The First Shipment is Away!!!!

I just placed the order for the first shipment to be delivered on Monday, November 3rd. I ordered three of the arrangements pictured here from 1-800 Flowers (not a sponsored link). Following is the message that I included with the shipments:

The fans of Pushing Daisies would like to brighten your day with this shipment of daisies. We hope that you continue to brighten our days by keeping our beloved show on the air.

Merchandise Amount: $107.97
Service Charge: $13.99
Tax: $10.06
Order Total: $132.02


Campaign Information through 10/31:
Approx Donations: $125
High Donation: $50
Shipment totals: $132
Net Balance: -$7

Please keep the donations coming so that we can ship as many daisies to ABC as possible in the coming weeks!!!!!

Note: If anybody knows of another flower delivery service that might be cheaper (but still provide good quality) or a local vendor that would work with us, please let me know. I am using 1-800 Flowers because they are convenient (quick, easy online ordering). Also, I am sending arrangements instead of bulk shipments of daisies because I am worried that the bulk shipments might get thrown away. I figure that they can place the arrangements around their offices and/or take them home.

Online Petition Update:
18,170 signatures as of this posting.

Read John J. Joex's Review of Pushing Daisies Season 2

The facts are these: Every once in a while a show comes around that is so much unlike anything else on television that it feels like a breath of fresh air across the Prime Time landscape. Pushing Daisies is a show like that. Also, every once in a while a show comes around that just makes you feel so comfortable with the characters and surroundings that it seems like part of your life, perhaps an extended family, and it puts you completely at ease. Pushing Daisies is a show like that.

Read the full review at the Axiom's Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Blog

Ratings Update for Wednesday - October 29, 2008

The good news is that it was up in total viewers from last week by almost a million and its rating increased as well. I am not certain what it means that it was beaten out by a paid political message that ran on three other channels, but let's hope that the upward trend in viewers continues. The DVR report for the week of October 6th showed that it gained an addition 24% of time-shifted viewers for its second episode, which is a good thing.

8 PM EST Timeslot:
1 - Barack Obama Paid Political Message - NBC (9.85 million viewers, 3.0 rating)
2 - Barack Obama Paid Political Message - CBS (8.65 million viewers, 2.3 rating)
3 - Barack Obama Paid Political Message - FOX (7.92 million viewers, 2.8 rating)
4 - Pushing Daisies (6.64 million viewers, 2.2 rating)
5 - America’s Next Top Model (3.93 million viewers, 2.0 rating)

Rating is for the 18-49 demographic.

More Ratings info for the current Prime Time Science Fiction and Fantasy shows

Write In Campaign and Other Initiatives to Save Pushing Daisies

The online petition asking ABC to keep Pushing Daisies on the air is at this address: www.petitiononline.com/daisies/petition.html

As of this writing, it has over 11,000 signatures and is growing everyday.

To write to ABC to ask them to keep Pushing Daisies on the air, you can use their online form or you can write to them via snail mail at the following address:

ABC, Inc.
500 S. Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521-4551

I have done both (below is the letter that I sent). The week of November 3rd - 10th has been targeted for a mass mail-in campaign to ABC as a consolidated show of support.

Other things that you can do to support the show:

Download episodes from Amazon Video on Demand or iTunes and/or buy Season 1 on DVD. This again will show that people want to see this show and will help show ABC that keeping it on the air is a good decision financially. Below are links to download episodes and/or buy the DVD:

Amazon Video on Demand
iTunes
Season 1 on DVD

And most important, watch the show and get others to watch the show as well. Hopefully our efforts will be rewarded with a full second season and more of Pushing Daisies. I will continue to post ratings updates and other news at this site, so check back on a regular basis.

Other sites to check out as well:
Save Pushing Daisies 2008-2009 at Facebook.com
pushingdaisies-tv.com/forums
Pushing Daisies Forum on ABC.com
www.eonline.com/uberblog/watch_with..._this_show.html

-Paul S. White


Letter to ABC:

To the Program Directors of ABC,

I am writing this letter to request that you please keep Pushing Daisies on the air despite the low ratings it has seen so far this year. This is an excellent and unique series unlike anything on television and a shining example of quality programming on your network, and it fits well with other fine programs that you air such as Lost, Desperate Housewives, and Life on Mars. The fact that the series won an Emmy this past year shows how highly regarded its accomplishments are among the entertainment industry. The series has quickly developed a strong and energized fanbase (including myself) which has already started up a petition asking that you keep Pushing Daisies on the air: http://www.petitiononline.com/daisies/petition.html. As of this writing, the petition already has over 2,800 signatures.

I realize that ABC took a chance in scheduling a program like Pushing Daisies in the first place which varies considerably from normal television fair. However, I believe that this shows your willingness to take chances as well as your dedication to original, quality programming also evidenced by shows like those I mentioned above. I also appreciate the dedication you have already shown to Pushing Daisies by giving it an early full season order last year (made moot by the writer’s strike) and later renewing the series for a second season. I ask that you stick with the show a little bit longer and allow it to reconnect with its audience in its second year. I believe that you will be rewarded for your patience, and viewers will recognize ABC’s dedication to quality programming.

Thank you for you consideration and thank you for keeping quality programming alive on Prime Time television.

-Paul S. White

The online form only accepts 500 characters in the comments space, so following is what I sent:

Pushing Daisies is an excellent example of unique, quality programming that has a loyal following, critical praise, and has already earned an Emmy. Please show your dedication to shows like this by keeping it on the air despite its low ratings. An online petition has already started up demonstrating the show’s dedicated fanbase: http://www.petitiononline.com/daisies/petition.html. We appreciate the quality shows that ABC airs and hope that Pushing Daisies remains part of your family.

Ratings Update for Wednesday - October 22, 2008

Took a big hit from the prior week in total viewers and fell behind America’s Top Model in the 18-49 demographic (it’s never good to be ranked below a CW show). The report on DVR viewing from the week of Pushing Daisies’ premiere shows that it did gain over a million time-shifted viewers that week, but that's not too much of a boost. I think it is time to go to DefCon 1 on this.

8 PM EST Timeslot:
1 - World Series (Phillies vs. Rays) (13.10 million viewers, 4.1 rating)
2 - The New Adventures of Old Christine / Gary Unmarried (7.93 million viewers, 2.5 rating)
3 - Knight Rider (7.23 million viewers, 2.2 rating)
4 - Pushing Daisies (5.67 million viewers, 1.9 rating)
5 - America’s Next Top Model (4.38 million viewers, 2.1 rating)

Rating is for the 18-49 demographic.

More Ratings info for the current Prime Time Science Fiction and Fantasy shows

Sarah Connor Chronicles and Knight Rider Get Full Season Orders

In what could be a good sign for Pushing Daisies, two low rated genre shows got the thumbs up from their networks for a full season: FOX's Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and NBC's Knight Rider (which runs head to head with Daisies). Both series have pulled numbers hardly better than what Pushing Daisies has seen this season (though Knight Rider has beat it each week in its timeslot). This is really a rather unprecedented move by the networks to stand behind underperforming Science Fiction and Fantasy shows and may indicate a change in thinking concerning Prime Time programming. Since Pushing Daisies has an Emmy under its belt already along with critical praise (neither of which the other shows can boast), it may have a chance of at least getting a full season order. Our continued diligence will help as well, so be sure to sign the petition, write your letter, and keep watching the show.

-PSW

Ratings Update for Wednesday - October 15, 2008

Up in total viewers from prior week by 740k, but dropped a bit in its rating for the 18-49 demographic.

8 PM EST Timeslot:
1 - The New Adventures of Old Christine / Gary Unmarried (7.72 million viewers, 2.3 rating)
2 - Knight Rider (7.65 million viewers, 2.3 rating)
3 - NLCS: Phillies/Dodgers Game 5 (7.26 million viewers, 2.4 rating)
4 - Pushing Daisies (6.29 million viewers, 1.9 rating)
5 - America’s Next Top Model (3.18 million viewers, 1.5 rating)

Rating is for the 18-49 demographic.

More Ratings info for the current Prime Time Science Fiction and Fantasy shows

Ratings Update for Wednesday - October 8, 2008

Lost almost 800k in viewers from its premiere, though it remained steady in its rating for the 18-49 demographic.

8 PM EST Timeslot:
1 - Bones (10.34 million viewers, 3.3 rating)
2 - The New Adventures of Old Christine / Gary Unmarried (7.54 million viewers, 2.2 rating)
3 - Knight Rider (6.73 million viewers, 2.2 rating)
4 - Pushing Daisies (5.55 million viewers, 2.0 rating)
5 - America’s Next Top Model (3.88 million viewers, 1.8 rating)

Rating is for the 18-49 demographic.

More Ratings info for the current Prime Time Science Fiction and Fantasy shows

Ratings Update for Wednesday - October 1, 2008

Not a good second season debut at all. The series averaged 9.46 million viewers in its first season with a 3.3 rating in the 18-49 demographic. This has the series off from those averages by 33% in viewers and 39% in its rating. To be a little bit fair, though, the viewership had tailed off toward the end of Season 1, so this might not be too far off from what it was seeing then.

8 PM EST Timeslot:
1 - Bones (9.82 million viewers, 3.2 rating)
2 - Knight Rider (7.56 million viewers, 2.4 rating)
3 - The New Adventures of Old Christine / Gary Unmarried (6.92 million viewers, 2.1 rating)
4 - Pushing Daisies (6.32 million viewers, 2.0 rating)
5 - America’s Next Top Model (4.01 million viewers, 1.8 rating)

Rating is for the 18-49 demographic.

More Ratings info for the current Prime Time Science Fiction and Fantasy shows