The BEST episodes of Picket Fences

Every episode of Picket Fences ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Picket Fences!

Before Ally and The Practice, David E. Kelley was behind this superlative series. Picket Fences followed the lives of the residents of the small town of Rome, Wisconsin, where weird things happened. Cows giving birth to human babies, a spate of people turning up dead in freezers, sex change teachers, a revolving door of mayors who never lasted very long - and one who even spontaneously combusted! Struggling to maintain order in this Twin Peaksesque environment is Sheriff Jimmy Brock. Married to the town doctor, Jill, they are attempting to bring up their three kids Kimberly, Matthew and Zachary against the odds.

Last Updated: 7/8/2023Network: CBSStatus: Ended
Share:
This Little Piggy
star
9.00
2 votes

#1 - This Little Piggy

Season 4 - Episode 8 - Aired 12/8/1995

Animal-rights activist Kimberly is arrested for a felony. A woman's medical treatment is inhibited by her daughter's religious beliefs.

Directors: Sandy Smolan
Writer: Nick Harding
Watch Now:Amazon
Turpitude
star
9.00
9 votes

#2 - Turpitude

Season 2 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/22/1993

Mayor Pugen is caught between a Brock and a hard place when the Sheriff arrests him for murdering a disarmed carjacker, leaving him to rely on Wambaugh for his defense. Frightened at the level of violence creeping up on the Rome people, Jill buys a gun to protect her family.

Directors: Michael Pressman
Watch Now:Amazon
Dem Bones
star
9.00
2 votes

#3 - Dem Bones

Season 4 - Episode 10 - Aired 1/5/1996

A skeleton discovered is that of a suspected Nazi murdered 50 years before and Wambaugh's son returns to prosecute the case.

Directors: Lou Antonio
Watch Now:Amazon
The Lullaby League
star
8.75
12 votes

#4 - The Lullaby League

Season 1 - Episode 22 - Aired 5/6/1993

Zach plays horn for an ailing blues legend but Jill is frustrated when the woman takes ill and fails to appreciate medicine's ability to keep her alive. Max delivers a criminal's baby and begins procedures to adopt it.

Directors: Michael Pressman
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Witness for the Prosecution
star
8.75
4 votes

#5 - Witness for the Prosecution

Season 4 - Episode 9 - Aired 12/15/1995

Rome is in a flutter when Mayor Bey announces that the Pope himself is coming to visit the town. It's a day of celebration as His Holiness arrives, but the walk down main street ends in chaos when someone in the crowd opens fire, killing a man. The resulting investigation reveals the death was suicide, according to the dead man's gay lover... until the Pope announces he saw the whole thing and that it was, in fact, murder. The court case that follows threatens to end Judge Bone and Wambaugh's tempestuous friendship for good.

Directors: Dennie Gordon
Watch Now:Amazon
Bloodlines
star
8.75
4 votes

#6 - Bloodlines

Season 4 - Episode 11 - Aired 1/12/1996

Matthew's classmate shoots himself. A bear is loose in Rome and Kenny assumes the role of Mayor Bey's Lamaze partner.

Directors: Joe Napolitano
Writer: John Wirth
Watch Now:Amazon
Snow Exit
star
8.75
4 votes

#7 - Snow Exit

Season 4 - Episode 12 - Aired 1/19/1996

In the middle of a major snow storm, Judge Bone has a heart attack while, snowed-in at the police station, Mayor Bey goes into labor with only Jimmy to deliver her baby. Meanwhile, it's bonding time with lots of alcohol for Jill, Kimberly and Lydia, as Max is reunited with an old adversary - the one and only Barney Bratwurst.

Directors: Jonathan Pontell
Watch Now:Amazon
The Dancing Bandit
star
8.71
7 votes

#8 - The Dancing Bandit

Season 2 - Episode 5 - Aired 11/12/1993

Marlee Matlin guests as Laurie Bey, the Dancing Bandit who has become a bit of a folk hero for her heists where she and her very talented gang rob from rich bureaucrats and give back to families who have gotten screwed by the system.

Directors: Lou Antonio
Watch Now:Amazon
Duty Free Rome
star
8.55
11 votes

#9 - Duty Free Rome

Season 2 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/28/1993

Wambaugh appeals Mayor Pugen's conviction and uncovers a technicality that could secure a new trial. Max's therapist admits his attraction to her and the feeling is mutual, raising ethical issues. Father Barrett confronts his church's stand on birth control.

Directors: Ron Lagomarsino
Watch Now:Amazon
Down the Tubes
star
8.50
2 votes

#10 - Down the Tubes

Season 4 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/3/1995

Pregnant Mayor Bey shields the baby's father as Jill considers tubal ligation. Meanwhile, Littleton is haunted by memories of his brother and makes some big decisions about his future.

Directors: Michael Schultz
Watch Now:Amazon
Bottled
star
8.50
4 votes

#11 - Bottled

Season 4 - Episode 15 - Aired 2/16/1996

Jill's emotions take control when the Brocks celebrate Zach's 13th birthday.

Watch Now:Amazon
The Z Files
star
8.50
4 votes

#12 - The Z Files

Season 4 - Episode 14 - Aired 2/9/1996

Zach's buddy sends a teacher's photo over the Internet. Max dates a chat-room acquaintance.

Directors: Arvin Brown
Watch Now:Amazon
Heart of Saturday Night
star
8.50
2 votes

#13 - Heart of Saturday Night

Season 4 - Episode 6 - Aired 10/27/1995

Saturday night in Rome and the residents' minds turn to leisure activities. Matthew goes cruising with his pals. Jill and Jimmy's attempt at romance leaves him in an extremely painful position. Meanwhile, Judge Bone and Wambaugh's poker gang loses a player when one of them drops dead at the table.

Directors: Jeremy Kagan
Writer: Ellen Herman
Watch Now:Amazon
Abominable Snowman
star
8.50
6 votes

#14 - Abominable Snowman

Season 2 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/28/1994

With his mind failing due to Alzheimer's, Howard Buss proposes that doctors harvest his heart for the transplant his son needs. Meanwhile, Wambaugh pleads with the city to house Frank the Potato Man.

Directors: Bill D'Elia
Watch Now:Amazon
Frog Man
star
8.50
8 votes

#15 - Frog Man

Season 1 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/8/1993

Investigating a burglary with Max, Kenny is shot and seriously injured by the Frog Man, a burglar who leaves live frogs at the scene of his crimes.

Directors: Michael Schultz
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Be My Valentine
star
8.45
11 votes

#16 - Be My Valentine

Season 1 - Episode 17 - Aired 2/12/1993

Max goes undercover to catch a vicious serial killer named 'Cupid' who murders women he meets through classified ads.

Directors: Dan Lerner
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Fetal Attraction
star
8.45
11 votes

#17 - Fetal Attraction

Season 1 - Episode 18 - Aired 4/1/1993

Jill asks Dr David Williams, her ex-fiance, to perform a controversial foetal tissue transplant on a man suffering from Parkinson's Disease.

Directors: Martin Davidson
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Guns 'R' Us
star
8.43
7 votes

#18 - Guns 'R' Us

Season 2 - Episode 11 - Aired 1/14/1994

Embarrassed by a prank, Matthew tries to get even with some boys, but the practical joking gets out of hand, which may result in paralysis for him. Meanwhile, budget cuts hit the sheriff's department and Max fills in as sheriff.

Directors: James Frawley
Watch Now:Amazon
Systematic Abuse
star
8.40
10 votes

#19 - Systematic Abuse

Season 3 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/30/1994

Littleton feels Brock's department is hampering the investigation of a girl's murder.

Directors: Michael Schultz
Watch Now:Amazon
Three Weddings and a Meltdown
star
8.40
5 votes

#20 - Three Weddings and a Meltdown

Season 4 - Episode 22 - Aired 4/24/1996

Carter inadvertantly proposes to Sue after she gets her wires crossed. Nevertheless, he's a man of his word and they announce their engagement to the people of Rome. Their sudden decision to wed prompts Kenny and Max to do the same, although they later begin to experience cold feet. Digging in her friend Selma's backyard, Myriam Wambaugh discovers human remains and Selma goes on trial for murder. Persuaded to defend her by his ex-wife, Wambaugh manages to get her off and passion erupts again for Doug and Myriam, who decide to get re-married in a triple ceremony with Carter & Sue and Kenny & Max. Meanwhile, the Brocks' marriage is in serious trouble, with Jill feeling they've come to the end of the line. She moves in with Joey to do some thinking and Jimmy is left to do the same. At the wedding, the three happy couples tie the knot and the wedding fever gets to Jimmy and Jill, who make up and get back together. As the cast gather for a group photo in their wedding finery, we wave a sad

Directors: Mel Damski
Watch Now:Amazon
Sugar and Spice
star
8.38
8 votes

#21 - Sugar and Spice

Season 1 - Episode 21 - Aired 4/29/1993

Attraction to a girlfriend confuses Kimberly. Max and Kenny vie for undersheriff but Max loses out on the promotion.

Directors: Alan Myerson
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
Dairy Queen
star
8.38
8 votes

#22 - Dairy Queen

Season 2 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/26/1993

Jimmy, Jill, Rachel and Father Barrett debate employing a scantily-clad pin-up model, a battered wife, to help promote the dairy industry in Rome. Kimberly considers getting breast implants.

Directors: Mel Damski
Watch Now:Amazon
My Romance
star
8.33
3 votes

#23 - My Romance

Season 4 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/26/1996

After being struck by a falling power line in a fluke accident, Carter meets his long dead Grandpa Bob while clinically dead for about 3 minutes. This causes him to question his relationship both with God, and his girlfriend Sue. Judge Bone meets up with an old flame from over 50 years ago, both of them now widowed, and a little flames are rekindled. Zack gets a crush on a beautiful young Asian gal that is in their home for a week for some kind of musical competition; she is a cello prodigy. However, she has eyes for Zack's older brother, Matthew, and Zack catches them kissing after dark, and is heartbroken.

Directors: Arvin Brown
Writer: Ellen Herman
Watch Now:Amazon
The Bus Stops Here (1)
star
8.33
9 votes

#24 - The Bus Stops Here (1)

Season 3 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/7/1994

As temporary co-mayor, Jill copes with racial tensions from a judge's decision to bus tough black students from Green Bay to Rome's schools.

Directors: Michael Pressman
Watch Now:Amazon
Divine Recall
star
8.33
3 votes

#25 - Divine Recall

Season 2 - Episode 15 - Aired 2/11/1994

Mayor Rachel scolds Father Barrett for giving a pep talk colored with religious ideals to a public school's hockey team. Meanwhile, a risque video from Rachel's past jeopardizes her career as Kenny admits their affair to Jimmy.

Directors: Mel Damski
Watch Now:Amazon

Want to see the rest of the rankings?

Episode Ninja is a small business run by one person.
Pro memberships help fund servers and new feature development!