TV Shows you should own on DVD: Six Feet Under

Six Feet Under is probably one of the best television dramas ever made. OK Maybe it was not the best TV show, but it was definitely a show that I enjoyed more than most other TV series I have ever watched.

You probably already know what I am talking about, but if not, let me tell you just what you have been missing, and just why you should go out and buy the entire show on DVD right away.

Six Feet Under was created by Alan Ball and aired between 2001 and 2005, lasting a total of five seasons. The show revolves around a family-run funeral home, Fisher & Sons, and explores the lives of the Fisher family following the death of their husband and father.

The main characters include brothers David and Nate, who start running the family business after their father dies. These brothers could not be more different, with David being very serious, introverted, uptight and closeted, and Nate being extroverted, good natured and not taking life too serious.

Then there is Claire, their younger sister, who spends a lot of time drinking, doing drugs and hating life, as many college kids do. Mother Ruth finally, is a very peculiar woman, one minute she is very uptight and withdrawn and the next she is screaming and crying, wondering what the hell is wrong with their family. I love that woman.

At first glance, the show may appear as a conventional family drama, however, the show distinguishes itself by its strong focus on the topic of death, which is explored in many different ways.

Each episode begins with a death, which usually sets the tone of the episode. Besides dealing with death, Six feet under also has a strong dosage of dark humour running throughout the series. This is not everyone’s cup of tea, but personally I love it.

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, mainly the father who has passed away.

This is sometimes also used where a real conversation between two living characters slips into the imaginary and becomes unrealistic. Again, I love this sort of thing, but some say it is an acquired taste.

Besides Ruth, the mother of the family, one of my favourite characters is Brenda, Nathan’s girlfriend. She is very hot and also a little insane. Ok maybe not insane, unusual if you will, complete with a sex addiction and a very dysfunctional family.

If you are interested in more than your average kind of TV drama series, and you like to ponder death, dark humour or magical realism, this show just might be for you.

Hell, even if you just like to see your own dysfunctional family portrayed on the screen, this might be the show for you. Go buy those DVDs now, I promise you will not regret it.