Northern Exposure

Introduction

Northern Exposure, perhaps the best example to date of a crossbred television "dramedy," began inauspiciously as a CBS replacement series in the summer of 1990 and quickly garnered critical acclaim as well as an audience sufficient to warrant its return for a short stint the following year. Its popularity grew, and for its first complete season, 1991-92, Exposure received ratings in the top twenty, the Emmy for Best Television Drama, and an unusual, two-year commitment from the network. During its fourth full year, 1994-95, the show's future appeared questionable. The mid-season departure of one of its key players, Rob Morrow, and a move from its established, Monday night time slot to Wednesday, contributed to a decline in ratings and reputation. The program was canceled by the network at the end of the season. (Wilcox 3)

Discussion

Northern Exposure was created by Joshua Brand and John Falsey, who were also responsible for St Elsewhere and I'll Fly Away. It's set in the fictional town of Cicely (prounounced Sicily) in Alaska, which is where the reluctant Joel Fleischman - a 27-year-old Jewish doctor from New York - is forced to serve for four years in order to repay the state of Alask a, which financed his education. Anticipating Anchorage, Joel is disappointed when he arrives in picturesque, middle-of-knowhere Cicely, declaring(Williams 4): "I will under no condition, NO condition, spend the best years of my life in the worst place on Earth!" Joel isn't the central character, though - this is very much an ensemble drama; each week, a different character is in focus. And the characters are fantastic - original, quirky, endearing and at times quite hilarious. There are too many to mention them all - including several inspired guest creations like chef and pathological liar Adam and his hypochondriac wife Eve - and, of course, the aforementioned Bubble Man.

Set in the fictional hamlet of Cicely, Alaska, this unique, contemporary, hour-long series was created by Joshua Brand and John Falsey, whose earlier brainchild, St. Elsewhere, had also become a surprise hit. Location shooting in and around the towns of Roslyn and Redmond, Washington offered scenic panoramas invoking cultural images of unspoiled American frontier. Into this haven comes the proverbial "fish out of water," Joel Fleischman (Morrow), compelled to serve as town doctor in order to repay the state of Alaska for his medical school tuition. His initial disdain for Cicely's outwardly unsophisticated inhabitants is exceeded only by his desire to return to his beloved Big Apple where his ambition, cosmopolitan tastes, and Jewishness might have free reign(Zoglin 3).

The frontier theme is extended and personified in many of the town's multi-cultural, multi-generational denizens. Former astronaut and wealthy entrepreneur Maurice Minnifield (Barry Corbin) is forever devising ways to exploit Cicely's natural wonders. No-nonsense septuagenarian Ruth-Anne Miller (Peg Phillips) operates Cicely's General Store, where Native American Ed Chigliak (Darren E. Burrows) helps out while aspiring to be a filmmaker and, eventually, a shaman. Broadway star John Cullum plays French-Canadian immigrant Holling Vincoeur, who owns and manages Cicely's ...