This was another show, like Dexter, that I didn’t know if I wanted to really get into, because of its macabre content and potential to be depressing, even though the way shows like that are done are meant to be black humor.  I tried Six Feet Under out because I got bored one day on the weekend and saw that HBO On Demand had the first six shows available for viewing, so I watched the first episode. 

Was it dark?  Sure.  But it was also funny, well acted, and original, with interesting, if not eccentric and possibly unlikeable characters.  Six Feet Under centers on an unusual family that has their own funeral business.  Michael C Hall, who I mentioned in the last review about the new Showtime show “Dexter”, plays the central character, the brother who holds the fort down and has a level head on his shoulders (kind of a stretch from his Dexter character, but not too much, because he’s pretty serious and not very full of physical expression).

The first ten to fifteen minutes of the pilot episode for Six Feet Under will reel pretty much anyone in, and you’ll see what I mean if you watch it.  Something unexpected happens to a character who you are lead to believe will play a central role in the series, and you get to know some of the other characters pretty well in a relatively short amount of time as you get a glimpse into serendipitous moments that just so happen to occur for them at a very inopportune time. 

In short, if you can handle a little bit of macabre humor and you like shows that are akin to a Twin Peaks ensemble of eccentricity, you will like Six Feet Under.  I have a hunch the plots will get very interesting in this show which is now off the air….