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Picket Fences

Picket Fences

1992–1996Ended4 seasons88 episodes~120 min/epMidcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

An aging Sheriff tries to keep the peace in Rome, Wisconsin, a small town plagued by bizarre and violent crimes.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch Picket Fences?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Picket Fences to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video, and on no subscription service.

Rent / Buy

BuyBuy

Highlights

What stands out about Picket Fences?

Picket Fences earns 6 badges, led by Standout acting and One of a kind.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Cast

Reception

Is Picket Fences worth watching?

Picket Fences' Midcredits score is the 82nd percentile of all shows, from 5.8K ratings across 2 sources. 85% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

82nd percentile

Better received than 82% of shows

81st percentile among Crime73rd percentile among 1990s
Acclaim (how much people like it)77th
Approval (how many liked it)83rd

Acclaim

Crowd Pleaser: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

77 /100

77th percentile of all shows

80th percentile among Crime68th percentile among 1990s

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

Approval

How many liked it

85% liked it

83rd percentile of all shows

79th percentile among Crime76th percentile among 1990s
85% rated it 7–1015% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

82nd percentile

5.7K ratings across platforms

71st percentile among Crime71st percentile among 1990s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 12% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

A wildly ambitious show that tackled hot-button social issues through an eccentric small-town lens.

Fans praised

  • Thought-provoking moral dilemmas on controversial issues
  • Superb ensemble cast with unforgettable characters
  • Clever blend of quirky humor, drama, and heartfelt moments

Detractors panned

  • Too preachy and politically one-sided
  • Plotlines often far-fetched or ridiculous
  • Show hasn't aged well and feels dated

What stands out

Acting85

Superb cast including Fyvush Finkel, Ray Walston, Kathy Baker, Tom Skerritt

Originality82

Unique blend of genres and fearless topic choices

Characters80

Unforgettable characters like Judge Bone, Wambaugh, Jill Brock

Atmosphere78

Quirky small-town Wisconsin setting with surreal edge

Emotional impact78

Makes viewers laugh, cry, and think

DialogueDivisive75

Sharp, witty exchanges especially in courtroom scenes

Humor72

Black humor and absurdist comedy

Plot and storyDivisive65

Often far-fetched but thought-provoking storylines

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 10 points higher than women.

US vs non-US

Preferred by US Viewers

US viewers scored it 10 points higher than non-US viewers.

Episodes

4 seasons

Season 4 · 1995 · 22 episodes

  • S4E1

    A Change of Season

    Sep 22, 199542 min
  • S4E2

    Reap the Whirlwind

    Sep 29, 199542 min
  • S4E3

    Pal Joey

    Oct 6, 199542 min
  • S4E4

    Bloodbrothers

    Oct 13, 199542 min
  • S4E5

    Dog Eat Dog

    Oct 20, 199542 min
  • S4E6

    Heart of Saturday Night

    Oct 27, 199542 min

Watch experience

What is Picket Fences like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, serious and charged — an even-paced watch that leaves you thinking.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
TenseContemplativeWarm
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Wry · 7% of shows: Amused and slightly dry about it.Tender · 10% of shows
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.Episodic · 11% of shows: Loosely connected incidents rather than one driving plot.Case of the week plus an arcNew arc each season
ToneThe show treats its small-town setting and its characters with a blend of earnest warmth and dark irony, often underlining the absurdity of the crimes while keeping the emotional core genuine.
The rideThe series maintains a steady undercurrent of tension punctuated by character-driven warmth and contemplation, with the balance shifting little across the run.
StructureEach episode follows a conventional three-act investigation, while the series overall strings together loosely connected episodes focusing on different cases.
Episode formatEach episode centers on a new bizarre crime in Rome, Wisconsin, while threading long-running character arcs and relationships across seasons.
Season formatWhile the show maintains a continuous cast and setting, each season tends to introduce new overarching mysteries and character conflicts, rather than a single continuous story.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
Thought-provokingBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayThe series leaves viewers pondering the moral complexities of crime and justice in a seemingly idyllic town, with a lingering sense of melancholy over the town's hidden darkness.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterPredator
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18% (this title): Predator 7% (this title) · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Predator: A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).

18% of shows fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeEach typical episode presents a bizarre, often violent crime that Sheriff Jimmy Brock must investigate and resolve, fitting the overcoming_the_monster pattern with a predator-like offender.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfPurposeSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31%: Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% (this title) · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27% (this title): Identity 20% · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% (this title) · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Self

PurposeFamily bondsJustice · 14% of shows
Observes its theme: Presents its theme neutrally, declining to judge.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe series explores Sheriff Brock's quest to maintain order and find meaning in the face of relentless small-town chaos, while also examining the fragile bonds of family and community.
StanceThe show observes the moral and psychological wreckage of small-town life with a compassionate but unflinching eye.

The world

ContemporarySuburbanInstitutionalStylized realism
Orchestral classicalSupportive music · original score
SettingRome, Wisconsin, a quirky small town with a dark underbelly

Cast and crew

Who is in Picket Fences?

Cast

2 award-winning performances in the cast.

Tom Skerritt
as Sheriff Jimmy Brock
Emmy win: Primetime Emmy — Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Kathy Baker
as Dr. Jill Brock
Emmy win: Primetime Emmy — Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Costas Mandylor
as Kenny Lacos
SAG nominee: Screen Actors Guild Award nomination — Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
Lauren Holly
as Maxine Stewart
SAG nominee: Screen Actors Guild Award nomination — Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
Holly Marie Combs
as Kimberly Brock
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Justin Shenkarow
as Matthew Brock
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Adam Wylie
as Zachary Brock
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Fyvush Finkel
as Douglas Wambaugh
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Ray Walston
as Judge Henry Bone
Kelly Connell
as Carter Pike
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

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