ABC Picks Daisies Over Obama

• Oct 28, 2008 11:28 AM ET
• by Adam Bryant

Pushing Daisies, Sen. Barack Obama

Barack Obama's 30-minute ad may be preempting the World Series, but it won't uproot ABC's airing of Pushing Daisies.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, ABC has decided to air Daisies in its usual 8 pm/ET time period Wednesday, ending weeks of discussion. ABC wasn't mentioned when Obama's campaign first bought the roughly $1 million half-hours from NBC, Fox and CBS, and the Alphabet has kept mum since. One source, however, claims ABC offered the airtime to the Obama campaign, which declined to buy.

With Daisies' ratings slipping, ABC might consider this a rare opportunity to air its content with little competition from other network entertainment programming. (CW is airing America's Next Top Model as usual.)

Even without ABC, Obama will dominate the major broadcast networks with his spot, said to be a "closing argument" of sorts just six days before the election. The special has not been delivered to the networks, but as long as it's not a variety show, we'll be fine.

So, will you be tuned in to the presidential hopeful's remarks, or will you spend your evening with Ned & Co.?