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.
Review of Picket Fences
