Now living and working in Glasgow. Looking forward to write some new reviews.
Now living and working in Glasgow. Looking forward to write some new reviews.
Member since:29.11.2000
Reviews:106
Members who trust:87
It is unusual for me to get hooked on a TV series and want to watch every episode possible! Well that was until ‘Six Feet Under’ hit our TV screens! Not even ‘Big Brother’ hooks me like that! I normally wait until the latter weeks before getting hooked!
This is a comedy presented to us by Channel 4, which if I say so is just getting better every year!
I normally am not taken by these American shows such as ‘Friends’, ‘Ally McBeal’ & ‘Sex In The City’ etc, however; I have found this particular show to be right up my street! It has elements in it that either have directly affected my life or have relevance i.e. death, drugs and homosexuality it is all there and I can relate to it in some way!
The good thing about it is that it deals with serious issues that affect people on a daily basis. It is presented in a humorous but deadly serious way!
The main characters are based around a dysfunctional American Fisher family who run Fisher & Sons Funeral Home. It has been a family business for many years and suddenly was passed to the Fisher Sons after the tragic death of their father Nathaniel Fisher Sr. (Richard Jenkins) in a road accident. Father makes regular appearances in some emotional
and hysterical scenes with different family members offering his advise on how to put the world right.
The family left behind are: ~
Ruth (Frances Conroy) his wife who had been having an affair for a few years and suddenly and bizarrely confessed this to her sons at their fathers’ funeral.
Nate (Nathaniel Jr. played by Peter Krause) the eldest son left home years ago and it was on his way home for a Christmas visit that he found out about the tragic death of his father and also the inheritance of the family business. He has a rocky relationship with Brenda Chenowith (Rachel Griffiths – Muriel’s Wedding took me weeks to remember that!) whose family is probably just as dysfunctional as the Fisher’s.
Then there is the second eldest son David (Michael C. Hall) who is gay and also the deacon of the local church. David is finding it difficult to juggle his gay / family life and his church and funeral home career all at once and is going through a really tough time in this first series! He was dating the most gorgeous person in the whole program Keith Charles (Mathew St. Patrick).
Keith ended their relationship as David is too afraid to come out to the family and other people in his life. Nate and his sister Claire have sussed him out and his mother brutally found out by a dumb make up artist in one of the later episodes but has yet to confront David with this.
The last person of the family is teenager Claire (Lauren Ambrose) who has got herself mixed up through the episodes with troublesome classmate Gabe who has caused her humiliation and also ridicules her with all her school mates. However; in a horrible twist in the ongoing Fisher Family sagas Claire ends up being the pillar of strength for Gabe as she supports him through the death of his little brother and also his own attempt at suicide.
These are the main characters of the show and most have appeared from episode 1 right through to the current episodes. Each has their fair share of heart aches and pains and difficulties in relationships.
Nate has his rocky relationship with Brenda who has the most notorious relationship with her brother and her parents. This sometimes has massive strain on the twos relationship but does not seem to deter them in any way as they fall deeper in love each week.
Mother Ruth is trying to build her life after years of looking after other people starting with her grandmother who had her legs amputated then the numerous families who had loved one pass through the Family Funeral Home. For the last two year Ruth had been having an affair with a hair dresser.
David refers to himself as the sensible one from the family but as we have seen through the episodes he too has his weak moments. He has embarked on a series of tasteless one night stands and flies by night boy friends and lost the true love of his life Keith. Keith walked out n David for the fact that he could not completely bring his skeleton out of the closet.
Claire is my favourite character and is truly the one that is most sane form the family although sometimes you would not think? She had a hard time from Gabe a classmate after a secret sex session. Claire got her own back by stealing a foot from the funeral home and planting it in his locker.
She has tried drugs, smokes and is classed as a freak at school because of the family business. Gabe makes fun at her with his mates at school but soon realises she is the best friend he could ever have, this is all depicted through some really emotional scenes.
Death is obviously the main issue that is dealt with in the program as each episode is based around the death of some ones loved one. We have seen very young to very old die and in some really moving scenes.
As previously stated homosexuality features heavily with David being gay and there are at times some quite graphic scenes of this. David also has times where he dips his toes in the world of recreational drugs!
The program is well made and is now in its second season in the States and has won many different awards after the first season. We have two episodes to go in the first season here in the UK and I am looking forward to the new season starting on E4 in September. I am going to miss the last episode as I am in Mexico however; have the video set for record on the final episode day!
It screens Mondays at 10pm Channel 4 and repeated Wednesday 9pm on E4. Check it out and meet the Fisher Family and Co.
Good review of a great program. Can't wait for the 3rd series to appear on Channel 4.
j_mcb 07.07.2003 23:51
Great op.I haven't seen it yet but.... I'm not sure whether I'm going to buy the first season on DVD (it was only released today..) I might wait until the prices go down 'cause I'm a cheapskate. :o) Joe
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