PUSHING DAISIES: FRESCORTS (TV)

Summary

One in this fantasy-based dramedy series about a pie-maker whose touch can revive the dead. In this episode, Emerson ponders giving up on "Li'l Gumshoe," sure that he will never find a publisher for his children's book. His mother and best friend Calista, also a private eye, arrives at the Pie Hole for a visit, and Ned attempts to deal with Chuck and Olive's newfound friendship. As Olive gave away all of her belongings upon joining the convent, they decide to become roommates, pretending their grievances against one another are entirely forgotten. Emerson wonders how best to tell his mother about his long-lost daughter, but they are soon hired – by two different people, Veronica and Eugene – to investigate the murder of their "best friend" Joe. Emerson, Ned and Chuck question Joe, who mentions a "Downy" and multiple best friends, and Veronica and Eugene finally admit that Joe was a "frescort," a hired best friend for lonely people. The team heads to My Best Friend, Inc. and meets the CEO, Buddy Amicus, who explains that he was a mean-spirited popular quarterback as a teen and now seeks to help others find affection, including via "hug machine." Olive and Chuck go undercover as aspiring frescorts, where they meet the cheerful Barb, who offers to keep their friendship a secret, as inter-frescort fraternization is not allowed.

At Joe's apartment, Ned and Emerson meet Randy Mann, Joe's squirrelly roommate, whom Emerson immediately assumes to be guilty. They lure him to the Pie Hole with a baking lesson and Emerson searches the apartment again and learns that Randy is an amateur taxidermist who hired Joe from My Best Friend, Inc. Ned is disturbed by his own similarities to the lonely Randy and Emerson returns to dramatically accuse Randy of murder, but Randy swears innocence and reveals that Joe was planning to quit frescorting, as he had fallen in love with a co-worker. Olive and Chuck deduce that Barb is the mysterious "Downy," but Barb shuts them in a locker and flees. Elsewhere, Calista discovers "Li'l Gumshoe" and assumes it is a "smear campaign" about her unusual parenting habits, but Emerson finally reveals that he has a daughter and is trying to reunite with her through the book. Trapped together, Olive and Chuck begin arguing about their many issues with one another, including Chuck's "faked death" and Olive's ongoing crush on Ned. When Ned and Emerson free them, they find that Barb has been hugged to death by the machine, and she explains that "the Spartan" turned it up to a dangerous level.

Ned guesses that Randy was the school team mascot and is seeking revenge against his former tormentor, Buddy, but an all-too-realistic "dummy" in Buddy's office then comes to life and reveals that he himself was the quarterback, and that nerdy outcast Buddy murdered him in a rage after their imaginary "friendship" went sour. Buddy arrives and reveals that he killed Joe for the same reason, when Joe fell for Barb and decided to leave the company, and they quickly arrest him. Ned apologizes to Randy, assuring him that it is good to be "unique," and he throws a mixer at the Pie Hole for the formerly frescort-seeking customers. Chuck offers to move back in with Ned, but he tells her that he must "work on being alone" and that she must repair her friendship with Olive, and the two women agree to work through their issues together. Calista declares that she must starting being more of a mother and less of a "best friend" to Emerson, and she offers him some helpful advice about tweaking "Li'l Gumshoe." Later, Ned enjoys his solitary bachelor life – though he is pleased by a late-night visit from Chuck. Includes commercials and promos.

Details

• NETWORK: ABC
• DATE: October 22, 2008 8:00 PM
• RUNNING TIME: 0:59:59
• COLOR/B&W: Color
• CATALOG ID: 113713
• GENRE: Comedy, fantasy/science fiction
• SUBJECT HEADING: Comedy, fantasy/science fiction; Police, private detective
• SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 2007-2009
• COMMERCIALS:
  • TV - Commercials - AC/DC new music album
  • TV - Commercials - Applebee's restaurants
  • TV - Commercials - Apple iPod Nano devices
  • TV - Commercials - Arbor Day Foundation
  • TV - Commercials - Aveeno Positively Ageless night cream
  • TV - Commercials - Conservation.org website
  • TV - Commercials - Energizer batteries
  • TV - Commercials - Ethan Allen stores
  • TV - Commercials - Garnier Fructis shampoos and conditioners
  • TV - Commercials - Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew anti-sun damage cream
  • TV - Commercials - Hefty garbage bags
  • TV - Commercials - K-Mart stores
  • TV - Commercials - Kohl's stores
  • TV - Commercials - L'Oréal Double Extend Beauty Tubes mascara
  • TV - Commercials - Macy's stores
  • TV - Commercials - Mazda automobiles
  • TV - Commercials - McDonald's restaurants
  • TV - Commercials - Mucinex decongestant
  • TV - Commercials - National Wildlife Refuge System organization
  • TV - Commercials - Olive Garden restaurants
  • TV - Commercials - PetSmart stores
  • TV - Commercials - Pizza Hut restaurants
  • TV - Commercials - Playskool Helmet Heroes toys
  • TV - Commercials - Progresso soups
  • TV - Commercials - Sprint wireless networks
  • TV - Commercials - Stride chewing gum
  • TV - Commercials - Sunsweet Ones snacks
  • TV - Commercials - Symbicort asthma medication
  • TV - Commercials - T-Mobile G1 cellular phones
  • TV - Commercials - Verizon Wireless cellular services
  • TV - Commercials - Victoria's Secret stores
  • TV - Commercials - Visa credit cards
  • TV - Commercials - Volunteers of America association
  • TV - Commercials - Wal-Mart stores
  • TV - Commercials - Walgreens stores
  • TV - Promos - "Dirty Sexy Money"
  • TV - Promos - "Grey's Anatomy"
  • TV - Promos - "Life On Mars"
  • TV - Promos - "Private Practice"
  • TV - Promos - "Pushing Daisies"
  • TV - Promos - "Ugly Betty"
  • TV - Promos - CMA Awards

CREDITS

• Bruce Cohen … Executive Producer
• Peter Ocko … Executive Producer
• Barry Sonnenfeld … Executive Producer
• Dan Jinks … Executive Producer
• Bryan Fuller … Executive Producer, Created by
• Lawrence Trilling … Co-Executive Producer
• Gretchen J. Berg … Co-Executive Producer, Writer
• Aaron Harberts … Co-Executive Producer, Writer
• Davey Holmes … Producer
• Scott Nimerfro … Producer
• Dylan K. Massin … Producer
• Mark Glick … Co-Producer
• Livia Hanich … Co-Producer
• Douglas Petrie … Consulting Producer
• Peter Lauer … Director
• Lisa Joy … Writer
• Jim Dooley … Music by
• Lee Pace … Cast, Ned
• Anna Friel … Cast, Charlotte 'Chuck' Charles
• Chi McBride … Cast, Emerson Cod
• Jim Dale … Cast, Narrator
• Field Cate … Cast, Young Ned
• Ellen Greene … Cast, Vivian Charles
• Swoosie Kurtz … Cast, Lily Charles
• Kristin Chenoweth … Cast, Olive Snook
• David Arquette … Cast, Randy Mann
• Debra Mooney … Cast, Calista Cod
• Alexandra Barreto … Cast, Veronica Villanueva
• Dana Davis … Cast, Barb
• Hayes MacArthur … Cast, Buddy Amicus
• Phil Abrams … Cast, Dr. Eugene Halifax
• Amelia Borella … Cast, Young Calista
• Heather Brooker … Cast, Missy Scrivner
• Colton Haynes … Cast, Ares Kostopolous
• Joshua LeBar … Cast, Joe
• Carolyn McDermott … Cast, Brave-Faced Wife
• J.R. Nutt … Cast, Chris
• Steven Wash Jr. … Cast, Young Emerson