Easily the most visually audacious and highly publicized new series of the season, “Pushing Daisies” (7 p.m., ABC) offers viewers a screwball cop comedy with the heart of a fable.

As a boy, Ned (Lee Pace) discovers his terrible gift. He can raise the dead with the touch of his hand. But if he ever touches that creature again, it will die instantly, and forever. And if he keeps a person alive for more than a minute, another soul in near proximity will perish on the spot.

Young Ned learns these dreadful lessons the hard way. When he raises his deceased mother, he inadvertently kills the father of his sweetheart next door. And when his mother kisses him good night, she dies again.

It’s an odd comedy that begins with a double funeral, but “Daisies” is the brainchild of creators Bryan Fuller (“Wonderfalls”) and Barry Sonnenfeld (“Men in Black”). The show’s slick morbidity and ghoulish narrative owe more than a little to the works of Tim Burton (“Edward Scissorhands”).

The action picks up decades later. Adult Ned has retreated into an emotional shell and devotes himself to his pie restaurant. His mysterious distance becomes romantic catnip to his willing waitress (Kristin Chenoweth).

A local private eye, Emerson (Chi McBride), discovers Ned’s secret and employs him to awaken recent murder victims for a quick minute to discover their killer’s identity. Justice is served, and Ned and Emerson split handsome rewards.

The tale comes full circle when Ned learns that his old sweetheart, Charlotte (Anna Friel), has become one of the sad victims he has to interrogate. How can he keep this supernatural romantic reunion to only one minute?

Like any fairy tale for adults, “Daisies” has an indulgent and precious feel to it. The premise for “Daisies” is as old as the Greek myth of Orpheus or the biblical story of Lot’s wife. But this version seems overgilded with details and complications. Like a comic book inflated to grand opera, “Pushing Daisies” is stuffed with overkill. From the first frame to the last scene, it is both dazzling and suffocating.

But this is coming from someone who thought “Moulin Rouge” was pretentious, endless and dull. You may disagree.

“Pushing Daisies” will certainly attract avid fans. Like “Wonderfalls,” it has cult comedy written all over it. And orphaned “Gilmore Girls” buffs will love the crackling, if slightly forced, dialogue between Ned and Charlotte. But I’m just not sure whether viewers will turn out week after week to watch a romance with a heart more artificial than real.

¢ The new series “Wired Science” (8 p.m., PBS, check local listings) offers a quick and entertaining roundup of science and technology stories. The experts are young, and the tone is fast and cheeky. Subjects range from the chemical compounds necessary to create Cool Whip to a sobering report on a recent cyber-attack designed to intimidate the nation of Estonia.

Tonight’s other highlights

¢ More than dinner on “Back to You” (7 p.m., Fox).

¢ Show-and-tell on “Private Practice” (8 p.m., ABC).

¢ The “Ghost Hunters” (8 p.m., Sci Fi) gang explores San Francisco haunts.

¢ Nick pursues his father’s killer on “Dirty Sexy Money” (9 p.m., ABC).

¢ “South Park” (9 p.m., Comedy Central) enters its 11th season.

¢ A winner emerges on “Top Chef” (9 p.m., Bravo).

¢ The abortion battle and Dungeons and Dragons converge on the second-season premiere of “The Sarah Silverman Show” (9:30 p.m., Comedy Central).

¢ Comedian Susie Essman (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”) hosts “Better Half” (10 p.m., Bravo), a 12-episode reality contest in which couples vie for a $20,000 prize.