Six Feet Under (TV series)
Six Feet Under is an American drama television series created and produced by Alan Ball that premiered on the premium television network HBO on June 3, 2001, and ended on August 21, 2005, after five seasons consisting of 63 episodes. The show depicts the lives of the Fisher family, who run a funeral home in Los Angeles, along with their friends and lovers.
Six Feet Under
United States
English
5
63 (list of episodes)
- Alan Ball
- Robert Greenblatt
- David Janollari
- Alan Poul
- Bruce Eric Kaplan
- Rick Cleveland
46–72 minutes
- Actual Size Films
- The Greenblatt/Janollari Studio
- HBO Entertainment
June 3, 2001 –
August 21, 2005
The ensemble drama stars Peter Krause, Michael C. Hall, Frances Conroy, Lauren Ambrose, Freddy Rodriguez, Mathew St. Patrick, and Rachel Griffiths as the central characters. It was produced by Actual Size Films and The Greenblatt/Janollari Studio, and was shot on location in Los Angeles and in Hollywood studios.
Six Feet Under received widespread critical acclaim, particularly for its writing and acting, and consistently drew high ratings for the HBO network. It is widely regarded as one of the greatest television series of all time. The show's series finale has also been described as one of the greatest television series finales. The series won numerous awards, including nine Emmy Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and a Peabody Award.
Production[edit]
Concept[edit]
Although overall plots and characters were created by Alan Ball, reports conflict 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 on the series' DVD collection,[9] he intimated that HBO entertainment president Carolyn Strauss had proposed the idea to him. In a copyright-infringement lawsuit,[10] screenwriter Gwen O'Donnell asserted that she was the original source of the idea that 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.
Airing on a premium cable network allowed the series to explore darker themes than would have been possible on other networks. Ball stated in an interview:[11]
Reception[edit]
Critical reception[edit]
Six Feet Under received widespread critical acclaim, particularly for its writing and acting. It is widely regarded as one of the greatest television series of all time, included on best-of lists by Time,[21] The Guardian,[22] and Empire.[23] The show's finale has also been described as one of the greatest television series finales.[24][25][26][27][28][29] The Writers Guild of America ranked it #18 on their list of the 101 Best Written TV Series.[30]
Six Feet Under received critical acclaim for most of its run, with the exception of the fourth season, which received more mixed reviews. The first season holds a rating of 74 out of 100 at Metacritic based on 23 reviews.[31] Early reviews of the series were positive, prior to the screening of the pilot episode; Steve Oxman of Variety stated, "Six Feet Under is a smart, brooding, fanciful character-driven ensemble piece about a family in the funeral biz."[32] Following the series premiere, Barry Garron of The Hollywood Reporter commented that the series' "examination of family life through the prism of a mortuary business, combines sardonic humor with poignant drama and comes up with a unique tone and style, in itself quite an accomplishment for any TV series. It is fearless in its approach to storytelling and, far more often than not, succeeds in the risks it takes" and "there is much to admire about this series, including top-notch performances, artful direction and creative storytelling that employs various techniques, including dream sequences and parody commercials. Best of all, though, is Ball's introspection and the insight he provides about society, the funeral industry, and family relationships."[33]
Bill Carter of The New York Times wrote, "Six Feet Under certainly got enthusiastic reviews, almost universally glowing notices about the rich characterizations and quirky humor shaped by the show's celebrated creator, Alan Ball, the Academy Award-winning writer of the film American Beauty."[34] In an early response from HBO executive Chris Albrecht, he announced in regards to the viewers, that they are "totally thrilled with the series."[34]
On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season has a 90% approval rating with an average score of 8/10 based on 39 reviews, with a critical consensus of, "Six Feet Under's unusual setting provides a perfect backdrop for the macabre meditations on mortality made by its brilliant, brooding cast."[35] The second season has a 79% approval rating with an average score of 9.33/10 based on 14 reviews, with a critical consensus of, "Six Feet Under's deliberately paced second season is less endearing than the first, but the engaging ensemble remain reason enough to watch."[36] The third season has a 90% approval rating with an average score of 7.56/10 based on 20 reviews, with a critical consensus of, "Six Feet Under's third season dials down the comedy in favor of creepier narratives – a challenge its cast is more than up to."[37] The fourth season has a 50% approval rating with an average score of 5.58/10 based on 10 reviews, with a critical consensus of, "Six Feet Under overreaches in its fourth season, with twists and story arcs that feel more contrived than compelling, though its willingness to venture boldly into the dark also proves occasionally exhilarating."[38] The fifth season has a 97% approval rating with an average score of 8.86/10 based on 37 reviews, with a critical consensus of, "Six Feet Under offers a fitting end for the Fishers by concluding the way it began: an unexpectedly beautiful rumination on life, death and grief."[39]
The series finale is considered one of the greatest endings in television history. In a 2015 interview with Alan Ball, Peter Krause, Michael C. Hall, and Lauren Ambrose for The Hollywood Reporter, to mark 10 years since the show's ending, they described it as the "finale that would not die". Megan Vick of The Hollywood Reporter said, "The idea of flashing forward to depict how each member of the Fishers and their loved ones would pass on seemed revolutionary in 2005, but Ball – who created the series and would write and direct its final episode – uses another word for it – inevitable."[40]
