By Dave Lake
MSN TV

Lee Pace is happy to be back at work. "Pushing Daisies," the television series he stars on, has been off the air since December thanks to the writers' strike, and he's grateful to finally see new episodes hit the television. "It was absurd," said Pace, who plays Ned, during a recent interview. "I was going around and promoting the show as it was premiering in other parts of the world, and found out that we had been picked up for the second season but that we wouldn't continue the first." But at least there was some good news during the hiatus: The show landed 11 Emmy nominations, including one for Pace. Though he was flattered by the nod, working daily with a cast and crew he loves was reward enough. "The Emmys," he said, "are kind of just extra."

Along with fellow ABC freshman series "Dirty Sexy Money," "Pushing Daisies" was one of just a handful of shows to get renewed but to not resume production on its current season once the writers' strike concluded. Its shortened first season aired just nine episodes, which is a shame considering it was critically lauded and one of the season's most enjoyable creations, a visually dazzling mixture of procedural and fairy tale. But the wait between seasons may have been too long for some viewers. Ratings for the second season opener were below expectations, with the premiere finishing fourth in its time slot behind the universally panned "Knight Rider" remake.

"I just want to keep my work good and keep the show's quality," Pace told us, saying he doesn't much worry about how the show is doing in the ratings. And thus far the quality has been solid, even if the ratings haven't matched last year's. The first two episodes back have retained the show's blend of charm, whimsy and eye-popping visuals. "Every week is something unique," he said. "Last week it was a swarm of bees. This week we go into a circus to find a missing girl, and next week we go to a nunnery." All of which makes coming to work a lot of fun for the actor, since he can't wait to see what each episode's sets will look like. "It's inspiring. It gives you something new to play with each week. We're always reading the scripts, and we're like, 'Oh wow, this week we're going to be at a dim sum restaurant.' And then we go on set to this dim sum restaurant that Michael Wylie has built and it's big and incredible."

Pace plays Ned, an eccentric pie maker whose ability to raise the dead (but for only a minute or something else nearby will have to die) has made him antisocial. "His deepest, darkest fear," he confided, "is being found out for what he can do, or turning into E.T." To complicate matters, Ned's in love with his childhood crush, Chuck (Anna Friel), who he happened to revive from death, but who he allowed to continue living, a decision they must both accommodate by living out the rest of their lives without physical contact. "He's very sensitive to not letting Chuck be found out. He's got a lot of pressure. But every episode he makes a step forward into being more grown up, more able to deal with these challenges. And he's not as paralyzed as he was last season."

If there was any upside to the writers' strike for Pace, it was that the break allowed Ned to evolve, even in the absence of new episodes. "One of the things that I tried to make clear with Ned when we pick up with him again in Season 2," he said, "is that over a year has passed. He's had a year of peace with Chuck. Their relationship has progressed in a good way. I wanted to make him impacted by her and his life."

Also along for the ride this season are a number of guest stars, including Fred Willard and David Arquette, who plays a misfit who becomes Ned's friend. "And Ned doesn't have very many friends," Pace admitted.

Whether the show manages to find a larger audience this season or not, Pace loves the work he's been able to do. "There's a version of Ned who's just kind of, 'Aw, shucks,' who's solving a case and involved with a girl," he told us. "But I think it's important to play the heartbreak of someone who cannot connect to the rest of the world. And he's found this girl that he can connect with -- he can't touch her -- but he can connect with her and there's heartbreak in that. That's the magical part of it."

"Pushing Daisies" airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.