SIX FEET UNDER

'''Six Feet Under''' is an American television drama created by Alan Ball that was originally broadcast from 2001 to 2005. It was produced by Alan Ball, Alan Poul, Robert Greenblatt and David Janollari. The series centers on a family-run mortuary, Fisher & Sons Funeral Home, and explores the lives of the Fisher family following the death of the family patriarch (the title being a colloquialism/euphemism for death, six feet being the traditional depth at which a body would be laid). The series is set in modern-day Los Angeles.
''Six Feet Under'' was produced by Actual Size Films and The Greenblatt/Janollari Studio. It first aired on HBO in 2001, and has been broadcast in syndication by basic cable channel Bravo as well as in dozens of other countries. The series ended its five year run on August 21, 2005.
The show has received critical acclaim from ''The Hollywood Reporter'', ''Variety'' and ''The New York Times'' ^[1], among other media, and has garnered praise from fellow television producers and funeral directors ^[2]. In total, ''Six Feet Under'' won three Golden Globe Awards and nine Emmy Awards. The series won the Golden Globe award for Outstanding Drama Series and Best Supporting Actress for Rachel Griffiths in 2002. Frances Conroy went on to receive the award for Best Actress in a Drama for the Golden Globes in 2004. The show also won the Screen Actors Guild award for Best Ensemble for a Drama series, two years in a row (2003–2004).^[3]

Contents

Plot overview

Concept

Setting

Cast and characters

Recurring cast

Significant guest stars

Family tree

Timeframe of episode settings

Promotionals

Season promotionals

Episode recaps

Episode previews

Releases

DVD

Soundtracks

Books

Scheduling changes

Trivia

Life after ''Six Feet Under''

Additional facts

HBO broadcast history

Broadcasting

References

External links

Plot overview

The show stars Peter Krause as Nathaniel Samuel ("Nate") Fisher Jr., the son of a funeral director who, upon the death of his father, reluctantly becomes a partner in the family funeral business with his brother David, played by Michael C. Hall. The Fisher clan also includes mother Ruth (Frances Conroy) and sister Claire (Lauren Ambrose). Other regulars include mortician and family friend Federico Diaz (Freddy Rodriguez), Nate's on again off again girlfriend and eventual wife Brenda Chenowith (Rachel Griffiths), and David's boyfriend and eventual husband Keith Charles (Mathew St. Patrick).
On one level, the show is a conventional family drama, dealing with such issues as relationships, infidelity, and religion. At the same time, it is a show distinguished by its unblinking focus on the topic of death, which it explores on multiple levels (personal, religious, and philosophical), rather than, say, treating it as a convenient impetus for the solution of a murder. 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 black humor running throughout.
A recurring plot device consists of a character having an imaginary conversation with the person who died at the beginning of the episode. Sometimes, the conversation is with other recurring dead characters, notably Nathaniel Fisher Sr. They represent the living character's internal dialogue by exposing it as an external conversation. Casual conversations with the dead also reflect the genre of magical realism. A similar device is occasionally used where a real conversation between two living characters slips into the imaginary and becomes unrealistic. The shift cannot be clearly distinguished from the normal flow of the scene until an abrupt cut brings the audience back to a mundane conversation, which reveals through contrast the imaginary nature of the preceding moment.

Concept

Although overall plots and characters were created from Alan Ball, there are conflicting reports on how the series' concept was conceived. In one instance, creator Alan Ball stated that he received the premise to create the show after the deaths of his sister and father. However, in an interview ^[4], he intimates that HBO entertainment president Carolyn Strauss proposed the idea to him. The latter argument is supported by the statement of facts in an opinion by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in a copyright-infringement case ^[5] involving the series, which HBO won: Funky Films, Inc. v. Time Warner Entertainment Co., 462 F.3d 1072 (2006).

Setting

The setting for many of the scenes is in the family owned and operated Fisher & Sons Funeral Home in Los Angeles. The family resides on the upper floors of the funeral home; with the main floor used for the business as viewing and chapel rooms and the basement for the embalming and body preparation areas. There is also a separate apartment with a garage adjacent to the funeral home.

Cast and characters

Main articles: List of Six Feet Under characters

Main Characters

Actor	Character	Relationship
Peter Krause	Nate Fisher	Eldest son of Ruth and Nathaniel; co-operator of Fisher & Diaz; husband to Brenda Chenowith; widower to Lisa Kimmel; father of Maya Fisher (to Lisa) and Willa Chenowith (to Brenda). Succumbs to AVM in 2005 at age 40.
Michael C. Hall	David Fisher	Middle child of Ruth and Nathaniel; co-operator of Fisher & Diaz; husband (later widower) of Keith Charles; adopted father to Durrell and Anthony. Dies in 2044 at age 75 at a picnic in Echo Park.
Frances Conroy	Ruth Fisher	Matriarch of Fisher family; former wife/lifelong partner to George Sibley and widow to Nathaniel; mother to Nate, David and Claire. Dies in 2025 at age 79 in a hospital surrounded by Claire, David and George.
Lauren Ambrose	Claire Fisher	Youngest child of Ruth and Nathaniel; artist of the family who worked temporarily as a secretary. The final montage of the show, and her obituary on HBO's website, suggest that she became a successful photographer and teacher. Wife, then widow, of Ted Fairwell. Dies at age 101 in 2085.
Rachel Griffiths	Brenda Chenowith	Daughter of Margaret and Bernard Chenowith; sister of Billy. Former shiatsu practitioner; then a cognitive therapist. Girlfriend, then wife, then widow of Nate Fisher. Wife to Daniel Nathanson (she is shown sitting with him in the finale's final montage, though he never speaks). Mother to Willa Fisher Chenowith and Forrest Nathanson (she is featured pregnant with him in the finale's final montage), and step-mother to Maya Fisher. Dies in 2051 at age 82. She didn't appear in three episodes of the third season due to Griffiths' 2002 pregnancy. Rachel Griffiths' second pregnancy in 2004 was written into the show.
Freddy Rodriguez	Federico Diaz	Business partner and embalmer at Fisher & Diaz with Nate and David; husband of Vanessa; father to Julio and Augusto. He first started as an employee at Fisher and Sons later he became Founder of Diaz Family Mortuary in 2005. Dies at age 75 in 2049 on a cruise ship with Vanessa (suggested heart attack). He appeared in 62 episodes, missing one episode of the first season, ''Life's Too Short'', due to Federico's storyline.
Mathew St. Patrick	Keith Charles	Former Los Angeles police officer now in private security; husband of David; adopted father to Anthony and Durrell. Gunned down in 2029 at age 61 by a gang of robbers as he unloads an armored truck.

Supporting Characters

Actor	Character	Relationship
James Cromwell	George Sibley	Geologist/professor; second husband to Ruth; father to Brian, Maggie and Kyle. George suffers from an undiagnosed paranoia which prompts him to receive electro-convulsive shock treatment.
Justina Machado	Vanessa Diaz	Registered nurse; former employee at Bay Breeze Nursing Home in Sherman Oaks. Wife and high school sweetheart of Federico; mother to Julio and Augusto.
Richard Jenkins	Nathaniel Samuel Fisher Sr.	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.
Tina Holmes	Maggie Sibley	Daughter of George Sibley; traveling pharmaceutical representative from Arizona. Tina Holmes originally auditioned for the minor role of "Marci", Bettina's daughter. She didn't get the job but was called back to read for George's daughter, Maggie.
Patricia Clarkson	Sarah O’Connor	Younger sister of Ruth Fisher, an artist who lives in Topanga Canyon.
Kathy Bates	Bettina	Sarah’s friend and caretaker who becomes Ruth’s friend when Sarah undergoes withdrawal and further drug rehabilitation.
Lili Taylor	Lisa Kimmel Fisher	Nate’s former girlfriend and roommate while living in Seattle; she subsequently becomes pregnant with Nate's child Maya, and they marry in 2002. In 2003, she disappears while enroute to visit her sister, and her body later washes up on shore. Eventually it is revealed she was engaged in an affair with her brother-in-law. He commits suicide, and it is suspected but never proven that he murdered Lisa.
Jeremy Sisto	Billy Chenowith	Brenda’s younger brother who has bipolar disorder; son of Margaret and Bernard Chenowith; one-time boyfriend of Claire Fisher; one time lover of Olivier.
Joanna Cassidy	Margaret Chenowith	Psychologist mother of Brenda and Billy; widow of Bernard; current lover to Olivier Castro-Staal.
Robert Foxworth	Dr. Bernard Chenowith	Brenda and Billy’s psychiatrist father; husband to Margaret before his death in 2003.
Peter Macdissi	Olivier Castro-Staal	Professor of Form and Space at LAC-Arts; lover to Margaret Chenowith. Aspects of this character may be based on Nathan Oliveira.
Rainn Wilson	Arthur Martin	A young intern from Cypress College mortuary school who works for the funeral home briefly.
Ben Foster	Russell Corwin	Former boyfriend and classmate of Claire.
Mena Suvari	Edie	Free spirited lesbian artist and good friend of Claire. They shared a hesitant, non consummated night together with Claire realising she wasn't a lesbian immediately afterwards.
Sprague Grayden	Anita Miller	Former best friend and roommate of Claire Fisher; ex-girlfriend of Russell Corwin.
Marina Black	Parker McKenna	Best friend of Claire Fisher during her high school years.
Eric Balfour	Gabriel Dimas	Claire’s high school boyfriend who was a drug addict and robbed a convenience store. It is assumed he died a short while after he disappears.
Ed O'Ross	Nikolai	Owner of Blossom d’Amour Flower Shop; boyfriend of Ruth Fisher when she worked as a florist.
Chris Messina	Ted Fairwell	Corporate attorney at Braeden Chemical Legal Department who becomes Claire's boyfriend when she is assigned as a secretary through her temp job (temporary employee). Marries Claire shortly after her mother's death.
Kendre Berry	Durrell Charles-Fisher	Adopted older son of David and Keith; older brother of Anthony. He plans on working as a firefighter but later becomes a funeral director like his father.
C.J. Sanders	Anthony Charles-Fisher	Adopted younger son of David and Keith; brother of Durrell. Seen in the flash forward during the final minutes as an adult in the company of a male partner.
Brenna and Bronwyn Tosh	Maya Fisher	Nate and Lisa’s toddler daughter.

Recurring cast

★ Ben Foster - Russell Corwin (22 episodes)

★ Joanna Cassidy - Margaret Chenowith (20 episodes)

★ Richard Jenkins - Nathaniel Fisher (20 episodes)

★ Ed O'Ross - Nikolai (18 episodes)

★ Peter Macdissi - Olivier Castro-Staal (15 episodes)

★ Rainn Wilson - Arthur Martin (13 episodes)

★ Tina Holmes - Maggie Sibley (13 episodes)

★ Tim Maculan - Father Jack (13 episodes)

★ Eric Balfour - Gabe Dimas (12 episodes)

★ Sprague Grayden - Anita Miller (12 episodes)

★ Aysia Polk - Taylor (11 episodes)

★ Kathy Bates - Bettina (10 episodes)

★ Peter Facinelli - Jimmy (9 episodes)

★ Garrison Hershberger - Matthew Gilardi (8 episodes)

★ David Norona - Gary Deltman(8 episodes)

★ Joel Brooks - Robbie (8 episodes)

★ Melissa Marsala - Angelica Suarez (8 episodes)

★ Justin Theroux - Joe (8 episodes)

★ Idalis DeLeon - Sophia Morales (8 episodes)

★ Ed Begley, Jr. - Hiram Gunderson (8 episodes)

★ Mena Suvari - Edie (7 episodes)

★ Terrell Clayton - Eddie (7 episodes)

★ Robert Foxworth - Dr. Bernard Chenowith (6 episodes)

★ Dina Spybey - Tracy Montrose Blair (6 episodes)

★ Julie Dretzin - Barb Woodworth (6 episodes)

★ Jeff Yagher - Hoyt Woodworth (6 episodes)

★ Kellie Waymire - Melissa (6 episodes)

★ Patricia Clarkson - Sarah O'Connor (6 episodes)

★ Anne Ramsay - Jackie Feldman (6 episodes)

★ Chris Messina - Ted Fairwell (6 episodes)

★ Matt Malloy - Roger Pasquese (6 episodes)

★ Steffani Brass - Michaela Woodworth (5 episodes)

★ Michael Weston - Jake (4 episodes)

★ Catherine O'Hara - Carol Ward (4 episodes)

★ J.P. Pitoc - Phil {Crematorium} (4 episodes)

★ Ricardo Antonio Chavira - Ramon Diaz (4 episodes)

★ Michelle Trachtenberg - Celeste (4 episodes)

★ Julie White- Mitzi Dalton-Huntley (4 episodes)

★ Janice Lynde - Woman In Turquoise/Mrs. Loretta Sibley (3 episodes)

★ Bobby Cannavale - Javier (3 episodes)

★ Steven Pasquale - Kurt, David's boyfriend (3 episodes)

★ Jessica D. Stone - Young Brenda (3 episodes)

★ Jenna Fischer - Sharon Kinney (2 episodes)

★ Illeana Douglas - Angela (2 episodes)

★ Lee Garlington - Fiona Kleinschmidt (2 episodes)

★ Harriet Sansom Harris - Catherine Collins (2 episodes)

★ Molly Parker - Rabbi Ari Hoffman (2 episodes)

Significant guest stars

★ Leeza Gibbons (Episode 22, ''Someone Else's Eyes'')

★ Ellen DeGeneres (Episode 42, ''Parallel Play'')

★ Nicole Richie (Episode 51, ''Untitled'')

★ Chris Harrison (Episode 52, ''A Coat of White Primer'')

★ Susie Bright (Episode 57, ''The Rainbow of Her Reasons'')

Family tree

Timeframe of episode settings

The following is a timeframe which features the year the particular episode is set in, which is distinct from the year the episode actually first aired.

★ Season 1: 2000 (pilot), 2001 (12 episodes)

★ Season 2: 2001 (8 episodes), 2002 (5 episodes)

★ Season 3: 2002 (1 episode), 2003 (12 episodes)

★ Season 4: 2003 (4 episodes), 2004 (8 episodes)

★ Season 5: 2004 (2 episodes), 2005 (10 episodes)

Promotionals

Season promotionals

According to creator Alan Ball, music plays an integral role in ''Six Feet Under'', as it depicts the moods of the Fishers.
The following songs were played during the teaser trailers for the seasons following the first:

★ Season 2: "Heaven" by Lamb [1]

★ Season 3: "A Rush of Blood to the Head" by Coldplay [2]

★ Season 4: "Feeling Good" by Nina Simone [3]

★ Season 5: "Breathe Me" by Sia Furler [4]

Episode recaps

The song played during each episode recap is a 1995 single called "Nothing Lies Still Long" by Pell Mell.

Episode previews

Previews for upcoming episodes feature the ''Six Feet Under'' theme. The first and fifth seasons feature the original version of the song while the second, third and fourth seasons feature the Rae & Christian remix.

Releases

DVD

Main articles: List of Six Feet Under DVD releases

Soundtracks

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

★ ''Six Feet Under'', 2002

★ '', 2005

Books

★ Six Feet Under: Better Living Through Death, , Alan, Ball, , 2003,

★ Reading Six Feet Under: TV To Die For, , Kim, Akass, I. B. Tauris, 2005,

Scheduling changes

In March 2005, HBO announced that the final season of ''Six Feet Under'' would be moved to Monday evenings starting June 6, the reason being to add an additional night of programming to the HBO lineup for their upcoming summer season which included ''Entourage'' and ''The Comeback''. This was a huge adjustment for regular viewers as the series had traditionally been scheduled for Sundays. The Monday night experiment ultimately failed due to decreased ratings and complaints. HBO chairman, Chris Albrecht admitted the move was a mistake ^[6] since the network has always been committed to airing programs on the weekends. ''Six Feet Under'' returned to its old timeslot on July 10, 2005 after having been in the "new" timeslot for only five episodes.^[7]
In Australia, the Nine Network infuriated fans by consistently delaying and rescheduling episodes past midnight during the broadcast of seasons 1 to 5.

Trivia

The creative talent of the show — actors, writers, and directors — have interconnections within and apart from the show. Freddy Rodriguez had a recurring role on Alan Ball's earlier ABC series, ''Oh, Grow Up!''; the program aired in 1999, two years prior to ''Six Feet Under''. Actors Lauren Ambrose, Freddy Rodriguez, Eric Balfour (''Gabriel Dimas'') and Peter Facinelli (''Jimmy'') were all in the 1998 movie ''Can't Hardly Wait''. Peter Krause had a recurring role in the 90's Sit-Com Cybill, which was co-written by Ball. Additionally, actor Kathy Bates, who was a director during the first three seasons, went on to pursue a recurring role on the series as Ruth's friend, Bettina.
''Six Feet Under'' had various real-life Los Angeles connections. Many of the sculptures and paintings seen on the show are the works of local sculptor and artist Bruce Gray. There are many stills from several episodes on his website that feature his work.^[8] The Fisher & Sons Funeral Home was located at 2302 West 25th St. in the West Adams section of Los Angeles, which was actually the location of The Filipino Federation of America. Caskets for the show were made by a local company, ABC Caskets.

Life after ''Six Feet Under''

After the series ended in 2005, several actors from the series have moved on to lead and supporting roles on several present-day network television programs and several notable films

★ Michael C. Hall currently plays the title character on the Showtime crime drama, ''Dexter'' about a serial killer and Miami forensics analyst who tracks down and kills other serial killers. The role won Hall a nomination for a Golden Globe in 2007 for Best Actor in a Drama series.

★ Peter Krause was the lead character in the three episode Sci Fi Channel miniseries, ''The Lost Room'' which ran during fall 2006. Krause is currently beginning production on a pilot for ABC known as ''Dirty Sexy Money'' which is being written and developed by ''Six Feet Under'' writer, Craig Wright.

★ Rachel Griffiths currently stars in the ABC drama, ''Brothers & Sisters'' opposite Calista Flockhart and Sally Field as Sarah Walker Whedon.

★ Lauren Ambrose has been cast in a role for a comedy pilot at the Fox network known as ''The Return of Jezebel James'' which is being written by ''Gilmore Girls'' creator, Amy Sherman-Palladino.

★ Freddy Rodriguez has a recurring role as a voice actor on the cartoon, ''Teen Titans''. In addition, Rodriguez has appeared in the films, ''Lady in the Water'', ''Poseidon'', ''Bobby'' and ''Grindhouse''.

★ Mathew St. Patrick had a recurring role on the Fox series, ''Reunion'' as a detective investigating a murder involving the victim's classmates during a class reunion.

★ James Cromwell has a recurring role on season 6 of the Fox series, ''24'' as Phillip Bauer and played Prince Philip in ''The Queen''.

★ Lili Taylor currently plays the lead role on the Lifetime series ''State of Mind'' about a psychiatrist named Anne Bellows, who unexpectedly finds her husband cheating on her with their marriage councilor. The series deals with Bellows and her relationship with her patients as well as other doctors in the practice.

Additional facts

★ The pilot episode features several spoof commercials for funeral homes and products. This was intended to be a recurring feature throughout the series,^[9] but was dropped after the first episode.

★ Brenda's last name, Chenowith, was that of Alan Ball's high school baseball coach.

★ Peter Krause, the actor who plays Nathaniel Fisher, originally read for the role of David Fisher.

★ It is mentioned in the series commentary that it is illegal to own crows in the United States, and therefore a trained pied crow was painted black for the opening sequence. "All native species of migratory birds, their parts, nests or eggs may not be possessed, transported, imported, exported, purchased, sold, bartered, or offered for purchase, sale or barter without appropriate permits."^[10] The pied crow isn't indigenous to North America, and therefore could be used as a stand in.

★ Also mentioned in the commentary, when Alan Ball directed episodes, he would place characters around scenery that fit the characters' personalities. For example, Brenda was often seen near water - sprinklers, water fountains, or pools.

★ Of all the characters dying in the last episode, just Federico Diaz and Claire Fisher are played by actors different from the cast.

HBO broadcast history

★ Season 1: Sunday June 3, 2001–Sunday August 19, 2001—10:00 p.m. ET and PT

★ Season 2: Sunday March 3, 2002–Sunday June 2, 2002—9:00 p.m. ET and PT

★ Season 3: Sunday March 2, 2003–Sunday June 1, 2003—9:00 p.m. ET and PT

★ Season 4: Sunday June 13, 2004–Sunday September 12, 2004—9:00 p.m. ET and PT

★ Season 5: Monday June 6, 2005–Monday July 4, 2005—9:00 p.m.

★
★ Sunday July 10, 2005–Sunday August 21, 2005—9:00 p.m. ET and PT

Broadcasting

''Six Feet Under'' is broadcast on the following channels around the world:

★ Australia: February 18, 2002 on the Nine Network

★ Austria: September 9, 2004 on ORF 1

★ Belgium: Flanders: Kanaal Twee, Wallonia: Plug TV

★ Brazil: HBO Plus, Warner Channel and TV Land (pay-TV)

★ Canada: June 11, 2001 on pay-TV channel TMN and 2003 on Showcase

★ Chile: 2002 on HBO

★ Croatia Nova Tv

★ Czech Republic: 2002 on HBO, 2003 on ČT2, aired under the name ''Rest in peace'' ()

★ Denmark: January 13, 2003 on TV2

★ Estonia: Kanal 2

★ Finland: February 4, 2003 on MTV3

★ France: December 6, 2001 on Jimmy, Canal+, France 2 and France 4.

★ Germany: April 13, 2003 on Vox and pay-TV channel Premiere

★ Greece: Filmnet, Star Channel, aired under the name ''Fisher Funeral Home'' ()

★ Hong Kong: TVB Pearl

★ Hungary: September 7, 2002 on HBO and Viasat 3

★ Iceland: Stöð 2

★ India: Zee Cafe

★ Indonesia: TV7

★ Ireland: RTÉ Two

★ Israel: November 7, 2003 on Channel 2, aired under the name ''Deep in the Ground'' ()

★ Italy: May 20, 2004 on Italia 1 and FOX

★ Japan: July 1, 2005 on Super! drama TV

★ Lithuania: on LNK

★ The Netherlands: January 20, 2003 on Nederland 3/NPS

★ Mexico: HBO (pay-TV), Warner Channel (pay-TV), Canal 5 (FTA)

★ New Zealand: on TV One (TVNZ)

★ Norway: NRK

★ Poland: TVN and pay-TV channel HBO

★ Portugal: June 10, 2002 on RTP 2 and FOX

★ Romania: on HBO, ProTV and Pro Cinema

★ Russia: NTV, translated by Leonid Volodarskiy, aired under the name ''The Client is Always Dead'' ()

★ South Africa: e-tv

★ Serbia: TV Pink

★ South Korea: 2003 on CatchOn

★ Spain: May 6, 2003 on TVE2 and FOX as ''"A Dos Metros Bajo Tierra"'' (Two Metres Underground).

★ Sweden: March 2, 2003 on SVT

★ Switzerland: SF2 (SF zwei), Télévision Suisse Romande (TSR1) and Radiotelevisione svizzera di lingua italiana (TSI1)

★ Taiwan: HBO Asia

★ Thailand: UBC Pay-TV

★ Turkey: CNBC-e

★ UK: June 10, 2002 on Channel 4 and E4, repeated on More4 from January 9, 2006, series 1 available for free via On Demand on Virgin Media cable

★ USA: June 3, 2001 on HBO. 2007 on Bravo. 2007 on Universal HD in high definition but censored/dubbed.

References

1. New York Times, The Year in Television, The Critics' Choices
2. Life and Loss: The Impact of Six Feet Under, DVD feature, Six Feet Under: The Complete Fifth Season
3. "Awards for ''Six Feet Under''" IMDB.com. Accessed 25 December 2006.
4. Six Feet Under: In Memoriam Interview
5. Funky Films vs. Time Warner Legal Case
6. Chris Albrecht statement on programming change
7. FutonCritic HBO Press Release Regarding Schedule Change
8. Bruce Gray official site
9. Pilot episode Audio Commentary with Alan Ball, Six Feet Under: The Complete First Season DVD
10. FWS.gov

External links

★ Official website

★

★ ''Six Feet Under'' on Bravo

★ New interview with 'Six Feet's' Krause