If you’ve been following our coverage of the Pushing Daisies Paley Festival panel then you know we’re planning on doing another Piecast Podcast to chat about how incredible the evening was but we couldn’t help get some information up after all the emails we’ve received.

The Piecast will hopefully be ready for Monday night as we’ve decided to hold out until after our visit to the Writers Room in the afternoon in case Bryan Fuller and Co. give us any scoop we can spill to all the fans. Fingers crossed gang!

As we’re really trying to save our thoughts until the Piecast, we decided it would be a good chance to have some of our loyal ThePieMaker.com readers in attendance share their thoughts with you all!

First up is Patricia from San Diego (who oddly enough happens to be the Sister of my friend Jenny, strange but true) who attended the panel with her husband Michael. Patricia’s got a ton of quotes from the panel as well as some fun tidbits that the cast and crew shared. Some of our burning questions are answered as well. Ever wonder if Ned is a Vegetarian or if Ned & Chuck could ever possibly have a baby? Well, read on…

Second will be reader Erika with a quick take on what it was like to be a fan and aspiring TV Writer in attendance of her favorite show.

Take it away ladies…

From Patricia:

OK—let’s get right to it. There was only downside to the “Pushing Daisies” event presented as part of the Paley Fest—and that was that it was too short!! At only one hour and 45 minutes and so many questions left unanswered.

But a huge number of fans stuck around for autographs, free T-shirts and photos with the cast, and no one really seemed to want to go home—that included the producers, cast and audience.

The following are my transcribed notes from the evening so that those who couldn’t be there can have a taste of the wonderful, informative – and hysterically funny—evening those at the Dome got to enjoy.

Not every word is recorded here, but the bulk of what was said is. I wish I could have gotten all the jokes written down, but they were flying so fast, it was impossible without a tape recorder. Let’s just say that the panel was made up of warm, gracious and intelligent people who obviously like to laugh when they’re together. And we had the rare opportunity to laugh along with them.

The members of the panel were :
Bryan Fuller—creator/executive producer
Dan Jinks—executive producer
Lee Pace—Ned
Anna Friel—Chuck
Kristin Chenoweth—Olive Snook
Chi McBride—Emerson Cod
Ellen Greene—Aunt Vivian (who says she laughs like a donkey – and she’s right! But endearingly so)
Bruce Cohen—executive producer
Peter Ocko—co-executive producer

Swoosie Kurtz (Aunt Lily) was originally scheduled to be there, but was kept away by her mother’s health issues.

Field Cate (young Ned) and Sammi Hanratty (young Chuck) were in the audience.

The evening started off with a clips package and in a great show of support, each time a new character came on the screen, the crowd burst out in applause. Chances are, most of the audience probably already knew the lines by heart!

Moderator Kristen Dos Santos (E! commentator) took the stage and introduced the panel. She started by asking Bryan Fuller (BF) questions about the creation of the series.

ON CREATING PUSHING DAISIES:

BF: While working on “Dead Like Me,” which is about a girl who becomes a grim reaper and touches people before they die, I started thinking about the inverse of that idea. The idea was that it would an original character who would then spin off into his own series.

ON NABBING BARRY SONNENFELD:

BF: Barry was developing a project with Dan and Bruce and when I was creating the Pie-lette, I listened to the soundtrack of “Addams Family Values.” So when Dan suggested working with Barry, I just about wet myself.

No one had responded to the script for several years. Then ABC said they were looking for an Amelie-sque type of show. ABC bought it in the room. (which, all producers chimed in, is very rare)

LEE PACE ON HOW HE GOT INVOLVED WITH ‘PUSHING DAISIES’:

Lee Pace (LP): I had worked with Bryan on “Wonderfalls.” I was just going to read the script and say “congrats” to Bryan, but I kept thinking about it. I kept calling him with casting suggestions. I suggested for Canteloupe (the accused dog in the Pie-lette) that he use Martha Stewart’s chows. Then I decided to do it and it’s been a real blessing to play him (Ned).

LEE ON HIS HESITANCE TO DO ANOTHER TV SERIES:

LP: It’s a lot, a lot of work and you sign on for potentially six years—that’s a long time. But I saw that the character of Ned had longevity built in. He’s closed off, there’s the love story – it’s something I could play for quite a while. Plus, Bryan is one to bet on. I knew he’d develop it in a way I’d like to do it. The script made me feel good when I read it and there aren’t many TV shows or movies that make you feel that way.

ANNA FRIEL ON HOW SHE GOT INVOLVED WITH ‘PUSHING DAISIES’:

Anna Friel (AF): I had gone with a new agency and they asked me if I would be interested in American television. It meant making a massive move (she’s from England), so I said I was only interested if it was something fantastic. I was looking for something new, something different, something that would inspire me and challenge me.

When I got the script, I thought it was a mistake because it read like a film. I met with the producers and they asked how my American accent was. I said, “It’s alright. I’ll work on it.” It was the best decision I ever made in my life.”

BRYAN FULLER ON CASTING ANNA FRIEL:

BF: I had seen Anna’s reel and she’s a strong dramatic actress. But when we read her, she brought fun and levity to the character. We knew she had the ability to bring heart to a comedic role.

CHI MCBRIDE ON HOW HE GOT INVOLVED WITH ‘PUSHING DAISIES’:

Chi McBride (CM): (Made a joke about how Lee and Anna said they weren’t looking to do TV—like it was just a line they gave out.) The script came in, I read it and immediately I gravitated toward the character. Whatever comes to him (Emerson), comes out his mouth. I wanted to do it immediately.

I found that Barry and I have the same dark sense of humor. That also made me want to be involved. So it really was a no-brainer for me. I would have been an idiot not to do it.

(Chi also mentioned two other series he’s worked on – “Killer Instinct,” which he renamed “Kill It, It Stinks” and “The Nine” – which never did air all its episodes, but he revealed that his character – Malcolm the bank manager—was the one who “done it.”)

DAN JINKS ON CASTING CHI MCBRIDE:

Dan Jinks (DJ): Chi was tied to “The Nine,” but then it was canceled. We immediately knew that no one else could play the role.

KRISTIN CHENOWETH ON HOW SHE GOT INVOLVED WITH ‘PUSHING DAISIES’:

Kristin Chenoweth (KC): I had done the film “RV” and also wasn’t looking to do TV (lots of laughs). I was supposed to do “Young Frankenstein” on Broadway for Mel Brooks. I read the script and thought, “this is weird and I’m weird.” I knew it would be a great match. It amazing how all these decisions come along in your career that aren’t that easy.

BRUCE COHEN ON CASTING KRISTIN CHENOWETH:

Bruce Cohen (BC): We had known Kristin for a while and wanted to work with her. The part of Olive didn’t have much in the Pie-lette, so we thought it was only a dream to get her. We promised to make Olive a special part of the show.

ELLEN GREENE ON HOW SHE GOT INVOLVED WITH ‘PUSHING DAISIES’:

Ellen Greene (EG): People thought I was dead actually. I came to audition – I had to audition (she looked pointedly at Lee and Anna). I earned it. I had met Dan Jinks at a party and we went out dancing. So I knew I liked him. I went to audition and realized that I was loved by everyone in the room. From the moment I walked out of the room, I knew this character could go anywhere—A to Zed and I love those A to Zed characters.

I asked Bruce if I would be able to sing and he said “maybe for sweeps month.” I had never done a TV series so when they offered me the role, I googled everyone involved and saw these were people of authenticity – people with great credits and heart.

It’s because of these people that I got to be on Heroes. I played Sylar’s Mother and we shot around the same time as the Pie-lette.

ON MAKING A MOVIE LOOK WITH A TV BUDGET:

BF: We were lucky to have Barry (Sonnenfeld) direct the Pie-lette and create a fantastical template. When you know what that world is supposed to look like, it’s easier to do. Usually you shoot a pilot for so much and a series shoots for so much less. But ABC gave us a budget to be able to produce the show well. That’s not to say that things sometimes don’t get cut.

ON HOW OFTEN LEE AND ANNA ACCIDENTALLY TOUCH WHILE SHOOTING:

AF: I do it a lot.

LP: I sit on my hands. It gives you something to do… One touch — she’s dead and no more show!

ON A PUSHING DAISIES SPECIAL GUEST STAR WISH LIST:

BF: Our wish list is really long.

KC: I’d like to see Tim Conway and Harvey Korman come on the show. That would rock.

DJ: Carol Burnett!

ON THE UNUSUAL CHALLENGES THIS TV COUPLE FACE RELATIONSHIP-WISE:

BF: We talk about what are the realities of this fantastical situation. If they really couldn’t touch each other, what would they do – such as saran wrap, beekeeper suits, plastic divider in the car. If you couldn’t touch the person you love, what would you do? The motivation for the characters has to be real.

Peter Ocko (PO): These people are real—we’ve grounded them in our universe, so now they can go anywhere.

CAN NED & CHUCK HAVE KIDS?

BF: I think her egg would die when his sperm hits it.

AF: (looking honestly devastated) That upsets me. I want to have a baby!

BF: You could have it with someone else.

AF: But I want it with Ned. (she cuddles Lee)

CHI TALKS ABOUT HOLLYWOOD STEREOTYPING AND DOING COMEDY:

CM: Hollywood is a town where they only let you do what they’ve seen you do. I started out on “The John Larroquette Show,” but when I wanted to transfer to drama, people said, “he does comedy.” Then I did “Boston Public.” I went in for “Undercover Brother” and I remember Brain Grazer saying “He’s not that funny.” So you have to be constantly reinventing yourself.

After “The Nine,” I was emotionally exhausted. I said if I went back to TV I’d like it to be a comedy. I wanted something smart, something almost too good for TV.

LP: Chi is so funny. I find I’m funnier when I get in a shot with him.

KRISTIN CHENOWETH & ELLEN GREENE TALK ABOUT BROADWAY AND SINGING ON THE SHOW:

KC: What’s so great is the way the singing is incorporated into an episode, especially the second one where I sing “Hopelessly Devoted to You” and how it was integrated into the scene. In theater, you sing because you can’t talk anymore. I’m not going to lie, I was nervous. I didn’t want the singing to come out of nowhere. But it felt very real. If you stay in a real spot, you can’t go wrong.

EG: Everyone knows I have stage fright, but we really are like a small family. I love that they gave me the opportunity to sing. When you can’t speak, you sing. And when you can’t sing, you dance. For me, it’s about giving hope to myself and to the people who need it.

CHI MCBRIDE & KRISTIN CHENOWETH MOCK EACH OTHER’S HEIGHT:

KC: I love you Chi, you rock my world. You’re very tall, I can tell when you need to trim your nose hair.

CM: I love you too, but you’re very short I can eat crackers on top of your head.

ANNA FRIEL ON HER NEW FILM “LAND OF THE LOST”:

AF: I’m playing Holly, Will is Marshall. We all go to this mad world. We’re trying to stick to the original series as much as possible. We didn’t have the series in England, but now I have it on DVD. (Starts singing the theme song) Will Ferrell is a wonderful man.

ON HOW THE WGA STRIKE IMPACTED THE SHOW:

CM: It was the worst three months of our lives. Thanks for bringing it up.

BF: Probably in the long run, it was a good thing – at least for the series, not for our crew. On the plus side, the writers made progress. But it gave us a chance to look at the first nine shows and see the soft romantic arc. We could step back and take it in. The arc of the second year will be more stark, more dramatic.

PO: I think when we’re in the midst of a season, our heads are down and we forget to look at the horizon.

BF: I think this will be an exciting season. We just started writing the first episode and we have the first five (outlines) approved by the network. So with all the negotiations, it allowed us to take a step back.

DJ: Bryan had set it up from the beginning for the writers to be on the set the whole time their episode was being shot. But during the strike, they couldn’t be there (filming the last two episodes).

BC: After the strike, ABC said not to rush into production, take time to regroup. That was one of the best decisions ABC made in the life of the series.

WILL CHUCK DISCOVER WHO HER REAL MOTHER IS?

BF: Chuck will find out who her real mother is and that will send her off in one direction. Ned tries to control her trajectory, but it puts a strain on their relationship.

SEASON 1 DVD TALK:

BF: Season 1 is June in the UK; then closer to the retun, probably September in the US.

(Anna offers to home and bring them over from the UK for all of us)

WILL RAUL ESPARZA BE BACK AS OLIVE’S LOVE INTEREST?

BF: We love him and his relationship with Kristin’s character. It would be a crime not to (have them sing together).

ON WHY NED IS A PIEMAKER:

BF: It’s as simple as I love pie! It was all about putting things I like in the show. I like dogs, bees, honey and pies, so I shoe-horned them all in.

IS NED A VEGETARIAN?

BF: We had a scene that would explain that and it went in and out many times. Yes, he is. If he ate meat it would crawl right out of him.

ON HOW SUPPORTIVE ABC HAS BEEN TO THE SHOW:

CM: Normally when a network says they’re behind you, it’s best not to lean back. But NBC is supportive. They’re really excited by the show. In meetings, they talk about wanting it to do well and I believe them —they’re not that good of actors.

DJ: There were two other networks that passionately wanted the show. We looked at the pros and cons and realized that ABC was embracing different ways of story telling (such as with “Ugly Betty” and “Lost”). So we thought they would be right for us.

YOUNG NED & YOUNG CHARLOTTE GET IN ON THE ACTION:

Field Cate (Young Ned): I thought of an episode – would you consider it? It’s where young Ned and young Emerson cross paths before - or all the characters could.

Sammi Hanratty (Young Charlotte) asks if Emerson’s daughter is going to be shown?

BF: Yes. I had one idea about that situation, but when we were shooting the Pie-lette, Chi asked about it. He said he thought Emerson became a PI to look for his daughter. It was a better idea than I had and the result was a warm, unexpected turn.

SOME OF THE CAST’S FAVORITE ‘PUSHING DAISIES’ MOMENTS:

LP: That scene at the end of the Pie-lette where we are holding our hands in the back. I remember looking at Anna and thinking, “God, I hope this goes (gets picked up for a season).”

CM: When Olive and I were in the mausoleum in “Girth.”

LP: Kristin’s ribs were broken.

CM: And there her feet were dangling and I look at her. I have more fun when I don’t say anything.

AF: My favorite is when the mermaids get their fins back. My daughter has played that scene 72 times over. (Ellen comments that she gave Anna’s daughter a princess outfit) It makes me cry every time.

KC: (when her ribs were broken) I was in so much pain and on Percocet. Byran said I was never better!

COULD A PUSHING DAISIES SOUNDTRACK BE IN THE WORKS?

BF: We are looking forward to releasing a soundtrack.

See what I mean? Just not long enough and so many more unanswered questions that we have to wait until September to find out the answers. I think the audience, who were obviously huge fans, could have asked questions for another hour. I know I had my hand up and never got the microphone.

I’m not sure if this captures all the laughter during the forum. Chi and Ellen were amazingly funny. The audience was very respectful of the speakers, hanging on their every comment. All cast and producers were very kind afterwards, sharing their time for fans. I left feeling like part of the “Pushing Daisies” family and how often can a fan feel that way?

I know it was a night I’ll never forget.

- Patricia

And now we’ll hear from Erika who hails from California and aspires to be a TV Writer someday. Erika’s a sweetheart for finding Kath and I before the panel and for chatting with us! Here’s her quick recap of the night through her eyes!

I went to Hollywood to see a Q & A with the cast of “Pushing Daisies” (ABC; returning next fall!). Going into it, I didn’t know what to expect. I have never been to something like this before. I had so many questions… Would we get to talk to them personally? Does the moderator get to ask all the questions or how involved are we as the collective audience going to be?

So once I finally arrived (stupid LA traffic) I got in line and I could barely contain myself. I kept telling a friend of mine, “We’re actually here! We’re going to MEET the cast. I HOPE to get a picture with Lee Pace (Ned the Piemaker).

That was my one goal for the evening.

Once I sat down and claimed my seat, I saw Dan and Kathie and remembered them saying to meet them if we were going. They were so sweet and kind to me, this random girl who reads their site.

Finally, the cast came out and we got to hear how they each got involved with the show, how Bryan Fuller came up with the idea, and we got a glimpse of what it’s like on set (sounds like a blast!).

Then came my favorite part, the meet and greet!

I hear the cast didn’t have to stay and sign autographs but they all did! I kept inching my way towards Lee and finally my moment arrived. I asked him if I could get a picture with him and with his kind eyes and gentle voice he said “Of course you can”. So I did. I got my picture with Lee Pace (ok, remember to breathe…). I told him how much I loved him in the show and Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (wonderful movie, btw).

And then he actually thanked ME for coming out tonight to see them! The whole cast was really great and stayed as long as possible to sign autographs and hear from their fans. I even caught a glimpse of Lee being told he had to leave, but he snuck away to sign just a few more pictures for his fans… how awesome is he?

I’ve never seen a cast be so giving and gracious to a mob of people, calling their names and pushing towards them.

Chi McBride was laughing and joking with the people around him, even offering to take a “prom picture” with a fan. He said he felt like he was back at his own senior prom! He was cracking jokes and bringing smiles to everyone’s face the whole night!

They were wonderful and the night was one to remember. Everyone was enjoying themselves and I couldn’t have had a better experience. They all have such big hearts and great senses of humor which made the night feel like a dream come true. I didn’t know this would be possible, but I am now an even bigger fan!

Bryan Fuller, I admire you and will continue to work on my spec scripts because someday I want to be doing what you do…TV magic! Thanks for encouraging me as a writer to continue to follow my dreams. Ever need a writer, give me a call!

Thanks to ThePieMaker.com for giving me this opportunity and helping me get a picture with Bryan! You guys rock!

Well, Kath and I are prepping some fun stuff for the next couple days so continue to check back with ThePieMaker.com for more tasty Pushing Daisies morsels.

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