Sugar & Spice (Picket Fences)
| "Sugar & Spice" | |
|---|---|
| Picket Fences episode | |
Kimberly and Lisa Fenn exchange an intimate kiss. CBS demanded that the kiss be re-shot with reduced lighting before the episode was broadcast.
|
|
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 21 |
| Directed by | Alan Myerson |
| Written by | David E. Kelley |
| Production code | 9K20 |
| Original air date | April 29, 1993 |
| Guest appearance(s) | |
"Sugar & Spice" is an episode of the CBS comedy-drama series Picket Fences. Written by series creator David E. Kelley and directed by Alan Myerson, the episode originally aired on April 29, 1993. The episode caused controversy because it depicted 16-year-old lead character Kimberly Brock engaged in same-sex kissing with her best friend and frankly discussing her sexuality.
"Sugar & Spice" was an early entry on a list of American television episodes in which a lesbian or possibly lesbian character kisses a straight-identifying character. These lesbian kiss episodes often occurred during times of the year when networks were most concerned about generating ratings, and have come to be viewed by some critics as gimmicks to help secure those ratings. The controversy generated by "Sugar & Spice" and other lesbian kiss episodes led to a chilling effect on the non-sensationalized presentation of same-sex intimacy on network television through most of the rest of the 1990s.
Kimberly Brock (Holly Marie Combs) and her best friend Lisa Fenn (Alexondra Lee) exchange several experimental kisses during a sleepover at Kimberly's house, the first kiss being a chaste peck with the later kisses becoming more intimate. Kimberly's younger brother Matthew (Justin Shenkarow) eavesdrops on the girls the next day when they discuss the incident and their feelings. He goes to his mother, town doctor Jill Brock (Kathy Baker) and tells her that Kimberly is a "lesbo". A patient overhears and word of the kissing spreads through the town. Kimberly's father, Sheriff Jimmy Brock (Tom Skerritt) and stepmother Jill react poorly to the idea that their daughter might be a lesbian, debating "nature vs. nurture" and "elective lesbianism" and even renting "hunk films" starring Mel Gibson and Kevin Costner. Kimberly turns to her birth mother, Lydia (Cristine Rose), who had had a lesbian relationship in college. Lydia advises her that her relationship with another woman was during the women's movement and that while she enjoyed her time with the woman she realized that she was confusing feelings of intimacy with sexuality. Lisa and Kimberly talk further. Lisa acknowledges that she is in love with Kimberly but Kimberly lets her know that she is unable to return those feelings.
...
Wikipedia