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DVD Pick of the Week: June 19, 2007

PicketFencesS1Blog.jpg
Picket Fences Season 1 courtesy of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Animation fans will have a blast on June 19! Warner Bros. is releasing sets for The Animaniacs and Pinky and the Brain on the 19th. Both shows hit "volume 3" on the same day, though this is the last time they'll be paired together; it's the final volume for Pinky. Warner also has the first season of The Powerpuff Girls, and Shout! Factory will put out the complete Batfink set, featuring 100 episodes (well, they're shorts) on four discs.

Fans of classic shows can pick up Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea Season 3, volume 1, Perry Mason Season 2, volume 1, or Daniel Boone Season 4 from Liberation Entertainment. Sony will release the first season of Silver Spoons, though that's not really "classic" television (are the '80s considered "classic" now? Maybe "semi-classic"?).

My "Pick of the Week" goes to Picket Fences, the 1992 series from David E. Kelley. Though the set contains a single featurette ("All Roads Lead to Rome"), this is one of the most-requested titles on TVShowsOnDVD.com. Fans fell in love with the offbeat drama about Sheriff Jimmy Brock and his family. The six-disc set includes all 22 episodes from the first season and comes from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.

Here's a little nod to last week's "Pick of the Week," Deadwood Season 3. The BBC will release the first season of Lovejoy, starring Ian McShane as an antiques dealer who helps the less fortunate. McShane plays Al Swearengen on Deadwood, though you'll find his language much cleaner on Lovejoy.

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Posted by Gord Lacey
Jun 13, 2007 6:35 PM
I am very excited about Picket Fences, almost as much as I was about the Practice last week. The 1990s David E. Kelly Shows are some of the things htat have sat on my wish list for unreleased series for years now.

I was a little disappointed with the transfer quality on the Practice, but that's really to be expected with any show of the time period for any number of reasons and it didn't interfer with how great the characters and stories are. DEK has such a gift for characterization, and I can't think of one of his shows that shows it more than Picket Fences. It is a quarky wonderful silly deadly serious bizarre show that I don't think has an equal in all of television history.

I am not saying it is the best show of all time mind you, I am simply saying there really aren't many shows that would fall in it's genre. It's not quite a family drama, it's not quite a crime/legal drama, it's not quite a drama yet it was handling some of the most dramatic issues possible. I loved it when it aired on TV and I hope I love it more now on DVD.
Posted by kmkeirns
Jun 14, 2007 7:55 AM
Really looking forward to Picket Fences on DVD. But is there any commentary on any of the episodes?

Now I want to know about the DVD releases of Ed, Homefront and A Year in the Life.
Posted by Buffy Freak
Jun 14, 2007 9:47 AM
Now, THIS is an exciting release! Picket Fences is one of my favorites! I have every episode on tape, and I will probably keep those because I made videotape boxes that combine to form a (what else?) Picket Fence...and it just looks so darn good on my shelf!

Sadly, I remember PF as a show that suffered a steep decline in quality in the later seasons (mostly because CBS gave it a two-season pickup, which I think is always a mistake...makes the creative forces lazy, in my opinion. However, this first season is sublime! :)
Posted by TV Gord
Jun 16, 2007 8:14 AM
picket fences all the waaayyyyy for me! can't wait to own it on june 19th!! i have always loved tom skerritt. that is one man who has aged very well. he always looks good no matter what his age is.
Posted by septembermemories85
Jun 17, 2007 12:29 AM
I'm pretty sure only NORTHERN EXPOSURE got the two-year renewals. PICKET was a sure renewal in the Emmy-winning Kelley years anyway. When he left after season 3, the quality plummeted and Friday night was collapsing too. They wound up burning off season 4 eps in the summer.
Posted by mtvcops
Jun 18, 2007 2:37 PM
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