Bryan Fuller is behind some of the most inventive TV in recent years. From the blackly comic grim reaper antics of Dead Like Me to the award-winning, primetime-bagging success of Pushing Daisies, the man knows his way around a show. Here are five reasons why he rules.

He's the new Joss Whedon

This is not a comparison TV geeks throw around lightly, but it partly stems from his flair for wit (the deliciously snarky Dead Like Me) and his fondness for a strong female lead (all of his shows). Bryan admits that he's a Whedon admirer, too: "Buffy really opened up the door for new types of female characters on TV, and for melding genres; it gave you a little more freedom in the types of stories you can tell."

He's creative with those storylines

Dead Like Me centres on an 18-year-old grim reaper who collects souls for a living. It's funny. Wonderfalls is about a girl in a gift shop who finds that animal figurines not only talk to her, but give her advice on how to help people in need. Pushing Daisies is about a man who brings people back to life with a touch. Ken Loach this ain't. But it is warming, and smart, and fun. Now Bryan - a word about the naming of your heroines. George, Jaye and Chuck aren't the most ladylike of monikers...

He's got rotten luck...

Bryan left Dead Like Me early in its first season after falling out with the programme's makers. He talks about it with typical candour here, explaining that "I had arguments where they would tell me I didn't know what a pretty woman looks like because I'm a gay man. It was the worst type of gross old boy studio experience you could imagine." Then the similarly special Wonderfalls was cancelled after just four episodes, though eventually it got a full DVD release in the States. Even the success of Pushing Daisies didn't go without a hitch - they only made nine episodes before the writers' strike meant they had to stop work.

...but that's all changed

Not to worry - Pushing Daisies is fine. It's been renewed! It's got rave reviews! It even won some awards! Add Bryan's writing stint on Heroes (more on that in a minute) to the mix, and Lady Luck is with him again.

He says what he thinks

Now, back to Heroes. Fans of the show may recall the massive controversy around the de-gaying of cheerleader Claire's best friend Zach. Despite Hollywood usually insisting on a nauseating level of tact, Bryan has been open and honest about what he calls "the debacle", explaining with refreshing honesty what exactly went on:

"I was very upset by it – I was not happy about it at all. There were times I had to avoid talking about it because we didn't want to have a negative reflection on the show. The show's been such a positive experience for so many people, we didn't want to get hung up on the fact that one actor's management felt that it was a career killer for him to play a homosexual which, as a gay man, I found incredibly insulting."

It's not the only time one of his characters has been changed - George's father in Dead Like Me was gay until the network meddled, though the lesbian Republican in Waterfalls survived all four episodes as a gay lady. "[Waterfalls co-creator] Todd and I are both openly gay, and I think we feel a responsibility to having gay characters on shows we create," says Bry. We officially love him.

Pushing Daisies is on ITV1, Saturdays, 9pm