TVSquad

The characters on Six Feet Under were fascinating to watch, but they often made horrible romantic choices. Even the couples that stood the test of time had their issues. Most of the truly memorable train wrecks didn't last, though. Here's a look back at some of the show's weirdest relationships.

Ruth Fisher and Arthur Martin - Ruth and Arthur's relationship was arguably the most awkward pairing in Six Feet Under history. Apart from the significant age difference, the relationship suffered from a lack of physical intimacy. You can't build a romance on nuzzling and spooning alone; it didn't take long for Ruth to figure that out. Ruth dumped Arthur, and things took a turn for the worse when she suddenly married George Sibley. Arthur showed his jealousy by arguing with George over the origins of the word "formica" and labeling his food. They finally parted ways after the "poo by mail" misunderstanding.

Fans of Six Feet Under were floored, when at the end "Ecotone" (the fourth to last episode of the series) Nate finally succumbed to his AVM and passed away. His death earned one of the few "end of episode epitaphs" featured on the show.

Fortunately for Nate and his family, everyone had a chance to say good-bye. Claire and David spent hours in the hospital room with him, as did Ruth. Even Brenda visited, despite knowing about the affair with Maggie - until Nate says no more; we're done.

As fans, we cried. We mourned. We couldn't imagine the final three episodes of one HBO's finest programs without it's main player. Of course, we knew he'd be back - dead. That was a given, but it's still not the same. Little did we know what was in store for us.

A whole lot more crying.

Do not adjust your web browser. You are now entering the Retro Squad, where we are reviewing past episodes of classic TV shows.

(S03E08) Two words: Jeanne Tripplehorn. Keith's paintball revenge was his finest moment on the show as far as I'm concerned. The Fishers and Diazes played against type and became people of action, if only for a short while. David and Keith settled their differences on the battlefield, Ruth made several uncomfortable moves on Arthur, and Lisa sized up her competition. Petrarch, head lice, and polygamy also came into play.

Well, this isn't a big surprise: TV Guide's Mike Ausiello has just found out from FOX that The Return of Jezebel James has been canceled after three episodes. Jezebel James was the first project for executive producer Amy Sherman-Palladino since she and her husband, Daniel Palladino, left Gilmore Girls after the show's sixth season.

Reviews for the show -- including mine -- were largely negative; almost all of them cited how Sherman-Palladino's unique writing style and pace were thrown off by the studio audience / laugh track used for the show. FOX obviously didn't have any confidence in the show, because it was airing episodes on Friday nights after cutting its initial order from 13 episodes to 7.

If you're a fan of Amy Sherman-Palladino -- which pretty much means you were a fan of Gilmore Girls -- you've been eagerly awaiting the arrival of her new FOX sitcom, The Return of Jezebel James.

Unfortunately, if you're a fan of Sherman-Palladino's, you're going to end up pretty disappointed. The two episodes that FOX sent out for review were not only devoid of laughs, but uncomfortably paced as well. The pacing is something that's important to note, given the unique dialogue that AS-P and her husband, Daniel Palladino, are known for.

But the most disappointing thing about the show is that it's miscast, in the biggest way possible.

ER's Doug and Carol together again? Don't hold your breath unless you can do so for at least three more years.

Julianna Margulies, who's starring in the FOX mid-season replacement Canterbury's Law, says that she'd love to do another project with former ER love interest George Clooney. But the actress,who left the hospital drama in 2000, wants there to be a full decade in between projects so that fans won't think of them as lovebirds.

Alas, the reunion won't likely take place at Country General, either.

I can't get the theme out of my head: "Bad boys, bad boys ... whatcha gonna do when they come for you? Bad boys, bad boys..."

Fox kicks off its second day of the press tour with a look at Cops, which is turning 20 years old. That's a lot of torn, white tank tops and name-calling, isn't it?

After a historical look back at the real-life crime show that was ahead of its time, when you think about the amount of reality TV that's out there today, Fox will present the rest of its lineup. Bonus: a table read of the 100th episode of Family Guy!

Fox really only has a handful of new pilots to premiere next season because it's holding on to mega ratings-getters like American Idol, House, Prison Break, and 24... to name a few. It's replacing last season's stinkers such as Standoff and Justice.

At its upfronts presentation last month, the net announced two new reality shows, three new comedies and five new dramas. Of those, we have seen all the comedies and dramas except a drama called Nashville, which Fox has not yet released for preview.

This year, FOX is hoping for a stronger fall season with a shorter baseball hiatus. Instead of 26 game nights, FOX is expecting to air only 14 games leading up to and including the World Series. Once again, FOX's January schedule has FOX poised for a win in ratings with non-stop 24 and renewal of American Idol. One schedule item worth noting is The Sarah Connor Chronicles, based on the Terminator movies. Fox chose to hold it until mid-season because they want a strong female audience, which is something they get when American Idol returns.

In: 'Til Death, House, Bones, The Simpsons, Family Guy, King of the Hill, American Dad, America's Most Wanted, Cops, Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?, American Idol, 24, Prison Break,

New: K-Ville, New Amsterdam, The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Back to You, Return of Jezebel James, Rules for Starting Over, Kitchen Nightmares, Canterbury's Law, Nashville

Out: The Winner, Standoff, Drive, The War at Home, The O.C., Justice, Happy Hour, The Rich List, Vanished, The Wedding Bells, The Loop

Moving: 'Til Death, Bones (spring)

Excellent news for Gilmore and Six Feet Under fans. Lauren Ambrose, Six Feet's Claire, has been cast in Amy Sherman-Palladino's upcoming project The Return of Jezebel James as Parker Posey's younger sister. The pilot focuses on juvenile lit publisher Parker Posey and her relationship with her estranged sister. (Jezebel James is the name of the publishing house's popular franchise for pre-adolescent girls.) This is pitch perfect casting. Having read the script, I can tell you that Lauren's character is essentially the person you'd expect Six Feet Under's Claire to be after a couple of years in New York with less chemical experimentation perhaps, but the same amount of artistic ennui.

You'll also be happy to know that the pilot episode is pure Amy Sherman-Palladino. She's back in the game with a script that reads like the best Gilmore episodes against an urban backdrop. It's quick-witted, modern and now perfectly cast.

[Thanks to Lauren R. for the tip.]

Bravo has the exclusive rights to air all 63 episodes of the HBO hit series, Six Feet Under. Bravo says it'll start airing the entire series sometime this year, possibly this fall, although the announcement doesn't give an exact date. HBO refuses to say exactly how much the syndication deal is worth but this report puts it at $15 million, or $250,000 an episode. HBO originally pimped out Six Feet Under for $450,000 but that was a little too rich for other networks' blood. As with Sex and the City, HBO has given Bravo the go-ahead to clean up the language and video.