Author |
Message |
Jan
Member
08-01-2000
| Monday, April 19, 2004 - 1:46 pm
Thanks Dahli! You are right. 9Pm is show 1 and 9:30 is show 2 on A&E tonight. Thanks for the headsup 
|
Littlec
Member
11-14-2003
| Monday, April 19, 2004 - 1:51 pm
Are they going to show gruesome stuff on this show? There are things I just don't want to know. But it does sound interesting otherwise.
|
Lori
Member
04-18-2003
| Monday, April 19, 2004 - 3:24 pm
I will check it out but I am afraid it may be too much reality for me!
|
Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Monday, April 19, 2004 - 3:57 pm
The review I read today confirms my feelins after watching the commercials, that it's too much reality for me to deal with right now too! The pictures of them trying to move the rigor mortis body was just a tad bit close to home. I am trying to escape that memory!!!!!!!
|
Ryn
Moderator
08-11-2000
| Monday, April 19, 2004 - 6:47 pm
Its on right now - anyone watching besides me???
|
Melfie1222
Member
07-29-2002
| Monday, April 19, 2004 - 6:56 pm
I'll be there in three hours or so ... west coast time here.
|
Littlec
Member
11-14-2003
| Monday, April 19, 2004 - 7:10 pm
I'm watching now. Not as bad as I thought it would be.
|
Scorpiomoon
Member
06-06-2002
| Monday, April 19, 2004 - 7:22 pm
I'm watching. I don't know what word to use to describe how I'm feeling. On the one hand, I am amused by the family. Their a classic reality TV family--dysfunctional, colorful and outspoken. Watching them deal with each other is a riot. But the glimpses of the dead bodies just take me aback. Just when you think, oh they won't show anything...they get a close-up of the face or something. It's unsettling.
|
Littlec
Member
11-14-2003
| Monday, April 19, 2004 - 7:23 pm
OMG, there is an actual cardboard box.
|
Scorpiomoon
Member
06-06-2002
| Monday, April 19, 2004 - 7:34 pm
Littlec: I know! I hope to God people only choose it for cremations and not burials. What a freakin' rollercoaster ride! During the first episode I was laughing hysterically when Chuck tells the boys to get in the back of the van with the body in the back. But then I was in tears at the end of the second episode. What BLOWS MY MIND is how these families seemingly easily give camera access to everything. Who in the world would want a camera crew in the room when you're saying good-bye to your mother?
|
Littlec
Member
11-14-2003
| Monday, April 19, 2004 - 7:40 pm
I always thought that was just an old saying. What's even worse is the dang thing is $60 just to burn it? I missed the first half, but the second half sure had me wanting to smoke. I know what you mean about the families giving access to the cameras for everything. I wouldn't do it. There are some things that I wouldn't want the world to see. Saying goodbye to a family member is one of them.
|
Essence
Member
01-12-2002
| Monday, April 19, 2004 - 7:40 pm
I just got finished watching this. I feel like I'm on the same rollercoaster ride as you Scorpiomoon. That first episode was pretty amusing, but I don't know if I can watch the more emotional shows anymore. That took quite a bit out of me. Maybe it's because I just lost someone close to me, but that last episode had me bawling. There is no way I could allow a camera to film my raw emotions while trying to view a family member's remains.
|
Pamy
Member
01-02-2002
| Monday, April 19, 2004 - 8:21 pm
its on at 9 westcoast time?
|
Pamy
Member
01-02-2002
| Monday, April 19, 2004 - 10:38 pm
I enjoyed it. The mortuary ppl are very sweet, I was crying at the last ep too...but it is good to cry sometimes. Their contest reminds me of Seinfeld LOL
|
Dynair
Member
01-06-2004
| Tuesday, April 20, 2004 - 3:56 am
I came online late tonight just to see how people were feeling about this show. I wasn't sure that I could watch it, and taped it first. I agree--the first part had me laughing and enjoying what was a close and slightly disfunctional family. I do like this family, and especially the woman who actually does the reconstructing--she seems to have her priorities in line and be above the general fray, The rest all just react to each other in the sphere of their own personalities, but I like them too. LOL about the smoking--I've been "working on quitting" lately. Watching this, I lit a cigarette. The second episode is WAY too close to home. I watched it holding the remote, ready to stop at any moment. But I did watch, and found myself really impressed by what the morticians go through to try and help the family. I was concerned that it would bring back sadness, but I came away thinking how lucky my family was to have such excellent care and kindness during what was an unbearable time. I've had years to resolve this issue, and now I'm really okay with it. I'm not sure that I could recommend this show to anyone who's had a recent traumatic death. As far as families giving camera access--there is a microcosm of importance in any funeral, and I don't mean that in a bad way. Having this filmed can be thought of as a further tribute to their mother and the impact of what has happened to their family. So overall--I like the show and hope to keep watching. It is, after all, about a subject we all have faced, and it's an interesting family and a very positive portrayal of their position in life. And I think it's important that occassionally we can smile or make fun of it or laugh about it.
|
Lori
Member
04-18-2003
| Tuesday, April 20, 2004 - 6:35 am
I wasn't sure I would be able to handle this but I actually did enjoy this show. The family is truly hysterical! I enjoyed all the personalties. I had prepared myself for the worst and the reality of this show did not measure up to my imagination (which is a good thing!!). Loved the smoking contest...yeah right with cameras in your face you'll be able to quit! LOL!
|
Cliotheleo
Member
03-13-2002
| Tuesday, April 20, 2004 - 7:41 am
I am a bridal consultant in a salon and am intrigued by the parallels between a mortician's job and mine. Both are important milestone events, families are coming and going, lots of stress, even the body bags vs. the garment bags. It really made me appreciate the fact that I am able to be around people during a HAPPY time in their lives.
|
Luvmyjrt
Member
09-18-2003
| Tuesday, April 20, 2004 - 10:42 am
My father passed away 19 years ago, almost to the day! He had a long battle with breast cancer (yes, men can and do get breast cancer!) I remember that we went to the funeral home to pick out a casket and my brother said "No, Mom, you can't pick that one, it looks like a Campbell's Soup can!" This was a statement that lent a little bit of a chuckle and a started a little bit of way for us to heal as a family. I was very struck by the woman who does they embalming, she is so compassionate and concerned about making the experience the best it can be for the family.....in all cases, this family cares immensely for the families of the deceased, and they are truly a great representation of the industry. The way she handled the daughter of the woman who died in the car accident was absolutely wonderful! Enjoyed the show, didn't feel wigged out by it, just an interesting docu-drama about an industry we'll all deal with sooner or later. I for one and comforted knowing such kind people like this family are out there!
|
Max
Member
08-12-2000
| Tuesday, April 20, 2004 - 3:00 pm
I just watched my DVR recordings of both episodes. I loved it! I have a friend who is a mortician and am also a BIG fan of "Six Feet Under" on HBO, so this show is perfect. I loved the way the father talked about the need to keep a distance between the family's emotions and his own so that he could help them. That's really key in this kind of business and a huge stress inducer, too. I also loved how the mortician sister was so compassionate about the bodies as she prepared them. My favorite character on "CSI: Miami" is the gal who does the autopsies for the same reason; she's always extremely compassionate with the bodies she's attending to. This show has a good balance of funny and poignant moments -- just like life itself. Oh, and I did notice that they didn't bleep cuss words. Surprised me! First, when dad said G-D, I said "Wow, they didn't bleep that." Then, later, he said s*** and they didn't bleep that either. Even though this is, technically, cable, usually they do bleep stuff. It didn't bother me (I think the bleeps are gratuitous anyway because it's obvoius what people are saying and it really IS how lots of folks talk), it was just something I noticed. On my Dish Network system, I get two chances to watch this; at 7:00 and 10:00. I taped it at 10:00 instead of getting sucked into another season of 'The Restaurant.' Kudos to A&E for giving me a great alternative to that show!! 
|
Seamonkey
Member
09-07-2000
| Tuesday, April 20, 2004 - 3:58 pm
I loved it.. now the theme song is perfect, but what is with them using the same theme song that is used on Showtime's Dead Like Me???? Tsk..
|
Aus10
Member
09-28-2000
| Wednesday, April 21, 2004 - 6:19 am
Opinions from the "I've been there" gal...... That's how mornings are. A true rat race, although we've never forgotten a service and to be honest I can't imagine trying to prepare in 1/2 an hour. Personally, I'm betting that it didn't happen that way and this was shown for dramatic effect. It did make for an interesting opening. Talking about the "cardboard box".....Otherwise known as a "shipping container". These are required by the airlines. These are also used yes in cremation, but the 60.00 for a "box" is to me a whole isn't odd. These cardboard boxes can also be used as inserts inside rental caskets. Yes...that's right rentals. Lets say your loved one opts for cremation, but wants a visitation or viewing. The rental casket we had was designed so that the box would slip in, the cardboard would be hidden and during the viewing it looked as if you had chosen a $2,000 cherry casket. Then you could do the cremation without destroying the hardwood (which they do do...) Regulations say that once anything is IN a casket it may not be sold or used again. And yes...we had a women who changed her mind on the casket between the time of viewing her mom and the funeral.... The casket had to be destroyed. The daughter (embalmer) was excellent. I kept thinking during the program that it was going to show some rather disturbing footage, but thankfully they did the whole situation very tactfully I think. There are some things that people shouldn't see no matter how "realistic" the show is. Every funeral home has these situations where viewings just are not possible...these folks handled it very very well. All and all....a very realistic and good show, and to be honest, a much needed education for most folks. Once you understand the inner workings of something you don't understand the more easily it will become when the time comes that you need these folks. I don't mean to sound cruel and hard, but learning to deal with the inevitable in advance WILL help when the time comes. I'm hoping the show will also help teach what to look for in a funeral home, staff and corresponding purchases from a consumer point of view, thus giving families peace of mind so they can, when the time is needed, not have to worry about the planning, but instead be able to go through the grieving process.
|
Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Wednesday, April 21, 2004 - 6:24 am
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2004/04/16/news/inland/22_35_504_15_04.txt Spotlight reveals flaws in star of reality show Poway resident Richard Sadler Waldo Nilo Order a copy of this photo Visit our Photo Gallery -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By: ADRIENNE A. AGUIRRE - Staff Writer POWAY ---- An A&E Network reality series scheduled to premiere Monday night called "Family Plots" is about life and death at a family-run mortuary in Poway. What the producers apparently didn't know is that one of its stars is working without a proper state license and has some skeletons in his closet. Poway-Bernardo Mortuary manager Richard Sadler, 57, of Poway has continuously held a state funeral director's license since 1999, but it expired in January and the state licensing bureau is not renewing it until outstanding citations are resolved. To work as the manager of a mortuary, Sadler is required to hold a valid funeral directors license, said Rick Lopes, spokesman for the Department of Consumer Affairs. In January 2003, Sadler was cited for operating a separate business called San Diego Mortuary Services that was not licensed, and using the Poway-Bernardo Mortuary license number in advertisements for that other business, Lopes said. Sadler was also cited for unprofessional conduct because of his failure to cooperate with the investigation. The fines are $2,002. "The renewal is being held until he pays the fines," Lopes said Thursday. Sadler said that he was not aware of the problem, but Lopes said Sadler was notified and given the chance to appeal, but did not. "I have no knowledge of any of that," Sadler said Thursday. "I swear to God. Why didn't they send me a letter about that?" Aside from his current problems, Sadler has a history of legal problems that date back more than two decades. He has been convicted of two felonies: grand theft in 1986 and embezzlement in 1995 that sent him to Pelican Bay State Prison with a sentence of 16 months. When asked Thursday about those convictions, he said he learned his lesson in prison and has turned his life around. "I had a lot of time to evaluate, you know, my life and what I did wrong and what I wanted it to be," Sadler said. He said that today he lives quietly in Poway and spends his time working at a business he loves, attending church and being active in community activities. "Over the years I have done a lot of things, I mean, some of it's good, some of it's bad," Sadler said. "I'm not proud of it, but I've contributed a lot. I've given my pound of flesh." A&E spokesman Michael Feeney said Thursday that the network was not aware of Sadler's criminal history but declined to comment further. The seven-episode series follows the Wissmiller family ---- father Chuck and adult daughters Shonna, Melissa and Emily Wissmiller ---- who work at the funeral home on Poway Road. Sadler is identified as "the boss" on the series' first episode. Hybrid Films, the production company that filmed the show, held an open audition and filmed two finalists. A&E picked the Wissmillers for the series because they were "utterly compelling," according to a network statement in December. Sadler said the embezzlement and fraud convictions stemmed from the fact that he was scrambling for money to pay for medical treatments for his son, who suffered for years with a kidney disease that was not covered by insurance. According to state records, Sadler's son died last year at the age of 24. Sadler said his son died of kidney failure. The first conviction Sadler faced was in 1986, when he was given five years' probation for grand theft related to an Alameda mortuary where he was president, according to court documents. After the probation period ended and he had paid $30,000 in restitution, he petitioned the court to have the felony reclassified as a misdemeanor, a request that was granted, documents show. The 1995 conviction for embezzlement stemmed from the sale of an airplane in Concord, said U.S. Attorney McGregor Scott, who was the prosecuting attorney at the time. Sadler sold an airplane to a business partner for $100,000 but the plane was never produced. Scott said from what he remembers of the case, the plane did not exist at all. Sadler said Thursday that he eventually repaid the $100,000 in addition to serving time in prison. "I just kept paying and paying," he said Thursday. In 1992, Sadler again faced legal and financial troubles. To much hoopla, according to newspaper accounts at the time, Sadler and some partners opened the Central California Horseman's Complex in Lodi, attempting to purchase property and a building for $2.3 million, though the partners were never able to make payments on the lease-purchase agreement. According to Lodi police reports, Sadler took investments of up to $20,000 from a dozen people in exchange for stock certificates and a seat on the company's board of directors. Less than two months later, the business was abruptly shuttered and Sadler moved out during the night without notifying shareholders. The incidents resulted in civil suits, but no criminal prosecution. The police report noted that Sadler had sold stock certificates without the proper state license, and collateral he put up for one shareholder's loan was property Sadler did not actually own. According to newspaper accounts at the time, the district attorney said the county did not have the funds to prosecute white collar crime, so a criminal case was not pursued. On Thursday, Sadler said he leads a different, and better, life in Poway. Sadler had lost his funeral director's license in 1995 because of his embezzlement conviction. He persuaded state officials to reinstate it in 1999. Sadler is a member of the Poway Chamber of Commerce and has been a member of the Poway Valley Riders Association for two years. Association Vice President Nancy Kirchhofer said Sadler has been a valued member of the organization. "And he was a major sponsor of the Poway Valley Riders event last year," she noted. Asked whether he feels that he has made restitution to those he may have hurt in the past, Sadler said he has "made peace with all those people." "You can't discount someone's feelings. ... I think the facts refute it," he said. "If I've done anything to hurt anybody, I'm mortally sorry."
|
Dahli
Member
11-27-2000
| Wednesday, April 21, 2004 - 10:42 am
They do indicate in the opening montage all of the 'connections' between these people, I get the girls are sisters and the dad, but are any of the men (Rick) husbands to these girls and wow what would they do without Shonna!? she's amazing
|
Scorpiomoon
Member
06-06-2002
| Wednesday, April 21, 2004 - 2:27 pm
Dahli: Yep. Rick is married to the blonde sister (whose name I can't remember). The other two guys are just employees and not related to the family. Man, Rick has quite the shady past. I get the feeling this family are pretty smart cookies and wouldn't let him scam them, but I hope they do keep an eye on him (even if he is married to one of the sisters). Seven episodes? And they're showing two each night? Why not stretch it out for seven weeks instead of 3-4?
|
Melfie1222
Member
07-29-2002
| Wednesday, April 21, 2004 - 6:42 pm
Interesting show, and I liked what Aus10 said about it being a needed education for most people... it was an eye-opener for me, for sure.
|
|