Alan Ball

First he created Six Feet Under, the HBO series about a family that runs a funeral home and is steeped in death. Now he's created an HBO series about the undead: True Blood, about vampires who've emerged from the shadows.

Six Feet Under, rest in peace. The HBO series, which aired its final episode Sunday, followed the Fisher family and its funeral home business for five seasons. It received two Golden Globe awards and six Emmys. Alan Ball, creator and executive producer, reflects on his show about death.

Alan Ball is the creator of the new HBO series Six Feet Under. Ball won an Academy Award for writing the screenplay for American Beauty. He also has production credits on the TV shows Cybill and Oh Grow Up. Ball has served as producer, writer and director on Six Feet Under. Ball is a return guest on the show. His first visit was in December of 1999.