Six Feet Under (TV series)

Six Feet Under
Genre	Drama Black comedy
Created by	Alan Ball
Starring	Peter Krause Michael C. Hall Frances Conroy Lauren Ambrose Freddy Rodriguez Mathew St. Patrick Rachel Griffiths Jeremy Sisto James Cromwell Justina Machado
Theme music composer	Thomas Newman
Composer	Richard Marvin
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	5
No. of episodes	63 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Alan Ball Robert Greenblatt David Janollari Alan Poul (Seasons 2–5) Bruce Eric Kaplan (Seasons 4–5) Rick Cleveland (Season 5)
Running time	46–60 minutes (72 minute series finale)
Original release
Network	HBO
Release	June 3, 2001 (2001-06-03) – August 21, 2005 (2005-08-21)

Six Feet Under is an American drama television series created and produced by Alan Ball. It premiered on the premium cable network HBO in the United States on June 3, 2001 and ended on August 21, 2005, spanning five seasons and 63 episodes. The show was produced by Actual Size Films and The Greenblatt/Janollari Studio and was shot on location in Los Angeles and in Hollywood studios. The show depicts members of the Fisher family, who run their funeral home in Los Angeles, and their friends and lovers. The series traces these characters' lives over the course of five years. The ensemble drama stars Peter Krause, Michael C. Hall, Frances Conroy, Lauren Ambrose, Freddy Rodriguez, Mathew St. Patrick and Rachel Griffiths as the show's seven central characters.

Six Feet Under received widespread critical acclaim, particularly for its writing and acting, and consistently drew high ratings for the HBO network. The series has frequently been described by critics as one of the greatest of all time, as well as having one of the finest series finales in the history of television. It won numerous awards, including nine Emmy Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and a Peabody Award.

Show synopsis

See also: List of Six Feet Under episodes

The show stars Peter Krause as Nathaniel Samuel "Nate" Fisher, Jr., whose funeral director father (Richard Jenkins) dies and bequeaths to him and his brother David (Michael C. Hall) co-ownership of the family funeral business. The Fisher clan also includes widow Ruth (Frances Conroy) and daughter Claire (Lauren Ambrose). Other regulars include mortician and family friend Federico Diaz (Freddy Rodriguez), Nate's on-again/off-again girlfriend Brenda Chenowith (Rachel Griffiths), and David's long-term boyfriend Keith Charles (Mathew St. Patrick).

On one level, the show is a conventional family drama, dealing with such issues as interpersonal relationships, infidelity, and religion. At the same time, the show is distinguished by its unblinking focus on the topic of death, which it explores on multiple levels (personal, religious, and philosophical). Each episode begins with a death – anything from drowning or heart attack to sudden infant death syndrome – and that death usually sets the tone for each episode, allowing the characters to reflect on their current fortunes and misfortunes in a way that is illuminated by the death and its aftermath. The show also has a strong dosage of dark humor and surrealism running throughout.

A recurring plot device consists of a character having an imaginary conversation with the deceased; for example, Nate, David, and Federico sometimes "converse" with the person who died at the beginning of the episode, while they are being embalmed or planning or during the funeral. Sometimes, the conversation is with other recurring deceased characters, most notably Nathaniel Fisher, Sr. The show's creator Alan Ball states they represent the living character's internal dialogue by exposing it as an external conversation.

Concept

Although overall plots and characters were created by Alan Ball, there are conflicting reports on how the series was conceived. In one instance, Ball stated that he came up with the premise of the show after the deaths of his sister and father. However, in an interview, he intimates that HBO entertainment president Carolyn Strauss proposed the idea to him. In a copyright-infringement lawsuit, screenwriter Gwen O’Donnell asserted that she was the original source of the idea which later passed through Strauss to Ball; the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, proceeding on the assumption that this assertion was true, rejected her claim. Ball stated in an interview "When I went to HBO and they had read my first draft and Carolyn Strauss said, 'You know, this is really, really good. I love these characters, I love these situations, but it feels a little safe. Could you just make it just a little more fucked up?' which is not a note that you get in Hollywood very often. And I thought, 'Wow!' And that gave me free range to go a little deeper, go a little darker, go a little more complicated".

Major themes

The show focuses on human mortality and the lives of those who deal with it on a daily basis. When discussing the concept of the show, creator Alan Ball elaborates on the foremost questions the show’s pilot targeted:

Who are these people who are funeral directors that we hire to face death for us? What does that do to their own lives – to grow up in a home where there are dead bodies in the basement, to be a child and walk in on your father with a body lying on a table opened up and him working on it? What does that do to you?

Six Feet Under introduces the Fisher family as the basis on which to explore these questions. Throughout its five-season, 63-episode run, major characters experience crises which are in direct relation to their environment and the grief they have experienced. Alan Ball again relates these experiences as well as the choice of the series' title, to the persistent subtext of the program:

Six Feet Under refers not only to being buried as a dead body is buried, but to primal emotions and feelings running under the surface. When one is surrounded by death – to counterbalance that, there needs to be a certain intensity of experience, of needing to escape. It's Nate with his womanizing – it's Claire and her sexual experimentation – it's Brenda's sexual compulsiveness – it's David having sex with a male hooker in public – it's Ruth having several affairs – it's the life force trying to push up through all of that suffering and grief and depression.

Character histories and cast

Main article: List of Six Feet Under characters

Main characters

The main characters of Six Feet Under in the first season. From left to right: Federico, Keith, David, Claire, Ruth, Nate, Nathaniel, Sr. and Brenda.

Actor	Character	Relationship
Peter Krause	Nate Fisher	Eldest son
Michael C. Hall	David Fisher	Middle child
Frances Conroy	Ruth Fisher	Matriarch
Lauren Ambrose	Claire Fisher	Youngest child
Freddy Rodriguez	Federico Diaz	Business partner
Mathew St. Patrick	Keith Charles	David's significant other
Rachel Griffiths	Brenda Chenowith	Nate's on-off significant other

Major supporting characters

Actor	Character	Seasons	Relationship
Richard Jenkins	Nathaniel Fisher, Sr.	1–5	Patriarch of Fisher family and owner of Fisher & Sons Funeral Home before his death in a car accident in 2000. Husband of Ruth; father of Nate, David and Claire.
Jeremy Sisto	Billy Chenowith	1–5	Brenda's younger brother who has bipolar disorder; son of Margaret and Bernard Chenowith.
Justina Machado	Vanessa Diaz	1–5	Licensed Vocational Nurse; wife and high school sweetheart of Federico.
Joanna Cassidy	Margaret Chenowith	1–5	Psychologist mother of Brenda and Billy; wife of Bernard.
Tim Maculan	Father Jack	1–5	Priest at the Fisher's family church; presided over Nathaniel's funeral; married David and Keith.
Eric Balfour	Gabriel Dimas	1–3	Claire's high school boyfriend who was a chronic drug user.
Robert Foxworth	Dr. Bernard Chenowith	1–3	Brenda and Billy's psychiatrist father; husband to Margaret.
Ed O'Ross	Nikolai	1–2; 5	Owner of Blossom d'Amour Flower Shop; boyfriend of Ruth Fisher when she worked as a florist.
Marina Black	Parker McKenna	1–2	A friend of Claire's during high school.
David Norona	Gary Deitman	1–2	Claire's counselor.
Gary Hershberger	Matthew Gilardi	1–2	Employee of a major funeral home organization who attempts to buy out Fisher & Sons.
Ed Begley, Jr.	Hiram Gunderson	1; 5	Had an affair with Ruth Fisher while she was married to Nathaniel.
Illeana Douglas	Angela	1; 5	Temporarily replaced Federico in Fisher & Sons. Eventually has a one-night stand with Federico.
Patricia Clarkson	Sarah O'Connor	2–5	Younger sister of Ruth Fisher, an artist who lives in Topanga Canyon.
Lili Taylor	Lisa Kimmel Fisher	2–5	Nate's former girlfriend and roommate while living in Seattle; his first wife and mother of his daughter Maya.
Aysia Polk	Taylor	2–3	Keith's niece, who is under his care for season 2.
James Cromwell	George Sibley	3–5	Geologist/professor; second husband to Ruth.
Kathy Bates	Bettina	3–5	Sarah's friend and caretaker who becomes a good friend of Ruth.
Peter Macdissi	Olivier Castro-Staal	3–5	Claire's Professor of Form and Space at LAC-Arts; lover to Margaret Chenowith.
Ben Foster	Russell Corwin	3–5	A friend of Claire's from art school and one-time boyfriend.
Rainn Wilson	Arthur Martin	3–5	A young intern from Cypress College mortuary school who works for the funeral home briefly.
Justin Theroux	Joe	3–4	Brenda's neighbor and boyfriend during season 4.
Sprague Grayden	Anita Miller	4–5	A friend of Claire's from art school.
Peter Facinelli	Jimmy	4–5	An artist and friend of Claire's from art school and one-time lover.
Mena Suvari	Edie	4	Free-spirited lesbian artist and friend of Claire's from art school.
Tina Holmes	Maggie Sibley	4–5	Daughter of George Sibley.
Chris Messina	Ted Fairwell	5	Lawyer at Claire Fisher's temp office job; boyfriend of Claire Fisher during season 5.
Kendre Berry	Durrell Charles-Fisher	5	Adopted son of David and Keith.
C. J. Sanders	Anthony Charles-Fisher	5	Adopted son of David and Keith.

Family tree

Nathaniel Fisher, Sr.

Ruth Fisher

Bernard Chenowith

Margaret Chenowith

George Sibley

Unnamed prior wife

{{{#}}}

{{{#}}}

Keith Charles

David Fisher

Claire Fisher

Nate Fisher

Brenda Chenowith

Billy Chenowith

Lisa Kimmel Fisher

Maggie Sibley

Brian Sibley

Anthony Charles-Fisher

Durrell Charles-Fisher

Willa Fisher Chenowith

Maya Kimmel Fisher

Crew

The series was created by Alan Ball, who also served as executive producer and showrunner for the entire series run. Robert Greenblatt and David Janollari executive produced the series, as The Greenblatt Janollari Studio was one of the production companies. The other producers were Lori Jo Nemhauser and Robert Del Valle.

The writing staff consisted of creator Alan Ball, who wrote nine episodes over the series run, including the pilot episode and the series finale. Writers who were on staff for the entire series run included Rick Cleveland, who wrote eight episodes and became an executive producer in the fifth season; Kate Robin, who wrote eight episodes and became a supervising producer in the fifth season; and Bruce Eric Kaplan, who wrote seven episodes and became an executive producer in the fourth season. Christian Williams was just on staff for the first season, writing two episodes. Both Laurence Andries and Christian Taylor wrote three episodes each during their run on the series for the first two seasons, and they also served as producers. Scott Buck and Jill Soloway joined in the second season staying on staff for the rest of the series, and each wrote seven episodes. Buck became a co-executive producer in the fourth season, and Soloway became a co-executive producer in the fifth season. The last set of writers to join the staff were Craig Wright and Nancy Oliver in the third season. Wright wrote six episodes and became a producer in the fifth season and Oliver wrote five episodes and became a co-producer in the fifth season.

Creator Alan Ball also directed the most episodes, directing the pilot and each of the season finales. Dan Attias also directed six episodes, from season two to five. Kathy Bates (who also played Bettina on the series), Michael Cuesta, Rodrigo García, and Jeremy Podeswa, each directed five episodes. Michael Engler, Daniel Minahan, and Alan Poul (who also served as an executive producer for the series), each directed four episodes. Miguel Arteta directed three episodes and Nicole Holofcener directed two episodes. Single-episode directors included Peter Care, Alan Caso, Lisa Cholodenko, Allen Coulter, Adam Davidson, Mary Harron, Joshua Marston, Jim McBride, Karen Moncrieff, John Patterson, Matt Shakman, Alan Taylor, Rose Troche, and Peter Webber.

Music

The series' main theme, written by composer Thomas Newman, won a 2002 Emmy Award for Outstanding Main Title Theme Music and two Grammy Awards in 2003 for Best Instrumental Composition and Best Instrumental Arrangement.

The production sound from seasons three through five was mixed by Bo Harwood, and was nominated in 2004 for a Cinema Audio Society Award.

Seasons two through five featured a promotional teaser trailer prior to the premiere of that season. The songs featured in each seasons trailer were "Heaven" by Lamb for season two; "A Rush of Blood to the Head" by Coldplay for season three; "Feeling Good" by Nina Simone for season four; and "Breathe Me" by Sia Furler for season five, which is also used for montage in the series finale. All these songs are included in either of two soundtracks for the show.

The episode recaps for the first two seasons feature the song "Nothing Lies Still Long" by Pell Mell. The episode previews for the first and fifth seasons feature the Six Feet Under title theme, while the other seasons feature the Rae & Christian remix version of the title theme.

Music supervision for the entire run of the series was provided by Gary Calamar and Thomas Golubic, who were also credited as producers for the two soundtrack albums.

Awards and nominations

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Six Feet Under

At the 2002 Primetime Emmy Awards, the series received 11 major nominations for its two first seasons, including a nomination for Outstanding Drama Series. Series creator Alan Ball won for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for the pilot episode and Patricia Clarkson won for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series. The rest of the ensemble cast, including Michael C. Hall, Peter Krause, Frances Conroy, Rachel Griffiths, Freddy Rodriguez, and Lauren Ambrose all received acting nominations. Guest actors Lili Taylor and Illeana Douglas received nominations in the guest acting category. The series received 9 major nominations at the 2003 Primetime Emmy Awards for its third season, including a nomination for Outstanding Drama Series. Peter Krause, Frances Conroy, Lauren Ambrose, Rachel Griffiths, James Cromwell, and Kathy Bates all received acting nominations. Alan Poul was nominated for directing for the episode "Nobody Sleeps", while Craig Wright was nominated for writing for the episode "Twilight". The series received 2 major nominations at the 2005 Primetime Emmy Awards for its fourth season, for Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Frances Conroy. The series received 6 major nominations at the 2006 Primetime Emmy Awards for its fifth and final season, including a nomination for Outstanding Drama Series. Patricia Clarkson won for the second time for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series, while Peter Krause, Frances Conroy, and Joanna Cassidy received acting nominations. Alan Ball was nominated for writing and directing for the series finale episode "Everyone's Waiting".

For the Golden Globe Awards, the series won for Best Drama Series in 2001, while receiving nominations in 2002 and 2003. Peter Krause was nominated for Best Actor in a Drama Series in 2001 and 2002. Rachel Griffiths won for Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries, or TV Film in 2001, and received a nomination in 2002 in the Lead Actress category. Frances Conroy won for Best Actress in a Drama Series in 2003.

For the Screen Actors Guild Awards, the cast won for Outstanding Ensemble in a Drama Series in 2002 and 2003, while receiving nominations in 2001, 2004, and 2005. Peter Krause was nominated for Outstanding Male Actor in a Drama Series in 2001 and 2003. Frances Conroy won for Outstanding Female Actor in a Drama Series in 2003.

Releases

DVDs

All five seasons are available on DVD in individual box sets and in a collected volume.

Season	Region 1 release date	Region 2 release date	Episodes	Discs	Bonus features
1	February 4, 2003	July 7, 2003	13	4	Two audio commentaries; "Under the Main Title" featurette; "Behind-the-Scenes" featurette with cast and filmmaker; deleted scenes; cast and filmmaker bios; two music tracks
2	July 6, 2004	June 21, 2004	13	5	Five audio commentaries; "Anatomy of a Working Stiff: Life as a Dead Body" featurette
3	May 17, 2005	April 4, 2005	13	5	Five audio commentaries; "A Birdseye View of the Third Season" – An in-depth interview with show creator Alan Ball including the original HBO trailer
4	August 23, 2005	September 5, 2005	12	5	Seven audio commentaries; "Cut by Cut: Editing Six Feet Under" featurette; deleted scenes; Exclusive Bob Costas interview with the cast
5	March 28, 2006	April 10, 2006	12	5	Six audio commentaries; "Six Feet Under: 2001–2005": two 30-minute retrospectives; "Life and Loss: The Impact of Six Feet Under" featurette

Soundtracks

Two soundtrack albums, featuring music that had appeared in the series, were released:

• Six Feet Under, 2002
• Six Feet Under, Vol. 2: Everything Ends, 2005

Books

• Ball, Alan (2003). Alan Poul (ed.). Six Feet Under: Better Living Through Death. ISBN 978-0-7434-8065-9.
• Akass, Kim (2005). Reading Six Feet Under: TV To Die For. I. B. Tauris. ISBN 978-1-85043-809-0. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)

External links

• Official website
• Six Feet Under at AllMovie
• Six Feet Under at IMDb
• Template:Tv.com