TLC, which has become more known for its succession of reality shows in recent years than it has for anything involving learning, will introduce the pilot of a potential new series just after Christmas which documents a rather unconventional funeral parlor.
The show, titled–you guessed it–“Best Funeral Ever”–will feature the people who run a Texas-based company–Golden Gate Funeral Home–specializing in creating unique and memorable funerals and all the “fun” that comes along with it. One memorial service is based around a local man’s love for BBQ and features a sauce fountain in which mourners can dip a “ceremonial” rib to say goodbye; another service was held inside a boxing ring.
The owner of the company, John Beckwith, Jr., says he’s providing a service for people which will never be forgotten, and which takes a bit of the sadness out of the day.
“We’re going to make these families extremely happy at the worst moments of their lives,” he said.
Beckwith is also adamant about having no two funerals be the same; the point of his business is to give each customer a personalized sendoff to make the event as special as possible, so it’s hard to say which is the “best” funeral of them all. For the owner, there is no one that stands out.
“We do not have generic funerals,” he says in the pilot. “Everybody’s experience has to be different.”
The show airs on December 26th.
