The show depicts the lives of the Fisher family, who run a funeral home in Los Angeles, along with their friends and lovers.

The ensemble drama stars Peter Krause, Michael C. Hall, Frances Conroy, Lauren Ambrose, Freddy Rodriguez, Mathew St. Patrick, and Rachel Griffiths as the central characters.

Six Feet Under received widespread critical acclaim, particularly for its writing and acting, and consistently drew high ratings for the HBO network.

Other regulars include mortician Federico Diaz (Freddy Rodriguez), Nate's on-again/off-again girlfriend Brenda Chenowith (Rachel Griffiths), and David's long-term boyfriend Keith Charles (Mathew St. Patrick).

On one level, the show is a conventional family drama, dealing with such issues as interpersonal relationships, sex, masculine homosexuality, dysfunction, infidelity, personal growth, and religion.

The show's creator Alan Ball said this represents the living characters' internal dialogues expressed in the form of external conversations.

However, in an interview on the series' DVD collection,[8] he intimated that HBO entertainment president Carolyn Strauss had proposed the idea to him.

It's Nate with his womanizing – it's Claire and her sexual experimentation – it's Brenda's sexual compulsiveness – it's David having sex with a male hooker in public – it's Ruth having several affairs – it's the life force trying to push up through all of that suffering and grief and depression.Cultural critic Sally Munt commented: "one might risk saying [the show] has an uncanny, or queer rendition of class positions and relations".

[13] Ball refuted this claim by asserting that there was no message in the story but only a recognition that death comes in the middle of "messy things" and does not wait for people to sort out their lives.

Kathy Bates (who also played Bettina on the series), Michael Cuesta, Rodrigo García, and Jeremy Podeswa each directed five episodes.

Michael Engler, Daniel Minahan, and Alan Poul (who also served as an executive producer for the series) each directed four episodes.

Single-episode directors included Peter Care, Alan Caso, Lisa Cholodenko, Allen Coulter, Adam Davidson, Mary Harron, Joshua Marston, Jim McBride, Karen Moncrieff, John Patterson, Matt Shakman, Alan Taylor, Rose Troche, and Peter Webber.

Music supervision for the entire run of the series was provided by Gary Calamar and Thomas Golubic, who were also credited as producers for the two soundtrack albums.

[30] Early reviews of the series were positive, prior to the screening of the pilot episode; Steve Oxman of Variety stated, "Six Feet Under is a smart, brooding, fanciful character-driven ensemble piece about a family in the funeral biz.

"[32] Bill Carter of The New York Times wrote, "Six Feet Under certainly got enthusiastic reviews, almost universally glowing notices about the rich characterizations and quirky humor shaped by the show's celebrated creator, Alan Ball, the Academy Award-winning writer of the film American Beauty.

"[33] In an early response from HBO executive Chris Albrecht, he announced in regards to the viewers, that they are "totally thrilled with the series.

"[33] On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season has a 90% approval rating with an average score of 8/10 based on 40 reviews, with a critical consensus of, "Six Feet Under's unusual setting provides a perfect backdrop for the macabre meditations on mortality made by its brilliant, brooding cast.

"[37] The fifth season has a 97% approval rating with an average score of 8.9/10 based on 35 reviews, with a critical consensus of, "Six Feet Under offers a fitting end for the Fishers by concluding the way it began: an unexpectedly beautiful rumination on life, death and grief.

In a 2015 interview with Alan Ball, Peter Krause, Michael C. Hall, and Lauren Ambrose for The Hollywood Reporter, to mark ten years since the show's conclusion, they described it as the "finale that would not die".

Megan Vick of The Hollywood Reporter said, "The idea of flashing forward to depict how each member of the Fishers and their loved ones would pass on seemed revolutionary in 2005, but Ball – who created the series and would write and direct its final episode – uses another word for it – inevitable.

The rest of the ensemble cast, including Michael C. Hall, Peter Krause, Frances Conroy, Rachel Griffiths, Freddy Rodriguez, and Lauren Ambrose all received acting nominations.

Patricia Clarkson won for the second time for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series, and Krause, Conroy, and Joanna Cassidy received acting nominations.