User reviews

Outstanding television show where plenty was going on in that Wisconsin town.

What an assortment of characters. From Fyvush Finkel to the late Ray Walston, they totally etched unforgettable characters. Kathy Baker and Tom Skerritt were wonderful as the town marshal and his doctor wife. Their children, the precocious Adam Wylie and Holly Marie Combs, gave us plenty of room to think. Then there was Ginnie, the Switchboard Operator, played with relish by Poltergeist's the late Zelda Rubinstein.

Different situations were acted out each week with irony resulting at the end of each show. It gave one lots of cause to think rationally in a sometimes irrational world.

Loved the show and watched it religiously when it was first aired. Now that I'm re-watching the series again, the many, many flaws are clear. The writing is simplistic and plot lines are quite often a stretch, to the point of being ridiculous. And how many times do I see Tom Skerrit with that quizzical and confused look on his face with a sidelong glance as he appears to practically tip over? Even with all of that, it is a terrific series and always entertaining. One of my favorites.

This was one of the best TV series ever conceived.

My video'd copies are getting very worn out!

Thanks to David Kelley and all the cast, especially Fyvush Finkel and the late,great Ray Walston.

With all the pap that's passing for entertainment these days, this show stands out all the more. Week after week this show tossed out thought provoking questions in all areas of our society - medical, criminal, religious, philosophical - any aspect of our society and lives was fair game. And it wrapped these questions around the lives of a hugely talented cast of fully realized characters. The show also had the courage to not play it safe. It routinely tackled "hot button" issues from abortion, to homosexuality, to belief in God, to constitutional protection of rights. Is there ANY show on TV now that comes close to this??

Ironically, I "discovered" this show while on vacation in the Midwest when I came across a full page advertisement by a religious organization, decrying it's blasphemy. The advertisement described some of the situations dealt with in the show - and I knew right away this was a show for me.

Entertaining, intelligent, funny, exciting, involving. If they ever get around to releasing the 5 seasons on DVD - jump on it!

First of all, I must admit I'm not a big fan of David E. Kelley. Some of his famous TV shows are average in my opinion, just to enjoy one episode on a lazy Sunday afternoon and that's all. I would never buy them on DVD because all the TV shows I own on DVD must be above average, have to be something special. And Picket Fences was something really special!!!

The show was broadcasted in 1992 and run for 4 seasons. In my home country only the first 3 seasons were shown on TV so you can imagine my surprise when 20 years later I saw the new episodes. Unfortunately, Season 4 has nothing to do with the rest of the series....The absence of Mr Kelley just made the show flopped. Nothing is right in Season 4....characters behaving in a different way, stupid plots and dialogs, etc. So, my advice...enjoy Season 1-3 and forget Season 4. Season 3 had a perfect ending for the show so it's better to be remembered that way

I was lucky to watch the show again 20 years later....time enough to check if it has aged well. The answer is YES!!! The show still rocks. That strange combination of black humor, tenderness, provocation and moral dilemmas still Works perfectly. No wonder the show was a favorite one from critics and won several Emmys.

Picket Fences was a excellent TV show. It brings out polemical issues on a day-to-day life in that little town called Rome. It makes us think, and think a lot. Religion, sexuality, abortion, drugs, poverty and other aspects were carefully written in there. Sometimes I watch an episode, in 2013, and find it extremely polemical and I just imagine how would that cause back in 1992. Crimes are brought up just as much, and the characters have their stories and evolve beautifully. I just find it terrific.Unfortunately, only the first season has been released in DVD, I truly don't get why the other's haven't. The Brock family looks so real in there, which makes it even greater. It is definitely worth-watching and I wish it became more popular in this new generation (me included)! I made two of my friends watch it, and they do not regret it.

I was an addicted Picket Fences fan while it was playing on TV. The first three seasons were so atypical of television that it redeemed the rest of the garbage shown. Season Four suffered terribly at Kelley's absence, but it still had some good episodes. I recently purchased Season 1 on DVD and realized it had been two years since it had been released? Where's the rest of them? Why is every schlock TV series on DVD and not this? I've read it has to do with music rights and disputes over that. Actually, if you really want to, you can purchase all four seasons from various sites. The DVD discs are video transfer and the quality looks like video transfer, but if you really crave the series it will assuage your yearning until something better comes out. There are two episodes missing from season 3 and the first disc of Season 4 had a lot of break up interference, but the rest of season 4 was almost DVD quality and was captioned to boot. Superlative acting, exceptional writing, thought provoking and a haunting theme music. Picket Fences fans, unite!

Just after "Boston Public" wrapped with Kathy Baker held hostage in the basement, I wondered if I'd ever see "Dr. Jill Brock" in action again. A chance scan of TNN's weekday schedule brought a pleasant surprise: Five days of "Picket Fences"! (Time for the VCR and popcorn as the search for "The Serial Bather" starts again.) First one seen: A "Show & Tell" turned into a hunt for "The Green Bay Chopper," with Kenny and Max drawing on two Krycek-like FBI agents.

Judge Bone got a rest in this episode, but Douglas Wambaugh took on the Feds...and won! ("What law school did YOU go to?" "Your Honor, he's down to MY level!") Carter Pike's finest hour with The Hand brought the case to an automatic fire end, where "CSI"-like work tied it all up...though Max did get shaken up at the end.

The problem with a much-loved TV series is that it tends to become so formulaic that you can pretty well predict the outcome of nearly all episodes. I used to watch this when it came on TV, but I don't know how many series or episodes. However, now that i have the chance to revisit the town (city?) of Rome via DVD I am doing so. Let's start with Rome, is it a town or a city? In one episode, the then-mayor calls it a city, and they certainly seem to have all the facilities of a city, with a seemingly large hospital - doing transplants no less - and scores of cops with a sheriff and two deputies. I don't know how these things run in rural USA but in many countries that would point to a city. The sheriff and his wife seem to have no conflict of interest issues, even when she storms into the jail and demands the key to release her father following his arrest. I can't stand the woman, so I'm biased, although I recognise good acting, but surely at some point the sheriff could say no? Fyvesh Finkel is the star in my eyes, he is "a character" and lifts the mood considerably. The family are pretty mediocre, and although the middle son is obviously headed for a juvenile facility at some point in his life, (if not jail), they act a good family life. The little boy, with the ears, appears to have gone out of acting now, which is a pity because he would have done well. The two deputies are pretty well rogue, doing what they want, with whom and where it pleases them. It gives some concern about the standard of law and order in small town USA. The stories are for the most part good, with some unusual quirks thrown in - a dwarf running away with an elephant comes to mind. The cast is sterling, they play their parts so well, you cannot tell they're acting, which is probably why some are so irritating. On the whole, in my personal opinion, it's a good series, holds the attention, and draws the viewer back again and again. If I want to slap some of the characters, that's tribute to the acting ability and the writing, not the actors. I know it's some 25 years old, and apart from the shoulder pads, it has stood the test of time well.

I loved this show back in the day and I rewatch every couple of years. Such great acting from the main cast with some often-bizarre but still thought provoking episodes.

Series 4 was a serious dip in quality which is when a different showrunner came in and the show became almost unrecognisable. Seems to be David E Kelley's modus operandi to create a series and then he seems to lose interest and hands the reins to someone else who is less skilled.

That said, it's a great show that was in so many ways ahead of its time.

The acting chops of Kathy Baker and Ray Walston are second-to-none.

You'll grow to both love and hate this throw back episodic show from the 90s. In many ways it feels ahead of it's time. Thus, watching it years later has a certain fascination. I enjoyed the strange mix of bizarre murder mystery coupled with the small town feel. That's where the show really shined, when it wasn't taking itself too seriously and let the viewer think for themselves. Now for the bad (perhaps, also ahead of its time) - eventually the show goes off the rails and starts getting very preachy and one sided about various political issues. Even worse, it just repeats the same tired issues! By the 100th or so episodes on assisted suicide, you'll start to wonder if the writers suffered from some kind of amnesia. What's truly bizarre, for a show so keen on progression is that the characters never seem to learn anything! Though, the one exception is defense attorney Douglas Wambaugh. Not only does he seem to learn from each episode, but he reminds the audience what a joke it is that history is repeating - in almost a "breaking the 4th wall" fashion. Despite my criticism, this show is a gem from an era now gone and well worth checking out. Just feel comfortable skipping through some episodes, you'll be glad you did.

A must watch, a show that makes you laugh and cry and think is a true pleasure. The acting is incredible and the story lines are entertaining and always have a thoughtful ending.

I used to enjoy this show when it first aired.

Watching it decades later I feel that it hasn't aged well. I also find it too preachy, the writers really shove their opinions down the viewers throats. A lot of the subject matters seem silly today, at least to me as a Scandinavian. (but judging by the comments here it seems that this show is still controversial to some people).

Some of the stuff still works, the small absurd things, but all the politics really date the show.

Perhaps interesting as a time document, but to a modern viewer a lot of the show feels awkward.

Another David E Kelley gem that won several Emmys. A wonderful series about Rome Wisconsin. It follows the lives of the sheriff, his wife, the doctor, their 3 children and their circle of friends. It shows them dealing with the frustrations and joys of everyday life, dealing with the town "characters" including, an ambitious deputy sheriff..a young woman trying to make it in a traditionally male profession, a tough but not terribly bright deputy who had an affair with the female mayor, an Alzheimer affected gentleman who had good and bad moments as the mayor, a grandstanding Jewish lawyer who took cases that were colorful and controversial, a world weary judge, and an insecure coroner. This is a wonderful show that stands the test of time.

PICKET FENCES is one of my all-time favorite TV series. Its content is mostly brilliant, and there are some episodes that are worth watching again and again (for example "The body politic"). In my opinion, PICKET FENCES is the most entertaining and intelligent or simply: the BEST TV series of the 1990's.

I want to say something about some of the series' main characters - in order to a) express my opinion on them and b) maybe awake your interest in PICKET FENCES.

Jimmy Brock has to get two tasks under only one hat (in the word's truest meaning): He's a family's father and the Sheriff of the fictional town of Rome, Wisconsin. Mostly, he masters these two tasks in a very human way. That is, because he is a very moral person, who is willing to do nearly everything in order to defend his ideals.

He always acts accordingly to his own principles, but is also able to accept all the critique he sometimes hears (for example when he shot the dancing thief in the back). But his strong belief in his own principles can also be regarded as Jimmy's most negative character trait: At times, he can be so stubborn, that even the members of his own family turn away from him - even if only for a short period of time.

It's this ambivalence, which makes him a highly interesting character. Of all the series' characters, I can identify the most with Jimmy. He is my favorite character.

His wife Jill is a very social person. This seems closely connected to her work as a doctor: It's an everyday experience for her to help people. She doesn't leave it at pills and syringes, but also helps people around her in other fields - even if these people don't want her to help them (as for example in the episode "Paging Dr. God").

Nevertheless, I have some problems with Jill: Firstly, as I said, she often intervenes in business, that is none of hers; she's not able to merely watch something - no, she always feels compelled to act. Secondly, she's very conservative. That became evident for example, when she was in court and confessed, that she believes in the virgin birth of Mary (as seen in "Rights of passage").

I have even more problems with the Brocks' oldest child, their daughter Kimberly: On the one hand she's quite self-confident and ambitious, while on the other hand she's terribly precocious. She doesn't intervene as often as her step-mother Jill does, but she has an opinion on everything - which at times can be even worse. She's not even 20 and should maybe step back a bit. She doesn't know as much about real life as she thinks she does.

I hate Douglas Wambaugh. That's not mainly caused by his profession as an attorney, but more by his attitude towards his profession and by his understanding of right and justice: Wambaugh doesn't really care, whether his client is guilty or not - he simply wants to win his trials. Of course: True justice can't ever be achieved that way.

Wambaugh always goes with the tide, and he would absolutely unscrupulously take any citizen of Rome to testify for his client the one day and destroy the same citizen in court the very next day, if this seems "necessary" (to Wambaugh's definition). As contradictory as it seems: One could describe Wambaugh as "consequently opportunistic". At least he's got a dry humor, which I sometimes like.

Judge Henry Bone is on his best days Rome's conscience. On his worst days he seems to follow that, which was once called "Lex Bone" (in the episode "Without mercy"): This term concerns his sometimes seemingly arbitrary decisions, which sometimes seemed to me to be made following only Bone's very own sense of justice. The most unpardonable example was the acquittal of the murderer nun in the episode "Sacred hearts".

Judge Bone's name already insinuates, that he's sometimes as hard as a bone. His favorite sentence is a legend among the fans of PICKET FENCES: "Get outta here!"

Rome's two most important deputies are Maxine Stewart and Kenny Lacos. Even though they have some problems as well on their own as with one another, they are quite good a team. Maybe that's caused by the fact, that the two of them could hardly be more different from one another than they are: Maxine is insecure and manipulative to a degree, that one has to wonder how she could ever become a police officer. Kenny is a tough guy, who sometimes exaggerates his job and who can't always control himself.

Maxine dreams of true love - which mostly remains unfulfilled. Kenny, although being a strong catholic, is a quite chauvinist character: To him, women should mainly be in kitchen or in bed. I can't really identify with neither Maxine nor Kenny, but their discussions are often very amusing.

Carter Pike is Rome's coroner. He's an absolute authority on his field, but that's about everything positive that can be said about him. That is, because the rest of his life mainly consists of loneliness and failed relationships and the knowledge, that most citizens of Rome regard him as a ridiculous person. Which in a way he is, but that doesn't make him unsympathetic - on the contrary!

I can only recommend everyone to visit Rome, Wisconsin, via TV. I don't think, you'll regret it.

Please God would some streaming platform who broadcast in the UK please add this full show. Apart from series 1, it can't be bought (unless on an 'suspect' poor quality DVD set). I've watched it many times but could go again.......and again.......and again.

Everything that has been written in reviews here about 'Picket Fences' is likely true: the bad and the good.

It's like looking at a quilt - you will be struck by the brilliance of the colors and if that is not there, you may be impressed by the orderly patterns. There is so much skill on display that once you feel the effort behind the product, you WILL sit up and pay attention.

I'm watching the first season after not having seen 'Picket Fences' in years. A hand pickled in a jar? An elephant performing tricks for youngsters on the front lawn? Sprinkle among all the clever plots and characters so many small touches that spike your appetite to see more - and there's the reason the series succeeded.

I almost forgot how very sexy the sheriff is. Tom Skerritt and Kathy Baker might pass you unnoticed on the street but in front of the camera, they just blend together with an aura of sexual attraction. Lauren Holly and Costas Mandylor, on the other hand, are strikingly attractive and yet their chemistry is a question mark. Will they or won't they? It will take more episodes to see that!

The plots are clever. The town is a fantasy, a Wisconsin mirage chock-full of unconventional types who look for all the world like the most conventional.

There is a mother who keeps her young child chastised and quiet by placing a small shoe in her mouth. Not likely to see such things in a television series today - what an imaginative and entertaining show, out of all we know today with political correctness, and yet stuffed with progressive lessons and values...

I watched this show during its original run and have always looked for it on DVD. As another commenter noted, there's a lot of schlock out there on DVD while this excellent show languishes in the digital files. My favorite actor was Fyvish Finkel; mostly because I read that he had been acting since the days of Yiddish theater in NYC. How's that for tradition? He reminded me of many of the central Europeans I got to know when I lived in Cleveland,Ohio. I was also much taken by Tom Skerrit and have watched for him ever since this show ended. I loved the issues raised by the show because they were real ones that nobody wants to address; nothing is black and white, one or the other in human life. The show had the integrity to say that. In this current time of right wing/left wing, nothing in the center, Picket Fences reruns are soothing and reassuring.

I've only recently purchased and viewed season one and have to admit that I am now addicted. I am so sorry that I never watched the show while it was on TV. Now that I have been exposed with only Season One, I can hardly wait until the remaining three seasons are available. Does anyone know when (or if) the release of the remaining seasons will be coming out? I am not sure if this is where I should even be asking this question. But, I am willing to try anything to find a suitable media for viewing the remaining three seasons. So, if you know where I can obtain more of the episodes, e-mail me at dentpipe@yahoo.com.

Thanks in advance for any response.

To All of the wonderful fans out there. This is definitely one of the best productions that David E. Kelley has produced. I loved everysingle episode. The characters are brilliantly written. My next part is not really what would normally be posted here, but I need your help...

This is not really a Review - this is my last avenue. I have tried everywhere to find out the answer to my question. I will delete once someone is hopefully able to help me.

DOES ANYONE OF THE FANS KNOW - What is the name of the painting which hung in the Courtroom behind Judge Henry Bone. I've tried everywhere...Please help....even though I know this is not the right forum..Thank You....

I watched a few episodes of the show when it was on originally and didn't like it. I decided to watch it again thinking maybe I was just too young for it at the time. No I wasn't too young for it, this show just tries too hard to be politically correct. I feel like it could have been a great show if they left out the politics. I stopped watching most American TV shows a while ago and this show is a great reminder of why.

When ever I open the television and Picket fences is coming, I get a satisfactioned smile on my face and I crawl into sofa to enjoy. Today I saw the very emotional episode "Frogman returns" and now I´m sure that this is one of the greatest American series ever showd onto the daylight. Like many others have said, it has something for everyone. Drama, jokes, family moments, moral questions, children, teens, funny moments, emotional moments... LIFE. And it hasn´t really aged at all. I highly recommend it to everyone.

I think they were going for quirky, instead, frequently, they were just ridiculous & often inaccurate. To top it off they "tackled" heavy social issues, attempting to mold future SJWs who rely on feelings instead of facts, presenting opinions as science & truth, presenting worst case & far fetched scenarios & exaggerating reactions & fears.

Lauren Holly's performance was the worse, her character nauseating & unrealistic.

i think this was the best series ever to be on television. even after all these years off the air, i still love it. never before or since has a show made my think as much as this one always did. the writers tackled a lot of real and interesting issues, and usually made the viewer see it from both sides. it could be the funniest show on tv, or the most touching, or the most thought provoking. over the course of its run, it made me laugh, cry, get angry, smile, sympathize, and sometimes even hate. as for the cast, they were great. especially worthy of mention are tom skerrit, fyvish finkle, ray walston, lauren holly, holly-marie combs, don cheadle, marlee matlin, and kelly connel. but the best, in my opinion, was kathy baker. she was always so good, even though i didn't always like or agree with her character, jill brock. i don't know the actual episode titles, but a few of my favorite eps were: the dancing bandit; cupid; the green bay chopper; the murder trial when jimmy was the foreman; the cow babies; mayor kills carjacker and mayor explodes; man who can't recognize people kills his brother; howard buss dies (i cried); the shoe fetish (can you believe rachel harris stood up); parkinson's disease. another thing about the show, it always had great guest stars. anyway, i miss rome.