We don’t know what the contents of Barack Obama’s half-hour prime-time special tomorrow night at 8 p.m. will be (though we can only hope it’s as entertaining as what SNL came up with, below). But we do know that it will air on almost all of the four major broadcast networks. (Even Malia Obama was worried that her dad’s cross-network airtime buy would preempt her favorite shows, according to mama Michelle, who says she reassured her daughter that her favorite Nickelodeon and Disney Channel programs were safe.) The only one of the four not airing the program will be ABC, which will have to make do with a new episode of its struggling second-year series Pushing Daisies. It’s not clear why the senator’s campaign didn’t buy airtime on ABC as well as NBC, CBS, and Fox; maybe they figured ABC was already airing a show about a young, inexperienced guy who’s accompanied by a blunt-speaking older fellow, whose mere touch frightens people, and whose cheery, twinkly, flower-power style many viewers find annoying and weirdly creepy. Or, for the sake of fairness, how about this: Maybe they wanted to give equal time to a show about a guy who wants to grow the pie bigger, whose female companions are a pretty young brunette he can never touch and a brittle blonde with a pasted-on smile, and who is constantly surrounded by death and corruption.
By the way, The CW will be airing America’s Next Top Model. Insert your own joke about a show featuring a contest whose fiercely ambitious aspirants must meet arbitrary media-imposed standards that no healthy and sane person could live up to.
More on Pushing Daisies:
TV Review: Pushing Daisies, season 2
Pushing Daisies: Meet the bizarro Emerson, Ned, and Chuck
Pushing Daisies casts David Arquette in recurring guest spot
TV ratings for Oct. 22: Pushing Daisies wilts 10 percent from last week
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I am neither an Obama-supporter or a McCain-supporter (I haven’t decide yet). However, I will be watching Pushing Daisies and DVRing ANTM. I have election-fatigue.
I agree, Pushing Daisies all the way. I have been burnt out on Barack for a year now. And I WILL be voting.
The story is ABC offered Obama another night b/c they didn’t want to disrupt the delicate Wednesday schedule. The campaign said no, so ABC missed the boat.
I already voted, and will probably watch Pushing Daisies over Obama. I might DVR Obama to watch later, though.
We will be watching “Pushing Daisies” as well, and DVRing Obama.
Vote Obama!
I’m DVRing Daisies, watching Obama. Though I’m oddly hoping they do take a cue from the SNL skit. Solid as Barack! VOTE!
Just wondering… will the Obama show have commercials?
Complain all you want about Obama’s flower-power (btw, don’t like EW providing political commentary, stick to TV pls)… but at least you aren’t being forced to watch a 30min special of McCain. That would be the equivalent to watching my grandmother on the toilet for a half-hour.
Election fatigue might end up saving Pushing Daisies. The rest of the audience will be split between NBC, CBS and Fox (unless Fox shows the World Series instead), so most of the entertainment audience will end up on Pushing Daisies. It certainly can’t hurt, and at this point, may be the only thing to get people watching.
I’ll be watching Obama and catching Pushing Daisies later on abc.com
Whichever way you vote, Wednesday night is definitely history making and I wouldn’t miss catching it with the millions of Americans at the same time.
I think everyone should watch Pushing Daisies and DVR Obama…Daisies needs more support than Obama right now!
Oh and on a partisan note: VOTE PUSHING DAISIES!
AA: The Obama Show IS a commercial. That’s what they call it when you BUY airtime. A COMMERCIAL.
If I wanted to watch an INFOMERCIAL I would tune into Ron Popeil!
JUST SET IT AND FORGET IT!
I’ve been O’Bama’d to death!
I Love Barack, but the two shows I actually watch at this time are the two that are still on. I’m all open to conservatives without cable discovering the joy of Pushing Daisies, because I’m panicking knowing it will soon be gone. I’d still rather have Obama win than Pushing Daisies be saved though:)
I support Obama, but PD needs the ratings, so I’ll be watching that.
I have to admit that I haven’t decided yet but you can bet that I won’t be watching the Obama infomercial. Viva la Daisies!
Okay thanks, Lefty, I wasn’t sure how these things work for you folks in the States. I’ll be DVRing Obama then, and tuning in to PD.
Barack likes pie:
“”I was in this small town in Ohio called Georgetown, OH – little town,” he began, “And we went to a diner because I decided I wanted some pie (1).” At this point a woman in the Philadelphia crowd, listening to the story, offered to make Obama a treat. “You gonna make me some pie (2)?” he asked, “What kind of pie do you make (3)? Sweet potato pie (4)? Alright. Alright. We might have to have a sweet potato pie (5) contest. I’ll be the judge. Cause I know my sweet potato pie (6). But they did not have sweet potato pie (7) at this particular establishment,” he said speaking again of the diner in Ohio. “So instead I got coconut crème pie (8). I’ll take a crème pie (9), I don’t mind. I like all kind of pie (10). The Governor of Ohio, he had lemon meringue pie (11) . So we had ordered our pie (12), and the employees there decided they wanted to take a picture of me,” he concluded, “But just as we were finishing up taking the picture, the owner comes out, with our pie (13)
Watchin’ PD, of course (my politics obsessed bf is out, so I can take a break from the election coverage. He’s tivo-ing it, though). Maybe people who aren’t interested in watching Barack will tune into PD as an alternative? Probably not, *sigh*
The analogy between the two campaigns and Pushing Daisies was pretty funny. I’m watching neither. Thank God for cable.
I prefer to think of this as Obama improving our nation even BEFORE being elected — by stealing the first half hour of all the other networks, he’s doing his small part to save the ratings of Pushing Daisies.
See? He’s ALREADY making it a sunnier day in America! Go Pushing Daisies!
Maybe Obama is a fan of pushing daisies.. maybe he will be watching it instead of his own special.
I love Pushing Daisies. I hope it does not get canceled because its one of the few shows that actually shows a philosophical point to life.
I am all for Pushing Daisies! I’m sick of politics messin’ with my primetime tv schedule! I just want to keep Daisies alive…I really want it to get picked up for an entire season this time around. I just hope people watch Daisies tomorrow instead of the other crap that will be on.
I love PUSHING DAISIES!!!
i’ll watch, then catch the world series…btw, all this talk of pie is making me hungry! damn you all
Pushing Daisies all the way!! I’m sick of this damn election ruining my primetime tv shows. Besides, if Obama has anything worth listening to to say, then I will catch it on the news.
I am at least comforted in seeing other Pushing Daisies fans. I haven’t loved a show like this in a while and I just discovered it when the DVD came out. I never got to enjoy the ratings safe first seasons and I’m thrust into uncertain times.
My vote is for Pushing Daisies. I’ve made my decison a long time ago. Isn’t there a rule where it has to be equal time between them? So what about McCain?
Pushing Daisies is one of my favorite shows!
Whew! At least Pushing Daisies will still be on. I love that show–it deserves every chance it can get to remain on the air. I can’t imagine why a big ‘ole commercial would make any difference by now. Are there *really* still undecideds out there? We’ve only had all of this pounded into our brains for 2 yrs. now. That’s why I can’t understand why it’s illegal for politicians to be such and such feet away from the polling place or why so many states are disallowing people to wear campaign related items to the polls. If you’re already there to vote, do they really think that a person is still undecided? “Oh, that handsome guy over there is wearing a Ralph Nader shirt. My whole outlook has suddenly changed!” Yeah right. This commercial isn’t going to make me change my mind about Obama–I’m still voting for him. I’m just annoyed that he’s yet another reason that tv is being pre-empted and that Chicago is going to be locked down solid for his election night party next Tuesday.
Why would I want to watch Obama when there is superior television on the air. I would much rather vote for Ned and Digby than Obama.