Alan Ball's Six Feet Under chronicles the lives of a California family in charge of a funeral home after tragedy befalls the family. The show is a dark drama, as the premise implies, but there is levity here as well. The Fisher family and their problems feel very real, and the actors portraying them are consistently outstanding. Peter Krause, Michael C. Hall, Frances Conroy, and Lauren Ambrose all give great performances as members of the Fisher clan. Six Feet Under is a beautiful show to look at, and the writing is top-notch. The show deals with themes of grief and death in a deeply moving way, but it also observes the nuances of life. It also portrays with familial dysfunction in a manner that feels realistic and genuine. The show is cerebral in nature, but it also contains elements of the surreal and the supernatural. At times, Six Feet Under is bizarre, disturbing, and erotic. In addition to five excellent seasons, this under-watched HBO show boasts one of the greatest and most fitting series finales of all time. Don't be deterred by the premise of a show about a family of undertakers; this is an incredibly poignant series about love and loss.
