If you've been paying attention to the world of TV and film production, you'll notice one trend is ruling the day: nostalgia. We've seen as TV revivals for Will & Grace, Roseanne, and Gilmore Girls recently hit the small screen, and there will no doubt be plenty more in the coming years. HBO hasn't done one of these big reboots yet, despite having a multitude of fantastic shows to chose from, including the acclaimed drama Six Feet Under. Two of the show's actors recently said they'd love to return to their roles: Justina Machado and Rainn Wilson.
I recently spoke to Rainn Wilson about his streaming play Thom Painn. And while other subjects like The Office were discussed during our conversation, I eventually brought up his tenure as Arthur on Six Feet Under. When asked if he'd like to return to the role in a possible revival, he said:
I think Six Feet Under is due a reboot. I mean, that cast was amazing. And they're still around, and I don't know how that would work. But that would be pretty incredible.
It looks like Rainn Wilson is definitely down to once again play mortician Arthur Martin if Six Feet Under is given new life. Wilson popped up in 13 episodes throughout the show's tenure, with his most significant arc happening during the show's second season. He'd perhaps best remembered for his unique friendship with matriarch Ruth, before eventually departing both the business and the residency.
Of course, Rainn Wilson's comments also prove that he's not sure exactly how a revival could happen. The series finale saw the entire starring cast being killed off, so it would take some creative writing to continue the narrative of Six Feet Under. This is the same concern that series regular Justina Macahdo has about possibly returning to her role as Vanessa.
Justina Machado might currently be starring in Netflix's One Day at a Time, but many TV fans first fell in love with the actress when she was playing Vanessa Diaz during Six Feet Under's run. I recently spoke to her about both projects while at Netflix's press junket in New York City, where she positively addressed returning to the series. Warning: there's a massive spoiler about the series finale in this quote.
I think it would be great. I mean, Alan Ball killed us all off. You know how Will and Grace came back for ten [episodes]? I would love for Six Feet Under to do that, I would love that. I don't know how it could happen, but yeah. I'm down to come back as Vanessa, too.
Well, that's two actors who are down to come back for more episodes of Six Feet Under. Of course, that's not to say that the show would ever truly return. HBO President Casey Bloys recently listed Six Feet Under and The Sopranos as shows that the network would likely never revisit, as their endings were absolute. While The Sopranos' final moments remain controversial, Six Feet Under's ending is known as one of the most perfect series finales of all time. For this reason, Six Feet Under does seem like an unlikely candidate to be given a new set of episodes. That, and how often the fantastic ensemble of actors is working. Just look at Justina Machado and Rainn Wilson for example.
All two season of One Day At a Time are currently streaming on Netflix, and you can catch Rainn Wilson in Thom Pain on BroadwayHD. Be sure to check out our midseason premiere list to plan your next binge watch, and our cancellation list to see if your favorite show got the chop last year.
