"Six Feet Under" is an American television series created by Alan Ball. It aired on HBO from 2001 to 2005 and follows the lives of the Fisher family, who run a funeral home in Los Angeles.
The show explores themes such as mortality, grief, and family dynamics. Each episode begins with the death of a person, whose body is then prepared for burial by the Fisher family. The series features a talented ensemble cast, including Peter Krause, Michael C. Hall, and Frances Conroy.
The series received critical acclaim for its unique and unconventional approach to storytelling, as well as its ability to tackle difficult and sensitive topics with empathy and humor. It has been praised for its strong writing, powerful performances, and emotional depth. "Six Feet Under" remains a beloved and influential series that continues to resonate with viewers today.
Needing to get a job recently divorced Danielle Santino decided to become a therapist and work with a pro football team in Long Island. In reality it was Dr. Donna Dannenfelser and she worked initially with the New York Jets, starting a new trend in therapy involving her "tough love" approach to caring for those asking for her help. Soon she found that besides athletes, politicians, musicians, and other celebrity types began requesting her style of therapy for its effectiveness and benefits. It also gave the doctor problems when she needed to balance her job as parent with the new career of therapist. Originally titled Dr. Donna, Necessary Roughness became reality and is proving to be valuable for the many who have tried it. Callie Thorne (Rescue Me, Homicide: Life on the Streets) is Dr. Dani Santino, Marc Blucas (Knight & Day, Inglorious Bastards) is Matthew Donnally romantic interest of Dr. Santino and athletic trainer, Scott Cohen (Jacob's Ladder, The 10th Kingdom) is Nico Careles, former Navy SEAL who works closely with Dr. Santino as her "fixer". Crisp writing and quality casting make this an endearing program to watch.
Christina Hawthorne is the Chief Nursing Officer at a hospital in Richmond, Virginia who is a constant advocate for her staff as well as her patients, even when it may threaten her job. When the hospital (Richmond Trinity) closes its doors the staff moves on to James River Hospital, where the working atmosphere seems brighter. Hawthorne finds she also faces extra stress due to her changing relationship with Chief of Surgery Dr. Tom Wakefield (Michael Vartan from Alias, Monster-In-Law). Seems he wants a commitment from her but she may not be ready. Nurse Hawthorne is ably played by Jada Pinkett Smith (A Different World, The Nutty Professor) who also is executive producer of the show. Pinkett had sworn off doing any more television but found this one a perfect fit and an interesting challenge. Also starring in Hawthorne are David Julian Hirsh (Lovebites, CSI: NY) as Ray Stein, RN and also Suleka Mathew from Men in Trees, The West Wing as Nurse Bobbie Jackson who is Chief Nursing Officer at James River Hospital, and Christina Moore (90210, Burn Notice) portrays Nurse Candy Sullivan.
The Surgeon, one of a series of books written by Tess Gerritsen supplied the backstory for the hot new series on TNT named Rizzoli & Isles (after the two main characters in the book). Angie Harman (Baywatch Nights, Law & Order) is a homicide detective in Boston. She finds her life in danger in the first episode when a former medical student attempts to kill her as he has several other voluptuous women. The chief Medical examiner for the state of Massachusetts is Dr. Maura Isles, played by Sasha Alexander (NCIS, Dawson's Creek). Isles is a no nonsense woman dedicated to doing her job well and due to her profession those who know her tend to call her "Queen of the Dead". Rizzoli & Isles develop a good teamwork attitude and solve crimes each week but the one that haunts them both involves Charles Hoyt, a man who was expelled from med school for fondling the female corpses. Rizzoli has scars on her hands from a time when Hoyt stabbed them with scalpels, pinning her to the floor. Hoyt's role is a recurring one so watch for more of that vile character played well by Michael Massee, an actor who plays villains particularly well.
When Captain Jack Harkness came from Doctor Who and the 51st century he was a happy man. But circumstances such as the deaths of friends, his grandson, and a lover, Ianto Jones made him realize that life is short, and precious! John Barrowman (Desperate Housewives, Tonight's The Night) plays Harkness who's character jumped from the Doctor Who series over to Torchwood, and is joined by a talented cast plus interesting guest stars each episode. Harkness loves Gwen Cooper (Eve Myles from These Foolish Things, Doctor Who) even though she still lives with and has feelings for her husband, Rhys Williams (Kai Owen from Being Human, A Chorus of Disapproval). C. Thomas Howell, Wayne Knight, and Ernie Hudson have each participated with guest appearances on Torchwood: Miracle Day. When Rex Matheson (Mekhi Phifer from ER and Lie To Me) joins up as a CIA operative the plot thickens and the challenges become huge. Someone who faces lethal injection just will not die, and the rest of the world lives on as well. Jack Harkness himself is considered immortal since leaving the Torchwood Institute. What is there about that place that makes men immortal?
It's one thing to be a member of a large traditional "cop" family but when one joins up with the Internal Affairs division of their Chicago Police Department things can become a bit unstable. Rachael Carpani (seen on TV's The Glades & True Blue) is Abby Kowalski, who moved over to IAD when a job offer to move upward in the department came about. She has designs on eventually becoming a detective. Her father is Don Kowalski (Treat Williams from 127 Hours, A Little Bit of Heaven) a sergeant with CPD who absolutely hates the idea of his little girl joining the IAD. Kathy Baker (Last Chance Harvey, Boston Public) is Sheila Kowalski, wife of Don and mother to Abby, Richie, Steve, and Donnie Kowalski. Abby Kowalski and her family squabble over the fact she has joined the IAD, seeing her as a spy and turncoat. This makes family gatherings difficult and the usual football games become a battlefield in their yard. But Abby is a dedicated police officer and still chooses to solve crimes whenever possible. This show is fast paced and has some good writing to keep it moving each week.
Emma Becker (Alexandra Chando from Medium, As The World Turns) is a big hearted girl who grew up in foster homes and has nearly always had bad luck. When she finds out she has a sister that is her identical twin (Sutton Mercer also played by Chando) she must meet her and when she does discovers her sister was adopted and the parents are wealthy so her life must be ideal, right? After getting acquainted the two sisters decide to swap lives for a time and soon we see Sutton pursuing leads to find her birth mother. But when Sutton turns up missing Emma needs to find her and there comes the dilemma, whether or not to tell her folks she's been deceiving them by portraying her sister. Through the twists and turns that follow her Lying Games she and her sister will discover the truth leading up to why the had originally become separated at birth. Also starring Andy Buckley (The Other Guys, The Office) as Ted Mercer adoptive father of Sutton) and Helen Slater (City Slickers, Ruthless People) portrays Kristin Mercer, Suttons adoptive mom.
The pretty young Cassie Scerbo (Make It or Break It, CSI: Spring Breakdown) knows very well how to play snobbish and mean. She even says it's absolutely fun to be that never boring and totally spicy character. Proclaiming herself to be the "Queen of the Beam" in her high school, Amber Pollack (Scerbo) is confident to a fault. Amber Pollack is also deceased! Apparently she died after a freakish accident on prom night but must come to the aid of a rather unpopular girl named Lisa, played by Lindsey Shaw (Pretty Little Liars) before she can ascend to heaven. Tim Gunn (The Smurfs, Sex and the City 2) is an angel who gives Amber Pollack the orders to help out the less than popular young girl and give her the self confidence to go on and become the new prom queen. As she works on Lisa's personality she finds some of her own worse qualities are becoming part of Lisa's own dreadful qualities and comes to realize she was a truly poor human being before she died.
