Picket Fences - Season 1
Starring: Tom Skerritt, Kathy Baker, Costas Mandylor, Lauren Holly, Holly Marie CombsDirector: Mel Damski, Donald Petrie, Alan Myerson
Studio: 20th Century Fox
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Format: AC-3, Box set, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Running Time: 1055 minutes
DVD Release: June 19th 2007
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DVD Review
While Ally McBeal garnered more attention, Picket Fences garnered more acclaim. It was justified. Set in Wisconsin, the Emmy-winning drama plays like The Andy Griffith Show by way of The Commish. The focus is on small-town life from a law and order perspective. The action revolves around Sheriff Jimmy Brock (Tom Skerritt), his physician wife Jill (Kathy Baker), and their children, Kimberly (Holly Marie Combs), Matthew (Justin Shenkarow), and Zack (Adam Wylie). Storylines alternate between personal issues, like puberty and pre-marital sex, and criminal cases. As Matthew quips, "Things happen around here." At city hall, Jimmy works with officers Kenny (Costas Mandylor) and Max (Lauren Holly), dispatcher Ginny (Zelda Rubinstein), and coroner Carter Pike (Kelly Connell), who likes to exclaim, "Let me exhume the body!" Judge Henry Bone (Ray Walston) and attorney Douglas Wambaugh (Fyvush Finkel) dominate the courthouse. Cases include such tragi-comic crimes as a serial bather ("Frank, the Potato Man") and a cupid killer ("Be My Valentine"), but serious issues also come into play, such as assisted suicide ("Sacred Hearts") and incest ("Nuclear Meltdowns"). Unlike Twin Peaks, to which it was sometimes compared, Picket Fences could be heavy-handed, but piety never trumped entertainment, and Baker, Skerritt, Walston, and Finkel all won Emmys for their work.
Notable guests are a hallmark of every David E. Kelley production, from Chicago Hope to Boston Legal (and beyond). The first season attracted Carnivále's Michael J. Anderson ("Mr. Dreeb Comes to Town"), Evening Shade's Michael Jeter ("Frog Man"), and Man of La Mancha's Richard Kiley ("Thanksgiving"). The series also features one of the last of the old-fashioned orchestral scores, Stewart Levin's distinctive piano theme. Picket Fences ran for four seasons on CBS (when Kelley left between seasons three and four, ratings took a nosedive). Afterwards, Combs joined Charmed, Baker joined Kelley's Boston Public, and Holly joined NCIS. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
User Reviews
Great show - Rating: 5/5
I missed the first season of this when it originally ran because the nice music, title, and heartwarming montage at the beginning of each episode made me think it was yet another variant on the "touched by an angel" theme. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
The show is quirky, but not so much that it seems they are trying too hard. The ethical situations and dilemmas that frequently pop up are well handled, not trite, and have many sides to them. Real life is rarely so black and white that you know, without a doubt, what the right thing to do is. And this show takes that concept to an art form.
The picture on the DVD is a bit grainy, and the sound, while perfectly fine, is not spectacular. I don't think this is a transfer problem, but just a case of the show being made a fairly long time ago. Nothing here to get in the way of a great show, just thought I'd mention it as a data point.
Perfect Gift - Rating: 5/5
I got this for my mom as a birthday gift. She has already watched all of the episodes and loved it. Now she is looking for the next seasons. I recommed this to the fans. She was very happy.
IN ALL THESE YEARS IT HAS'NT LOST A THING! - Rating: 5/5
Picket Fences was the finest AND MOST ENTERTAINING cutting edge series ever to air on T.V., commercial or otherwise. I've seen them all, or at least most of them; The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, Desperate Housewives (ugh) and David Kelly's subsequent efforts. All do not hold up to the bright light that is Picket Fences. (Patrick McGoohan"s THE PRISONER is in the ballpark but that 40 year old gem is closer to a mini-series.) In watching my recent purchase of Season One I was astounded at how fresh and relevant, not to mention glued-to-my-seat entertaining, this series has remained. It's easy to see now the impact this landmark series has had on subsequent programming. There's television before Picket Fences and television after.
Amazing Show - Rating: 5/5
I never saw it when it first aired but bought it as a gift for my boyfriend.
After the first episode I was in love with the characters and couldn't wait to watch the rest.
So when will we be able to watch season 2 ????
Great series - Rating: 5/5
I loved Picket Fences and it was great to get it available on DVD. The only problem you find when collecting a series such as this is that they release a Season and then you have to wait ages before the next. You have exceptional performaces and wonderful characters played by Fyush Finkel, Ray Walston and Don Cheadle. A must have.
