Chuck's weird old aunts Lily and Vivian (Swoosie Kurtz and Ellen Greene, respectively), former synchronized swimmers, are back and get bigger roles. We learned a big secret last season - Lily is actually Chuck's mother.

"We're having so much fun that we're beginning to finish each other's sentences," says Kurtz of her friendship with Greene.

Adds Greene: "We both come from theater backgrounds, and this has the feel of a play. We never know what's going to happen next with these stories."

The opening episode, titled "Bzzzzzzzzz!" involves a murder case that Ned, Chuck and Emerson are investigating. When model Kentucky Fritz (Autumn Reeser) is killed by bees, Chuck goes undercover at Betty Bee's Honey Products (housed in a cute honeycomb-shaped building).

Fritz was in line to become the next Betty Bee spokesmodel, replacing current 38-year-old Betty (Missi Pyle). French Stewart guest stars as the bee company owner.

Pace says a lot of guest stars have signed on this season, including Fred Willard, Mary Kay Place and David Arquette.

"Daisies" executive producer Bryan Fuller says ABC officials want to expand the audience beyond a cult following. He says they fretted that it was too weird and might turn off the masses.

The show was extremely popular with kids and teens during its short run. Critics liked it, too. The show received 12 Emmy nominations, including in the acting categories (for Pace and Chenoweth). It won Emmys for directing, music composition and editing.

Making it more accessible doesn't mean there won't be crazy things happening, Fuller says. And the script will still be peppered with puns. ABC has ordered only 13 episodes.

Pace says the show may not be for everyone. "It's a fantasy, like a musical; you have to suspend belief and accept this world where Ned and Chuck live," he says.

ON TELEVISION

Pushing Daisies

WHAT: Season premiere

WHEN: 8 p.m. Wednesday

WHERE: ABC

Reporter Walt Belcher can be reached at (813) 259-7654 or wbelcher@tampatrib.com.

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