Friday, November 28, 2008

What is The Next Step?

ABC has officially announced that Pushing Daisies will not continue beyond its thirteenth episode for the current season, but is there still a pulse? I have heard rumors that it could still come back next season. I have also heard that if enough units of the Season 1 DVD set this could justify a direct to DVD movie. But none of these have been substantiated. Glancing around at the other Save Pushing Daises sites, it seems that everybody is in disarray. I have seen several suggestions on how to proceed from here, but there is a definite lack of unity.

I feel like my Send a Daisy campaign had run its course because even though we pulled in substantial donations and sent off quite a number of shipments, it never showed signs of rivaling something like the Jericho nuts campaign (and when I said previously that I was suspending the campaign, it did not mean I was giving up on Pushing Daisies, just re-focusing my efforts). And I received feedback from various sources that campaigns like these rarely sway the decisions of network executives. It was worth a try, but perhaps now we need to shift direction.

I have posted a poll on this site to solicit feedback for next steps. Maybe this can provide a springboard for Daisies fans to unify on a single cause and hopefully direct that effort to send a message to the appropriate people. Please cast your vote in the poll and post any suggestions here.

Ratings Update for Wednesday - November 26, 2008

No good news here on the ratings, but then we expected the numbers to be low on the night before Thanksgiving (all shows saw a dip from previous weeks). Unfortunately, it seems unlikely that the December airings will see much of an improvement.

8 PM EST Timeslot:
1 - Bones (9.76 million viewers, 2.7 rating)
2 - The New Adventures of Old Christine / Gary Unmarried (7.66 million viewers, 2.1 rating)
3 - Rosie Live (5.04 million viewers, 1.2 rating)
4 - Pushing Daisies (4.45 million viewers, 1.2 rating)
5 - America’s Next Top Model (.99 million viewers, 0.4 rating)

Rating is for the 18-49 demographic. (Source: TVByTheNumbers.com)

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

Friday, November 21, 2008

!!!!!!!!PUSHING DAISIES CANCELLED!!!!!!!!

While ABC has not made an official statement yet, several sources are confirming that ABC has pulled the plug on Pushing Daisies including EOnline.com's Kristin Dos who has been in direct contact with Brian Fuller. The show has been on the bubble almost since it premiered this season because of its slumping ratings with this past Wednesday's airing pulling its lowest numbers so far. According to Brian Fuller, ABC President Steve McPherson pushed hard for a renewal, but parent company Disney was unwilling to greenlight additional episodes. Fuller has claimed that he is not too upset at this point over the cancellation and that he is proud of the twenty two episodes they have completed. He also plans to wrap up the storylines that will be left hanging after the cliffhanger thirteenth episode in comic books and that he is also preparing a pitch for a possible big screen continuation of the franchise. (And the good news for Heroes fans is that the cancellation will likely lead to his return to that NBC series).

While I understand that the sinking ratings drove the ultimate decision to cancel the show, I wish that ABC would have allowed them to at least do a two-hour wrap up movie. This would make future DVD packages more appealing (providing a more satisfying conclusion), and possibly pave the wave for additional television movies. I figure the chances of a big screen version of Pushing Daises actually coming to fruition are slim, as Hollywood would be reluctant to pour money into a project based on a failed television series. Sure, Joss Whedon continued Firefly on the big screen, but that movie was not considered a success by Hollywood standards and will likely deter similar ventures in that direction.

Also, I don't see another network trying to acquire Pushing Daisies as it does not fit well on cable networks like the Sci Fi Channel, TNT, or Lifetime. ABC Family would have been the most likely choice (it would have paired up well with The Middleman which itself is still in limbo), but I don't know if that channel could foot the budget. At this point, it seems that any continuation beyond a comic book series is unlikely seeing as Fuller is resigned to its fate and will likely soon be very busy working on Heroes.

Unless I hear of a strong push to lobby ABC for a TV movie finale or a strong possibility that the show could move to another network, I figure that there is no reason to continue with the daisy shipments. I have about $65 in remaining donations which I will donate to a charity. All of us fans should be proud of our efforts. We did a hell of a job sending the message that we love Pushing Daisies to ABC with the daisies, seeds, pies, letters, etc. Unfortunately, cold, hard business decisions ruled at the end of day.

I will continue to post updates as I receive new information. I will also keep readers updated on the progress of the comic book series Fuller plans to write. In the mean time, we still have seven more new episodes coming over the next couple of months, so enjoy the show while it is still on the air.

Thank you for all your support,
Paul S. White
www.axiomsedge-scifi.com

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Ratings Update for Wednesday - November 19, 2008

The news is not good on the first episode of Pushing Daisies to air since before Halloween. It had its lowest numbers of the season and lost around 700k viewers from its first half hour to its second. It also lost out in the 18-49 demographic to the season finale of America's Next Top Model. Of course a two week hiatus often leads to a drop in viewers, and would it have killed ABC to run a few promos for the show? I watch Desperate Housewives and Life on Mars each week, and never saw a promo for the show. ABC was looking at this night's numbers pretty close, and I don't think they will give the show a break for having been on a hiatus. And next Wednesday will almost certainly see no improvement as it is the night before Thanksgiving which is typically a low viewership time for the networks. All we can do at this point is cross our fingers and keep sending donations for daisies and continue to write to ABC.

8 PM EST Timeslot:

1 - Bones (10.73 million viewers, 3.1 rating)
2 - The New Adventures of Old Christine / Gary Unmarried (8.12 million viewers, 2.6 rating)
3 - Knight Rider (5.12 million viewers, 1.5 rating)
4 - Pushing Daisies (4.86 million viewers, 1.8 rating)
5 - America’s Next Top Model (4.80 million viewers, 2.3 rating)

Rating is for the 18-49 demographic. (Source: TVByTheNumbers.com)

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

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Still Sending Daisies

We need to be sure to get the word out to watch Pushing Daisies the next two weeks, because ABC will be keeping a close eye on the numbers. I the mean time, I just sent another shipment of daisies that they should receive today with the following message:

We hope that you are enjoying all the flowers we have sent and we hope that you will allow Pushing Daisies to live on. We love the show and would dearly miss it if it was gone.

Order Information:
Merchandise Amount: $141.96
Service Charge: $13.99
Less $10 Coupon -$10.00
Tax: $12.04
Order Total: $157.99

Campaign Information through 11/18:
Received Donations: $1315
Pending Donations: $0
High Donation: $100
Shipment totals: $1295
Net Balance: $20

Keep those donations coming in and keep writing to ABC!!!

Online Petition Update:
40,356 signatures as of this posting

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Get the Word Out: Watch Pushing Daisies this Wednesday!!!

Kristin Dos Santos from Eonline.com has heard from Brian Fuller that ABC has not made a decision on canceling Pushing Daisies yet. The word is that they will watch the ratings closely over the next two weeks to see how it performs after returning from its two week hiatus. Get the word out to as many people as you can to watch the show in the coming two weeks.

I also heard an idea on one of the forums that makes a lot of sense. Watch the show online as well, because ABC should know exactly how many online viewers it has. This gives them a better idea of the numbers because it is not using the sampling methods that the Nielsens rely on. The current week's episode is not available until the following day, but you can watch prior episodes and re-watch this week's episode on Thursday (you can never get too much Pushing Daisies). Every little bit counts, especially right now while they are focusing closely on the show and are in the process of making a decision about its future.

Also, keep those donations coming in and keep writing to ABC so that we can get the message out that we want to keep Pushing Daisies on the air!!!

Friday, November 14, 2008

Vote to Save Pushing Daisies!!!

TVGuide.com has run an article on network shows currently on the bubble and has asked viewers to vote for which show they would save. Pushing Daisies currently has by far the large number of votes, but let's try to get it even more. While I realize that it is highly unlikely that this poll will do anything to sway ABC's decision, I figure the the more ways we can get the message across, the better. Go to this link to read the article and vote: www.tvguide.com/News/Fall-2008-Shows-66966.aspx

Also, Sci Fi Wire has reported that inside sources have suggested that ABC will indeed cancel the show. They also mention that Brian Fuller plans to wrap up the storylines in a series of comics, though his interview with Fancast suggests that this is just one of the options he is currently exploring.

For now, I am going to try and get a message Brian Fuller to see his thoughts on how fan support should be directed going forward. If ABC does indeed cancel the show, do we double up our efforts like Jericho fans did after CBS canceled it the first time, or does he think that we should start lobbying another network (ABC Family, CW, and Lifetime are all possible options)?

Stay tuned to this blog and I will keep you updated on what I find.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Send a Daisy, Save Pushing Daisies

WE HAVE SURPASSED $1,000 IN DONATIONS!!!!!

Pushing Daisies fans have definitely stepped up to send a message to ABC that they want their favorite show to live on!!! I just placed another order today (details below) and will continue to place orders as frequently as possible as long as the donations continue to roll in.

Which brings us to decision on how we want to march forward from here. We will have sent close to $1,000 in flowers to ABC (including the next order for tomorrow), so do we want to shift our donations away from flowers (which will look nice for a few days, but eventually will be thrown away) to something with more long-reaching benefits? I sent one shipment of daisy seeds to ABC and could send more. These are nice because they can donate them to local charities and I know some other sites are promoting this approach as well. Also, savepushingdaisies.net is promoting a Help the Bees campaign and a Pies for the Poverished campaign. I have not seen any additional information on the latter, but on the Bees campaign there is information on how to donate. I could pool together donations from this site and send those to the Bees campaign and the Pies campaign once it gets up and running. Then I will forward the details on these donations on to ABC.

So as you continue to send your donations, indicate if you want your money to go to flowers, seeds, and/or the Bees/Pie campaigns. Also, for those who sent donations in the last few days, if you want to specify how I should direct your money, just send me an Email a paulswhite@mail.com.

Currently I am sending the daisies to the main ABC address:

ABC, Inc.
Attn: Steve McPherson and Anne Sweeney
500 S. Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521-4551

If anybody knows of alternate addresses to use, let me know.

Send your donations now so that we can continue to get the message out to ABC. All that you have to do is a few clicks on the computer to get your money to my PayPal account, then I will take care of the rest from there. Click on the button below to get started:

DONATIONS CLOSED

We also want to keep the online petition and write-in campaign going as well. Go to this link for more information on these and other initiatives to save Pushing Daisies: savepushingdaisies.blogspot.com/2008/10/write-in-campaign-and-other-initiatives.html

Update 11/13/08: Read about Fancast's interview with Brian Fuller where he suggests options to continue Pushing Daisies if ABC does cancel it (and thanks to FancastFan for the tip).


Read John J. Joex's review of Pushing Daisies Season 2 and other news, reviews, and updates on Science Fiction and Fantasy television at Axiom's Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy

One More Shipment Hits the Road!!!

Just placed another order for several arrangements of daisies with the following message:

Please enjoy these flowers and please give Pushing Daisies the chance to grow with a full season pickup.

Order Information:
Merchandise Amount: $155.96
Service Charge: $13.99
Less $10 Coupon -$10.00
Tax: $13.20
Order Total: $173.15
(Note that the order total is the same as the last time, but the arrangements were different.)

Campaign Information through 11/13:
Received Donations: $1185
Pending Donations: $0
High Donation: $100
Shipment totals: $1135
Net Balance: $50

Keep those donations coming!!!!

Online Petition Update:
37,127 signatures as of this posting

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Yet Another Shipment

I placed another order today for several arrangements (one of which is pictured here) with the following message:

Please enjoy these flowers as much as we enjoy Pushing Daisies and please allow our favorite show to continue to live on.



Order Information:

Merchandise Amount: $155.96
Service Charge: $13.99
Less $10 Coupon -$10.00
Tax: $13.20
Order Total: $173.15

Campaign Information through 11/11:
Received Donations: $1060
Pending Donations: $0
High Donation: $100
Shipment totals: $960
Net Balance: $100

Keep those donations coming!!!!

Online Petition Update:
34,906 signatures as of this posting

Monday, November 10, 2008

Letter to Steve McPherson and Anne Sweeney

Below is the letter I am sending to Steve McPherson and Anne Sweeney about our campaign. I will be faxing it and sending it by certified mail.

ABC is making their decisions on the schedule for the remainder of the season now, so we need to do everything we can to get our message out. Keep sending in the donations, writing to ABC, and be sure you signed the Online Petition.

Letter:

Dear Mr. McPherson / Ms. Sweeney,

I am writing this letter to you on behalf of the fans of Pushing Daisies to let you know about our efforts to send a message about how much we love this show and how we would dearly appreciate it if you would keep it on the air for at least its full second season. We realize that ratings have been low this season, and we are doing our part to mobilize viewers. We have also been sending letters, signing the online petition (over 34,300 signatures as of this writing), sending daisy seeds, and sending daisies to show our support for the show. I have been heading up the “Send a Daisy” campaign and below is a summary of the donations and shipments so far:

Received Donations: $950
High Donation: $100
Flower/Seed Shipment totals: $785
“Send a Daisy” Website: http://savepushingdaisies.blogspot.com/

Online Petition Website: http://www.petitiononline.com/daisies/petition.html

We realize that you often have to make some difficult choices on which shows to keep on the air and which shows to cancel, and we realize that the ratings are often the cold, hard determining factor. If you could please see you way to allowing Pushing Daisies to stay on the air at least for a full second season, we would greatly appreciate. We believe that would give this Emmy-winning show a chance to rebuild its audience or at least allow the creative team the chance to provide a satisfying wrap-up for the series (a definite plus for the subsequent DVD sales).

We appreciate your commitment to quality television and realize that shows like Pushing Daisies, Lost, Desperate Housewives, and Life on Mars represent superior choices among Prime Time television fare. We hope that you will take into consideration the critical praise and awards that Pushing Daisies has received as well as its loyal following when making your scheduling decisions for the remainder of the current season.

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

Another Shipment is on the Way

Just placed another order for an assortment of daisy arrangements (one is pictured here). I made sure to put it to the attention of Steve McPherson and Anne Sweeney and following is the message that went with it:

The fans of Pushing Daisies would like to brighten your day with these flowers. Please allow our favorite show to continue for a full season.

I will also be sending a follow-up letter addressed to Steve and Anne summarizing the donations and shipments so far so that they can get a good overview of the support for this campaign. I will place the next order tomorrow (I am trying to space these out so that they receive a shipment almost daily).

Order Information:
Merchandise Amount: $209.95
Service Charge: $13.99
15% Promo Discount -$31.50
Tax: $15.88
Order Total: $208.32

Campaign Information through 11/10:
Received Donations: $890
Pending Donations: $60
High Donation: $100
Shipment totals: $785
Net Balance: $165

Please keep those donations coming!!!!

Online Petition Update:
34,203 signatures as of this posting

Friday, November 7, 2008

Word is Getting Out and Donations are Pouring in

Sci Fi Wire ran a short article on the Send a Daisy campaign today so more people will be hearing about our efforts and hopefully more donations will be coming in. I have over $200 available currently for the next shipment, and I will be contacting a local flower shop in LA for the next delivery. Following is the summary of donations and shipments so far:

Campaign Information through 11/07:
Received Donations: $750
Pending Donations: $30
High Donation: $100
Shipment totals: $575
Net Balance: $205

Keep those donations coming in so that we can get out message to ABC that we want them to keep Pushing Daisies on the air!!!

Online Petition Update:
31,575 signatures as of this posting

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Donations are Pouring in, Another Shipment is Away

Word got out yesterday and I received close to $400 in donations with a high donation of $100!!!! I sent a shipment of 200 seed packets from American Meadows and just placed another order for flowers that will be delivered tomorrow. This time I went with several different arrangements (one is pictured here).

Flower Shipment:
Merchandise Amount: $245.95
Service Charge: $13.99
Tax: $21.45
Order Total: $281.39

Message: Please enjoy these flowers as much as we enjoy our favorite show, Pushing Daisies. And please allow it to continue for a full season.

Seed Shipment:
Merchandise Amount: $70.00
Shipping: $10.95
Order Total: $80.95

Message: The fans of Pushing Daisies are hoping you will plant the seeds for the series to continue.

The PayPal system is down for maintenance as I am writing this post, so I do not have the exact details on donations right now, but it was close to $600 total when I checked it last night. With some luck our efforts and donations will be rewarded with more episodes of Pushing Daisies!!!

Also, I am working toward merging this campaign with the Pies for the Poverished campaign and will be providing more information on that in the coming week.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

The Second Shipment is Away!!!

Just placed the order for shipment number two to be delivered tomorrow. I ordered two of the daisy baskets pictured here from 1-800 Flowers (not a sponsored link). I did receive some information on some local florists and will probably look at using those for future deliveries. Following is the message that I included with the flowers:

More fans of Pushing Daisies would like to brighten your day with flowers. Please keep our favorite show on the air!!! See our online petition at: www.petitiononline.com/daisies/petition.html

Merchandise Amount: $69.98
Online Coupon: -$10.00
Service Charge: $13.99
Tax: $6.10
Order Total: $80.07

Campaign Information through 11/05:
Received Donations: $166
Pending Donations: $50
High Donation: $50
Shipment totals: $212
Net Balance: $4

Please keep those donations coming!!!!

Online Petition Update:
27,116 signatures as of this posting