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Yankee_in_ca
Member
08-01-2000
| Thursday, April 29, 2004 - 6:56 pm
I saw one episode on the road this weekend and I thought it was fantastic. Does anyone know if they are planning a marathon anytime soon so I and my partner can catch up on the first few episodes? I went to the A&E website, but only found the "Mondays at 9PM" blurb. Thanks.
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Pamy
Member
01-02-2002
| Thursday, April 29, 2004 - 8:41 pm
LOL Scorpio..I haven't seen that ep yet...I didn't realize these were repeats ok, I got another co-worker on board for Family Plots!!! 6 of us went to dinner tonite, we started talking about the show (5 of us) the 6th person finally said..OK I WANT TO WATCH THE TAPE! lol I told them about the lip balm names and they were cracking up!
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Ryn
Moderator
08-11-2000
| Friday, April 30, 2004 - 9:33 am
Yankee - next week they will have one new episode and repeat episode #1 - the following week I think they show another new one and repeat episode #2 - so it looks like if you are patient you can catch up Click here for info on how you can win some "Family Plots" stuff. <--shameless plug
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Pamy
Member
01-02-2002
| Friday, April 30, 2004 - 10:01 am
Ryn, if we sent you an email, are you going to respond that you got it?
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Lancecrossfire
Moderator
07-13-2000
| Friday, April 30, 2004 - 10:35 am
Yankee, I'd enjoy hearing your perspectives of the show in terms of what you like about the show itself, and anything you like about the technical aspects (or aspects from who it's put together)
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Yankee_in_ca
Member
08-01-2000
| Friday, April 30, 2004 - 10:39 am
Lance, I'd be happy to, once I've seen a few more episodes. Initially, my "fantastic" comment is based upon the subject matter, the family/business/individual dynamics, and the fascination of getting the behind-the-scenes of a business that nearly everyone uses, but doesn't really give a thought to what goes on to make that business work. In terms of production or technical aspects, I'll gladly post some of my thoughts here once I've seen a few more. Obviously I think it is well produced, given my positive initial reaction to it. But in terms of articulating that, I'll have to formulate my thoughts a little better once I've seen some more! Thanks, Ryn for the info. I wish they'd run a weekend marathon or something. How many episodes have already aired?
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Yankee_in_ca
Member
08-01-2000
| Friday, April 30, 2004 - 11:24 am
Just read this article: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20040430-9999-7m30bodies.html 'Six Feet Under' goes real-life in new show By Pat Sherman UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER April 30, 2004 POWAY – The woman appeared relaxed as makeup was applied around her eyes, and gauze covering portions of her face made it look as if she were getting a makeover at a day spa, except for one significant detail – she was no longer alive. It was a typical scene of Shonna Smith working on the dead in a new television reality show. Smith, 36, and other employees at Poway Bernardo Mortuary, including her father and two sisters, are the unlikely stars of "Family Plots." The series, which airs on the A&E channel at 9 p.m. Mondays, features scenes of actual undertaking work by Smith, and actual bodies. "Please don't take my being cavalier as not caring, because it's just so normal," Smith said about the work she does on national TV. Like any cosmetologist, Smith has her preferred products. "The use of wax is kind of a lost art in this business," she explained. "It fills in little spaces. . . . I've been in this business for 18 years, and it's the one thing that I can't live without." Originally from the Detroit area, Smith's family followed her west to San Francisco, then to San Diego. Her father and sisters got involved in the funeral business, she said, while helping out during busy periods. Smith's corporate-owned mortuary on Poway Road was chosen for the series after she responded to an advertisement in a trade publication seeking a family of undertakers to star in a real-life version of HBO's Emmy Award-winning drama "Six Feet Under." Poway Bernardo's demonstration tape was chosen out of about 20 other funeral homes in the running, Smith said. The characters at Poway Bernardo, and perhaps the public's fascination with the business of death, have combined to make "Family Plots" an apparent hit. A&E spokesman Michael Feeney said the first hour-long segment, which ran April 19, performed 42 percent above A&E's ratings average, and a second season is being discussed. The funeral home has received many positive calls and letters, Smith said, also acknowledging that 10 percent have been negative – mostly from funeral directors offended by the deceased being shown on television. "We're aware of laws pertaining to human remains, but what we showed was with the expressed permission of the family," Smith said. "We feel the reason why families have agreed to partake in this is because they want the opportunity to share their loss and grief with others. It's nothing to hide; it's a celebration of life through death." Profanity an issue One sore spot among some in the industry is the use of profanity, mainly by Smith's father, the mercurial Chuck Wissmiller, a former champion light-heavyweight boxer and whiskey salesman. Shown as habitually late when delivering bodies to the airport, or making a salacious comment about a red-headed woman he finds attractive, Wissmiller is also the one depicted as being most deeply affected by contact with the dead. In one scene, Wissmiller is reminded of his own mother when removing a woman's corpse from her deathbed. "She was probably a very beautiful lady at one time," he says. Wissmiller said he is a recovering alcoholic, which has given him thin skin about grief and death. Funeral Director David Moravee is a "Star Trek" devotee whose fastidiousness often flusters fellow undertakers. Originally pursuing a career as a radio deejay, Moravee one day found himself talking with career counselor, who administered an aptitude test indicating he would make a good funeral director. "I laughed my head off for days," Moravee said. "The first few days I said, 'No way.' " He eventually warmed to the idea. "I decided to give it a try, and have been very, very happy in my career ever since," he said. "I hope that when people watch the program, they walk away knowing that . . . we're not just a bunch of ghouls digging up graves." Though Smith is still hoping to groom her youngest sister, Emily Vigney, as a full-time funeral director, Vigney said she's not sure she wants the job. "I just don't think I could do it," she said. "I'm too sensitive." Appreciation for life But Vigney said her work at the mortuary has given her a newfound appreciation for life. "This is the end," she said. "When you leave here each day you say a prayer. . . . When you're here on Earth, you thank God for your blessings." Also appearing in the show is Poway Bernardo manager Rick Sadler, who sparked some initial controversy when a week before show's premiere the North County Times reported problems in his past. In the mid 1990s, Sadler's funeral director's license was revoked as the result of an embezzlement conviction, according to the California Cemetery and Funeral Bureau, which restored the license in 1999. His license was revoked again in January due to $2,002 in unpaid fines for using Poway Bernardo's license in advertisements for a separate funeral-related business. Sadler, who declined to be interviewed for this story, paid the fines last week, and his license has been reinstated. "He's back in our good graces," said Kevin Flanagan, a spokesman for the bureau. Though Sadler's record with the state is clear, the mortuary's relationship with a professional association may be on the rocks. Bob Vandenbergh, a spokesman for the National Funeral Directors Association, said it had received a complaint from one of its members about the show. He said Poway Bernardo was under investigation, and that the mortuary's membership could be revoked. Much like "Six Feet Under," Vandenbergh said, he and others in his organization feel "Family Plots" portrays the industry in both a positive and negative light. Some feedback negative "There were certain parts of the second episode I saw that expressed the care and concern that Shonna had for the lady who was killed in the automobile accident. That's something we're very proud of. There were other parts of the show, of course, where we found that the care and concern wasn't there," said Vandenbergh, referring to an incident in the first episode, when Wissmiller drove several kids to a boxing studio while on his way to deliver a body to the airport. "We felt that it was kind of disturbing to see the casualness and the lack of respect with which the remains were treated. . . . That would never or should never be done." Vandenbergh also expressed dismay over the show's frantic pace – including a scene where a funeral service was almost forgotten. But Bob Achermann, executive director of the California Funeral Directors Association, said stress and deadlines are as germane to the funeral industry as to any other business. "You can't delay death," Achermann said. "It's like retail. You can't ask for 10 customers to walk in at one time. When death occurs, you're either able to respond or not – and that can put stress on the employees." Although "Family Plots" was inspired by the success of "Six Feet Under," Smith has no idea if her family has anything in common with the fictional Fisher & Sons. She has never seen the HBO series. "I get 'Six Feet Under' all day long here," Smith said. "When I go home, I want to see the History Channel or maybe 'The Sopranos
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Halfunit
Member
09-02-2001
| Friday, April 30, 2004 - 11:42 am
quote:Originally from the Detroit area, Smith's family followed her west to San Francisco, then to San Diego. Her father and sisters got involved in the funeral business, she said, while helping out during busy periods.
Well - there's the Detroit connection, if it hasn't been mentioned above.
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Pamy
Member
01-02-2002
| Friday, April 30, 2004 - 1:20 pm
I thought Poway sounded familar, it is only about 1 1/2 hrs from here
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Scorpiomoon
Member
06-06-2002
| Monday, May 03, 2004 - 6:48 pm
Well, tonight's episode was touching. Shonna came away looking like a saint. If the editing was genuine, she'd be a really cool person to get to know. I feel bad for Chuck. The guy needs someone to help him out, but he seems to proud to ask.
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Watching2
Member
07-07-2001
| Monday, May 03, 2004 - 11:01 pm
I thought it was really touching, too, Scorpiomoon. I was really touched by how they interacted and cared for the families, as well as seeing their whole family together for dinner, giving thanks for the things they have. It just showed despite the frustrations and spats which come up between them, they truly are a loving family. I agree Chuck needs help. If I were the director/owner, I don't think I'd want to have to depend on him so much to get the job done. The bit with losing his paycheck and actually asking the guy to take him back to work to look again, was a bit over the top! If anything, I bet things are just as "real" at many other places, but they wouldn't want it seen on television. Afterall, who wants to be seen messing up and swearing on national TV, esp. in a business where you are required to display the utmost of decorum. I'm so glad there's more shows to come. I enjoyed rewatching the first episode again, too. I had forgotten some parts of it.
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Pamy
Member
01-02-2002
| Tuesday, May 04, 2004 - 5:18 am
It is sad to watch Chuck, he is really losing his mind and I think deep down he knows it. I wonder how much longer they can let him work there...I think if he did stop working there he would really lose his mind. Shonna is a gem! I wish the funeral ppl at the place I had my mom's funeral at were as sweet and compassionate. The lady I dealt with was rude and cold. Ever time I would start to cry should would stand up and say 'ok, let's take a break until you calm down'...I was like 'look lady, I am going to be like this for months and the funeral is Sat so sit down and let's finish this' As it turned out my mom wasn't 'ready' on Sat so we had the funeral without her. We had to laugh though, my mom and I were famous for being late and always said that we would wheel the casket in after the funeral started...so even without trying she was late for her own funeral...a phrase she and I heard all the time LOL
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Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Tuesday, May 04, 2004 - 5:57 am
I really like Shonna too. I was so touched when Chuck got upset with the daughter who teased him about being diabetic. He just looked so hurt that she would talk about it in front of the camera.
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Aus10
Member
09-28-2000
| Tuesday, May 04, 2004 - 7:05 am
Today's insider report...... Episode #5 (Sorry I forgot the title) Re: Shauna. She is one awesome funeral director/embalmer. One guy I worked with was the same way. He would rather work backroom operations than meet with families. Although he knew from a very young age that he wanted to be a funeral director, he too felt more comfortable behind the scenes. Believe it or not becoming too close to a family can be very hard when it comes to directing a funeral. It's hard to lead (and I know that sounds cold) but a lot of families actually need to be lead through the process, and when your so close to the situation you sometimes sit back and don't do enough for the family. For the money a family spends, they should have your best during the whole ordeal they are facing. On the other hand....someone like Pamy had is unthinkable. There is a happy medium to the situation. Aids/Ebola-----We never had a case of Ebola. Thank heavens! But yes, funeral directors do see it all. And thankfully are trained, and continually trained through continuing education, for the proper handling of such things. Crutzfeldt-Jacobs Disease can sometimes show some of the same syptoms as alzheimer's and is a big concern in the funeral industry. Now, I'm not saying that all funeral homes have the same idea about safety (although they should!)but a family should be able to get a clear picture from looking around a little. Is the appearance of the FH clean? Sure the chapel may look good...but what about the other areas? Bathrooms, family lounges, and the office? This discussion brings me to the trash. I had to laugh.....you're not going to find, at least I hope not, anything in the trash at a funeral home that you wouldn't find in your own home trash. Once again...strict regulations. Bio-chemical waste disposal is a must for sharps, etc. just like in a hospital. And disposal isn't cheap....and we wonder why costs keep going up in the funeral industry. David seemed cold to me....the exact opposite of Shauna. Now I know I said you need to keep somewhat detached from the situation, but he seems to far to the other end of the spectrum to me. While I agree that you need to help personalize each service as he said, I've yet to see him do it. We would fully utilize all our resources when it came to personalization. We even went as far as building horseshoe pits (removable of course ) for one family who's loved one lived and breathed horseshoes. Trophy's, pictures, and memento's helped to make it a celebration of this gentleman's life. Chuckie, Chuckie, Chuckie......you need some help. Memory loss is no laughing matter, and although you do provide the comic relief in this show, I'm waiting for you to file the wrong death certificate, forget a burial permit, or heaven forbid......send the wrong body somewhere it shouldn't be. My big thought on this episode was their selection room! AWESOME! Selection rooms like their's can cost upwards of 100,000.00. Not chump change by any means! But a selection room like their's is not near as intimidating as many. Which would you prefer....a room loaded with full size caskets....or a room with 1/2 to 1/4 units which don't look like caskets. Kinda like going to the Home Depot and picking a new kitchen cabinet. Pick the style, color, and hardwood, or in this case metal. I'd say that this firm uses Aurora or Batesville by the look and design of their room. We've carried both, but couldn't swing that fancy of a selection room. Which brings me to a tour suggestion for your next vacation...LOL. A trip to Batesville, Indiana. Home of Batesville casket company, one of the, if not the largest maker of casket's. I know...I know....but it is really an awesome place to see. Think Detroit auto plant production but with a human touch. Some casket's can be hand polished for hours upon hours, and many headliner's are custom designed. It's a truly great tour......
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Essence
Member
01-12-2002
| Tuesday, May 04, 2004 - 7:46 am
Darnit, I missed this episode fooling around with that dang 10.5 movie. Hopefully I can catch the repeat. Sounds like I missed a good one.
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Watching2
Member
07-07-2001
| Tuesday, May 04, 2004 - 9:16 am
Aus10 - Thanks again for your wonderful insight! I really look forward to your commentary. I agree, that selection room really was something! I also liked the idea of not seeing full-sized coffins. I agree with you about David. It seems he tries to distance himself too much. Shonna is awesome, but she'd burnout doing the family meetings all the time. There's one funeral home(s) who does most of the funerals at our church. The guys who work there are familiar faces and I find them really nice and comforting. They seem to hold just the right combination of professionalism and empathy. Pamy - I'm so sorry you had such a terrible experience w/your mom. Our family has always said the same thing about being late to our own funerals. I've never heard it actually come true, though! I bet your Mom had a good chuckle over it. Essence - I just set my VCR to tape this show every week so I was able to watch that goofy movie and watch this show afterwards. Could that movie have had any more cheesy special effects?!! OY!
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Ryn
Moderator
08-11-2000
| Tuesday, May 04, 2004 - 9:39 am
Pamy - sorry so late on the reply - yes - if you write me I will reply that you are entered
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Essence
Member
01-12-2002
| Tuesday, May 04, 2004 - 11:47 am
A&E 'Family Plots' mortuary owner has "con man" past By Wade Paulsen, 04/26/2004 Once again, a heretofore-concealed criminal record of a reality-TV show participant has been dug up. In this case, though, it was convictions for grand theft and embezzlement that were the skeletons in the closet of ... a funeral-home owner/manager. Richard ("Rick") Sadler, one of the stars of A&E's Family Plots, which focuses on the personal lives and business issues in his Poway Bernardo Mortuary in Poway, California (near San Diego), was characterized by a former business partner as "a con man" who "has never done a straight thing in his life" in an article in the Lodi News-Sentinel. Sadler, who claims to have grown up in the funeral business, was convicted of embezzlement in Contra Costa County (outside of San Francisco) in 1995 for bilking a business partner out of $100,000 in the sale of an airplane. He was behind the short-lived "Central California Horsemen's Complex" in Lodi, a business which disappeared overnight ... with thousands of dollars in investors' cash. He was convicted of grand theft in 1986. In addition, according to the North County Times, Sadler does not hold a valid funeral director's license -- which makes his continued operation of Poway Bernardo Mortuary unlawful. In the Lodi case, Sadler opened the equestrian center with much hoopla in November 1992. The center was touted as a magnet for national horse events -- but it quickly ran into issues with Lodi city code compliance. On the morning of February 4, 1993, only about three months after the opening, workers reported to the center ... to find that the entire equestrian operation had packed up and disappeared into the night. Ultimately, the San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office decided not to pursue criminal charges against Sadler, stating that the county did not have the money to prosecute white-collar crime and recommending instead that victims file civil lawsuits against him. Whether victims did so is uncertain, but the chances of recovery in such lawsuits is usually either "slim" or "none," and "slim" just left town. Sadler was not so lucky in the 1995 airplane case, and he ended up serving eight months of a 16-month sentence in Pelican Bay State Prison. Additionally, another person who purchased a supposed aviation business from Sadler sued him and won a judgment for breach of contract and fraud when it turned out that the aviation business did not exist. Oh, and Sadler's conviction for grand theft in 1986 was for embezzling money from a mortuary, for which he received five years probation and was ordered to pay back $30,000. Neither sentence seems to have deterred him from further wrongdoing. It seems stunning that a person with so much history of preying on innocents should be permitted to hold a position that puts him in contact with people at one of the most vulnerable moments in their lives. But, in fact, it turns out that Sadler does not have a valid California funeral director's license either. Sadler's original funeral director's license was revoked in 1987 after his grand theft conviction. However, despite his subsequent embezzlement conviction and prison term, Sadler's funeral director's license was reinstated in 1999, about two years after he got out of prison, after he claimed to have reformed. In January 2003, though, Sadler once again found himself in trouble. This time, according to the North County Times, Sadler was operating an unlicensed mortuary service called San Diego Mortuary Services that used the Poway Bernardo Mortuary phone numbers in advertisements. He was cited both for operating an unlicensed service and for unprofessional conduct when he refused to cooperate with the investigation and was fined $2,002. The renewal of his license was frozen pending payment of the fine, which he has not paid. Thus, Sadler has been working as an unlicensed funeral director since January. In his defense, Sadler told the North County Times that he bilked people out of their savings in an effort to raise money for his medical costs related to medical treatments for his son, who died last year at the age of 24. We imagine that his excuses make the people from whom he stole feel a lot better about being his victims. On its official web site for the show, A&E characterizes Rick as "a recovering workaholic" who "lost all his money in the last market crash" -- a fiction that indicates A&E had done little background checking into Richard Sadler prior to casting his funeral home as the center of the show. Perhaps as a result, the focus of the show is on the Wissmiller family -- father Chuck, eldest daughter Melissa (Rick's erstwhile finacee), middle daughter Shonna (the star of the show), youngest daughter Emily (who appeared to have been added to the mortuary staff just for this show), and father Chuck (a one-time pugilist who seems to have taken a few too many blows to the head). TV critics have had a hard time deciding whether the show, which has generally been compared to HBO's mortuary-based satiric soap opera Six Feet Under, is worthy of praise for its "docu-soap" depiction of a family under stress or deserving of a quick exit for its trivialization of death. In the praise category are reviews from Newsday, NPR and the Houston Chronicle; in the opposite camp are the Boston Globe, the New York Times and the York (PA) Daily Record. Since we agree with the latter writer that puns about this show are "dead tired," we will simply say that we refuse to hold the show to a higher standard than Six Feet Under just because it's reality instead of make-believe, but we never saw a plot on Six Feet Under as far-fetched as a longtime con man running a funeral home, either. http://www.realitytvworld.com/index/articles/story.php?s=2520
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Pamy
Member
01-02-2002
| Tuesday, May 04, 2004 - 6:38 pm
Ryn..I emailed ya last week...I guesss you didn't get it then..I will email you again
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Pamy
Member
01-02-2002
| Tuesday, May 04, 2004 - 6:41 pm
I sent it to the familyplot email..let me know if you get it..thanks!! Thanks Watching, I am sure my Mom was having a good chuckle!!!
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Lori
Member
04-18-2003
| Wednesday, May 05, 2004 - 5:06 pm
Rats...I missed the episodes...my darn family got in the way! LOL! Does anyone know when they will replay it?
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Ryn
Moderator
08-11-2000
| Thursday, May 06, 2004 - 10:16 am
Lori - they will replay it late Sunday night if memory serves Hey everyone - Another goody to give away!!! The wonderful person that is providing the T-shirts and Lip-embalm sets just wrote me and said she can also get us a $50 gift-certificate to the A&E online store!!! So if you haven't signed up already be sure to do so!! The contest will run for 2-3 more weeks at least and then I'll be drawing the names out of a hat. Click Here For Contest Info
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Lancecrossfire
Moderator
07-13-2000
| Thursday, May 06, 2004 - 10:26 am
Ryn, that is very nice of her to throw that in along with all the other prizes. Please tell her thank you for us! I watch the shows as my workouts allow me to see them--lol. I'm a bit behind, but at least have seen some of them. I think to be around this family in real life would take energy. They are very passionate, and they are into interacting a lot with each other. Each show, they seem to bring out the approach of treating the families like they would want to be treated. As long as they approach things from that perspective, things will work out well for them. I still love the idea of doing a show about such a business--one that is used everyday, yet a business that not many people talk about. We seem to avoid things concerning death. Ryn, could you check with the network person and ask if we gave them a list of questions about the show if they would try answering any of them? I think posting answers to our questions would be educational.
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Ryn
Moderator
08-11-2000
| Thursday, May 06, 2004 - 10:26 am
As for the article above - its a weeeee bit biased - I read the original article in the paper - thats obviously one persons "editorial" take on things. Either way I am loving the show 
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Ryn
Moderator
08-11-2000
| Thursday, May 06, 2004 - 10:27 am
Actually Lance I think she checks in here every once in a while but I will drop her a note in the near future and ask 
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