Picket Fences

Picket Fences is an American television drama series produced by David E. Kelley that aired on the Fox broadcasting network from 1992 to 1996. The series combined elements of comedy, drama, suspense, and legal procedural genres, and was highly lauded for its quirkiness and utopian depiction of small-town life. During its four seasons run, the show featured an impressive ensemble cast, including Tom Skerritt, Kathy Baker, Costas Mandylor, Lauren Holly, Holly Marie Combs, Zelda Rubinstein, Adam Wylie, Fyvush Finkel, Ray Walston, Kelly Connell, Don Cheadle, and Lisa Chess. The show bagged several awards and nominations, including 14 Primetime Emmy Awards and Golden Globe Awards for Best Television Series – Drama.

Set in the fictional town of Rome, Wisconsin, the show offers viewers not just an idyllic white-picket-fence view of small-town America, but also an unconventional take on life in what seems to be a perfect place. Designed to look like a peaceful, unsophisticated town where everyone knows each other, Rome quickly reveals its darker and twistier sides with each episode.

At the forefront of the show is the Brock family, helmed by the town's sheriff, Jimmy Brock, played excellently by Tom Skerritt. A level-headed, moral pillar of the community, Sheriff Brocks finds himself dealing with a gamut of bizarre crimes ranging from a cow's apparent abduction by aliens to a woman who keeps her husband's corpse in her living room. His complex personal life, on the other hand, includes a strong, challenging relationship with his wife Jill (Kathy Baker), the town's medical examiner, and trying to raise their three children.

The family dynamic fleshes out intensively with their three children, Kimberly (Holly Marie Combs), Matthew (Adam Wylie), and infant Zachary. Each child has their own unique personalities and story arcs, contributing to the series’ exploration of familial roles and the trials of adolescence.

Beyond the Brock family, the show pays deep attention to the diverse populace of Rome. The supporting characters in the town – assistant district attorney John Littleton (Don Cheadle), the severe but lovable Judge Henry Bone (Ray Walston), and the manically devoted Officer Kenny Lacos (Costas Mandylor) – all bring life and depth to the series, offering an enriching range of dialogues and narratives.

Underlying the quirky small-town antics is a focus on relevant, sometimes controversial, societal topics – racial tensions, religiosity, homosexuality, sexual harassment, and euthanasia, to name a few. The show weaves these issues seamlessly into the fabric of the characters and their narratives, often via the legal proceedings in Mayor Laurie Bey’s (Marlee Matlin) courtroom.

Renowned for its unpredictable story-lines and endearing cast, Picket Fences beautifully balances its unique blend of eccentricity, charm, humor, and drama. Coupled with its tackling of serious societal issues, it showcases how a small-town community responds to the unpredictable tide of life.

The incomparable creativity of David E. Kelley, whose later successes include shows like Ally Mcbeal, The Practice, and Boston Legal, shines in this early endeavour. Picket Fences was an ambitiously successful effort from Kelley’s end to alter television norms and deliver a show that kept the audiences guessing and engaged. The series’ unconventional tone and content, combined with the distinct portrayal of characters, made the show an unparalled spectacle in 90s television landscape.

The subtleties of characterization, the perplexing mysteries, the unforgettable courtroom scenes, and the realistic depiction of small-town dynamics would continue to garner the show a loyal fanbase, even decades after it went off-air. It is a piece of television history that encapsulates the essence of the 90s while still remaining timeless in its thematic coherence and socio-political commentary.

In conclusion, Picket Fences, with its enigmatic charm, represents a sophisticated mosaic of life in small-town America. It beautifully captures the essence of human complexities, the rhythm of common life, the coexistence of beauty and strangeness, and the intertwining of amusement and solemnity.

Regardless of its ability to shock and perturb viewers with unexpected story arcs or the rarity of its surrealism and quirkiness, Picket Fences manages to induce a sense of nostalgia for a time and place that many viewers might not have experienced personally. Above all, it stands out as a testament to the diversity and dynamism that can be found in the seemingly serene and homely patterns of small-town life. It's a show that seems to say that even in the heartland of America, under the seemingly steady rhythm of ordinary life, fascinating stories and characters abound.