New ABC drama ‘Pushing Daisies’ both dark, sweet

With fantasy one of the predominant themes of the new TV season, it’s only natural that one rookie show be a fairy tale.

That series is “Pushing Daisies,” debuting at 8 tonight on ABC. The creation of Bryan Fuller (“Heroes”) and Barry Sonnenfeld (“Addams Family,” “Men in Black”) manages the neat trick of being dark and sweet at the same time.

The heart of “Pushing Daisies” is Ned, who at a young age discovers that he has an ability that is both a blessing and a curse. He can restore a person or thing to life with his touch, but another touch from Ned will kill him, her or it again. Also, if one stays alive longer than a minute, another person or thing must die in its place.

So the adult Ned (played by Lee Pace, “Wonderfalls”) carries around a lot of guilt from his childhood. He becomes a pie-maker to honor his late mother. A private eye (Chi McBride, “The Nine”) sees Ned in action, and convinces him to use his gift to solve murders by bringing the dead back to life for a minute, to ask who killed them.

This arrangement works fine until the pair must solve the case of a young woman who had been asphyxiated on a cruise ship. That young woman turns out to be Chuck (Anna Friel), the love of young Ned’s life who he hadn’t seen since they parted after the funerals of his mother and her father years earlier.

Ned can’t bear to part with Chuck again. But, sadly, he can’t touch her either. Such is the reality of their new life together.

In the opener, the trio solves Chuck’s murder, and they become partners for future episodes.

Narrated by Tony winner Jim Dale, the whimsical “Pushing Daisies” is charming despite having life and death as central themes. It may be too precious for some viewers, but is placed in a time slot where it could thrive, up against older-skewing sitcoms and game shows, the catty “America’s Next Top Model” and the reality show “Kid Nation.”