Bryan Fuller Movies

Few TV producers were more adept at turning Death into a punchline than Bryan Fuller, as witness his cable efforts Dead Like Me and Wonderfalls. Fuller maintained this singular tradition in his first major "over-the-air" series, the seriocomic, semi-fantastic ABC offering Pushing Daisies, which in fact had been originally conceived as a spinoff of Dead Like Me but ended up being developed separately. Lee Pace starred as Ned, who at the tender age of ten discovered that he possessed a rare gift: the ability to bring the dead back to life simply by touching them. Unfortunately, those whom he "resurrected" could only stay alive for 60 seconds, whereupon Ned had to touch them again and send them back to the Other World permanently: if Ned didn't do this within the alotted time-frame, someone else in the near vicinity would have to die in the place of the person he'd revived. As an adult, Ned supported himself with his own piemaking business, which grossed a hefty amount thanks to his ability to invest fruit with substantial flavor merely by touching. He also moonlighted as a partner to private detective Emerson Cod (Chi McBride) and Cod's co-worker Olive Snook (Kristin Chenoweth), enabling Cod to solve murders by bringing the victims back to life long enough to identify their killers. Among these murdered souls was Ned's own childhood sweetheart Charlotte "Chuck" Charles (Anna Friel)--but when time came to give Chuck the fatal "second touch", Ned didn't have the heart to do it. Thus, Chuck lived on as Ned's "inspiration", taking hilariously elaborate precautions to avoid ever coming into physical contact with her beloved Ned. Narrated by British comedian Jim Dale, Pushing Daisies first blossomed into life on October 3, 2007. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Launched in March 2004 as a mid-season replacement, this supernatural comedy drama suffered a death as quick as its premise was quirky. Thanks in part to a punishing Friday-night time slot, Wonderfalls managed only four episodes before Fox pulled the plug. Less than a year later, however, the offbeat series found new life on DVD, where all 13 completed installments were released to brisk sales and critical acclaim (see Wonderfalls -- The Complete Series). The brainchild of veteran director Todd Holland (Twin Peaks, My So-Called Life) and Dead Like Me creator Bryan Fuller, Wonderfalls chronicles the misadventures of Jaye Tyler (Caroline Dhavernas), a Niagara Falls, NY gift-shop employee whose snarky world view gets shaken up when inanimate objects -- a wax lion, a stuffed chameleon -- begin ordering her around. Convinced she's cracking up, Jaye nevertheless follows the animals' instructions and unwittingly helps a broad range of unusual characters: an elementary-school Romeo, a stuttering stalker, a faithless nun, a mysterious housekeeper, etc. Her partners in crime on these assignments include sardonic pal Mahandra (Tracie Thoms), buttoned-up lesbian sister Sharon (Kate Finneran), and overeducated, underachieving brother Aaron (Lee Pace). Though unaware of their daughter's peculiar conversations with stuffed animals, Jaye's stuffy parents Karen (Diana Scarwid) and Darrin (William Sadler) also figure prominently in her adventures. So does Eric (Tyron Leitso), a hot, heartbroken bartender whose honeymoon was recently cut short when he caught his bride servicing the hotel bellhop. As Jaye flirts with Eric, fights with her family, and struggles to maintain her ironic detachment, she comes reluctantly closer to understanding the nature of her unorthodox destiny. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide

This made-for-TV remake of the classic movie chiller Carrie is slightly more faithful to the original Stephen King novel--and slightly less profane and violent. Following in the bloody footsteps of Sissy Spacek, Angela Bettis stars as woebegone high school girl Carrie White, whose shy and awkward demeanor obscures the fact that she is "gifted" with awesome telekinetic powers. As part of a cruel and vicious student prank, Carrie's better-looking and more socially savvy classmates arrange for the hapless heroine to be elected prom queen--and one does not have to have seen the original film to know the terror that is unleashed once Carrie is crowned (in more ways than one). The climax is infinitely more "high tech" than in the 1976 film, but whether it is equally as frightening is a matter of taste; additionally, the 2002 version boasts a radically different ending, one that could very well accommodate a sequel or two...or three... Patricia Clarkson reprises the old Piper Laurie role as Carrie's abusive religious-fanatic mother. Carrie first aired November 4, 2002, on NBC. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the conclusion of the two-part "Workforce," Chakotay (Robert Beltram) tries to disable the Quarran energy shield, which is holding the Voyager crew in mind-controlled subjugation. Though Chakotay manages to rescue B'Elanna Torres (Roxann Dawson, who also directed the episode), he has trouble convincing her that she has had any life outside her servitude on Quarra. Meanwhile, the brainwashed Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) is prepared to carry off an assassination -- and her target is Chakotay! The supporting cast includes former Happy Days regular Don Most and John Aniston, father of Friends co-star Jennifer Aniston. "Workforce, Part II" originally aired on February 28, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Former series regular Jennifer Lien returns to her role of Kes in this tense episode. It is an angry, futuristic version of Kes who arrives on the deck of Voyager, intending to get even with Janeway (Kate Mulgrew), whom she holds responsible for her current misfortunes (even though Kes had left the crew on her own accord, when she found herself unable to control her telekinetic abilities). Harnessing her newly acquired Ocampian powers, which have enhanced her mental skills, Kes sets in motion a plan to extract vital body parts from Janeway and the Voyager crew on behalf of the parasitic Vidiians (who likewise haven't been seen on the series for awhile!). "Fury" first aired on May 3, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

During a nebula blackout, Neelix (Ethan Phillips) is put in charge of the Borg children. To get the kids' minds off the current crisis, Neelix weaves a fantastic ghost story that supposedly occurred during an earlier Voyager mission. Fantasy threatens to become fact when a bona fide alien life form invades the ship. Written by Mike Sussman, Kenneth Biller, and Bryan Fuller from a story by Sussman, "The Haunting of Deck Twelve" originally aired on May 17, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This two-part story finds the Voyager smack in the middle of a hologram rebellion. Years earlier, Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) had created a holographic program to enable the Hirogens to learn hunting skills without actually killing anyone or anything. Unfortunately, the Hirogens "improved" upon the program, making it genuinely dangerous -- and the holograms have risen up against their controllers. This tense situation threatens to drive a permanent wedge between Janeway and the Doctor (Robert Picardo), who, of course, is a hologram himself. "Flesh and Blood, Part I" first aired on November 29 2000, in a two-hour block along with Part II. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide