9. Pushing Daisies
Pushing Daisies was a fantastic concept; Ned has the ability to bring dead people back to life with just a touch, but his second touch kills them indefinitely. When his childhood sweetheart dies, he has the opportunity to give her life again, but the pair of them are cursed to never even hold hands; together, they solve murders with his power. Whilst this would be a big enough twist on the detective genre alone, the opening scene of Pushing Daisies is a stark contrast to the hushed greys and blues of cop shows, swapping cityscapes for vast yellow fields, bright blue skies and a young Ned running through these idyllic vistas with his dog. When his dog is hit by a truck, he learns of his extraordinary gift; it's a fairytale setting for a fascinating premise. The scene works so wonderfully because of the contradictions; it's a gift that would alienate you from society, and yet here Ned is as a child, carelessly running through fields. Digby the dog being hit by a truck is a shock to the beautiful setting, and the kids' film score and almost-Disney-esque narration almost romanticises quite a dark superpower. It's an intriguing first scene, and one that sets up the show brilliantly.