Cicely’s Community Newspaper
Cicely News & World Telegram
Volume 1990, Season 1 The Most Important News Source For The Alaskan Empire
NY Doctor Arrives in Cicely
Date: May 30, 1990
Publication: The Boston Globe (Boston, MA)
Author: Deborah Hastings, Associated Press
LOS ANGELES - It's mid-August. You're too hot
to go out. Grab a glass of something cool, park
in front of the tube and consider the choices:
A third repeat of "I Married Dora." The second Licata. "Cable is definitely eroding their
showing of that fabulous "Manimal" episode
in which the lead character turns into a tiger.
Or, wait, hold onto your sun visor, what about
the fourth special encore presentation of that
"Moonlighting" episode where Maddie sleeps
with Mark Harmon?
There's been a cure for the summertime rerun
blues. It's called flipping the dial to a network
where there are myriad first-run programs to
choose from. And that means not flipping to
ABC, CBS or NBC.
It took the Big Three a couple of years to
swallow this little pill. It went down only after
Fox Broadcasting Co. stole significant numbers
of viewers last year while the big boys over at
the mondo-networks took their usual summer
naps.
The alternative Fox network, not asleep at the
wheel, has taken to calling last year's coup
"The Summer of Opportunity."
This year, the folks at Fox plan to maintain
year-round original programming. Two new
shows have been announced for the summer,
as well as more fresh episodes and specials of
shows such as "Cops," "America's Most
Cicely News & World Telegram
35¢ PER ISSUE
Wanted" and the critically acclaimed "In Living Entertainment President Brandon Tartikoff
Color." announced this week that repeats of
"Quantum Leap," one of his favorite shows,
would be shown at 10 p.m. for five
Cable networks such as Home Box Office like
consecutive nights beginning June 25. New
to take credit, too, for increasing their
programs include "Singer and Sons" starring
viewership by running original programming
Esther Rolle and "The Seinfeld Chronicles"
during the summer.
starring comedian Jerry Seinfeld.
"The networks are definitely reacting to cable
"Because there are so many choices, no
television," said HBO spokesman Richard
longer can you just simply go away and not
come back until the fall," said NBC
shares" in the ratings.
spokeswoman Sue Binford. "Putting that into
practice is very, very tough. We're not going
The sleeping giants have stirred, and this to get there completely this summer."
summer ABC, CBS and NBC are pumping more
money into summer programming than ever
At bottom-rated CBS, executives have little to
before.
say about the summer season. They're too
busy trying to figure out their fall schedule
But it's not a whole lot. And even though the and how to get out of last place.
Big Three are making a big deal out of their
summer programming, with few exceptions,
But the battered eye is the only broadcast
it's still pretty meager fare.
network to have an executive in charge of
nothing but summer programs. So far, CBS
ABC will show unseen episodes of the recently has announced three new programs for the
canceled "Brewster Place," starring Oprah hot months to come.
Winfrey, and "Capital News," starring Lloyd
Bridges. Its few new summer shows include
One is "War Room," about White House
"New Attitude," about a beauty salon, and the
speech writers. Another is "Northern
game shows "Super Jeopardy!" and
Exposure," about a New York doctor forced to
"Monopoly."
work in Alaska to pay off his medical
education. In "Manhattan Nights," which still
Rather than produce a large slate of fresh is in production, summer viewers will peek at
shows, ABC instead has spent "between $10 the lives of residents in a fictional New York
and $20 million increasing episode orders of apartment building.
existing shows," said network spokesman Jim
Brochu.
"By having original programming on in the
summer, we're trying to attract viewers back
Over at the No. 1 peacock network, which
to CBS," said Mike Eisenberg, network vice
barely held on to its top-rated status during
president of research. "We're trying to reduce
May sweeps, NBC programming gurus have
some interesting ideas for summer. viewer erosion."
1

Date: July 8, 1990
Publication: The Boston Globe (Boston, MA)
Author: Bruce McCabe, Globe Staff
"Northern Exposure" sounds promising.
The new CBS one-hour drama series, from the
creators of "St. Elsewhere," premieres on
Channels 6 and 7 for a summer run Thursday
at 10 p.m.
It's the first of several original summer series
which will be broadcast on the network. "His
& Hers," the comedy series starring Martin
Mull and Stephanie Faracy, returned to the
10:30-11 p.m. slot on July 2.
"Northern Exposure" is about a young New
York doctor, a recent graduate of Columbia
University Medical School, who goes into
deep culture shock.
Somewhat like an organ, he's transplanted to
a remote Alaskan village which he's required
to do to repay the state that financed his
medical education.
Protagonist Joel Fleischman, played by Rob
Morrow, finds that he must, without getting
into a state, learn to adjust to a new state of
mind as well as a new state of the union.
He's the sole physician in Cicely, Alaska, which
is described as a "thriving hamlet of 500
located on the New Alaskan Riviera, halfway
between the end of the line and the middle of
nowhere."
Fleischman's new neighbors look like the
proverbial cast of thousands.
They include Maurice Minnifield (Barry
Corbin), an ex-astronaut and gung-ho
president of the Cicely Chamber of
Commerce; his assistant, Ed (Darren E.
Burrows), a Native American; Maggie
O'Connell (Janine Turner), a self-reliant pilot
and Joel's new landlady; Holling Vincoeur
(John Cullum), a 62-year old
naturalist/adventurer who forswore big-game
hunting for photography and now owns the
local tavern; Shelly (Cynthia Geary), Holling's
18-year old girlfriend, and Chris Stevens (John
Corbett), Cicely's disc jockey, whose
broadcasts capture the pulse of Arrowhead
County and the surrounding Alaskan
wilderness.
After he graduates from medical school,
Fleischman honors his commitment to the
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state of Alaska and prepares himself for a
more rugged life practicing medicine in
Anchorage. But, upon his arrival in Alaska, he
learns that he has been reassigned to a
remote area far from the city.
Reluctantly trying to accommodate himself to
his less than exotic surroundings and lifestyle,
Fleischman frantically looks for a loophole in
his contract that might help save him from
four years of Cicely and some of its more
feverish inhabitants.
Joshua Brand and John Falsey, who created
not only "St. Elsewhere" but also "A Year in
the Life," are the creators and executive
producers of "Northern Exposure." They
wrote the script, with Brand directing.
Date: July 9, 1990
Publication: The New York Times
Author: Bill Carter
PRODUCERS from two of the five series CBS
will broadcast this summer call what they are
doing ''guerrilla'' television.
The description fits. There are more new
shows scheduled to play on CBS this summer
than in any summer season of recent
memory, but they are not a well-scrubbed,
well-financed band of warriors. They are more
a ragtag, scrappy assemblage, compelled to
stretch resources.
One of this summer's programs on CBS,
''Northern Exposure,'' had its music scored in
a garage; another, ''Wish You Were Here,''
was shot almost entirely with a hand-held
video camera. And ''Prime Time Pets'' will not
need to spend a lot on guest stars: It features
videos of dogs and cats.
The summer shows are also guerrillas of the
airwaves in the sense that they are venturing
into a sparsely populated area, determined to
succeed against long odds.
Summer series have rarely survived the
change of season. It's hard to make a splash in
the arid climate of summer television. People
tend not to watch a lot of television in
summer.
Summer used to be cash-in time. Prime time
was filled with repeats, the entire cost of
2
which had been covered by the first-run
license fee.
Now, with a multitude of options available,
like rented videocassettes and dozens of cable
channels, viewers rarely tolerate repeats. The
now-familar erosion of network audiences
becomes a landslide in summer.
For some time the networks have
acknowledged that they have to do more in
the summer to keep viewers from drifting
away. They have also recognized that it might
be the ideal time to try out experimental
programs.
But a fundamental problem remained: little or
no budget for original programming.
This summer, NBC has tried a strategy of
creating ''events'' all summer, using several
original television movies and bringing back
some older series with big-name stars (James
Garner in ''Bret Maverick,'' Cybill Shepherd in
''The Yellow Rose''). And in a first-of-its-kind
summer stopgap, NBC has also purchased a
Canadian mini-series called ''Love and Hate.''
ABC will introduce two comedies in August.
The network also filled some prime-time holes
with the cheapest programming available:
game shows. ''Super Jeopardy'' and
''Monopoly'' have been on since mid-June.
But it is CBS, the third-place network, that has
tried to make the most of this summer. ''Let's
face it, our needs are a little greater than
anyone else's,'' said Peter Tortorici, the senior
vice president of program planning for CBS.
Without giving any specific figures, Mr.
Tortorici said CBS had doubled its budget for
summer programs this year. That budget has
generated five series, but all of them have
employed strategies for making smaller
license fees cover the cost of making network-
quality programs.
The average license fee - the amount a
network pays a production company for the
right to carry a program - is between
$400,000 and $500,000 an episode for a half-
hour series and about double that for an hour
long show.
Joshua Brand, one of the executive producers
of ''Northern Exposure,'' an hour long weekly
series about a young New York doctor
compelled to work in Alaska, said his program
had to find ways to produce network-level
quality on a budget two-thirds the average
size. Kathie Berlin, an executive producer of
''Wish You Were Here,'' a half-hour comedy
about a Wall Street dropout who roams
Europe with a video camera, said her license
fee was only half what standard comedies
receive.
Mr. Brand said the challenge of turning less
into more ''became a major headache.''
Among the strategies: using fishing boat
workers as grips on the crew, shortening the
shooting schedule from eight days to seven
and hiring a director with experience only in
commercials.
For Ms. Berlin, whose six-part program
required outdoor shooting all over Europe
from Budapest to Barcelona, costs were held
down by hiring untried writers, foreign actors
Cicely News & World Telegram
and ''letting only our star stay in a room with Mr. Brand said he had agreed to make
a toilet.'' ''Northern Exposure'' for the summer season
because he believed it was untraditional and
might have a better chance to get established.
''Prime Time Pets'' will use videos of cute
animals culled from, among other places, CBS
stations around the country. A CBS executive ''If we succeed, you'll see ABC and NBC doing
said that ABC's experience with ''America's more of this next year,'' Mr. Brand said. But
Funniest Home Videos'' had taught the he added: ''Because of the budget situation,
industry that ''the lower-budget forms of
this has been an experience with a capital 'E.' I
programs can sometimes produce very good
ratings.'' don't know that I'd want to do anything like
this ever again.''
Mr. Tortorici called several of the shows
Thursday, July 12, 1990 1-01
strong contenders for future spots on CBS's
Pilot 78701 1
regular schedule, especially ''Northern
Exposure.'' Once on that schedule, all the
shows would get regular-size budgets, Mr.
Tortorici said.
3
Cicely News & World Telegram 4

Date: July 12, 1990
Publication: The New York Times
Author: John J. O’Connor
On a plane to Alaska, Joel Fleischman, fresh
out of Columbia University medical school, is
compulsively telling a complete stranger, ''I'm
not kidding myself; Anchorage isn't New
York.'' But, he adds, ''It isn't Cambodia, and it
has five Chinese restaurants.'' Then, for no
particular reason, he declares, ''Let's face it,
Jewish doctors are not exactly an endangered
species.''
Played deftly by Rob Morrow, Joel is the
brash, sometimes obnoxious 27-year-old hero
of ''Northern Exposure,'' a new series that
begins a limited run on CBS tonight at 10. It
seems that Joel got his medical degree with
the help of a loan from the State of Alaska.
Now he must return the favor by spending at
least four years of practice not in Anchorage,
as he thought, but in a small hamlet called
Cicely. The place doesn't have a single takeout
restaurant. Joel desperately wants out, but his
contract has no loopholes. Actually the series
is being filmed in Washington State, within
range of ''Twin Peaks'' territory, and the
scenery is spectacular. What's to worry?
''Northern Exposure'' is not throwaway
summer fare. The series was created by
Joshua Brand and John Falsey, who are also
the executive producers. Their past credits
include ''St. Elsewhere'' and ''A Year in the
Life.'' They have carefully explained that
''Northern Exposure'' is ''a fish-out-of-water
show, not a disease-of-the-week show.''
Clearly Joel the city slicker will end up being
softened and perhaps even enlightened by his
new country cousins, who are certainly an
appealingly odd lot.
Running Cicely is Maurice Minnifield (Barry
Corbin), a former astronaut who warmly
assures Joel that the town is ''delighted to
have a Jew doctor from New York - you guys
have an outstanding reputation.'' Maurice is
not speaking to his old friend Holling Vincoeur
(John Cullum), who swiped his young
girlfriend Shelly (Cynthia Geary), the former
Miss Northwest Passage.
Maggie O'Connell (Janine Turner) hails from
Grosse Pointe, Mich., and now owns her own
plane and a shuttle service. Young Chris
Stevens (John Corbett) is the local disk jockey
who lives in a mobile home with a Boston
woman he found wandering around the
forest. And young Ed (Darren E. Burrows) is an
American Indian with a keen interest in
Cicely News & World Telegram
rhythm-and-blues and the films of Woody
Allen.
Will Joel take readily to eating mooseburgers
at the local Summer Wonderland Festival?
Will he get used to the giant rats running
around his log cabin? Can he cope with wholly
inadequate plumbing? Well, not right away.
But by the end of next week's episode, he has
learned how to do an Indian dance and is
beginning take second and third looks at
Maggie. That's after Maurice fires Chris the
disk jockey for some comments he made over
the air about Walt Whitman. But when
Maurice takes over the radio show to play
nothing but show tunes, the entire village
rebels.
The show can get overly cute. It's hard to
believe that anyone these days, even in
remote Alaska, hasn't heard of a bagel, frozen
or otherwise. And at one point, a passing
reference is made to ''St. Elsewhere.'' Not
necessary. But, like Joel, a good many viewers
may discover that the characters kind of grow
on you. A first-rate cast makes it all the more
easy. As Ed says to Joel about the gamey
mooseburgers, you'll get used to it.
NORTHERN EXPOSURE
Created by Joshua Brand and John Falsey;
premiere directed by Mr. Brand; premiere
written by Mr. Brand and Mr. Falsey;
produced by Robert T. Skodis for Cine-Nevada
Inc. in association with Procter and Gamble
Productions Inc.; Mr. Brand and Mr. Falsey,
executive producers. Tonight on CBS at 10
P.M.
Joel Fleischman...Rob Morrow
Maggie O'Connell...Janine Turner
Maurice Minnifield...Barry Corbin
Chris Stevens...John Corbett
Ed...Darren E. Burrows
Holling Vincoeur...John Cullum
Shelly...Cynthia Geary
Date: July 12, 1990
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
Author: Lynn Voedisch
CBS presents a new dramatic series. The
premiere episode, directed by Joshua Brand
and written by Brand and John Falsey, will air
from 9 to 10 tonight on WBBM-Channel 2.
If there's a doctor in the house, perhaps he
can heal what's ailing "Northern Exposure," a
CBS dramatic series premiering from 9 to 10
5
tonight on WBBM-Channel 2. There are so
many problems with this summer stand-in
that it ought to be put in the intensive-care
unit.
"Northern Exposure" stars Rob Morrow as
New Yorker Joel Fleischman who, upon
completing medical school and his residency,
must practice medicine in a remote town in
the wilds of Alaska. It seems when he entered
medical school, Fleischman signed a contract
that guaranteed his services to the state of
Alaska in exchange for tuition aid.
Fleischman was counting on practicing in
Anchorage. What he gets is the hole-in-the-
wall town of Cicely.
The usual fish-out-of-water routines fill the
rest of the first "Northern Exposure" episode.
The snooty punk of a doctor manages to insult
everyone in town within hours of his arrival.
He makes a scene everywhere he goes. His
big-city manner merits him only
uncomprehending stares from the startled
Alaskans.
After his temper tantrums are through,
Fleischman actually starts treating some
ragtag patients, most of whom have silly
complaints that frustrate the doctor even
more. When one patient shows up with two
dangerous wounds inflicted by his violent
wife, the exasperated Fleischman tries some
smug psychotherapy.
"Start talking!" he barks at the couple as he
storms out of the office. Only on television
could this tender, caring approach work.
Well, who can blame the good doctor when
everyone in town is a yahoo? He insults a
woman he has just met by insinuating that
she's a hooker. (She's his landlord.) He tells a
big man with a huge gun that he's seen
greater dangers on the subway at night. He
gets drunk and sick in the local bar on his first
full day in town. He's just a cute kid having a
bad week.
Baby-faced Morrow plays the doctor role with
such a supercilious air that's impossible to like
him. The other actors, burdened with leaden
dialogue, plod through their roles like bison
migrating south.
While the scenery gives viewers an idea that
Alaska is a jewel box of natural beauties, the
acting suggests that this lovely environment is
filled with ignorant clods.
Maybe the doctor is right. Perhaps the
residents of Cicely are a motley crew of
subhuman yokels. If they had an ounce of
gumption, they would take to arms and run
spoiled Dr. Fleischman out of town and
straight into bear country.
Date: July 17, 1990
Publication: Albany Times Union
Byline: Steve Bornfeld Staff writer
Two fact-based telefilms and a hit fantasy
feature will open CBS' movie lineup this fall,
says the network's entertainment president,
Jeff Sagansky.
"Field of Dreams," the Kevin Costner vehicle
about a magical ball field in the middle of an
Iowa cornfield, will strategically bow Tuesday,
Oct. 3, two days before the scheduled start of
the National League Championship Series.
The film is the first from CBS' pre- pay package we're going to hang with something," he said.
deal with Universal Pictures.
"The Charles Stuart Story," about the bizarre
Boston murder case, will kick off the "CBS
Tuesday Night Movie" on Sept. 18. Ken Olin of
"thirtysomething" has the title role.
"The CBS Sunday Night Movie" will debut with
"The Queen of Mean," based on the book of
the same name, with Suzanne Pleshette and
Lloyd Bridges as Leona and Harry Helmsley.
On the series front, Sagansky said the eight-
episode summer drama "Northern Exposure,"
which debuted to both good ratings and
reviews, will "absolutely" return to the lineup
during the season if it continues to perform
well.
"The reason it's on the summer schedule
(instead of the fall) was because I wanted to
put some quality things on in the summer,"
Sagansky said. "I didn't want it to be just
rejects of things that we wouldn't put on in
the fall because then there's no point to the
experiment at all."
"If it does well during the summer, where
there's less competition, where it's running
against repeat competition, then there's a
Cicely News & World Telegram
good shot at making the schedule during the
year," he said.
In addition to "Northern Exposure," CBS has
announced several midseason replacement
shows that are ready to start production,
including "The Trials of Rosie O'Neill," which
reteams "Cagney and Lacy" star Sharon Gless
and producer Barney Rosenzweig. Another 10
pilots are planned in the next couple of
months.
"One of the big mistakes that has happened at shows.
CBS in the past is, they put (shows) on the fall
schedule and then just sort of sat with it," said "My opinion is that I wish I had a few of (the
Sagansky, who took over the top
entertainment post six months ago.
"If the stuff didn't work, like this past year,
there was nothing to put on until January," he
said.
He added that the early order for backup
shows did not signal a "quick-hook" mentality
regarding the fall performers.
"If a show shows glimmers of life and it's well-
received and the quality is up to the pilot,
In other series news, Sagansky said "Wiseguy"
star Ken Wahl, who was originally announced
as starring in the first few episodes of the
crime drama whenever it returned to the
lineup, would not return at all as agent Vinnie
Terranova. Actor Stephen Bauer will play a
new agent, if and when the show returns with
new prime-time episodes.
"I spoke to him myself, and he said he had
had it with the show," Sagansky said. "I felt
there was some life in the show and that
(producer) Steve Cannell and the whole
company still had a lot of things to say with
the show, and we went on without him."
Sagansky also noted that the veteran soap
"Dallas," which will convert from its serial
format to "Wiseguy"-style story "arcs" in the
fall, was not in danger of cancellation last
year.
"We had a number of other, bigger problems
on our schedule than a 22 share," said
Sagansky. He added that this year's guest
casting - including Susan Lucci and Larry
Hagman's former "I Dream of Jeannie" co-
star, Barbara Eden - along with the lead-in
6
from the new "Over My Dead Body" - should
improve its performance over last season.
Regarding the upstart, part-time Fox
Broadcasting Network - the only network that
third-place CBS does not trail - Sagansky said
he didn't expect it to dislodge any of the
traditional networks in the foreseeable future.
However, Sagansky said he did not agree with
comments made by NBC's Brandon Tartikoff,
who criticized the quality of several Fox
Fox shows)," Sagansky said. "I'd take 'The
Simpsons,' and you probably wouldn't have to
twist my arm too much to take 'Married...
With Children,' either.''
Date: July 18, 1990
Publication: The Washington Post
The American League's soggy 2-0 victory over
the National League in Major League
Baseball's 61st All-Star Game helped lift CBS
to a close, second-place finish for the week.
The National League was held to two hits in a
game that the rain delayed for 68 minutes
during the seventh inning. The All-Star
showcase averaged an 18.5 rating and a 33
share, and was the first event in CBS's $1.1
billion deal with Major League Baseball. Its
rating was slightly higher than the 18.2 the
game averaged on NBC last year.
NBC narrowly won the week of July 9-its ninth
consecutive prime-time ratings victory and its
40th in 43 weeks-with a 9.8 rating and a 19
share; CBS followed one-tenth of a ratings
point behind, at 9.7/19; and ABC came in
third, with a 9.1/18.
The premiere of CBS's "Northern Exposure"
Thursday night had a 9.2/17, tying for 46th
with Part I of NBC's repeat miniseries "Poor
Little Rich Girl."
NBC's special telecast Friday night of "Bret
Maverick" earned a 7.3/16 in a three-way tie
for 57th place, while "Yellow Rose" earned
only a 6.3/13 in a tie for 64th with "Super
Jeopardy!"
TV RATINGZZZZ
Following are the top 20 network prime-time years, arrives in Alaska and starts paying his "It's a one-street town, a little farther out
shows last week, ranked according to the dues. than we wanted, but it's great," Brand said.
percentage of the nation's 92.1 milllion TV "The mountains and the lakes are
households that watched, as measured by the "He's stuck in this little town in Alaska," said magnificent. The skies can be dark and filled
A.C. Nielsen Co. A share represents the Josh Brand, co-writer and producer with John with billowing clouds. It's very clear you're not
percentage of actual sets-in-use tuned to a Falsey. "He doesn't like the place. He doesn't in Los Angeles."
particular program when it aired. feel comfortable. He feels he's been tricked,
because they had promised him "Northern Exposure" is one of a several
Anchorage." summer shows the networks, particularly CBS,
RANK RATING SHOW SHARE NETWORK
are mounting this year in hopes of retaining
1 18.5 Baseball's All-Star Game 33 CBS
In the first episode, Fleishman, viewers until the fall season premieres, Brand
played by Rob Morrow, learned said.
2 16.2 Cheers 29 NBC
he was being sent into the
3 14.5 The Simpsons 27 FOX wilderness. Other regulars in the
eight-episode run, airing from 9
4 14.4 The Cosby Show 28 NBC
to 10 tonight on WBBM-Channel
5 14.0 Roseanne 24 ABC
2, are Barry Corbin, John Cullum, Date: July 25, 1990
Janine Turner, John Corbett and Publication: The Washington Post
6 13.9 Love-Hate: Marriage 25 NBC
Cynthia Geary. Author: Brenda Caggiano
7 13.6 All-Star Pre-Game Show 27 CBS

13.6 A Different World 26 NBC "This isn't a medical show. This The second installment of Canada's top-rated
isn't about the disease of the miniseries, "Love & Hate: A Marriage Made in
9 13.3 Designing Women 24 CBS
week," said Brand, who also Hell," put NBC back in the top spot of the
10 13.2 60 Minutes 30 CBS
created "St. Elsewhere" with weekly primetime ratings race and helped it
Falsey. "This is about a fish out of snatch an overall win with a 10.2 rating and a
11 13.1 Empty Nest 27 NBC
water. It's a show about people." 20 share. CBS followed with 8.7/17, and ABC
13.1 America's Funniest Home Videos 26 ABC came in third with 8.4/16.
13 13.0 Murphy Brown 23 CBS Brand and Falsey became
partners as writers for "The Part I of "Love & Hate" ranked sixth for the
14 12.6 Unsolved Mysteries 25 NBC
White Shadow." They also guided Nielsen week ending July 15. The Canadian
12.6 Married With Children 22 FOX
"St. Elsewhere" as producers in Broadcasting Co.'s four-hour docudrama
its first year. Later, they created about one of Canada's most sensational
16 12.3 The Golden Girls 26 NBC
and produced "A Year in the Life." murder cases starred Kenneth Welsh and Kate
12.6 Grand 22 NBC
They also helped Steven Nelligan.
18 12.2 The Wonder Years 22 ABC Spielberg create and produce the
The Tuesday night debut of NBC's limited-run
19 11.9 Primetime Pets 22 CBS
"Amazing Stories" series.
series "Real Life With Jane Pauley," a
20 11.6 Who's the Boss? 23 ABC "Northern Exposure" had its magazine-style format featuring profiles by
origin in several sources, including Brand's the former "Today" co-host, tied for fifth.
doctor friend, who suggested the original idea
Thursday, July 19, 1990 1-02 On Sunday night, CBS's rebroadcast of "A
for "St. Elsewhere."
Brains, Know How and Gathering of Old Men" earned a 10.6/19,
Native Intelligence 78702 2 tying with NBC's "In the Heat of the Night" for
"We'd read about the state of Maine paying
for medical school to get doctors to practice 25th place. NBC's "Nasty Boys" pilot, renamed
in small towns," Brand said. "The genesis of "Kill or Be Killed," ranked 32nd with a 10.0/18.
this series was the movie `Cry Wolf,' which ABC's rerun of the movie "Tonight's the Night"
was about a city man going into the northern came in 58th with a 7.1/13, tying with its own
woods to study wolves, and a script we'd "Anything but Love."
Date: July 19, 1990
written about a friend of mine who was a
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times Among new shows and specials, CBS's
doctor and joined the New York Police
Author: Jerry Buck Thursday "Northern Exposure" ranked 38th
Department. He now practices in rural New
with a 9.6/19. The Wednesday night "ABC
LOS ANGELES So what's a nice young Jewish York."
News Special: The Perfect Baby" earned a
doctor doing in the wilds of Alaska? 9.0/18 for 41st place, slightly better than its
The show is being filmed on location in
Roslyn, Wash., a small town about 60 miles competition-the premiere of CBS's "Top
That's the premise of the CBS summer series
east of Seattle, just off Interstate 90 east of Cops," which ranked 43rd with an 8.8/17.
"Northern Exposure," in which Dr. Joel
Fleishman, who financed medical school by the Cascade Mountains.
promising to practice in the Far North for four

Cicely News & World Telegram 7

CBS's Friday night kickoff show "Primetime chains doling out millions of dollars in prizes.
Pets" earned a 7.9/18 for 49th place, but the In rare instances, they are agreeing to plant
premiere of "Wish You Were Here" at 9:30 products in episodes of prime-time shows,
Date: July 29, 1990
ranked 83rd with a 4.6/9. The night closed and considering having stars of shows plug
Publication: The New York Times
with the network's drama pilot "The Bakery" merchandise. Cognizant of the shifting sands,
Author: N. R. Kleinfield
ranking 69th with a 5.8/12. large sponsors are pushing the networks to
accept more programs produced - or co-
Viewers of the new television series
In the network evening news battle, "ABC produced - by advertisers. Can the return of
''Northern Exposure'' on CBS Thursday
World News Tonight With Peter Jennings" the ''Goodyear TV Playhouse'' be far behind?
evening could hardly miss the striking scenery
won by averaging an 8.9/20 last week,
and the quirky mooseburger meals depicted
compared with an 8.0/18 for "CBS Evening [EDIT]
in the saga of a young New York doctor
News With Dan Rather" and a 7.4/17 for "NBC
acclimating to a rugged Alaskan town.
Nightly News With Tom Brokaw." Photo: Jerry Dominus, head of sales at CBS,
with ''Northern Exposure,'' a new network
Only a brand-name whiz, though, would have
TV RATINGZZZZ show partly owned by Procter & Gamble (Fred
realized that half the parade of commercials -
R. Conrad/The New York Times) (pg. 1);
Following are the top 20 network prime-time Crest, Downy, Head & Shoulders, Folgers,
shows last week, ranked according to the Pringle's Potato Chips, Tide, Oil of Olay, Thursday, August 09, 1990 1-05
percentage of the nation's 92.1 milllion TV Pepto-Bismol - came from one source: the Russian Flu 78706 5
households that watched, as measured by the Procter & Gamble Company. That was no
Thursday, August 16, 1990 1-06
coincidence.
A.C. Nielsen Co. A share represents the Sex, Lies and Ed's Tapes 78707 6
percentage of actual sets-in-use tuned to a
In a deal struck with CBS, Procter & Gamble Thursday, August 23, 1990 1-07
particular program when it aired. A Kodiak Moment 78708 7
had agreed to foot part of the production
expenses and buy half the Thursday, August 30, 1990 1-08
RANK RATING SHOW SHARE NETWORK commercials in exchange for a Aurora Borealis- A Fairy Tale for Big
Love & Hate: A minority ownership stake in the People 78705 8
1 16.3 Marriage (II) 28 NBC
program. This unusual experiment
2 15.5 Cheers 29 NBC is one of the latest signs of the
3 13.8 Roseanne 25 ABC partnerships being forged
Date: November 9, 1990
between advertisers and major
4 13.4 20/20 28 ABC Publication: The New York Times
networks, arrangements that
Author: Alex Witchel
5 13.3 Empty Nest 28 NBC vaguely harken back to the early
Real Life With Jane
13.3 Pauley 25 NBC
''Golden Age'' of television, when [EDIT]
the advertising community was
7 13.0 The Golden Girls 28 NBC
virtually indistinguishable from The Brat Pack at "Carnal Knowledge" -- Judd
13.0 The Simpsons 24 FOX the networks. Nelson, Justine Bateman, Jon Cryer -- is
Married ... With
13.0 Children 23 FOX
apparently living up to the name and then
Clearly, the romance is back. After some, resulting in the dismissal last week of
10 12.8 Miss Teen USA 22 CBS years of agitated relations in the Janine Turner, a star of the television series
marriage between the networks "Northern Exposure." A company member
11 12.7 60 Minutes 28 CBS
and advertisers, the beleaguered says Ms. Turner was relieved of her duties by
12 12.4 The Cosby Show 26 NBC networks are increasingly courting a production assistant, not by the director,
13 12.3 A Different World 25 NBC makers of canned peas and of Martin Charnin, and was replaced by her
crackers by flashing inventive understudy, Karen Byers shortly after Mr.
14 11.7 Unsolved Mysteries 24 NBC
ways to make expensive network Nelson criticized her work during rehearsals.
15 11.5 Grand 21 NBC commercials worth more. The show is scheduled to open Off Broadway
16 11.4 Coach 20 ABC on Nov. 19.
Beset by dwindling audiences and
17 11.3 Who's the Boss? 23 ABC brutal competition, the networks The producer Martin Kaufman says: "Janine is
11.3 In Living Color 20 FOX have been transforming a lovely person, but she had a different
themselves from lackadaisical approach toward acting than the others. They
19 11.2 Full House 25 ABC
order bookers to panting weren't cruel to her face, but they did
11.2 Designing Women 21 CBS salesmen. They are doing things complain about her. It bothered me that there
like mall tours in connection with advertisers, was so much friction between them because
special segments on regular shows keyed to everyone is working for cheap, and I want
Thursday, July 26, 1990 1-03
themes of keen interest to sponsors and joint them to be happy. With a cast of seven, I
Soapy Sanderson 78704 3
sweepstakes with retailers and fast-food

Cicely News & World Telegram 8

would rather see one person leave than see
six people unhappy."
Mr. Charnin says: " 'Northern Exposure' was
starting up again, and I didn't want her to split
on me. And never in 20 million years would I
allow a production assistant to let someone
go. We were in agreement that she go
because she couldn't stay for the run like
everybody else."
A spokeswoman for Ms. Turner says: "Janine's
approach was a highly emotional one; that
character does attempt suicide. To change her
interpretation because of another actor
would have compromised her instincts as an
actress." Crawford Returning to Los Angeles
[EDIT]
Date: January 15, 1991
Publication: PR Newswire
-- ENTERTAINET -- TO TELEVISION EDITORS:
'NORTHERN EXPOSURE,' CBS'S ONE-HOUR
DRAMA/COMEDY SERIES BEGINS
PRODUCTION FOR NEW SEASON, JAN. 10
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- CBS
Television's critically- acclaimed series,
"Northern Exposure," begins production on
Jan. 10 with the filming of "Goodbye To All
That," an episode written by Robin Green and
directed by Stuart Margolin. After a successful
eight-episode 1990 summer debut, "Northern
Exposure" is set to return as a mid-season
series, tentatively scheduled to premiere in
mid- March. Joshua Brand and John Falsey,
creators of "St. Elsewhere" and "A Year in the
Life," are the series creators and executive
producers.
Filmed outside Seattle, in the towns of
Bellevue and Roslyn, (est. pop. 850),
"Northern Exposure" creates its own remote
Alaskan town of Cicely (pop. 839). Deep in the
snow-filled mountain terrain, the small town
milieu of Roslyn effectively captures the
idiosyncrasies of Cicely, where life borders on
the eccentric and basic comforts are scarce.
Cicely News & World Telegram
The quirky series focuses on the trials and
tribulations of Dr. Joel Fleischman (Rob
Morrow), an inveterate New Yorker who has
been reluctantly transplanted to a remote
Alaskan town. After making a deal with the
state of Alaska to finance his Columbia
University Medical School education,
Fleishman owns up upon graduation and
relocates to Cicely for four years of medical
practice. Once there, this "fish out of water" is
in constant anguish trying to adjust to his new
rustic environment.
"Northern Exposure" stars Rob Morrow as Dr.
Joel Fleishman; Janine Turner and Maggie
O'Connell and Barry Corbin as Maurice
Minnifield. Also starring are Darren E. Burrows
as Ed; John Cullum as Holling Vincoeur;
Cynthia Geary as Shelly Tambo; John Corbett
as Chris Stevens and Elaine Miles as Marilyn.
"Northern Exposure" is produced by the
Finnegan-Pinchuk Co. in association with
Falahey/Austin Street Productions distributed
by MCA-TV.
Date: March 24, 1991
Publication: The Record (Bergen County, NJ)
Author: VIRGINIA MANN
Traditionally, TV's midseason was considered
an unromantic time for a series to court
viewers. But that perception has been
changing, thanks to the growing list of
second-string successes. At this time last year,
for example, NBC introduced the very fine
"Shannon's Deal," which returned to NBC on
March 23.
Among the other bright spots on the horizon
are "My Life and Times," an unusual drama
from "Beauty and the Beast" creator Ron
Koslow. Tom Irwin, a young and versatile
actor, plays 85-year-old Ben Miller,
whose life is reviewed in flashbacks. The
eerie, thought-provoking thing about this
series is that it's set in the year 2035. Viewers
may find themselves calculating their own age
then. (For most of us, it's very
old.)
For these sore eyes, the most welcome sight
is "Northern Exposure," a drama, which
happens to be very funny, about a Manhattan
doctor who's contractually bound to the
people of Alaska. This charmer, which was
9
intended only as a summer experiment when
it debuted last July, will return at 10 p.m. April
8.
On a lighter note, this is the week "Twin
Peaks" returns, at 9 p.m. Thursday. According
to ABC, Agent Cooper will become attracted
to "a beautiful, reclusive young woman"
(Heather Graham). Nadine "Eyepatch" Hurley,
who, since her suicide attempt, has forgotten
she's on the far side of 30, will check into the
Great Northern Hotel with high-schooler Mike
Nelson. And Ben Horne "hosts an
environmental benefit." (Is he pushing for
recyclable body bags?)
Then, too, Sheriff Truman, who witnessed the
death, and rebirth on a drawer knob, of lover
Josie Packard -- will "fall to pieces." (Hopefully
not literally, but one never knows on "Twin
Peaks.")
On TV, the best thing about this time of year
are its surprises.
Date: April 1, 1991
Publication: The Record (Bergen County, NJ)
Author: Bill Ervolino, Record Television Editor
NBC has announced that "Wings" has been
picked up for the 1991-92 season. The
comedy series, which follows the network's
superhit "Cheers" on Thursday nights, has
consistently won its time period since
moving there Jan. 3. With a 15.9 rating and a
25 share, it ranks 17th among all prime-time
shows. According to NBC, in the demographic
category of adults 18-54, the series ranks
ninth and has more viewers in its time period
than the combined competition of CBS and
ABC.
"Wings" completed its season run last
Thursday. It is slated to return to the schedule
with repeat telecasts in June.
"STAT," the new, half-hour comedy series
from Danny Arnold ("Barney Miller"), set in
the trauma center of a New York City hospital,
will join ABC's prime-time lineup at 9:30 p.m.
April 16. "Coach," now
occupying that post-"Roseanne" Tuesday time
slot, will complete its season episode order
with its April 9 telecast. "Coach," another
renewal for the '91-92 season, will return to
the schedule later this year.

Good news for Rick Dees fans; bad news for
the rest of us. "Into the Night Starring Rick
Dees," ABC's late-night variety series, has
been renewed through October.
The James Earl Jones series "Gabriel's Fire,"
formerly on Thursday nights, returns to ABC's
prime-time schedule April 17 in the 10 p.m.
slot. "Equal Justice," now in that spot, goes on
hiatus following its
April 10 broadcast. "Justice" will return to the
schedule later this year with original episodes.
The April 17 episode of "Gabriel's Fire," titled
"One Flew Over the Bird's Nest," guest stars
Caitlin Clarke and George Hearn.
Floyd Red Crow Westerman, who played the
chief of the Lakota tribe in "Dances With
Wolves," makes a guest appearance next
Monday on the CBS series "Northern
Exposure."
Westerman will play an Indian spirit known as
One Who Waits.
ABC's long-awaited "Dinosaurs" project is
anything but extinct. The comedy series will
finally show its big ugly face 8:30 p.m. April
26. To
accommodate the big fellas Fridays, ABC is
moving "Family Matters" to 9 p.m. and
"Perfect Strangers" to 9:30. Surprise hit "Baby
Talk," now seen at 9:30 p.m., will resurface
Tuesdays in place of "Davis Rules,"
which completes its run of new episodes April
9.
Patrick Stewart, the commanding actor who
helms the Starship Enterprise in "Star Trek:
The Next Generation," will direct that series'
100th episode, set to air in May.
Date: April 7, 1991
Publication: The Record (Bergen County, NJ)
Author: Virginia Mann
THE RISE OF "NORTHERN EXPOSURE" is the TV
equivalent of one of those Horatio Alger rags-
to-riches tales.
In July 1990, CBS presented the hour-long
drama, conceived by "St. Elsewhere" creators
Joshua Brand and John Falsey, as a summer
Cicely News & World Telegram
experiment.
Despite the impressive track records of its
creators, "Northern Exposure" wasn't
expected to attract much attention. It had no
big-name stars -- or budgets. In fact, because
of the series' experimental nature, CBS
convinced Brand and Falsey to shoot eight
episodes on two-thirds the usual budget, an
arrangement that translated into grueling six-
day work weeks for the cast and crew.
Then, too, during its limited summer run,
"Northern Exposure" grew increasingly, well,
spiritual. The finale, "Aurora Borealis," was so
weirdly mystical it might well have driven
away mainstream America.
And yet, this intriguing, unexpectedly funny
drama managed to make a mark, winning
both critical raves and solid ratings. "We've
had tremendous response from people," says
Brand. "I think it surprised even
the network."
And so, "Northern Exposure" is back for
another eight episodes, the first of which airs
at 10 p.m. Monday.
According to the series' creators, this return
engagement never would have come about if
CBS had not agreed to pay more for the
series. "What was initially a challenge to
overcome [the limited budget] became a pain.
We started to think, `Why do I want to keep
my hand over the flame just to prove I can do
it?'" Brand said during a telephone interview
from his Santa Monica office.
Fortunately, after a few months of
negotiations, CBS -- which has been heavily
promoting the series for the past few weeks --
upped the ante. Nowadays, "Northern
Exposure" has the usual five-day shooting
schedule, a "drastic" improvement, according
to actor Rob Morrow.
"A five-day schedule makes you feel like a
person again. You have a day off, and the
money is there, in terms of costumes and the
production, and certain amenities, even
things like the quality of food
service," says Morrow. He plays Dr. Joel
Fleischman, a New York City doctor
contractually bound to the people of Alaska,
who financed his medical education.
10
Last season, Morrow's desperately homesick
character came across as the show's real
protagonist. "Originally, Joel was our point of
view into this town. He was every urban
man," notes Brand. "But we really view the
show as more of an ensemble."
And so, this season, you can expect to see
some fleshing out of the citizens of the
remote (fictional) town of Cicely, Alaska.
Viewers will learn more about the past life of
town founder Maurice Minnifeld (Barry
Corbin), a former astronaut, and will see more
of Marilyn, the doctor's enigmatic Indian
assistant, played by Elaine Miles. ("It's her first
acting job, and everyone has sparked to her,"
notes Brand.)
Likewise "explored" will be the relationship
between Holling Vincoeur (John Cullum), a 62-
year-old saloon keeper and naturalist, and
Shelley (Cynthia Geary), his 18-year-old
girlfriend. Their union will be
a continual source of humor. (In the first
episode, for example, after Holling buys
Shelley a satellite dish, she becomes addicted
to television.)
And still very much on hand will be Chris
Stevens (John Corbett), the local radio disc
jockey, Maggie (Janine Turner), the self-reliant
pilot, and Ed (Darren E. Burrows), the gentle
Indian who'll take a
number of spiritual journeys -- and become a
real buddy to Joel. "You can become very
close to someone because of circumstance,"
says Brand.
As for Joel, in the first episode, he'll get
dumped, via mail, by his New York-based
fiancee. This development paves the way for
him and Maggie to pursue their flirtatious,
love-hate relationship.
"There's an undeniable attraction between
them. By the same token, they both realize
they're not for each other. In their own heads,
there's no future in it," says Brand.
And while Joel may seem a little less
obnoxious than before, in order to preserve
the series' fish-out-of-water premise, Brand
says the writers will not allow him to become
too mellow.
"In `M*A*S*H," the war never ends. In our
show, Joel never does become comfortable
with his surroundings," says Brand, noting something of value as much as the viewer of
that the good doctor still hasn't unpacked or Illustrations/Photos: COLOR PHOTO - The cast "L.A. Law"? But we can't leave it at that,
decorated his rented cabin. As Morrow puts of "Northern Exposure," clockwise from top simply say that quality is in the eye of the
it, "Nature is still his enemy." left: John Corbett, Rob Morrow, Barry Corbin, beholder. Otherwise I'd be out of a job.
Cynthia Geary, John Cullum, Elaine Miles, and
Though "Northern Exposure" is shot in Roslyn Darren E. Burrows. What we can say is that a quality show, at a
and Bellevue, Wash. -- and Brand and Falsey minimum, is something you can talk about the
spend most of their time in Santa Monica -- next day, that it isn't so ephemeral that it
the producers review all footage the day after evaporates upon collision with whatever
Date: April 7, 1991
it's shot. "If they don't comes on next. Quality television makes life
Publication: The Record (Bergen County, NJ)
like it, we'll redo it, which happens seem richer; the other stuff makes it seem
occasionally," says Morrow. more tolerable.
Section: TELEVISION
Edition: All Editions -- Sunday
The actor believes that the commitment and In tonight's "Northern Exposure," Shelly the
Notes: TELEVISION FRONT
unique vision of the producing team, who met barmaid is presented with a satellite dish by
in 1979, when both were working on "The her boyfriend and she quickly becomes an
Three Cheers!
White Shadow," is the primary reason for the addict. Finally, after watching "Magnum, P.I."
series' appeal. dubbed in Japanese, she admits, "I can't stop.
CBS brings back `Northern Exposure'
When I'm with Holling, I'm thinking of
"I think because of the nature of television, a television . . . . When I'm with my friends I
Illustrations/Photos: COLOR PHOTO - Janine
lot of shows are created in a pure way, but wish I was watching television. I don't even
Turner, Rob Morrow, and Elaine Miles
then they're somehow bastardized along the like it so much. I get this icky feeling inside
route to airing, because of the nature of the and the only thing that will make it go away is
medium, and the need to appeal to millions of television. It doesn't matter what program it is
people," says Morrow. "But these guys don't . . . `Oprah,' `Hogan's Heroes . . ."
compromise. And they give [the show] heart, Date: April 8, 1991
and compassion." Publication: The Boston Globe These are programs that do matter. Whether
Author: Ed Siegel, Globe Staff they're any good or not is something else
One important element of the show is its non- again. * * * Northern Exposure 10 p.m.
religious spirituality, which Brand explains inIt was only weeks ago that people were Mondays, Channel 7
almost metaphysical terms. "We made this complaining about the dearth of quality
dramatic series on network television. "L.A. A yuppified Woody Allen in Alaska is this
leap that Alaska was a state of mind, rather
Law" was holding forth on Thursday nights show's premise. From the elk walking down
than a spot on a
and that was it. ABC had taken "Twin Peaks" Main Street in the opening credits to the local
physical map. It's a little closer to the stars."
and "thirtysomething" off for a while and the DJ speculating about Jung's connection to the
hourlong series seemed to be the exclusive blues, this is foreign territory to network
Ever so subtly, "Northern Exposure"
television. It's also foreign territory to Joel
emphasizes that there's more to life than the hangout for any number of interchangeable
Fleischman, the fish out of Perrier who is
traditional American obsession with money. In Jakes and their Fat Men buddies. The
networks were in an obvious down-market perpetually lusting for New York City, his
one memorable episode last season, when a
mode, symbolized by "thirtysomething" giving girlfriend Elaine and "sixth-row center seats
flu epidemic hit, "nurse" Marilyn
way to "Eddie Dodd." for `Les Miz.' "
came to the clinic with a foul-smelling salve
that miraculously cured the town. Initially
But faster than you can say "Matlock," things Fleischman's whining and his inability to deal
skeptical, Dr. Joel wound up hounding his
change. Two of last year's most refreshing with the natural beauty around him, not the
assistant to tell him the ingredients of this
series return this week, "Northern Exposure" least of which is his landlady Maggie
tribal remedy, which, he stressed,
tonight and "Shannon's Deal" tomorrow. O'Connell, is the central concern of the show.
could make them very rich. Unimpressed,
"Eddie Dodd" failed so badly that ABC had to Their intriguing approach-avoidance
Marilyn just smiled her enigmatic smile, and
rush "thirtysomething" back onto the air relationship turned into a grating shouting
walked away.
tomorrow night. ABC also decided to give match as the show developed last year. It
picks up like that in the first half of tonight's
But perhaps what viewers find most intriguing "Twin Peaks" a final chance last week. The
same network is hyping this week's "Equal program before softening midway through.
about "Northern Exposure" is its incidental
Unfortunately, this week's approach is next
humor. The series is a lot funnier than many a Justice," about black-Korean tensions, and
next week's "thirtysomething," an episode week's avoidance.
sitcom, a point that Brand concedes.
dealing with AIDS, as uncommonly good.
What's most becoming about the program is
"We do see ourselves as a one-hour comedy, its eccentric sense of community. If Anne
Quality, of course, is a term impossible to
though I don't know if the network sees us Tyler ("Accidental Tourist") had written
define. Doesn't the person watching "True
that way."
Detectives" believe he or she is watching

Cicely News & World Telegram 11

"Newhart" and set it in Alaska, this might be
what she'd have come up with.
Except that it doesn't have Tyler's sure hand.
The eccentricity is often too forced; people
act much smarter or much dumber than they
actually are, enough so that the producers are
constantly in danger of breaking the spell, the
surrender of disbelief so necessary to make a
show like this work.
made me question what I am doing on this
earth. How come I don't break your arm when
you don't pay me?" Damon Runyon meets
Elmore Leonard, David Mamet and John
Sayles. "Shannon's Deal" goes from comedy to
drama, darkness to light and melodrama to
drama with the adroitness that is impossible
to find outside of this show and "L.A. Law." *
* * 1/2 L.A. Law 10 p.m. Thursdays, Ch. 4 *
Equal Justice 10 p.m. Wednesdays, Ch. 5
not before we're subjected to the usual
pretentious dialogue:
"This woman, very big teeth, asked me if I had
a boarding pass, which struck me as this very
existential question." The only existential
thing about this program is that you feel like a
character in Sartre's "No Exit" while you're
watching it.

But when the writing does work, it works like
a charm, as when Shelly forces the disc jockey
to hear her confession even though he's not a
Catholic and his claim as a clergyman is
tangential. Is it OK to give her a Buddhist
chant instead of Hail Marys? "That's cool."
This show is cool. It's good to have it back. * *
* 1/2 Shannon's Deal 10 p.m. Tuesdays,
Channel 4
But this is the coolest show on TV. This very
un-lawyerlike lawyer series created by John
Sayles and Stan Rogow is the best and it only
gets better with increased viewing. We can't
discuss tomorrow night's program, which
wasn't available for review, but based on the
preview from two weeks ago and the two-
hour special next week, it would be a tragedy
if this show doesn't make it.
Everything about "Shannon's Deal" is
impeccable. The acting -- Jamey Sheridan,
Elizabeth Pena, Richard Edson and next week,
B.D Wong. The music -- next week's score is
by Wynton Marsalis, Diane Schuur and
Giacomo Puccini. The writing and directing --
the series has gone out of its way to get
feature-film qualities into the program and
next week Tom Rickman ("Coal Miner's
Daughter") shines as both producer and
director.
In this series, too, the accent is on
eccentricity, but it's a fuller-blooded
eccentricity than either "Northern Exposure"
or "Twin Peaks." Edson's philosophical bone-
breaking debt-collector, Wilmer, shouldn't
work, but he's terrific. As when he complains
that his mob boss is having emotional
problems:
Shannon: "Joey Testa's having a midlife
crisis?"
Wilmer: "Don't dismiss his pain with a
catchphrase, Shannon. This is serious. It's also
It is mind-boggling to hear these two
programs mentioned in the same breath. One
Date: April 8, 1991
of the main criteria for judging a program's
Publication: The Washington Post
worth is its complexity and "Equal Justice" has
Author: Tom Shales
the complexity of a paper clip.
Joel Fleischman is a frozen fishstick out of
If you were to teach a course in what
water, a young doctor abruptly uprooted from
separates a program of substance from one
his native Queens to the tiny frigid town of
without it, all you'd have to do is tape this
Cicely, Alaska, and not liking it one bit. Well,
Wednesday's "Equal Justice" -- when an Al
maybe one bit. Since "Northern Exposure" got
Sharpton character foments community
its first exposure on CBS last summer,
hatred of a Korean grocer -- and compare it to
Fleischman has warmed slightly to his new
Thursday's "L.A. Law" repeat -- when another
surroundings.
Sharpton character, played by Paul Winfield,
foments outrage against a police officer
Still, a funny friction remains, or else there
accused of killing a black kid. In "Equal
wouldn't be a series. Tonight at 10 on Channel
Justice," Sharpton is nothing more than a
9, "Northern Exposure" returns for another
hollow, tabloid caricature. In "L.A. Law" he's a
test run, hoping to find an audience. As
multisided character with depth and context.
created and produced by Joshua Brand and
"L.A. Law" earns its accolades with good
John Falsey, "Northern Exposure" is one of
writing; "Equal Justice" gets its with attitude.
network television's tastier frosty delights.
1/2 * thirtysomething 10 p.m. Tuesdays,
Channel 5
Rob Morrow, who plays Fleischman, has
fortunately tempered his whininess, although
It would be easy to say that some programs
the plot tonight gives him plenty of reason to
just don't get you on their wavelength. Or that
whine. Eight months into his stay in Cicely, the
you just can't dance to their rhythm, and good
doc gets a "Dear Joel" letter from la belle
luck to those who can. But that would be a
Elaine, his girlfriend back home, and just as he
critical copout. Not to mention that it isn't any
was about to return for a two-week visit. After
fun.
12 years of loyal companionship, she has
found someone else - someone "very gentle,
This is a program with neither wit nor charm
very Gentile," she tells Joel in the note.
and all the allusions to "Henry V" and "Three
Sisters" can't change that. In next week's
As characters in hour-long TV shows often do,
program it reduces the horror over testing
Joel takes refuge in annoying fantasy
HIV-positive to the level of yuppie angst.
sequences, at one point conversing with
(Ellyn gets married tomorrow night.
himself as a boy on the screen of the local
Fortunately that episode wasn't available for
theater. Finally, thanks to meddlesome
preview.)
interference by well-meaning vocal locals, Joel
approaches a heightened state of, well,
Gary, who doesn't have the decency to stay
embittered resignation, which is as close as
dead, is back to haunt Michael into doing the
one can get to peace under the
right thing. Or is it into doing something,
circumstances.
anything, besides whining about how
everybody is expecting him to do the right
In a recent cover story, Time magazine said
thing? He ultimately does do right, of course,
America yearns for a return to "The Simple
by his two friends, both dead and alive, but

Cicely News & World Telegram 12


Life." CBS seems to be ahead of the other
networks in exploiting that, first with the
bucolic "Evening Shade" and now with
"Northern Exposure." At times, the show and
its characters become self-consciously quaint
and cutesy, but for the most part, this is one
of those lighter-than-air vehicles that sails
blissfully over the treetops.
The chief subplot tonight involves another
stranger in the midst of Cicely, this one from
out of the skies: satellite television. Tavern
owner Holling Vincoeur (John Cullum) buys his
almost-wife Shelly Tambo (Cynthia Geary) a
backyard dish so that she can access 200
channels of painstakingly crafted shrieking
banalities.
In no time, Shelly has become helplessly
transfixed, dialing up "Magnum, P.I." in
Japanese, insipid "Little Lulu" cartoons and a
daily Puerto Rican soap opera. She appears to
ignore the French thriller "Diabolique," but
becomes a slave to the home shopping
networks, and even stoops to donning Vanna-
like shrink-wraps when watching "Wheel of
Fortune."
She doesn't get a headache any more. She
gets a "full-grown, adult-size bangaroo."
Obviously, both Shelly and Joel need help, and heart has been broken too many times. Still, I
the point is that in an idyllic small town like fell hopelessly in love with Northern Exposure
Cicely News & World Telegram
NoExp, as we lovers called it,
was too good to be true. It
was an hour-long dramcom
about a young (27) doctor
who, to pay off his debt to
the state of Alaska for
funding his medical
education, goes to Cicely, a
mini-opolis of 813 residents,
not counting the mosquitoes
and moose. The poor wretch,
Dr. Joel Fleischman, played
by Rob Morrow, is obnoxious.
What do you expect? He's
from New York.
But something started to
happen to Dr. Fleischman in
last summer's eight episodes.
He was humbled by his
surroundings. The nobility
and integrity of the small
town frustrated him.
Ultimately, reluctantly, he
Cicely, they get it, though not necessarily the changed. It was like watching
old-fashioned way. a picture developing in the darkroom.
Also notable in the cast are Janine Turner,
fresh and frank as Maggie O'Connell, and
Darren E. Burrows as the mercurial and
laconic Ed.
Former fans of "Twin Peaks" who feel that
show has become too ridiculous to bear may
find the snowy terrain of "Northern
Exposure" a pleasing substitute. The series
seems to have struck a happy balance: just
ridiculous enough.
Monday, April 08, 1991 2-01
Goodbye to All That 77401 9
Monday, April 15, 1991 2-02
The Big Kiss 77402 10
Date: April 20, 1991
Rob Morrow is bemused by signs of the times.
Publication: TV Guide (Vol 39 No. 16 Issue
#1966) There was remarkable chemistry between the
Author: Marvin Kitman doc and his landlady and town pilot, Maggie
O'Connell, played by Janine Turner (previously
I try not to get emotionally involved with new
seen in "Steel Magnolias" and General
quality series, especially a summer show. My
Hospital). She can fly me to the moon
anytime.
last summer.
13
I also liked the very unusual people in the
town. Marilyn, the nurse played by Native
American Elaine Miles, is not awed by the
doctor. She gives him no back talk, just does
her job. What does the doctor know anyway?
She wears him down with that smile.
I loved Ed (Darren E Burrows), self-appointed,
teenage assistant to Dr. Fleischman, who
someday will be the Woody Allen of Cicely.
And Chris Stevens (John Corbett) hippie
dropout and host of "Chris in the Morning,"
the No. 1 radio show in Arrowhead County.
It's fun to watch Chris the intellectual quoting
Karl Jung and giving the traffic report, which
in downtown Cicely some days seems to
consist of one moose.
Miraculously NoExp managed to survive all
the excitement of last fall's new
programming. It returned to the CBS schedule
on April 8 with eight new episodes (Mondays
at 10 pm, ET). And Dr. Fleischman is (what
else?) miserable.
His fiancée, Elaine, has jilted him - by mail. In from country cousins. Joel Fleischman (Rob
the premiere, we learned she ran off and
married an ex-judge. The town was
depressed. Fortunately Maggie is in the wings, financed by the State of Alaska. In return, he
waiting to keep Joel warm.
I'm trying not to get too attached, as I say,
because it can't possibly last. But its great
having NoExp back taking some of the big chill minor art form. Fortunately, the locals
out of the traditional spring TV deep freeze. It couldn't care less, just as long as he tends to
may not be exactly "Nanook of the North."
But it's the kind of program that fits the image they just walk off with the show.
CBS had in the old days as the Tiffany
Network.
Date: April 22, 1991
Publication: New York Times
Author: John J. O’Connor
Television entertainment these days is going
out of town, quite literally. Urban America on
prime time's plethora of law-enforcement
shows is infested with crime and social
problems. Suburbia isn't much better.
Television does, in its way, reflect reality.
Now, more and more, weekly series are
fleeing to out-of-the-way towns and villages.
The farther away from a big city, it seems, the
better.
Cicely News & World Telegram
NBC 's "Down Home" (Saturdays at 8:30 P.M.), Each week, after a moose meanders down
for instance, takes place down South in a Gulf Cicely's main street during the opening
Coast hamlet. And CBS 's "Evening Shade" credits, this oddly lovable collection of
(Mondays at 8) gets its title from the name of characters wanders into improbable but
the real Midwestern town that is its setting. ultimately believable situations. One recent
And then, also on CBS (Mondays at 10), there episode found Joel receiving a letter from his
is "Northern Exposure," taking us all the way New York girlfriend, who, after observing that
to Cicely, Alaska, population somewhere her mom's pot roast was the equivalent of
between 500 and 850, depending on which "food you can floss with," announced she was
census you want to believe. running off to Kentucky to marry a much older
man. The news, of course, spread quickly
Created by the outstanding team of Joshua through town, and the locals immediately
Brand and John Falsey ("St. Elsewhere," "A decided to see Joel through his crisis.
Year in the Life"), "Northern Exposure" had a Somehow, Ed made his point cogently by
promising trial run of eight weeks last recalling Yves Montand in a scene from "The
summer. Back in circulation, it is continuing to Wages of Fear." At fade-out, Billie Holiday
prove irresistibly original, offbeat and could be heard singing "Blue Moon." The
disarming, at times suggesting a sort of "Twin whole thing did, believe it or not, make
Peaks" without the condescending perversity. perfect sense.
Actually, the series is made not in Alaska but
in Pacific Northwest "Twin Peaks" territory -- In the same episode, Holling lived to regret
in this case, not too far from Seattle. getting a giant satellite television dish to keep
Shelly amused with 200 channels from
The show's premise derives from the old throughout the world. Shelly, however,
setup of a big-city rube learning a thing or two promptly became obsessed, ("Wow, this is
totally beyond amusing"), glued to everything
Morrow), a graduate of Columbia University from Puerto Rican novelas and the Japanese
Medical School, has had his education national anthem to "Fawlty Towers" and
"Shogun." The inevitable process of
must spend four years in remote Cicely as the withdrawal turned out to be complicated,
area's only physician. Joel is the kind of complete with Shelly going to Chris, a mail-
person invariably described as an inveterate order minister on the side, to hear her
New Yorker. He has refined whining into a "confession." Tonight, Holling, ever eager to
please his beloved, considers circumcision
after a comment from Shelly. Obviously, the
their aches and pains. Then, for the most part, show is determined to be perfectly in line
with the current entertainment buzz word:
quirky.
The cast of rigorously independent characters
includes Maurice (Barry Corbin), a former "Northern Exposure" is at its best, though,
astronaut bent on turning Cicely into the when doing subtle twists and turns. After
Alaskan Riviera; Holling (John Cullum), a 63- watching Spencer Tracy in "Boys Town," Ed
year-old naturalist who owns the local tavern last week set out to discover the identity of
and is having an affair with 18-year-old Shelly his own parents, helped by a 200-year-old
(Cynthia Geary), a former Miss Northwest spirit named One Who Waits (Floyd Red Crow
Passage; Maggie (Janine Turner), who has left Westerman). At the same time, Chris lost his
the comforts of Grosse Pointe, Mich., to voice after looking at a beautiful woman.
express herself forcefully as an independent Through Ed, the otherwise invisible One Who
aircraft pilot; Chris (John Corbett), the radio Waits had some advice for Chris: "Find the
station's disk jockey, who is free to play most beautiful girl in town and sleep with
anything from Motley Crue to Beethoven, her." She could only be Maggie, who seemed
while quoting everybody from Walt Whitman more than agreeable after running up against
to Carl Jung ("Embrace your grief, for there Joel's jealousy and disapproval. Back on the
your soul will grow"); and young Ed (Darren E. air, Chris offered a quotation from Voltaire
Burrows), a scrawny, solemn American Indian and proceeded to play Nat (King) Cole's
whose considerable wisdom seems to have version of "When I Grow Too Old to Dream."
been gleaned from old movies and television Connections were made nicely.
shows.
14
Tonight's episode ends with the funeral of a
stranger found dead in Joel's waiting room.
The town comes to identify closely with the
man who was carrying only Juicy Fruit gum
and a nail clipper. The Indians gathered
around the funeral pyre offer an ancient
chant. Chris says some words ("Sometimes I
have trouble following his train of thought,"
grouses Maurice). And Maggie recites the
Shakespeare sonnet that begins "Let me not
Cicely News & World Telegram
to the marriage of true minds admit
impediments" (the impressed Shelly whispers,
"Boy, she sure can write"). Almost
surreptitiously, the scene is deeply affecting.
Move to Alaska?
Probably not quite yet.
Watch "Northern Exposure"?
By all means.
Northern Exposure Produced by the
Finnegan-Pinchuk Company in
association with Falahey/Austin Street
Productions; Joshua Brand and John
Falsey, executive producers; Andrew
Schneider, co-executive producer. At
10 P.M. Mondays on CBS. Joel
Fleischman . . . Rob Morrow Maurice
Minnifield . . . Barry Corbin Maggie
O'Connell . . . Janine Turner Holling
Vincoeur . . . John Cullum Ed Chigliak .
. . Darren E. Burrows Chris Stevens . . .
John Corbett Shelly Tambo . . . Cynthia
Geary Marilyn . . . Elaine Miles Rick
Pederson . . . Grant Goodeve
Monday, April 22, 1991 2-03
All is Vanity 77404 11
Monday, April 29, 1991 2-04
What I Did For Love 77403 12
É
Date: May 2, 1991
Publication: New York Times
Author: John J. O’Connor
The 1990-91 television season is
officially over, and the final half, the
so-called second season, just couldn't
whip up the breakaway hits
desperately needed by the industry.
Hard fact: The combined prime-time
audience share of the networks this
past season dropped to 62.4 percent
from nearly 66 percent last year. If a
certain degree of confusion and
trepidation can be sensed in the
overall schedule, it is quite
understandable.
Clearly in a tizzy, network television
has for several months been rushing
15
off in haphazard directions. On ABC , "My Life
and Times" offers a retired hero living in the
year 2035, while the animatronic creatures on
"Dinosaurs" do their cavorting in 60,000,003
B.C. CBS 's "Northern Exposure" makes weekly
trips to what is supposed to be Alaska but is
actually a Pacific Northwest site just outside
Seattle. And NBC 's "Dark Shadows" conjures
up the the coast of New England for a remake
of a cult soap opera that was popular a couple
of decades ago.
On one level, it's as if television
entertainment is determined to escape the
nation's cities with their crime and
homelessness and the familiar litany of
problems. The urban landscape is increasingly
being left to prime-time lawyers and cops as
"normal" families -- on CBS's "Evening Shade,"
for instance, or NBC's "Down Home" -- retreat
to distant and presumably safe small towns.
On another level, the present is often avoided
altogether. Pressing environmental issues are
more palatable, it seems, when filtered
through the concerns of a dinosaur family.
Avoiding unpleasant realities becomes almost
compulsive. Astute commentators have
pointed out how the nation's politicians seem
much more willing and able to do something
about the plight of the Kurds in Iraq than
about the shame of the homeless in their own
backyards. Television entertainment is, in this
sense, quite accurately reflecting the broader
American picture.
Barely a year has passed since one top
network executive declared, with ringing
certainty, that "tried and true is dead and
buried." That was on the heels of surprising
"second season" successes scored by such
offbeat series as ABC's "Twin Peaks" and Fox
's "Simpsons." Innovation became the
buzzword in network corridors. But as it
turned out, the ratings for "Twin Peaks" soon
dwindled and the series recently finished the
1990-91 season tied for No. 100 on a list of
134 shows. Meanwhile, the potential of "The
Simpsons" was hobbled when a grandstanding
Fox decided to go head-to-head with NBC's
"Cosby Show," doing neither series much
good. Innovation has its limits.
In fact, the tried and true did remarkably well
this year. After nearly 10 years on the air,
NBC's "Cheers" climbed to the top of the
ratings lists. And CBS's surprise winning of the
February sweeps period was credited in good
part to separate tribute specials for past
megahits: "All in the Family," "The Mary Tyler
Moore Show" and "The Ed Sullivan Show."
On the other hand, Fox Broadcasting, which
fancies itself as being anything but tried and
true as it pursues younger audiences, chalked
up a disastrous year. Made by some of the
same people who concocted "Married . . .
With Children," the new "Top of the Heap"
only underlined the network's tendency to
laugh at, not with, blue-collar workers.
Expanding its schedule to Thursday and Friday
nights last season, the under-prepared Fox
quickly ran out of adventursome steam.
Some of this year's more impressive results
were registered by series that had had earlier
trial runs. On CBS, "Northern Exposure" was
created, on a relatively skimpy budget, by the
team of Joshua Brand and John Falsey ("St.
Elsewhere" and "A Year in the Life"), for a
summer tryout last year that evidently
exceeded network expectations. Returning
several weeks ago, the series, about a New
Yorker transplanted to Alaska as a rural
town's only doctor, is an offbeat original.
Also coming back and delivering consistently
have been ABC's "Equal Justice," a kind of
"L.A. Law" showcase for the grittier world of
public prosecutors; NBC's "Seinfeld," with
Jerry Seinfeld capturing in a sitcom the quietly
goofy spin of his stand-up comedy act; and
NBC's "Shannon's Deal," a private-eye format
created by John Sayles and continuing to
expand with contributions from top writers
and directors, not to mention the fine jazz
tracks contributed by such musicians as
Wynton Marsalis.
Some big names failed to impress viewers. In
CBS's "Good Sports," Farrah Fawcett and Ryan
O'Neal, playing squabbling sportscasters,
demonstrated that being a gorgeous couple is
no guarantee against being unbearably
irritating. An episode with Jim Brown, the
former football star, as guest star may have
set a record in cringe-making moments. Mark
Tinker, one of the more gifted producers in
the business, returned with "WIOU," a
sporadically hilarious close-up of a local
television news station trying to stay solvent
with any and all audience-wooing gimmicks.
The show was yanked. It deserved more time
to find its proper niche. But it is the very lack
of such time these days that adds to network
headaches.
Cicely News & World Telegram
There were, of course, the inevitable bombs.
Topping the list was NBC's "Sunday Best," a
melange of television trivia-bits and self-
promotion, overseen by Carl Reiner,
seemingly determined to transform himself
into the kind of grinning host he would have
skewered wickedly on the old "Your Show of
Shows."
Also affording momentary pause was ABC's
"Under Cover" and its husband and wife who
worked for an intelligence agency bearing
calculated resemblance to the Central
Intelligence Agency. Taking care of the
children became an understandably sticky
problem. And the short-lived "Eddie Dodd,"
also on ABC, offered Treat Williams in a wan
copy of the William M. Kunstler-like lawyer
that James Woods originally played in the film
"True Believer." Series inspired by movies
proved decidedly uninspiring. Witness ABC's
insipid "Baby Talk," cadged from "Look Who's
Talking." The baby's voice, in this instance, is
supplied by eternally cutesie Tony Danza.
Where does television go from here? One
study of prime-time programming
development, compiled by FCB/Telecom , has
already dubbed 1991-92 "the season of
numbing excitement," noting that
breakthrough ideas are noticeably scarce. Still
trying to get a handle on the increasingly
active new world of channel selectors and
VCR's, the commercial networks could very
well end up taking refuge in, yes, the tried and
true.
Photos: Network offerings during the last half
of the season included ABC's "Dinosaurs,"
above left, and CBS's "Northern Exposure,"
with Rob Morrow. ABC had "Eddie Dodd,"
starring Treat Williams, bottom left, and
"Baby Talk," with, alternately, Paul and Ryan
Jessup. (ABC/NBC) (pg. C24)
Date: May 5, 1991
Publication: Albany Times Union
Author: Lynn Hoogenboom United Media
John Cullum is a two-time Tony Award winner
for Best Actor in a Musical. On Broadway, that
gets him automatic consideration for lead
roles in plays and musicals. In Los Angeles ...
well, that and 75 cents buys him a copy of
"The Hollywood Reporter."
16
"They don't even know that I'm a star," laughs
Cullum, his voice still carrying the cadences of
his native Tennessee. Even on the set of
"Northern Exposure," (airing Mondays on
CBS), which premiered last summer and has
returned for a limited run, people seem
unaware that they have a Broadway luminary
in their midst. Callum plays Holling Vincoeur,
the 63-year-old owner of the local tavern, in
the off-beat series about an urban doctor
(Rob Morrow) stuck in isolated Cicely, Alaska.
"In one of the episodes (last summer),
Maurice (Barry Corbin), the character who
owns everything - he took over the radio
station because the guy was playing stuff he
didn't like," says Cullum. "So he started
playing Broadway musicals. And the last one
they use is the title song for 'On a Clear Day.' I
read that in the script and thought, 'These
guys don't realize that if they use that record,
it's me.' Sure enough. They didn't know."
But Cullum is thoroughly enjoying his role. "It
relates to the kind of people I know down in
Tennessee," he says. "They're laconic, they're
easygoing, and they're broadminded in
strangely biased ways. This is a character I
understand and enjoy. At least I do most of
the time. Sometimes he gets out of hand."
When he does, it usually has something to do
with his 19-year- old girlfriend, Shelly (Cynthia
Geary). "They think of Holling as an older Gary
Cooper who's living with Madonna," says
Cullum. "They're getting pretty raunchy. I'm
not particularly fond of those things, but we
do them with as much charm as possible. And
it seems to work.”
Monday, May 06, 1991 2-05
Spring Break 77405 13
Date: May 11, 1991
Publication: Albany Times Union
Author: Nicholas K. Geranios Associated Press
Although they were shot just 50 miles apart
amid the towering evergreens of
Washington's Cascade Range, TV's "Northern
Exposure" (Monday, 10 p.m., WRGB, Channel
6) and "Twin Peaks" (currently in limbo) offer
radically different slices of life.
"Twin Peaks" presents a surreal and dark
society, filled with criminals, evil spirits and
flakes. "Northern Exposure," set in a village in
Alaska, is gentler, with good spirits and a
more benevolent view of man's nature.
Audiences apparently like nice over nasty, as
"Northern Exposure" ranked 32nd of 134
television shows for the last season,
compared with 100th for "Twin Peaks."
"We're real and they are not," joked
"Northern Exposure" producer Matthew
Nodella. "We're not as eclectic as 'Twin Peaks'
is, but I hope we have the same audience, I
appreciate their audience as well."
Another difference is: "We don't kill
anybody," said Elaine Miles, a Umatilla Indian
who plays Marilyn Whirlwind on "Northern
Exposure."
"I don't watch 'Twin Peaks.' I never
understood it," she said.
This former mining town of 900 people that
stands in for the Alaskan village of Cicely has
avoided discovery by fans. Some residents are
even tired of the disruption the "Northern
Exposure" crew brings to their lives.
"Once in a while they can block the whole
entire street," complained Tony Atela, an
employee of a hardware store. "It's an
inconvenience."
"Maybe we're getting a little tired of them,"
said Nicole Berner, a waitress at the Roslyn
Cafe, renamed "Roslyn's Cafe" in the show.
"This used to be a quiet town."
About the only signs of the series one recent
day were locked-up buildings used as
locations for the show, such as the fictional
offices of Dr. Joel Fleischman (Rob Morrow)
and fake radio station KBHR - the voice of the
last frontier.
The series concerns a New York doctor who
must pay back a medical school loan by
serving a village in Alaska.
Like its own fish-out-of-water story, "Northern
Exposure" is a bit out of its element during
the three days each episode in the series is
filmed in Roslyn. Interiors for the $1 million
per show series are shot in Bellevue, east of
Seattle.
Cicely News & World Telegram
Locals worry that the exposure might bring "It doesn't require any acting classes to be
more residents, ruining the rustic setting, Indian," added Martina Gone, a Umatilla from
Berner said. Roslyn is a funky town, long on Pendleton, Ore., who is also an extra.
environmental activists, urban dropouts and
loggers. A couple of totem poles line Monday, May 13, 1991 2-06
Pennsylvania Avenue, the main street. War and Peace 77406 14
There was also a period of adjustment for the
Hollywood folks, who were initially thought to
be snotty to the locals. Relations are much
Date: May 14, 1991
better now.
Publication: Albany Times Union
Author: Steve Bornfeld Television/radio writer
The $50-per-day jobs as extras and the new
business brought to the stagnant timber and
I love television.
outdoor recreation town helped win the
acceptance.
I admit it.
"They're a pain in the butt but they do help
But do I love it enough to send doughnuts,
business, I would say," said Jim Luster, owner
logs and cherry pies to ABC in an effort to
of The Brick Tavern that also serves as an
save "Twin Peaks" from the same fate that
outside location for the show.
befell Laura Palmer?
G aining plenty of exposure on "Northern
Or dress up in a vampire suit to convince
Exposure" are Indians. Two cast members are
those bloodsuckers over at NBC to return
Indians, and members of the Yakima and
"Dark Shadows" to the light of prime time?
Umatilla tribes are regularly used as extras.
Even if such actions weren't considered bad
"We try to stay away from stereotypical
form for someone who writes and reports
things, like Tonto or something," said Darren
about television, I seriously doubt it.
E. Burroughs, who plays the naive but creative
Ed. Just like Barnabas Collins himself, the notion
of fan fanaticism rose again last week, when
"I like the way it was written, and it wasn't
"Dark Shadows" devotees declared "Dark
with a bad accent or stupid or anything like
Shadows Day" across the country to coax NBC
that," said Burroughs, who off-screen has the
to give the "on hiatus" series another try (a
same laid-back style as his character.
planned rally in front of local affiliate WNYT
never materialized).
The Kansas native is one-quarter Cherokee
and one-quarter Apache. Because his hair is
With the announcement of fall schedules due
naturally light, Burroughs has to dye it darker
later this month, it's nail-biting time for
for his role.
serious television fans.
Miles, in her first acting job as the doctor's
"The protests have been phenomenal and it's
assistant, said she was relieved that her
just amazing to me, coming from England,
character is portrayed as a normal person.
where fans write letters but they're not quite
this supportive," said "Dark Shadows" co-star
"Stereotyping is if they are making you show
Lysette Anthony.
up in buckskins and braids," said Miles, a
member of the Cayuse and Nez Perce band of
Anthony plays Angelique, the seductive and
Umatillas. "We don't always have braided
spiteful witch who put the vampire whammy
hair."
on Barnabas a few centuries back and gave
him that toothy grin.
"Basically, what we are is mugs," said Bill
Yallup Jr., an extra who owns a smoked
"There have been over 50,000 letters, which is
salmon business. "They say, 'background,' and
among the highest ever for a show on NBC,"
they are talking about us."
Anthony said.
17
However, when you consider that it takes
921,000 viewing homes to comprise one
national ratings point, the letter-writing
campaign isn't quite so impressive.
More to the point - why bother anyway?
I keep thinking of an oft-repeated expression
a TV writer friend of mine told me to
remember whenever I got carried away with
this job.
"Relax," he said, echoing Linda Ellerbee. "It's
only television."
But it's obviously more than that to the
aforementioned "Twin Peaks" and "Dark
Shadows" groupies, and to the loyalists who
labored through pen and telephone to
successfully resuscitate "Cagney and Lacey,"
"Beauty and the Beast" and "Star Trek,"
among others.
You might think of them as a fringe element,
but there's even an organization - Viewers For
Quality Television in Fairfax, Va. - that
campaigns and cajoles the networks on behalf
of favorite television shows and assembles
lists of shows it endorses. VQT even puts out
newsletters and holds conventions.
The issue goes to the heart of television's
positive and negative effects. Television can
be justifiably proud of the interest and loyalty
some of its better programs inspire.
Just like a favorite novelist, filmmaker,
musician or playwright, one television show
can become an oasis, an hour or half-hour of
pure joy that carries you away and
rejuvenates you.
My current pick in that category is CBS'
delightful "Northern Exposure." I certainly
hope the network gives it the pickup it
deserves. But if it doesn't, you won't catch me
mailing frozen snowballs and moose antlers to
CBS honcho Jeff Sagansky.
It's only television.
Fans getting that carried away with a
television show scare me. They reveal the
medium's addictive side and its disturbing
knack for hijacking chunks of our attention
that are disproportionate to the rest of our
lives.
Cicely News & World Telegram
Where are the priorities of protesting fans
and why are fictional television shows at the
top of their list? Wouldn't their time and
energy be better spent prodding our state
legislators to pass a budget? Or volunteering
for a charity? Or getting involved in any
number of activities with real-life
implications?
Also keep in mind the overwhelming futility of
these save-a-show efforts. Yes, they have
occasionally worked in the past, but the
winning percentage is minuscule, and the
victories, like everything in television, are very
temporary.
Television is a business that lives and dies by
the ratings, which is rarely challenged by a
small band of zealots. It's a David-vs.-Goliath
battle in which David nearly always gets
slaughtered.
Nonetheless, I suspect that this fanaticism will
grow louder and stronger as the fall
contenders are announced and personal
favorites are banished.
I do love television, but I always remember
that it's only television.
Date: May 14, 1991
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
Author: Nicholas K. Geranios
ROSLYN, Wash. Although they were shot just
50 miles apart amid the towering evergreens
of Washington's Cascade Range, TV's
"Northern Exposure" and "Twin Peaks" offer
radically different slices of life.
"Twin Peaks" presents a surreal and dark
society, filled with criminals, evil spirits and
flakes. "Northern Exposure," a CBS Monday
night series set in a village in Alaska, is
gentler, with good spirits and a more
benevolent view of man's nature.
In former mining town of 900 people that
stands in for the Alaskan village of Cicely,
some residents are even tired of the
disruption the "Northern Exposure" crew
brings to their lives.
"Maybe we're getting a little tired of them,"
said Nicole Berner, a waitress at the Roslyn
18
Cafe, renamed "Roslyn's Cafe" in the show.
"This used to be a quiet town."
The series concerns a New York doctor who
must pay back a medical school loan by
serving a village in Alaska.
Like it's own fish-out-of-water story,
"Northern Exposure" is out of its element
during the three days each episode in the
series is filmed in Roslyn. Interiors for the $1
million per show series are shot in Bellevue,
east of Seattle.
Locals worry that the exposure might bring
more residents, ruining the rustic setting.
Roslyn is a funky town, long on environmental
activists, urban dropouts and loggers. A
couple of totem poles line Pennsylvania
Avenue, the main street. There was also a
period of adjustment for the Hollywood folks,
who were initially thought to be snotty to the
locals. Relations are much better now.
The $50 per day jobs as extras and the new
business brought to the stagnant timber and
outdoor recreation town helped win the
acceptance.
"They're a pain in the butt but they do help
business, I would say," said Jim Luster, owner
of The Brick Tavern that also serves as an
outside location for the show.
The Brick, built in 1889, describes itself as the
state's oldest continuously operating saloon.
"Here it is a movie star," Luster said, relishing
the millions of potential customers who see
his place on television.
Also gaining plenty of exposure on "Northern
Exposure" are Indians. Two cast members are
Indians, and members of the Yakima and
Umatilla tribes are regularly used as extras.
"We try to stay away from stereotypical
things, like Tonto or something," said Darren
E. Burroughs, who plays the naive but creative
Ed.
"I like the way it was written, and it wasn't
with a bad accent or stupid or anything like
that," said Burroughs, who off-screen has the
same laid-back style as his character.
 ` unusual setting, an engaging, quirky storyline,
Date: May 19, 1991
Publication: The Washington Post
Author: Michael E. Hill
It's funny, but it isn't your average sitcom. It
can be poignant, but don't mistake it for one
of TV's hour-long dramas. And yes, it is
strange, reminiscent in some ways of "Twin
Peaks," but surely less obscure.
And whatever else it is, CBS's "Northern
Exposure" is a show that has had more than
its share of ups and downs in its quest for
exposure on the network.
For the past month or so it has occupied one
of the best timeslots CBS has to offer - 10 p.m.
Mondays - and as that run was winding down,
the show's hardy band of viewers awaited
word on whether their show would return in
the fall. There were positive signs to point to.
First, and probably most important, "Northern
Exposure" has been holding on to much of the
audience it inherits from two of CBS's biggest
hits, "Murphy Brown" and "Designing
Women."
"The first three weeks of the current run, not
only were we ecstatic about the ratings, but
CBS was as well," said John Falsey, one of the
show's two executive producers. "We held 79
percent of the audience the first week, then
84 percent and 86 percent."
Then, as expected, "Exposure" got derailed
along with much of CBS's Monday night
schedule when part two of NBC's "Switched at
Birth" was aired. "It's interesting," said Falsey,
"how network researchers know beforehand,
like presidential pollsters, how you're going to
do. They told Jimmy Carter before the
election that it was over. They told us weeks
before that NBC would come at CBS's Monday
night lineup very hard. When I heard the title While awaiting word on the future of the
`Switched at Birth,' I said forget it."
That show took away much of "Exposure's"
key audience - women on the young side of
50. "They went en masse to that show," said
Falsey. "If I were a woman, I would too."
But he would also come back. And probably
much of the rest of the audience will too,
drawn by an attractive ensemble cast, an
Cicely News & World Telegram
delightful theme music and, of course, Morty.
Rob Morrow, much of whose work has been
on the stage, plays Dr. Joel Fleischman, a
transplanted New York doctor, sentenced to
serve a four-year term of medical practice in
far-off fictitious Cicely, Alaska, in return for
the state's paying his way through medical
school.
"It's definitely a fish-out-of-water story," said
Falsey, who's fellow executive producer is
Joshua Brand. "The idea of urban versus rural
is where it started. Then we began to hone it
and get more specific. What's the most
contrast we can get between urban and rural?
New York City is the most urban, the most
nonurban area in the country is Alaska."
They had read of a similar situation in which
residents in a part of Maine that needed a
doctor raised tax money to put a fellow
through school with the stipulation that he
serve them for five years after graduation. "It
validated our idea," said Falsey.
The contrast theme continues in the
relationship between Dr. Fleischman and
Maggie O'Connell, a pilot and the doctor's
landlord. Janine Turner plays Maggie, possibly
TV's most attractive tomboy ever, a woman
who wonders why Fleischman is always
whining and why all her boyfriends keep
dying.
Playing the ruggedly independent Maggie has
had an impact on Turner. "She's strong and
knows what she wants," said Turner. "She's
not a typical TV character. She's bringing the
athlete out in me." Turner recalled locking
herself out of her New York apartment and
asking the doorman for help. When he
declined to jimmy the door for her, she took
out a credit card and did it herself. "I thought,
Maggie could do it." She's also riding horses,
and playing softball.
series, Turner was taking it easy with her
family in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, where
she was raised. A Texas accent she hides on
"Northern Exposure" poured through the
phone. Her parents were already noticing
changes in their daughter who they felt had
become fairly urbanized. "I've already bought
a cowboy hat," said Turner. "If we're picked
19
up, I'm going to get a horse and a pickup
truck."
Barry Corbin already has a horse. He keeps it
in California's Simi Valley and rides when he
can. And he accommodates his city-loving
family - wife and two sons - with a place in Los
Angeles.
Corbin, whose face is the most familiar on in
the "Northern Exposure" cast, plays Maurice
Minnifield, former astronaut and Cicely's
patriarch. "I wanted to do the pilot for the
series because I didn't know where the part
was going to go," said Corbin. "Usually you
read a script and you know what the part's
going to be like from week to week. With this
one, they haven't let me down."
There have been a couple of episodes, for
instance, in which Maurice's sex life gets very
active. "I was a little surprised," said Corbin.
"It was interesting to play for me and I hope
for the audience. My original reading of the
character was that he was a repressed man. I
was surprised that he was as forthcoming as
he is."
In the episode scheduled to air this week,
Maurice faces another kind of sexual
challenge when he has to deal with two gay
men - who suspect that he's gay too. "It was
an interesting acting problem," said Corbin,
"to play this fear, this concern that Maurice
has without making him a homophobic bigot.
You don't want to do that. Once you cross
that line, you've crossed the line."
Falsey and Brand, whose past collaborations
include "St. Elsewhere" and "A Year in the
Life," have indeed done a laudable job of
keeping their characters diverse, strange, but
always likable.
John Corbett plays Chris Stevens, the town
disc jockey, given to quoting Walt Whitman
and providing a running commentary for the
show.
John Cullum is Holling Vincoeur, a 62-year-old
naturalist and adventurer who has given up
big-game hunting. "He's our Gary Cooper
type. He saw things through the eyes of the
elk once," said Falsey, "and put his rifle
down."
Holling's love interest is Shelly Tambo, age 18,
former Miss Northwest Passage. She's played
by Cynthia Geary. Their relationship has been
a source of some of the show's most sensitive
material, as when she glanced at him in bed
and noted that he wasn't circumcised. There
was a bit of advertiser-executive stir over that
episode, Falsey understands, but "CBS went to
the mat for us, they backed us." This week's
episode has a bit of language in it that is not
customary prime-time network fare either.
"CBS is giving us a lot of latitude," said Falsey.
Dareen E. Burrows plays Ed Chigliak, a Native
American charged in the show with the job of
helping Dr. Fleischman adjust to it all. He has
a naive view of the world, by Fleischman
standards, and it's backed by an I.Q. of 180.
Elaine Miles, a member of the Umatilla tribe,
plays the doctor's very quiet assistant. Her
observations are always short and to the
point: Paying tribute to the doctor during
what amounted to his funeral, she observed,
"He taught me how to use the hold button."
Falsey and Brand had to sell the show to two
different CBS programming regimes. It ran as
a summer series last year. By August, the
ratings and reviews indicated they might have
something, Falsey recalled. There wasn't time
to get the show on the fall schedule, but the
producers' patience was rewarded with a
timeslot behind two of CBS's strongest shows.
The show has drawn media attention - People
magazine recently featured Turner, discussing
her romances with Alec Baldwin (they were
engaged in 1984) and Mikhail Baryshnikov
(they're still friends).
Falsey, whose father is assistant general
counsel for the Pension Benefit Gaurantee
Corporation in Washington, said he felt the
show hit its stride last summer with an
episode that featured a hermit and the
appearance in Cicely of Chris's half-brother -
who was black. "From that point, we felt we
could push the show as far as we wanted
within the bounds of good taste."
The show has been compared to "Twin Peaks"
- they are both offbeat and filmed in the same
area (Bellevue and Roslyn in Washington state
are "Exposure's" home base). And Falsey
concedes that skewed characters and a rural
setting are common to both series. "But our
show is far more accessible and sunny. We
don't deal with darkness in character or plot."
Cicely News & World Telegram
And "Twin "Peaks" doesn't have anything like
Morty. That's the moose who prowls the
streets of Cicely/Roslyn behind the opening
credits. Morty was trucked in from the
eastern part of Washington, leaving behind
his mate Minnie. The "Exposure" producers
were cautioned that Morty would not be a
happy camper.
The streets were cordoned off to contain
Morty. "We were warned," said Falsey, "that
he was ornery, skittish and huge. Don't get
near him, they said. By the end of the shoot,
we were hugging him and rubbing his nose."
Monday, May 20, 1991 2-07
Slow Dance 77407 15
Date: May 20, 1991
Publication: Time
Author: Richard Zoglin; Sally B. Donnelly/Los
Angeles
NORTHERN EXPOSURE; CBS; Mondays; 10
p.m. EDT
It's a little town up north, out west. Everybody The Wages of Fear. Gosh, it's not even that
knows everybody else -- and everybody else's cold; the characters may be bundled up in
business. Remoteness has given the
community a touch of spirituality, not to say
weirdness. Several residents have a
propensity for prophetic dreams, and ghosts
have been known to walk down Main Street.
So has the occasional moose.
Twin Peaks? No, that was last year's quirky
small town that gained a cult following. The
latest destination for fans of the outlandish
and the In-jokish on TV is the village of Cicely, meanwhile, has his voice stolen by a beautiful
hard by the Arctic Circle in the state of Alaska. girl. One whimsical fantasy per episode,
Among the town's 500 inhabitants is one
reluctant interloper: Joel Fleischman (Rob
Morrow), a New York City native who has
been forced to move there as the sole doctor the tavern owner's 19-year-old girlfriend, who
in order to fulfill his medical-school
scholarship.
Northern Exposure, which debuted last
summer and has returned to CBS for a late-
season run, is this spring's hottest
conversation piece. Fans in big cities from
New York to San Francisco are entranced by
the backwoods whimsy; so are Sunbelt
viewers like Bonnie Mintz, a court clerk from
Winter Park, Fla., who started the first
Northern Exposure fan club. In Alaska the
20
series has prompted some grumpy newspaper
stories (THIS MAN THINKS WE'RE A BUNCH OF
PSYCHOTIC RED-NECKS, blared one headline
next to a picture of star Morrow), but viewers
are warming to it. Says Tom Tatka, an
Anchorage attorney who moved to Alaska 20
years ago: "It gives a good sense of this
isolated state." For creators Joshua Brand and
John Falsey (St. Elsewhere), it's really a state
of mind. "We used Alaska more for what it
represents than what it is," says Brand. "It is
disconnected both physically and mentally
from the lower 48, and it has an attractive
mystery."
The show's popularity is no mystery. Northern
Exposure is less a realistic picture of Alaskan
life than a big-city yuppie's romantic small-
town fantasy. There is no bigotry or narrow-
mindedness in this small town; the residents
are all closet highbrows. The townspeople
read D.H. Lawrence and quote Voltaire; the
local tavern plays Louis Armstrong and
Mildred Bailey on the jukebox. For Joel there's
a cute, available brunet (Janine Turner) and a
philosophical Native American pal (Darren E.
Burrows) who is conversant with movies like
parkas, but we never see their breath. That's
what shooting near Seattle will do.
The show has some nice touches. Joel's
Jewishness is refreshingly up-front, and it's
good to see a few Native Americans on TV for
a change. But this domesticated Twin Peaks is
too precious by half. In one episode, Joel's
friend conjures up an Indian spirit to help
locate his father; the town deejay,
please. The show's patronizing attitude
toward small towners is more subtle but just
as annoying. One episode makes snide fun of
gets a satellite dish and becomes addicted to
tacky TV fare like Wheel of Fortune and the
Home Shopping Network. God forbid
somebody in a remote Alaskan town should
actually pass the time watching TV. What
would Voltaire think?
Date: May 26, 1991
Publication: The Record
Author: Virginia Mann
By the time you read this, the May sweeps
will be over. As I write this, there's still a week
left, but I've already compiled a long list of
peaks and valleys.
The lowest point was the finale of "Dallas."
The producers obviously felt they owed
nothing to the faithful -- or erstwhile -- fans
who tuned in May 3. CBS' nighttime soap
went out not with the bang it had promised
but with a whimper, from Bobby Ewing,
uttering: "Oh, my God." We never found out if
the bullet struck J.R., so there's room for a
reunion movie, through which the cast could
once again sleepwalk. (Let's call it "Night of
the Living Dead Texans.")
Likewise despicable are those entertainment
tie-ins that overran local news programs. And
there was one very inappropriate exchange I
observed recently at the end of WNBC-TV's 6
p.m. newscast. While
chatting, co-anchors Chuck Scarborough and
Dawn Fratangelo promoted his new novel,
"Aftershock." During this blatant plug, they
noted that Scarborough's book was based on
a (memorably alarmist) sweeps piece he'd
done about earthquakes hitting Manhattan.
Also appalling was ABC's decision to yank the
promising "My Life and Times" after two
outings, then reschedule it against NBC's
invincible Thursday night lineup. There's a
kamikaze mission.
Among the few high points was Madonna's
appearance on "Saturday Night Live's" ever-
excellent "Wayne's World." I'm not a fan of
Madonna, but she proved to be a good sport.
Kudos, too, to the consistently fine "STAT"
and "Northern Exposure," though the latter
loses a few points for
breaking through the fourth wall on a recent
episode. The device, overused on
"Moonlighting," seemed a bit cheap.
There's already too much skimping on quality
during the sweeps.
Date: June 16, 1991
Publication: The New York Times
Author: Unknown
SEATTLE, June 16— On a chilly day a few
weeks ago, Pat Reed, a clerk at Central
Cicely News & World Telegram
Sundries in the tiny mountain city of Roslyn, free spirits, and Fleischman, the show's
raced to the window, adjusted her trifocals skeptic, gradually warms up to them. The
and watched a dozen or so naked men run quirky characters include Maurice Minnifield
down Main Street. They ran smack into the (Barry Corbin), a former astronaut; Chris
mayor and police chief, who were livid. Stevens (John Corbett), the local radio disk
jockey, who quotes Voltaire and Walt
"I could have died!" bellowed Mrs. Reed, who Whitman; Shelley Tambo (Cynthia Geary), an
is 59 years old. "My goodness, I've been 18-year-old former beauty queen who is in
married 40 years, and I've never seen love with Holling Vincoeur (John Cullum), a
anything like that!" 62-year-old tavern owner, and Ed Chigliak,
(Darren E. Burrows), a young American Indian
The men, cast members of the hit CBS series whose judgment is often formed by what he
"Northern Exposure," were later reprimanded has seen in old movies.
by the Roslyn City Council for shedding the
flesh-colored Lycra briefs they had been Marilyn Whirlwind (Elaine Miles) is the
wearing for a scene that called for a group dip doctor's assistant who calls his patients by
in an icy river. Indecent exposure is criminal numbers issued to them in the waiting room.
activity in the state of Washington, they were And finally, Maggie O'Connell (Janine Turner),
told, and the men each face possible fines of Fleischman's sometime love interest, is a bush
$250. pilot who escaped from well-heeled Grosse
Pointe, Mich.
The charges are pending but they're not likely
to stick. "Northern Exposure," which is set in Northwesterners are fascinated by the show
Alaska, has brought money and fame to tiny even though they are being asked, at times, to
Roslyn, population 875, tucked away in the delve into a world created by writers who live
Cascade Mountains 85 miles east of Seattle. in Los Angeles and New York.
Besides, the residents are so amused by
Hollywood's idea of the Northwest that many Consider the episode in which Chris Stevens,
are glued to their television sets each week to the disk jockey, loses his voice after seeing
poke fun at the show. "the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."
An Indian spirit named One Who Waits
Since CBS took a chance on "Northern appears and says his problem can be
Exposure" last summer for an eight-week run, remedied if he can seduce an enticing woman.
the show has gained the faithful audience that Like spectators at a wrestling match, the
eluded ABC 's "Twin Peaks" (which was filmed whole town shows up to cheer Stevens on as
about 45 miles from Roslyn in the Snoqualmie he tries to get Maggie O'Connell into bed. In
Valley. The network brought the show back in another episode, a black motorcyclist who
early April for seven more episodes in the drifts into Cicely discovers that he shares the
coveted slot at 10 P.M. Monday, and by late same truck-driver father as Stevens, who is
May, the series had landed among the top 10 white. In the season's final episode, Maggie
shows in the Nielsen ratings. It has survived as O'Connell, having outlived several boyfriends,
one of a dwindling number of hourlong series loses another one after he is killed by a falling
and will be a starter in CBS's new season. satellite. Strange?
Tonight viewers who caught on to the series
late can see the show's pilot episode. "At least we didn't get 'Twin Peaks,' " said
Cindy Schmitt, a 41-year-old native of Detroit
Created by Joshua Brand and John Falsey ("A who runs a gift shop in Roslyn."That was too
Year in the Life" and "St. Elsewhere"), moody and sinister."
"Northern Exposure" focuses on Dr. Joel
Fleischman (Rob Morrow), a recent graduate Mr. Brand said "Northern Exposure" was
of Columbia University Medical School, who meant to capture the independent spirit of
must repay the state of Alaska for financing the rural Northwest more than to document
his education. The big catch? He must spend real events or people. "This is a
four years in remote Cicely as the area's only nonjudgmental universe," he said. "If you
physician. want to believe God is a man or woman or the
world is flat, it's O.K. here. Your opinion is not
But even a New Yorker can adapt. In this formed by politically correct thinking but,
country's last great frontier, there is room for
21
rather, independent thinking." A Town
Transformed
Filming in Alaska was immediately ruled out
as too costly. Producers discovered Roslyn
and were quickly sold on its mountainous
backdrop and its proximity to Seattle. Roslyn,
about 1,000 miles from Alaska, was settled by
coal miners around the turn of the century.
The Brick Tavern, which doubles as Holling's
Bar in the series, dates back to 1889 and is the
oldest continuously operating tavern in
Washington.
"We didn't want a yuppified town with a Ben
& Jerry's store," Mr. Brand said.
Retired people and loggers make up most of
Roslyn's population. The town's new celebrity
has its drawbacks. During filming, the city's
main street, Pennsylvania Avenue, is blocked
to traffic as television crews bark for silence
through bullhorns. The facades of some stores
have been transformed into fictional
businesses, which confuses customers. Totem
poles have been erected throughout town,
and deer antlers have been nailed to buildings
to create a rustic Alaskan feel. A moose was
trucked in from Washington State University
in Pullman for the show's opening credits, and
producers spent about $10,000 an episode to
have snow hauled into town.
Still, dozens of residents have become extras
in the series, from Roslyn's city clerk to
vegetable farmers. And American Indians
flocked to Roslyn after word spread that
extras were needed from tribes in the
Northwest. Extras are paid $50 a day. Two of
the police department's three members were
cast as state troopers.
"It's the best thing that ever happened to
me," said John (Yomie) Rothlisberger, 71, an
extra in the show and local farmer who raises
cattle and grows hay and potatoes.
Which is not exactly the feeling Roslynites
have toward Dr. Fleischman, the whiny New
Yorker. Margaret Heide, Roslyn's city clerk,
who has never been east of the Dakotas, said
she believed the character had grown more
sensitive to rural people, although he still has
that New York edge.
"I don't know how New Yorkers view us in the
West," she said. "They probably think we're
not as civilized out here. But when I try to
Cicely News & World Telegram
imagine New York, I think of delis and all the characters have been fleshed out. "We
potholes that swallow up Volkswagens." definitely have made more of a move towards
comedy rather than comedy-drama. It's
Photo: Rob Morrow as Dr. Joel Fleischman in actually a very good balance."
"Northern Exposure." (Tony Esparza/CBS)
Morrow knew he wanted to be an actor early
on and began pursuing acting jobs right out of
high school. His first break came when he
worked as an assistant to Michael Bennett on
Date: June 23, 1991
the Broadway show "Dreamgirls." Bennett
Publication: Albany Times Union
gave Morrow a good part in an off-Broadway
Author: John N. Goudas King Features
play titled "Third Street." This was just the
first of more than 35 other plays and a whole
"Northern Exposure" is one of those series
slew of TV commercials.
that came on unheralded and with a cast of
non-stars. Its charm was apparent right from
"Northern Exposure" is his first starring role in
the start when CBS introduced the show as a
a TV series and, so far, he says it's been a
replacement series last year.
good experience. He likes the cast with whom
he works and thinks the producers are trying
Many viewers liked what they saw and CBS
for quality work within the framework of TV
decided to go beyond their original
series. When asked how he is coping with
commitment and order eight more episodes.
being recognized by devotees of the show,
Reruns air Mondays at 10 p.m. on WRGB,
Morrow admitted that he hasn't encountered
Channel 6.
much of it.
The premise of "Northern Exposure" for those
"I suppose it might have something to do with
who may not yet have sampled the delightful
the way I look when I'm not playing Joel
show, finds Dr. Joel Fleischman putting in four
Fleischman. I almost always wear a baseball
years as the town's medic in a remote Alaskan
cap, seldom shave and I wear an earring."
town known as Cicely.The four years are in
payment for the Alaskan government's
"The location in the towns of Bellevue and
financing Fleischman's medical education at
Roslyn, near Seattle, Wash., really add a great
Columbia University Medical School in New
deal" to the mood on the show, said Morrow.
York. Highly original for a TV series but not
"Actually, our fictional town of Cicely is not
without its basis in truth: Actually, there are
unlike Roslyn. There's a bar called "The Brick"
many such arrangements with young doctors
which doubles for Holling's tavern in Cicely.
throughout the United States.
The mining town of Roslyn was founded by
two lesbians, as the story goes. It's inhabited
Of course, the producers, Joshua Brand and
by ex-miners and ex- hippies. The great part
John Falsey (who were at the helm of "St.
of working on location is that you can really
Elsewhere"), have made the town of Cicely,
get into it when you have a line about the
Alaska, a haven for eccentrics. The supporting
great snow-capped mountains and you look
cast is comprised of townspeople who irritate,
up and there they are."
confound and delight Dr. Joel, not necessarily
in that order.
The casting of Rob Morrow in the pivotal role
of Dr. Fleischman is a stroke of good fortune Date: June 28, 1991
on the part of the producers. Morrow has that Publication: Albany Times Union
rare quality of total believability and a charm Author: Noel Holston Minneapolis-St. Paul
that is never forced. You absolutely buy this Star Tribune
transplanted New Yorker's exasperation as he
gets to know Cicely's gallery of characters Geographically speaking, Cicely, the little
while chalking up day-to-day medical town in the CBS series "Northern Exposure," is
experience. way up north in Alaska.
In a recent phone conversation, Morrow
indicated that in the current batch of shows,
22
On the video-cultural map of the United
States, however, it sits roughly halfway
between Twin Peaks and Mayberry.
Mayberry's jittery deputy Barney Fife
wouldn't be out of place in Cicely. Neither
would the Log Lady of "Twin Peaks," who
claimed to communicate telepathically with a
chunk of wood she carried around in her arms
like a baby.
"Northern Exposure" has almost as many
eccentric characters as "Twin Peaks," the
stylishly cryptic serial about a Washington
resort town besieged by a demonic presence.
Yet the flakes and free spirits of Cicely are a
benign bunch, and the town is inviting, not
disquieting. It's a place you would like to get
away to, rather than away from.
Viewers often have been captivated by series
with a warm sense of community, whether it
be "Cheers," set in a bar where "everybody
knows your name," or "The Waltons," with its
extended mountain family. It's this quality in
"Northern Exposure," more than anything
else, that explains why the show has amassed
a small but intensely appreciative following
over the course of an eight-week trial run last
summer.
CBS was so surprised it didn't quite know
what to do, so "Northern Exposure" waited in
the wings for almost a year before the
network finally found a place for it in April
(Mondays at 10 p.m. WRGB, Channel 6). It has
since gained new fans with every installment
and has been renewed for next season.
For those who haven't yet had the pleasure,
"Northern Exposure" is a comedy-drama
about a young physician, Dr. Joel Fleischman
(Rob Morrow), who agreed to let the State of
Alaska pay his way through Columbia
University medical school in return for four
years' service.
Fleischman is smugly citified as only a lifelong
New Yorker can be, so he was horrified when
he discovered he wouldn't be practicing at a
big hospital in Anchorage but rather in Cicely,
an isolated hamlet where there are no delis,
no theaters and no museums - a place where
plumbing can never be taken for granted and
moose walk the streets.
Cicely News & World Telegram
Fleischman's new neighbors include Maurice
Minnifield (Barry Corbin), a bossy, barrel-
chested former astronaut who is determined
to develop Cicely into the "new Alaskan
Riviera"; Holling Vincoeur (John Cullum), a 62-
year naturalist- turned-tavern keeper with an
adoring 18-year-old girlfriend; Chris Stevens,
the philosophical DJ on Cicely's lone radio
station, and Maggie O'Connell, a charter pilot
and resourceful Ms. Fixit.
Except for O'Connell (Janine Turner), an elfin
beauty, Fleischman couldn't care less about
getting to know the townsfolk. But, faced with
the choice of staying in Cicely or paying a stiff
legal penalty, he stays.
What we have here is one of the most cliched
concepts in the book, the old "fish out of
water" gimmick. "The Beverly Hillbillies" used
it, and so does NBC's current "Fresh Prince of
Bel Air," about a Philadelphia street kid living
with rich, up-tight relatives in the ritziest area
of Los Angeles.
"Northern Exposure" offers a slightly different
twist in that the "fish," Fleischman, learns
from the people in his new environment
rather than the other way around.
Exposure to Cicely's unhurried pace and
unpretentious people already has started to
make a nicer guy of him.
Cicely is a sweet, comforting fantasy of a town
- a community removed from the workaday
hurly- burly, from crime and drugs, sexual
abuse and racism. It's not unlike Mayberry or
Hooterville of "Green Acres" in that regard.
"Northern Exposure" is at once old-fashioned
and contemporary, bucolic and sophisticated.
Its humor is reminiscent of the irreverent
hospital series "St. Elsewhere" (with which it
shares creators Josh Brand and John Falsey). It
also acknowledges that the world has
become, as Marshall McLuhan predicted, a
"global village."
In Cicely, they may not have a quadruplex or
even a shopping mall to put one in, but they
have TVs and VCRs and satellite dishes and
Time and People magazines. They see just
about everything everybody everywhere in
the United States and Canada sees.
23
Minnifield seems to know every Broadway
show tune ever written. His assistant, a young
American Indian named Ed Chiliak, waxes
authoritative about Woody Allen movies and
rap music, and Ed's uncle, an Indian healer,
opines to Fleischman about the pressure CBS
anchorman Dan Rather must be facing.
"Northern Exposure" breaks with the TV
tradition of treating rural people as cultural
illiterates.
The one nagging flaw of "Northern Exposure"
is its writers' tendency to have characters
explain at length things already evident on the
screen, as if viewers wouldn't otherwise get it.
The expository dialogue is patronizing, and it
undercuts the conversational tone that
characterizes the show.
The powers behind "Northern Exposure"
should trust the viewers a little more. The
show is in no danger of becoming too
obscure. What viewers get from the show is
beyond words anyway. It's the good feeling
engendered by a community whose people
make the most of simple pleasures.
Date: July 21, 1991
Publication: TV Guide
(Vol 38 No. 29 Issue #1947)
Author: Susan Littwin
"Alaska is a state of mind." That notion,
uttered by an elderly hermit named Soapy
Sanderson on CBS's Northern Exposure, gets
to the very heart of what this new Thursday
night summer series is all about. As Joshua
Brand, the show's co-executive producer,
explains, the 49th state is the final frontier for
a nation that has paved over every place else.
"Alaska represents wildness. It's the last
unspoiled place, larger than life."
 comforts they left behind: reliable And, of course, they have no big names, no
plumbing, condos and decaf espresso. stars. "We like to go with people the audience
doesn't associate with a particular role," says
Brand, putting a brave face on a big risk and
The cast and crew of Northern
pointing out that many of the stars of St.
Exposure know something about hardships.
Elsewhere started out as unknowns. "Ed
Early network promos for the series
Begley and Howie Mandel are people who
showed a sign that read, "Cicely, Alaska,
first broke out." But he candidly admits,
pop. 839." The number was an inside joke.
"There are also budgetary reasons for [the
It referred to the $839,000 allotted each
casting]."
episode, an amount about 30 percent lower
than the usual budget for an hour drama in
the regular season. "Production-wise, this Meanwhile, the young new faces huddle in
has been a miserable experience for their tiny half-trailer dressing rooms. In a rare
everyone," says Falsey "It's really hard and quiet moment, leading man Rob Morrow, who
really tough." plays Dr. Joel Fleischman, twangs out sad
songs on a guitar. He isn't very good, but it
soothes him after long workdays. Most of his
A month into filming, you can feel the
experience has been on stage - except for a
weariness on the set. A small airplane is
role in the short-lived Tattinger's - but the
rigged up on a platform behind the studio,
producers say, with an audible sigh of relief,
a converted tool warehouse in a suburb of
that they are amazed at his rapid adjustment
Seattle. For the past hour and a half, crew
to TV.
members have been fiddling with expensive
giant fans, trying to get them to blow ashes
It sounds like the opening notes for a new back into the cockpit - an important story They are more worried about the emotional
action-adventure series, but this "Northern" point. Maybe it's the weather or the fans or intensity of Morrow's costar, Janine Turner,
isn't a Western with snow. It is a slightly just the karma of the underfunded, but the who plays Maggie O'Connell, Joel's landlady
askew comedy-drama conceived by Brand and ashes stubbornly keep blowing back out at the and the owner and pilot of the town's air-taxi
his partner, John Falsey, the creators of St. crew. They are already working 16-hour days service. Heart-stoppingly pretty, Turner began
Elsewhere and A Year In the Life. Its premise is and six-day weeks. Most of their exteriors are her career as a model and went on to stints
that a young Jewish doctor from New York is shot in a small town in the Cascades - an hour- on Dallas and General Hospital. At some
required to practice in a backwater town to and-a-half bus ride away. point, she soured on being a Hollywood "face"
repay a scholarship from the state of Alaska. and went to New York to become a serious
actress.
The crew is inexperienced by Hollywood
He and the other characters slyly poke fun at standards. "The analogy," says Brand, "is that
the stereotypes they suggest. The New you're building a house and you pick up your
Yorker, for instance, isn't a neurotic Woody workers on the boulevard. 'You're a
Alien type, but a confident, attractive fish-out- carpenter, you're an
of-water. He doesn't become a great electrician, you're a
outdoorsman. "But while the fish is out of plumber'."
water, he gets to explore different points of
view." says Falsey. The 18-year-old Indian who
Often, the penny-
befriends the doctor is a serious film buff. The
pinching has
redneck developer who owns the town is an
backfired. Locals
idealist of sorts. And Soapy Sanderson, the old
hired for
recluse who lives in a cabin in the woods,
nonspeaking roles
used to be a college professor.
celebrated their
good luck by going
This is, of course, a mythic Alaska. In fact, the off on a three-day
show's creators have yet to set foot in the real bender. Some of the
state - their series is shot in Washington - but camera work in the
they have read two authoritative books about pilot was
their subject: Joe McGinnis's Going to amateurish, and
Extremes and John McPhee's Coming into the some wide shots of a
Country. They also dispatched a staffer on a festival finale
research expedition. But the geographical and couldn't be used
sociological accuracy of the series seems to because the extras
matter less to them than the fantasy of hadn't been
freedom that Alaska represents. As Brand positioned correctly.
explains: "Alaska collects everything that's There were hasty
loose in the world. Anyone who wants to be firings and A "fish-out-of-water" in Alaska, Dr.
different, to change who they are, can go to replacement hires. By the end of the third Fleischman (Morrow) gets little sympathy
Alaska and become who they want to episode, the producers think the worst is over from his new landlady, Maggie O'Connell
become." In exchange, however, newcomers - but the ashes still won't blow into the (Janine Turner).
must make do without a lot of the creature cockpit.

Cicely News & World Telegram 24

She now works
with all the
earnest gravity
of the convert.
An elderly friend
dies in this
episode, so
Turner dredges
up all the
emotions she
felt at her own
grandfather's
death. At the
end, she doesn't
know what to
do with these
intense feelings
because
"Maggie doesn't
wear her heart
on her sleeve as
much as I do. So
sometimes after
a scene I cry real
tears that
Maggie wouldn't
have. Josh
[Brand] will say,
'Are you okay?' "
become.
MOOSEKETEERS: (from left) John
But eccentricity and quirky creativity may
The show's producers have a reputation for Cullum, Cynthia Geary, Darren E.
befit a low-budget show about offbeat
risky, unconventional television. And Burrows, John Corbett, Barry Corbin,
characters in a mythic place. Bored by the
Long Day of the Ashes, Morrow tires of his Northern Exposure lives up to it. The scripts Janine Turner, Rob Morrow, and Peg
guitar and puts a record on. Turner comes are imaginative, full of surprises and half- Phillips.
over, and the two of them dance and giggle in turns. One has the quality of a fairy tale,
his trailer. Other members of the cast drop by. another sparring humor of Moonlighting. And In the old coal-mining hamlet of Roslyn, Wash.
The actors in this series hang around even despite the hardships and frugality - or (population 869), a TV crew is creating
when they aren't working. Maybe it's the perhaps because of them - the production is springtime: One guy is spray-painting a pine
isolation of being away from home. Maybe it refreshingly unslick, understated. For those tree a more youthful green, the prop
helps with the next scene. And maybe this is a who have yet to discover this series, which assistants are bringing in potted plants, and
show that just collects everything loose in the premiered July 12, don't expect belly laughs an animal handler is wrangling a skittish
world and lets it become what it wants to or dramatic blows to the solar plexus. squirrel onto a stump to eat a scenically
Northern Exposure flutters, tickles, like a placed nut. The producers of CBS' year-old
child's hand. Or maybe a cool breeze on a series Northern Exposure scouted more than
summer night. five states and Canada in search of a town to
stand in for fictional Cicely, Alaska. Finally
they settled on Roslyn and rolled in to capture
its natural beauty -- and to touch it up just a
bit.
From Entertainment Weekly, July 26, 1991
by Mark Harris & Kelli Pryor
Photographs by Primoz If you happen into the Roslyn Cafe (famous
from the show's credits) when a few locals are
warming their hands around mugs of coffee,
Behind the scenes with the cast of TV's the cook might tell about the time he woke up
hottest, coolest show JANINE TURNER stars as in the still-murky morning and heard a voice
Alaskan bush pilot Maggie O'Connell calling, "Here, boy. Here, boy." When he
looked out the window, he saw the Exposure
TV's most enchanting show is also its most crew cajoling an impassive moose into taking
surprising hit. The cast and creators of a stroll on camera. Since last summer,
"Northern Exposure" heard the call of the wild Roslyn's citizens have learned to expect
-- and grinned. A report from the set. anything. But they haven't spotted anything
stranger than what viewers see on Monday
nights.

Cicely News & World Telegram 25

Since it turned up with little fanfare as a 1990
summer replacement, Exposure has explored
a terrain like no other on television,
somewhere between sitcom and drama, fact
and fable, a dramatic crossroads where
medicine meets magic and where a single
story can teeter teasingly between tall tale
and outright fantasy. It's a complicated
balance, but creators Joshua Brand and John
Falsey have kept the show's tone precisely
calibrated.
Now, at a time when style setters from
thirtysomething to Twin Peaks have been
canceled and the hour-long quality drama is
an endangered species, Exposure is,
amazingly, flourishing. After modest success
last summer, followed by a six-month
absence, the show returned this spring and
the audience grew to match its reputation.
The season finale reached Nielsen's top 10,
and this summer, as more viewers discover
the show before new episodes air in
September, Northern Exposure has become
the season's least likely and most delightful
new hit.
The premise sounds TV-traditional: A young
doctor, Joel Fleischman (Rob Morrow), who
thrives on the cranky urbanneurotic
hyperactivity of New York City, is transplanted
to a tiny Alaskan village to work off his med-
school scholarship. He's schooled in science;
the locals are steeped in folklore and custom.
He cures with Medicare; they prefer mud
packs. But thousands of miles away from
Hollywood's assembly line, Brand, Falsey, and
their talented ensemble of writers and actors
work wonders, transforming real-life Roslyn
into a town that's far too sophisticated for
TV's standard culture-clash stereotypes.
Cicely's locals aren't yokels -- every week,
their inner lives are revealed in surprising and
hilarious ways.
Actress Janine Turner
Cicely News & World Telegram
MAGGIE O'CONNELL
Bush pilot and Dr. Fleishman's landlord; to
know her is to love her (although the men who
do are usually killed in freak accidents.) Actress Elaine Miles
"Maggie's an outdoorsy, can-do-everything,
jill-of-all-trades. Yet she has all these
boyfriends who can't keep up with her, who
fall off mountains. I think Maggie has a
vulnerability underneath there. She is from
Grosse Pointe, Mich., this really rich place.
Her dad says she never used to go to a place
without linen tablecloths, , and she was a
Little Miss Whatever. And now she's out in
the boonies of Alaska fixing toliets and flying
bush planes with the men. So I think there's
an aspect of Maggie that she's out to prove
to herself that she can do this."
Hair: Bryn E. Leetch; Makeup: Joni Meers
See Maggie (Janine Turner), that crisply
gorgeous, self-sufficient bush pilot? Well,
she's also an unwitting black widow spider
who builds personalized shrines to her
boyfriends after they die -- and all four (oops-
make that five) have indeed met grisly ends.
And Marilyn Whirlwind (Elaine Miles), the
receptionist who believes so firmly in house
calls that she provides road maps when Dr.
Fleischman asks for a patient's chart? She also
hands out effective home remedies with a shy
smile. Local teenager Ed Chigliak (Darren E.
Burrows) may seem a bit thickheaded, but his
obtuseness masks a genius IQ and a cineast's
passion to become Alaska's own Ingmar
Bergman.
Then there's Maurice Minnifield (Barry
Corbin), the blustery, bullying town tycoon
whose personal and professional resume --
ex-astronaut, halfhearted bigot, gourmet
cook, show-tune fan, lovelorn bachelor --
doesn't begin to encompass his complexity.
Maurice owns the town's only radio station,
where itinerant ladies' man and morning
deejay Chris Stevens (John Corbett) regularly
infuriates him by devoting airtime to "War
and Peace" readings or discussions of
homoeroticism in Walt Whitman's poems.
Maurice was once in love with Shelly (Cynthia
Geary), a teenage nymphet who has instead
found almost-wedded bliss with the kindly,
perpetually startled 63-year-old barkeep
Holling Vincoeur (John Cullum) -- except when
quarrels over their new TV satellite dish
impede their romance. Add in the characters
who give the show its surreal halo -- an Indian
spirit who walks through the fields, a
Sasquatch who's revealed to be a vagrant chef
-- and Northern Exposure offers a blend of
folksy coziness, otherworldly mythos -- and,
always, the unexpected -- that puts it in a
class by itself.
26
MARILYN WHIRLWIND
Dr. Fleischman's unflappably sage receptionist
of few words.
"I think Marilyn should have a boyfriend."
On the set, Northern Exposure is just as
charming. Falsey and Brand, the producing-
writing duo who also created the critical
favorites "St. Elsewhere" and "A Year in the
Life," have imported a cast and crew of 80 to
the mountains of Washington to make a
series about America's ultimate backwoods --
Alaska. Knowing they were going to spend
most of the year posted in Roslyn, the
company brought the trappings of Hollywood
-- overstuffed Filofaxes, red convertibles, and
crew members sporting blond dreadlocks.
Though there is the occasional grumble about
L.A. tans lost to the rnists of the Pacific
Northwest, and though Morrow ached to
have New York bagels overnight-mailed to
him, most everyone has found something to
love among Roslyn's pine trees and tin-peaked
rooftops. Corbin stables his horse nearby and
sneaks off for some cow roping when he's not
ranting as Maurice. Turner, relocated from
New York, adores the mocha coffee that
comes with a smile at the Roslyn Cafe, where
Corbett stops in for the vegetarian burger.
"When we get to Roslyn, the metabolism has
to slow down a little bit," he says, as he leans
back in his chair.
This spring, CBS flirted with cutting costs by
moving the show to Hollywood. Everyone
protested. "Those mountains, the snow when
we get snow -- you can't recreate that in Los
Angeles," says Brand. It's clear that being in a
place where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance
Kid are reputed to have robbed the bank in
1892 lends something to the rawness of the
fictional Cicely. "Roslyn is great," Geary says. comedies. We always say that we wanted to "For the first time, we heard 400 people
"It looks like a movie set, but it's real." create Alaska as a state of mind, a place responding. It was incredibly refreshing."
where people could recreate themselves in a
nonjudgmental universe."

Actor Darren E.Burrows

Actor Rob Morrow

ED CHIGLIAK
Film-obsessed teenager who plagues Dr. Joel
Dr. JOEL FLEISCHMAN like a guilty conscience.
New York doctor imported by the good
people of Alaska, whose taxes paid his way
through Columbia medical school. Actress Cynthia Geary "Ed has an IQ of 180. Some people think he's
dumb, others that he's just off. I think he's
just seeing things from a different
"He has a real curiosity, and I think that's part SHELLY TAMBO perspective, living moment to moment, each
of the reason he became a doctor. It wasn't so Wide-eyed and cuddly Miss Northwest day noticing the sun come up with a childlike
much to fulfill the status quo and the parents. Passage who inspired Holling Vincoeur's desire innocence. Ed's only 17. And he doesn't drink
He was interested in how human beings work. to get circumcised-or, as she put it, to or smoke."
I think that is the conflict in himself- that his exchange his turtleneck for a crewneck.
kind of social, materialistic background is in
conflict with that curiosity. And that's where CBS executives heard the buzz as well -- from
"Shelly is very energetic and off-the-wall, and people on the the street, from people with
he sort of gets on people's nerves. I hope that
things come tumbling out. She's 19 and from kids at my kids' school, from people I had
for every two or three scenes where he may
no family life. She moved to Alaska by herself dinner with," says senior vice president Peter
be a little acrimonious or whatever, he
with no college education. In a weird way, Tortorici. The loyalty the show excites even
redeems himself."
she's very innocent and Lolita-ish." reached into network offices. "Of course it will
be back next September," said one senior CBS
Like Morty the Moose, the knobby-kneed executive long before the series was renewed.
Northern Exposure's run last summer drew
mascot that ambles around Roslyn in "My God, there are people here who would
sturdy if not quite hit-level ratings.
Exposure's credits, the show itself wandered start a hanging party if it weren't." When CBS,
Nonetheless, after eight weeks, the town of
onto the schedule unassumingly. Brand and
Cicely vanished from the television map while thirsting for younger viewers, brought
Falsey had been toying with ideas for a show Exposure back this spring, it became a top 10
Brand and Falsey spent last fall and winter
about a displaced urbanite practicing hit among the coveted audience of 18 to 49-
trying to get CBS to bring the show's small
medicine in a small town. "Jeff Sagansky [CBS' year-olds. In the 10 p.m. Monday time slot
budget up to industry standards. They finally
entertainment president] said he loved it," following Designing Women, the show is
won more money, but only after a half-year
recalls Brand, "and that CBS would do it as a drawing its best ratings ever.
hiatus -- a lifetime for a fledgling show trying
summer replacement."
to build audience loyalty.
Exposure seems to have tapped into a rich
But if CBS expected a standard medical vein of American longing. As Turner says: "I
But even during its season-long hibernation,
drama, Brand and Falsey had a more eccentric think we all yearn for this. We're all becoming
Exposure saw its reputation grow. "When
creative agenda. "From St. Elsewhere, we very metropolitan and franchised ... and
negotiations were finally completed," says
were kind of doctored out," says Brand. "Both
Falsey, "Jeff [Sagansky] said to us, ' What you Alaska symbolizes something that has kept its
John and I could hang up a shingle at this
did on the first eight shows? Just do it again.' " individuality."
point." The producers instead looked to
In March, a screening of an already-aired
European films for inspiration, and saw, in Bill
episode at the Los Angeles County Museum of
Forsyth's "Local Hero" and Lasse Hallstrom's
Art attracted hundreds of viewers who
"My Life as a Dog," in Giuseppe Tornatore's
laughed appreciatively at the surreal hour's
"Cinema Paradiso" and Federico Fellini's Certainly, something of a pioneer spirit fuels
revisionist take of everyone from bigfoot to
"Amarcord," shades of the series they the cast and crew, who shoot for as long as 20
Carl Jung. "It gave us a real jolt," says Falsey.
wanted. "America," says Brand, "tends not to hours straight in rain, sleet, snow, and
make those gentle, warm, offbeat character rainbows. Most of the actors have uprooted

Cicely News & World Telegram 27

themselves from New York or L.A. to live in
Seattle and commute two-plus hours to
Roslyn twice a week. Morrow has even had to
endure a separation from his girlfriend, Leslie
Urdang, a New York theatrical producer, that
has offered eerie parallels to Joel's on-screen
long-distance relationship with his fiancee,
Elaine. "When I got the first script for this
season," Morrow says, "I told her, 'Elaine's
written off [in an episode in which she dumps
Dr. Fleischman with a "Dear Joel" letter].' She
was like 'Oh, GAAAAAWD!"' Not to worry:
Morrow's real-life relationship is still intact.
Whatever the risks, the rewards are obvious.
"Working is the great part," Turner says.
"Even if I'm out here 18 hours in the freezing
cold, or I have to do a real intense scene and
it's exhausting, that still is the great part of it."
Actor John Corbett
CHRIS "IN THE MORNING" STEVENS
Eclectically erudite morning disc jockey on
KBHR, ordained minister, and adopted son of
Maurice Minnifield.
"Chris is from Wheeling, W.Va., and so am I.
He's the glue. He's the connective thread to
everybody in town. Everyone tunes in to
KBHR. It's the only station. I stutter a lot, but
Chris must flow. He's the narrative voice of
Northern Exposure. He really gets to have fun
with the English language. He's one of the
more intelligent people and also one of the
least sensible. He always makes the wrong
comment at the wrong time."
At 15, Turner left Texas for New York, where
she became the youngest model ever to sign
with the prestigious Wilhelmina agency. Still
in her teens, she moved on to a prominent
role on General Hospital. But by the time she
Cicely News & World Telegram
auditioned to play Maggie, she was down to
her last $8 and had been pacing New York's
diamond district, trying to get up the nerve to
walk into a jewelry shop and hock the ring
that Alec Baldwin had given her before their
engagement dissolved in the mid-1980s. (She
couldn't bring herself to do it.) Turner says her
role on Northern Exposure has given her more
than just steady work; it's allowed her a
chance to rediscover a sense of playfulness
that was lost in her early career. "I want to go
claim the childhood I didn't have," she says.
"I'm going to go back to Texas, I'm going to
buy a horse and a pickup truck, and go
country & western dancing. I'm gonna get
that childhood in no matter what."
Settling into their newfound working world,
the other actors are fond of recalling the trails
that led them to Cicely. Before his stint as
Chris "In the Morning" Stevens, Corbett spent
six years working in a steel factory and
attended junior college, where he discovered
the drama department; eventually he made
his way into TV commercials. Burrows, who
dyed his blond hair black to play the half-
Native American teen Ed, grew up in Kansas
before making his bloody way through L.A. "In
'Casualties of War,' I got bamboo stakes
through me. In '976-Evil,' half my face got
ripped off," Burrows says. "I've been
mutilated pretty bad."
Not that the physical demands of Exposure
have been any less intimidating: This season,
Ed lost his virginity. "It was my first love
scene," Burrows says. "There are 20 people
who have to be there, and I have to pretend
they're not and do things you don't do when
there are 20 people watching."
Actor John Cullum
28
HOLLING VINCOEUR
Rock-solid tavern keeper who fell for Shelly
Tambo, the teenage Miss Northwest Passage.
"Holling, at one time or another, had been a
different type-a hell-raiser, a drinker, perhaps
even a womanizer. But he has a natural
instinct for right and wrong. And he gets
confused when his basic ideas don't fit in with
his emotional needs. Like some of the things
he feels for Shelly. He's probably never been
as attracted to anyone before. He was
immune and then that young girl came into
his life and bowled him over. He fought
against it for a long time-48 hours-but he
wanted her. It's as simple as that."
The actors have spurred one another on with
a lot of mutual cheerleading. Geary says
Cullum, who has won two Tonys (for
"Shenandoah" and "On the Twentieth
Century"), encourages her. Everybody hails
Corbin, an ex-Marine whose credits range
from "Macbeth" on stage to "The Best Little
Whorehouse in Texas" on screen, as a
mentor. And Morrow rescued soft-spoken
Miles from a bad case of stage fright. Miles,
who lives in Seattle with her parents and used
to dance at powwows across the country,
never pursued an acting career; she won her
job when she drove her mother to the casting
session for Marilyn. "I auditioned on Saturday,
got called back on Sunday, auditioned again
on Monday, and started working on
Wednesday. I felt like Cinderella," Miles says.
But on her first day before the cameras, her
knees wouldn't stop shaking. Morrow, who is
at 28 a veteran of 35 New York plays, took her
aside, rubbed her shoulders, pepped her up,
and started teasing her that her name wasn't
Indian enough. "I'm gonna call you Elaine
One-Take," he told her after she
breezed through her scene.
Off duty, the cast hangs out at the
Brick, the bar that inspired Holling's
tavern. There, they have their choice of
soda water or double-proof Roslyn-
brewed beer. "It's the oldest bar in
Washington," effuses Geary. "There's a
trough of water running under the bar,
and when it used to be a men's-only
bar, men would just urinate in it." Men
who might be man enough for such
sport are still there and ready to mix --
or mix it up -- with the actors. "You're
so convincing in that show," one beer-
swilling guy told Corbin genially, "that I
want you to know I'd like to bust your f-
--in' nose." Corbin, who is as affable as
his one character is irascible, escaped
without harm.

Actress Peg Phillips
RUTH-ANNE
The storekeeper who dispenses psychological
insight along with Spam and Pepto- Bismol.
"She's a knitter-together of people. She has
her own ideas but is very accepting of human
life. The only one she has trouble with is
Maurice. She wishes he'd come down off his
high horse."
As production of this fall's episodes begins,
Northern Exposure sits on the cusp of
mainstream success; it's more than a cult
show, but it's not yet a blockbuster.
Nevertheless, CBS vice president Tortorici says
the network is willing to wait patiently for the
audience to grow. "It took three years for
Murphy Brown to become a hit," he says,
"and it's going to take some time for Northern
Exposure."
One possible complication is that the
suddenly hot Brand and Falsey will have to
divide their time between Exposure and I'll Fly
Away, their new drama series about a
Southern family during the civil lights era that
many TV insiders are calling the dramatic
jewel of the fall schedule. But the producers
say they'll make it work, and indeed, their
attention to Northern Exposure seems
unwavering. Already planned for next season
are several stories that will advance the
show's careful balance of character comedy
and skewed spiritualism: Look for Maggie's
late boyfriend Rick to return in the body of a
dog, and for Joel's twin brother, Jules (also
played by Morrow), to renew a strange sibling
rivalry. Falsey promises a furthering of Joel
and Maggie's almost-romance, and Brand
plans "an episode that's going to reveal the
history of the town and let us meet those two
extraordinary lesbians [Cicely and Roslyn] who
created the Paris of the North."
Cicely News & World Telegram
Actor Barry Corbin
MAURICE MINNIFIELD
Crusty former NASA rocketeer.
"Maurice is only happy on the edge of
civilization-happy in space, happy in the wild.
He has a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering. He's
the best-traveled person in the world because
he's been out of this world. He's very literal-
minded, but he would love to be instinctive.
That's the part that's missing. He's in anguish
over the fact that it's missing."
And apparently there's little worry that
sponsors will quail at the adult humor (one
episode dealt gently but thoroughly with
circumcision). "Shows with that quality are
allowed to take greater chances," Sagansky
said recently. Does that mean he'll let the
writers go further? "They've gotten plenty of
latitude," he answered, laughing. "They don't
need any more." What may be hardest to
maintain is the fragile combination of sly
humor and faith in the inexplicable, the
intangible, and the not-quite-real, showcased
by lovingly crafted dialogue. Exposure can be
hyperliterary (Dostoyevski, Nabokov,
Baudelaire, Henry Miller, and the "Kama
Sutra" made their way into one script). But it's
never willfully obscure, and often it's
disarmingly self-deflating: The same show
featured a hilarious discourse on the movie
Aliens. And without being too smart for its
own good, it's in love with language: "Give me
words!" one character moaned to her
paramour during a love scene.
Even its creators struggle with Northern
Exposure's unique sense of humor. "When
you say something's a comedy, people try to
be funny in the style of a sitcom," says Brand.
"We're not interested in that. With this
delicate souffle, you stick a pin in it, and it's
29
flat as a pancake." Then what else can you
call it but..."I know," says Brand tiredly.
"Quirky. And people use 'whimsy.' 'They say
we're whimsical or quirky. Every human
being is quirky if you don't behave in the
ways everyone expects you to."
Date: July 30, 1991
Publication: The Wall Street Journal
Author: Glynn Mapes
ACTON ROUND, England -- With surprising
grace, the grand piano sails through the sky
a hundred feet above a pasture here, finally
returning to earth in a fortissimo explosion
of wood chunks, ivory keys and piano wire.
Nor is the piano the strangest thing to startle
the grazing sheep this Sunday morning. A few
minutes later, a car soars by -- a 1975 blue
two-door Hillman, to be exact -- following the
same flight path and meeting the same loud
fate. Pigs fly here, too. In recent months,
many dead 500-pound sows (two of them
wearing parachutes) have passed overhead,
as has the occasional dead horse.
It's the work of Hew Kennedy's medieval siege
engine, a four-story tall, 30-ton behemoth
that's the talk of bucolic Shropshire, 140 miles
northwest of London. In ancient times, such
war machines were dreaded implements of
destruction, flinging huge missiles, including
plague-ridden horses, over the walls of
besieged castles. Only one full-sized one exists
today, designed and built by Mr. Kennedy, a
wealthy landowner, inventor, military
historian and -- need it be said? -- full-blown
eccentric.
At Acton Round Hall, Mr. Kennedy's
handsome Georgian manor house here, one
enters the bizarre world of a P.G. Wodehouse
novel. A stuffed baboon hangs from the dining
room chandelier ("Shot it in Africa. Nowhere
else to put it," Mr. Kennedy explains). Lining
the walls are dozens of halberds and suits of
armor. A full suit of Indian elephant armor,
rebuilt by Mr. Kennedy, shimmers
resplendently on an elephant-size frame. In
the garden outside stands a 50-foot-high
Chinese pagoda.
Capping this scene, atop a hill on the other
side of the 620-acre Kennedy estate, is the
siege engine, punctuating the skyline like an
oil derrick. Known by its 14th-century French
name, trebuchet (pronounced tray-boo-shay),
it's not to be confused with a catapult, a much
smaller device that throws rocks with a
spoon-like arm propelled by twisted ropes or
animal gut.
Mr. Kennedy, a burly, energetic 52-year-old,
and Richard Barr, his 46-year-old neighbor
and partner, have spent a year and #10,000
($17,000) assembling the trebuchet. They
have worked from ancient texts, some in
Latin, and crude wood-block engravings of
siege weaponry. The big question is why.
Mr. Kennedy looks puzzled, as if the thought
hadn't occurred to him before. "Well, why
not? It's bloody good fun!" he finally exclaims.
When pressed, he adds that for several
hundred years military technicians have been
trying fruitlessly to reconstruct a working
trebuchet. Cortez built one for the siege of
Mexico City. On its first shot, it flung a huge
boulder straight up -- and then straight down,
demolishing the machine. In 1851, Napoleon
III had a go at it, as an academic exercise. His
trebuchet was poorly balanced and barely
managed to hurl the missiles backward. "Ours
works a hell of a lot better than the Frogs',
which is a satisfaction," Mr. Kennedy says
with relish.
How it works seems simple enough. The heart
of the siege engine is a three-ton, 60-foot
tapered beam made from laminated wood.
It's pivoted near the heavy end, to which is
attached a weight box filled with 5 ½ tons of
steel bar. Two huge A-frames made from
lashed-together tree trunks support a steel
axle, around which the beam pivots. When
the machine is at rest, the beam is vertical,
slender end at the top and weight box just
clearing the ground.
When launch time comes, a farm tractor
cocks the trebuchet, slowing hauling the
slender end of the beam down and the
weighted end up. Several dozen nervous
sheep, hearing the tractor and knowing what something made out of plastic and
comes next, make a break for the far side of
the pasture. A crowd of 60 friends and
neighbors buzzes with anticipation as a 30-
foot, steel-cable sling is attached -- one end to entrepreneur who wants to bus tourists up
the slender end of the beam and the other to from London to see cars and pigs fly through
the projectile, in this case a grand piano
(purchased by the truckload from a junk
dealer).
"If you see the missile coming toward you,
simply step aside," Mr. Kennedy shouts to the an even bigger trebuchet that could throw
onlookers. Then, with a great groaning, the
beam is let go. As the counterweight
plummets, the piano in its sling whips through cars, isn't it?" he inquires hopefully.
an enormous arc, up and over the top of the
trebuchet and down the pasture, a flight of
125 yards. The record for pianos is 151 yards
(an upright model, with less wind resistance).
A 112-pound iron weight made it 235 yards.
Cicely News & World Telegram
Dead hogs go for about 175 yards, and horses were often used to fling ambassadors and
100 yards; the field is cratered with the graves prisoners of war back over castle walls, a sure
of the beasts, buried by a backhoe where they way to demoralize the opposition.
landed.
Mr. Kennedy has been studying and writing
about ancient engines of war since his days at
Sandhurst, Britain's military academy, some
30 years ago. But what spurred him to build
one was, as he puts it, "my nutter cousin" in
Northumberland, who put together a pint-
sized trebuchet for a county fair. The device
hurled porcelain toilets soaked in gasoline and
set afire. A local paper described the event
under the headline "Those Magnificent Men
and Their Flaming Latrines."
Building a full-sized siege engine is a more
daunting task. Mr. Kennedy believes that
dead horses are the key. That's because
engravings usually depict the trebuchets
hurling boulders, and there is no way to
determine what the rocks weigh, or the
counterweight necessary to fling them. But a
few drawings show dead horses being loaded
onto trebuchets, putrid animals being an early
form of biological warfare. Since horses weigh
now what they did in the 1300s, the
engineering calculations followed easily.
One thing has frustrated Mr. Kennedy and his
partner: They haven't found any commercial
value for the trebuchet. Says a neighbor
helping to carry the piano to the trebuchet,
"Too bad Hew can't make the transition
between building this marvelous machine and
making any money out of it."
It's not for lack of trying. Last year Mr.
Kennedy walked onto the English set of the
Kevin Costner Robin Hood movie,
volunteering his trebuchet for the scene
where Robin and his sidekick are catapulted
over a wall. "The directors insisted on
cardboard," he recalls with distaste. "Nobody
cares about correctness these days." More
recently, he has been approached by an
the air. So far, that's come to naught.
Mr. Kennedy looks to the U.S. as his best
chance of getting part of his investment back:
A theme park could commission him to build
U.S.-sized cars into the sky. "It's an
amusement in America to smash up motor
Finally, there's the prospect of flinging a man
into space -- a living man, that is. This isn't a
new idea, Mr. Kennedy points out: Trebuchets
30
Some English sports parachutists think they
can throw a man in the air and bring him
down alive. In a series of experiments on Mr.
Kennedy's siege machine, they've thrown
several man-size logs and two quarter-ton
dead pigs into the air; one of the pigs
parachuted gently back to earth, the other
landed rather more forcefully.
Trouble is, an accelerometer carried inside the
logs recorded a centrifugal force during the
launch of as much as 20 Gs (the actual
acceleration was zero to 90 miles per hour in
1.5 seconds). Scientists are divided over
whether a man can stand that many Gs for
more than a second or two before his blood
vessels burst.
The parachutists are nonetheless enthusiastic.
But Mr. Kennedy thinks the idea may only be
pie in the sky. "It would be splendid to throw
a bloke, really splendid," he says wistfully.
"He'd float down fine. But he'd float down
dead."
`
Entertainment & the Arts: Wednesday, July
31, 1991
Nancy Costello
AP
Shannon Ross loved the farmer in the
Birdseye broccoli commercial long before she
found out he was her father.
As for actor Barry Corbin, he couldn't have
been happier when he learned he had a
cowgirl for a daughter in his home state of
Texas.
Reality can be quirkier than a script of
"Northern Exposure," the TV hit that features
the 50-year-old Corbin as Maurice, a wealthy
landowner in rural Alaska.
"Our case is kind of a rare one," said Corbin, a
resident of Redmond. "When we talk, it's like
talking to a mirror image. We are constantly
reaching out and touching each other's faces.
We hold hands. It's kind of disconcerting to
her husband and my wife."
The actor discovered in late June he had a 26-
year-old daughter when Ross, who was
adopted as an infant, tracked down her

biological parents. Ross' mother gave her
baby up for adoption at San Antonio's
Methodist Mission Home in February 1965
without telling Corbin she was pregnant with
his child.
Ross, a resident of Arlington, Texas, contacted
her natural parents to check on possible
genetic problems affecting her 18-month-old
son. Ross' mother, who asked that her name
not be used, initially wouldn't tell Ross who
her real father was for fear of disrupting his
life. Then she softened.
"She told me he was an actor, then she told
me his name and it didn't ring a bell," Ross
said from Arlington. "She said, `He's on a TV
show called `Northwest Territory' - or
something.' I said, `Could it be `Northern
Exposure'?" The CBS sitcom is one of Ross'
favorite programs. It is filmed in Roslyn, in
Kittitas County, and Bellevue.
"I went through everybody on the show. I
thought the doctor is too young, I thought of
Holling (the bartender-mayor), but then
thought, `No, he's got blond hair,' " Ross said.
"When I thought of Maurice, I felt something
really strange in my stomach."
Ross had been admiring Corbin long before
she realized there was any connection.
"He's on a broccoli commercial and everybody ago."Shannon changes my outlook - how I act
knew I loved that broccoli commercial," Ross
confided. "It's about Birdseye broccoli with
the dog next to him. I loved the way he talked
and he seemed like a real nice guy."
Cicely News & World Telegram
Originally from Lubbock,
Texas, Corbin said he dated
Ross' mother in the spring of
1964. She phoned him in
June of that year when he
was playing summer stock
theater in Colorado to
announce she was pregnant.
But a few weeks later she
called back to say it was a
false alarm.
Ross said her mother did not
tell Corbin about the baby
because he would have felt
compelled to get married
and possibly cut short his
acting career. Ross, a
graduate student who plans
to get a Ph.D. in psychology,
was adopted by a doctor
and his wife from Arlington
shortly after birth. She grew
up riding and showing horses, a passion no
one else in her adoptive family shared.
But Corbin, who dresses in a cowboy hat,
boots, Wrangler jeans and a big, silver rodeo
belt buckle, understands just how she feels.
Strangers for 26 years, the father and
daughter share the same favorites in country
music and cowboy Western movies. Corbin
borrowed Ross' spurs on a recent visit to
Texas and won first place for cutting cattle at
a Fort Worth rodeo.
Relatives say the two look, walk and talk alike.
When Ross learned about Corbin, she rented
home videos of his movies - "Urban Cowboy,"
"War Games," "Who's Harry Crumb?" and
"Critters 2; The Main Course." Her husband,
Jim, stopped the videotape and had Ross pose
nearby to observe facial similarities.
"Shannon looks so much like me, it's spooky,"
Corbin said. "It's a very strong genetic tie."
The discovery gives Corbin, married for 15
years, a third child along with two sons, ages
12 and 8. And it gives him fodder for his acting
career. "Northern Exposure" has just begun to
tape programs for its fall season.
"The script we're doing now is a love story,"
Corbin said. "When I played it, I got giddy - I
wouldn't have done that a month
and how I write. When you find a daughter,
you fall in love."
31
Date: July 31, 1991
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
Barry Corbin, who portrays a wealthy Alaska
landowner in the quirky TV hit "Northern
Exposure," couldn't have been happier when
he learned he had a daughter in Texas.
He learned about 26-year-old Shannon Ross in
late June after Ross, who was adopted as an
infant, tracked down her biological parents.
"When we talk, it's like talking to a mirror
image," said Corbin, who lives in a Seattle
suburb. "We are constantly reaching out and
touching each other's faces. We hold hands.
It's kind of disconcerting to her husband and
my wife."
Ross' mother gave up her baby for adoption at
San Antonio's Methodist Mission Home in
February, 1965, without telling Corbin she
was pregnant with his child.
Ross, who lives in Arlington, Texas, contacted
her biological parents to check on possible
genetic problems affecting her 18-month-old
son. Ross's biological mother, who asked that
her name not be used, initially wouldn't tell
Ross who her real father was for fear of
disrupting his life.
"Then she told me he was an actor, then she
told me his name and it didn't ring a bell,"
Ross said. "She said, `He's on a TV show called
Northwest Territory - or something.' I said,
`Could it be Northern Exposure?' ''
The CBS sitcom that features a young doctor
from New York City working in rural Alaska is
one of Ross' favorites. And Ross had been
admiring Corbin, 50, before that.
"He's on a broccoli commercial and everybody
knew I loved that broccoli commercial," Ross
said. "It's about Birdseye broccoli with the dog
next to him. I loved the way he talked and he
seemed like a real nice guy."
Strangers for 26 years, the father and
daughter share the same favorites in country
music and cowboy movies.
Corbin, married for 15 years, has two sons, 12
and 8.

Date: August 1, 1991
Publication: Post-Tribune (IN)
PHOTO Melissa Joan Hart plays Clarissa on
Nickelodeon's "Clarissa Explains It All."
THIS ELECTRONIC VERSION MAY DIFFER
SLIGHTLY FROM THE PRINTED VERSION. TV Q A. Great kidders, your wife and son.
& A Send your questions to Bettelou Peterson,
Detroit Free Press, 321 W. Lafayette Blvd.,
Detroit, Mich. 48226.
Q. I'd like to know about the girl who plays
Clarissa on "Clarissa Explains It All." Where
can I write her? - J.F. Jr., Gary.
A. Melissa Joan Hart, 15, is Clarissa. She's a
veteran of stage and TV ("Saturday Night Live"
and commercials). She lives and attends junior
high in Sayville, N.Y., but films "Clarissa" at
Nickelodeon's Florida studios. Write:
Nickelodeon, 1775 Broadway, New York, N.Y.
10019.
Q. Tell us about the actor who plays Ed in
"Northern Exposure."
A. Darren E. Burrows is a Kansan, part
Cherokee and part Apache. He started acting
after working with his brother Billy Drago,
who runs an actors' workshop in Los Angeles.
Burrows' movie credits include "976-Evil,"
''Casualties of War," "Class of 1999" and
"Crybaby." He's been seen on TV in "TV 101,"
"Hard Time on Planet Earth" and "Dragnet."
He's single and lives in Bellevue, Wash.
Q. Tell me about Crystal Bernard, of "Wings."
Where was she born, how did she become
interested in acting, what other shows has she
starred in?
A. Bernard was born in Dallas, daughter of
evangelist Jerry Wayne Bernard. As
youngsters, she and her sisters (Robin played
Terry on "General Hospital"; Scarlet was in the
feature "Jack in the Box") sang and performed
with their father. They recorded gospel songs.
Later, Crystal worked in Las Vegas. She
graduated from Baylor University. She was a
regular in "Happy Days," "My 2 Dads" and "It's
a Living," among other TV roles.
Q. A few years back, British TV aired "Reilly:
Ace of Spies." Confirm that Kevin Costner
played Reilly.
Cicely News & World Telegram
A. It was New Zealand actor Sam Neill who
played Reilly in the British series, seen in the
U.S. on PBS. Neill's also been seen on TV in
"Ivanhoe," ''Kane & Abel," "Amerika," "Leap of
Faith" and in the features 'My Brilliant
Career," "The Final Conflict" and "Plenty."
Q. Settle an argument so my family can be
harmonious again. My wife and son insist Alex
Trebek was once married to Madonna.
Date: August 5, 1991
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
Author: Bob Wisehart
LOS ANGELES There is a special feeling about
a fast-rising television series.
The people in it walk around kind of gingerly,
as if fearing to disturb whatever gods are
making it happen. Tasks that later may be
odious when they start taking success for
granted - photo sessions, autographs - they
now undertake with zest and goofy grins on
their faces.
And they enjoy talking about it all because it
still seems so bright and unbelievable.
Understand, we are not talking about
"America's Funniest Home Videos" here.
We are talking about "Northern Exposure,"
the only show on TV featuring a moose
named Morty - or a moose named anything,
for that matter.
A brief description doesn't do "Northern
Exposure" justice, but we can try.
Premise: A young doctor (Rob Morrow), one
of those New York City nerds who, no matter
where they live, complain unendingly about
how it is impossible to find a good bagel, or
mugging, or something, outside of New York,
is transplanted to the tiny village of Cicely,
Alaska, to pay off his medical school
scholarship.
In Cicely, the natives are not restless, they're
weird - starting with the doctor's landlord,
Maggie (Janine Turner), a self-reliant bush
pilot whose boyfriends (five and counting)
keep dying on her in the strangest ways. Then
32
there is the crusty ex-astronaut and head of
the local chamber of commerce (Barry
Corbin). And the 63-year-old naturalist-
adventurer who owns the tavern and is
deeply smitten with a 19-year-old beauty,
holder of the coveted Miss Northwest Passage
title (Cynthia Geary).
Don't forget the disc jockey (John Corbett),
who is as likely to muse on the air over the
poetry of Walt Whitman as he is to play the
universe's most eclectic selection of music (a
"Northern Exposure" soundtrack album is
coming, and it should be a beauty). And,
finally, the doctor's Native American
receptionist (Elaine Miles), who hands out
home remedies to the patients when her boss
isn't looking.
That isn't all - not by a long shot - but you get
the idea. When "Northern Exposure" isn't
funny, it is mystical. If you have seen the Bill
Forsyth movie "Local Hero," then you don't
have the whole idea but you're on the right
track.
I sense a certain cynicism. Are you asking
whether this is just another TV flavor of the
week? The last one was a little thing called
"Twin Peaks" - and didn't it curdle before our
very eyes?
But there is a difference. For one thing,
"Northern Exposure" makes sense. That
always helps. There isn't a dancing dwarf in
sight.
"I don't mean this as any kind of reproach, but
I think there was an underlying cynicism to
that show," says "Northern Exposure" co-
executive producer Andrew Schneider. "In
`Twin Peaks,' the woods were a dangerous
place. In our universe, the woods are a benign
place. You didn't want to go to Twin Peaks,
but everybody wants to go to Cicely."
In case you have the urge to reach for a map,
Cicely doesn't exist - the show is shot in
Roslyn, Wash.
Of this large cast, Miles probably is most
representative of the show's spirit. The
guileless, bubbly, 28-year-old Cayuse-Nez
Perce Indian never had worked for much
more than minimum wage, flunked out of
secretarial school and was fired by
McDonald's after half a day because she was
the slowest, clumsiest milkshake maker ever.
Miles never did any acting before "Northern
Exposure" - though all things considered, she
shrugs, she finds "it's pretty easy." She
whoops that, when she got her first check, it NBC won Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday percentage of actual sets-in-use tuned to a
was for so much money "I could not believe it nights; CBS, Monday and Sunday; and ABC, particular program when it aired.
- I thought there was a typo or something." Tuesday and Friday.

An expert Women's Northern Buckskin Summer reruns were in full force during the
traditional dancer at powwows for her week ending Aug. 4. Of 86 prime-time
Umitilla tribe, Miles was discovered when she entertainment broadcasts, only 18 contained
took her mother, Armenia, to audition for the original programming. Date: August 12, 1991
role of receptionist Marilyn Whirlwind and "I Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
was just sitting there waiting for my mother
"ABC World News Tonight With Peter
when they talked me into auditioning."
Jennings" led the network news race with an Actor John Cullum of "Northern Exposure"
8.1/18. "CBS Evening News With Dan Rather" said he's not surprised the television series
The story has a happy ending: Mom wound up and "NBC Nightly News With Tom Brokaw" was nominated for an Emmy and that cast
in "Northern Exposure," too, in a recurring tied for second with a 7.8/18. members were overlooked.
role as Mrs. Anku, wife of a medicine man.
Fox's "Totally Hidden Video" and "Comic Strip "There's no main character in the show," said
"The first day on the set it was, like, `Gasp! Primetime" ranked 83rd and 84th, Cullum, who portrays the owner of a tavern in
I've seen that guy! He's on TV! And I've seen respectively. NBC's "Where's Rodney?" came the fictitious town of Cicely, Alaska. "It's an
that other guy, he's in movies! There's the guy in 85th and its "Turner and Hooch" tied with ensemble production, and it takes time for
who played Uncle Bud in "Urban Cowboy" Fox's "Babes" for 86th and final place. the characters to be defined."
(Corbin)!' He walked into the makeup trailer
and shook my hand and I
Cullum said if the show
thought, `Oh, God, Mommy!
Rank Ratings Share Network remains on CBS long enough,
He shook my hand!'
he expects Rob Morrow, who
1 14.6 Roseanne 26 ABC plays Dr. Joel Fleischman, to
"I was like a little kid in a 2 13.9 60 Minutes 31 CBS be nominated.
candy story, working with all
these people I've seen in TV 3 13.2 Coach 23 ABC
In the quirky comedy,
and in the movies. And now
4 12.7 Designing Women 21 CBS Cullum's character, 63-year-
I'm one of them. It's kind of
old Holling Vincoeur, is afraid
neat." 5 12.6 Unsolved Mysteries 25 NBC
to marry his 18-year-old
6 12.4 Murphy Brown 22 CBS girlfriend, Shelly, played by
Yeah, it's kind of neat. And I Cynthia Geary.
hope it stays that way for her, 7 12.3 Cheers 23 NBC
too.
8 12.2 20/20 25 ABC "The pain his granddad, who
lived to be 101, and his dad,
9 11.6 Northern Exposure 20 CBS
who made it to 106, suffered
10 11.3 Murder, She Wrote 22 CBS when their wives died is
something Holling decides to
11 11.1 ABC Mon. Movie/Elvis & Me 19 ABC avoid at all costs," Cullum
Date: August 7, 1991 12 11.0 NBC Mon. Movie/Strange Voices 19 NBC said.
Publication: The Washington
Post 13 10.9 Full House 24 ABC

14 10.7 A Different World 20 NBC

ABC won its third consecutive
10.7 In the Heat of the Night 19 NBC
week in the network Nielsen
ratings contest, this time 16 10.6 Rescue 911 20 CBS Date: August 14, 1991
aided by Roseanne Barr and a Publication: The Washington
resurrection of Elvis. 17 10.5 Fresh Prince 20 NBC Post
10.5 Wings 19 NBC
A repeat of "Elvis and Me," CBS regained its summer
19 10.4 Who's the Boss? 20 ABC
the 1988 TV movie based on ratings lead last week with
Priscilla Presley's 10.4 Major Dad 19 CBS help from "60 Minutes,"
autobiography, helped ABC which included a tribute to
finish first with an 8.8 average TV RATINGZZZZ former anchor Harry Reasoner, who died last
rating and a 17 percent audience share. CBS week.
finished second with an 8.6/17, and NBC,
Following are the top 20 network prime-time
usually in first place, came in third with an
shows last week, ranked according to the That program was the most-watched show on
8.5/17. Fox ended the week with a 6.4/13.
percentage of the nation's 93.1 milllion TV television during the week ending Aug. 11,
households that watched, as measured by the pushing CBS into first place with a 9.2 average
A.C. Nielsen Co. A share represents the rating and an 18 percent audience share.

Cicely News & World Telegram 33

 percentage of the nation's 93.1 She has a good reason to laugh. The 28-year-
Rank Rating Share Network milllion TV households that watched, old model turned actress was walking the
as measured by the A.C. Nielsen Co. A streets of New York trying to hock an
1 16.1 60 Minutes 36 CBS
share represents the percentage of engagement ring from actor Alec Baldwin,
2 13.9 Cheers 25 NBC actual sets-in-use tuned to a particular with whom she’d broken up, to pay her rent
program when it aired. when the audition for Northern Exposure
3 13.5 Designing Women 23 CBS
came along. “[Being that broke] was weird
4 12.8 Northern Exposure 23 CBS and awful, like out of a horror story,” says
Turner. After the audition, she went home
. 12.8 ABC Movie/Commando 22 ABC and cried, convinced that she wouldn’t get
6 12.6 Murphy Brown 22 CBS
the role of no-nonsense bush pilot Maggie
O’Connell. When producers Joshua Brand
7 12.4 Unsolved Mysteries 25 NBC and John False offered her the part, she
cried even more. “Now that I’m getting all
8 12.2 Roseanne 22 ABC
this attention,” she says, “I try to remain
9 12.1 Murder, She Wrote 24 CBS humble, because I know what it’s like to be
broke and hungry.”
10 11.7 Family Matters 24 ABC

11 11.6 PrimeTime Live 21 ABC Always determined and independent,

Turner left her Fort Worth, Texas home at
12 11.1 In the Heat of the Night 19 NBC
15 and joined the Wilhelmina modeling
11.1 NBC Movie/Perry Mason 19 NBC agency, Two year later she was off to Los
Angeles to appear in Dallas. That part led
11.1 Wings 19 NBC to a string of steady, thorough
11.1 Beverly Hills, 90210 19 FOX undemanding, series roles, which she
ultimately gave up to return to New York
16 11.0 Full House 24 ABC to study acting seriously. “I had no respect
11.0 20/20 22 ABC
for what I was doing when I left.
None,” Turner says.
11.0 A Different World 21 NBC

11.0 CBS Movie/Beverly Hills Cop 20
20 10.9 48 Hours 20
ABC was second at 8.9/17 and NBC was a
close third with 8.8/17. Fox finished with a
6.4/12.
CBS's No. 1 finish followed three weeks of ABC
wins. Before that, CBS had been on top for a
month. CBS took Monday, Tuesday and
Sunday nights; NBC won Wednesday,
Thursday and Saturday nights; and ABC got
Friday.
In the network news wars, "ABC World News
Tonight With Peter Jennings" won again, this
time with an 8.5/20. "CBS Evening News With
Dan Rather" made its closest showing in
nearly a year, finishing just two-tenths of a
ratings point behind ABC with an 8.3/19. NBC
and Tom Brokaw were last with 7.4/17.
NBC's "Ferris Bueller" and "Parenthood"
ranked 89th and 92nd, respectively, with Fox's
"Totally Hidden Video" in a tie for 89th. CBS's
new primetime entries, "Claws" and "Vidiots,"
came in 91st and 93rd.
TV RATINGZZZZ
CBS That independent streak helped win her the
role of Maggie. “We were looking for an
CBS attractive female lead,” says Brand. “But she
also had to be credible as someone who is
very self-reliant – who could succeed in Cicely,
Alaska. Someone who had a natural beauty,
Janine’s first concern was always to be
protective of Maggie. She never wanted her to
Date: September 7, 1991 look like she had stepped out of a fashion
Publication: TV Guide magazine."
Author: Timothy Carlson
Janine Turner knew she'd made it when
several guys came up to her, feigning they'd
lost their voices, expecting her to kiss them.
Turner's character, Maggie, you see, kissed
the town's disc jockey and restored his voice
when it was "stolen" by a beautiful woman
in one episode of Northern Exposure this
summer -- which makes about as much
sense as any of the plots on the show.
"Only five percent of it seems bad," says
Turner of the exposure Northern Exposure
has brought her. "People come up because
they love the show, and I have no privacy at
times. But now my agent gets calls and I
don't have to audition!" Clearly delighted
with her new-found fame, she lets out a Above: Maggie O'Connell (Janine Turner) and
whooping siren of a laugh that she must have Dr. Fleischman (Morrow) chat -- and shiver --
had since she was a kid. over drinks.

Following are the top 20 network prime-time

shows last week, ranked according to the

Cicely News & World Telegram 34

Turner has her fill of those glossy fashion rags
during her brief time as a model. These days
you can find her on the covers of magazines,
as well as in the guest seat on talk shows. But
it’s her acting talent and intelligence that have
gotten her that exposure, not her looks. “I am
aware as everyone of the enormous response
to her,” says Brand. “She has a very bright
future. But as her boss, I hope she keeps her
head on straight.”
Brand, no doubt, would approve of how his
star spent her summer hiatus. In the midst
of her exploding fame, Turner decided to
take some time off to visit her family in
Texas. While there, she ended up buying a
horse and falling in love with a cowboy. "I
think this cowgirl phase is me going back
and owning the good part of my childhood-
-the things I had to give up during the years
it took me to get here," explains Turner.
That’s what brought her, one hot summer
night, to Fort Worth’s Cowtown Coliseum
to attend a small team-roping event. “I was
fascinated!” says Turner. “It’s a lot of fun.
It’s real and it’s earthy—and it’s so
romantic.” Turner, whose previous
romantic attachments included not only
actor Baldwin, but also Mikhail
Baryshnikov, took one look at cowboy
roper Jay Palmer, 37, and got roped herself.
She got his phone number and asked him to
help her find a horse, which he did – a
beautiful, smooth-tempered palomino names,
coincidentally enough, Maggie. Perfect! And
off they went. “We bought a saddle, went
country-and-western dancing, attended Texas
Rangers baseball games, swam at my
mother’s pool, rode the horses.”
She also bought a pickup truck and a horse
trailer. By July, it was time to report back to
work, and Palmer agreed to hit the road with
Turner on a four-day, 2100-mile odyssey back
to Washington state, where the series is shot.
Every night on their cross-country journey,
Palmer found the palomino another corral to
bed down in while he and Turner “stayed in
hotels where the doorknobs didn’t work very
good, so you put a chair in front of
them.” Police stopped them in Wyoming to
inform them their taillights were stuck on, and
the officers happily accepted autographed
pictures of Turner. The next night, Palmer had
Maggie slated to stay at a top-ranked rodeo
cowboy’s ranch – in a pen with a steer. “I was
very upset,” recalls Turner. “I was afraid the
horns would pierce her. Jay said, ‘she’ll be
fine.’ Then he pleaded with me: ‘Please, when
we get around real horse people, don’t talk to
your horse that way.’ Because every night I tell
Cicely News & World Telegram
Maggie: ‘I looove you!’” Then she would bid
Maggie adieu with a kiss.
While Palmer showed Turner the ropes on
horse ownership, Turner treated her cowboy
to a taste of Hollywood. He was called on
stage with her on The Arsenio Hall Show. “He
was a fish out of water!” says the star of this
fish-out-of-water series, letting loose another
startling laugh.
Turner (above in a recent photo) worked as a
fashion model before she took up acting. She
wants to keep bush pilot Maggie O'Connell
unglamorous.
Turner says she hasn’t been able to find the
thread that links her three recent love
interests: the movie star, the dancer and the
cowboy. “But I believe you bring people into
your life to teach you about things,” she
says. “When I met Alec, I was 20. We got
engaged. It was rushed, and it didn’t work.
Alec taught me a lot about my emotions,
about my childhood.”
She met Baryshnikov in 1986, at a Manhattan
restaurant he co-owned, “Misha represented
what I wanted to do with my life—the fire, the
inspiration and the work ethic. He was
someone I could emulate …”
Palmer, who returned to Texas when
production began, taught Turner how real
horse people talk to their mounts – among
other things. Which probably won’t help her
in the campaign she’s mounting to increase
her character’s dramatic range on the show.
So far, most of Maggie’s lives have consisted
of the lightning verbal jabs she throws at Dr.
Joel Fleischman (Rob Morrow). This fall, she
will get to expand her emotional range
somewhat as her relationship with the good
doctor warms up.
35
“Janine has said she wants to flex other
[dramatic] muscles on the show,” admits
Brand. “Some she will, and others she will
[have to wait to] use in other jobs.”
One job that would give her all the dramatic
range she dreams of is the lead in HBO’s “The
Jean Seberg Story.” Although it is not a done
deal yet, she is being considered for the part.
Actress Seberg committed suicide in 1979,
after undergoing years of FBI scrutiny for her
political sympathies. “I cried when I read the
script,” days Turner. "It’s a role that you relish
and at the same time you go, ‘Oh God!’,
because it will be really emotionally draining.
But that is what I love. Besides, you don’t gain
anything unless you risk yourself."
For now, she’s playing it safe in Cicely. After a
long day on the set of Northern Exposure in
suburban Redmond, Wash., outside Seattle,
she heads over to the stables where she keeps
Maggie. She smiles and sings to Maggie as she
curries her golden mane. “Some people dye
their horses’ manes a bright white. But I don’t
want a Hollywood horse,” she says. Turner
wouldn’t mind her share of Hollywood
acclaim, however. As she slips the bit deftly
into Maggie’s mouth – a recently learned skill
– she laughs that whooping laugh of hers and
says: “That’s what I won the Oscar for –
putting in the bit. I want to thank my mother
… my father …”
As she rides off, a small single-engine plane,
much like the one Maggie flies on the show,
passes overhead. “There goes Maggie,
Maggie,” says Turner talking to her horse in a
way that real horse people just might
understand after all.
Date: September 16, 1991
Publication: The Boston Globe
Author: Ed Siegel, Globe Staff
If you didn't like Mondays last year, you might
as well make Monday the bowling night again
this year. The networks were happy with their
lot, even if you weren't, so it's the same-ol'
this year.
Nobody was happier than CBS, whose comedy
lineup from 8 to 10 gelled last season and
"Northern Exposure" finally connected during
the summer.
CBS on Monday night has been compared to
NBC's Thursday night lineup and to a certain
extent that's true. "Murphy Brown" is
certainly one of the best comedies on
television and the show was particularly
impressive last year in balancing the
political and personal aspects of
Murphy's life. In fact, "Murphy" might be
the only program that still sees a tie
between personal and political decisions.
Speaking of which, tonight's the night
we're supposed to find out if Murph is
preggers and who the most happy feller
is as the season premiere expands to an
hour at 9 on Channel 7.

"Northern Exposure" remains one of

network TV's gems. The eccentricity of
the characters, albeit forced at times,
creates a sense of community unique to
television. It would help if Joel and
Maggie stopped yelling at each other and
got on with their lives, but this lighter
side of "Twin Peaks" bizarreness cries for
attention.

The rest of the CBS schedule is more
problematic. "Evening Shade" and its star,
Burt Reynolds, get by on nothing but attitude.
The eccentricity on this series is about as
endearing as an Alan Simpson speech, and
Reynolds is almost as good a comedian as the
Wyoming senator. The NBC competition,
"Fresh Prince of Bel Air," is a far livelier and
more genuine comedy.
The premise of "Major Dad" -- right-wing
Marine marries liberal family -- got tired very
quickly, but NBC's kids' show at 8:30,
"Blossom," is no alternative.
"MacGyver" is a man of science, but he must
be using voodoo to be back for a seventh
season at 8 on Channel 5. It's one of the few
real action-adventure shows left, so all we can
say at this point is good luck.
"Monday Night Football" without Howard and
Dandy Don has no pop-culture interest, and
you don't need anyone to tell you what your
interest level is in the game itself. The NBC
Monday night movie is usually a snooze,
aimed at women who find "Murphy Brown"
too sophisticated.
"Designing Women" was never a personal
favorite -- it's marked and marred by the
same poor writing as the Bloodworth-
Thomasons' other show, "Evening Shade" --
and it's gotten more boring over the years.
But if Jan Hooks and Julia Duffy can bring
some of the wit and charm with which they
adorned "Saturday Night Live" and "Newhart," Monday, September 23, 1991
there might be reason to keep the TV on CBS
between "Murphy" and "Northern Exposure."
We'll find out tonight, as they're introduced in
an hourlong season premiere at 10 on
Channel 7. Next week it moves back to 9:30
and "Northern Exposure" has its season
premiere. * * * * Worth staying home for * *
* Worth watching if you're home * * Worth
watching if you're tired * Worth watching if
you're sick 8 p.m. * * 1/2 Fresh Prince of Bel
Air, NBC * * Fox Night at the Movies (on
average) * 1/2 MacGyver, ABC * Evening
Shade, CBS 8:30 p.m. * * Major Dad, CBS * 1/2
Blossom, NBC 9 p.m. * * * Murphy Brown,
CBS * * * American Experience, PBS * * 1/2
Monday Night Football (on average), ABC * *
NBC Monday Night Movie (on average) 9:30
p.m. * * Designing Women, CBS 10 p.m. * * *
Northern Exposure, CBS
3-01
The Bumpy Road to Love
77501 16

Cicely News & World Telegram 36

Cicely News & World Telegram 37

Monday, September 30, 1991 3-02
Only You 77503 17
Monday, October 07, 1991 3-03
Oy, Wilderness 77507 18
` melodrama in years past. I think we all
Date: October 10, 1991
Publication: The Boston Globe
Author: Ed Siegel, Globe Staff
We will now hear closing arguments in the
people vs. "L.A. Law," which returns for its
sixth season at 10 tonight on Channel 4. Is it
still the best regular series on television, or
has it run out of gas?
Speaking against the series is Victor Sifuentes,
who has left the series along with Michael
Kuzak, Abby Perkins and executive producer
David E. Kelley.
Mr. Sifuentes:
Judge, it grieves me to say this, but tonight's
episode goes against everything that the firm
of Bochco-Kelley has stood for the past five
years. There can be no defense for a series
this good getting off to such a bad start.
Cicely News & World Telegram
We have come to depend on "L.A. Law" for
depth that can no longer be found anywhere
else on network television, not even on
"Northern Exposure," which is rarely anything
more than cute, particularly this season.
I am not going to pretend that Mr. Bochco
and Mr. Kelley never resorted to shock or
remember the secret to a woman's, er, heart,
the Venus Butterfly from the first season? Or
the litigation over bull sperm?
But, your honor, the people contend that,
particularly after the first year or two, such
melodramatic devices never detracted from
the emotional and intellectual content of the
program.
Not only did the series never shy away from
issues of the day, but it never resorted to the
one-dimensionality of pretenders to the
throne like "Law & Order" and "Equal Justice."
Like great playwrights of the stage, our writers
gave some of the best lines and arguments to
those on the other side of the case, constantly
keeping the viewer on edge by making the
strongest two arguments possible.
[EDIT]
But we accept the argument that "L.A. Law" is
still the best and urge the jury to keep
watching.
38
Date: October 13, 1991
Publication: The Record
(Bergen County, NJ)
Author: Virginia Mann
According to Dr. William
Nagler, a fixture on the talk
circuit of late, there's just no
way to keep romance alive.
"You can't. You never could,
and you'll never be able to. So
stop trying," writes the
psychiatrist in his book "The
Dirty Half-Dozen: Six Radical
Rules to Make Relationships
Last."
Nagler should give a seminar
to TV writers. No matter how
many series fizzle out when a
romance fails, television
keeps emphasizing
entanglements.
"Anything but Love," for example, has been
concentrating too much on the relationship of
Hannah and Marty. Last season, these two
pals fell in love. Then, in the season opener,
they decided to get married
because they thought she was pregnant. But
she wasn't, so they didn't.
Meanwhile, back at the office, there are good
characters going to waste. Ann Magnuson's
marvelous Catherine merely flashes by in
bizarre outfits. She's basically become a sight
gag.
On "Northern Exposure," the flirty-hostile
relationship between Dr. Fleischman (whose
fiancee jilted him) and Maggie the pilot
(whose boyfriend got squashed by a falling
satellite dish) is likely to take
off. As they soar into new turbulence, so, too,
may this fine series.
I'm afraid that even the no-nonsense "Law &
Order" may go fuzzy on us. NBC insisted that
the producer add two female characters this
season. It's probably a matter of time before
one falls in love with
handsome Detective Logan -- and winds up
taking a home-pregnancy test.
TV romance is a no-win situation. Viewers like
sexual tension, but that can't be sustained
indefinitely. On the other hand, once
characters commit, where can a series go?
Perhaps Dr. Nagler should coin a TV corollary:
If it's impossible to keep a romance alive, one
must be very careful about starting one.
Monday, October 14, 1991 3-04
Animals 'R' Us 77505 19
Date: October 14, 1991
Publication: Seattle Times - Entertainment &
the Arts
Author: Kit Boss
Home, home on the set.
A few hours before he's needed in front of the industry that's poised for takeoff."
cameras of the CBS series "Northern
Exposure," Barry Corbin climbs into his
dressing trailer outside the show's Redmond
sound stage. The phrase Larger Than Life
comes to mind.
Or Larger Than Television, at least.
Corbin's wearing denim jeans and shirt. Boots.
Spurs. A cowboy hat, if not the 10-gallon
variety then at minimum 2 liters. A silver belt
buckle suitable for serving hors d'oeuvres.
It's not part of the costume for his character,
former astronaut and fellow Lone Star Stater
Maurice Minnifield, who usually appears in a
leather bomber jacket and NASA cap. It's gen-
you-ine Corbin.
The buckle came from a rodeo in Fort Worth.
Corbin's passion is the cutting-horse
competition, where a mount and rider are
judged on their skill at culling a cow from the
middle of a herd. Corbin entered, without his
Cicely News & World Telegram
favorite riding boots. Wearing borrowed When "Northern Exposure" made its debut
spurs. Riding someone else's horse. last year, Corbin's was one of the few faces
that rang bells. Among his long list of credits,
he played Uncle Bob in the film "Urban
"Kinda like going over to Wimbledon without
Cowboy" and a general in "War Games,"
your tennis shoes or your racket," explains
appeared in a string of TV movies and
Corbin in his big-as-Texas twang, maneuvering
miniseries, including "Lonesome Dove," and
a toothpick to one corner of his mouth. "Won
starred in a memorable commercial for
by half a point."
Birdseye frozen vegetables.
Vying for the part of Maurice, Corbin won it
The son of a Texas county judge who went to
hands - and face and belt buckle - down.
the Senate at age25, Corbin was named for
During his audition, Corbin decided to drop to
James M. Barrie, who wrote "Peter Pan."
the floor and pumped out a nonstop series of
pushups because the script described Maurice
as a fitness buff. "I never could get my mother to tell me why,"
Corbin puzzles.
"Barry was clearly our first choice," recalls
Joshua Brand, co-executive producer of the He liked movies, and at age 8 decided to
series about an Alaskan podunk and its become an actor. His grandfather, who kept
charmingly eccentric residents. "When we horses and helped Corbin learn to ride when
wrote the part we kind of saw George C. Scott most kids are learning to walk, encouraged
in 'Patton.' Robert Duvall in 'Apocalypse Now.' him.
John Wayne. Heroic men of action. Someone
who embodied the best and worst of those
"Practically everyone said I'd grow out of it,"
American qualities of capitalism and progress
says Corbin, now 50. "I haven't yet."
and greed and avarice."
Corbin studied acting at Texas Tech,
In tonight's episode [3.4 Animals R Us] for
eventually flipping a coin to decide whether to
example, the gears in Maurice's head start
move to New York or Los Angeles. Luck sent
turning when he sees the huge eggs being laid
him East. He forged a career as a stage actor,
by Marilyn's ostriches.
playing Shakespeare's Henry V and Macbeth
and other standards.
"I'm not talking about slaughter right away
now, you understand," he tells Marilyn in his
"Somewhere in the back of my mind I figured I
log cabin, decorated in early Teddy Roosevelt,
couldn't compete in films until I was older. At
all hunting trophies and Victorian velvet, with
25, you don't come out and try to replace
a dinner table that seats 16. "This is an
Walter Brennan."
He says he has injected a little bit of cowboy
Corbin leapt at the part because he figured
into every part he has played, even those
the character held the potential for surprise.
where he delivered his lines in Elizabethan
He also recalls, "As I explored the character I
English.
discovered we share almost nothing in
common."
In "Northern Exposure," he reins in his
cowboy impulse so as not to overlap with the
Maurice sees the Alaskan wilderness and
Gary Cooper-esque character of Holling, a
dreams of trailer parks and 31 Flavors. Corbin
reformed big-game hunter who owns the
envisions national parks so untamed and
town tavern. Look for an episode later this
remote that people wouldn't even bother to
season, a flashback to the fictional town of
visit. Maurice took the ultimate trip, out of
Cicely's pioneer days, when Corbin might get
this world, Spam-in-a-can. Corbin won't
a chance to saddle up.
subject himself to a mere balloon ride.
Maurice is ruled by the cerebrum; Corbin, by
intuition. "They may put me on horseback the whole
time," he says. "Which would be fine with
me."
"The only thing Maurice is afraid of is
himself," Corbin says. "If you took away his
shell he'd be a quivering mass of ganglia."
That doesn't leave much overlap. "I appear to
talk a whole lot but I don't say anything,"
Because they're too big to try bungee jumping
offers Corbin. "Maurice is the same way."
39
Date: October 21, 1991
Publication: Newsweek
Dateline: Moose country
Do you chuckle at the preposterous sight of a
moose ambling into town on "Northern
Exposure." No one's laughing in New England
where moose and man are meeting with dire
consequences. Earlier this year in Manchester,
N.H., one of the gangly creatures not only
came into town but climbed onto a factory
roof. As humans rushed to its rescue, it fell off
the building and died. In the Boston suburb of
Natick, Mass., a startled family recently
discovered a moose nibbling on the lawn.
State animal wardens were called; while
families watched, the officers pulled out their
shotguns and blasted the animal. One dark
night last month outside Burlington, Vt., David Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
Kemp's Jeep Cherokee smashed into a 1,100- Author: Kristi Turnquist
pound bull moose standing in the middle of
the road. "There was no chance," Kemp said
later. He was unharmed but the moose and
the car were a mess.
Why do the moose keep crossing the road?
"This time of year they keep wandering, trying
to find a mate," says Howard Nowell of New
Hampshire's Fish and Game Department. "Too
often they wind up finding a car." On the
highways of northern New England, the fall
foliage season has turned into a time of
moose carnage. In their natural habitat, the
moose population has been actually booming,
up from near extinction a century ago to a
herd of 21,000 in Maine alone. "They're
probably more abundant today than they've
ever been," says Fred Hurley of Maine's
Resource Management Bureau. As the herds
increased, so did the number of moose-car
collisions. In Maine, more than 300 moose
were hit in 1989, twice the total of the decade
before, In New Hampshire, which has a herd
of 4,000, there have been 163 moose wrecks
so far this year, including four that caused
human fatalities.
When a car hits a moose, both sides lose. An
adult bull weighs in excess of 1,000 pounds.
And it stands about six feet high, so its eyes
are not as likely to reflect headlights as a
deer's. Color is also a drawback: a moose's
legs are dusky gray so drivers often don't
detect them until the last millisecond. Most
smaller animals get hit by the grille; the
damage is confined to the car's front end. But
a typical collision with a lanky moose sweeps
the animal over the hood. "What you get is
that massive center of gravity coming through
the windshield and over the roof," says
Vermont state biologist Cedric Alexander.
Cicely News & World Telegram
One solution is good news for taxidermists
but bad news for environmentalists. Maine
eliminated moose hunting in 1935 but
reinstated it on a regular basis in 1982; this
year there were 82,000 applicants for the
state's 1,000 six-day permits. New Hampshire
has just bumped up the number of permits
from 75 to 100 and increased the hunting
season from three to 10 days. Another
approach is to educate drivers to slow down.
It's especially critical that motorists drive
defensively over the next few weeks: the fall
is moose-rutting season.
Date: October 27, 1991
ROSLYN, Wash. Yesterday, it was an oasis.
Today, it's a star. But not everyone in Roslyn
thinks stardom is all it's cracked up to be.
A pocket-sized patch of quaint businesses and
century-old buildings, Roslyn used to be just
another Northwest small town, a quick drive-
by for all but its 860 residents. A 90-minute
drive east from Seattle, tucked among lakes in
a hollow surrounded by forested mountains,
Roslyn was nestled peacefully on the way to
nowhere in particular.
Then "Northern Exposure" came to town. Just
over a year ago, the Los Angeles production
company that makes the hit CBS television
series adopted Roslyn as the real life stand-in
for the imaginary town of Cicely, Alaska
(population 839), where the show is set.
"Northern Exposure," (9 p.m. Mondays on
Channel 2) chronicles the adventures of a
New York-bred doctor forced to practice in a
rural community populated by eccentrics and
free spirits. It became a surprise hit this past
summer and was nominated for an Emmy.
And now that "Northern Exposure" is in its
second season, Roslyn is due for more
exposure yet.
But many of the town's residents are getting
sweaty under the spotlight. They look at the
crowds and cars and skyrocketing real-estate
costs and wonder if it's worth it.
"It's a good show," Keith Donaldson admits a
bit grudgingly. "It has a lot of charm, it's real
witty, it's pretty intelligent," adds Donaldson,
owner of Roslyn's sole movie theater. But
then he pauses and smiles, "I just wish it was
filmed somewhere else."
40
Tourists? Roslyn's citizenry isn't so sure about
them.
"Tourism has increased so much," Donaldson
says between shows at his theater, located in
what used to be the town mortuary.
During the height of the summer, he recalls,
hundreds of people crowded around to watch
the crew shoot on Roslyn's streets - which
happens for a few days every other week or
so. Folks couldn't find places to park for their
daily trips to the post office. Stores were
closed. Crew members loudly - and rudely,
locals say - ordered people to be quiet while
the cameras rolled.
And the tourists keep coming. A steady
stream of visitors stops in Roslyn. They walk
on Pennsylvania Avenue, the three-block main
drag, and check out the old-fashioned
buildings with window displays featuring T-
shirts and flyers for the "Northern Exposure"
fan club.
They stop at the Brick, a tavern that serves as
the exterior for Cicely's central tavern-
restaurant-hangout, and down glasses of
Roslyn's rich, dark, locally brewed beer.
(Interiors are mainly shot on stages in
Redmond, northeast of Seattle.)
Donaldson's theater business has increased,
but he looks at the visitors and worries. "We
really like our town the way that it is," he
says. "We like the messy yards, that it's
disorganized, that people don't paint their
houses."
First stop for Roslyn tourists looking for magic
is usually the Roslyn Cafe. It is hard to miss its
mural, which is featured in the "Northern
Exposure" credits as a moose ambles past. An
exotic scene of palm trees and a camel, with
the words "An Oasis" painted under it, the
mural almost jumps off the wall.
"I guess I'm Joe Tourist here," says Paul
Grebstad, of Port Orchard, Wash., as he snaps
the obligatory photo. His wife, Peggy,
particularly liked the notorious "Spring Fever"
episode, in which Cicely's citizens went a bit
berserk just before the first spring snow melt.
The show culminated in "the running of the
bulls," an all-male nude race through the
snow.
Adding some verite to the cinema, Rob
Morrow, who plays displaced Dr. Joel
Fleischman, and other cast members actually
did one take without body stockings, running
smack into the mayor and police chief, who
were not amused.
Monday, October 28, 1991 3-05
Jules et Joel 77408 20
Northern Exposure features the weirdest –
and the best – music on prime time
Date: November, 1991
Publication: GQ Magazine
Author: Stephen Fried
With the music writing market a little soft
these days, I've been thinking about looking
around for a real job. The one that appeals to
me most is the deejay position at KBHR – K-
Bear – in Cicely, Alaska, but there are two
problems. First, the job is filled. And second,
it's not real.
I wish it were, because Cicely, the mythical
town where the CBS-TV series Northern
Exposure is set, seems like a place where
someone with my musical sensibility would fit
in great. It's the center of what one of the
show's creators is fond of calling a "totally
nonjudgmental universe" that exists for only
Cicely News & World Telegram
one hour on Monday nights. And one of the
biggest reasons that Northern Exposure has
been so successful at establishing a place to
which viewers can escape is its use of popular
and unpopular music.
There has, to my knowledge, never been a TV
show that made such extensive use of
"source" music: everything from Dwight
Yoakam, k.d. lang and Kitty Wells to Motley
Crue, Sinead O'Connor and Robert Palmer to
Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday and Stan Getz
to Little Jimmy Dickens singing his immortal
"Take an Old Cold Tater (and Wait)." They use
many more songs per episode (an average of
twelve) in Northern Exposure than in a month
of Miami Vices. And, so far, not one by Phil
Collins. These guys have good taste.
Or perhaps not. Perhaps the reason the
music on Northern Exposure is so
compelling is that the show has no
definable musical taste at all, no clear
biases or blind spots. The music can by
anything – show tunes, opera, rap, zydeco,
even stuff by street musicians the
producers meet on vacation. And the
great thing is that almost nobody in Cicely
– young or old, white, black, red or
redneck – is offended by the songs played actually pays attention to such stuff. But the
by deejay-philosopher-modern man Chris 41-year-old Brand's genuine fascination with
Stevens, who quotes Jung and searches
for his soul in the records he spins on
America's most eclectic morning radio
show. (Which is so eclectic that it doesn't that had developed from the day CBS
necessarily come on in the morning.) And programming chief Jeff Sagansky suggested
nobody says "Will you turn that damned
music off!" no matter what spews forth
from the world's weirdest, most
overstocked jukebox (it must go up to
ZZZ999), situated in the local tavern.
Cicely is a town full of highly opinionated
sorts, like Dr. Joel Fleischman, who was
beamed there from Manhattan when his
med-school loan from the state of Alaska
came due; Maggie O'Connell, the
pioneering pilot whose boyfriends are a
dying breed; Maurice Minnifield, the
retired astronaut who thinks he owns the
town (he only owns most of it); young Ed
Chigliak, the Native American Steven
Wright;Holling Vincoeur, senior-citizen
barkeep and sexual adventurer; Shelly Tambo, like our John Havlicek," he says. "We use
Holling's MTV babe; and Marilyn Whirlwind,
Fleischman's imperturbable assistant. But
even with all these vivid personalities, no one situations. It makes things that don't work
seems to mind if the songs playing are old or
new, recognizable or un-, pleasing or shrill.
(Although somebody did once ask that the
music in the bar be turned down.)
This feeds into my Utopian fantasy about how
music could be consumed: by people who are
41
beyond open-mindedness (which ultimately
requires some deliberateness) and are simply
open to whatever's playing on the sound track
of their lives. Amazingly enough, viewers
seem to be taken with this fantasy too. CBS
gets so many calls each Tuesday morning
asking about the titles of tunes used on the
show – some of which play for only five
seconds – that the producers have taken to
providing a song list for each program. MCA
Records is talking to the producers about
making a Northern Exposure CD: The show's
music coordinator has already made two
cassette-tape compilations of songs from the
program, which were distributed to cast
members and friends.
I decided to call Northern Exposure's musical
dude to find out how a prime-time TV show
has managed to succeed where the music
business in general and radio specifically have
failed – namely, at exploring music rather
than pandering with it. But before talking to
the overworked staffer who actually tracks
down all the music, I was directed to series
co-creator Joshua Brand, he of St. Elsewhere,
Amazing Stories and A Year in the Life.
I was, frankly, a little surprised: The big boss
music became clear immediately. He had a
master plan for making Northern Exposure
unique by incorporating source music, a plan
that the character Chris, who was always to
be the resident shaman, should work as
Cicely's deejay. This meant that Chris could
present his approach to life over the airwaves.
"Chris' philosophical belief is that the
uncertainty principle is one on which you can
build a life," Brand says. "In terms of music,
that means that when you expect to hear a
certain kind of song, that's exactly when you
should hear something else. Sometimes that
requires him to play something bad."
As the Chris character developed and his
routines became more routine, Brand came to
understand the other value of music in
Northern Exposure. "We came to think of
music as sort of the sixth man on the show,
music to change the quality of scenes on the
show, and we have used it to get us out of
work and things that do work, work better.
We sometimes have a lot of production
problems on the show, which is shot on
location and put together in L.A. There are
certain episodes that eventually turn out
great but, as we like to say, were 'created
mechanically' in post-production. The music
was the sixth man."
Very little of the music appears in the scripts
that are used while shooting in the little
towns of Roslyn and Bellevue, outside of
Seattle. And Brand says that almost none of
the songs the writers propose turn out to
work, anyway. ("Take an Old Cold Tater" was
the one exception.) The tunes are generally
not chosen until a director's cut of the
location footage has literally come down from
the mountaintop. It's then that the research
begins. Most of the work falls to a 27-year-old
associate producer named Martin Bruestle,
who used to toil atthirtysomething. It is
Bruestle's job to search his own eclectic music
collection and that of postproduction man
Steve Turner and to comb through the bins at
Tower Records on Sunset Boulevard or the
stacks at L.A.'s commercial music libraries.
The last time Bruestle visited his hometown of
Bemidji, Minnesota, he went to one of its two
radio stations and asked if he could rummage
through the basement.
Many times, he is sent to ferret out a song
Brand heard while doing something else.
Bruestle has called Los Angeles restaurants,
trying to determine who was playing at 7:30
on a particular evening when his boss was
eating there. ("Jorge? Would he be interested
in recording something?") He tracked down
an Irish group Brand had heard singing at the
L.A. Zoo when he'd taken his kids there, and a
steel-drum player Brand had heard on the
street playing a killer rendition of "Goodnight
Irene." When Brand came back from his
vacation in Hawaii, Bruestle was dispatched to
find recordings of the native Hawaiian bands
his boss had enjoyed with the poi and the
pupu. "Josh called me one Saturday morning."
Bruestle recalls. "I was still sleeping. He said
he heard a song with lyrics something like
'Don Quixote no esta.' I wrote it down, and we
tracked it through the lyrics. It ended up being
'Don Quichotte,' by Magazine 60. It was kind
of electronic and dance club-ish. I said 'Josh
couldn't have picked that!' But he had. He'll
stop at nothing."
But just as often, the process begins with
Brand, Bruestle or someone else involved with other associative baggage. "We want the
Northern Exposure being turned on to an
artist he never knew much about – like, say,
Etta James – and then figuring out a way to
spin that interest into a musical moment on
the show. Steve Turner's liking for k.d. lang
ensures that her music will be used frequently too much attention to itself. We're not 'Hey,
(four times so far; she's tied for the lead with look how different we can be, how hip we can
country duo Bud and Travis, but Satchmo,
Django Reinhardt, Kitty Wells and Ruth Brown show is bad. We think of this show as a
have all been heard a number of times).
Bruestle compiles several choices for each
place where music might be used: a bar
scene, a Chris in the Morning scene or any
scene that needs more than the incidental
music written by David Schwartz (the staff
Cicely News & World Telegram
composer, who did the catchy accordion- lexicon without listening to them over and
harmonica-percussion theme song that the over."
moose saunters around to in the opening
credits). Then Brand and Bruestle go to a
In other words, they know exactly what they
dubbing stage – or, more often than not, just
want but have no idea what they want. Or, as
sit with a boom box in the editing room –and
Brand readily admits, "I don't know music, but
try out each song "to picture." It is, they
I know what I like." Bruestle is a little more
agree, truly amazing how differently the same
specific: "I just say 'Does the song make you
scene plays with different music.
smile? Does it make you feel good?' Although,
what makes people smile is very subjective."
Some of Brand's favorite juxtapositions came
in the episode "Spring Break," in which
Hmm, let me get this straight. A salaried
everyone went a little nuts during the first
position – paid in L.A. money, which, as we all
thaw, and Cicely experienced a crime spree.
know, is dispensed like Monopoly dollars – in
At one point, Chris explained to Ed why he
which you spend your day searching for songs
stole – people have to be reminded, he said,
people don't know but will immediately take
that there is wildness out there, and
to? Maybe the deejay's job at KBHR isn't the
sometimes you have to do something wrong
gig I should be coveting after all.
to know you're alive. It could have been a very
trashy or a very dumb scene. But someone
Monday, November 04, 1991 3-06
was inspired to lay in the aria that dominated
The Body in Question
the movie Diva (from the obscure Italian
opera La Wally, by Catalani, performed by 77504 21
Wilhelmenia Wiggins Fernandez). "When you
Monday, November 11, 1991 3-07
heard that music playing while Chris talks
Roots 77508 22
about petty thievery," recalls Brand, "the
scene became extremely elegant and Monday, November 18, 1991 3-08
moving." In the show's last sequence, all the A-Hunting We Will Go
men in town stripped off their thermals for 77509 23
the annual nude run through the snowscapes
of Cicely. Bruestle suggested a fairly obscure
tune by Lindsey Buckingham, "D.W. Suite,"
about Dennis Wilson's going crazy. It created
a lovely moment. CBS's offbeat Northern Exposure has
captivated viewers -- and taken over the little
town of Roslyn, Washington.
While almost anything can, and has, worked
on Northern Exposure (my personal favorite
was when they used "New York, New York" by Date: November 18, 1991
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five), Publication: People Magazine
some internal guidelines are emerging. The Author: Tom Gliatto, Tom Cunneff, and Nick
producers generally don't want to use Gallo … in Roslyn
anything too closely associated with some
other medium (songs already brought to a
A lot of people are looking for a place like
larger audience by, say, the sound tracks
Roslyn,'' says Jerry Morris, who runs the only
of The Big Chill or of the Woody Allen oeuvre),
barbershop in this Washington town
except as an inside joke. And the show shies
(pop.986) in the piney foothills of the Cascade
away from tunes that are too popular in their
own right – because they are often too Mountains. ''We've got lakes and clean air and
expensive to license and arrive with a lot of Bambi.''
music, like the rest of the show, to be much The 46-year-old Morris, who charges $6 per
more of a delightful surprise," says Brand. cut ($5 for kids and senior citizens), has never
"There are musicians I love. I love Van had to go looking. He was born and raised
Morrison, but a lot of his songs are just too here. He was here when the last operating
familiar. I don't want something that draws coal mine -- it was coal that put the town on
the map in 1886 -- shut down for good in
1963. He witnessed the decline of the lumber
be.' Any element of self-consciousness on the industry. And he has seen the coming of
Northern Exposure.
souffle: It can easily collapse. We're looking
for songs that, without knowing them, you
Roslyn, Wash., plays Cicely, Alaska, in the hit
know are great. It's not like olives or beer,
CBS comedy about an edgy New York City
where you have to develop a taste for it.
doctor, Joel Fleischman (Rob Morrow),
Songs you can absorb into your musical
transplanted to a northwestern community
42
that is sweetly easygoing and not so much
sleepy as dreamy -- occasionally even surreal.
The show, a weekly hour of genial whimsy,
instantly captivated critics (The Washington
Post's Tom Shales called it ''one of those
lighter-than-air vehicles that sails blissfully
over the treetops'') when it debuted in July
1990, and gradually won over viewers when
13 episodes were rebroadcast last summer.
Already it has matched the cult appeal of
another quirky northwest product, the late
Twin Peaks.
With its first regular season this fall, Exposure
may have lost a little of its critical luster --
there have been complaints that there's a
little too much self-conscious baloney in this
Brigadoon -- but it remains happily in the Top
20 in the Nielsen ratings.
And Cicely remains blithely off-kilter. This is a
town (pop. 840) where everyone can quote a
line or two of Jung, Whitman and
Shakespeare; where station KBHR's lanky,
borderline-Zen disc jockey, Chris
Stevens (John Corbett), may one week give off
a musk that drives women wild; where bush
pilot Maggie O'Connell (Janine Turner) thinks
her dead boyfriend may have been
reincarnated as a dog; where a young,
amiably shaggy teenager named Ed
Chigliak (Darren E. Burrows) is positively
encyclopedic about Ingmar Bergman and
Woody Allen; where the menfolk, after being
cooped up during the cold winter months,
shed their clothes and make a mad dash
through town at the arrival of spring.
That streaking day was one of the few times
Mayor Jack Denning -- who certainly
appreciates the estimated $3,000 the
production brings to Roslyn with each day of
shooting -- wondered if his burg was getting
bad exposure. ''The show has got to
remember,'' says Denning, 53, ''they're guests
in this town.''
Denning was not one of 136 residents who --
exasperated at parking restrictions, truckloads
of snow and total strangers giving them
directions on how to behave during shooting,
which continues through April -- recently
signed a petition asking Exposure to, in effect,
check out. ''It feels like we're under siege,''
says Lea Beardsley, 35, co-owner of the
Roslyn Brewing Company and the one who
started the petition. For now, Denning has
forged an uneasy truce by asking that the
producers publicly post filming schedules.
Morris, for one, thinks having a show on
location is ''exciting as hell.'' In fact he earns
$50 a day when he's used as an extra. But
Cicely News & World Telegram
even he doesn't quite know why eccentric
Cicely has come to Roslyn.
The local color, he says, isn't really so colorful.
''We've got retired miners sitting around a
coffee shop,'' Morris says, ''but none of them
are all that crazy.''
The series' creators, Joshua Brand and John
Falsey (St. Elsewhere and I'll Fly Away),
initially toyed with the idea of a sort of
Southern Exposure, set in the Louisiana
bayou, but decided it didn't have the right
kind of exoticism. Beyond geography, what
they were looking for was ''an innocence, a
sense of wonder,'' says Falsey.
After a three-week search, they settled on
Roslyn, which is convenient to Seattle (an
hour and a half by car) and boasts a compact,
folksy downtown with a post office, a tavern
and a bank that, legend has it, was robbed by
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid's gang in
1892. (Most of the show's interiors are filmed
in Redmond, an hour away.) Antlers were
added to a few storefronts and totem poles
propped up at a few street corners. An
''apostrophe s'' was stuck on the big sign for
Roslyn Cafe, rendering it ''Roslyn's.'' (In the
show's lore, Cicely was founded by Roslyn and
her lesbian lover, for whom the town's name
is a tribute. The real Roslyn ((Wash.)) was
named for Roslyn, N.Y. -- hometown of the
girlfriend of Logan Bullitt, vice president of the
Northern Pacific Coal Co.)
The result of this mini-makeover was a
drawing card for fans, who have swelled
Cicely/Roslyn tourism from an estimated
5,000 per year to 15,000. Janine Turner,
eating a grilled-cheese at the cafe, smiles for a
tourist's video camera. ''Things sure are
picking up,'' says Turner, 28. They've certainly
picked up for the former Wilhelmina model,
bit player on Dallas and Alec Baldwin's
onetime fiancée (she has also been squired by
Mikhail Baryshnikov and Sly Stallone).
''Every day, I say I'm happy I don't have to
work in New York or L.A.,'' says Turner, who
grew up in Fort Worth and now rents a one-
bedroom apartment in nearby Kirkland (most
of the cast live within 15 minutes or so from
the show's Redmond studios). ''I can lead a
civilized life here. I can breathe clean air and I
have a horse,'' named Maggie (no, not named
for her character), which she keeps in a stable
in Kirkland.
After a while the show's stars even seem to
start talking like Cicelians -- more or less to
the point but never quite on the beam. ''You
can make a lot of money and become
43
famous,'' says Kansas-raised Darren E.
Burrows, 25, who plays wide-eyed Native
American cineaste Ed Chigliak. (Burrows is
part Cherokee and Apache; he dyes his blond
hair for the part.) ''But to me the important
thing is still whether your mashed potatoes
have lumps in them.''
John Cullum (tavern owner Holling Vincoeur)
could almost see putting down roots in
Washington State, even though his wife, Emily
Frankel, is back in their Malibu log cabin,
working on a novel. ''I'm more at home here
than anyplace,'' says the actor, who won
Tonys in the Broadway musicals Shenandoah
and On the Twentieth Century. ''I didn't think
that would happen.''
Then again, did he ever think he'd be playing
the rapidly thawing winter half of a
December-May romance with a waitress and
former Miss Northwest Passage named Shelly
Tambo (Cynthia Geary)? ''I've been out of my
trousers more in the last six months than in
the last 50 years,'' says Cullum, 61.
At least he's not being smelled. Since the
musk episode, ''women come up and sniff
me,'' says John Corbett, 30, who plays deejay
Chris Stevens and is rapidly becoming the
thinking woman's Luke Perry. Corbett, who
has never been married, can understand why
fans might confuse him with Chris: He doesn't
stray too far from himself for the part. Those
Hopi rings Chris wears while quoting
Nietzsche in the sound booth are Corbett's. So
are the silver hoop in the left ear and the
dusty jeans.
Unlike Chris, though, he doesn't have a
passion for the great thinkers. ''I've only
completed about five books in my life,'' says
Corbett, who hails from Wheeling, W.Va., and
made his mark in TV commercials (including
one for Michelob).
Elaine Miles made her mark much more
directly. In May 1990, Miles drove her
mother, Armenia, down from Seattle to
audition for the role of Marilyn Whirlwind, Dr.
Fleischman's Native American assistant.
Instead, Miles herself attracted the producers'
attention. ''They liked my long hair,'' jokes the
solemnly round-faced, 4 ft.11 in. Miles, who's
in her 30s, is half Cayuse and half Nez Perce
and previously worked mostly in clerical jobs.
She still lives with her parents in Seattle and
on weekends drives her mother -- ''my best
friend'' -- to traditional Indian dances. Now
she can afford to provide the purse at those
dances -- $3,000 for a recent men's
competition in Seattle.
So far, war dances have been largely absent
on the set. ''There aren't any temperaments
around here,'' says 51-year-old character
actor Barry (WarGames) Corbin, although
Darren Burrows got sore when a crew
member surprised him with a birthday cake,
and Corbin himself admits, ''I raise hell when
the producers try to turn me into tapioca and
tone down my character.'' But the man who
portrays bearish former astronaut Maurice
Minnifield knows when to play pudding. ''I've
been asked if I'm the father figure around
here,'' says the real-life father of three.
''People do talk to me a lot. I imagine that's
because I don't give 'em any advice.''
Actually, Pop, the kids don't hang out as much
as back in the fledgling, pre-hit days. ''Before,
we all lived in the same apartment complex,''
says Cynthia Geary, 26, who plays Shelly the
waitress. Geary, who rents a place on the
water in Kirkland, has a May-May kind of
relationship with Los Angeles real estate
developer Robert Coron, 29. ''My family
would freak out if I dated anyone older than
my father,'' she says.
If anyone seems to be feeling older than his
age in this enchanted village, it's 29-year-old
Rob Morrow. ''It's like having a test at school
every day,'' says Morrow. That's because his
character, Dr. Joel Fleischman, is the show's
focal point, and Morrow has the additional
stress of wondering what will happen to his
onscreen persona (not to mention the show's
ratings) when the combatively flirtatious Joel
and Maggie finally consummate their
relationship.(It's inevitable, he says, but
probably not this season.)
But Morrow does miss New York City (he has
had fresh bagels overnighted from
Manhattan), where he shares a brownstone
with his girlfriend, theatrical producer Leslie
Urdang. And the inveterate New Yorker
empathizes with locals who feel put out by
the series' presence. ''If you lived in a little
town and had people taking it over,'' he says,
''you'd be a little peeved too.'' On the other
hand, ''I'm sure the show is giving a big profit
to that pizza place when we order 80 pizzas.''
But pizza is not inner peace. Merrily Lewis, a
37-year-old mother of two who has lived in
Roslyn for 15 years (and has even been an
extra on the show), feels that her town, like a
small, woodsy Atlantis, is lost. ''Roslyn's been
discovered,'' says Lewis. ''I'm ready to find
another Cicely.''
Cicely News & World Telegram
enjoys the companionship of the campfire,
and the anticipation of the next day afield,
philosophizing about the motivation to hunt,
and the role of the hunt in human history.
Date: November 24, 1991
Publication: The Record (Bergen County, NJ) When Joel finally bags his first grouse, he
Author: DON ECKER experiences the ambivalence about the killing,
common to many who hunt and have a
profound respect, even love, for the game
Hunters were up in arms several years ago
they pursue. He only wings the
when the CBS Television Network aired its
grouse, but the bird eventually dies. Maggie
notorious "Guns of Autumn" show. The anti-
suggests that the bird succumbed at about its
hunting production, using the audio and visual
average life expectancy in nature, but in this
tricks of the trade, stressed the
case with man as the predator, not a wolf or
most negative aspects of hunting and by
eagle. He admits to Maggie that he really
association, tried to cast all hunters in the
enjoyed the hunt, and at a party, enjoys
most unfavorable light. Not so the most
eating the results of the harvest.
recently aired episode of CBS's Northern
Exposure Monday night.
As a parallel to the hunting theme is a
secondary plot about the active but aging
The show portrayed the various aspects of
Ruth Anne, who has been "winged" with a
hunting, as a tradition, a harvest, a way of life,
broken foot. She tells Joel that she used to
and as a symbolic recognition of the
enjoy hunting, particularly the gutting
inescapable fact that life and death are part of
and skinning of the game -- a utilitarian and
the same continuum. The
basic part of the ancient hunting tradition
show began with Maggie, the Alaskan bush
that, in primitive times, was often the role of
pilot, bringing in a deer she has bagged.
women.
Having been raised close to nature, harvesting
Her helper, Ed, is concerned about her aging,
the animal is as natural an act for her as going
and as a gift for her 75th birthday, gives her a
to the meat counter of the supermarket is for
grave site with a magnificent view of the
a city dweller like Joel, the show's hero and a
valley below -- a return of the death-as-part-
recent transplant
of-life realization. In a poignant final scene,
from the "big city" back east. When he asks
Ruth Anne and Ed dance on her grave site.
what gives her the right to take such a
magnificent animal from the wild, she replies,
Aired on the evening of the opening day of
"My hunting license."
the New York deer season, the show may
have been missed by many hunters. From
Joel decides to learn, first-hand, what hunting
their viewpoint, it was likely more important
is all about. He joins Chris and Holing on a
for it to be seen by non-hunters, particularly
grouse hunt. The three men typify the stages
those undecided about the propriety of
in the life of a hunter. Holing has hunted for
hunting.
many years and killed
lots of game. He still enjoys the adventure,
The show was so engrossing; I forgot to watch
but by "personal choice" now totes a camera
another favorite American blood sport --
instead of a shotgun. After a couple of birds
Monday Night Football.
are taken, he's ready to return to the
comforts of hearth and home.
Chris is a skilled sportsman in the middle
stage of a hunting career. He's confident in his
ability, and happy to introduce a newcomer to Date: November 25, 1991
the sport. He gives Joel a basic safety drill, Publication: Albany Times Union
before the actual hunt Author: Howard Rosenberg Los Angeles Times
begins -- control of the gun muzzle at all
times, proper use of the safety, and never The hunting season is here and Maggie
pointing a gun at anything not intended to be O'Connell has proudly bagged "a beauty."
killed. Though somewhat abbreviated, the
safety lecture incorporated the basic spirit of
"Yesterday he was a beauty," Joel Fleischman
firearm safety, a landmark for network TV.
snaps self-righteously about the deer that
O'Connell has shot. "Today he's a dead animal
Joel portrays the eager novice. Exhilarated by
strapped to the back of a truck."
his first hunting experience, and a near miss
on his first shot, he presses his companions to
camp out overnight, extending the adventure
for a second day. He
44
Later, Fleischman himself will load shells into
a shotgun and take aim in the Alaskan wild,
bringing down a grouse.
The series is "Northern Exposure," the
episode "A Hunting We Will Go." And its
recent airing on CBS is evidence anew of how
the animal-protection debate - from hunting
to vivisection to fur wearing - is increasingly
surfacing in mainstream television.
The climate is such that one Los Angeles
company, Eagle-Horowitz Productions, is
circulating a proposal in TV circles for a
weekly reality series that would feature
stories concerning animals and animal- rights
issues.
Interest in animals, beyond the usual pet
stories, does seem to be broadening via TV.
It was only a couple of weeks ago
that the volatile issue of scientific research on
animals was the theme of NBC's "Quantum
Leap," with time-traveling Sam Beckett
inhabiting the body of a seemingly doomed
research chimp named Bobo at Cape
Canaveral.
Although executive producer Don Bellisario
had adamantly vowed that the controversial
episode would take no sides, the hour
appeared pro-Bobo and arguably a statement
on behalf of animals.
"It was really a sort of chimp's- eye view," said
Shirley McGreal, chairwoman of the
Summerville, S.C.-based International Primate "We're not trying to sell someone a bill of
Protection League. "So anyone who saw it was goods," said co-executive producer Joshua
going to be rooting for the chimp."
The same principle applied to this season's
premiere of the usually benign ABC sitcom
"Family Matters," which featured a character
rescuing an orangutan from a science
laboratory. In addition, testing on animals was
rigorously debated on a recent episode of Ron
Reagan's syndicated talk show.
On the news and documentary front,
meanwhile:
Sunday, the "World of Audubon" on cable's
TBS, aired "Mysterious Elephants of the
Congo," a documentary calling attention to
the continuing plight of the African elephant.
Wildlife documentaries abound; in contrast to
others, though, this one had on display an 800
number through which viewers can lobby
President Bush and others to retain an
Cicely News & World Telegram
international moratorium on ivory trade
scheduled for renewal in March.
Shortly before being canceled, NBC's "Expose"
aired a devastating report on so-called safaris
organized in the Southwest for the benefit of
so-called hunters who find sport in
slaughtering declawed, relatively tame big
cats that have been sold off by zoos and
circuses.
On the celebrity front, Peter Falk and Alec
Baldwin have recently taped public-service
messages for animal-rights groups. Baldwin
narrates a video cataloguing alleged animal
mistreatment by circuses and traveling acts. It
is being used to protest a special titled "The
All New Circus of the Stars & Side Show," set
to air Friday, Nov. 29 on CBS.
On another front, it was a couple of seasons
ago that "Designing Women" on CBS
presented an episode grabbing the coattails of
the anti-fur-wearing movement. But it was
only last summer that a columnist for Fur Age
Weekly affirmed that movement's inroads
when she complained that TV commercials for
the re-release of the children's movie "101
Dalmatians," by featuring the story's fur-
wearing villain, left the impression that
"people who wear fur are heartless."
No one was heartless in Monday night's
typically thoughtful, witty and poignant
"Northern Exposure" - hunters, carnivores or
otherwise. That is one of its many strengths.
There was, instead, an irony and an ambiguity
that echo life.
Brand. "I expect to get a call from the NRA
(National Rifle Association) saying it (the
episode) endorses hunting. I don't think it
does."
Nor does it oppose it. Written by Craig Volk, it
instead shows the characters of "Northern
Exposure" in most ways being true to
themselves, as always, with the debate over
hunting as their stage.
Fleischman initially lectures, but the episode
doesn't. It offers, as Brand notes, a statement
that "things are complicated." If not things,
people.
Fleischman (Rob Morrow), the miserably
transplanted New York doctor, is initially
appalled by the love of hunting displayed by
his friends O'Connell (Janine Turner), Holling
45
Vincoeur (John Collum) and Chris Stevens
(John Corbett).
`
Date: November 26, 1991
Publication: The Washington Post
Author: Nancy Costello
It's not a fancy Fifth Avenue practice, but then
that's not what Daryl Graves had in mind
when he signed on for four years in the bush
in exchange for medical school.
Unlike the actor who plays the role of New
York City physician Joel Fleischman of CBS's
hit television show "Northern Exposure,"
Graves is enjoying his stint in the Last
Frontier.
He doesn't whine about the lack of a good
deli, the latest films or Big Apple glitz in this
southwest Alaska village of 290 people.
He looks downright cheerful as he jumps from
the twin-engine plane onto a gravel runway
where orange traffic cones draw the line
between airstrip and tundra. In this outback
village, Graves treats Yup'ik Eskimos for fox
bites, snowmobile injuries and "fish finger"
infections.
Graves is 4,700 miles and a time warp away
from medical school at Georgetown
University. When the National Public Health
Service Corps paid his $100,000 tuition, he
agreed to a four-year tour in the Far North. "It
was advertised as an adventure to see a
different area of the United States," Graves
said.
Call it truth in advertising.
If you're a doctor in the Yukon-Kuskokwim
Delta region, you become accustomed to
temperatures of 70 degrees below zero,
dinners of moose meat and caribou, and
anxious moments in a tundra whiteout.
The tribulations of TV's Dr. Fleischman as he
works to pay back tuition to Columbia
University medical school are quirky but not
authentic, said Graves, 35, originally from
White Plains, N.Y.
The show doesn't reflect the medical and
social problems of Eskimos trying to hold onto
an ancient culture, he said.
New York City native Gina Buono and her
pediatrician husband, Dave Sherman, each
signed up with the Indian Health Service for
two years to pay back $50,000 in tuition
loans.
"It was either a cushy job in Mystic, Conn., or
it was Bethel, Alaska - 76,000 square miles of
flat, treeless tundra," Buono said. "I could
have made $125,000 in Florida, but who
wants to live in thousands of miles of flat,
treeless hot places?
"They got mosquitos there, we got mosquitos
here - and there's a lot of fishing."
Graves, Buono and Sherman are among 14
doctors working for the Indian Health Service
at Bethel Hospital, the medical hub for 19,000
Yup'ik Eskimos in a region larger than New
England.
Established in 1955, the IHS has 156 doctors
serving Alaska Natives at nine medical centers
around the state.
For some, $25,000 worth of medical school
loans are paid for each year of employment.
Doctors also sign on as National Public Health
Service obligees - the federal government
pays full medical school tuition in exchange
for a number of post-residency years.
In addition, Bethel doctors are paid an
average salary of $65,000, including housing
differentials. Physicians fly to village health
clinics at least twice a year.
In Lower Kalskag, Graves waved hello to
Eskimos chugging through dirt streets on four- basin.
wheel, all-terrain vehicles. The doctor is black,
a rarity in the bush, especially to Eskimo
children who ask to feel his hair.
Graves examined patients at a plywood
building outfitted with two examination
rooms, a hot plate, refrigerator and small bed for a grownup," she said.
in the rear. A citizens band radio is used to let
villagers know the doctor is "in."
Doris Kameroff, 12, held out her left hand.
She had caught a finger on a fish tooth while
eating salmon heads. Her hand was swollen
and her elbow and shoulder joints hurt. "It
was a little poke," she said. "Now, it aches
when I move it."
Cicely News & World Telegram
"Fish finger," or cellulitis, is a bacterial midnight, turning the river pink. It rose again
infection usually contracted from scraping about 4 a.m. Between castings, the fishermen
hands on the teeth or the bones of fish. It's a roasted a snack over a beach campfire -
common ailment in Eskimo villages when charred Spam rolled in Wonder Bread never
salmon run in summer. tasted so good.
"Everything is kind of seasonal," the doctor One fisherman, John Kameroff, shoved off for
said. "In the fall when salmon berries bloom, I another round of fishing. He tossed a .357-
treat backaches and knee pains from walking caliber handgun to a 12-year-old Eskimo boy
on the tundra. It's like walking on sponge." left onshore with Graves. Black bears could be
dangerous.
Pneumonia, diabetes, heart disease, ear
infections, meningitis, hepatitis A and B, "Don't miss," Kameroff said to the boy. "It
botulism and occasional fox bites and dog only has three shells."
maulings are common problems in the Y-K
Delta. At Bethel Hospital, physicians help
Graves was unfazed. He turned a chunk of
deliver 500 babies to Yup'ik Eskimo women
blistering Spam over the flames.
every year.
Patients who require a doctor's check-up
must make the trip to Bethel, a dusty
settlement of 4,700 people where sewer Date: November 21, 1991
pipes run above ground because the earth Publication: TV Guide (Vol. 39 No. 51 Issue
stays too frozen to dig. Travel is mostly by #2021)
airplane and boat May through September. In
winter, residents drive on the frozen
Kuskokwim River. Like everything else in TV's most eccentric
town, gift-giving is a challenge to the
citizenry's resourcefulness.
When temperatures dip to an average 40 The show's writers offer these holiday tips.
below and automobile tires freeze into a
flattened half-circle, doctors ski, walk or take
a snowmobile to the hospital.
"I always know I'm in trouble when I wake up
to a radio saying, `Extreme temperature
warning. Any exposed skin will freeze in less
than a minute,' " said Giulia Tortora, 29, of
New York's Long Island. "When it gets up to
zero, it's almost balmy."
Buono dressed in a rubber suit last winter to
cross roads coated with glassy ice. Falling flat,
she managed to get across on her belly doing
a frog-like slither, only to fall into an iced
After a half hour of struggle, an Eskimo man
pulled up on a snowmobile. He told Buono he
and friends had been watching from up the Film buff Ed will buy videos: for former
road for about 20 minutes and thought she astronaut Maurice, "The Right Stuff," for love
may need assistance. "It was very undignified kitten Shelly, "Lolita"; for New Yorker Joel,
"Manhattan," who also gets Statue of Liberty
coasters.
Yup'ik Eskimos are a culture in transition, but
they hold fast to a history of subsistence
hunting and fishing. After a long day at the
clinic, Graves joined three Eskimos to driftnet
for salmon in the Kuskokwim.
The doctor helped haul in more than a dozen
fish, some three feet long, in an expedition
that lasted until 5 a.m. The sun set at
46

Maurice, the wheeler-dealer, gets the same
thing for everyone: NASA key rings, and a
copy of the coffee-table book "Historic
Bridges of England and the Wales," both items
ordered in bulk at discount.
Understanding the need for fiber up here on
the tundra, Marilyn gives a dried-fruit
selection to Maurice. For girlfriends, Shelly,
Maggie and Ruth-Anne, handmade, dyed-
ostrich-feather earrings from her ostrich farm.
Ruth-Anne congratulated Maurice on his
brood, but clearly doesn't approve of the
illegitimate family he spawned during his
assignment in Korea. Her gift: a Planned
Parenthood donation.
Cicely News & World Telegram
For his steadfast and stone-faced receptionist,
Marilyn, Joel buys a daily appointment book;
for the rest of his Cicelian clientele, free flu
shots to get them through the long, cold
winter nights ahead.
Airplane jockey and engine afficionado
Maggie wants to reward klutzy Dr. Joel (her
boyfriend wannabe) for saving their lives by
fixing her stalled prop with a set of crescent
wrenches of his own.
Shelly, who once had a beautician friend
make-over Ruth-Anne, would like to send
Maggie to Juneau for a similar overhaul. For
47
her lover Holling, a Shower Massage. For all
else, home-made potholders.
After taking baby-doll girlfriend Shelly up on
her Shower Massager offer, saloon-owner
Holling will feel generous enough to offer Ed
50 free plays on his favorite pinball machine.
DJ Chris, the hinterland's hippest gift-giver,
has the town's most eclectic list. For mystical
Ed, "The Power of Myth" by Joseph Campbell;
for rock-hungry Shelly, the latest Metallica LP.
Date: November 21, 1991
Publication: TV Guide (Vol. 39 No. 51 Issue
#2021)
Author: Amy Paulsen Nalle
Cover: Northern Exposure's John Corbett and
Moose (Rudolph was busy).
John Corbett works in a town only slightly
more populated than Northern Exposure's
Cicely. He might as well be on Mars.

Sure, he knows he's the dishiest DJ north of
the 49th parallel, but he has yet to experience
the full assault of Sex Symbol Syndrome. "Im
getting the same vibes I always get," he says.
Maybe so, but that's just on the streets of
Roslyn, Wash. (pop. 869). Corbett should try
heading from the hinterland to the heartland
for an education in the hassles of hunkdom.
"It's really strange," says Corbett. "I've been
doing the exact same thing for the last three
seasons, playing Chris the exact same way and And, like most Cicelyans, Corbett is
only in this last season has this sex symbol
thing come up, you know?"
He sounds puzzled. "Why is that?" he
demands.
Well, remember that episode (to be re-aired
Dec. 30) where Chris, Cicely's resident DJ,
emits pheromones - the human musk that
makes him irresistible to women - and finds
himself surrounded by fawning females?
Maybe Corbett's own magnetism is chemical.
John Corbett says parts of dishy DJ Chris are
just like him.
"Pheremones," Corbett echoes politely.
"Right."
So it's a dumb theory. Still, there is this
perception of him as an Alaskan Adonis.
Cicely News & World Telegram
"I'm whatever anybody wants me to be," says enjoys passing it around." Corbett lets loose a
the affable actor. A lot of people would like merry hoot. "Sharing. Isn't that what it's all
him to be Chris, Exposure's spiritual leader about?"
and chief advice-giver.
Monday, December 09, 1991 3-09
"That part of Chris is just like me," says Get Real 77514 24
Corbett. "I find myself dishing out advice on
Monday, December 16, 1991 3-10
an hourly basis to people, even if they don't
request it." Seoul Mates 77511 25
What Corbett does not share with Chris is the
DJ's encyclopedic knowledge of the great Date: December 21, 1991
philosophers - and his ability to quote them at
Publication: TV Guide (Vol 39 No. 51 Issue
will. "If I quote from anything," he says. "I
#2021)
quote from the movies. I live my life pretty
Author: Ron Powers
much through the movies - I'm more like Ed
[the show's movie buff, who runs on instict
rather than intellect]." If it's not on Santa's route, it should be:
Northern Exposure's Cicely, Alaska, is both
'magical' and 'real,' and it's carved out a
unabashedly single. "I'm a total bachelor," he place in the American imagination
says, "and I've been a bachelor now for ...
for... forever." He does allow that being a Some strange spell falls over reviewers when
bachelor during the holiday season has it's they tackle the wonderfully woolly Northern
downside. For one thing, there's no Ms. Right Exposure on CBS: They always make a
to buy him the present he's been fantasizing reference to Twin Peaks. Oops. Iook at that:
about: "a pair of black cowboy boots with red
I've gone and done it too. keeping the record
leather flames coming up from the point.
perfect.
Where the heels are I'd like a ballpeen joint,
so when I go dancing I can really show 'em
You remember Twin Peaks. right? Small
some moves."
isolated town in the wild north? Lots of
Swivel heels? Does Corbett cut a rug on a redwoods? Antlers on the wall? Daffy people
regular basis? "I would if I had boots like with faclal hair and layered clothes? And
that." you've seen Exposure. right? Small isolated
town in the wild north? Lots of redwoods?
And for all the women out there who would Antlers ... you get the picture.
like the actor's alter ego to park his cowboy
boots by their hearth on Christmas Day. The lockstep wisdom seems to be that
Corbett offers: "There's enough love in Chris Exposure is Peaks' younger, smarter, nicer
for everybody. For all the women in the brother. Or that if David Lynch hadn't
world. Chris likes sharing the wealth, too. He
48
invented earflap-chic, viewers might not be
able to make sense out of the more
recentJoshua Brand-John Falsey creation
without an interpreter's guide. Or a Native
American guide. Or at least an L.L. Bean
catalogue.
Surely the show has earned its right to stand
apart. Two seasons into its run, Northern
Exposure is gaining texture, self-assurance -
and devoted followers - almost with each new
episode. Two seasons into its run, the late and
unlamented Twin Peaks on ABC was headed
in the opposite direction, an interesting blind
date that
had gone
sour.
And flnally, it did not titillate with the
seductive whiff of chic evil: There is the
occasional corpse on the series, but no
sinister presences lurk out there in the pines:
no psychotic glow lights the eyes of secondary
characters.
So why is it, then. that Northern Exposure
increases its exposure long after Twin Peaks
peaked?

The real-life location for Northern Exposure's
Cicely, Alaska is Roslyn, Wash.
To all that, I say ... moose-patties! Or,
as Holling might say to Shelly after she's
watched 13 straight hours of the Home
Shopping Channel, enough is e-gol-dang-
nough. It is time to do the right thing: Unhitch
those sublimely seedy citizens of Cicely,
Alaska, from the bogus yoke of Twin Peaks,
and celebrate the deeper connections this
beguiling series has made with Americans
imaginations.
A canine resident takes in some sun on
Roslyn's main street.
The murky,
mood-
drenched
series had
opened to a
cascade of
welcoming
reviews.
This was
TV's long-
awaited
union of art
and mass-
appeal
entertainment - remember? The critics were
thrilled by Lynch's menagerie of offbeat
characters, his avant-garde cinematic
techniques (dreamlike pacing; lingering,
shadowy camera shots), and most of all, his
sense of place. Remember that term, place.
Like Laura Palmer's body, we'll meet it again
soon.
It didn't take long (although it seemed like
forever) before Peaks' cultish cachet started
to curdle. Lynch became an absentee director:
it showed as the stylish elements turned as
stale as day-old cherry pie. Those endearing
offbeat characters, got more and more
grotesque: they became nothing more than
the sum of their eyepatches and the logs they
talked to. And, of course, it grew apparent
that Lynch neither knew nor gave a damn who
killed Laura Palmer, any more than he cared
about the flctional town of Twin Peaks,
Washington. So much for sense of place. Twin
Peaks was not an ongoing tale about
anything. It was an ongoing sophisticated
smirk. In June 1991 it joined Laura in the
sweet hereafter.
By contrast, Northern Exposure crept onto the and blues that shimmer through Hollings'
CBS airwaves almost unnoticed: It was a
limited-run summer series. It did not have a the click of billiard balls. as Shelly, tray of
designer name attached to its credits: Brand beers in hand, pauses to nurse the beginnings
and Falsey had done St. Elsewhere, but that
wasn't as hip as Lynch's movie -Blue Velvet.- along a street as empty of traffic as never a
I think the secret lies in the fact that Brand
and Falsey have managed to create, gently
and patiently, what David Lynch promised to
create, and what for a brief, entrancing
interval it seemed that he had created, until
the archness and falsity of his vision self-
destructed:
... A place. A radient, many-layered, slightly
magical place, as achingly real and yet just-
out-of-reach as a dream you start to forget as
soon as you wake up. A place set off in
glorious isolation from the rest of the world,
but urgently alive with its own rules. its own
memories, its own secrets. and most of all, its
own community of characters: flinty, scruffy,
silly, often bickersome and self-deluding
characters who collide and scheme and get
their feelings hurt.
But who ultimately work things out. Who
grow from experiences. Who survive. Who
prevail. As a communlty.
Think of that town, Cicely. Think of Dr. Joel
Fleischman's threadbare office with its
porcelain sink: you can almost smell the cold
seeping through the cracks. "A few curtains, a
couple heads on the wall - you're in business,
drawls the ex-astronaut Maurice. (And you
can almost hear Rob Morrow as Fleischman,
our surrogate outsider, doing one of his
shameless Woody Allen riffs on that exchange
to his skeptical nemesis/love interest Maggie.)
Think of Chris, the mail-order minister and
storefront disc jockey, gazing out the window
as he broadcasts the world's dopiest local
gossip and quotes from a Great Book or two.
Who hasn't ventured inside that jerry-built
studio, or wanted to? Think of the neon reds
disheveled bar like honkey-tonk halos, against
of an idea. Think of Morty the moose, ambling

Cicely News & World Telegram 49

street you've driven down. Who needs Laura
Palmer wrapped in plastic? This is life, being
lived.
Cicely isn't heaven, and it isn't Disneyland-on-
the-tundra, but it isn't hell, either. People die
in Cicely. People lose lovers, doubt their
sexuality, recognize their courage or confront
their cowardice, have their vanities exposed
for everyone to see, get their dreams
trampled on. Will the world ever recognize
shy Ed Chigliak for the cinematic genius he is?
Don't count on it. In the end they adjust,
figure it out, mourn their losses, pull it
together for one more episode. And somehow
you want to be transported there, have a seat
at the bar, when that next shaggy-dog episode
begins.
community of manic Muppets that the late
Jim Henson and his partners created for HBO
back in 1983. Fraggle Rock's colllding,
bickersome characters must have touched
some universal yearnings indeed: in 1989
became the first American TV series to be
broadcast in the Soviet Union.
Travel farther back in television time. You
might find traces of Northern Exposure's deep
sense of place and community in the oddest
of places: The Long Branch Saloon on
Gunsmoke. The small south Pacific atoll that
was the site of Gilligan's Island. Mayberry,
North Carolina, the venue for The Andy
Gfiffith Show.

Certainly Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and

Sesame Street offered charmed enclaves for
children, who are, after all, creatures of the
Iocal. (Children are mostly missing fron
Northern Exposure and that seems an
unfortunate lapse for a series rooted in place -
until you recall what TV series generally do to
child actors, and then it seems a blessing.)
Probably you can think of others.

At any rate, Northern Exposure has found a

Near the pole: Northern Exposure's Joel
Fleischman (Rob Morrow) and Maggie
O'Connell (Janine Turner).
Twin Peaks? No. Northern Exposure's roots go
deeper into American myth and yearning than
that. We Americans have always loved to lose
ourselves in stories about place - maybe it's
because we're so nomadic, so far from home,
in our everyday lives.
There's a little Lake Wobegon in the flctional
town of Cicely - Garrison Keillor's make-
believe one-horse Minnesota burg that gained
fame first on public radio. There's a little
Fraggle Rock as well -that underground
connection to American imagination that few
other TV series have discovered - certainly not
Twin Peaks. The connection is older than TV,
of course. Perhaps if we're listening closely
some lonely Alaskan night to Cicely's prose-
spouting DJ, Chris, we might even hear him
quote a passage from Of Time and the River,
by Thomas Wolfe, who understood the
enduring charm of all the Cicelys in our
national memory:
"A bracelet of a few, hard lights along the
river, a gemlike in candescence, few and hard
and bright, and so poignantly lost and lonely
in enormous darkness as are all lights in
America, sown sparsely on the enormous
viewless mantle of night..."
Ron Powers is a Pulitzer Prize-winrung TV
critic and is now at work on the authorized
biography of Jim Henson.
Date: December 22, 1991
Publication: Albany Times Union
Author: John N. Goudas King Features
Strapping, handsome John Corbett, who plays
Chris, the small Alaskan town's philosophizing
radio D.J. in the CBS hit series, "Northern
Exposure," says he hasn't really had much in
the way of fan attention until his recent visit
to New York during a short hiatus from filming
in Washington state.
Only recently have some people come up to
him after recognizing him from the series.
Corbett admits he finds the whole thing a bit
unsettling.
"I have been an actor for many years but not a
very visible one. I was told by some people
that a TV series would change all that, and I'm
beginning to believe it now," says Corbett.
If "Northern Exposure" hadn't come along,
according to Corbett, he was seriously
considering giving up acting and going back to
working in a steel factory where things were
less complicated and you had some control in
your daily life.

Cicely News & World Telegram 50

Corbett grew up in Wheeling, W. Va., where
most of his friends were happy to have a job
and do a little partying on Saturday night. He
still can't believe how he gravitated towards
acting.
Corbett had worked in a steel factory and was
making good money when he was laid off. His
folks had been divorced when he was a kid
and his dad moved to California. When
Cornett was thinking of relocating to
California, his dad got him a job in another
steel factory.
"I was actually fairly content with my lot, but
then I enrolled in a junior college just to see
what it was like. I met some interesting
people from the drama department. I had
never even seen a play before but one night I
entered a dark theater and watched student
actors doing improvisations and that was it. I
enrolled in the class and had the most fun I
had in a long time."
Corbett got an agent and did a number of TV
commercials. He was sent to read for a
number of TV shows and films but seldom got
the job. Corbett strikes one as a totally honest
guy, a truly rare trait among actors who spend
so much time pretending that they sometimes
can't separate truth from fiction. He says that
if doing "Northern Exposure" wasn't fun, he'd
pack his bags and move on until he found
something else that was.
But Corbett loves doing "Northern Exposure"
on location in the Northwest. First of all, he
says it gives the show and the cast and crew a
sense of freedom that other TV series, filmed
in Hollywood, just can't match.
"When we first got to the location, which is
two hours out of Seattle and way off the
major highways, we thought it was going to
be tougher than it actually turned out to be.
We used to do a lot of socializing as a group
when we first arrived but now we more or
less have our separate lives. Darren Burrows
(Ed in the series) and I have apartments in the
same unit and we both keep our Harleys in
the same garage."
Cicely News & World Telegram
Date: December 22, 1991
Publication: Albany Times Union
Author: Jon Margolis Chicago Tribune
On the cover of its issue that hit the
newsstands as the new television season
opened in September, TV Guide proclaimed
that "America has fallen for" the CBS show
"Northern Exposure." It's "a smash hit," said
the magazine."
Smash hits aren't what they used to be. As it weather is nice year round. And as the Baby
turns out, about 15 percent of America
watches "Northern Exposure" on Monday
evenings. Whether any or all of the 15 percent participation in jogging and swimming gets
has "fallen for" the program is an
unanswerable question.
Not that "Northern Exposure" is unique in its
less- than-boffo ratings. Network television
has been losing audience for years, much of it
to cable television. But now, though the basic
cable audience continues to grow, some cable
networks find that they have fewer viewers,
and others concede that their era of fast
growth is over.
Whatever these non-viewers are doing, they
don't seem to be going to the movies. This
summer's box office was down 8 percent from
1990, and according to the entertainment
newspaper, Variety, movie- going this year
remains below last year's pace.
Nor do people seem to be spending more
time at home listening to music or watching
their VCRs. According to entertainment
industry officials, sales of video and audio
tapes and compact discs are down, too.
All of which raises this interesting possibility: sports, shopping and visiting friends and
popular culture may be losing popularity.
It is not just that popular culture has become
more fragmented. That's the old news, that
tens of millions of people no longer watch one slackening in the broader popular culture," in
of three networks or hum the same popular
tunes. With 30 or more channels available to
the typical cable subscriber and more kinds of
music playing on more radio stations, fewer
51
people are following any one program, song
or fad.
But now there is some evidence, persuasive if
not yet conclusive, that even in the aggregate,
even adding up all the varied audiences,
relatively fewer Americans are actually
listening, watching or paying attention to all
popular entertainment combined.
The recession may be responsible for some of
the decline. When money is tight, compact
discs and videotapes are easier to forego than
fuel and clothing.
But it also seems that fewer people are sitting
in their living room watching or listening, and
more are outside doing. This should come as
no suprise. More people now live where the
Boom generation has aged, the audience for
rock music and videos gets smaller and the
bigger.
"People are still watching television," said
John Robinson, the director of the Americans'
Use of Time project at the University of
Maryland. "But two trends sticking out are
incidental TV viewing and the increase in
active sports. People begin to figure they've
watched enough and it's time to shake off the
cobwebs, together with getting the health
benefits of a more active lifestyle."
It is possible, though hardly certain, that
popular culture's loss could be the higher
culture's gain. Though audiences for
Broadway theater (if that's higher culture)
continue to decline, attendance at many
concert halls and museums is up slightly. At
the Art Institute of Chicago, for instance,
Eileen Harakal reported a slight increase in
patronage last year and said attendance this
year is running "above projections" so far.
There may be a problem of definition here. To
some observers of the passing scene, active
relatives are just as much part of popular
culture as are movies and television.
University of Chicago history professor Neil
Harris said he doubted there was "any
which he included trips to stores and flea
markets.
"I've always treated a lot of this as shopping,"
Harris said. "After all, the movies are in the
mall. Popular culture is the things that are
happening. It might be changing."
Peter Moller, professor at Syracuse
University's Newhouse School of Public
Communications, agreed that people use
shopping as much to socialize as to buy things,
and that trips to the mall are "a big part of
popular culture today." People tend to seek
"an environment" in their spare time, Moller
said, and the mall has to some extent
replaced the living room as the desirable
place to be.
But he also thinks that both the passage of
time and improvements in technology have
reduced the appeal of television. "The initial
fascination with the medium has worn off," he
said. "After all, people can go buy an
inexpensive camera and produce their own
movies."
Whatever the cause, there is evidence that
television's heyday has come and gone. Even
a small increase in the ratings at the start of
the current television season did not reverse
the decline in network ratings over the years.
As to cable, it may have gone as far is it's
going to go, at least for a while, and it has not
gone nearly as far as often assumed.
According to Paul Kagan Associates, the
California-based consulting firm on which the
cable industry relies, about 40 percent of the
country's 91.9 million television households
don't have cable. Roughly 6.5 percent remain
beyond cable's reach, but that means one-
third of all Americans who have television sets
have chosen not to bother with cable.
And most of those who do get cable choose
not to bother with the supplemental
"premium" channels. A spokesman at HBO's
New York headquarters said 17.6 million
homes, or less than one-third of all cable
subscribers, opt to pay extra money to view
HBO's movies. And it has more subscribers
than any other supplemental channel.
John Mathwick, group vice president for
marketing at Jones Intercable Co., a Colorado-
based national cable operator, said surveys by
his firm indicate that those who don't get
cable at all tend to be the young, the old, very
selective viewers or those who simply don't
watch much television. There may be more of
Cicely News & World Telegram
these people than executives in the
entertainment industry like to think, and
there may be more of them than there used
to be.
Date: December 23, 1991
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
Author: Ginny Holbert
Hard to believe. After all those years of
imagining angels and clouds and pearly gates,
it turns out that heaven is actually a frozen
little 'burb out in the middle of nowhere. And
you can't even get a decent bagel there.
But once you stop to think about it, it makes
perfect sense. If hell is a fiery inferno, heaven prejudices, their characters are able to re-
is surely a bit chilly. It's bound to be a place create themselves. When 62-year-old Holling
where souls of all sorts live at peace with each (John Cullum) falls for nubile young Shelly, no
other and with nature. And it's bound to look one snickers. When Chris (John Corbett) does
something like Cicely, Alaska, the mythic,
idyllic hamlet where the air is cold but the
hearts are warm.
"Northern Exposure," created by "St.
Elsewhere" producers Joshua Brand and John
Falsey, is the delightful comedy-drama that
lights up CBS's successful Monday night
lineup. It is also my hands-down favorite
show. The music is unexpected and evocative, linear-thinking Dr. Joel Fleischman (Rob
the ensemble cast is terrific and the scripts
are funny, literate explorations of love, sex,
identity, spirituality and the meaning of life.
But those aren't the only reasons I love the
show.
Even though I have lived in small towns and
hated them, and even though I am a native
Minnesotan who fled the tyranny of snow
shovels, I have to admit that I want to live in
Cicely, Alaska. And from 9 to 10 p.m. every
Monday, I do.
In Cicely, which is something like Garrison
Keillor's Lake Wobegon, the women are
strong, the men are good-looking and the
characters are all above average. Maggie
O'Connell (Janine Turner) is a wrench-wielding
wench with the face of an angel. She can out-
repair any handyman in town, but she has a
vulnerable streak a mile wide. Maurice is a
tough-talking ex-astronaut who likes nothing
more than whipping up a gourmet feast and
whispering sweet nothings into his girlfriend's
ear. Marilyn (Elaine Miles), medical
52
receptionist, is a silent Native American sage
with a twinkle in her eye. In Cicely, you are
always more than the sum of your
demographics.
Even the gum-chewing, 19-year-old Shelly
(Cynthia Geary) is wise beyond her
measurements. In one episode, she tells Dr.
Joel Fleischman to go ahead and grieve after
he kills his first living creature during a
hunting expedition with Maurice.
"When things get gnarly, Dr. Fleischman, it's
best to do the sad thing," she says. "Don't be
afraid to salt your oatmeal with your tears."
With their weekly fairy tales of the tundra,
Falsey and Brand have created a sanctuary for
the spirit. Free of social pressures and
his hair in cornrows and says, "I formally
declare myself to be a person of color," no
one blinks. And when Ed (Darren E. Burrows),
the inarticulate kid who wants to be the
Native American Francis Ford Coppola, spends
an entire episode talking to his invisible
spiritual father, no one thinks he's nuts.
No one, that is, except the logical, judgmental,
Morrow), who can only believe what he
learned in medical school. But if the uptight
New Yorker is in need of redemption, he's in
the right place. Everything about Cicely - from
the mystical tribal culture to the bone-
crunching cold - forces Fleischman to thaw
out his rigid assumptions about the world. As
he says in one particularly fantastical episode:
"In one fell swoop, my whole gestalt is in the
toilet. Kaplooey! I'm mutating in some
horribly grotesque way."
Thanks to the quirky characters in Cicely,
Fleischman is mutating into a man with the
tolerance, grace and wisdom that can't be
found in Gray's Anatomy. And with dream
visits from none other than Dr. Sigmund Freud
and the Messiah, he is also learning that being
Jewish means more than craving bagels and
lox.
So while racial, sexual and cultural battles
rage across the lower 48, the residents of
Cicely live and let live. Instead of the
anonymous cities and faceless suburbs that
most of us face every day, the folks on
"Northern Exposure" inhabit a true
community - a small town without small-
mindedness. It might not be Norman
Rockwell's Main Street, but I wouldn't feel
comfortable there anyway.
Date: December 27, 1991
Publication: The Record
Author: Virginia Mann
I often think about what makes a viewer want
to watch a particular show week after week.
Quality obviously has something to do with it,
yet there are lots of fine series that never grab
us. NBC's "I'll Fly Away" is, to me, noble but
not magnetic, while another show from the
same producers -- "Northern Exposure" -- is
an absolute must-see.
There's a certain indefinable something
involved, which makes a critic's choice of the
year's top-10 shows a very subjective affair.
That said, here is my eclectic list of favorite
television movies,
series, and specials of 1991, in no particular
order:
"Frontline"
-- In its 10th season, PBS' investigative series
continues to deliver powerful documentaries
and exposes. One recent standout: Jack
Newfield's highly unflattering profile of Don
King.
"The American Experience"
-- PBS and David McCullough consistently
serve up fascinating stories of Americana.
Especially
appreciated: the recent films about Mayor
James Curley of Boston and the Johnstown
Flood of 1889.
"Law & Order"
-- Fans of the NBC drama fretted that it would
take a nose dive when George Dzundza left
the cast. But his replacement, Paul Sorvino,
gives a terrific low-key performance. And the
writing continues to be first-rate.
"Separate but Equal"
-- The ABC miniseries about the Supreme
Court's historic 1954 decision that
desegregated the nation's schools left an
Cicely News & World Telegram
indelible impression, as did Sidney Poitier and
Richard Kiley.
"Murphy Brown"
-- OK, the writing has slipped this season, but
this CBS comedy still offers lots of laughs per
minute. And could there be a better "father-
to-be" than Eldin the painter?
"Northern Exposure"
-- Simply put, these are the oddest, sweetest
folks in creation. After a difficult Monday,
there's nowhere
I'd rather slip off to than Cicely, Alaska.
"Seinfeld"
-- Rarely has this comedy disappointed,
although its "situations" are getting more
outlandish. Kudos to Jerry Seinfeld, Jason
Alexander, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Michael
Richards (as the inimitable
Kramer).
"Medusa: Dare to Be Truthful"
-- Julie Brown's Showtime spoof of Madonna's
"Truth or Dare" documentary was what
parodies should aspire to be: wicked.
"Public Enemy No. 2"
-- "SCTV" alumnus Dave Thomas and Mike
Connors were accomplices in this brilliant
spoof of TV's arrest-a-thon reality shows.
"Home Improvement"
-- This sitcom may have a one-joke premise,
but as Tim Allen has rightly pointed out, it's
one funny joke. Allen, who reprises his
famous tool-loving, ape-grunting comic
persona, is irresistible.
Honorable mentions go to the CBS series
"Brooklyn Bridge," as well as the CBS movie
"Sarah, Plain and Tall" and HBO's cautionary
documentary about advertising aimed at kids,
"Buy Me That, Too."
Date: January 1, 1992
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
John Cullum says his 63-year-old character's
December-May romance on "Northern
Exposure" has led to sexier roles.
Since the TV show's debut in July, 1990,
Cullum has starred with Sarah Brightman in
53
Broadway's "Aspects of Love" and the
Williamstown Theatre Festival's "Man in His
Underwear," in which he plays a man having a
torrid affair with former "China Beach" actress
Megan Gallagher.
"That had some really sexy scenes where we
were supposed to be naked in bed," Cullum
said. "I assumed that meant `pretend nude,'
but the director wanted real nude. We ended
up wearing little briefs, but I'll tell you, I was
really nervous."
Cullum plays tavern keeper Holling Vincoeur,
who is having a romance with the younger
Shelly, portrayed by Cynthia Geary, on the
CBS series set in a small Alaska town.
"I had never kissed a leading lady before the
series came along," Cullum said in the Jan. 4
TV Guide.
Monday, January 06, 1992 3-11
Dateline: Cicely 77510 26
Monday, January 13, 1992 3-12
Our Tribe 77512 27
Monday, January 20, 1992 3-13
Things Become Extinct
77513 28
Date: January 22, 1992
Publication: The Washington Post
CBS has won its 12th week of the season with
a 13.5 rating and a 22 share. NBC followed
closely with a 13.2/21 and ABC was a step
behind at 12.5/20.
CBS won Monday and Sunday; NBC took
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday;
ABC won Tuesday.
In the network news wars, "ABC World News
Tonight With Peter Jennings" is still No. 1 with
an 11.6 average. Dan Rather and CBS were
second with 10.7 and Tom Brokaw and NBC
were third with 10.1.
Among the highlights, "Unsolved Mysteries"
made its strongest showing yet (19.3/30) in
third place; and "This Is Garth Brooks" did
very well, ranking ninth at 17.3/8. ABC's
Sunday movie "She Woke Up," starring
Lindsay Wagner, came in 27th; CBS's "Tequila
and Bonetti" tied with "Columbo" in 37th
place; "Seinfeld" ranked 39th; Part I of "Drug
Wars: The Cocaine Cartel" tied for 41st; and ALASKA has always been known for attracting "When you develop a TV show like 'Northern
the "Michael Jackson Special" was 66th. Fox's pioneers. Now, a venture involving two Exposure,' it can be viewed as a brand, with
Sunday showing of "Get a Life" ranked 88th entertainment giants is using make-believe its own target audiences," said Elizabeth
out of 92 possible spots for the week ending Alaskans in pioneering an unusual approach Gelfand, vice president of marketing at MCA/
Jan. 19. to advertising and marketing. Universal Merchandising in Universal City,
Calif.
TV RATINGZZZZ For five weeks in November and December,
MCA Inc. and CBS Inc. co-sponsored a joint The promotion is the latest in a skein of
Following are the top 20 network prime-time promotion of "Northern Exposure," the hit advertising and marketing efforts inspired by
shows last week, ranked according to the television series set in the mythical town of the series. MCA is also selling "Northern
percentage of the nation's 92.1 million TV Cicely, Alaska, whose picaresque characters Exposure" merchandise through retail outlets
households that watched, as measured by the evoke comparisons to the residents of like J. C. Penney department stores. And the
A.C. Nielsen Co. A share represents the Brigadoon, Twin Peaks and Frostbite Falls. The actors Rob Morrow, John Corbett and Janine
percentage of actual sets-in-use tuned to a comedy-drama, 14th in the Nielsen ratings so Turner, who portray Cicely denizens Joel,
particular program when it aired. far in the 1992-93 season, is produced by Chris and Maggie, respectively, have
MCA's Universal participated in ads for marketers like the Gap,
Television subsidiary Chevrolet and Isuzu.
Rank Rating Share Network
and broadcast by CBS
1 23.8 60 Minutes 39 CBS at 10 P.M. (Eastern "What we try to do," Ms. Gelfand said, "is
2 20.1 Roseanne 30 ABC time) Mondays. manage the brand over the life of the
property -- the broadcasts of the TV show --
3 19.3 Unsolved Mysteries 30 NBC As part of the and beyond."
4 19.1 Murder, She Wrote 29 CBS promotion, CBS
produced and ran, To that end, the names and addresses of the
19.1 Murphy Brown 29 CBS
either before or after tens of thousands of "Northern Exposure"
6 18.7 Home Improvement 27 ABC the program and viewers ordering sweatshirts -- more than
7 18.3 Full House 27 ABC without charge to triple the expected response -- are being
MCA, a 20-second compiled to create a data base to be shared
8 18.0 Coach 27 ABC by MCA and CBS.
commercial hawking
9 17.3 This Is Garth Brooks 28 NBC sweatshirts bearing
the "Northern While the companies are still mulling what
10 17.2 Cheers 25 NBC
Exposure" logo and they might do, the opportunities are as vast as
11 17.0 Designing Women 26 CBS the moose that -- well, Alaska itself. MCA could tap the lists to
wanders the streets sell additional "Northern Exposure"
17.0 Major Dad 26 CBS
of Cicely in the merchandise; indeed, a viewer who orders a
13 16.5 20/20 29 ABC sweatshirt by calling a toll-free telephone
opening credits. (A
14 16.4 Northern Exposure 27 CBS commercial appearing number (800-841-1300) will find tucked inside
during the series, at a the package a brochure offering items like T-
15 16.1 Empty Nest 28 NBC
more conventional shirts and plush moose toys. Or the series
16.1 Fresh Prince of Bel-Air 25 NBC producers could poll fans on plots and
30-second length,
17 16.0 Against Her Will 25 CBS would usually cost an characters; their responses could generate
advertiser about changes that might raise ratings.
18 15.8 Wings 23 NBC
$150,000.)
19 15.7 A Different World 24 NBC CBS could mail viewers reminders to watch
For every sweatshirt the series premiere every fall or notify them if
20 15.5 The Cosby Show 24 NBC
sold, MCA was to its time slot ever changes. The promotion
15.5 Evening Shade 24 CBS donate $1 of the could also become a CBS sales tool,
$24.95 price to the World Wildlife Fund. Yet trumpeted to potential advertisers as an
the implications of the promotion extend example of reaching niche markets within the
beyond sensitivities to moose and other mass audience; "Northern Exposure" viewers
animals. The commercials are believed to tend to be the much-coveted younger, urban,
represent the first move into so-called well-off professionals who do not watch much
relationship marketing by a network, making television.
air time available for peddling series-related
Date: January 29, 1992 "It proved the responsiveness of the
products marketed by one of its major
Publication: The New York Times audience," said George F. Schweitzer, senior
program suppliers.
Author: Stuart Elliott vice president of CBS marketing and
communications in New York.

Cicely News & World Telegram 54

"I was skeptical to some degree what the
response would be," he added, "but in the
universe of a $25 item, with only five 20-
second spots, it was remarkable."
Yet for all the project's potential, serious
pitfalls abound. Viewers might not take to an
aggressive sales campaign for "Northern
Exposure" products, particularly since the
deftly written, low-key series is more of a cult
show than mainstream fare. They are exactly
the kind of consumers most cynical about
being used; perhaps the only thing they would
despise more than reruns of "The Love Boat"
is unwanted faux post cards from Cicely
announcing half-price sales on "Northern
Exposure" cocktail napkins and key chains.
"We are sensitive to that," Ms. Gelfand said.
"The wrong message would kill this program."
So research was done among viewers, she
added, including focus groups. "To them,
'Northern Exposure' is a kind of inside joke,"
she said. "So we want to keep the insider
status."
As a result, the merchandise is meant to be
less schlocky than typical series-related
trinkets -- no Cicely 99501 items echoing the
"Beverly Hills 90210" merchandising blitz. Of
three baseball caps, for instance, the best
seller bears the "Northern Exposure" moose
sans the series logo.
Mr. Schweitzer agreed the goal was to avoid a
hard-selling pitch along the lines of "Like the
show? Buy a sweatshirt."
"CBS programming will not turn into the
Home Shopping Network," he said. "We have
a responsibility to make sure that when we
contact these people, we're giving them
information they want."
Monday, February 03, 1992 3-14
Burning Down the House
77516 29
Date: February 11, 1992
Publication: Albany Times Union
Author: Steve McKerrow Baltimore Sun
The quirky inhabitants of fictional Cecily, alas,
have worked their oddly charming wiles on
members of the Viewers for Quality Television
Cicely News & World Telegram
advocacy group. The CBS Monday series
"Northern Exposure" (on hiatus for a couple
weeks because of the Olympic Winter Games)
Date: February 14, 1992
bumped "Murphy Brown" as the most
Publication: Albany Times Union
watched show in the group's latest viewer
Author: Steve Bornfeld
survey.
On Valentine's Day, a young critic's mind turns
"Isn't that surprising? Murphy's been there a
to thoughts of ... tele-love.
long time," notes VQT president Dorothy
Swanson of the survey results. In the mail-in
And what a richly romantic, not to mention
poll, 600 members of the national group
lustful tradition it is, filled with the
shared their viewing habits during the week of
overheated pawing and clawing of such
Jan. 6-19.
couples as Sam and Diane of "Cheers," David
and Maddie of "Moonlighting" and Frank and
Rob Morrow and Janine Turner star in
Joyce of "Hill Street Blues."
"Northern Exposure," which was ranked 16th
in the latest season- to-date Nielsen ratings.
Last year at this time, we examined the
hottest lovers in TV history, with those
The viewers' survey also placed NBC's where-
couples topping the list.
did-it-go? series "I'll Fly Away" at the top of
the "highest quality" ranking.
Changing speeds this year, let's examine three
of the more ambiguous but equally intriguing
The sensitive drama with Sam Waterston and
tele-relationships - those New York-friends-
Regina Taylor, set in a 1950s Southern town,
but-former-lovers ("Seinfeld"), one-step-
has been intermittently missing from the NBC
forward-two-steps-back-Ala skan- almost-
schedule despite its critically well- received
lovers ("Northern Exposure") and May-
fall debut.
December-boss-employee-maybe-L .A.-lovers
The series will return to the schedule Fridays ("L.A. Law").
on Feb. 28 "for nine uninterrupted weeks,"
Say what, you say? Read on:
according to an NBC spokeswoman.
Far be it from me to suggest upsetting the
Here are the Top 10 shows in VQT's dual
wondrous comic balance between Jerry
categories:
Seinfeld and Julia Louis-Dreyfus on "Seinfeld"
Most watched: "Northern Exposure," by encouraging these glorious goofballs to
"Murphy Brown," "I'll Fly Away," "Evening reunite.
Shade," "L.A. Law," "Designing Women,"
Seinfeld and Louis-Dreyfus' character, Elaine,
"Major Dad," "Brooklyn Bridge," "Law &
had gone out with each other at one time, but
Order" and "Reasonable Doubts."
now she's just his "gal pal."
Highest quality: "I'll Fly Away," "Brooklyn
That constant reminder of their past is what
Bridge," "Law & Order," "Northern Exposure,"
lends resonance to their edgy exchanges (She:
"Reasonable Doubts," "The Wonder Years,"
"Maybe your standards for women are too
"Life Goes On," "Quantum Leap,"
high." He: "I went out with you, didn't I?" She:
"Homefront," and "L.A. Law."
"That's because my standards are too low").
Swanson also noted that while the CBS
At once combative and complementary, Jerry
comedy "Designing Women" still made the
and Elaine have a solid friendship that was
Top 10 in viewership, it dropped out of the
strengthened by the survival of a shared
top 20 shows in the quality rating. The
romance, a bond some married couples can't
apparent reason? This season's cast change,
claim. It's a durable shock absorber for the
where Jan Hooks and Julia Duffy replaced
inevitable male-female misunderstandings
Delta Burke and Jean Smart.
that "Seinfeld" thrives on exploring.
And yet ... now that they've achieved that,
wouldn't you love to see them give romance
one more whirl, on sure footing this time?
55
Nah, they're probably right - nothing screws
up a good friendship like a love affair.
On the surface, the romance that seems
inevitable on "Northern Exposure" between
kvetchy Dr. Joel Fleischman (Rob Morrow) and woman attraction between C.J. Lamb
tough-but-confused bush pilot Maggie
O'Connell (Janine Turner) has the same will-
they-or-won't-they allure of Sam and Diane
on "Cheers" and David and Maddie on
"Moonlighting."
But at least Sam and David owned up to their chuckled over but rarely understood.
revved- up libidos, providing the thrill of the
chase. This carping couple would rather eat
insects than admit their attraction to each
other.
In one episode, Joel tells Maggie that her
abrasive personality cancels out her beauty,
while she relentlessly points out his whiny,
selfish tendencies.
Both Joel and Maggie (or Fleischman and
O'Connell, as they call each other in mock
hostility) will have to be pulled kicking and
screaming into romance.
But that's what makes it so much fun to
watch, as these two polar opposites lurch
toward what we already know - they're
destined for a fling. This is better than the
thrill of the chase. It's the fascination of
mutual discovery.
One short scene in a recent episode of "L.A.
Law" sets the imagination spinning: Waiting
for an elevator, law firm partner Leland
McKenzie (Richard Dysart) and attorney Grace
Van Owen (Susan Dey) share a spur-of- the-
moment smooch.
Hey, aside from the fact that he's her boss
and has a few decades on her, what's the
problem?
Overcome by awkwardness, they quickly
stepped back, stammering about how they
got their signals crossed. Perhaps ... perhaps
not.
In a notably lackluster season up to now, the
one consistent point of interest on "L.A. Law"
has been the blossoming of interracial
romance between Jonathan (Blair
Underwood) and Zoey (Cecil Hoffmann).
Cicely News & World Telegram
Exploring relationships, including non-
traditional ones, has been an "L.A. Law"
trademark, and the show needs to run with
that to regain its balance, especially since it
copped out last season on the woman-to-
(Amanda Donohoe) and the now departed
Abby Perkins (Michelle Greene).
With Grace and Leland, the show has an
excellent opportunity to examine the sort of
inter-generational romance that is often
Raw passion within the bounds of good taste
is always welcome on television, but an
exploration of love's full spectrum - with all its
odd, ambiguous permutations - can be even
more satisfying.
NEWS BITES: Steve Rosenbaum, executive
producer of the statewide tele-magazine
"Broadcast: New York," said Thursday that
OurTown Television in Malta, which produces
the show, is in the "exploratory stages" of
creating a similar program for New England
that would be called - what else - "Broadcast:
New England." Stay tuned.
Viewers for Quality Television, the national
organization that encourages quality
programming, has declared Friday, Feb. 28, at
9 p.m. "Tune In To Quality Hour." The goal is
to garner viewers and support for the NBC
drama "I'll Fly Away" at its new night and
time.
Date: February 16, 1992
Publication: The Record
Author: Virginia Mann
I hate to admit this, but Cicely, Alaska, has
become a less attractive "vacation" option for
me.
A few weeks back, after venturing into the
land of "Northern Exposure," I fell asleep
midway through. Two Mondays ago, I stayed
awake -- and disenchanted.
Understandably, as with any other show, the
"Northern Exposure" writers are fearful about
romantically entangling the leads. But I can't
see why they seem to be afraid of putting Dr.
Joel Fleischman and Maggie O'Connell in the
same shot. In the most recent episode --
56
which will have to hold fans until after the
Olympics -- O'Connell's house burned down,
and Fleischman didn't even comfort her.
Worse, though, was a subplot involving Chris,
the philosophical deejay, who, by the way, is
starting to look like the Antichrist. Searching
to make a unique artistic statement, Chris --
who used to just make weird sculptures --
decided to catapult a live cow through the
sky.
Is no one working in oils anymore?
As a vegetarian, I was not happy with idea of
flinging a cow. As a fan of the show, I was
outraged that the only one to protest was
Fleischman. When this whiny, insensitive New
Yorker first came to Cicely, the eccentric,
unmaterialistic, and non-judgmental
townsfolk used to set him straight. On this
cow issue, they came across as Stepford
Alaskans.
Perhaps the show's creators, Joshua Brand
and John Falsey, have been too busy with
another of their series, NBC's "I'll Fly Away."
Theoretically, once a creator sets a hit in
motion, others should be
able to keep it spinning. But that rarely
happens.
For the record, Chris wound up flinging a
piano, because Ed, the would-be filmmaker,
noted that Monty Python had already
catapulted a cow.
Where, oh where, is the creative vision?
Date: February 13, 1992
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
Author: Lon Grahnke
TV series don't need critical praise to be
popular with viewers. If that were the case,
PBS would be ahead of CBS in the ratings race.
Sometimes critics and viewers agree on
what's good. "Roseanne," "60 Minutes,"
"Murphy Brown," "Coach," "Home
Improvement" and "Northern Exposure" are
current examples of series that finish in
Nielsen's weekly Top 20 with near-unanimous
critical approval.
But critics also tend to favor such shows as
"I'll Fly Away," "Reasonable Doubts" and
"Seinfeld," which are lucky to finish in 40th
place. Meanwhile, popular series lacking the
critical seal of approval continue to climb in
the weekly ratings with nary a mention from
would-be tastemakers in the local and
national media.
Sure, "Northern Exposure" is a brilliant show
that warrants all the acclaim it gets. Yet every
week, the unsung "Unsolved Mysteries"
outdraws "Northern" by more than 3 million
households. So when was the last time you
saw "Unsolved" host Robert Stack on the
cover of Entertainment Weekly?
This summary is devoted to the Unsung Five
prime-time people pleasers of the 1991-92
season. Popularity is the factor here; quality is
not the issue.
"Unsolved Myster- ies," NBC, 7 to 8 p.m.
Wednesdays, WMAQ-Channel 5. It's a mystery
to me why Robert Stack's "reality" series
about strange crimes and weird happenings
has become the most-watched TV program on
Wednesday nights. But Stack's stilted delivery
has enthralled or amused millions since the
show premiered in 1987, as a series of
specials.
Next week, NBC will celebrate the 100th
edition of "Unsolved Mysteries" with a two-
hour program. Segments will include reports
on UFO sightings, serial killings and an FBI
manhunt for Nevada bank robbers.
"20/20," ABC, 9 to 10 p.m. Fridays, WLS-
Channel 7. Hugh Downs and Barbara Walters
co-anchor an appealing blend of hard-news
investigations, trend stories and softer
features. The ABC News production usually
wins its time period, and its Nielsen numbers
have been rising steadily this year after 13 so-
so seasons.
The growing popularity of "Unsolved
Mysteries" and "20/20" confirms reality
programming as the hottest format on
network TV. ABC's "PrimeTime Live" and "48
Hours" on CBS also have made significant
ratings gains this season, and "60 Minutes" is
the season's No. 1 series. "Dateline NBC" will
join the reality bandwagon next month.
"Wings," NBC, 8:30 to 9 p.m. Thursdays,
Channel 5. Securely tethered in the cozy
Cicely News & World Telegram
hangar between "Cheers" and "L.A. Law," this
character-driven ensemble comedy about two
brothers and their small Nantucket airline
deserves its popularity.
"Wings" premiered in its Thursday slot on
April 19, 1990, and it sputtered last season
when NBC paired it with "Night Court" on
Fridays. With a bright cast led by Timothy
Daly, Steven Weber and Crystal Bernard,
"Wings" has landed in the Top 20 all season -
ahead of "L.A. Law."
"The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," NBC, 7 to 7:30
p.m. Mondays, Channel 5. Now in its second
season, this lightweight, harmless sitcom
revolves around a Philadelphia teen living
with his wealthy relatives in Southern
California. Starring pop-rap recording artist
Will Smith and a lively supporting cast, "Fresh
Prince" joins Fox's "Beverly Hills, 90210" as
the most popular TV series among teen
viewers.
Smith's show often finishes in the Top 20,
sometimes winning its time period vs.
"Evening Shade" with Burt Reynolds on CBS.
"Major Dad," CBS, 7:30 to 8 p.m. Mondays,
WBBM-Channel 2. Locked in a powerful lineup
with critical favorites "Evening Shade,"
"Murphy Brown," "Designing Women" and
"Northern Exposure," Gerald McRaney's at-
ease sitcom doesn't get much attention from
the media.
McRaney's character, a strict Marine officer
and family man, is too conservative to be
considered cool by the politically correct
crowd. But "Major Dad" remains a solid hit in
its third season, drawing more viewers than
all of its Monday teammates except Candice
Bergen's "Murphy."
Date: February 16, 1992
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
Author: Steve McKerrow
The quirky inhabitants of fictional Cecily have cooks at Holling Vincoeur's watering hole The
worked their oddly charming wiles on
members of the Viewers for Quality Television patty melts and buffalo burgers sit up and
advocacy group. The CBS Monday series
"Northern Exposure" (on hiatus for a few
weeks because of the Winter Olympics)
bumped "Murphy Brown" as the most
57
watched show in the group's latest viewer
survey.
"Isn't that surprising? Murphy's been there a
long time," VQT president Dorothy Swanson
said of the survey, which polled 600 members
of the national group about their viewing
habits during the week of Jan. 6-19.
Rob Morrow and Janine Turner star in
"Northern Exposure," which was ranked 16th
in the latest season-to-date Nielsen ratings.
The viewers' survey also placed NBC's where-
did-it-go? series "I'll Fly Away" at the top of
the "highest quality" ranking.
"I'll Fly Away" will return to the schedule Feb.
28 "for nine uninterrupted weeks," according
to an NBC spokeswoman.
Date: February 20, 1992
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
Author: Sharon Sanders
Memo to:Jeff Sagansky, President of CBS
Entertainment
From: Sharon Sanders, Food Writer
Re: "Northern Exposure" spinoff: "Adam's
Garden of Eating"
I'm cashing out on the Frugal Gourmet. And
Justin Wilson can take a hike.
For my money, the most compelling chef on
the tube these days is Adam, the mysterious
wilderness "Big Foot" with the culinary Midas
touch, who occasionally wanders into
"Northern Exposure," your off-kilter slice of
North Woods life that airs in Chicago from 9
to 10 p.m. Mondays on WBBM-Channel 2.
Joel Fleischman - the New York Jewish doctor
indentured to the town of Cicely, "on the cusp
of the new Alaskan Riviera," to repay the 49th
state for his medical school tuition - believes
that Adam is "a walking pathology." But, hey, I
say the proof is in the pudding. When Adam
Brick, palates weary from too many salmon
take notice.
The man cooks like an angel. Who cares if he
lies like the devil?
Jeff, this saucier savant has much to teach us
about fine cooking. Adam's grasp of French,
regional Italian, Asian and South American
cuisines is, well, awesome, to steal an
adjective from Vincoeur's main squeeze,
Shelly Tambo. Why, he can even shed light on
such esoterica as the Portuguese influence on
East African cooking.
His sorrel soup with roasted scallops, dim sum
noodles with cum4 in, zabaglione, cassoulet,
coq au vin, veal ragout, warm duck salad and
pumpkin tortellini are gustatory symphonies.
Even on the small screen - garbed in a crusty
Army jacket, his Brillo hair subdued only by his a plate of eggs Benedict with sprigs of fresh
shell-shocked knit cap - Adam's anger
commands rapt attention. He exudes a sort of could share his gift with others on a weekly
primal magnetism. Viewers with their nerve
endings on red alert will surely focus on this
master chef. And, if we threaten them with a
personal visit from Adam if they don't try his
recipes, well, people across America will run
into their kitchens before the show's credits
are finished rolling.
Imagine Martin Scorcese's "Taxi Driver," Travis crostini. "Why, you want to try this at home? I
Bickle, with a stockpot. That's what "Adam's
Garden of Eating" show would be like.
Sauteeing as psychodrama.
Julia Child, inarguably the most beloved,
effective television cooking teacher of all
time, is the consummate light comedian of
cooking (sort of the Carol Burnett of the
Gourmet magazine crowd), teaching through
humor.
Adam will be her polar opposite. The Anti-
Child.
Julia cajoled would-be cooks. Adam will
pummel them. "These are chanterelles, you
morons, not shiitakes. Get that straight," he'll
bark from the screen, thrusting his fungus-
packed paws toward the camera.
Adam is a stickler for fine, fresh ingredients,
the basis of all great cooking. He once
upbraided Dave - the stoic short-order man
who's the regular cook at The Brick - for
buying bacon instead of pancetta for his
rololatini di vitello pomodoro. "I didn't ask for
bacon. I need pancetta. It's Italian bacon! It's
not anything like bacon! It isn't smoked! It's
cured in salt! It bastes the veal! It keeps it
from drying out! There is no substitute!"
Cicely News & World Telegram
Perhaps for Adam, a show of his own could
begin the healing process he so sorely needs.
Although personal revelations are like
poisoned fruit to Adam, he once broke down
and confided this tale of loss to Fleischman.
"I was (in Vietnam) reducing a cream sauce
with a beaucoup lovely from Pleiku when
`Charlie' came out of nowhere to ambush her
kitchen. . . . She taught me everything I know
about poultry."
The way to this man's tortured psyche could
be through his esophagus. Adam becomes
almost gentle at the stove. When he garnishes
herbs, his caress becomes almost gentle. If he
basis, the healing could begin.
Granted, Adam's teaching style will be rough
at first. He obviously went AWOL from
Interpersonal Skills 101, and sharing is a
foreign concept. He explodes when "culinary
pygmy" Fleischman and bush pilot Maggie
O'Connell ask him if cilantro is in his polenta
devote my life to creating culinary
masterpieces. You think you can reduce it to a
shopping list?" Adam barks.
He's private. Very, very private. I can
understand. You think Picasso enjoyed gassing attempt each week to make the eccentricities
with amateurs about brushstroke techniques? of the Alaskans seem original grows
Jeff, the first few episodes may have to be
taped covertly with a hidden camera until
Adam gets comfortable in his role as the new
American guru of grub. And, of course, his
avowed misogyny means a studio audience is
out of the question.
There's one other little item we need to
address before we start production. Do you
think we should grapple with Adam's personal
hygiene . . . or lack thereof? Squeamish
viewers could lose their appetites, tune out
and turn off. That's the last thing we want.
The ratings boys will puree us faster than a
Cuisinart chews up poached asparagus.
Actually, on second thought, maybe television
isn't the appropriate venue for "Adam's
Garden of Eating."
Jeff, who heads up programming at CBS
Radio?
58
Monday, February 24, 1992 3-15
Democracy in America
77517 30
Date: February 28, 1992
Publication: The Boston Globe
Author: Ed Siegel, Globe Staff
Conventional television is getting to be like
conventional politics. You look at the listings
for what's on the three traditional networks,
you look at the candidates in the two
traditional parties and you settle for less than
what you really want.
Where it was once a matter of looking
forward to being home on a certain night for a
"St. Elsewhere" or "Miami Vice" or, all right,
"thirtysomething," it's now a matter of
praying that their successors will get you to
the end of the hour in no worse a mood than
you were at the beginning.
Even the old standbys rarely satisfy. "L.A.
Law" is a shadow of its former self, and
"Northern Exposure" has always been a
seductive charmer whose skills lose their
romance the more they're practiced. The
increasingly tiresome.
There are still decent programs, but the only
one to go beyond the ordinary and capture
people's imagination on a continuing basis
seems to be "Seinfeld," whose everymannish
manner has found the right blend between
stand-up and situational comedy. Aside from
that, how many times do you actually feel like
engaging a friend or co-worker in
conversation about the previous night's
"Cheers," "Law & Order," "Murphy Brown" or
"Homefront"? Steven Bochco's new series,
"Civil Wars" and "Capitol Critters," aren't bad,
but no one is going to confuse either one with
"Hill Street Blues" or the glory years of "L.A.
Law."
It's little wonder that the Winter Olympics did
so well this year despite delayed-broadcast
coverage that had few people singing CBS'
praises. At least it was something that had
some drama, artistry and even grandeur to it,
things that went beyond the middling nature
of conventional television.
With the Olympics over, the networks are
looking for new programs to breathe some
life into their withering schedules, particularly
on Friday night when NBC and CBS are losers.
To do so they've enlisted the aid of a couple
of feature-film fellows, George Lucas ("The
Young Indiana Jones Chronicles") and Wes
Craven ("Nightmare Cafe"); tried to cash in on
the boomlet in animated film ("Fish Police");
and given another shot to the savant of the
late '60s and early '70s, Norman Lear ("The
Powers That Be").
Are there any Mario Cuomos in this liberal
assortment of programs, or are they all Tom
Harkins? There is one with some potential,
providing it gets better at spelling out the
issues, and a returning program that looks a
little better the second time around,
particularly given the competition. ** The
Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, ABC 8 p.m.
this Wednesday, after that 9 p.m.
Wednesdays, Channel 5
George Lucas adds his name to the growing
roster of acclaimed feature-film directors
who've tried their hands at television in the
past 10 years: Steven Spielberg, Mike Nichols,
David Lynch, John Sayles and Joe Dante.
(There's also Wes Craven, whom we'll get to
shortly.)
The one thing they all have in common is
failure. Spielberg and Nichols approached
their series with a condescension that treated
viewers like near-idiots. The successful
television producer, like Aaron Spelling,
knows he has to treat viewers like complete
idiots or, like Bochco, treat them with
complete respect. Lynch and Sayles did aim
high, but Lynch lost control of "Twin Peaks"
and NBC was in too bottom-line a mood for
"Shannon's Deal." (On the other hand, NBC
does deserve credit for sticking with Dante's
"Eerie, Indiana.")
Lucas falls on the Spielberg side of things,
wimpifying Indiana Jones beyond recognition.
Actually, there are three Jones boys -- at ages
10, 16 and 93. The elder Indy begins each
episode flashing back to his earlier globe-
trotting gallivants.
The two younger Joneses (Corey Carrier and
Sean Patrick Flanery) never convince us that
Cicely News & World Telegram
they'll grow into Harrison Ford, just as Lloyd
Owen as Indy's father could never become
Sean Connery. These Indys greet the world
with a wide-eyed wonder that recalls the
naivete of 19th-century adventure novels and
Saturday-morning cartoons rather than the
relative sophistication of a Luke Skywalker. Or
Doogie Howser, for that matter.
A bigger problem is that the first hour of
Wednesday's premiere, set in Egypt, is so
stilted in terms of action that reruns of "The
A-Team" would seem an improvement. Young
Indy is not only naive, he's obnoxious, and
when he meets up with Lawrence of Arabia,
the nerdometer reaches peak setting.
It isn't until the second hour, when the teen-
age Jones hooks up with Mexican
revolutionary Pancho Villa that the energy
level begins to approach that of the three
feature films. Director Carl Schultz ("Careful,
He Might Hear You") looks as if he had twice
the budget of Jim O'Brien ("Jewel in the
Crown"), and the result is a sense of
adventure rarely matched on network
television.
It even seems for most of the second half that
Lucas is trying something daring in the story
line, by having Jones throw his lot in with
Mexican revolutionaries against America's
imperial army. It's not to be, however, as a
Mexican peasant tells Jones that revolutions
hurt the people, not help them, and off Jones
goes to fight in World War I. In other words,
the only valid revolution was America's
proving that Lucas shares something with
middlebrow network producers.
Nevertheless, this show, which is repeated a
week from tomorrow, does get us out of the
house and into foreign locales, where Jones
will eventually meet up with Krishnamurti,
Picasso, Freud and Lenin. And future episodes
will be directed by Nicolas Roeg, Bille August
("Pelle the Conqueror") and other
accomplished film directors.
It looks as if it might be worth staying tuned,
but it also looks as if one's hopes shouldn't get
too high. ** Nightmare Cafe, NBC 10 tonight,
Channel 4
This looks like network television's annual
attempt at finding the kind of success with the candidates or network television, then
horror genre that off-network types like HBO
("Tales from the Crypt") and first-run
59
syndication (the "Friday the 13th" TV series)
have discovered.
But like last year's "Dark Shadows," the
networks can't allow themselves to be full-
blooded, and "Nightmare Cafe" isn't enough
to sink our teeth into. Tonight's set-up isn't
bad. Two folks wander into the cafe after
attempting to drown themselves, and Robert
(Freddy Krueger) Englund, as either a deus or
devilus ex machina, gives them a second
chance -- aided by the kind of special effects
that make Craven's horror films, like the
original "Nightmare on Elm Street," seem a
cut above.
But there's always something lacking in
Craven's films -- like good writing -- and the
little screen exposes more flaws than virtues
with his vision thing. What starts out like a
contemporary "Twilight Zone" tonight turns
into a supernatural "Barnaby Jones" in two
future episodes offered for review. There is
some good news, though. We learn that
there's sex, as well as life, after death. ***
The Powers That Be, NBC 8:30 p.m.
tomorrow, Channel 10; 3 a.m. Sundays,
Channel 4 Beginning March 7
Norman Lear's latest series is the best since
the early '70s, although it plays more like a
Susan Harris parody ("Soap," "Good & Evil")
than a Lear satire. The setting is the house of
a power-grubbing family led by John Forsythe
as a New England senator. The wife beats the
maid. The anorexic daughter is married to a
suicidal congressman, and she threatens to
put the dog to sleep if their son doesn't pose
for photo opportunities. In other words, if you
don't like Harris' sick-o humor, stay away; but
if you do, then "The Powers That Be" is your
cup of tequila, complete with worm. It also
offers the best ensemble acting in network
comedy since "Cheers."
The downside is that this is much less than
Lear at his best. The jokes are all easy shots at
government corruption that cash in on
contemporary malaise without offering any
enlightenment, unlike "All in the Family."
The characters are drawn so broadly that
there's no meat on the absurdist bone. Still, if
you've given up asking "Where's the beef?"
when it comes to either presidential
chewing on these bones can be pretty tasty.
Unfortunately, Channel 4 is going to the cash
register with "Golden Girls" reruns,
preempting Lear to 3 a.m. ** Fish Police, CBS
8:30 tonight, Channel 7
Unlike "Capitol Critters," this one's strictly for
kids, and even they are likely to be turned off
by a cartoon that's more punny than funny.
The animation is better than Saturday
morning, but not nearly as good as "CC" or
"Tiny Toon Adventures." John Ritter and Ed
Asner sound as if they could strangle their
agents for getting them into this, and the fishy
faces are equally inexpressive. * 1/2 The Boys
of Twilight, CBS 10 p.m. tomorrow, Channel 7
Richard Farnsworth and Wilford Brimley give
it their best, which is pretty good, but this
action-adventure about a small-town sheriff
and deputy plays like "Jake and the Fat Man
on Geritol," which is pretty awful. Hominy
battles homily in this tedious exercise in
waxing nostalgic for the good old days. ?
Scorch, CBS 8 tonight, Channel 7
A fire-breathing dragon is this year's Alf. CBS
withdrew its pilot cassette and isn't providing
a new one. So don't bet the mortgage on
"Scorch." *** I'll Fly Away, NBC 9 tonight,
Channel 4
This isn't a new series, but since NBC is
bringing it back from hiatus and giving it a
decent time period behind "Matlock," it's
worth a second look. "I'll Fly Away," which is
set in the apartheid-ridden South of the '50s,
isn't all that satisfying as political drama -- it's
too congratulatory about how far we've
come. But it does work as family drama. The
interplay between Sam Waterston and his
daughter as well as Regina Taylor and hers in
tonight's program is on a very high level. The
series' best feature is that it has a sense of
morals without being moralistic. The lessons
learned by Waterston's character, in dealing
with his daughter's adolescent rebellion, and
Taylor, in teaching her daughter about
perseverance against racism are as applicable
today. "I'll Fly Away" also has a sense of time,
place and style rare in network television.
If, like me, you gave up on this candidate, you
might even find that on second look its blend
of family values and commitment to racial
equality is as good as you're going to get from
the field this season.
**** - Worth staying home for
*** - Worth watching if you're home
Cicely News & World Telegram
** - Worth watching if you're tired The important thing is Holling and Shelly love
* - Worth watching if you're sick each other."
- Worthless
Cullum, who calls himself "a hillbilly from over
Monday, March 02, 1992 3-16 there in eastern Tennessee," has worked on
Three Amigos 77520 31 stage with John Gielgud and Richard Burton.
He has two Tony awards from a long
Broadway career.
But this is the first time he has had to do so
Date: March 8, 1992
much explaining back in Tennessee about his
Publication: Albany Times Union
character's actions. Things like, say,
Author: Robert Kerr Scripps Howard
considering circumcision at 62 because his
teenage sweetheart thinks it would be real
Their on-screen roots may be American
cool.
Northwest, but the real sizzle between the
hottest odd couple on prime-time comes from
"My sister is married to a Baptist minister, and
deep in the Bible Belt.
she wrote me after we did that circumcision
episode. She said she loved to see me on the
Shelly Tambo and Holling Vincoeur have a 44-
show, but she wished the scripts were a little
year generation gap, but that doesn't stop
more Christian-like," Cullum said.
them from steaming up the screen Monday
nights on CBS's offbeat hit "Northern
"But it's a very good-natured show. There are
Exposure."
so many more violent and ugly things on
television. It's refreshing to see a bunch of
He's 62. She's 18. He's a mountain man. She's
people who have to get along together in the
a former Miss Northwest Passage. He's sworn
wilderness. Even if they have a lot of funny,
off shooting bears, except with Nikons. She
quirky elements to them, there's that
digs heavy metal and the Home Shopping
wonderful, generous spirit of the community."
Channel.
Geary, 26, recalls the circumcision episode
What they have in common is they can't keep
wasn't exactly her family's favorite, either.
their hands off each other. What the actors
who play them have in common is a Southern
"And I warned them! I thought I had made it
heritage complete with a whole lot of serious
sound worse than it was. That is kind of my
Sunday school lessons.
tactic now, so they are prepared. But they
told me afterward they didn't want to leave
"I don't want to speak for Cynthia too much,
their house for a week because they didn't
but we both come from the same kind of
want to see their neighbors," she said.
Puritan background. I'm Southern Baptist and
we both have to deal with our families
Geary's mother, Shirley, now takes a
because we have all those sexual themes that
diplomatic stance and remains confident her
are very explicit," said John Cullum, a native of
daughter won't forget her upbringing.
Knoxville, Tenn., who plays Holling.
"We love the show, though of course we are
Cynthia Geary, who grew up in Jackson, Miss.,
not as happy with some of the episodes as
in two churches (her father is Catholic and her
with others. I'm sure that would be the way
mother Presbyterian), plays Shelly.
you feel about whatever your children choose
to do. No profession is absolutely perfect,"
"My parents are very conservative. I was
she said.
afraid they would freak out that I lived with
this man I wasn't married to, and he was
"She grew up in a very nurturing family and
practically four times my age. But they have
we never had any problems. She grew up in a
been incredible about it. They love the show,"
Christian community and a Christian family. I
she said.
think she has that kind of value system."
"I really have to credit the writers. Although it
Cullum, 61, believes the Southern roots he
is a very strange relationship, it's believable.
and Geary share have something to do with
60
the on- screen electricity between their
characters.
"We work the same way as human beings,
and therefore as actors we are similar. We
think alike," he said.
"John is the epitome of a Southern
gentleman," said Geary. "He is so nice and so
polite and so humble. We have become very
good friends. He's even started coaching me
on Shakespeare."
When it came to creating Holling Vincoeur,
Cullum looked homeward.
"Very definitely. I was drawing from people
like my father and my uncles and those kind
of people. There is a kind of Southern
personality that is very self-reliant, very
opinionated, very strong and righteous. And
all those things are Holling, so I draw from
them," he said.
Like the rest of the "Northern Exposure" cast,
Geary and Cullum live most of the year in the
Seattle area where the show is filmed. She has The public station is seeking 700 big ones
a steady boyfriend back in L.A., and Cullum
has a long marriage to dancer and playwright Sunday, March 22 ...
Emily Frankel.
But Geary doubts that Holling will ever make
an honest woman of Shelly.
"I tend to say no, just from a guess I think it
makes it more interesting for the writers (to
keep them unmarried)," she said.
"If they actually get together and live happily
every after, what are you going to write
about?"
Monday, March 09, 1992 3-17
Lost and Found 77515 32
Date: March 11, 1992
Publication: The Washington Post
Author: John Carmody
Washington viewers pledged a record
$1,673,744 during last Sunday's Easter Seal
Telethon on Channel 7 ...
The local total was up about $250,000 from
last year. WJLA has aired the telethon for 12
years ...
Cicely News & World Telegram
The 21st annual national telethon raised $46
million over the weekend on 123 stations
around the country, an increase of some $2
million over last year ...
Locally, Safeway Stores contributed
$1,020,691.29 to the total ...
On another Money Front, the first four days
and endless nights of the WETA spring fund-
raising drive netted $151,912 on 2,396
pledges ...
Biggest night so far: Monday, as the
Metropolitan Opera Silver Anniversary Gala
took in $34,000 ...
The first weekend results compare
unfavorably with last year's, which were good
for $286,579 (on 5,288 pledges) over just
three nights when the station twice aired a
special featuring Jose Carreras, Placido
Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti, attracting
more than $120,000 each evening with the
singers. Prego, prego! ...
before closing down the 17-day drive on
Fox Broadcasting will introduce a new sitcom,
"Stand by Your Man," on Sunday, April 5, in
the 10 p.m. timeslot ...
"Stand" stars Rosie O'Donnell and Melissa
Gilbert-Brinkman as two New Jersey sisters
from opposite sides of the tracks who move in
together after their husbands are imprisoned
for bank robbery. C. Airwaves thought the
pilot to be "quite amusing" when he viewed it
while visiting Marina Del Rey, Calif., in January
...
To make room for "Stand," "Get a Life" moves
to 10:30 that same night while "Sunday
Comics" goes on hiatus ...
We're not so sure we can handle the young
doctor (or that windy disc jockey or even the
always-smiling Native American, for that
matter) for two more years but that's how
long CBS Entertainment has signed "Northern
Exposure" for renewal ...
(We should warn you that a very contrary
Airwaves almost always Loses Interest in a
series once it starts Catching On) ...
61
And NBC has renewed "Wings" for a third
year. "Northern" is tied for 16th in the season-
to-date rankings, "Wings" is 19th among 126
series seen so far on the four networks ...
On the Personnel Scene
Beth O'Connell has been named senior
producer of NBC's "Today" show. She replaces
Bob Wheelock, who was named London
bureau chief by NBC News earlier this year ...
O'Connell has been supervising producer for
the morning show since last October. She has
been with the network since 1981 ...
No replacement has been named for that job
...
Sarah Purcell replaces Beth Ruyak as co-host
with Gary Collins on ABC's "Home" show
starting tomorrow. Executive producer Marty
Ryan says, "Beth is a wonderful person but
she just didn't click, and Sarah has a good
relationship with daytime audiences" ...
Allen Alter, deputy foreign editor and senior
foreign producer, CBS News, has been
promoted to foreign editor. He replaces Al
Ortiz, who was recently named vice president,
Europe, and London bureau chief. This is all
effective on Saturday ...
Also at CBS News, Marcy McGinnis has been
named deputy bureau chief, London, and
director, CBS Newsnet, Europe. She's been
executive producer of Newsnet - which
supplies news to affiliates and overseas
customers - since August 1989 ...
The P.M. Primary Post-Mortems: Tonight, Paul
Tsongas talks to Judy Woodruff on "The
MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour" and Pat Buchanan
chats up Chris Wallace on ABC News's
"Nightline" ...
"ABC World News Tonight" was the easy
winner in the network race last week,
averaging a 10.7/21, compared with a 9.1/18
for "CBS Evening News" and an 8.6/17 for
"NBC Nightly News." We've left off the names
of the anchors so as not to unduly embarrass
anybody ...
CBS had no trouble winning Monday night this
week (see below), averaging a 16.8/26 as a
repeat "Murphy Brown" did an 18.5/28. A
new "Northern Exposure" did a 15.3/25 ...
ABC was second at 13.8/22, Saturday night repeat was 73rd
although a repeat of "Lethal Rank Rating Share Network among 88 programs ranked for
Weapon" was good for a 15.2/24. 1 22.7 60 Minutes 38 CBS the week, averaging just 7.9/14
NBC's 12.6/20 included a 12.6/20 (Murphy's special appearance on
2 22.2 Roseanne 33 ABC
for a repeat of "Danielle Steel's Wednesday, an original, tied for
Kaleidoscope" ... 3 19.8 Murphy Brown 29 CBS 34th) ...
4 19.6 Happy Days Reunion 31 ABC
NBC, which has already Among the fairly recent Arrivals
announced a Saturday morning 5 18.9 Home Improvement 28 ABC (and Returnees), NBC's "I'll Fly
version of the "Today" show for 6 18.0 Full House 28 ABC Away" was 60th, CBS's "The Boys
next fall, will also introduce three of Twilight" were 66th, and NBC's
18.0 Murder, She Wrote 27 CBS
live-action series aimed at the "Nightmare Cafe" was 74th ...
teen/"tween" audience on 8 17.5 Woman With a Past 27 NBC
Saturdays ... An Airwaves favorite - it's great to
9 17.0 Designing Women 25 CBS
see those old "Hotel" scripts out of
The "Today" show debuts Aug. 1; 10 16.6 Young Indiana Jones (Wed.) 26 ABC the mothballs - CBS's "Hearts Are
the rest of the schedule on Sept. 11 16.4 Unsolved Mysteries 26 NBC Wild," tied for 76th ...
12 ...
12 16.3 In Sickness & in Health 26 CBS
In other highlights last week,
The new shows include "California 16.3 Major Dad 25 CBS ABC's "PrimeTime Live" tied for
Dreams," about five teenagers in 21st, and a CBS "48 Hours" on
14 16.2 20/20 30 ABC
the "fun-loving Armstrong family stalkers tied for 28th. FOX's top
who share the dream of forming a 15 15.9 Cheers 25 NBC performer was a "Married ... With
rock-and-roll band"; "Name Your 16 15.6 Fresh Prince of Bel-Air 24 NBC Children" repeat, in 34th ...
Adventure," in which young
17 15.5 Northern Exposure 25 CBS In the Sunday Battle of the
viewers get to fulfill "their most
exciting dreams" if their letters hit 15.5 Evening Shade 24 CBS Movies, the CBS "In Sickness and
the producers just right; and in Health" in 12th was the easy
19 14.8 Blossom 22 NBC
"Double Date," a dating game winner, as NBC's "The Nightman"
show hosted by J.D. Roth, 20 14.7 Grave Secrets 23 CBS and ABC's "Never Say Never
featuring "a real-life brother and Again" had the good manners to
Also last week, NBC averaged a 12.0/20; FOX,
sister and three potential hidden dates for tie for 44th ...
up 37 percent from the same week a year
each of them"!!! ...
ago, an 8.1/13 ... A Paul Rodriguez special on Saturday night for
Meanwhile, "Saved by the Bell" will be back FOX was 83rd, thus qualifying for the Final
The NBC movie "Woman With a Past"
for a fourth season on Saturdays, as will "NBA and Unless the Sun Suddenly Decides to Rise
knocked CBS out of the Monday night win
Inside Stuff," back for a third year ... in the West Fatal Five Plus One for the week,
column for a change, leaving the erstwhile
just ahead of three other FOX shows - "Totally
Tiffany network with only Sunday to
TV RATINGZZZZ Hidden Videos," "Sunday Comics" and "Totally
celebrate. NBC took Monday, Thursday and
Hidden Videos" II - and two NBC entries,
Following are the top 20 network prime-time Saturday; ABC, Tuesday, Wednesday and
"Eerie, Indiana" in 87th and a Lyndon
shows last week, ranked according to the Friday ...
LaRouche political special, dead last in 88th
percentage of the nation's 92.1 million TV place for the week ending March 8 ...
In the always-interesting Series Premiere
households that watched, as measured by the
challenge, Norman Lear's "The Powers That
A.C. Nielsen Co. A share represents the Monday, March 09, 1992 3-17
Be" debuted on NBC with an hour on Saturday
percentage of actual sets-in-use tuned to a Lost and Found 77515 32
and finished in a tie for 32nd. Its 13.0/23,
particular program when it aired. Monday, March 16, 1992 3-18
however, was down a teensy from the Golden
My Mother, My Sister
CBS continued to win the weekly primetime Girls' 13.7/25 lead-in at 8. And an "Empty
77518 33
race but only by the narrowest of margins, Nest" rerun that followed at 9:20 was 36th at
averaging a 12.956818 rating and a 21 share 12.5/22, two points off its usual performance
last week, compared with a 12.893182 rating as the network's top Saturday night series ...
and a 21 share for ABC. Which Airwaves,
Over on ABC, two airings of the two-hour
having run out of fingers and toes, guesses is a
special that introduced the "Young Indiana
difference of about 4,500 TV homes between
Jones Chronicles" last week had wildly
the two networks every night ...
different results. The Wednesday debut,
despite a special appearance on CBS by Date: March 17, 1992
Publication: PR Newswire
"Murphy Brown," averaged a 16.6/26, but the

Cicely News & World Telegram 62

Premiere Special to Spotlight Hit Series
'Northern Exposure'
LOS ANGELES, March 17 /PRNewswire/ -- E!
Entertainment Television will launch its first
weekend series on Saturday, April 4, with the
"E! Saturday Special," a one-hour weekly
showcase for E!'s exclusive, original coverage
of the biggest names and productions in film
and television, it was announced today by
Fran Shea, senior vice president of
programming for E!. Airing each Saturday at 8
p.m. (ET/PT), the debut special will visit the
set of the hit television series "Northern
Exposure" for a unique look at the show,
hosted by its cast.
According to Shea, "E! Saturday Special" is a
natural next addition as part of the network's
commitment to long-form. "The success of
our weekday and prime time schedule has
encouraged us to extend our programming.
In addition, our research shows that E!
viewers can't get enough of our behind-the-
scenes looks. Our premiere 'E! Saturday
Special' is a perfect example of programming
that E! can uniquely deliver."
"E! Saturday Special" kicks off April 4 with
"Inside Television's 'Northern Exposure.'" The
cast of this critically acclaimed series hosts a
visit to the cold climes of Washington state,
where the series is filmed. Viewers spend a
day in the life of the series, tagging along with
the actors in their daily routine and
discovering how stellar success and new-
found fame has affected them and the town
that stands in for Cicely, Alaska.
Future "E! Saturday Special" hours will
spotlight: the star-studded Cannes Film
Festival in France; a day in the life of
supermodels Elle MacPherson and Paulina
Porizkova; a surprising look at some of
yesterday's stars today; and an hour of laughs
with America's top comedians. According to
John Rieber, vice president, special projects
for E!, "Whatever else is happening on
Saturday night, viewers will be able to count
on E! for a great time with the best names in
entertainment."
In December of last year, E! launched its
prime time block of daily series: "Extreme
Close-Up" (8:30-9 p.m. ET/PT), an intelligent,
in-depth interview with a top star; "E! News
Daily" (9-9:30 p.m. ET/PT), timely coverage of
the entertainment world; "Behind the Scenes"
Cicely News & World Telegram
(9:30-10 p.m. ET/PT), a "video verite" glimpse
backstage; "Talk Soup" (10-10:30 p.m. ET/PT),
highlights of the previous day's talk shows;
and "The Inside Word" (10:30-11 p.m. ET/PT),
a live look at the industry "buzz" and views
with in-studio guests.
E! Entertainment Television is a 24-hour, basic
cable network which presents popular
entertainment news and features, centered
on today's top celebrities from movies,
television and music. The network, which
celebrates its second anniversary in June
1992, is currently offered to 19 million
subscribers on more than 800 cable systems.
Date: March 18, 1992
Publication: The Washington Post
Author: John Carmody
The "Today" show this morning will mark the
departure of Betty Furness after 16 years with
an eight-minute salute during the last (8:30)
half-hour of the show ...
Bryant Gumbel ("she's very fond of Bryant,"
says executive producer Jeff Zucker) will do
the interview, which will follow a 6 1/2-
minute retrospective tape put together by
producer Tim Uehlinger that touches on the
76-year-old Furness's remarkable career in
the movies, in politics, as a spokesman (this
was before spokespersons) for Westinghouse
and all those years on "Today" as a consumer
reporter ...
Zucker promises that "she'll make periodic
appearances" in the future. He said today's
sort-of farewell was discussed by Betty and
NBC News president Michael Gartner when
they negotiated over her departure a couple
of weeks ago. Furness says she has a book in
mind and other projects ...
"It will be a nice, nice final day," Zucker
promises ...
Rumour du jour: Fox Broadcasting is "actively
pursuing" Chevy Chase to host a late-night
show for the network. And Chase, unhappy
with the reception of his "Memoirs of an
Invisible Man" movie, is reportedly listening ... Yes, "ABC World News Tonight" won the
TV Column fans, wise to the ways of the
world, won't be surprised to learn that the
departure of J. Carson from the late-night
63
scene in May is stirring interest among a lot of
wannabes ...
Robert D. Hynes Jr., vice president,
Washington for NBC, is leaving the network in
the fall ...
He said he expects to make an announcement
regarding his plans within the next three
months. At NBC's request, he has agreed to
continue managing NBC's regulatory and
legislative initiatives through the end of the
current congressional session ...
With the Michigan and Illinois primaries out of
the way we should be hearing soon what
plans FOX, CBS and C-SPAN have for
continuing the Debates '92 among what
(who?) is left of the Democratic contenders
(NBC, PBS, CNN and ABC have already aired
theirs) ...
The next big primary date is April 7, when
New York, Wisconsin and Kansas are due to
hold votes ...
Jerry Brown will be on "MacNeil/Lehrer
NewsHour" (Channel 26 at 7) at the top of the
hour tonight ...
This Just In
Ted Koppel and "Nightline" have always
shown particular interest in South Africa,
where an all-important referendum asking
whites whether the president should continue
to pursue an end to apartheid was held
yesterday ...
Tonight Koppel interviews Nelson Mandela,
leader of the African National Congress. The
interview will be taped today via satellite from
outside Johannesburg. Tomorrow night
Koppel talks to South African President F.W.
de Klerk, in an interview to be taped
tomorrow from Cape Town ...
Angus Yates, who has been senior producer
for the Monitor Channel in Washington, joins
Bethesda-based Discovery Channel as an
executive producer in charge of documentary
development, programming and production ...
network newzzz ratingzzz race last week,
averaging a 10.6/20. "CBS Evening News" was
second at 9.6/18, "NBC Nightly News" far
behind at 8.6/17 ...
Which reminds us, NBC anchor Tom Brokaw theatrical on the network. "Die Hard" in 1991 counts. Although a few more wins in the total
shows up on "Donahue" tomorrow (Channel 9 was the previous best ... households count would feel pretty good too
at 9) to plug the Friday debut of his new ...
primetime series ... A sure sign that summer will be arriving.
ABC won the week because of
NBC Entertainment says it not strong performances from its
Rank Rating Share Network
only has renewed "Seinfeld" regular series, with the
and "Blossom" for a third 1 22.8 60 Minutes 39 CBS newsmagazine shows making
season but also plans to 2 20.9 Roseanne 32 ABC particular impact. Not only
schedule early season did "20/20" do a bit better
3 18.7 Home Improvement 28 ABC
premieres of the two shows than usual to nail down the
after the network finishes 4 18.5 Murphy Brown 28 CBS Friday lineup, but "PrimeTime
coverage of the Summer Live," which tied for 21st,
5 18.4 Coach 29 ABC
Games ... came up with a 24 share
6 18.3 Major Dad 28 CBS against an "L.A. Law" repeat
From the phone calls and 7 17.7 Murder, She Wrote 28 CBS (which dropped that once
letters we get, NBC has one of powerful drama to a tie for
those hidden hits in "Seinfeld" 8 17.5 20/20 32 ABC
64th) and shows promise for
... 9 17.0 Full House 26 ABC the future in that timeslot ...
10 16.9 Designing Women 26 CBS
NBC will air the "AFI Salute to The new Columbo movie
Sidney Poitier" on Sunday, 11 16.6 Evening Shade 26 CBS helped too ...
April 4, starting at 9:30. The 12 16.5 Columbo: No Time to Die 27 ABC
90-minute special was taped Keeping the numbers down
last week in Beverly Hills ... 13 16.0 Unsolved Mysteries 26 NBC for the week was the wide
14 15.8 Taking Back My Life 25 CBS circulation of the Billy Graham
For all the impact on the Crusade programs, which
15.8 America's Funniest Home Videos 25 ABC
national scene last week, the aired on network affiliates
three Billy Graham Crusade 16 15.3 Northern Exposure 25 CBS over three nights last week.
broadcasts didn't do all that 17 15.2 Cheers 24 NBC Thirty-four percent of the CBS
well when aired on FOX- schedule last week had less
owned Channel 5 here ... 15.2 Lethal Weapon 24 ABC
than 95 percent coverage
19 14.2 The Simpsons 23 FOX across the country, NBC had
The Monday through 30 percent of its lineup seen
14.2 America's Funniest People 22 ABC
Wednesday night schedule of in under 95 percent and ABC
specials produced, Eventually. The announcement from CBS that had 23 percent of its programming viewed in
respectively, a 3.1 rating and a 5 share, 2.1/3 the 46th annual Tony Awards are set for May under 95 percent of the country ...
and 2.1/3 ... 31. Glenn Close will host this year ...
For the week, ABC averaged a 12.3/21,
Each local ratings point represents 18,199 TV TV RATINGZZZZ compared with an 11.6/19 for CBS, a 10.6/18
homes ... for NBC and an 8.1/14 for FOX ...
Following are the top 20 network prime-time
CBS's "Northern Exposure" had its highest shows last week, ranked according to the ABC took Tuesday and Friday, CBS Monday
ratings ever Monday night, averaging a percentage of the nation's 92.1 million TV and Sunday, NBC Wednesday, Thursday and
potential Top Five 18.0 national Nielsen rating households that watched, as measured by the Saturday ...
and a 31 percent audience share. "Northern" A.C. Nielsen Co. A share represents the
has averaged a 15.5/25 previously ... percentage of actual sets-in-use tuned to a Among the highlights: a "48 Hours" show on
particular program when it aired. "survival of the wildest" tied for 29th with
With that kind of exposure, CBS was an easy ABC's "Young Indiana Jones," a Bob Hope
winner for Monday night, while NBC's rerun It took 26 weeks of the '91-92 season but ABC special on NBC tied for 41st and NBC's "Law &
of one of the "In the Line of Duty" cop movies finally won one, which makes the overall Order," already renewed for next fall, tied for
averaged only an 11.0/18 and "Those Secrets" score to date CBS 19 weeks, NBC six, ABC uno 47th ...
on ABC a mere 8.9/14 ... and FOX a big 0 ...
NBC's new "The Powers That Be" tied for
Over on FOX, the movie "Doing Time on Although ABC languishes in the season-to- 50th, NBC's "I'll Fly Away" was 63rd and an Ice
Maple Drive" did a 9.4/15, the best ever date race, the network contends its Capades special on CBS tied for 74th ...
numbers for a made-for-TV movie or demographics continue to attract advertisers,
and that, TV Column fans, is what really

Cicely News & World Telegram 64

Among the Super Tuesday news specials, the
ABC version tied for 72nd, NBC's tied for 81st
and CBS tied for 84th (with NBC's "Nightmare
Cafe") ...
A couple of other newcomers are finding the
going rough. CBS's "Scorch" tied for 74th,
CBS's "Fish Police" was 79th and ABC's
"Capitol Critters" (already headed for the barn Until summer 1990, Roslyn was just another
for a long rest) was 89th ...
NBC managed to anchor the Final And
Incontrovertibly Fatal Five last week as a
repeat/truncated "First Person With Maria
Shriver" tied with FOX's "Totally Hidden
Video" for 92nd, followed by FOX's "Sunday
Comics" in 94th; and NBC's "Torkelsons" and
"Eerie, Indiana" 96th and last for the week
ending March 15 ... @Slug: B06TVC
Date: March 22, 1992
Publication: The Washington Post
Author: Renee Skelton
When the voters of Roslyn, Wash., stepped
into the voting booth to choose a mayor in
November, many had "Northern Exposure" on location managers were just going berserk.
their minds.
Much of CBS's hit show, about a newly-minted Certainly no one foresaw anything like it when
New York doctor forced by a scholarship
contract to work in a remote and somewhat
bizarre Alaska town, is filmed there. The
show's presence has put a different spin on
life in Roslyn, turning it from a sleepy hamlet television show in town. It sounded like fun. the men of Cicely take a run through town in
into a bustling tourist attraction. Some
residents are delighted by the attention and
money that fame has brought, but others
would just as soon return to the anonymity
and quiet of the pre-"Exposure" days.
The local election was partly a referendum on
the town's future - and the part "Northern
Exposure" will play in it. The election results
have answered that question for now:
Incumbent mayor Jack Denning, who helped
pave the way for and favors the show's
continued presence in town, won a fourth
term by 29 votes out of 387 cast. So for now,
the welcome mat is still out, although it may
be fraying a bit at the edges.
The show's producers have a lot to be grateful Roslyn means assembling at 6 a.m. for a series When filming for the season was over the first
for. The town's main street could be
Cicely News & World Telegram
reproduced on a Hollywood back lot, but the Cascades from Redmond, the town near
feel of the show would be different. Roslyn, Seattle where studio interiors are shot. For
playing the role of the town of Cicely, has the people of Roslyn, hosting "Northern
become one of "Northern Exposure's" most Exposure" means a needed boost to the local
recognized and appealing stars. Stardom has economy and some very interesting times
certainly changed Roslyn, and whether that is around town.
good or bad depends on whom you talk to.
During the first summer of filming, residents
watched with amusement as the show's set
Cascade Mountain backwater, an old coal- decorators first "dressed" Roslyn as the
mining town of one square mile surrounded fictitious Cicely, setting up totem poles on the
by thousands of acres of forest. Out-of- main street and tacking moose antlers to
towners would appear now and again, drawn buildings. With a coat of blue paint and "Dr.
by the look of the town's century-old frontier- Joel Fleischman" crudely lettered on a plate
style buildings. But back then, a bear glass window, a vacant tool shop on
wandering out of the mountains in search of Pennsylvania Avenue became Cicely's
wild berries was a more common sight than storefront doctor's office. Some redecorating
crowds searching for a piece of Hollywood. turned the front third of Emil Danich's
sundries store into Cicely's general store and
Then the show arrived. Last summer, Roslyn's library. And a red neon sign along with some
streets were clogged with tourists snapping old radio equipment installed in the window
pictures and peering into store windows. of the old mining company store turned it into
"Northern Exposure" fans showed up from as Cicely's KBHR radio station.
far away as New York City just to soak up the
local atmosphere. In a town where nothing out of the ordinary
happened, the extraordinary soon became
"This summer we had 300 to 400 people the daily buzz. For a dream sequence, a
watching the filming every single day," said Middle Eastern bazaar complete with
Margaret Heide, Roslyn city clerk, one of a chickens, donkey and burnoose-clad extras
number of residents reached by phone. "The appeared one day right between the Brick
Tavern and the market. One night, they
They said they'd never seen anything like it." marched a couple of moose up and down past
the mural on the Roslyn Cafe building until 4
a.m.
the first delegation from the show came to
Roslyn more than a year ago. Heide And locals still talk about the day a group of
remembered they told the mayor and council male extras and the show's star decided to
that they wanted to film some sort of add a bit too much realism to a scene in which
the buff.
"We just told them to have at it," Heide said.
The only fee the town received back then was "These men were walking around in Spandex
a charge for use of the copier at City Hall. briefs all morning, and they were quite the
Since then, that is another thing that has talk of the town," said Heide, chuckling. "As I
changed. was eating lunch, they made a run past the
restaurant, except they dropped the briefs
Between 40 and 50 percent of "Northern and there were all these naked men 20 feet in
Exposure's" filming is done on location. So front of me."
while the show is in production, the
"Northern Exposure" caravan rolls into this The cameras got the shot (a sanitized version
Cascade Mountain valley nearly every week aired). And the "Northern Exposure" team got
with cameras, lights, sound equipment and read the riot act. "That did not go over well,"
enough personnel to swell Roslyn's recalled location manager Sean Grayson, who
population of 869 to nearly 1,000. is thankful that gaffes like this have not been
common.
For the show's cast and crew, working in
of 1 1/2-hour rides across the crest of the season, "Northern Exposure" said goodbye to
65
Roslyn, possibly for good. The show was
originally planned as a limited-run series of
eight episodes, but with an order for new
episodes and a need to shoot in snow (after
all, this is supposed to be Alaska), the
"Northern Exposure" cast and crew were back
last January. And they were up to their tricks
again, dumping mounds of trucked-in snow
(the mild winter didn't bring enough of the
real thing) along sidewalks, screwing fake
icicles into the eaves of buildings and spraying
fake snow-like goo on cars.
Although some people grumble about the
gawking crowd and disruption of having
streets blocked off while filming is going on,
others are having fun with it. After all, it's not
just Roslyn being showcased, but many of the
people of Roslyn as well.
A number of the locals have signed up as
extras. They're many of the folks viewers see
walking the streets of Cicely, cheering at
outdoor events or giving Dr. Fleischman a
hard time at those bizarre town meetings. As
a result, watching "Northern Exposure" in
Roslyn is more a game of spotting one's
neighbor, or oneself, than of actually
following the plot.
Housewives, truck drivers, farmers and school
kids have experienced minor TV celebrity.
Merrily Lewis, mother of two (daughter Caitlin
got to sing in one scene) and part-time
waitress at the Village Pizza, has made a
number of appearances. "My relatives
spotted me and called from California," she
said. She has even signed an autograph. Jerry
Morris got to work closely with stars Rob
Morrow and Janine Turner in a scene filmed
at his barber shop. Morris played Early, the
Cicely barber, and even wangled a two-word
speaking part ("All finished"). Morris has
reprised his role since then, and he said his
involvement in the series is "the biggest high
I've ever had in my life."
Living with a TV series can be interesting.
Locals see the series stars strolling around or
window shopping during breaks. Many people
like to hang out and watch the filming during
lunch or in the afternoon after work. But
being so close also tends to strip away some
of the magic.
"I was bored to death in my little stint as an
extra," said Heide of her one appearance in a
town meeting scene shot at a local church
Cicely News & World Telegram
during the first season. "It wasn't hard. All you owners agree that the show has already been
had to do was sit, talk to the person next to a big boon to business, and that has only
you and grumble. But they kept changing the increased along with "Northern Exposure's"
lights. They tried all kinds of camera angles. popularity.
We did it over and over. We had a call at 6
p.m. and didn't get out of there until one in The show's production company pumps
the morning. All that for a scene that was on money directly into the local economy as well.
TV for just a minute." This includes everything from a fee of $100
paid to Roslyn for each day of shooting to
But all other considerations aside, "Northern salaries for locals who work as extras, part-
Exposure's" biggest impact on Roslyn just time electricians, carpenters or snow
might be economic. In a town which is "pretty shovelers. There are rental fees paid for use of
impoverished," according to assistant city filming locations, for a restaurant where
clerk Marie Enrico, the money the show extras and crew are fed, and for vacant lots
brings in has been very welcome. With coal for parking trucks and equipment. Downtown
gone and logging in decline, there aren't many merchants get fees for altering the signs on
ways to make a good living in Roslyn or the fronts of their stores for filming. The show
Kittitas County. According to Washington also picked up the tab for a new fire engine.
state, the area's unemployment rate is about
8 percent, and the average per capita income Roslynites also get fees for the use of their
for the county is 20 percent lower than the cars, pick-ups, snowmobiles or other objects
average for the state, which is $17,696. in the filming. Heide's canoe earns her $25 for
each show in which it appears leaning against
So although some Roslynites work on the a wall.
show for fun, many can make good use of the
$50 a day the work brings. The pay isn't much "They've tried to keep the rental money here,
by Hollywood standards, especially for days of and they're doing pretty justifiable by the
being on call for up to 10 hours. But, as one town," said Denning. "I think it's had a pretty
local said, "It can mean another trip to the positive impact."
grocery store."
Local merchants agree and, in these lean
"Northern Exposure" has indirectly given the times, are happy for any business the show
businesses of Roslyn a welcome boost as well. can bring their way. Emil Danich, owner of
With no thriving industry and a declining Central Sundries, says that in addition to the
population (down 10 percent during the rental money he gets from the show for his
1980s), many businesses feel the pinch. In store, the people from the crew have been
casting about for a new means of economic "excellent customers," buying things for
survival, the town has discovered tourism. themselves and the set. "In a dinky little store
Roslyn's hundred-year-old cemeteries have like mine," Danich adds, "it makes quite a
made the whole town a National Historic Site. difference."
Daytrippers from the Puget Sound area began
to discover Roslyn a couple of years ago. But Roslyn's Brick Tavern, the model for Cicely's
summer of 1990 brought a new kind of "Holling's Bar," doesn't serve as a set. But the
tourist, the fan of "Northern Exposure" on a show's crew members are no strangers to the
quest to see where the series is filmed. With tavern, taking it over for parties and handing
the growing popularity of show, the crowds owner Jim Luster hundred-dollar bills to keep
increased. the drinks flowing.
"You can hear them on the street," said The frequent journeys the "Northern
Enrico, with obvious amusement. "They say, Exposure" caravan takes to Roslyn in winter
`Oh, there's the doctor's office,' and they have over snowy Snoqualmie Pass have brought
their pictures taken in front of the Roslyn Cafe unexpected benefits as well, according to
mural that you see on the show." Denning. "The hardware dealer over in Cle
Elum {a neighboring town where cast and
While they're in town, they poke around the crew stay overnight while on location} just
shops and eat in the cafes and taverns loves the socks off of them because of all the
downtown, dropping much-appreciated cash tire chains they bought."
into the tills of local merchants. Most store
66
All told, the show put more than $100,000
into the local economies of Roslyn and Cle
Elum during the filming of the first eight
episodes. Grayson estimated the tally for the
second season's first eight was to be more
than $150,000. That includes about $40,000
for fees to extras and $30,000 for hotels and
motels to put up cast and crew on location.
About $70,000 went to locals to rent filming
locations, such as Dr. Fleischman's office, Ruth
Anne's store, the radio station, the barber
shop and the homes of characters Maggie,
Maurice and Joel. Now in the midst of the
third season, Heide estimated that between
rental fees, shooting fees, salaries for extras
and purchases made by those in town as a
result of the show, about $11,000 flows into
Roslyn for each day of filming.
Many people in Roslyn, especially those
making money from the show, are happy
about its presence. But not everyone in town
is a "Northern Exposure" booster. "The
majority kind of like the show being here,"
said Danich. "But some people are a bit
unhappy because the tranquility of Roslyn is
sort of jeopardized."
Teacher and local environmental activist
Susan Willis Johnson agreed. "I wish them
well, but it is a minor irritation. It completely
disrupts the town. All of a sudden you have
traffic and police telling you which way to go.
You go to the post office and they say, `Would
you please not talk. They're shooting a scene.'
Or they ask you to move your car."
Although Mayor Denning is in favor of the
show's presence, he added, "I do agree
with a certain faction that it is nice when
they get their series shot out and we go
back to our normal life. We're a laid-back
type of people. We don't like the hustle and
bustle. That's why we live here."
There are many questions hanging over
Roslyn's future as a rustic tourist attraction
and TV locale. Some are concerned that the
crowds the show is attracting - the tourists
that many local business people were
hoping for - will destroy Roslyn's quiet
isolation.
Another serious question swirls around the
Plum Creek Timber Company, which owns
14,000 acres of forest ringing Roslyn.
According to Johnson, Plum Creek intends to
cut virtually all of its trees within the decade,
Cicely News & World Telegram
with drastic consequences for the forest
ecosystem. The resulting loss of logging jobs
could push local unemployment rates into the
40 percent range, according to one study. The
loss of trees could also scuttle Roslyn's hope
of continuing to host wilderness-seeking
tourists - and television shows.
But those questions are for the future. With a
watchful eye on the logging issue, most of the
locals seem determined to take advantage of
the opportunities now at hand. Heide
described the show staff as "a good group
that works real hard at trying not to step on
anybody's toes." So far, the marriage of
Roslyn, Wash., and Cicely, Alaska, seems to be
working reasonably well.
"Like any situation, you can't please
everybody," Grayson reasoned. "But I think
the overall feeling is positive."
Freelance writer Renee Skelton watches
"Northern Exposure" in New Jersey.
Monday, March 23, 1992 3-19
Wake Up Call 77521 34
Date: April 1992
Publication: Ladies' Home Journal
Author: Dean Lamanna
The cast of characters, clockwise from bottom
left:
Ed, Marilyn, Maggie, Chris, Joel, Maurice,
Shelly and Holling.
67
The tiny town of Roslyn, Washington
(population 875), is a long haul from
Hollywood: It's the kind of place where locals
used to watch dogs race alongside pickup
trucks for excitement. No longer. These days,
Roslyn is the site of Northern Exposure, the
hit series set in the fictional town of Cicely,
Alaska. A year and a half after its debut as a
summer replacement, this funny, often-
fantastic show from the creators of St.
Elsewhere won a Golden Globe as TV's best
drama series and regularly ranks in the
Nielsen top twenty. So meet the Cicely
townsfolk:
Janine Turner, who plays bush pilot Maggie
O'Connell, is probably the show's best-known
star - not always to her delight. "I hate
questions about my love life and my eight
dollars," pleads the former Wilhelmina model,
referring to her past amours (namely Alec
Baldwin and Mikhail Baryshnikov) and the
paltry amount of money she supposedly had
in her pocket prior to landing the role. Turner
would rather discuss tough-minded Maggie,
who she feels is a real nineties woman. "She's
not about fingernail polish and lipstick, but
she's still sexy," says the Dallas native with the
trademark boyish haircut. But Turner, twenty-
nine, doesn't know what will melt the ice
between Maggie and the series' male lead,
transplanted Manhattanite Dr. Joel
Fleischman (Rob Morrow). "My house burned
down in one episode," she says, . "and even
that didn't do it! But I wouldn't rule it out
down the road."
As the childlike waitress Shelly Tambo,
actress Cynthia Geary often steams up the
screen with her sixty-three-year-old
squeeze, Holling Vincoeur (John Cullum).
The twenty something Mississippian, who
"used to keep things inside until I explode,"
finds the show relaxing. "It's great therapy."
Tell that to Dr. Fleischman's stoic
assistant, Marilyn Whirlwind(played
by Elaine Miles), who doesn't get many
lines. That's just fine with thirtyish Miles, a
Native American who'd never acted before
she was discovered while dropping off her
mother to audition. "I'm a basket case
memorizing dialogue when it's more than
thirty words," she says.
John Corbett, who plays dish KBHR-
radio deejay Chris Stevens, claims to be
bewildered by his new sex-symbol
status. "I don't feel like I'm a hunk," says
the tall (six feet five), longhaired and
affable former steelworker from West
Virginia.
Roll 'em! Janine Turner on location in
the streets of Cicely
Northern Lights: Janine Turner (top) and
Cynthia Geary brighten up the Alaskan
scenery.
But actor Darren E. Burrows, who plays
Cicely's biggest movie buff, Ed Chigliak,
welcomes female fans. "I looove the ladies,"
he croons. One quarter Apache and one
quarter Cherokee, the blond Kansan dyes his
hair black to play part Native America Ed and
says he's learning about his heritage from the
show.
Barry Corbin plays the right-wing president of
Cicely's chamber of commerce, ex-
astronaut Maurice Minnifield, with gusto, but
says he's nothing like the man. "Maurice is
scientifically minded and thinks art is a girly
thing which is not how I feel," says Corbin a
Cicely News & World Telegram
longtime character actor and father of four 9. "Murder, She Wrote," CBS, 16.9.
who has dabbled in playwriting, boxing and
ballet. The burly Texan believes it's the 11. "NFL Monday Night Football," ABC, 16.8.
"community spirit in the writing and on the
set" - and in Roslyn itself - that has mad the 11. "Major Dad," CBS, 16.8.
series a success.
13. "Room For Two," ABC, 16.7.
14. "CBS Sunday Movie," CBS, 15.9.
Date: April 20, 1992
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times 15. "Evening Shade," CBS, 15.8.
Here's a list of the prime time series in the 16. "Northern Exposure," CBS, 15.5.
1991-92 season, with network and average
household ratings (one ratings point 17. "A Different World," NBC, 15.2.
represents 921,000 households):
18. "The Cosby Show," NBC, 14.8.
1. "60 Minutes," CBS, 21.7.
19. "Wings," NBC, 14.6.
2. "Roseanne," ABC, 20.2.
20. "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," NBC, 14.5.
3. "Murphy Brown," CBS, 18.6.
20. "America's Funniest Home Videos," ABC,
14.5.
4. "Cheers," NBC, 17.6.
Monday, April 27, 1992 3-20
5. "Home Improvement," ABC, 17.5.
The Final Frontier 77522 35
6. "Designing Women," CBS, 17.3.
7. "Coach," ABC, 17.2.
Monday, May 04, 1992 3-21 It
8. "Full House," ABC, 17.0.
Happened in Juneau
77519 36
9. "Unsolved Mysteries," NBC, 16.9.
68

Monday, May 11, 1992
Our Wedding 77524
Date: May 17, 1992
Publication: Albany Times Union
Author: Katherine Long Seattle Times
Cicely News & World Telegram
3-22 The place is the middle of nowhere. At least
37 it's as far away as you can get from suburban
Seattle civilization and still be in the eastern
suburbs.
Down a one-lane dirt road cut through alder
and cottonwoods, in a thicket of
salmonberries, the sounds of birds twittering
in the air is suddenly broken by a booming
voice: "Rolling!"
69
The word is echoed by people standing
in the woods.
"Background!" A man carrying a small
machine turns it on and smoke pours
from its nozzle.
"And action!"
Attention focuses on the town drunk
sitting in the mud, hair matted against
his head, belching.
The town drunk looks suspiciously
familiar. Despite the dirt, he just might
be Darren Burrows, the guy who plays
the Indian character Ed on the TV show
"Northern Exposure."
In fact, that's who it is.
Hollywood was visiting again. This time,
Hollywood was 10 miles outside
Redmond in an area destined to become
a semi- rural, one-house-per-five-acre
development.
Until the end of last week, though, this
land was the mythical town of Cicely,
Alaska, circa 1909.
If you're a regular viewer, you probably
know that "Northern Exposure" takes
place in Cicely but is really filmed in
Roslyn, Wash. You may have heard the
characters in past episodes alluding to
the town's lesbian founders, Roslyn and
Cicely, who carved it out of a muddy
mining settlement.
The final episode of this season, set to
run May 18, will be a flashback to 1909,
with most of the cast members and a
few guest stars telling the story of the
founding of the town. To remove all
vestiges of the 1990s and make Roslyn -
er, Cicely - look like a Klondike mining
town, the producers had to create a
new, old Cicely out in the woods
somewhere.
So they began combing the eastern Seattle
suburbs for a site - preferably one near the
studio in Redmond where all indoor shots are
filmed. They found this woods - far from
traffic noise, away from any power lines,
distant from tall buildings, and with the
perfect slope and tree cover.
Production designer Woody Crocker is the
man in charge of making Cicely look
authentic. And to do it, he spent a long time
studying photos of Klondike mining towns.
"You never know what the audience is going
to focus on," Crocker said. "Everything's got to But as chickens pecked around Burrows' feet
be appropriate or you may get caught."
Most of the buildings were set partly in the
trees, the practice of that era. "We didn't
want it to look like Dodge City," Crocker said.
There's a Chinese laundry that operates out of
a tent because many Chinese lived in Alaska
during that time, most of them brought in to
work at the salmon canneries. And many
businesses or dwellings were in tents.
To make the tents look worn, Crocker said,
they were dragged through the mud. To make
the windows on a building look dirty, they
were streaked with soap and chocolate syrup.
To make the town look authentic, racks of
antlers were nailed over the doors. To make
mud, 5,000 gallons of water were sprayed
onto the dirt.
To assemble the blacksmith's forge, the
laundry and other town buildings, the crew
had to track down antiques, including a horse- to take time out to marvel at their growth.
drawn wooden sled to suggest that it snows in Cicely is a place where a macho former
Cicely, even if recently it was only raining.
"I'm the only guy here who saw it before and
after," said extra Paul Archie, a Seattle real-
estate agent who boasts he has been on 30
episodes of the show since it began two years Jewish New York doctor; and a 60-ish
ago. Archie says he knows the owner of this
land and came out here before its
transformation to a Klondike town. "I was
Cicely News & World Telegram
amazed to see what they had done."
The crew spent three weeks building Cicely
out here and many months sketching it out on neurotically involved in the pursuit of
paper. Now, it's all gone.
and the smell of wood smoke drifted through
the trees, it was as real as television could
make it.
Date: May 18, 1992
Publication: The Denver Post
Author: Joanne Ostrow
The more Monday nights we spend in Cicely,
Alaska, the more we appreciate the town's
best quality. Its open-mindedness is rare,
even though network television forever
preaches the golden rule. In Cicely, they don't
just keep open minds, they fight prejudice.
"Northern Exposure," which has its season
finale tonight at 9 on Channel 7, trains its
audience not to bring preconceptions to the
characters and their backgrounds. In Cicely,
people are encouraged to shed old skins and
astronaut decorates with frilly Victorian
antiques; an African-American world traveler
finds brotherhood with a white ex-con radio
philosopher, a Native American with no
formal education teaches life lessons to a
woodsman and 20-ish bombshell share the
hottest romance in town.
70
Unpaved Main Street is home to a delightful
bunch of eccentrics. Even an heiress and a
tradition-starved barefoot chef are actively,
happiness.
This week, the town learns its history [3.23
Cicely].
While driving his truck, Joel narrowly avoids
hitting an elderly man who turns out to be
one of Cicely's first residents. The visitor,
played by Roberts Blossom, relates the story
of the birth of Cicely and its transformation
from a little mud hole terrorized by a town
bully into a thriving artists' utopia, "the Paris
of Alaska."
In a tale that parallels "Fried Green
Tomatoes," the town matriarchs are
introduced. The strong Roslyn (Jo Anderson)
and the graceful Cicely (Yvonne Suhor) leave
their mark - on Cicely and perhaps on prime
time.
Date: May 18, 1992
Publication: The New York Times
Author: John J. O’Connor
Right from episode No. 1, CBS's "Northern
Exposure," created by Joshua Brand and John
Falsey, set out to be the most imaginative of
current television series. Taking the premise
of a young New York doctor forced to pay off
his medical-school debt by treating patients in
a small Alaskan town called Cicely, the show
has been devising wonderfully original turns
on the old ploy of country cousins teaching
city slickers a thing or two about the art of
living.
How long can "Northern Exposure," now
ensconced on Mondays at 10 P.M., maintain
its new-age momentum? Tonight's episode,
the final one for this season, gives every
indication that there's no end yet in sight.
Now, courtesy of an exceptional script by
Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider, viewers
can learn how tiny Cicely came into being and
why, in the early decades of this century, it
was known as "the Paris of the North."
The episode begins with Dr. Joel Fleischman
(Rob Morrow) nearly running his car over an
elderly man named Ned Svenborg (Roberts
Blossom). Catching his breath at Joel's house,
Ned reveals that he lived in the area until
1909, when he was 25 years old. Yes, he is Burrows, normally seen as Ed, is obviously the film "Fried Green Tomatoes" and William
now 108. "Northern Exposure" is not averse only one who can fill the role of sensitive Whiteford and Susan Hadary Cohen for
to a tall tale, or romantic melodrama. young Ned. "Grace," a PBS documentary about a woman
with Alzheimer's disease. Actress Patricia Neal
The orphaned Ned grew up as what he terms Do Roslyn and Cicely succeed? Utopias, by won a special achievement award.
"a dysfunctional wolf child." The town, which their very nature, are elusive. But Cicely never
lacked an official name, had no schools, no loses her idealistic optimism. "We created a But if anyone personifies the spirit of the
churches, no law. It was run by a bully named community where all are equal," she assures a organization, it is Phillips, who makes old age
Mace and his somewhat otherworldly doubting Roslyn, with "the freedom to look like a glorious reward for a lifetime of
sidekick, Kit. Then one day, out of Montana, express ourselves and our art, the freedom to good behavior. Phillips, who showed up for
came two women, robust Roslyn (Jo be ourselves." Here, then, is an ingenious her interview in jeans, tennis shoes and a
Anderson) and delicate Cicely (Yvonne Suhor), segment of prime-time entertainment taking sweatshirt, loves to cook, garden and
who would change the place forever. a risk and commenting insightfully on matters entertain. She also takes time for Theater
like education, culture and art. Risky, yes. And Inside, a drama project she started in a high-
Roslyn's no-nonsense practicality would, up to these days, downright courageous. security children's prison. Each week, Phillips
a point, gladden conservative hearts and a cadre of volunteers work on theater
everywhere. Spotting the ragged Ned begging Monday, May 18, 1992 3-23 games with kids who have committed such
on the street, she declares loudly, "A handout Cicely 77502 38 unchildlike crimes as rape, murder and
is not what you need, young man." Talking robbery.
about education and meaningful work, she
tells him, "From now on, you will walk upright As if that's not enough, Phillips also reads
like a man, not like a dog." voraciously and writes short stories. And
while she has managed to fill an entire wall in
But Roslyn has another agenda, the kind that Date: June 1, 1992 her home with rejection letters, she is no
can make certain Washington bureaucrats Publication: Chicago Sun-Times more likely to give up writing than she was to
squirm. She and Cicely have, as Old Ned Author: Ginny Holbert give up acting.
recalls, "a grand purpose, a vision." They
dream of a utopian society, a colony of free Finally, I've figured out what I want to be "I come from a line of very tough, self-
thinkers and artists. And they put their dream when I grow up. By the time I hit 73, I want to confident little Scottish people," she says.
into practice, establishing a literary salon with be brave, resourceful and adventurous - just
readings from William Butler Yeats and Rainer like Peg Phillips. Although Phillips had always loved the
Maria Rilke, not to mention Cicely's modern theater, raising children and earning a living
Although Phillips has been acting for nearly 10 took center stage after she found herself the
dance evoking a matriarchal pagan society
years, most viewers know her only as Ruth divorced mother of four. At 65, though, she
honoring the earth goddess. Even the
Anne in CBS's "Northern Exposure," where revived her dream and enrolled in the
barroom ruffians are transfixed.
she plays the sharp-witted, down-to-earth University of Washington drama school.
One other thing: Roslyn and Cicely are proprietor of a one-room retail emporium
lesbians, very much and quite openly in love where Cicelians can buy everything from foot "I sent for my high school transcript to send to
with each other. When a hopelessly smitten powder to African carvings. the university 50 years to the day after I
Ned, now venturing into poetry himself, blurts graduated," says Phillips. "And they found it!"
Phillips, an accountant who turned to acting
out his love for Cicely, she gently informs him:
after retirement, was in Chicago last week to Phillips, who lives in a 100-year-old house in a
"My heart belongs to Roslyn and it always will.
accept a National Owl Media Award for tiny town outside Seattle, has four great-
I can't imagine life apart from her."
"Northern Exposure" producers Joshua Brand grandchildren and an enviable career as a
In a clever device typical of "Northern and John Falsey. The honorable mention regular on the critically acclaimed "Northern
Exposure," series regulars portray the award went to "A Hunting We Will Go," a Exposure," which just won top honors in
characters seen in the past. Basic personalities vibrant episode in which Joel confronts death Electronic Media's annual critics poll. But her
remain more or less the same. So gruff on a hunting trip, and Ruth Anne affirms life well-developed character didn't come without
Maurice (Barry Corbin) turns up as snarling by dancing on her own grave with her young a little aggressiveness.
Mace, while the disk jockey Chris (John friend Ed. The four-star episode airs at 9
Corbett) is the spacey Kit ("I am going to tonight on Channel 2. "All I did for the first 16 episodes was stand
recite the three parts of the Hegelian there with my hands on the counter and let
The Owl Awards, given by the Chicago-based the plot bump up against me," says Phillips.
dialectic," he suddenly announces). Joel
Retirement Research Foundation, recognize Finally, she drafted a biography for Ruth Anne
becomes Franz Kafka, on tour and trying to
film and television projects that deal with and a summary of possible relationships with
break through a writer's block and getting
aging in honest, informative and non- other characters, sending the whole packet
considerable assistance from Mary O'Keefe,
stereotypical ways. This year's winners off to Brand and Falsey. After that, Ruth came
who is of course played by Janine Turner, the
included Jon Avnet and Jordan Kerner for the out from behind the counter, becoming a
series' Maggie O'Connell. And Darren E.

Cicely News & World Telegram 71

girlfriend to Maggie (Janine Turner) and
Shelly (Cynthia Geary) and a mentor to Ed
(Darren Burrows), the wide-eyed innocent
who would like to be the northland's answer
to Woody Allen.

"I just saw Ed's character as something that

would really appeal to Ruth Anne. She's a
lady with a heart, she's very accepting and
she keeps up on things - she likes Spike Lee
and stuff like that," says Phillips. Since then,
the two actors have become good friends.

"We don't socialize together - I don't ride

motorcycles and he doesn't garden - but
we've become very close."

Somehow, though, my brief encounter with

Peg Phillips leaves me wondering. When
"Northern Exposure" comes back in the fall,
I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Ruth
Anne tooling through town on a Harley.

Date: June 8, 1992

Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
Author: Ginny Holbert

With apologies to Bruce Wolf, Bruce

DuMont and Bozo, I have confined my
search for TV's sexiest men to national
celebrities. My list, compiled after hours of
soul-searching and endless dialing for studs,
may strike some women as slightly quirky
and others as downright weird. Men
shouldn't even try to figure it out.

It's true that my guys are an odd bunch. The

list, which includes at least two hair-
transplant candidates and a couple of father
figures, is notably short on hot young things
like Luke Perry and Jason Priestley. But what
Exposure" producers Joshua Brand and John performance with several encores, he got up
can I say? Cute little wrinkles around the eyes
Falsey who put the beautiful words in Chris' at intermission to prepare a midnight snack of
do more for me than tight jeans. And any guy
beautiful mouth. In fact, it almost broke my red wine and pasta. I love pasta.
who uses more hairspray than I do makes me
heart to see a television interview with
nervous.
Corbett, who said he didn't even understand 3. Sam Waterston, who plays the Southern
most of his character's profound monologues. prosecutor and father of three on "I'll Fly
1. John Corbett, who plays the erudite DJ
Away," is another oxymoron - a hunky lawyer.
Chris on "Northern Exposure," is at the top of
2. Next on the list is Peter Onorati, who plays His character, Forrest Bedford, is earnest,
my list. Not only does he have soulful eyes
Charlie, the short, sweet balding divorce committed and likes women who beat him in
and cool, post-hippy sideburns, he's an
lawyer paired with Mariel Hemingway on court. He also has a seductive streak of
absolute romantic. He's intense and sensitive
"Civil Wars." Although it wasn't love at first melancholy that might make a woman think
yet undeniably rugged - a poet of the airwaves
sight, the more I see the more interesting he about just what she could do to make him
who plays funky music, quotes Wittgenstein
seems. In one episode, Charlie and a new happy.
and drives a pickup.
friend skipped dessert so they could rush
home and hop into bed for a passionate all- 4. My next pick, Michael Jordan, seems to be
Still, I have no illusions about this. The actor
nighter. Charlie not only gave a bravura happy enough already. He's not an actor, but
may be a nice guy, but I know it's "Northern

Cicely News & World Telegram 72

his commercials and celebrity appearances
make him a constant presence on the tube.
And while I understand that he also plays
basketball, it's the sense of humor, the
sublime body and the stunning smile that
score with me. I like Mike.
5. Mark Harmon, who plays cop Dickey Cobb
on "Reasonable Doubts," is a tough yet tender
type who can handle himself with the boys
but enjoys the company of women. And
judging by the steamy affairs he has on the
show, Dickey is a man who understands that
friendship and lust can go hand-in-hand.
6. Michael Moriarty plays the buttoned-down
prosecutor Ben Stone from "Law & Order,"
who is definitely not your raw beefcake kind
of guy. But Moriarty, the Tony- and Emmy-
winning actor who plays Stone, has piercing
eyes and a compelling voice that makes me
want to shut up and listen. His character,
Stone, is precise, reserved and utterly correct
on the surface, but I'm convinced that still
waters run hot. Melting that icy veneer of
propriety would pose an interesting
challenge.
Tomorrow: Lon Grahnke picks the sexiest
women on television. Results of our phone
poll will appear in the June 15 Sun-Times.
Date: June 9, 1992
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
Author: Lon Grahnke
Forget those "What Is Sexy?" commercials
from Jovan. Musk is not the answer. There is
no universal prototype, no ideal embodiment
of perfection.
Sexy is in the mind of the beholder.
My ideas about the sexiest women on TV are
bound to differ from yours. My preferences
are influenced by countless strange factors
that shape my personality. I'm a 42-year-old,
white, middle-class, married father with two
young children. My views on sexiness are
getting closer to my dad's and farther from
those shared by those cool dudes at the mall.
My choices do have one important point in
common. They're smart. Compared to the
dim-bulb bimbosity of the common boob-tube
babe, their intelligence beams from the TV
screen. Maybe I've come to appreciate brain
Cicely News & World Telegram
power as I age because I spend more time
thinking than doing.
And when I think about sexy TV women, I can
get as goofy as Dan Quayle. I confuse the
Date: July 1, 1993
actress with her fictional character. Do I adore
Publication: American Fitness
Janine Turner, or is Alaskan bush pilot Maggie
Author: Siegler, Bonnie
O'Connell the real source of my desire?
They come in all shapes and forms. They're
Well, those are my hangups. And these are
each strong and lean. They have to be--their
my favorites:
very livelihood depends upon being fit, vital
and athletic. Ian Ziering, Darren E. Burrows
1. Janine Turner. As charter pilot Maggie
and Drake Hogestyn are some of television's
O'Connell in "Northern Exposure," a rebellious
men of fitness.
hothead who keeps losing her lovers in fatal
accidents, Turner radiates independence,
Ian Ziering
assertiveness, curiosity and a beguiling sense
of whimsy. Alaska doesn't seem as cold when Portraying Steve Sanders, the son of a rich
she smiles. Hollywood actress on Fox TV's "Beverly Hills
90210," Ian (pronounced eye-in, "I was named
2. Shelley Fabares. She has come a long way,
after my grandfather Irving") Ziering brings to
baby, since her "Johnny Angel" wonder years
life a character who possesses tall, blonde
as a teen queen in "The Donna Reed Show"
good looks, an outgoing personality and
from 1958 to 1963. In "Coach," Fabares gives
money. While offering a triple dose of
TV journalist Christine Armstrong all the
strength, vitality and handsomeness, he wears
gumption she needs to throw Craig T.
his designer clothing as if it was custom made-
Nelson's macho football coach Hayden Fox for
-much like his coveted 1991 convertible
a loss.
Corvette.
3. Bebe Neuwirth. There's no need for ice in
Acting since the age of 12, Ziering is aware his
the drinks when frosty psychiatrist Lilith
healthy look is important to the fans'
Sternin Crane slings her chilling zingers at the
fascination with his "90210" character. "When
male losers in "Cheers." But Emmy-winning
I put my sneakers on and play ball, I'm
Neuwirth also hints at Lilith's inner fire,
competitive and enjoy winning," says the New
leaving guys to imagine the leggy shrink with
Jersey native. "I feel if I am doing the best I
her hair down. I'd lie on her couch anytime.
can, then I'm going to win. So why not give it
your all?" Is he a gracious loser? "Mostly, but I
4. Crystal Bernard. As passionate Helen
can't help being disappointed once in a
Chappel, the thoughtful waitress and dreamy
while."
musician in "Wings," Bernard is the only
woman who makes me want to be a cello.
The six-foot, 175-pound, twentysomething
actor loves mixing it up not only on the
5. TIE: Karyn Bryant & Karen "Duff" Duffy.
basketball courts, but in outdoor activities
MTV's two new veejays are young, brash,
such as swimming, diving, baseball, soccer,
socially conscious, politically aware and
snow skiing and horseback riding. Although he
sarcastic - a welcome relief from the "Wubba-
works up an appetite, Ziering credits his
Wubba" dancing-fool persona of Downtown
nutritional habits to physical fitness. "You
Julie Brown.
have to eat right," he says. "I ride my LifeCycle
for a half-hour every morning before
HEARTBREAKERS EMERITUS: Dana Delany,
breakfast--at 90 rpms. And my breakfast
whose dramatic "China Beach" reruns on the
consists of egg whites and a baked potato or
Lifetime cable channel keep combat nurse
Special K and skim milk. Lunch is usually a
Colleen McMurphy alive, and hair-dye
salad with turkey or skinless chicken. I snack
advocate Cybill Shepherd, whose sassy
on a couple of Power Bars between meals,
"Moonlighting" should be back on Lifetime
and I cap off the day with dinner--usually
later this year.
some type of grilled fish. I try to be health
conscious."
73
Unable to find time for regular gym visits,
Ziering has a trainer come to his San Fernando
Valley home four days a week. He usually
works out for 90 minutes a day. Starting with
bench presses for the chest muscles, he never
participates in more than five sets for any one
exercise. "My workout weight is around 175
and, I max out at 225 pounds," says Ziering.
"Then I go to the incline machine and use less
weights there because it's a controlled bar--
dumbell flies and cables--and mix all those up.
That's all for the chest muscles, which I focus
on during my workouts.
"For the biceps, we do preacher curls with
arms out, arms in," he adds. "I use machines
occasionally. I don't work my abs as much as I
should. But when I do, it consists of leg lifts,
crunches and sit-ups--all for about one-half
hour. I don't count how many, but I go until I
can't go anymore. For the legs, I do the sled,
squats, leg curls, lunges and reverse lunges
with a 125-pound barbell."
Drake Hogestyn
Back in his hometown of Fort Wayne, Indiana,
Drake Hogestyn was going to be a dentist. But
the 6'2" actor's first love was baseball. After
attending the University of South Florida in
Tampa on a baseball scholarship, the bigtime
called and he was drafted by the New York
Yankees. The gifted athlete played the
glamorous position of third base for the farm
in Upstate New York.
Today, Hogestyn throws curves as one of
daytime's most talented and certainly best
looking actors. Being a rough, rugged sex
symbol on NBC's "Days of Our Lives" is a
tough job, yet the 180-pound star rises to the
task with ease. In fact, he keeps his well toned
body in tip top shape at the Malibu Health
and Rehabilitation Spa--a gym he built with
two partners. "I'm not involved with day-to-
day decision making, but things are run past
me--like the types of equipment," he says.
"It's not a sweatshop like most gyms. There
are physical therapists, nutritionists and
medical doctors on staff."
How does Hogestyn keep his own body
practically perfect? "Plan on following me
around for about three hours." He laughs, but
somehow you just know he's serious. "My
routine starts out with about 15 minutes of
cardiovascular (bicycle, Stairmaster or skating
Cicely News & World Telegram
simulator) and stretching just to get the body `
warmed up.
Date: July 3, 1992
"After my warm-up, it's on to abdominal
work," he adds. "I start with curls on the floor Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
which work the rectus abdominis, then
"Northern Exposure" star Rob Morrow is
obliques and intercostals. I finish that set with
being sued for $5 million for giving the show
incline leg lifts, which are real killers. Then I
the cold shoulder in a contract dispute.
take a one-minute recovery and start that
whole set again--a total of 30 minutes."
Morrow, who plays a New Yorker in small-
town Alaska, failed to show up Tuesday in
With such physical expertise, Hogestyn's
Seattle, where the quirky TV series is filmed,
workout is a combination of various routines.
Pipeline Productions said in its lawsuit.
"Some is from Arnold (Schwarzenegger), some
is from the ol' workout encyclopedia and the
Morrow's absence is costing the company $5
fibergenics program," he says. "The supersets
million because the rest of the cast and crew
are from Arnold."
are ready to begin production for the fall
season, the complaint said.
Darren E. Burrows
Pipeline said a contract signed by Morrow in
Darren E. Burrows, who portrays quirky Ed
1990 gives it an option on his services until
Chigliak, a young Native American on CBS'
1996. CBS has ordered 50 episodes for the
"Northern Exposure," is quick to point out he
next two seasons.
doesn't like indoor exercise. "I really don't do
much of a workout when it comes to a gym
routine," says the Kansas native.
Burrows, who has naturally light blonde hair Date: July 16, 1992
in real life, prefers outdoor sports like hiking Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
in the local mountains, motorcycling and Author: Deborah Hastings
horseback riding. "Actually I'm an avid
outdoorsperson and enjoy being with nature LOS ANGELES CBS's quirky drama series
outside camping or taking off on my "Northern Exposure" gained 16 nominations
motorcycle to breathe some fresh air," says today to lead all competitors in the 44th
the lanky six-foot actor. "I also do that for Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. NBC was
stress management, which I think is important the top network over all with 100
to your overall health." nominations.
Relocating from Los Angeles and now living in CBS was second with 70, followed by ABC with
Washington state where "Exposure" is filmed, 63. Home Box Office followed with 24
the 26-year-old Burrows has settled into his nominations, and Fox Broadcasting Co. was
new home with lots of acreage and horses. "I next with 12.
can horseback ride for hours," he says. "You
get your heart rate up and strengthen upper The 44th Emmy awards ceremony will be
body and leg muscles. It's more pleasure than broadcast by Fox Broadcasting Co. on Aug. 30
exercise--I do it for hours and sometimes for from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. Voting is
an entire weekend. done by panels of directors, actors and
writers.
"I like to do these men things," he adds. "And
I also like to play team sports such as softball, In a four-way tie for second place among
basketball and gardening." Men things? shows, with nine nominations each, were the
Gardening? "I don't just garden flowers and Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation of "Miss
shrubs--I cut down trees or thin their Rose White" on NBC, CBS's "Murphy Brown,"
branches. I have lots on my property that NBC's "Seinfeld," and "The 64th Annual
always need tending." Academy Awards" on ABC.
Nominations for "Northern Exposure"
included lead actor for Rob Morrow and
74
supporting actor for John Corbett. The series
also was nominated for outstanding drama,
along with "I'll Fly Away," "L.A. Law" and "Law
& Order," all on NBC.
Best comedy series nominations were NBC's
"Cheers," the network's new hit "Seinfeld,"
CBS's "Murphy Brown" and "Brooklyn Bridge,"
and ABC's "Home Improvement."
Recommendations for best actress in a drama
series went to Dana Delany in ABC's "China
Beach," Regina Taylor of NBC's "I'll Fly Away,"
Kate Nelligan of the Disney Channel's
"Avonlea," Shirley Knight of NBC's "Law &
Order," Angela Lansbury of CBS's "Murder,
She Wrote" and Sharon Gless of CBS' "The
Trials of Rosie O'Neill."
Date: July 17, 1992
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
Author: Ginny Holbert
Talk about a conflict of interests.
As the prime-time Emmy Awards nominations
were announced Thursday, writer/producers
Joshua Brand and John Falsey found
themselves competing against formidable
opponents: themselves. Their shows, the
effervescent "Northern Exposure" (CBS) and
the moving "I'll Fly Away" (NBC), will compete
in three major categories.
Both shows - the two best on television, by
the way - were nominated for best drama,
best actor in a drama (Rob Morrow in
"Northern Exposure" and Sam Waterston in
"I'll Fly Away") and best supporting actress in
a drama (Valerie Mahaffey on "Northern
Exposure," Cynthia Geary on "Northern
Exposure" and Mary Alice on "I'll Fly Away").
In addition, "I'll Fly Away" was nominated for
best actress in a drama (Regina Taylor), while
"Northern Exposure" took a best supporting
actor nomination for John Corbett.
With 16 nominations in all, "Northern
Exposure" led all competitors.
The big surprise was a nod to ABC's
"Roseanne" in the best actress in a comedy
category. Although Roseanne Arnold presides
over the most popular comedy on TV, the
Academy of Television Arts & Sciences has
Cicely News & World Telegram
snubbed her and the show in years past. This
time around, co-stars John Goodman and
Chicago's own Laurie Metcalf also were
nominated. Still, it's unlikely the outspoken
Arnold will walk off with a trophy for her rec
room. Academy voters are more likely to go
with Candice Bergen for her fruitful year in
"Murphy Brown" on CBS.
In all, NBC led the competition with 100
nominations. CBS was second with 70,
followed by ABC with 63 and HBO with 24.
Fox, which will broadcast the Emmy Awards
ceremony Aug. 30, received 12.
Fox's most notable nomination went to "In
Living Color" as best variety, music or comedy
program. But it's a good bet that "The Tonight
Show Starring Johnny Carson" will grab that
prize.
Date: July 17, 1992
Publication: The Washington Post
"Northern Exposure," the offbeat CBS saga of
small-town Alaska, received 16 Emmy
nominations today - the most of any program
- and Roseanne Arnold drew her first after
being shut out for four years.
NBC was the most-honored network with 100 same series, and Kirk Douglas for his guest
nominations, followed by CBS's 70 and ABC's
63. Cable's Home Box Office gained 24, PBS 19 Crypt."
and Fox drew 12.
Nominations for "Northern Exposure"
included best drama series and lead dramatic
actor for Rob Morrow, whose recent demands
for more money has prompted makers of the
hit program to consider replacing him.
Joining "Northern Exposure" in the drama
series nominations were NBC's "I'll Fly Away,"
"L.A. Law," "Quantum Leap" and "Law &
Order."
Arnold was nominated for lead actress in a
comedy series. Costars John Goodman and
Laurie Metcalf also received acting
nominations, but their popular sitcom,
"Roseanne," was snubbed. "I'm mad that they
didn't nominate the show," Arnold said. "With
three leads nominated, why not the show?"
75
The 44th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards will
be broadcast Aug. 30 from the Pasadena Civic
Auditorium by Fox. Voting is done by panels of
directors, actors and writers who are
members of the National Academy of
Television Arts and Sciences.
In a four-way tie for second place among
programs - with nine nominations each - were
the Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation "Miss
Rose White" on NBC, CBS's "Murphy Brown,"
NBC's "Seinfeld" and the Academy Awards
ceremony on ABC.
Nominated for best comedy series were NBC's
"Cheers" and "Seinfeld," CBS's "Murphy
Brown" and "Brooklyn Bridge" and ABC's
"Home Improvement."
Recommendations for drama series actress
included two from canceled series: Dana
Delany of ABC's "China Beach" and Sharon
Gless of CBS's "The Trials of Rosie O'Neill."
Also nominated were Regina Taylor of "I'll Fly
Away," Kate Nelligan of the Disney Channel's
"Avonlea," Shirley Knight of "Law & Order,"
and Angela Lansbury of CBS's "Murder, She
Wrote."
Morrow's competitors for lead drama actor
were Christopher Lloyd of "Avonlea," Sam
Waterston of "I'll Fly Away," Michael Moriarty
of "Law & Order," Harrison Page for a guest
spot on "Quantum Leap," Scott Bakula of the
role on Home Box Office's "Tales From the
Nominated for lead actress in a comedy series
with Arnold were Marion Ross of "Brooklyn
Bridge," Kirstie Alley of "Cheers," Candice
Bergen of "Murphy Brown," Tyne Daly for a
guest role on NBC's "Wings" and Betty White
of NBC's "The Golden Girls."
In the comedy actor category were Ted
Danson of "Cheers," who has been nominated
for each of the 10 years "Cheers" has been on
the air and finally won in 1990; Craig T. Nelson
of ABC's "Coach," last year's winner, Burt
Reynolds of CBS's "Evening Shade," Goodman,
Jerry Seinfeld of "Seinfeld," and Kelsey
Grammer for a guest spot on NBC's "Wings."
PBS's major nominees were "Empire of the
Air: The Men Who Made Radio," in the
informational special category, and two for
best children's program: "In the Shadow of
Love: A Teen AIDS Story" and "What Kids Jay Thomas, "Murphy Brown," CBS; Jason DRAMA SERIES: "Northern Exposure," CBS;
Want to Know About Sex and Growing Up (A Alexander, "Seinfeld," NBC. "I'll Fly Away," NBC; "L.A. Law," NBC; "Law &
3-2-1 Contact Extra)." Order," NBC; "Quantum Leap," NBC.
SUPPORTING ACTOR, DRAMA SERIES: Jimmy
A partial list of nominees: Smits, "L.A. Law," NBC; Richard Dysart, "L.A. MINISERIES: "Cruel Doubt," NBC; "Drug Wars:
Law," NBC; John Corbett, "Northern The Cocaine Cartel," NBC; "In a Child's Name,"
LEAD ACTOR, COMEDY SERIES: Ted Danson, Exposure," CBS; Dean Stockwell, "Quantum CBS; "The Burden of Proof," ABC; "A Woman
"Cheers," NBC; Craig T. Nelson, "Coach," ABC; Leap," NBC; Richard Kiley, "The Ray Bradbury Named Jackie," NBC.
Burt Reynolds, "Evening Shade," CBS; John Theater," USA; Ed Asner, "The Trials of Rosie
Goodman, "Roseanne," ABC; Jerry Seinfeld, O'Neill," CBS. MADE FOR TELEVISION MOVIE: "Doing Time
"Seinfeld," NBC; Kelsey Grammer, "Wings," on Maple Drive," Fox; "Homefront," Pilot,
NBC. SUPPORTING ACTOR, MINISERIES OR SPECIAL: ABC; "I'll Fly Away," Pilot, NBC; "Hallmark Hall
Ben Vereen, "Intruders - They Are Among Us," of Fame: Miss Rose White," NBC; "Without
LEAD ACTOR, DRAMA SERIES: Christopher CBS; Hector Elizondo, "American Playhouse: Warning: The James Brady Story," HBO.
Lloyd, "Avonlea," Disney Channel; Sam Mrs. Cage," PBS; Jerry Orbach, "Neil Simon's
Waterston, "I'll Fly Away," NBC; Michael `Broadway Bound,'" ABC; Hume Cronyn, "Neil VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY PROGRAM:
Moriarty, "Law & Order," NBC; Rob Morrow, Simon's `Broadway Bound,'" ABC; Brian "Cirque du Soleil II: A New Experience," HBO;
"Northern Exposure," CBS; Harrison Page, Dennehy, "The Burden of Proof," ABC. "Comic Relief V," HBO; "In Living Color," Fox;
"Quantum Leap," NBC; Scott Bakula, "Late Night With David Letterman," NBC; "The
"Quantum Leap," NBC; Kirk Douglas, "Tales SUPPORTING ACTRESS, COMEDY SERIES: Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson," NBC;
From the Crypt," HBO. Frances Sternhagen, "Cheers," NBC; Alice "Unforgettable, With Love: Natalie Cole Sings
Ghostley, "Designing Women," CBS; Estelle the Songs of Nat King Cole," on "Great
LEAD ACTOR, MINISERIES OR SPECIAL: Hume Getty, "The Golden Girls," NBC; Faith Ford, Performances," PBS.
Cronyn, "Christmas on Division Street," CBS; "Murphy Brown," CBS; Laurie Metcalf,
Ruben Blades, "Crazy From the Heart," TNT; "Roseanne," ABC; Julia Louis-Dreyfus, CLASSICAL PROGRAM IN THE PERFORMING
Maximilian Schell, "Hallmark Hall of Fame: "Seinfeld," NBC. ARTS: "A Carnegie Hall Christmas Concert,"
Miss Rose White," NBC; Brian Dennehy, "To PBS; "Kathleen Battle and Wynton Marsalis in
Catch a Killer," syndicated; Beau Bridges, SUPPORTING ACTRESS, DRAMA SERIES: Marg Baroque Duet," PBS; "The 100th Telecast: Live
"Without Warning: The James Brady Story," Helgenberger, "China Beach," ABC; Mary From Lincoln Center: Pavorotti Plus!," PBS;
HBO. Alice, "I'll Fly Away," NBC; Conchata Ferrell, "Paul McCartney's Liverpool Oratorio Great
"L.A. Law," NBC; Barbara Barrie, "Law & Performances," PBS; "Perlman in Russia," PBS.
LEAD ACTRESS, COMEDY SERIES: Marion Ross, Order," NBC; Valerie Mahaffey, "Northern
"Brooklyn Bridge," CBS; Kirstie Alley, "Cheers," Exposure," CBS; Cynthia Geary, "Northern CHILDREN'S PROGRAM: "Avonlea," Disney
NBC; Betty White, "The Golden Girls," NBC; Exposure," CBS; Kay Lenz, "Reasonable Channel; "In the Shadow of Love: A Teen AIDS
Candice Bergen, "Murphy Brown," CBS; Doubts," NBC. Story," PBS; "Mark Twain and Me," Disney
Roseanne Arnold, "Roseanne," ABC; Tyne Channel; "A 3-2-1 Contact Extra: What Kids
Daly, "Wings," NBC. SUPPORTING ACTRESS, MINISERIES OR Want to Know About Sex and Growing Up,"
SPECIAL: Bibi Besch, "Doing Time on Maple PBS; "Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too,"
LEAD ACTRESS, DRAMA SERIES: Kate Nelligan, Drive," Fox; Amanda Plummer, "Hallmark Hall ABC.
"Avonlea," Disney Channel; Dana Delany, of Fame: Miss Rose White," NBC; Maureen
"China Beach," ABC; Regina Taylor, "I'll Fly Stapleton, "Hallmark Hall of Fame: Miss Rose INFORMATIONAL SPECIAL: "Abortion:
Away," NBC; Shirley Knight, "Law & Order," White," NBC; Penny Fuller, "Hallmark Hall of Desperate Choices," HBO; "The Barbara
NBC; Angela Lansbury, "Murder, She Wrote," Fame: Miss Rose White," NBC; Anne Bancroft, Walters Special With Michelle Pfeiffer,
CBS; Sharon Gless, "The Trials of Rosie "Neil Simon's `Broadway Bound,'" ABC. Anthony Hopkins and Tom Cruise," ABC;
O'Neill," CBS. "Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made
INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE, VARIETY OR Radio," PBS; "Hearts of Darkness: A
LEAD ACTRESS, MINISERIES OR SPECIAL: Laura MUSIC PROGRAM: George Carlin, "George Filmmaker's Apocalypse," Showtime; "In the
Dern, "Afterburn," HBO; Gena Rowlands, Carlin Jammin' in New York," HBO; Dana Company of Whales," Discovery Channel.
"Face of a Stranger," CBS; Anne Bancroft, Carvey, "Saturday Night Live," NBC; Billy
"American Playhouse: Mrs. Cage," PBS; Judy Crystal, "The 64th Annual Academy Awards," INFORMATIONAL SERIES: "Entertainment
Davis, "Hallmark Hall of Fame: One Against ABC; Bette Midler, "The Tonight Show Starring Tonight," syndicated; "Later ... With Bob
the Wind," CBS; Meredith Baxter, "A Woman Johnny Carson," NBC; "Unforgettable, With Costas," NBC; "MGM: When the Lion Roars,"
Scorned: The Betty Broderick Story," CBS. Love: Natalie Cole Sings the Songs of Nat King TNT; "Siskel & Ebert," syndicated; "Unsolved
Cole," on "Great Performances," PBS. Mysteries," NBC.
SUPPORTING ACTOR, COMEDY SERIES: Harvey
Fierstein, "Cheers," NBC; Jerry Van Dyke, COMEDY SERIES: "Brooklyn Bridge," CBS; ANIMATED PROGRAM (ONE HOUR OR LESS):
"Coach," ABC; Michael Jeter, "Evening Shade," "Cheers," NBC; "Home Improvement," ABC; "A Claymation Easter," CBS; "The Ren &
CBS; Charles Durning, "Evening Shade," CBS; "Murphy Brown," CBS; "Seinfeld," NBC. Stimpy Show," Nickelodeon; "Shelley Duvall's

Cicely News & World Telegram 76

Bedtime Stories," Showtime; "The Simpsons,"
Fox.
CHOREOGRAPHY: "The 64th Annual Academy
Awards," ABC; "Comic Relief V," HBO; "In
Living Color," Show 307, Fox; "Paul Taylor's
`Speaking in Tongues': Dance in America,"
PBS; "Stompin' at the Savoy," CBS.
CINEMATOGRAPHY, SERIES: "Doogie Howser,
M.D.: Summer of '91," ABC; "Northern
Exposure: Cicely," CBS; "Quantum Leap:
Dreams," NBC; "The Young Indiana Jones
Chronicles: British East Africa 1909," ABC.
CINEMATOGRAPHY, MINISERIES OR SPECIAL:
"Afterburn," HBO; "Doublecrossed," HBO;
"Into the Badlands," USA; "Lady Against the
Odds," NBC; "Hallmark Hall of Fame: Miss
Rose White," NBC.
COSTUMING, SERIES: "China Beach: Hello -
Goodbye," ABC; "Homefront: At Your Age,"
ABC; "L.A. Law: Double Breasted Suit," NBC;
"MacGyver: Good Knight MacGyver," Part
One, ABC.
COSTUMING, MINISERIES OR SPECIAL: "The
Babe Ruth Story," NBC; "Homefront," Pilot,
ABC.
COSTUME DESIGN, SERIES: "Brooklyn Bridge:
War of the Worlds," CBS; "I'll Fly Away: The
Slightest Distance," NBC; "P.S. I Luv U: What's
Up Bugsy," CBS; "Quantum Leap: A Single
Drop of Rain," NBC; "Star Trek: The Next
Generation: Cost of Living," syndicated.
COSTUME DESIGN, MINISERIES OR SPECIAL:
"The Gambler IV: The Luck of the Draw," Part
Two, NBC; "I'll Fly Away," Pilot, NBC;
"Stompin' at the Savoy," CBS; "A Woman
Named Jackie," Part One, NBC; "Young
Indiana Jones and the Curse of the Jackal,"
Pilot, ABC.
COSTUME DESIGN, VARIETY OR MUSIC
PROGRAM: "The Carol Burnett Show: Show
403," CBS, "In Living Color: Show 302," Fox;
"The Secret Life of Barry's Wife," Showtime;
"The 64th Annual Academy Awards," ABC.
DIRECTING, COMEDY SERIES: "Brooklyn
Bridge: When Irish Eyes Are Smiling," CBS;
"Cheers: Old Fashioned Wedding," NBC;
"Murphy Brown: Send in the Clowns," CBS;
"Murphy Brown: Birth 101," CBS, "Seinfeld:
The Tapes," NBC.
Cicely News & World Telegram
DIRECTING, DRAMA SERIES: "China Beach:
Rewind," ABC; "I'll Fly Away: All God's
Children," NBC; "L.A. Law: Say Goodnight
Gracie," NBC; "Northern Exposure: Seoul
Mates," CBS; "The Trials of Rosie O'Neill:
Heartbreak Hotel," CBS.
DIRECTING, VARIETY OR MUSIC PROGRAM:
"The 45th Annual Tony Awards," CBS; "Late
Night With David Letterman: 10th Anniversary
Special," NBC; "The 64th Annual Academy
Awards," ABC; "The Tonight Show Starring
Johnny Carson," NBC; "Unforgettable, With
Love: Natalie Cole Sings the Songs of Nat King
Cole," on "Great Performances," PBS.
DIRECTING, MINISERIES OR SPECIAL: "Crash
Landing: The Rescue of Flight 232," ABC;
"Homefront," Pilot, ABC; "I'll Fly Away," Pilot,
NBC; "Mark Twain and Me," Disney Channel;
"Hallmark Hall of Fame: Miss Rose White,"
NBC; "Neil Simon's `Broadway Bound,'" ABC.
MUSIC COMPOSITION, SERIES (DRAMATIC
UNDERSCORE): "In the Heat of the Night:
Family Reunion," NBC; "Matlock: The
Strangler," NBC; "The Simpsons: Treehouse of
Horror II," Fox; "Star Trek: The Next
Generation: Unification 1," syndicated.
MUSIC COMPOSITION, MINISERIES OR
SPECIAL (DRAMATIC UNDERSCORE):
"Doublecrossed," HBO; "Fire in the Dark,"
CBS; "A Little Piece of Heaven," NBC; "Survive
the Savage Sea," ABC.
MUSIC DIRECTION: "Christmas in
Washington," NBC; "The Kennedy Center
Honors," CBS; "Late Night With David
Letterman: 10th Anniversary Special," NBC;
"The 64th Annual Academy Awards," ABC.
MUSIC AND LYRICS: "The Carol Burnett Show,
Show 404," CBS; "Cast a Deadly Spell," HBO;
"A Salute to America's Pets," ABC; "The Walt
Disney Company Presents the American
Teacher Awards," Disney Channel.
MAIN TITLE THEME MUSIC: "Brooklyn Bridge,"
CBS; "I'll Fly Away," NBC; "Major Dad," CBS;
"Silk Stalkings," USA; "The Young Indiana
Jones Chronicles," ABC.
SOUND EDITING, SERIES: "Civil Wars: Oceans
White With Phone," ABC; "Law & Order:
Heaven," NBC; "Northern Exposure: Three
Amigos," CBS; "Quantum Leap: Hurricane,"
77
NBC; "Star Trek: The Next Generation: Power
Play," syndicated.
SOUND EDITING, MINISERIES OR SPECIAL:
"Cast a Deadly Spell," HBO; "Conagher," TNT;
"Crash Landing: The Rescue of Flight 232,"
ABC; "Deadlock," HBO; "I'll Fly Away," Pilot,
NBC.
WRITING, COMEDY SERIES: "Murphy Brown:
Uh-Oh," Part Two, CBS; "Murphy Brown:
Come Out, Come Out, Where Ever You Are,"
CBS; "Roseanne: A Bitter Pill to Swallow,"
ABC; "Seinfeld: The Tape," NBC; "Seinfeld: The
Fix Up," NBC; "Seinfeld: The Parking Garage,"
NBC.
WRITING, DRAMA SERIES: "China Beach:
Hello-Goodbye," ABC; "I'll Fly Away: Master
Magician," NBC; "Northern Exposure:
Democracy in America," CBS; "Northern
Exposure: Burning Down the House," CBS;
"Northern Exposure: Seoul Mates," CBS.
WRITING, VARIETY OR MUSIC PROGRAM: "In
Living Color," Fox; "Late Night With David
Letterman," NBC; "Saturday Night Live," NBC;
"The 64th Annual Academy Awards," ABC;
"The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson,"
NBC. @Slug: C06NB
Date: July 17, 1992
Publication: The New York Times
LOS ANGELES, July 16— The quirky drama
series "Northern Exposure" on CBS was
nominated a leading 16 times today for the
44th Annual Prime-Time Emmy Awards, and
NBC was the top network nominee overall
with 100 nominations.
CBS was second with 70, followed by ABC with
63. HBO followed with 24 nominations and
Fox Broadcasting was next with 12.
Nominations for "Northern Exposure"
included those for its starring actor, Rob
Morrow, and for a supporting actor, John
Corbett. The series was also nominated for
outstanding drama, along with "I'll Fly Away,"
"L.A. Law" and "Law and Order," all on NBC.
In a four-way tie with nine nominations each
were the NBC's "Seinfeld," "64th Annual
Academy Awards" and "Hallmark Hall of
Fame" presentation of "Miss Rose White" and
CBS's "Murphy Brown."
Best comedy series nominations were for
NBC's "Cheers" and "Seinfeld," CBS's "Murphy
Brown" and "Brooklyn Bridge" and ABC's
"Home Improvement."
Nominations for best actress in a drama series
went to Dana Delany in ABC's "China Beach,"
Regina Taylor in NBC's "I'll Fly Away," Kate
Nelligan in the Disney Channel's "Avonlea,"
Shirley Knight of NBC's "Law and Order,"
Angela Lansbury in CBS's "Murder, She
Wrote" and Sharon Gless in "The Trials of
Rosie O'Neill," also from CBS.
The outstanding drama actor category also
included nominations for Christopher Lloyd of
the Disney Channel's "Avonlea," Sam
Waterston of NBC's "I'll Fly Away," Michael
Moriarty of NBC's "Law and Order," Harrison
Page and Scott Bakula of NBC's "Quantum
Leap" and Kirk Douglas of HBO's "Tales From
the Crypt."
Nominated for lead actress in a comedy series
were Marion Ross of CBS's "Brooklyn Bridge,"
Kirstie Alley of NBC's "Cheers," Betty White of
"The Golden Girls" on NBC, Candice Bergen of
CBS's "Murphy Brown," Tyne Daly of NBC's
"Wings" and Roseanne Arnold -- long omitted
from Emmy contention -- for ABC's 4-year-old
series "Roseanne."
Date: July 20, 1992
Publication: The Record
Author: Virginia Mann
I was pleased to see many of the names and
titles on the list of this year's prime-time
Emmy nominations. But no entry thrilled me
more than Rob Morrow of "Northern
Exposure," who'll compete with, among
others, Michael Moriarty ("Law & Order"),
Sam Waterston ("I'll Fly Away"), and Scott
Bakula "Quantum Leap") for best actor in a
drama.
Lately, it seems, Morrow-bashing has become
a popular sport in Los Angeles.
Since the actor failed to report to work on
"Northern Exposure" June 24, it's become
fashionable to opine that it wouldn't really
Cicely News & World Telegram
matter -- indeed, it might even be better -- if
Morrow never resolved his salary dispute with
the show's producers and studio,
MCA/Universal. Reportedly, he has demanded
a "substantial" increase above the $19,250
per episode he was contractually set to
receive this season.
While Morrow may already seem well-paid,
his salary pales in comparison to that of many
other actors on hit shows. And I can't forget
his description of working six long days a
week when the show began two years ago, as
a summer series with two-thirds the usual
budget of -- and considerably fewer on-set
amenities than -- a regular show.
After being slapped with a $5 million lawsuit
by one of the production companies listed in
the credits, Morrow came back to work two
weeks ago, but he's reportedly still
demanding a raise. According to the
Hollywood Reporter, Morrow had until Friday
to resolve his dispute with the producers, who
claim they will replace him if he doesn't settle.
The rumors -- perhaps planted by sources
with a vested interest -- are that Morrow is
not well-liked on the set, and that Jon Cryer, a
possible stand-in, is waiting in the wings. (The
insulting implication here is that New York
Jewish types are virtually interchangeable.)
On Wednesday, someone at CBS shared with
me what is purported to be a general
perception -- that the "Northern Exposure"
story lines involving Morrow's Dr. Joel
Fleischman actually slow down the quirky
show.
I responded that Morrow's Fleischman
happens to be my favorite character.
Although the denizens of Cicely, Alaska, are
endearing, they can be uncomfortably
peculiar. Even deejay Chris Stevens -- played
by
John Corbett (who received an Emmy
nomination for supporting actor) -- gets on my
nerves. But as a native New Yorker, I'm used
to, in fact partial to, ornery but lovable people
like Fleischman.
"Exposure," by the way, garnered the most
number of Emmy nominations this year -- 16.
And I'm glad to see that the Academy of
Television Arts and Sciences (ATAS)
acknowledged Morrow's contribution.
78
On other points, their logic escapes me. The
ATAS voters finally put Roseanne Arnold in
the running for best actress in a comedy --
and nominated John Goodman again as best
actor -- but they overlooked the
consistently fine "Roseanne" in the best
comedy category.
It's said that Academy voters have a hard time
recognizing the acting of stand-up comics. In
fact, though "Home Improvement" was
nominated as best comedy series, its star, Tim
Allen, was overlooked (as was gifted actress
Patricia Richardson, who plays his wife).
On the other hand, for the second time, ATAS
nominated the well-liked Jerry Seinfeld as
best actor in a comedy series.
Now, "Seinfeld" happens to be one of my
favorite shows, but even the comedian
himself concedes he's no thespian. On July 9,
at an NBC press session for the series, co-star
Jason Alexander -- a Broadway-trained actor
who received his first Emmy nomination as
best supporting actor in a comedy -- was
asked to evaluate Seinfeld's acting technique.
"He does two things that are very interesting,"
said Alexander, ribbing his co-star good-
naturedly. "One is his delivery of a line. . . .
He'll find the one word that no one in the
world would stress and
stress the hell out of it.
"The other joke that we make is that it's very
easy to direct Jerry, because you basically just
say, `OK, Jerry, on this line, you're sad, and
then you walk over there,' and he will
comply."
Seinfeld himself chimed in that "Having no
technique is very liberating."
Some of the Emmy rules are equally baffling.
It continues to irk me that "The Simpsons" --
one of the funniest shows on television -- is
barred from competing in the outstanding-
comedy category, and that,
because of a rule change this year, guest stars
are allowed to vie in the major acting honors.
(ATAS now guarantees at least one guest
nomination in every series acting category.)
For the best actress in a comedy award,
Arnold, Marion Ross ("Brooklyn Bridge"),
Kirstie Alley ("Cheers"), Betty White ("The
Golden Girls"), and Candice Bergen ("Murphy
Brown") will compete, for example, with Tyne
Daly, who appeared in one forgettable story
line of "Wings."
Otherwise, the nominations were pretty much Texas cop recording his own murder -- leading
on target. Deservedly gleaning multiple
nominations were the TV movie "Miss Rose
White," as well as the series "Murphy Brown," "Network," in which programmers, hungry for
"Seinfeld," "I'll Fly Away," "Law & Order," and ratings, allowed a terrorist group to kill a
"Northern Exposure."
But, to me, the most welcome nod was
Morrow's. His Fleischman brought me into the
town of Cicely, and if he were to leave
"Northern Exposure," I'd probably take off,
too.
The Primetime Emmy Awards telecast, with
hosts Tim Allen, Kirstie Alley, and Dennis
Miller, is set to air Aug. 30 on the Fox
network.
Last Wednesday, another industry
competition, the Television Critics Association
Awards, took place in Los Angeles.
Outstanding television achievement in various
categories was honored. The winners were:
Program of the year: CBS' "Northern
Exposure." Drama: NBC's "I'll Fly Away."
Comedy: NBC's "Seinfeld." News and
information: PBS' "Frontline." TV special: "Billy
Crystal/ABC's Academy Awards" ceremony.
Sports: HBO's "When It Was A Game."
Children's programming: Peggy Charren,
founder of Action for Children's Television.
Career achievement: Johnny Carson.
Illustrations/Photos: PHOTO - Rob Morrow of
"Northern Exposure" may be left out in the
cold.
Date: July 26, 1992
Publication: The Record
Author: Virginia Mann
In the late Sixties, CBS Chairman and founder
William Paley overruled his programmers and
axed one of the network's most popular
series, "Gilligan's Island." Despite its ratings,
Paley thought the series was an
"embarrassment."
Paley's bold decision to place quality above
ratings was the kind of move we may never
see again. Recently, during NBC's portion of
Cicely News & World Telegram
the Television Critics Association (TCA) press
tour in Los Angeles, network entertainment
chief Warren Littlefield was grilled about one
offering, "I Witness Video." The well-rated
reality program has featured videos such as a
critics to question the difference between "I
Witness Video" and the 1976 movie
newsman on the air.
Littlefield said that because of the critical
reaction, he would be "looking carefully at
what we do with the show." In the same
breath, though, he noted that "I Witness
Video" has been very popular with viewers --
which seems to be the bottom line.
During that same press tour, at the TCA
Awards dinner, comedy winner Jerry Seinfeld
thanked critics for supporting "Seinfeld" when
NBC didn't believe in it. That show is now a
hit. Producers Joshua Brand
and John Falsey, who won for best drama
(NBC's "I'll Fly Away") and program of the year
(CBS' "Northern Exposure"), essentially said
the same thing. Good reviews, said Brand,
"keeps those fragile shows on the air."
On the other hand, there seems to be only
one way to stop questionable shows. Viewers
have to stop watching, because negative
reviews don't seem to have much impact. And
programmers no longer come in the William
Paley mold.
Morrow Stung by Contract "Exposure"
Date: July 27, 1992
Publication: LA Times
Author: Greg Braxton
Things seem to be back to normal in Cicely,
Alaska--or at least as normal as it can get in
the fictional outback town that is the setting
for the quirky CBS hit "Northern Exposure."
The owls are hooting, the moose is walking
through town and Chris-in-the-morning, the
philosophical radio deejay, is back on the mike
spouting his metaphysical sayings to the
oddball residents.
But perhaps more important, the doctor is in-- an ensemble drama, although Morrow
although it looked for a while as if he might be remained an important part of the ensemble.
out for a long time. Rob Morrow, who was
just nominated for an Emmy for his portrayal
79
of Joel Fleischman, the yuppie New York
doctor reluctantly spending his residency in
Cicely in return for the financing of his
education, said last week that he is "happily"
back at work on episodes for the fall season
after resolving a contract dispute with
Universal Television and CBS.
News stories reported that he was seeking to
increase his salary of about $20,000 per
episode to $45,000 and that he staged a 12-
day strike when his demands were not met.
Universal filed a breach-of-contract suit
against him, and rumors that he might be
replaced began circulating. Saying he was
stung by the "erroneous" reports, Morrow
made a house call to Los Angeles late last
week from the show's Washington state
location to counter the perception that he
was greedy and unappreciative about a show
that turned him from a struggling unknown
into a star. He also said he received support
from his co-stars and that the dispute has not
resulted in any tension on the set.
"I would say about 75% of what was reported
was erroneous in terms of figures and
requests," Morrow said as he munched a
pepper-laden salad near the pool of the St.
James Club in West Hollywood. "I mean, I
didn't miss one single day of work. Not a
minute. I was characterized as someone who
was not grateful or was biting the hand, which
was so off the mark. There were many
extenuating circumstances." Morrow and
officials for Universal and CBS have refused to
discuss specifics of the settlement, or how
much of a raise Morrow received, but Morrow
said all parties are pleased.
But when asked if he had been prepared to
leave the show if no agreement could be
reached, Morrow paused. "I don't know if I
should talk about it," he said quietly. He said
that he never told the studio he would walk
out but that "the inference that I was very
serious was there. I guess that was implied
through my attorneys." In Morrow's case, the
situation was difficult for producers and the
studios because of the nature of the show.
When the series started out, it was largely
about Fleischman and his "fish-out-of-water"
predicament. But it has evolved into more of
"If Rob had not reported back to work, it
would have created production problems,"
said co-executive producer Joshua Brand. "I He argued that his salary should not be a producer, but as a friend, that I thought it
was distressed professionally and personally. I considered out of context from the rest of his would be unfortunate for him, and that
do think the series could have survived career. "If you amortize what I've made over several years from now, he would question
without Rob, just as it would survive without the last 11 years, the figure is not all that whether he was happy that he left the show."
me or other people here. It's not a single-lead impressive," Morrow said. "Plus now I have
show. But I wasn't hoping to find out if I was agents, I have publicists, I have accountants. I So far, the controversy does not seem to have
right or wrong." have, like, a company. That's easily 20% off affected the atmosphere on the set between
the top." Morrow noted that he still receives cast members, Brand said. Janine Turner, who
As he discussed his dispute, Morrow seemed less that many television stars. "There are portrays Maggie, an independent bush pilot
to have left his days as a struggling New York- performers who get $100,000 to $600,000 per who is reluctantly attracted to Fleishman,
based actor far behind him. He also appeared episode, and they work less of workweek than said, "I feel that Rob and I have a respectful
to be the complete opposite of Fleischman. I do." Mark Linn-Baker and Bronson Pinchot of and rewarding relationship together.... We all
His outfit, from his small-brimmed fedora to ABC's "Perfect Strangers" make about $70,000 have a lovely ensemble family bond and
his intricate leather sandals, was black. His left per episode. Ted Danson of NBC's "Cheers" chemistry. I would hate to see that messed
ear was adorned with two earrings--one reportedly makes about $250,000 per up. As far as I'm concerned, this will not strain
dangling, one a diamond stud. Only a few episode. In 1985, it was reported that Gavin things." Morrow said that he didn't sense
years ago, Morrow probably would not have MacLeod was making about $58,000 an misgivings on the first day of shooting.
been seen inside the swanky St. James Club. episode for "The Love Boat" while John
His biggest credits before "Northern Forsythe of "Dynasty" was making roughly "I think people are supportive. I think we're all
Exposure" were a Johnny Depp film, "Private $62,500 per episode. At the high end, Tom in the same boat up here. They benefited
Resort," and a role in the 1988-89 NBC series Selleck was making about $200,000 for an from me taking a stand." Right now, Morrow
"Tattingers." He was so deeply in debt and episode of "Magnum, P.I." just wants the episode to blow over. "I'm just
unable to make ends meet as an actor, but someone who loves to act; I hope people like
agreed to lower his asking price when he was Morrow is just the latest in a long line of my work. I feel really fortunate to be making a
offered "Northern Exposure." He said he celebrities who became stars in a successful living at what I chose, and I hope that's how
made a long-term commitment because of his series and then demanded more money. people think of me."
belief in the series. Michael Chiklis, star of ABC's "The Commish,"
was also threatening to walk off his show if his Olympics Vault NBC to Top of Ratings
Explaining why he took such a hard line soon salary were not raised. He reportedly
after the turning point of his career, he said, withdrew his demand when officials Date: July 29, 1992
"You have to look at the whole history of threatened to take the show off the air. Brand Publication: The Washington Post
television, you have to look at the nature of a said that he spoke to Morrow briefly only
television contract, what the life of an actor is when it looked as though there would be an NBC's Olympics coverage launched the
like as far as the uncertainty. You have to look impasse in the bitter dispute. network to first in the Nielsen ratings with an
at where I was when I made the contract." In 11.0 rating and a 20 percent audience share
addition, he said, he is so closely identified by "I just wanted to tell him that whatever for the week ending July 26. CBS finished
the public with Fleischman that he may have happened, I thought it would be hurtful for second with 9.4/1.8, followed by ABC at
difficulty getting work for a while after the the show," Brand said. "But I told him, not as 8.4/16 and FOX at 6.8/13 for the 12 hours it
series came to an end. Most of all, Morrow
insisted, he he felt he had to renegotiate a Rank Rating Share Network
contract that he considered something of a 1 18.1 Summer Olympics (Sun.) 33 NBC
"Faustian pact" that he made when he was 2 15.0 Roseanne 26 ABC
3 14.2 Home Improvement 26 ABC
first offered the show, which premiered in
4 13.8 Summer Olympics (Sat.) 29 NBC
1990. 5 12.5 Murphy Brown 22 CBS
12.5 Sunday Night Movie: Conspiracy of Silence (Part I) 21 CBS
"Everyone entered into the show the sense of 7 12.4 60 Minutes 25 CBS
taking a personal risk," Morrow said. "I 8 12.1 Full House 24 ABC
12.1 Unsolved Mysteries 22 NBC
believe in that. I really strongly believe in
12.1 Cheers 21 NBC
sacrifice and in being a team player. If you
11 12.0 Northern Exposure 22 CBS
believe in something and it hits, you get 12 11.5 PrimeTime Live 21 ABC
rewarded in the back end. If it doesn't, that's 13 11.4 Wings 19 NBC
life." He added, "This wasn't a case of an actor 14 11.2 48 Hours 21 CBS
15 10.8 20/20 22 ABC
saying, 'I'm a big star now, the show's a hit,
16 10.4 Beverly Hills, 90210 19 FOX
give me whatever I want.' It was not about 17 10.3 Murder, She Wrote 18 CBS
that. I just wanted to be brought up to at least 18 10.1 Melrose Place 17 FOX
the low side of someone who does what I do. 10.1 Street Stories 17 CBS
I'm nowhere near the excessive level. Not 20 10.0 Bodies of Evidence 18 CBS

even close."

Cicely News & World Telegram 80

programmed during the week.
Rank Rating Share Network
"ABC World News Tonight" was No. 1 in 1 22.3 Summer Olympics (Thu.) 40 NBC
network news for the 81st week in a row
2 20.5 Summer Olympics (Tue.) 37 NBC
with a 9.4/21, followed by "CBS Evening
News" at 8.3/18 and "NBC Nightly News" at 3 19.7 Summer Olympics (Mon.) 36 NBC
7.8/17. 4 18.9 Summer Olympics (Wed.) 35 NBC

TV RATINGZZZZ 5 18.3 Summer Olympics (Sat.) 39 NBC

6 18.1 Summer Olympics (Sun.) 34 NBC

Following are the top 20 network prime-
7 16.9 Summer Olympics (Fri.) 34 NBC
time shows last week, ranked according to
the percentage of the nation's 92.1 million 8 13.9 Roseanne 22 ABC
TV households that watched, as measured
9 12.2 Home Improvement 24 ABC
by the A.C. Nielsen Co. A share represents
the percentage of actual sets-in-use tuned 12.2 Tuesday Night Movie: "Conspiracy of Silence" (Part II) 20 CBS
to a particular program when it aired. 11 11.6 60 Minutes 25 CBS

12 11.1 Coach 17 ABC

13 10.4 Murder, She Wrote 19 CBS

Date: August 5, 1992 Publication: The 14 10.1 Full House 19 ABC

Washington Post 10.1 Home Improvement (Mon.) 19 ABC

16 10.0 Sunday Night Movie: "It" 17 ABC

NBC's first full week of Olympic coverage
gave the network the widest weekly margin 17 9.3 Northern Exposure 16 CBS
of victory in the network's history, placing it
9.3 Sunday Night Movie: "To Be the Best" (Part I) 15 CBS
12 points ahead of its nearest competitor,
CBS, for the week ending Aug. 2. 19 9.1 Happy Days Reunion 15 ABC

20 8.8 Beverly Hills, 90210 (Wed.) 16 FOX

NBC received a 20.2 rating, the highest the
8.8 48 Hours 15 CBS
network has posted since the week of Oct.
20-26, 1986, and a 36 percent audience attention it deserved. VQT supporters tend to
share, the network's best in more than a rally behind the underdog."
decade. CBS finished second with an 8.2/15,
followed by ABC with a 7.5/13.0 and FOX at Date: August 10, 1992 "Brooklyn Bridge" will begin its second season
6.0/11 for the 12 hours it programmed during Publication: Chicago Sun-Times on CBS in the fall, airing at 7:30 p.m.
the week. Author: Lon Grahnke Saturdays on WBBM-Channel 2.

"ABC World News Tonight With Peter
Jennings" won the nightly news race for the
82nd week in a row with an 8.8/20 rating.
"CBS Evening News With Dan Rather" and
"NBC Nightly News With Tom Brokaw" tied for
second place with 8.5/19.
TV RATINGZZZZ
Following are the top 20 network prime-time
shows last week, ranked according to the
percentage of the nation's 92.1 million TV
households that watched, as measured by the
A.C. Nielsen Co. A share represents the
percentage of actual sets-in-use tuned to a
particular program when it aired.
"Brooklyn Bridge" and "I'll Fly Away" are the
big winners in the eighth annual awards for
excellence sponsored by the Viewers for
Quality Television.
In a surprising upset, supporters of the not-
for-profit VQT group chose "Bridge" as best
comedy of the 1991-92 season and its star,
Marion Ross, as best comedy actress over
"Murphy Brown" and its star, Candice Bergen.
"I'm proud of our voters for recognizing
`Brooklyn Bridge' as a warm, intelligent and
different type of comedy series," said VQT
founder Dorothy Swanson. "I expected
`Murphy Brown' to win again this year, and I
expect it to win the Emmy later this month.
"But our voters recognized the consistent
quality of a series that didn't get the positive
In another upset, "I'll Fly Away" edged
"Northern Exposure" as best drama. "Fly" star
Regina Taylor dominated her category,
winning as best dramatic actress. Taylor's NBC
series is returning for a second season, airing
at 9 p.m. Fridays on WMAQ-Channel 5.
Swanson gave this year's Founder's Award to
the ABC family drama "Life Goes On," airing at
6 p.m. Sundays on WLS-Channel 7. She said
her citation recognizes "an individual or a
series that has made a significant contribution
to quality television and has been virtually
overlooked by industry awards."
Other Quality Award winners are: Best actor,
comedy: John Goodman, "Roseanne." Best
actor, drama: Scott Bakula, "Quantum Leap."
Supporting actress, comedy: Julia Louis-

Cicely News & World Telegram 81

Dreyfus, "Seinfeld." Supporting actor,
comedy: Michael Jeter, "Evening Shade."
Supporting actress, drama: Kellie Martin, "Life
Goes On." Supporting actor, drama: John
Cullum, "Northern Exposure." Specialty
player: Adam Arkin, "Northern Exposure."
Date: August 20, 1992
Publication: NKC Tribune
Author: M.J. "Squeak" Giaudrone
On location with Northern Exposure
Anyone who has ever watched television or
movie credits roll up the screen at the end of
a film have had to have seen the odd titles
given to normal people. "Gaffer" is one of
those titles and it means very imply you're the
chief lighting technician.
Being responsible for lighting an entire sound
stage set in a studio has got to be tough, but
taking the job on location--wherever that may
be--must be a challenge under any
circumstance. Scott Williams is the "gaffer"
for Pipeline Productions, the Redmond-based
company
Responsible for getting Northern Exposure
exposed every Monday night on CBS
Scott is responsible for a seven-man crew who
must every two weeks or so, haul miles and
miles of electrical cable to Roslyn, connect it
together, make sure it works and that all of
the light bulbs and accessories arc in their
proper places. If the right place is running
down a sidewalk, up the side of a building,
across a street, or under one, too, I suppose,
it's Scott's job to figure out how that will be
done. Then it's up to the crew to accomplish
the task and carry out his orders. The term
"gaffer", Scott said, is an East Coast term,
which he said he guessed came from the
gaffing hook used to pull cable and wire in the
theater.
Of all of his responsibilities, Scott says the
hardest part is handling the wire because of
its weight. But the best part, possibly, is
having an assistant lighting technician--or
"best boy" Dan Linnick. Scott says that when
the best boy goes home at night he must use
that time to figure out how to accomplish
Cicely News & World Telegram
everything for the next shooting session. Scott Anne's job is to locate the animals needed for
gets to go home and "watch the Olympics." the show and to assist in the handling of
them. "I usually let the animal's owner handle
His Name is John them," Anne says, but she is no novice when it
comes to handling them. She was a zookeeper
John White is a man that you may not notice at Woodland Park in Seattle for 14 years.
at first but if you pass him more than twice on Answering my question as to why there had
the street you will not forget his infectious been so much secrecy and subterfuge
smile. He is a pleasant and helpful man and surrounding the filming of Morty. Simply put,
can often be seen escorting people across a Anne said, "Moose are animals that have
busy street corner; advising people to speak never been worked before and they are
quietly--or not at all if necessary--if filming is totally unpredictable. We did not want
taking place. His eyes are everywhere and his anyone around; I didn't even let the film crew
smile quickly follows. This man with the thick on the set until the last minutes, because it
English accent finds most everyone in Roslyn-- could have been very dangerous. Even a kick
residents, tourists, cast and crew--to be "just could be lethal, because moose are so
delightful people". That attitude may have a big."Morty's "pay" for appearing in the show
lot to do with why he thinks everyone is so came in the form of a $5,000 donation to
nice--he gets back what he gives. But don't be WSU.
fooled into thinking there isn't a more serious
side to John. He wouldn't be head of security As we visited, someone spoke to Anne's dog,
on the show if that were the case. "Magpie", and asked it to "speak." Magpie
didn't reply, but I suggested that not be
Maggie O'Connell, played by Janine Turner in something they teach the dog for fear they
the show, is the person perhaps one would would end up with a dog which did little else.
expect to be in charge of security. But it is Ironically, Anne said teaching a dog to speak
John, in fact, who takes charge when Janine is was the first thing to be taught.
on the set. He is also her personal bodyguard.
"As soon as the dog learns to speak on
Remember Morty? command, then you can teach it to 'not
speak'. 'Speaking' is the most-often requested
There are two animals strongly associated trick from a dog in the movies." Anne is now a
with Northern Exposure--about as opposite freelance handler, and has made a lot of
from one another as any species could be. contacts through her years at the zoo. She is
One is real the other is not. One has tourists currently scanning those contacts, attempting
flocking to use it as a background for travel to locate a crane (the feathered type) for a
photos; the other has difficulty being future episode [4.7 The Bad Seed].
photographed at all and if he were in Roslyn
today no one--save one person in particular-- "Ed (played by Darren Burrows) has some kind
would recognize him anyway. The non-real of a relationship with a crane . . ." Anne
animal of course is the camel painted on the explains, ". . . sort of a 'mother-fixation thing',
side of the Roslyn Cafe AKA Roslyn s Cafe in since Ed has raised it from a baby." Anne had
fictitious downtown Cicely. I even stopped not located it at the time of the interview, but
once to help a couple from Tennessee so they she also hadn't hit the panic button yet,
could both be in the picture beside the cafe either. "That comes later," she said.
rather than wait for them to have to take two
separate pictures.
Morty the live animal, is no longer the wobbly
baby moose who opens the series each week
wandering the streets of Cicely. Morty,
according to Anne Gordon, the show's animal
handler, is fully grown, still resides at
Washington State University in Pullman, and
became a father this past spring. In fact, Anne
said, he is going to be a daddy again.
82

Miyake," he confessed, abashed. "I'm a
clothes horse and wish I wasn't, but I am.")
Date: August 26, 1992
Publication: New York Times
Author: Sarah Lyall
ROB MORROW was looking nothing like a
petulant small-town doctor as he padded in to through Columbia medical school.
dinner in a baggy blue suit that could have
been fairly cheap or very expensive: it was
hard to tell. (Expensive, it turned out. "Issey show, a throwaway that was supposed to fade
Cicely News & World Telegram
Mr. Morrow seemed a bit smaller in person
than he does on television, and his face was
overwhelmed by a thicket of hair and a beard
he had let grow between seasons of his show,
"Northern Exposure." He is now in Seattle,
shorn again, filming episodes for the show's
third season, which begins on CBS next
month. He plays Joel Fleischman, a
persnickety doctor from New York forced to
begin his career in a backwater Alaskan town
to repay the state of Alaska for sending him
The network had low expectations for the
83
as quickly as an Alaskan summer. But with its
literate scripts and its slyly off-kilter
characters, like the truculent hermit (Adam
Arkin) who is an accomplished chef and a New
Republic writer, it has become a hit, a "Twin
Peaks" for normal people. Much of its charm
comes from Mr. Morrow, who earned his first
Emmy nomination this year and who
somehow makes peevishness sexy.
No pique was in evidence as Mr. Morrow
settled down at a cozy table in the back of
Josephina, a restaurant near Lincoln Center,
which he chose because the chef is a high-
school buddy and because he likes the food,
which tends to be low in fat. Cheerfully, he
explained his hair.
"I have to look a certain way all year round, so
when I'm not working I don't do anything to
it," he said. "I don't even comb it." As for the
beard: "I don't even like the way it looks." His
voice was quiet and had the familiar New York
cadences, but was not querulous or
combative the way Dr. Fleischman's can be.
When he smiled, though, his eyes crinkled at
the corners in fine Fleischman fashion.
The show is filmed in Seattle and in the tiny
town of Roslyn, Wash., and the parallels
between fact and fiction are all too obvious.
Both Mr. Morrow and Dr. Fleischman are
fierce New York City partisans who long for
home. (Dr. Fleischman misses the bagels, and
Mr. Morrow misses "the kind of vitality you
get in New York.") Both have found
themselves in Pacific Coast towns where the
pace is slow, the people are unfamiliar and
the weather is freezing. Mr. Morrow, whose
Seattle home is a rented condo with a nice
view, at least has more chances to escape
than his character does; he often spends
weekends among actor friends in Los Angeles.
"There's a certain correlation, geographically
and sociologically," between himself and Joel
Fleischman, he said. "But Joel is a lot more
belligerent than I would be: nasty and selfish."
And while Dr. Fleischman works hard, so does
Mr. Morrow. For more than a year, he has
devoted most of his spare time to a short film
about a young boy and his abusive stepfather.
The film, which he wrote, directed and
produced, is called "The Silent Alarm," and he
thinks it will be ready for next spring's film
festivals.
Mr. Morrow's parents were divorced when he
was growing up in Hartsdale, N.Y., and he
remembers what it was like to be a child
struggling to make sense of a world he
couldn't control. He tries to project this sense
in his film, which he made with no dialogue,
explaining that children often can't articulate
what they feel. "At that age, at 7, you're
conscious enough to have a visceral
awareness, but you're not old enough to
either, A, articulate, or B, stand up for
yourself," he said. Although he said it was not
autobiographical, "the film presented itself to
me in terms of some events I had heard
about, thought about and imagined."
Mr. Morrow manages to stand up for himself
now, so much so that stories portraying him
as spoiled and bratty began to circulate this
summer when he put off returning to the
"Northern Exposure" set, holding out for a
salary increase. (He was earning about
$18,000 an episode.) He finally showed up,
without missing any work, but the producers
sued him for breach of contract and
threatened to replace him.
trying to get Rob to do it, or do we just give inWith his longtime girlfriend, whom he politely
and let him do it his way?' " refused to discuss or even name, he helped
found an acting troupe called Naked Angels in
Mr. Morrow likes to while away the extra 1986. Loving the theater, Mr. Morrow tried to
hours in Seattle on the golf course. He is avoid working in television, although he
learning tai chi from a videocassette and still played some unmemorable parts, including a
feels twinges from a rotator cuff injury that he hunky bartender in the unsuccessful NBC
got while knee-boarding, a variation of water- series "Tattinger's."
skiing, more than a year ago. About to turn
30, Mr. Morrow admits to having "a great fear "I said 'No, no, no,' for a couple of years, but I
of death." Still, he gets a certain kick out of was so much in debt that I thought, 'I have to
doing what he likes. be an adult here,' " he said.
"As an adult, I realize if I don't like the first 50 "Northern Exposure" seemed different: "It
pages of a book I don't have to finish it, and if read like no other TV pilot I'd read," he said,
I order a bottle of wine, I don't have to drink "and it was not morally reprehensible."
the whole thing," he said, ordering a bottle of
wine but not drinking the whole thing, or even Despite such unanticipated delights as being
half. He goes to the movies all the time, often the host of "Saturday Night Live" this year ("It
alone, but leaves early if he doesn't like it, was like being Mick Jagger," he said), Mr.
which is most of the time. "I feel obligated to Morrow worries about being forever typecast
see a lot of movies because I feel a part of this as Joel Fleischman. "I was at a wedding
business," he said, "and if the energy and recently, and a person who I know slightly
focus is going to go into them, I should see said, 'Hey, Joel,' " he recalled. "I didn't know
them. But it's a rare movie that can transport what to say. I don't want to be called Joel. It's
me." not my name."

All that was resolved in mid-July, when the
lawsuit was dropped and Mr. Morrow got a
raise. (How much, he wouldn't say.) It is his
contention that people should remember that
for much of his adult life he was unemployed
and broke. "You see all those numbers about
what actors make, but it's not that simple," he
said. "If you amortize what I'm making over 12
years of not making any money, it's not that
impressive."
Although he may seem like a friendly guy
effortlessly playing a like-minded character on
television, Mr. Morrow takes a serious,
precise approach to his craft. Some people say
his fussing and intense concentration make
him a prima donna.
"I'm insecure, with all of the obvious neuroses
that actors tend to have," he said. "But
anyone who would consider me a prima
donna doesn't understand what acting is. I'm
not saying, 'Light me this way,' 'No, that's not
a good angle,' 'I won't wear that color.'
"What I do is, sometimes I get upset and
vehement. If someone wants me to sit and it
doesn't feel right, no one can make me do it,
and it causes conflicts. I don't mean from a
bellicose point of view. But it does become a
question, sometimes, of 'Do we waste time
It first happened to him when he was very
young and his parents took him to see "2001:
A Space Odyssey."
"I just remember not having a clue what it
was, but the imagery was so powerful, it
tapped into a kind of spiritual place within
me," he said. "I've seen it eight times." He has
also seen nearly every episode of "Twilight
Zone"
"They all had a little moral in them," he said.
Chatting about the mysterious differences
between men and women, which he said
prompted him to have his ear pierced ("I liked
the kind of feminine aspect of it, even though
I will never get to the point where I really
understand where you are," he explained),
Mr. Morrow ate some but not all of his
melange-of-vegetable soup and a pasta dish.
The head chef, Louis Lanza, a classmate from
Edgemont High School in Westchester, came
out to catch up. Mr. Morrow likes Mr. Lanza a
lot, but does not remember Edgemont High
fondly. He lost interest in school completely
by his senior year, dropped out, moved to
Manhattan to become an actor and supported
himself with a series of fledgling-actor jobs,
like balloon-messenger.
Mr. Morrow had to leave, and the taxi
dropped him off at his brownstone apartment
in the West 70's. He was due to leave soon for
Seattle and was scrambling to get more work
done on his movie. Why didn't he take a
break, he was asked.
"You're talking about someone who is
naturally disposed to anal-retentiveness," he
said matter-of-factly, and he could well have
been describing Joel Fleischman, M.D.
Photos: Rob Morrow said that when he is not
working he doesn't comb his hair or shave.
(pg. C1); When in Seattle, Rob Morrow misses
New York's vitality. (pg. C8) (Suzanne
DeChillo/The New York Times)
Date: August 27, 1992
Publication: NKC Tribune
Author: M.J. "Squeak" Giaudrone
Hers is a Gentle Touch
Another job of importance with the show is
that of key hair stylist. Rebecca Lynne is a
freelance stylist from Seattle who started with
the show as an assistant. Three months later

Cicely News & World Telegram 84

she held the key position. Creativity seems to
be Rebecca's long suit, and working
with Elaine Miles (who plays the part of Dr.
Joel Fleishman's nurse, Marilyn) is pure
pleasure for her. "She has such wonderful hair
and I can just do anything with it," Rebecca
says.
A graduate of Jean Juarez in Seattle, Rebecca
is on the set one-half to two hours' before the
rest of the crew. She prides herself in being
gentle with a head of hair, so that having
one's hair done is a pleasant experience.
Although there are other hairdressers on the
set, Rebecca must oversee all that they do.
The biggest challenge so far was doing the
necessary heads of hair for the season finale,
"Cicely," which was set circa 1909.
"Everyone's hair had to look like that era,"
Rebecca explains including the people in the
streets--background people--as well as the
key members of the cast. It takes a lot of
research to duplicate the hairstyles of that
period, but Universal Studios in Los Angeles
has an enormous research library, she notes,
so she is able to get whatever she needs via a
fax machine.
'Mom's Medicine Kit'
Todd Smith, a 14-year veteran of Southwest
Snohomish County Medical Services, is the
senior medic on location with Northern
Exposure. It is his primary duty to provide
immediate medical attention in case of
accidents or illness. As a paramedic with
Movie Medics, an Edmonds-based firm, Todd
is one of the many medical professionals
and/or safety people who service the film
industry's sets. While interviewing Todd, a
crew member sat down beside him and
announced, "I just got bonked on the head
and I'm feeling kind of woozy." Todd gave him
a brief physical evaluation--no apparent skull
fracture--and prescribed preliminary
treatment. I asked Todd what caused the
"bonk" and he replied, "There are hazards
everywhere." Electrical wires, props,
machinery, etc. are all about the soundstage
set, but On location you can add moving
automobiles, local architectural phenomenon
such as abnormally high sidewalks, temporary
ramps--you name it.
Todd came on board with the show after
having worked on another show created
by Joshua Brand and John Falsey, A Day in the
Life. When not on location, Todd says, the
Cicely News & World Telegram
studio relies on in-town services such as
ambulances, local doctors and hospitals. The
most serious call Todd has had occurred when
a crew member suffered a gall bladder attack.
The most unusual to date, occurred while
filming near Rattlesnake Lake. "We kept
hearing a call for help coming from the
mountainside." Todd recalls. "We finally took
off to see what the problem was. We
discovered an elderly man---an epileptic with
a withered arm and double vision who had
lost his balance and fallen. Because of the
withered arm, he couldn't get up. Because of
the double vision, he couldn't see. The man
had been dropped off at the base of the
mountain by his wife, because he liked to
climb the mountain--something he had always
done." The man, fortunately, escaped with
mild concussion. His wife did not escape
without receiving some sound safety tips to
consider before letting her husband venture
up the mountain again.
Todd has been "career 911" since the 1970s.
Although firefighting was his original choice,
Todd soon Iearned that a significantly large
percentage of that job is providing emergency
medical services instead of putting out fires.
As I left him I thought Todd's self-description
really seems to fit "I'm more like a mom with
Mom's Medicine Kit." Todd was administering
aspirin from his belly pack to another
headache victim.
Polaroid(TM) and Position
If you are a student of film--cinema or video,
even home-made movies--you are most
keenly aware of little goofs in filming, i.e.
what happened to the cigarette that was in
the ashtray where a clean ashtray now sits?
Why does that necktie look gray all of a
sudden instead of blue? And, wasn't that
window open a minute ago? Who closed it?
The camera never left the star, and no one
else was in the room.
The job of making sure little things like that
don't happen belongs to Patrick Phillips. He is
the set dresser. Patrick holds an Art History
and Film degree from the university of
Oregon. As many are aware, the Roslyn
location is used more for exterior film action
than internal. Internal shots--inside the
doctor's office, the General Store, the Brick
Tavern, etc., are filmed in Redmond on the
soundstage. Patrick travels back and forth
between the sets with a Polaroid(TM) camera,
85
taking pictures of both in order to be able to
dress the sets identically.
And while he doesn't have to necessarily
move mountains, he does have to move walls.
A good example is when the show focuses
on John Corbett, AKA Chris the disk jockey.
When Chris is being filmed in Roslyn, his
background consists of break-apart walls and
windows, because-of the confined area. If it is
necessary to move a camera angle, Patrick can
quickly move the walls out of the way to
accommodate it. He then must be sure to put
them back in their exact position for the next
filming. That's the benefit of the Polaroid
picture. Props, lighting, decorations--
everything on the set has to be perfect.
Because most scenes are shot in segments, it
is imperative that where a beige coffee cup
was sitting at the end of a scene segment, an
orange one best not be at the start-up of the
next one. Most of the radio station set is
adjustable. Chris has wooden boxes for
bookshelves. Whether he stands or sits, the
boxes can be raised or lowered as the director
desires, without having to strip the shelves
and transfer the contents to a different
bookcase.
Keeping the vision of the production designer
and assisting the property department are
other major tasks belonging to Patrick. The
shooting of the "Cicely" episode at the end of
last season was, Patrick agrees, one of the
most challenging because of the time period
involved. Patrick packs a tool kit with him that
looks similar to that of a carpenter, with one
major exception. Sticking out high above the
other items in the kit is a bottle of window
cleaner, the sensitive eye of the television
camera, when filming through a window, can
pick up even the minutest speck or streak.
That's why Patrick emphasizes, "I definitely do
do windows."
Date: August 30, 1992
Publication: The Record
Author: Virginia Mann
In the early Fifties, Emmy nominees were
chosen by television editors at the nation's
largest newspapers.
Even then, we weren't very good at predicting Lead Actor, Comedy Series: John Goodman, NBC's "I'll Fly Away," and Michael Moriarty,
the winners -- a fact that has not gone ABC's "Roseanne" who stars as ethical and tough DA Ben Stone
unnoticed. on NBC's "Law & Order" are equally terrific.
In this category, I'd eliminate Kelsey
In his new book, "The Emmys: Star Wars, Grammer, for although he's fine as Frasier And if I could name a runner-up, it would be
Showdowns, and the Supreme Test of TV's Crane in "Cheers," he was not nominated for three-time nominee Scott Bakula of NBC's
Best," Thomas O'Neil immortalizes San Diego that show but for a guest-starring stint on "Quantum Leap," who leaps into different
Union TV writer Donald Freeman, whose 1953 "Wings." The big controversy of this year's characters weekly. I am thrilled Rob Morrow
forecast, O'Neil notes, "was wrong 10 out of competition has been a rule change that was also nominated, for CBS' "Northern
14 times." allows guest stars to compete with regulars -- Exposure," but his role doesn't demand the
a trend that should be discouraged. Hence, same kind of range.
These days, it's even harder to play you won't find any "temps" winning here.
Nostradamus, what with hundreds of The other nominees, all guest performers:
strangers on "peer panels" voting in a faraway After four seasons and nominations, it's high Christopher Lloyd (Disney Channel's
California town notorious for its secret time John Goodman step up to the podium. "Avonlea"), Harrison Page (NBC's "Quantum
agendas, petty rivalries, and political power This big Cabbage Patch Doll brings not only Leap"), and Kirk Douglas (HBO's "Tales From
plays. And we newspaper types don't even do humor but great warmth and believability to the Crypt").
the nominating anymore! the role of Dan Conner on "Roseanne."
Lead Actress, Drama Series: Regina Taylor,
Last year -- as many friends kindly pointed out Goodman's in fine company with 1990 winner NBC's "I'll Fly Away"
-- I was only slightly more accurate than if I'd Ted Danson (NBC's "Cheers"), three-time
hung the list of nominees on a wall and nominee Craig T. Nelson (ABC's "Coach"), and Week after week, Regina Taylor has brought
thrown darts. last year's winner, Burt Reynolds (CBS' dignity and fortitude to the role of
"Evening Shade"). As for Jerry housekeeper Lilly Harper, and she deserves to
Rather than repeat this useless and Seinfeld (NBC's "Seinfeld"), I adore him and win an Emmy on her first try.
embarrassing exercise, I'd prefer to select the his series, but even he concedes he has no
shows and stars to whom I'd give the Emmy, if acting technique. Her fellow nominees are: Dana Delany (ABC's
it were mine to hand out. late "China Beach"), Angela Lansbury (CBS'
Lead Actress, Comedy Series: Roseanne "Murder, She Wrote"), Sharon Gless (CBS'
Here are my subjective selections in 14 of the Arnold, ABC's "Roseanne" "The Trials of Rosie O'Neill"), and guest
major categories, all but one of which will be performers Kate Nelligan (Disney
included in tonight's Emmy telecast (8 to 11, This is the first year the Academy of Television Channel's "Avonlea") and Shirley Knight
Fox). Arts & Sciences has acknowledged that (NBC's "Law & Order").
Roseanne Arnold does more than play herself,
Comedy Series: NBC's "Seinfeld" and it may be her only chance to take home Lead Actor, Miniseries or Special: Brian
the prize. If her personal life gets any more Dennehy, the syndicated "To Catch a Killer"
I've actually shed tears of laughter over this bizarre -- just this week, her brother claimed
offbeat slice-of-life show. I can't quite say the she used to beat and sit on him when he was A tough choice, but I'd go with Brian Dennehy,
same about CBS' "Murphy Brown" (albeit a a kid -- it will be difficult for anyone to be who, in "To Catch a Killer," painted so vivid a
close second), or the other nominees: CBS' objective about her talent. She is, in fact, a portrait of mass murderer John Wayne Gacy,
"Brooklyn Bridge," NBC's "Cheers," and ABC's significant contributor to "Roseanne," TV's he was menacing even when dressed as a
"Home Improvement." top-rated entertainment series, which was clown.
overlooked for this year's nominations.
Drama Series: CBS' "Northern Exposure" The other nominees: Beau Bridges (HBO's
Also nominated: Kirstie Alley (NBC's "Cheers"), "Without Warning: The James Brady Story"),
"Northern Exposure" constantly strives for Betty White (NBC's erstwhile "The Golden Hume Cronyn (CBS' "Christmas on Division
quality and has rarely missed the mark. This is Girls"), Candice Bergen (CBS' "Murphy Street"), Ruben Blades (TNT's "Crazy From the
also true of three fellow nominees -- NBC's Brown"), Tyne Daly (guest star on NBC's Heart"), and Maximilian Schell (NBC's
"I'll Fly Away," "Law & Order," and "Quantum "Wings") -- all previous Emmy winners -- and "Hallmark Hall of Fame: Miss Rose White").
Leap." But "Exposure" has Marion Ross (CBS' "Brooklyn Bridge").
an added dimension: It recognizes that comic Lead Actress, Miniseries or Special: Anne
moments arise at the most dramatic times, Lead Actor, Drama Series: (tie) Sam Bancroft, PBS' "American Playhouse: Mrs.
and deftly integrates the two. Waterston, NBC's "I'll Fly Away" and Michael Cage"
Moriarty, NBC's Law & Order"
(The only undeserving candidate is "L.A. Law," Anne Bancroft's performance was a tour-de-
which has slipped precipitously of late.) I'm not waffling here. Sam Waterston, who force. Period.
plays idealistic prosecutor Forrest Bedford on

Cicely News & World Telegram 86

Other nominees: Laura Dern (HBO's
"Afterburn"), Gena Rowlands (CBS' "Face of a
Stranger"), Judy Davis (CBS' "Hallmark Hall of
Fame: One Against the Wind"), Meredith
Baxter (CBS' "The Betty Broderick
Story").
Supporting Actor, Comedy Series: Jason
Alexander, "Seinfeld"
Hands down, I'd give the statuette to Jason
Alexander, whose nudgy George Costanza on
NBC's "Seinfeld" gets way under your skin.
His fellow nominees are: Jerry Van Dyke
(ABC's "Coach"), Michael Jeter and Charles
Durning (both of CBS' "Evening Shade"), and
guest stars Harvey Fierstein (NBC's "Cheers")
and Jay Thomas (CBS' "Murphy
Brown").
Supporting Actress, Comedy Series: Laurie
Metcalf, "Roseanne," ABC.
Laurie Metcalf, a first-time nominee,
consistently gives a subtle yet strong and
faceted performance on "Roseanne."
Her competition: Frances Sternhagen (guest
performer on NBC's "Cheers"), Alice Ghostley
(CBS' "Designing Women"), Estelle Getty
(NBC's "The Golden Girls"), Faith Ford (CBS'
"Murphy Brown") and Julia Louis-Dreyfus
(NBC's "Seinfeld").
Supporting Actor, Drama Series: Dean
Stockwell, "Quantum Leap"
This is Dean's Stockwell's third nomination,
and there's no good reason to overlook his
steady performance on "Quantum Leap."
Other nominees: Jimmy Smits and Richard
Dysart, both of NBC's "L.A. Law" (Neither
Smits, who returned to the show as a guest
performer, nor Dysart were well showcased
this season), Richard Kiley (USA's "The Ray
Bradbury Theater"), Ed Asner (CBS' "The Trials
of Rosie O'Neill") and John Corbett (CBS'
"Northern Exposure").
Supporting Actress, Drama Series: Valerie
Mahaffey, CBS' "Northern Exposure"
As a closet hypochondriac, I appreciate the
wicked accuracy of Valerie Mahaffey's
portrayal of the health-obssessed Eve.
Cicely News & World Telegram
She'll compete with "Northern Exposure" co-
star Cynthia Geary, as well as Marg
Helgenberger (ABC's "China Beach"), Mary
Alice (NBC's "I'll Fly Away"), Conchata Ferrell
(NBC's "L.A. Law"), Kay Lenz (NBC's
"Reasonable Doubts"), and guest star Barbara
Barrie (NBC's "Law & Order")
Individual performance, Variety or Music
Program: Dana Carvey, NBC's "Saturday Night
Live"
Dana Carvey plans to depart "SNL" in
November. On his third Emmy bid, he should
be acknowledged and thanked for brightening
many a Saturday night.
The four other nominees: Billy Crystal (ABC's
"The 64th Annual Academy Awards"), George
Carlin (HBO's "George Carlin Jammin' in New
York"), Bette Midler, (NBC's "The Tonight
Show Starring Johnny Carson"),
Natalie Cole (PBS' "Great Performances:
Unforgettable, With Love: Natalie Cole Sings
the Songs of Nat King Cole)".
Animated Program (one hour or less): Fox's
"The Simpsons"
"The Simpsons" should be competing in the
best comedy series category. Despite many
protests, it isn't allowed to. This award, which
was scheduled to be decided Saturday night,
is the very least this brilliant series should get.
Also nominated: CBS' "A Claymation Easter";
Nickelodeon's "The Ren & Stimpy Show";
Showtime's "Shelley Duvall's Bedtime
Stories."
Illustrations/Photos: 4 COLOR PHOTOS 1 - In
this year's Emmys, our critic likes (clockwise
from upper left): Roseanne Arnold and John
Goodman of "Roseanne,"2 - Bart and the rest
of "The Simpsons," 3 - Regina Taylor of "I'll Fly
Away," 4 - and the drama series "Northern
Exposure." 5 - PHOTO - Jerry Seinfeld and
Jason Alexander of top comedy pick,
"Seinfeld."
Date: August 31, 1992
Publication: Albany Times Union
Byline: Associated Press
87
A partial list of the 44th Annual Primetime
Emmy Awards presented Saturday and
Sunday: Awards Announced Sunday Night
Supporting Actor, drama series: Richard
Dysart, "L.A. Law," NBC.
Supporting Actress, drama series: Valerie
Mahaffey, "Northern Exposure," CBS.
Supporting Actor, comedy series: Michael
Jeter, "Evening Shade," CBS.
Supporting Actress, comedy series: Laurie
Metcalf, "Roseanne," ABC.
Supporting Actress, miniseries or special:
Amanda Plummer, "Hallmark Hall of Fame:
Miss Rose White," NBC.
Directing, drama series: Eric Laneuville, "I'll Fly
Away: All God's Children," NBC.
Directing, comedy series: Barnet Kellman,
"Murphy Brown: Birth 101," CBS.
Writing, drama series: "Northern Exposure:
Seoul Mates," CBS.
Writing, comedy series: "Seinfeld: The Fix Up,"
NBC.
Writing, miniseries or special: "I'll Fly Away,"
NBC (Pilot). Awards Announced Saturday
Night
Children's Program: "Mark Twain and Me,"
Disney Channel.
Classical Program, performing arts: "Perlman
in Russia," PBS.
Classical, music-dance program: "The
Metropolitan Opera Silver Anniversary Gala,"
PBS (three winners).
Informational Series: "MGM: When the Lion
Roars," TNT.
Informational programming: "Hearts of
Darkness," Showtime (two winners).
Informational special: "Abortion: Desperate
Choices," HBO.
Art Direction, series: "Northern Exposure,"
CBS.
Art Direction, miniseries or special: "The
Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (pilot)," ABC.
Art Direction, variety or music program: "The
Magic of David Copperfield XIV: Flying ... Live
the Dream," CBS.
Lighting Direction, drama series, variety
series, miniseries or special: "The Magic of
David Copperfield XIV: Flying ... Live the
Dream," CBS.
Costuming, series: "Homefront," ABC.
Costuming, miniseries or special: "The Babe
Ruth Special," NBC.
Costume Design, series: "Star Trek: The Next
Generation," Syndicated.
Costume Design, miniseries or special: "The
Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (pilot)," ABC.
Costume Design, variety or music program:
"The 64th Annual Academy Awards," ABC.
` `
` directing trophy and for Amanda Plummer, an
Date: August 31, 1992
Publication: The Washington Post
"Murphy Brown," the target of Dan Quayle's
complaints about family values, was named
outstanding comedy tonight at the 44th
annual Emmy Awards, and the show's star
tossed a few barbs back at him.
"I would like to thank the vice president,"
Candice Bergen, who won her second Emmy
for the title role, said to raucous applause.
"And I would like to thank the television
academy and the members of the cultural
elite."
Series creator Diane English said: "I would like
to thank our sponsors for hanging in there
when it was getting really dangerous."
And to single parents like "Murphy Brown,"
she said, "Don't let anyone tell you you're not
a family."
CBS's "Northern Exposure" was named
outstanding drama and was the overall series
winner with a total of six awards. "Murphy
Cicely News & World Telegram
Brown" followed with three, along with the
television movie "Miss Rose White."
Dana Delany won leading actress honors for
her role as a combat nurse in ABC's now-
canceled "China Beach," which has not been
seen on network television for more than a
year.
"Northern Exposure's" Valerie Mahaffey
picked up a trophy for her supporting role as
the hypochondriac Eve, while writers Andrew
Schneider and Diane Frolov were honored for
the script "Seoul Mates" in the drama about
Alaska life.
The production team of Joshua Brand and
John Falsey earned a writing Emmy for the
pilot of NBC's "I'll Fly Away." The two also
produce "Northern Exposure" and together
earned 31 nominations for both shows.
The Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation of
"Miss Rose White" on NBC was named
outstanding TV movie. The 1940s period
piece, which detailed the life of Holocaust
survivors living in New York, also earned a
Emmy for supporting actress.
"The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson,"
which ended in the spring after 30 years on
the air, won the award for top variety, music
or comedy program.
Bette Midler's witty ode to Carson's
retirement earned an Emmy for individual
performance in a variety or music program.
ABC's "Roseanne" finally won an Emmy as
Laurie Metcalf picked up a trophy for her role
as Roseanne's sister.
The three-year snub of Roseanne Arnold's No.
1 comedy prompted Metcalf, up for
supporting actress in a comedy series, to grab
the envelope and read for herself. "I had to
make sure it really said that," she said.
The Emmy for supporting actor in a comedy
series went to Michael Jeter for his portrayal
of Herman Stiles on CBS's "Evening Shade."
Richard Dysart picked up his first Emmy after
four nominations for his supporting role as
the patriarchal attorney of "L.A. Law."
Director Eric Laneuville was cited for his work
on NBC's "I'll Fly Away." Laneuville, who
88
played the janitor in "St. Elsewhere," thanked
his colleagues from that show as well as
fellow television director Thomas Carter.
The Emmy for comedy writing went to Elaine
Pope and Larry Charles of NBC's "Seinfeld."
The trophy for directing a comedy went to
Barnet Kellman for the "Birth 101" episode of
CBS's "Murphy Brown."
Dennis Miller, Kirstie Alley and Tim Allen were
the hosts for the nationally broadcast prime-
time Emmys presentation from the Pasadena
Civic Auditorium.
` `
Date: August 31, 1992 Publication: Chicago
Sun-Times Author: Lon Grahnke
`Northern Exposure" won as best drama
series of the 1991-92 television season and
"Murphy Brown" triumphed as best comedy
during Sunday's presentations of the 44th
annual Emmy Awards.
"Murphy" star Candice Bergen thanked Vice
President Quayle when she accepted her
award as best actress in a comedy series.
Quayle had criticized the Brown character, an
unwed mother, for being a bad role model.
Craig T. Nelson earned his Emmy as best
comedy actor in "Coach."
The top dramatic prizes were surprises as
Emmy rules permitted some oddities in the
acting categories. Dana Delany won for her
outstanding work in "China Beach," which
qualified even though ABC canceled the series
in May, 1991. And Christopher Lloyd prevailed
for his guest appearance in "Avonlea," beating
such deserving series regulars as Sam
Waterston, Michael Moriarty, Scott Bakula
and Rob Morrow.
The Fox network telecast the ceremony live
from the Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, Calif.
Tim Allen from "Home Improvement," Kirstie
Alley from "Cheers" and comedian Dennis
Miller co-hosted the slow-paced program and
suffered through too many lame, scripted
jokes.
Laurie Metcalf thanked Chicago's Steppenwolf
Theatre when she won as best supporting
actress in a comedy series. The "Roseanne"
co-star has acted with Steppenwolf for 16
seasons.
Wisecracking with husband Tom Arnold and
popping her chewing gum, presenter
Roseanne Arnold promised to "get ugly" if she
lost as best actress in a comedy series. But
Arnold whooped with joy when Metcalf, her
"Roseanne" colleague, took Sunday's first
acting prize.
In a goodbye gesture to Johnny Carson, "The
Tonight Show" received an Emmy as best
variety, music or comedy program. Carson did
not appear onstage; producer Fred
DeCordova accepted the award.
The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
bestowed awards in 30 categories during
Sunday's ceremony, and Emmys in 45
technical and creative-arts classifications
during Saturday's black-tie banquet in
Pasadena.
Date: September 1, 1992
Publication: The Record
WHEN the television series "Northern
Exposure" debuted in July 1990, it was lightly
regarded, a low-budget show to kill time for
CBS during the slow summer season. Defying
expectations, the show -- about a dozen
quirky characters who live in a small Alaskan
town, including a whiny young doctor and a
female bush pilot -- drew such a positive
response from viewers that the network
added it to its lineup the following spring.
"Northern Exposure" has continued to defy
expectations ever since, showing that in an
age of confessional talk shows and crime
reenactments, a high-quality program can
thrive on network TV.
All that the hour-long show offers each
Monday night is a talented ensemble cast and
delightfully unpredictable scripts that
celebrate the human spirit.
On Sunday night, "Northern Exposure" won
the Emmy for best dramatic series. It could
have been nominated for comedy as well. In
either case, the honors are well deserved.
Cicely News & World Telegram
As for another newcomer, when we first meet
the beautiful Kathleen McDermott (Joanna
Date: September 1, 1992
Going), she's on an airplane, searching, in
Publication: The Record
vain, for a relief bag.
Author: Virgina Mann
It's all downhill from there. Kathleen is sent,
GOING TO EXTREMES:
without preparation, to the rural Monkey Hill
Debuts at 10 tonight on Channel 7.
Clinic, where she instantly clashes with
Creators and executive producers: Joshua
arrogant, frustrated second-year student
Brand and John Falsey.
Colin Mitford (Robert Duncan McNeill). If
Pilot directed by Eric Laneuville, from a
these two are supposed to provide the series
teleplay by Frank South.
with love-hate sparks, they'd better buy
matches quick.
In Hollywood, where the "hot producer" label
changes hands about as often as community
Mitford orders her around like an orderly. The
property, Joshua Brand and John Falsey are
implicit sexism is offensive. And though the
the current darlings. They're the team
dainty, sensitive Kathleen eventually speaks
responsible for two of TV's finest hours --
up, Going (who replaced another actress)
NBC's "I'll Fly Away" and CBS' "Northern
seems incapable of deflating his male ego, as
Exposure," which Sunday night won the Emmy
enigmatic nurse Marilyn or feisty Maggie
as best dramatic series.
O'Connell do to Joel Fleischman's on
"Northern Exposure."
Fans of those shows have been expecting
great things of the latest Brand-Falsey project.
Because I think of Brand and Falsey as
But sadly, ABC's "Going to Extremes," which
enlightened men, I was also surprised by a
bows tonight, is disappointing. And it lets a
sequence in which another newcomer, Alex
viewer down in ways that'll be
Lauren (Daniel Jenkins) uses binoculars to
hard to rectify.
track a naked woman on the beach. She turns
out to be Dr. Alice Davis (June Chadwick), an
The problem goes right to the premise. The
internal medicine instructor who chides him
drama, which underwent extensive tinkering
for being a naughty boy, yet invites him to her
this summer, is about U.S. students studying
house for a naked poetry reading.
on the (fictional) Caribbean island of Jantique.
(It's actually filmed on
Likewise questionable is the depiction of local
Jamaica.)
life. Brand and Falsey contend they want to
show the natives occasionally enlightening the
According to prevailing TV wisdom, everybody
smug visitors. And yet, as soon as Alex arrives
likes a winner. Yet, in "Extremes," we're
at the Jantique
constantly reminded that Croft University
airport, he discovers his wallet is missing and
Medical School is an inferior institution. Nor
has to contend with an uncooperative law-
could its students -- "rejects" from stateside
enforcement system, and a bewildering,
medical schools -- be described as happy-go-
greedy network of locals calling themselves
lucky losers. There are so many chips on
"cousins."
shoulders it's surprising anyone walks erect.
Then there's Mitford's difficult patient,
In fact, much of "Going to Extremes" is a
George, well-played by Oliver Samuels, a very
downer. In the pilot, directed by Emmy-
big star in Jamaica. This guy, a recurring
winning director Eric Laneuville (the former
character, has persistent sores and numbness
"St. Elsewhere" actor), one of the students
of the feet, yet he stubbornly refuses a
has a pet goat that drowns in a
diabetes test.
well. This character, the nervous Charlie
Moran (Andrew Lauer) shares a hilltop villa
Besides the cornflower-blue sea and skies and
with several other students, including Kim
some lovely Caribbean music -- Brand and
Selby (Camilio Gallardo), a "mystical loner,"
Falsey intend to use a lot of unknown local
and Cheryl Carter (Erika Alexander), who
bands for underscoring -- about the only
carps that her roommates are careless about
positive feature of Jantique is the
her belongings. But nobody listens or cares.
island-born, American-trained Dr. Michael
89
Norris (Carl Lumbly), the chief administrator
and pediatrician at Croft. Certainly, that
institution's "maverick" founder, Dr. Henry
Croft (Roy Dotrice), is despicable. He vows to
prove his "strays" are just as good as any
pedigrees -- and yet, he bribes the visiting
accreditation team.
It's impossible to not draw an unfavorable
comparison between this show and the
charming "Northern Exposure." On the latter,
there's only one person who'd rather be
elsewhere. Here we have a whole cast of
characters pining for other shores.
So was this viewer.
Date: September 3, 1992
Publication: NKC Tribune
Author: M.J. "Squeak" Giaudrone
(Pennsylvania Avenue in Roslyn, between First dealing with the discovery of Roslyn as an
and Second Streets, will be closed to vehicle
traffic from 8:00 a.m. Wed., Sept. 9, thru 8:00 them want to know where Roslyn is and how
p.m. Thurs. Sept. 10, during filming.)
Behold! The Tourists!! They're everywhere.
And they come from everywhere! Roslyn had
its fair share of tourists before the onset of
Northern Exposure. It is an historic town
which is included in the National Register of
Historic Places. It is a hometown to so many
who had to leave when the coal mining
industry came to a halt. It is a retirement
town for those who have chosen to return.
And it is fast becoming the antidote to
Seattle- and Bellevue-itis. But Roslyn wasn't
really credited for being a tourist town until
Universal Studios agreed to using it for its
location scenes in Northern Exposure. It had
been a quaint little town in the foothills of the
Cascades "that had some interesting things to
see--the buildings, the cemeteries--" and "the
people are really nice."
None of that has changed. What has changed
is that, without doing anything, Roslyn has
become one of the hottest tourist attractions
in the state. Judy Moen, a third-generation
Roslynite and secretary for the Cle Elum
Chamber of Commerce, says, "The show has
done more for the Chamber to promote this
area than we ever could have done, with the
free advertising on television and in
Cicely News & World Telegram
magazines such as TV Guide and People.
Advertising is expensive."
Moen states that not only has Roslyn
benefited economically from Northern
Exposure, but so has Cle Elum. "Roslyn has no
motels and fewer restaurants, so Cle Elum has
to benefit." The majority of phone calls Moen
receives at the Chamber office in Cle Elum
have to do with the show, and most of her
time on Tuesdays is spent talking about the
show. "Everyone watches it Monday night, so
that's all they want to talk about when they
call," she adds. And do they call! "Most
everyone wants to know when they're filming
or if they will be filming when they get here.
"One man, from New Jersey, wanted to know
if the moose would be walking down the
street when he got here," Moen laughed. "I
told him, 'No, the moose is a wild animal.' I
said, 'I can promise you there will be a camel
on the wall, but I can't promise you a moose'."
Moen said the State Tourism office is also
important part of the state. People contacting
to get there and about the show. Since the
show is shown in some countries overseas,
the state is helping to plan excursions for
groups of tourists.
"They're bringing a Dutch group in October,"
Moen said, "and a German group is also
coming" In Roslyn, Margaret Heidi and Maria
Fischer serve as the Roslyn branch of the
Chamber--by virtue of being the respective
city clerk and deputy clerk/city treasurer.
"Ninety percent of the calls we receive at city
hall, and even the ones we answer for the
police department, are tourist related," Heide
states. "We get about 20 per day." The city is
reimbursed by Pipeline Productions for the
time they must take away from their routine
jobs and become travel information officers.
"Before they came, if we answered the police
phone once a month it was something. But
now, even with three full-time officers, we're
taking 10-15 calls a day. They really need an
answering machine. In fact, if we had one in
this office, we could put the filming schedule
on the tape and save ourselves a lot of time,
because mostly, people want to know when
they are filming."
The Tourist $$$
90
With the label of tourism comes the bottom
line--dollars! For the general population,
having a television series filmed in the
downtown area is novel, interesting, often
inconvenient, and sometimes downright
bothersome. If a resident doesn't own a
business, it is sometimes difficult to see how
the economy has improved for all of the
residents. But improved, it has, since Roslyn's
exposure to Northern Exposure. There is no
question money has come into the town
because of the payroll for local extras, rental
fees for machinery, space, etc., but the
tourists are bringing a lot with them, too, and
leaving a whole lot of it behind.
Mary Andler, Roslyn museum curator, lifelong
resident and probably Northern Exposure's
best public relations expert, can't say enough
good things about the production. In fact,
because some of the tourists may have picked
up a few "negative comments" on their way
down the street to the museum, her most-
often asked question is a tentative, "How do
you feel about the show being here?" "When I
tell them I think it's great, they seem to relax
and then start talking about the show and the
town." Mary, a retired business woman, feels
the show has been just the boost in the
economy Roslyn has needed for a long time;
the last of the coal mines closed in 1963;
logging has declined rapidly.
The donations at the museum have grown so
fast since the show came. Mary says they will
soon start improvements on the building.
Long-needed insulation, a new facade to
cover the cinderblock construction and better
lighting for inside are those which have
moved to the top of the list from their "maybe
someday" location. Where tourists signed the
museum guest book at the rate of three or
four thousand a year before Northern
Exposure, her Tuesday morning figures
totaled 19,436-- plus the twenty or so who
came in during our brief interview. Those
figures only reflect the past eight months.
"And everyone who comes to town doesn't
stop here," Mary notes.
What does stop in Roslyn, momentarily, takes
a leave of absence and then returns is not the
tourist. What is coming back in bundles--and
this is where all of the residents are
benefiting--is the sales tax off the tourist
dollars. These dollars go into the city treasury
and come back out in the form of city
improvements-- streets, utilities, parks, etc. In
1986, the average amount of sales tax
returned to Roslyn was about $8,000 each
year. In 1988 and 1989, a large number of real
estate transactions took place, pushing the
sales tax figures to $17,622 and $19,373,
respectively. Northern Exposure came in 1990
and the sales tax revenue jumped to $23,321.
In the first seven months of 1992, the figure
has climbed to $24,624. That is a 300%
increase over what had been the norm for a
very long time.
A tourist from British Columbia, caught taking
a courtesy picture of another tourist, was
amazed to learn that the city of Roslyn was
not part of a series of studio sets, but that it
actually looks the way it does--and has--since
about the 1930s. He found it difficult to
believe that the newest building in the
business district--the Roslyn Brewing Co.--is
not one of the oldest buildings, it just looks
that way. He and his wife were fascinated to
find that, as Mary put it, "When they (the
production people) go home, you'd never
know they had been here." But you know the
tourists have been here. It seems like they
never leave. At 11 o'clock at night, during the
middle of the week, one still can't find a place
to park on Pennsylvania Avenue, between
First and Second Streets.
The only thing different is that no one is
standing on the corner taking a picture of the
camel on the side of the Roslyn Cafe--Yet. If a
little girl from Kent has her way that could
change, too. Lonni Townsend, Roslyn
postmaster, has had her share of the tourist
trade, and notes that a hand-stamped Roslyn
postmark and postcard stamps have been
requested the most often. But she also gets
questions, such as to the location of public
restrooms and other "where-can-I-finds" She
even was asked if she thought series regular
Janine Turner would be interested in dating
the man with the question.
But what Lonnie found of interest was a copy
of a letter written as a school assignment to
State Senator Sylvia Skratek from a former
Roslyn visitor and forwarded by the girl's
mother. The letter reads:
Dear Senator Skratek, I think that the town of
Roslyn, Washington should be a state
landmark because the show "Northern
Exposure" is filmed there. When I visited
Roslyn, I met the nice people in town. Even
Cicely News & World Telegram
though TV stars use their streets and
buildings, the local people are still friendly.
By allowing the show to be taped in Roslyn,
the state has received a lot of money. The
actors and crew eat in local restaurants and
stay in hotels here. Some have even bought
houses in Washington. They also rent or buy
cars and trucks in the state. If the town of
Roslyn wouldn't allow the filming of
"Northern Exposure" to remain there, the
state would lose a lot of funds. Roslyn is
surrounded by the beautiful mountains, which
makes it a place that is great to visit. Many
tourists come to Roslyn for its scenery and to
look over the town that has become famous
on the east side of the mountains.
Sincerely, Cary Boona
Fourth grade, St. Anthony's Catholic School,
Renton.
Date: September 13, 1992
Publication: The Boston Globe
Author: Bruce McCabe, Globe Staff
"The Golden Girls" without Bea Arthur.
Another Fox series for the young.
And another "Northern Exposure," maybe.
These are some of the elements of what used
to be called the fall season in television. In its
pure form, of course, that creature doesn't
exist any more -- it hasn't since Fox and the
networks started rolling out new shows in
summer and then dropping them into their
schedules at almost any time of year,
depending on the moment of ratings crisis.
In fact, the 1992 fall television season is
already off and running. Twenty comedies and ceremony to any one show.
13 dramas share the schedule, with "reality"
and audience-participation shows filling out
the rest.
The shows sampled on the cover are
themselves a sampling of the new fare. Or is it plays the part of Eve, the hypochondriac wife
old fare done up in a new package? Never
mind -- on television, everything old is new
again, and vice versa.
"The Heights" is in the tradition of Fox's
relentless pursuit of younger viewers and
demographics. It's a glossy new hour-long
drama about blue-collar teen-aged artistes
91
struggling with their relationships and careers
in a garage band.
NBC's "Rhythm and Blues," which premieres
next week, stars Anna Maria Horsford
("Amen") as the black owner of a Detroit soul-
music station who hires a white DJ.
ABC is the network with the fewest new
shows. One that's drawing a lot of attention is
"Going to Extremes," which the network
hopes will be "Northern Exposure" with a
tropical lilt. It's about a group of young
students at a medical school in the Caribbean,
which is where they work out their neuroses
and relationships. The show was created by
Josh Brand and John Falsey, who created the
successful "Northern Exposure" and "I'll Fly
Away."
"The Golden Palace" fits into CBS' mix of older
with younger demographics and hopes to
approach the success of "The Golden Girls,"
Susan Harris' hit comedy, the first modern
sitcom in which all the characters were
women and, more remarkably, in which all
the characters were well over the age of 50.
Date: September 17, 1992
Publication: NKC Tribune
Author: M.J. "Squeak" Giaudrone
Alright, let's talk about the Emmys. Northern
Exposure fans are widely aware that the
popular Monday night television show filmed,
in part, in Roslyn was nominated for 16
Emmys--those annual awards presented to
members of the Television Academy of Arts
and Sciences. On Sunday, August 30, during
the 44th annual presentation of same,
Northern Exposure & Company picked up six--
the most Emmys awarded during the
Joshua Brand and John Falsey are the creators
of the show. Between their new show, 171 Fly
Away (NBC), and Northern Exposure (CBS) 36
Emmys were awarded. Valerie Mahaffey, who
of recluse Adam, won her Emmy for Best
Supporting Actress. "[3.10] Seoul Mates" is
the name of the episode for which
writers Andrew Schneider and Diane
Frolov earned Emmys. The technical awards
were presented on September l9th and
Northern Exposure took honors for the best
cinematography for a series, the best single- standpoint, "all went incredibly smoothly." Lori Melendy is Berg's right and left hands
camera editing and the best art direction. Berg said that one of the nominees from the when the show moves to Roslyn. He usually
show, head make-up artist Joanie Meers, did a stays in Redmond. Melendy is another whom
Ken Berg is the art director for Pipeline really excellent job. With three time periods Berg says is invaluable, and she and the set
Productions, the company which moves the to transcend, getting the makeup authentic is decorators take responsibility for the art
show from Redmond to Roslyn every other really important. Meers, however, was direction while on location. If winning an
week or so for location filming. In a telephone competing against Star Trek: The Next Emmy is what doing a show is all about, then
interview with him, Berg explained the Emmy Generation. The make up in that type of a Berg has done it all. But if the Emmy is an
process and a lot about what his job is. The show, Berg said, while certainly worthy of an asset on a resume, then this man has plans to
Emmy recipient's work is judged by a peer Emmy, should have its own judging category, keep on working. Either way, an Emmy makes
group, fellow members of the Academy. such as "Make Up, Special Effects." an awfully nice birthday present. If you don't
That's what makes the award so special. believe me, ask Berg. He's 39 today.
In a similar situation, Northern Exposure won
Selection is not based upon popularity, which the Emmy for Best Dramatic Series. But, is it a
can be credited to a good advertising agency. drama? That question even had Brand and
The show's merits or ability of its performers Falsey wondering enough to share their secret
or technical people is not based on the with the Academy: "It's a comedy," Falsey said Date: September 27, 1992
television ratings, although they can be criticalto the members and audience during the Publication: The Denver Post
when sponsors are renewing shows, but by awards ceremony. Once a show has been Author: Gerry Wingenbach
people who are more than just familiar with submitted to the Academy, the nominating
the craft. A show must be submitted to the ROSLYN, Wash. - At first glance, Roslyn (pop.
committee takes over. They prepare a ballot
Academy for consideration of a nomination--a 875_ seems like many of the other weathered
for the members. If a particular show is good
particular episode. and logging towns in western Washington.
enough to be nominated more than once in a
Along Pennsylvania Avenue, the town's three-
category, it is pretty clear that someone will
The episode submitted by Berg was the show walk away with an Emmy, but just as clear block-long main street, pickups are angle-
that just aired again Monday night, "Cicely." parked in front of the Roslyn Cafe, the
that someone will not. Northern Exposure had
The title of the episode is both the name of General Store and Jerry's Barber Shop. Old
more than one nomination in some
one of the founders of the fictitious Alaska Glory waves from the post office flagpole.
categories, which explains why, if there were
community and the town itself. The story took 16 nominations it would be impossible to get
a step back in time, to when lovers Cicely and 16 Emmys. But on second glance, Roslyn is different.
Roslyn first discovered their place on the
planet where they hoped to live peacefully in After the nominations have been
their unorthodox lifestyle. Berg says that each made, Berg said, the submitted
script is discussed by the production designer tapes are viewed by a "blue-
and producers (What is needed?) Then it's on ribbon panel" who then make the
to the engineers whose drawings and final decisions. "They're the ones
calculations determine if what is needed is who write the winners' names
possible. If the answer is "yes", it goes to the that are pulled from the
art department. "It's my job to carry out the envelopes." When Berg and I
orders and make sure the sets get built and talked, the Emmy excitement was
completed," Berg stated. still evident when he spoke of the
award. But, he is well into the
The most challenging thing about doing the grips of another episode and life
"Cicely" show was the fact that there were goes on. FOR REAL: Roslyn Cafe, Roslyn Museum are
three different time periods involved. "We side by side.
took it from raw (dirt streets) to cleaned up The "Thanksgiving" parade which was filmed
(sidewalks, paint, buildings) and we had to do in Roslyn last week was another big Tourists with video cameras stroll the
it overnight," Berg said. But he also said that production--the largest yet for the show--as sidewalks, peering into windows and gawking
he couldn't have done it without his crew. the residents of Roslyn can attest. at everyone they pass. A blond in a 1956
"I've got one of best crews in the business. Pennsylvania Avenue was closed for 24 hours Chevrolet convertible snaps a photograph
Two or three of them have been with me or so to accommodate filming of the parade; while driving past the Brick Tavern, which
since I came to Seattle." (Berg had been additional extras were hired to make up the happens to be the oldest operating saloon in
working in Africa before Northern Exposure, crowds lining the streets; 90 costumes were the state of Washington. But history is not
and is originally from Sussex, England.) made for the parading people of Cicely; and what interests her.
the floats were built in Redmond,
From the mini-opinion poll I took from people unassembled, trucked to Roslyn, then "We're a movie town now," said Roslyn's
involved with the show, "Cicely" was the all- reassembled for the parade. barber, Jerry Mowis, referring to his town's
time favorite to put together. And from Berg's new-found prosperity, as the fictional

Cicely News & World Telegram 92

commonity of Cicely, Alaska, in the hit
television series "Northern Exposure."
Morris moonlights as Earl, the barber in the
television show, but on this particular day he
is working at his usual day job and is in the
middle of a buzz cut.
"I was never in a class play," Morris said. "My
only stage has been this barber shop."
"And don't forget to trim my eyebrows," said
Andy Valesko, the barber's 78-year-old
customer, attempting to keep the star-struck
barber concentrating on the menial task of
cutting hair.
But the temptation was too great. "I've been
in the show myself," Valesko said,
momentarily forgetting about his
haircut. "They put a note on my
door when they want me. Darn
hard to get your money out of
them, though."
A mounted lake trout hangs above
the barber. Over in the corner a set
of deer antlers serves as a hat rack.
A Coca-Cola machine dispenses 40-
cent bottles. It's a scene familiar
with viewers of the television show.
Across the street is the makeshift
studio of KBHR radio, "the voice of
the last frontier," where the
television show's disc jockey, Chris,
played by John Corbett, ponders
the great questions of classical philosophy and Turner, a pilot.
the everyday occurrences in the quirky
Alaskan movie town.
"We've been all over looking for Marilyn and
the moose," said a woman standing in front of town 107 years ago, and by the early 1900s
KBHR. "That's the reason we watch the show
and why we came." She was referring to the
native receptionist named Marilyn and played actually practiced in Roslyn left in the 1940s.
by Elaine Miles in "Northern Exposure." The
moose appears in the show's opening credits
walking past the Roslyn's Cafe sign.
"We get tourists from all over the world," said
Sue Vail, who was working behind the counter
at Roslyn's General Store and vaguely
resembled the character Marilyn. "We've
even had honeymooners. Can you believe it?
"There was even a guy from Anchorage, the
real Alaska, who drove an old fire truck all the
Cicely News & World Telegram
way down here so he could take a picture of it
in front of the Roslyn's Cafe sign."
Northern Exposure began airing in 1990 and
has been renewed for another two years. (The
new season premieres at 9 p.m. Monday on
Denver's Channel 7.) It received thePeople's
Choice award for best dramatic television
series and won 16 Emmy Awards. The show
stars Rob Morrow, who plays Joel Fleischman,
a doctor from New York City who believes
civilization ends at the mouth of the Hudson
River. But the state of Alaska paid for Joel's
medical education and in return he owes four
years of medical service. According to Joel,
Cicely is halfway between the end of the line
and middle of nowhere.
STARS: Rob Morrow plays a doctor and Janine
Roslyn, however, is on the eastern slope of
the Cascade Mountains, 80 miles from Seattle
off Interstate 90. It began as a coal mining
the population had swelled to 6,000. The
mine closed in 1963. The last doctor who
"Roslyn was dying," said 72-year-old Mary
Adler, the owner of the Roslyn Museum, who
happens to bear a resemblance to Ruth-Anne,
the practical storekeeper played by Peg
Phillips in the television show. " 'Northern
Exposure' brought this town to life. Before, so
much was seasonal, but they made all the
businesses boom."
In 1990, fewer than 4,000 visitors signed the
museum guest book. In the first seven months
93
of 1992, there already were more than 15,000
signatures.
"How come the movie people chose this
town?" Adler asked herself. "They liked us.
The producers had a scout who came to town,
and he liked us. We have no McDonald's,
supermarkets or stoplights. And all the
buildings are for real. But mostly, they liked
us."
Adler told the story of Marilyn, played by
Miles, who had never acted before casting
found her for the role on "Northern
Exposure." And all those stars from the big
cities, like Rob Morrow, the doctor,
and Janine Turner, who plays Maggie the bush
pilot, well . . .
"Just the way you see them is the way they
are around town," she said.
Yep. Art mirrors real life in Roslyn. Now,
there's a statement for Chris to ponder on
KBHR. But has fame destroyed Roslyn? Not by
any means.
At the Roslyn Cafe, the waitress told
lunchtime customers that the turkey
sandwich was off the menu because it had
just come out of the oven and was still too hot
to slice. And at Jerry's, a haircut still costs only
$6.
Date: September 28, 1992
Publication: Albany Times Union
Author: Steve Bornfeld
Cue the moose and let him loose - "Northern
Exposure" is back. The whimsical hit (featuring
Morty the Moose roaming through the
opening credits) begins its new season tonight
at 10 on WRGB (Channel 6) and at least one
cast member can't wait. "I'm just so anxious
to see what they dream up for her," says Peg
Phillips, referring to her small screen alter-
ego, wise and kindly store owner Ruth-Anne.
"She started out as just a recurring character
who didn't have anything to do with any plots.
For 16 episodes, she stood behind that
counter and let the plot hit off against her.
Then (the writers) started to add background,
starting with the first episode last year, where
she puts Maggie to bed, drunk. She talked
about her affair with the RAF pilot and her
marriage, and since then it's been an actor's
dream."

A viewer's dream, as well, since Phillips'

subtle, shaded work as Ruth-Anne has added
considerably to the already rich fabric woven
by those endearingly quirky denizens of
Cicely, Alaska.

Phillips is clearly excited about her expanding

role, which will be showcased in next
Monday's episode. That's when traveling
haberdasher Gillis Toomey (played by Jim
Haynie) comes to town and falls in love with
Ruth-Anne in a sort of May-December
romance among the senior set. "Youngster"
Toomey is in his early 60s; "older woman"
Ruth-Anne is 75.

That's actually rather run-of-the-mill in Cicely,

where 64-year-old Holling (John Cullum) is in
love with 20- year-old Shelley (Cynthia Geary).

"I was worried about that," Phillips says, "but

the whole thing is handled so tastefully." As
usual.

Another upcoming episode that Phillips

suggested to producers John Falsey and
Joshua Brand has Ruth- Anne getting into a
feud with bombastic ex-astronaut Maurice
Minnifield (Barry Corbin).
"I wanted to explore that because they're so
different," Phillips says. "I haven't seen the
script yet, but I don't think either one of them
comes off too well in the end."
In fact, examining the flaws in Ruth-Anne is
something she's looking forward to. Viewers
may recall a past episode in which Ruth-Anne
and her wide-eyed confidante Ed Chigliak
discuss Ruth-Anne's children. One, she says
with pride, is a truck-driving poet. The other,
she says glumly - and with typical "N.E."
counter- culture sensibilities - is an
investment banker.
This season, wayward son and capitalist
Matthew will come home to see Mama,
challenging Ruth-Anne's long- held view of
herself. "We'll see that she's not the all-wise,
all-good lady," Phillips says. "She has to finally
admit when Matthew comes to Cicely that
she did play favorites and she really didn't like
him very well. She wasn't fair. It's a new
development and it's wonderful for me."
Among the many intriguing "N.E." When I graduated high school, I went to work.
relationships - Joel and Maggie's Then I got married, raised kids and grandkids
love/hate/lust, Holling and Shelley's touching and life just got in the way. But I never forgot.
romance, burly Maurice's affections for a I did community theater, just waiting for my
female police officer - is the sweet friendship chance."
between wise Ruth-Anne and gentle, eager-
She got that chance in a big way on "NE," but
to-learn Ed, played by Darren E. Burrows.
it took a lot of playing what she calls "bag lady
"Everyone in the cast gets along unusually parts" before the big break opened up. "I
well, but with Darren, from the first minute never would go for those cookie- jar
we appeared together, there was just a grandmother roles. It's just not my M.O.," she
symbiosis, a recognition, a chemistry," she says.
says. "Every once in a while you find an actor
"I'm more of a comic actress. I've been told,
you can relate to. Apparently, that's come
and I agree, that if I ever tried to play Lady
over on the shows as well."
Macbeth, it would be like Jack Benny playing
Phillips added that she'd like to go beyond the 'Hamlet.' "
small scenes she plays with Cynthia Geary
(Shelley), because "we found our relationship Monday, September 28, 1992 4-01
to be very precious on camera and off." Northwest Passages 77602 39
Phillips took a different road to performing
than most actors. A former accountant (just
like Bob Newhart), Phillips enrolled at the
University of Washington Drama School at age Date: October 1, 1992
65.
Publication: NKC Tribune
Author: M.J. "Squeak" Giaudrone
"All my life, acting was all I ever wanted to
do," she says. "But I was a Depression kid.

Cicely News & World Telegram 94

If you want a job that keeps you hopping from "When I walked in, I could feel it," Dan states. Next comes the "tech scout." The same
left to right--the left side and the right side of"I just knew this was going to be Juneau." But, people who were involved with the first scout
Washington state, that is--you want to be a Dan still visited other sites and took other meet now with the chief electrician and a
location manager for Pipeline Productions and photos. In the end, the Edgewater Inn was the "grip." The grip is the one who is responsible
working on the television show Northern selection made by the powers that be to for laying out all of the track on which camera
Exposure. If you already have that job, then become the lodge-like hotel used for the dollies travel during shooting, and positioning
you are Dan Dusek and Vicky Berglund- convention. The same was true when he cranes and other equipment for filming. The
Davenport. Their faces are becoming so well- scouted for the location for the home of a results of this scout show how much needs to
known in the Upper County, it gets more character new to the show this season, who be done: is a road good enough to get trucks
difficult with each episode to tell them from lives in a dome because of being allergic to full of equipment and supplies in without
the natives. Most of the natives, however, nearly everything in the environment. While major obstacles, for instance.
don't have that easy Texas drawl that Dan driving around the Upper County, Dan saw a
has, nor do they have three telephone dirt road that seemed to beckon him. He In the case of an episode being filmed at the
numbers on their business cards as does found a family enjoying the sunshine nearby old county gravel pit near Ronald, it was
Vicky. But most of the natives find them as and questioned them about what he would necessary for Pipeline to have the road
easy to talk to as, well, their own next door find if he drove down that road. He ended up graded and graveled to keep their trucks from
neighbors. getting a guided tour. His photos of the bottoming out and getting stuck. "At the end
location (mixed in with those of other sites) of that show," Dan remembers, "we actually
Dan, whose parents still live in Denison, Texas, beckoned to everyone else, too, and the site left an improved road where nearly none had
is in his second season as co-location was written into the show. been." A new mural on the back of the
manager. When he started with the show, theater building in Roslyn, depicting a Marlon
however, he began in the art department. A Next comes a "tone" meeting during which Brando-like caricature on a motorcycle that
photographer, and an experienced location Rob Thompson and creators Joshua Brand and would be visible in many location shots and a
manager, he was there when it became John Falsey meet with Dan or Vicky and the lighted plastic awning on a new restaurant
necessary to have two location managers for director, production designer, production were two hurdles which Dan had to jump
Northern Exposure-- one to be in Roslyn to manager, first assistant director, producers, before filming could resume after a two-week
work on the current episode being filmed and wardrobe and transportation heads to go over vacation.
one to be in Redmond preparing for the next. every scene in the script. A feel for the story,
When former location manager, Sean or "tone" is acknowledged as each participant "I left Cicely, Alaska and came back to New
Grayson, left the show last spring, Vicky listens, takes notes and begins figuring out York City," he had said upon his return.
interviewed for the position while working how each one's individual expertise will be Everything looked different. Part of his job
around Mt. Saint Helens on a feature film used with the episode. entailed working out compromises with the
called The Vanishing. Her work on that show owners of both buildings. A new but rustic-
ended June 25 and she began work on Head 'Em Out on The First Scout looking awning replaced the plastic one, and
Northern Exposure the next day. the art department came up with a tarp to
The "First Scout", as it is called, requires that cover the mural that, when hung in place,
Just What Do They Do? the producer takes a physical look at the looks like the wood on the theater building.
filming sites in order to begin working out These kinds of things, of course, Dan and
So, just exactly what is it that Dan and Vicky how a scene will be filmed, depending on the Vicky like to work out in advance whenever
do? According to Dan, scripts are received by needs of the script. If the script calls for a non- possible. The longer the show is being filmed
a manager about two days before the director regular location site, i.e. the Edgewater the better chance there is of that, too. Vicky
for a particular show arrives. It is read, broken instead of Roslyn, that site is visited, and a received a call from the owner of the new
down into scenes, and determinations are decision made by the end of the day how and "Fitness Factory" in Roslyn, which is located
made as to whether the scenes will be shot on where every scene will be filmed. By Day 3, above the post office. They want to install a
the sound stage in Redmond or on location in casting of the show is underway, studio shots sign and are concerned about how it should
Roslyn or at some other site. Dan or Vicky, are planned, and location managers are taking be done in order to meet city codes, such as
depending on who is doing which show, heads care of the logistics: --If they are shooting on size and style, and they thought Pipeline
out with a camera and starts photographing Forest Service land or working with other might be concemed about what to do about it
possible location sites. After years of doing government agencies, official okays or being in a shot: would it need to be covered,
this, they have both developed a knack for permits must be obtained, fees paid if camouflaged or temporarily removed each
knowing what the scene is going to need or necessary, permission from property owners time the crew came to town?
what the writer saw in his head when he must be obtained, locations set, etc. Vicky is
wrote in a scenic background. In an episode currently working with the prison warden at Vicky also notes that the Roslyn Museum is
last season [It Happened in Juneau], when Monroe, who will be calling shots for footage another spot for which external changes are
series character Dr. Joel Fleishman was to which will be filmed there for a new-season being planned. Thanks to more-than-expected
attend a medical convention in Juneau, show. tourist dollars this year, the facelift is coming
Alaska, Dan photographed the Edgewater sooner, too. It will probably be a wood siding,
Inn in Seattle as a possible site. and depending on what is selected, Vicky says

Cicely News & World Telegram 95

the show's scenic painters can work with Rick, was about to be struck by a satellite,"
Mary Andler to help keep the building Dan remembers. The set was situated North
"looking like Cicely." Also during the tech of Roslyn, but when they arrived for filming,
Date: October 4, 1992
scout, the location of base camp and parking the snow was coming down so thick one could
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
of mobile dressing rooms, bathrooms and barely make out the campfire. In downtown
Author: Lisbeth Levine
other production vehicles is determined. Roslyn, it snowed, but just barely.
Location managers sketch the locations and
College students around the country this fall
the camera angles to be used. A production An emergency meeting with the police chief
might be mistaken for "Northern Exposure"
meeting follows back in Redmond with the netted permission for the shot to be done
cast members who wandered off the set.
scout teams and department heads who re- inside town, on a vacant lot which, within two
Plaid flannel shirts, hiking boots, leather
review each scene and discuss when and how hours, had been designed to look like a
parkas and jeans are just a few of the
everything will be accomplished. "By now, remote camping spot in the midst of a forest--
elements in men's and women's current
everyone should know what is required and, fake trees and all--and everyone involved had
campus wardrobes.
hopefully, in what order," Dan says. Special been re-notified. "Now that they all have
Needs for Special Use Permits Explained become more 'movie conscious', it helps us
Muted shades of green, from olive to forest
Working in Roslyn has had its ups and downs, immensely in getting our work done and us
and loden, are repeatedly cited by students as
but things continue to get easier all of the out of town as fast as possible. . . which
the hot colors on campus.
time. reduces our impact on the town," Dan states.
After the meeting with city officials, the "It's a real `Northern Exposure' kind of look,"
One of the reasons for the improvement, Dan location managers continue their in-town said Irma Zandl, president of Xtreme, a New
assures, is a better understanding of the obligations. They notify all of the business York-based consulting and research firm that
filming industry by city officials and residents. owners on Pennsylvania Avenue or other specializes in the youth market. "Part of the
Roslyn requires a special-use permit-- affected streets of their plans, as well as the reason `Northern Exposure' is so popular is
something which was initiated after the first residents in neighborhoods where they might there's a real trend to want that outdoorsy
eight episodes were shot--from anyone have to film. lifestyle."
wishing to film in the city. It is negotiable in
some areas, but it primarily lets the Although Dan and Vicky are incredibly good at Among the prime purveyors of the rugged
production company know what they may what they do, it's been some time since Vicky look for students are the L.L. Bean, J. Crew,
and may not do and when they may or may has done "episodal" television--a continuing Eddie Bauer and Lands' End catalogs. Basics
not do it. Dan andVicky each pack a copy of it series. She has been busier with films such as such as jeans and flannel shirts often come
with them at all times, although they both Singles, Say Anything, War of the Roses Past from the Gap. Hiking boots usually carry the
probably know it by heart. Midnight, and My Own Private Idaho. For Dan, Timberland label.
"This is the first time I've done episodal TV
Either Dan or Vicky must sit down with Mayor where I keep coming back to the same "We're getting a little out of the L.L. Bean
Jack Denning and Police Chief Mike Mullin location." When he worked on the television mode and moving into the Eddie Bauer and J.
and/or Dave Dixon and Lori Brune, police show Real People, he was never in the same Crew look," said Tricia Brusco, 21, a senior at
officers, and sketch out what is going to be place twice. Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind.
required for each filming. If a street needs to "Eddie Bauer is cool, and if you drive the
be closed temporarily, they try to determine A bonus for everyone in the show--and Roslyn Eddie Bauer Explorer, you're even cooler."
the best time to do it. A home game at the residents, too--is that the work gets done
middle school could mean an increased traffic much more quickly now. An average filming Women carry out the au naturel look by
load on State Route 903 which goes through day is about 12-13 hours, compared to the 14- wearing less makeup, opting for subtle shades
part of the location site. The sound of school16- hour days it took when Northern Exposure of lipstick and wearing their hair longer and
buses which might interfere with a began. It should be obvious by now that straighter.
microphone needs to be considered. A funeral public relations is an important part of both
procession may need to be re-routed, or a Dan's and Vicky's jobs. Their individual show Jeans, always integral to college wardrobes,
shot rescheduled if that isn't possible. The responsi- bilities are not ended until they stay are turning up both baggy and fitted. The
installation of a new water line means the one extra day after each episode. That's newest look is denim that's not blue or black.
working out compatible schedules with the when they make sure all of the cleanup has
contractors. been done, and make courtesy calls to ensure At Northwestern University in Evanston,
no problems exist as a result of the latest white, red and bronze jeans are taking off,
"They always know in advance what we are filming. Then it's back home for a well- said senior Sarah Shey, 22. Muted tones of
going to do," Dan emphasizes. But sometimes, deserved rest and re-focus. brown, plum and dark green in washed
things change. An actor becomes ill (delay or finishes are hot at Purdue, Brusco said. At the
cancel the shot). Equipment fails (delay or And then they get a new script . . University of Illinois, Chicago, junior Larry
cancel the shot). Or sometimes, Dan's Kravets, 19, said his jean wardrobe includes
nightmare--bad weather occurs. "We were dark green denims.
shooting the scene where Maggie's boyfriend,

Cicely News & World Telegram 96

The "Northern Exposure" look grew out of
preppy roots, so it's not surprising that preppy
styles are finding their way into classrooms.
Date: October 7, 1992
This isn't the bright pink and green preppy of Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
years past, but a classic look made up of Author: Lon Grahnke
staples such as Bass suede bucks, pleated
CBS extended its new-season streak last week
skirts, walking shorts, turtlenecks and blazers.
with another win in the prime-time Nielsen
More young women are adopting the blazer ratings.
as part of their classroom wardrobe, wearing
Figures for the period ending Sunday showed
a loose "boyfriend jacket" over a pleated skirt,
CBS in first place for the third straight week,
walking shorts or jeans.
this time with an over-all 13.5 rating and a 23
Those seeking an artsier look prefer to top off share. Following were ABC (11.7/20), NBC
their jeans with ruffled poet's shirts or scoop- (10.6/18) and Fox (7.6/13). One national
necked tops in ribbed knits or stretch velvet. ratings point represents 921,000 households.
The share is the percentage of all TV sets in
The Western look is appearing in modified use.
versions, mostly in the form of cowboy boots
and shoe boots at Northwestern and as Seven CBS programs finished in Nielsen's Top
bandannas turned into headbands at Purdue. 10 for last week. The network won Sunday
Denim shirts and silver-tipped belt buckles are and Monday, as usual, and added a
everywhere. Wednesday victory thanks to high viewership
for its telecast of the Country Music
A dash of ethnic culture spices up basics. At Association's annual awards ceremony.
Purdue, guys might wear a bright Guatemalan
belt with jeans and a pink Oxford cloth shirt. ABC won Tuesday and Friday again, and NBC
"Anything that looks like you got it in Mexico, held its lead on Thursday and Saturday.
Guatemala or Bolivia" is hot at Northwestern,
Here are last week's Top 10 programs in the
Shey reported.
Nielsen rankings, listed with network, rating
Students of both sexes are wearing a strand of and share.
beads or a single bead on a leather thong
1. "Roseanne," ABC, 23.2, 35.
around their necks.
2. "Murphy Brown," CBS, 21.5, 31.
Baseball caps are also a unisex trend,
although Kravets pointed out that guys wear
3. "Country Music Association Awards," CBS,
caps emblazoned with the names of sports
20.3, 32.
teams while women prefer fancier caps in
wool with suede visors.
4. "60 Minutes," CBS, 20.0, 35.
Footwear sets college students apart from
5. "Coach," ABC, 19.1, 29.
adults trekking to the office every day. Clunky
Doc Martens, Birkenstock sandals and Teva 6. "Murder, She Wrote," CBS, 18.4, 28.
sandals are among the alternative footwear of
choice at campuses around the country. The 7. "Northern Exposure," CBS, 18.3, 29.
latter two may be worn with socks in winter.
8. TIE: "Love & War," CBS, 17.3, 26, and
Other accessories for students who like to "Home Improvement," ABC, 17.3, 26.
express themselves: tattoos of the permanent
or temporary nature, nose rings (mostly for 10. "Hearts Afire," CBS, 17.2, 26.
women) and ear cuffs.
Monday, October 12, 1992 4-03
Monday, October 05, 1992 4-02 Nothing's Perfect 77603 41
Midnight Sun 77610 40 Monday, October 19, 1992 4-04
Heroes 77609 42
Cicely News & World Telegram 97
Date: November 1, 1992
Publication: Albany Times Union
Author: Jay Bobbin
A newcomer is relocating to Cicely, Alaska,
and he's likely to burst some bubbles ... while
living inside a literal bubble of his own.
With this Monday's episode, the Emmy-
winning CBS series "Northern Exposure"
welcomes a new cast member, Anthony
Edwards, known for his work in such movies
as "Top Gun" and "Revenge of the Nerds."
He'll appear in the recurring role of Mike
Monroe, a lawyer from St. Paul, Minn., who
requires the least-polluted atmosphere he
possibly can find, since he lacks immunities
that make him particularly prone to a variety
of toxins and the resulting allergies.
An actual malady known as Multiple Chemical
Sensitivity, his condition forces him to remain
within an environmentally controlled
"bubble" most of the time, though the
spacesuit of ex- astronaut Maurice Minnifield
(Barry Corbin) comes in handy on those
occasions when he wants to take a walk in
less-than-pure air conditions.
Upon his arrival, Mike strikes up an immediate
kinship with pilot Maggie O'Connell (Janine
Turner), adding a major twist to her already-
complicated relationship with Dr. Joel
Fleischman (Rob Morrow).
"If you're a fan of the show, you'll see that my
character fits right in," the amiable Edwards
vows. "They call him the 'Bubble Man'
because he has to live in this geodesic dome
that he's brought with him. He has to find a
place to live where the air is clean and he can
be near a doctor, just to deal with his
environmental illness. What's too bad about
the 'bubble' image is that we all think of John
Travolta in (the 1976 TV movie) 'The Boy in
the Plastic Bubble,' and it's not that way at all
in this case. This dome that Mike is in is
gigantic; it has a loft, a kitchen and a
bedroom. It's essentially a house, so it's as big
a set as you could ever shoot in. People come
in and out, so he doesn't have to talk to
people through a plastic partition. In fact, he
does go outside without any 'protection,' so
to speak; if the air's clean enough and he's
healthy enough, he's fine."
Such moments undoubtedly will benefit the
link that will be established between Mike
and Maggie. "Where they become attracted
to each other is in their being so isolated,"
says Edwards. "She's obviously cut off from
relationships and love for her own reasons,
and Mike is cut off from them for physical
reasons. There's no way he could get involved
with someone, because if things don't work
out in Alaska, the next place he'll have to go is mentioned that, but went on. "I grew up in a
Antarctica. There are about eight people who
live there, so he might have some neighbors."
Edwards isn't sure whether executive
producers John Falsey and Joshua Brand or
someone else involved in "Northern
Exposure" devised Mike, recalling, "All I got
was a script and an offer to come and play
him for a while. I'm coming into the show with in case something happened--so there would
it being established over the past two and a
half years, and there are two camps: A writing
team in L.A. that I haven't met, and the troops "During my career, Mom used to suggest that,
up in Seattle filming the show, who are the
ones I'm with. It's a nice environment, mainly 'really good job'." But now, although
because they're good people, but they also
happen to be working on the best show on
television. I think there's a great deal of pride Katharine's abilities as a designer have
in that, and they want to maintain that. Also,
we're not in L.A., which is a great place to be
away from. The closest we get are the ratings
reports."
Monday, November 02, 1992 4-05
Blowing Bubbles 77605 43
Date: November 5, 1992
Publication: NKC Tribune
Author: M.J. "Squeak" Giaudrone
On location with Northern Exposure
Katharine Bentley is not the first name on the
credits shown at the end of each episode of
CBS' Northern Exposure, but her name stands
alone amid the mass of people who have
something to do with the technical end of the
weekly production. (Her name also appears in
graceful script on the sign in front of her
parking stall at Pipeline Productions in
Redmond, where a friend and I traveled for
this interview.)
Some of her pre-Northern Exposure work
includes doing the art direction for catalogs
produced for the Bon Marche, Frederick &
Cicely News & World Telegram
Nelson and Eddie Bauer. She also has worked
on television commercials produced for
Nordstroms and other department stores. She
has done industrial and documentary films,
too, but Northern Exposure is her first series.
As a student at the University of Washington
where she majored in history, Katharine also
worked as a paralegal. She laughed when she
family where we made our own clothes,"
Katharine explained. "Mom used to take my
dad's Pendleton(TM) shirts after she could no
longer repair the elbows, and cut the bodies
into plaid skirts for me. Sewing is one of the
things girls did. "When I went to high school,
you took cooking and sewing," Katharine
elaborated, "and a little typing on the side just
be another skill to fall back on.
with my 'law' background, I could have a
Katharine isn't practicing law, her mom isn't
suggesting a related profession anymore.
become well-known.
It's Not All Design Work
All of the clothes used by the actors on the
show are not designed by her,
though. Maggie's (Janine Turner)
and Shelly's (Cynthia Geary) clothes definitely
are--right down to Shelly's earrings. While
talking with Katharine, she gave a suggestion
and final approval to a staff member for a pair
of earrings Shelly will wear in a future episode
about an environmental problem [Survival of
the Species]. One was a miniature bag of
garbage, the other a trash can.
"Shelly's earrings always reflect one of the
two story lines in each show," Katharine
noted, "and so do her tights."
In one episode [Wake-Up Call], Shelly was
plagued by a rash and terrible itching
problem. Her earrings were bright red
lobsters. A recent telecast [Heroes] about a
rock singer had Shelly wearing tights with
musical notes on them. All of the mackinaws
worn by Maggie are designed by Katharine - a
kind of insurance that no other television
show will have a performer wearing the same
thing.
98
Dr. Fleischman (Rob Morrow) is noted for his
ties. And Chris (John Corbett), the somewhat
disheveled D.J. in Cicely, appears to have
made his own fashion statement--behind the
microphone, who sees? In front of the
microphone, who cares? Katharine related
some of the things which must be done for
"Chris's look." "We cut sleeves and collars off
of his shirts, remove some buttons break
stitching; tear his jeans. His boots are soaked
in water and then we drive over them with a
truck." Except for the shoes, most of the work
is done on a "distressing table" set up in the
work room.
"We use a lot of mink oil," Katharine added.
"Because we don't always shoot scenes in
sequence, we have to be careful that what the
actor wore in part of a scene shot on Tuesday
is exactly the same as when the rest of the
scene is shot on another day. "Of course, we
have to launder the clothes after they've been
worn. So we use mink oil to stain the garment.
When the dirt is washed out, the mink oil
stays. The next time the piece is to be worn,
we have an exact map of where to replace the
dirt."
Every Garment Bears a Tag
When Katharine receives a script, she reads it
to find out what will be needed. If, for
instance, Dr. Fleischman will be wearing
pajamas, they are pulled from his rack of
stored clothes or purchased, whichever is
necessary. New items are assigned a garment
tag which bears three crucial pieces of
information: The character's name (Joel), the
scene number (2), and the "change"
(pajamas). The tags coordinate with the daily
call sheet, on which a list of wardrobe items
have been noted for each show. Sometimes
more than one garment must be used.
"If Joel (Dr. Fleishman) hasn't slept for three
days, we may use three pairs of pajamas,"
Katharine said. "One clean pair, one that is
slightly wrinkled and one that would be really
wrinkled and dirty by the third night." Keeping
track of all of the garments, the actual sewing
and construction work of designed ones,
buying others, distressing, etc. is part of the
reason Katharine has a staff of five assistants.
All of them are vital, but were especially so
when 90 costumes and 60 masks were
required for the shooting of the Thanksgiving
Day Parade show [Thanksgiving], which will air
November 23. Ten extra mask makers were
hired just for the one show. (Can anyone
imagine making that many costumes in only
eight days? It takes me a week to make a
simple blouse; my friend took a little less to
make one eight-piece Batman costume for her
grandchild!)
Thanksgiving Was A Challenge
When I first met Katharine she had just
finished a long day on location in Roslyn,
where she had personally traveled to deliver
the truckload of costumes for the show. "It's
the first time I ever had to use a truck," she
had commented. "We've been sewing and
sewing and sewing," emphasizing each word
with a descriptive "vroooom, vroooom,
vrooom" and emulating someone bent over a
zig-zag. Designing or planning each costume
to be worn for the native Cicelians' "Day of
the Dead" celebration--a mock Halloween
parade--had left her exhausted. "What's
next?" was a question that began each new
idea and each new challenge.
The "Bone Man" (a difficult wiring job, for he
wore real bones attached to his costume to
make him look like a skeleton), "Rag Man"
(layers and layers of shirred fabric glued to
ready-made garments, then dis-tressed into
tattered strips), and "Father Death"--the
biggest challenge--took everyone's help and
attention to detail. "Father Death" is the
caricature which rides on the Mayflower. "I'd
never engineered anything like that before,"
Katharine noted. What 1 5-foot-tall Father
Death was when it was completed was right
out of a Disney movie--animated arms
operated by a person in the bottom of the
figure, and yards and yards of fabric. It, of
course, had to be assembled when it got to
Roslyn.
When traveling to location, or in the
workshop, Katharine has her own tool kit. "A
measuring tape and scissors live in my purse,"
she laughed. But her other can't-do-withouts
include seam rippers, three glue guns (all with
different melt temperatures of glue), a staple
gun and her most important " sewing item"--
double-stick carpet tape. It holds when
nothing else will, Katharine claims. Katharine's
favorite fabric has become known as "flaid," a
name she coined.
everyone calls it that, but Katharine may ask
one New York designer, Donna Karan, when
she goes there in the near future to meet her.
"She has come out with a fall line called the
'Northern Exposure Look'," Katharine told us
as she pointed to a picture from Women's
Wear Daily. It showed models wearing
mackinaws and parkas, boots and socks worn
with skirts, and hats with ear flaps. They
looked very familiar, in a Monday-night sort of
way. If having another designer create a line
of clothing around the line you have created is
a measure of success, and working on an
Emmy-award-winning show is another, than
Katharine has every reason to believe that she
has succeeded after a ten-year struggle of
becoming established in the business.
Monday, November 09, 1992 4-06
On Your Own 77607 44
Date: November 11, 1992
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
Author: Lon Grahnke
After winning five consecutive nights last
week, ABC has pulled ahead in the fall ratings
sweeps.
ABC led in the prime-time ratings for last
Monday through Friday in the first full sweeps
week, according to A.C. Nielsen Co. figures
released Tuesday. The last time a network
won five nights in a row, excluding Olympics
programming, came in the TV week of Jan. 3,
1988, when NBC won.
Last year's No. 3 network, ABC is challenging
front-runner CBS this season. In last week's
Nielsen rankings, ABC finished first with an
over-all 13.2 rating and a 21 share. Following
were CBS (12.4/20), NBC (11.6/18) and Fox
(8.7/13). For all nights in the ongoing Nielsen
sweeps period, which started Oct. 29, ABC
(12.7/20) leads CBS (12.2/19).
For the season, CBS (13.6/22) remains on top
vs. ABC (12.3/20), NBC (11.4/19) and Fox
(7.7/13).
In Nielsen's revised estimates, one ratings
point represents 931,000 U.S. households.
Share is the percentage of all sets in use.
were preempted by election coverage. ABC
News led the networks in election night
ratings, ranking 13th. ABC's other Top 20
performers were "PrimeTime Live," two
episodes of "Home Improvement," "Monday
Night Football" (Bears vs. Vikings), "20/20," a
"Matlock" movie and the docudrama "Willing
To Kill: The Texas Cheerleader Story" (delayed
in Chicago on Sunday night while WLS-
Channel 7 showed the Bears losing to
Cincinnati).
NBC won Saturday, as usual. And CBS scored
its best Sunday numbers of the season with
"60 Minutes" and Part 1 of the "Sinatra" mini-
series. The three-hour "Sinatra" opener was
the highest-rated TV movie of the new year.
Here are last week's most popular programs,
listed with network, rating and share:
1. "60 Minutes," CBS, 21.9 rating, 34 share.
2. "Cheers," NBC, 19.2, 28.
3. "Sinatra" (Part 1), CBS mini-series, 17.7, 26.
4. "PrimeTime Live," ABC, 17.0, 28.
5. "Northern Exposure," CBS, 16.8, 27.
6. "Home Improvement," ABC, 16.8, 25.
7. "Wings," NBC, 16.3, 24.
8. "Monday Night Football," ABC, 16.1, 27.
9. "Home Improvement" (additional episode),
ABC, 15.5, 23.
10. "Unsolved Mysteries," NBC, 15.4, 24.
11. "20/20," ABC, 14.8, 27.
12. "Matlock: The Vacation," ABC movie, 14.8,
22.
13. "Election Night," ABC (8:30 to 8:53), 14.8,
21.
14. "Murphy Brown," CBS, 14.6, 21.
15. "Willing To Kill," ABC movie, 14.4, 22.

"We use so much plaid flannel on the show, I ABC won last week without "Roseanne," as
don't know what else to call it. I don't know if the No. 1 hit sitcom and other Tuesday series

Cicely News & World Telegram 99


Date: November 13, 1992
Publication: PR Newswire
SEATTLE, Nov. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Holland
America Line-Westours Inc. said today it has
signed an exclusive licensing agreement with
MCA/Universal Merchandising Inc. as the
official cruise and tour company of the hit
television program "Northern Exposure."
The agreement allows the exclusive use of the
"Northern Exposure" name, art and logo in
promotion of Holland America Westours'
1993 cruises and cruisetours.
"'Northern Exposure' has been just that --
terrific exposure for the state of Alaska and
the unspoiled and rugged beauty of our 'last
frontier.' Add to that the spice of life up north
and you have a show that really does appeal
to a broad portion of the market," said Gary
Odle, director of Alaska marketing for Holland
America Westours.
Under the agreement, Holland America
Westours will use the "Northern Exposure"
logo and name to promote special tours for
1993 themed to the program. Tours currently
under development will feature an Alaskan
tour director, flexible itineraries, off-the-
beaten-path locales and various Alaska
festivals through the season. More
information about these tours will be
available Dec. 4.
"'Northern Exposure' tours are a natural
extension to our product line," said Odle.
"Our goal with these special tours is to
provide something altogether different -- an
up-close and personal view of Alaska and the
people who live there. That is why we have
chosen to have an Alaska resident accompany
these trips and to leave the itinerary flexible.
It really will be a way for passengers to
acquaint themselves with the real Maggie
O'Connells and Dr. Joel Fleischmans of
Alaska."
According to Sidney Kaufman, president,
MCA/Universal Merchandising, "The success
of our 'Northern Exposure' merchandising and
promotion has been accomplished by working
Cicely News & World Telegram
with partners who have an understanding of
the show and who are able to creatively
extend the fantasy and lifestyle to work in
conjunction with their product.
"Holland America Line-Westours Inc. has
clearly demonstrated their understanding of
the subject matter and the association with
their Alaska cruises and tours is a natural,"
said Kaufman.
"This really is a great promotional concept
and a terrific partnership," he concluded.
Monday, November 16, 1992 4-07
The Bad Seed 77604 45
Date: November 19, 1992
Publication: NKC Tribune
Author: M.J. "Squeak" Giaudrone
One of the comments I have heard more than
once since the filming of Northern Exposure
began in Roslyn is that, if it should ever be
necessary, the entire Monday night show
could be shot in Redmond. It would not be
necessary at all for the film crew, actors,
producers, etc. to have to make the near-
hundred-mile trip for the privilege of filming
one or two days every couple of weeks. I had
heard it from producers, technicians, and
members of the general public who had
visited the studio in Redmond, and at long
last, I finally got to see it for myself. And, what
I saw is very true.
While you would never guess it while driving
down this street in Redmond, the city of
Roslyn sits rather quietly in a warehouse
studio. What took me to the west-side version
in the first place was an interview with
Katharine Bentley, the costume designer for
the show. Since it is rare now when Katharine
needs to work in Roslyn, it seemed only
realistic to go to her. That meant I would get
to get out of the office on a real-live business
trip. The plan was, I wanted to go before
snowfall. The problem was, coordinating that
with babysitting the granddaughter, my
friend's trip to Montana for her parents
golden wedding anniversary, and Katharine's
schedule. I had three possibilities. The first
date we had picked, Katharine had to change.
100
The second date we picked, my friend had to
decline because of a sprained ankle.
The third date was successful and we were on
our way, with snow predicted, of course. I
learned that if someone gives you directions,
take them from the first person who offers
and disregard everything else. I made the
mistake of taking a second set of instructions,
given to me by the well-meaning wife of a
construction man who's been working on the
highway we would need to take to get to the
studio. Charlotte, my driver, received another
set of instructions from her son-in-law, plus
her own limited experience in driving in that
area. Believe me, if Pipeline Productions want
their studio location to remain a secret, I'm
their best ally. I never had a clue as to where I
was going, from which way I'd come, nor how
I got there. I could have been on my way to
Cuba, for all I knew, except that I never
smelled cigar smoke.
Once I thought I saw a familiar landmark and
Charlotte told me, "You're right." But, once
again, I didn't know where I was or how I got
there. It was my niece's apartment. When we
arrived at the studio (actually, Charlotte
arrived, I just tagged along), we had to
identify ourselves at the gate. This done, we
were given instructions for getting to
Katharine's office.
Fortunately, it was a straight line from the
gate to the door, so I was now back in control
of the situation. I even felt comfortable
enough to let my eyes stray long enough to
say hello to Peg Phillips ("Ruth-Anne") when
we passed. When we got inside the building,
we identified ourselves at the desk, then sat
down to wait--next to series regular Darren E.
Burrows ("Ed"), who was speaking to
someone in the small lobby.
One of the most incredible things I found
about the studio was how quiet it was for the
amount of people who were quietly bustling
around. I admired the German timepiece I had
just seen "Maurice Minnefield" anguish over
in a recent episode; and wondered about the
strange prehistoric-looking skeletal figure
looming above me (This fella stretched all the
way to the ceiling!) clad in sunglasses and
foam moose ears. I surmised I must have
missed the episode in which it appeared.
Katharine came to get us about the same time
that Dan Dusek location manager, walked in
and after a brief exchange of pleasantries, we
headed for Wardrobe and her office. Russ
Powell, transportation coordinator for the
show--the one responsible for making sure
everyone and everything gets moved from
Redmond to Roslyn, and back--stuck his head
out of a door, "Hi, what are doing here?" he
asked. Since we usually see each other at the
same restaurant in Cle Elum, it was a real
pleasure to remind him that, in addition to
being a professional coffee drinker I also have
a job, and I was actually working at it.
I think it's interesting to note that while
talking to Katharine, I glanced out into her
workroom and saw someone eating lunch at
one of the work tables: Rob Morrow ("Dr Joel
Fleischman"). Since I have witnessed similar
situations on location, I managed to keep my
composure intact. As we were about to
conclude the interview, and suspecting that
Katharine was getting hungry, too, she
offered us a tour of the studio. I asked for
permission to take pictures; permission
granted providing I did not take pictures of
any of the actors. One shot would have gotten
nearly everyone, as most of them were taking
a break for lunch. But, "Shelly" (Cynthia
Geary) may not have appreciated having her
shown with her hair in curlers on Page 10 of
the NKC Tribune.
Slowly, but surely, we saw every set we've
seen on the show--and in Roslyn--plus more.
The Brick Tavern set had undergone a
transformation for a futuristic show, in which
"Shelly" has a dream which takes place about
10 years into the future [Survival of the
Species]. Neon-and-plexiglass tables were the
first thing I noticed that was different from
the original place. Large tubes of corrugated
something were hanging mysteriously down
from rafters. But the most important
difference I observed was the absence of the
free-flowing spittoon trough on the front of
the bar replica. 'The wheels to the camera
dollies kept getting tangled up in it, so they
had to get rid of it," Katharine told us.
We ventured further, to Maurice's infamous
log home. The high gloss of the "wooden logs"
was beautiful. Being more than a day old,
myself, I knew better than to think that the
logs were real. I was surprised to learn,
however, they were not styrofoam or balsa.
They are cardboard tubes (the size in which
you might mail carpeting if you're so inclined).
The art department had really done a fine job
Cicely News & World Telegram
of making something grand from something
bland. Next we visited the "Bubble Man's"
geodesic dome home. An all-white interior
and lots of plexiglass and plants offer the
newest character on the show some sort of
environmental protection. His charts are
under plexiglass- his kitchen has a food
processor ("Adam", played by Adam Arkin,
would love this place, but I doubt the "Bubble
Man" would welcome "Adam " with the same
zest).
"Maggie's house" (actually "Ms. O'Connell's"
second home since the series began, her first
one having been torched by her mother [3.14
Burning Down the House.]) was warm and
comfortable. It was there that Katharine
offered to take our picture. "Dr. Fleischman's
office" was just as dismal as in real life, and I
mentioned to the others that one really has to
give the art department a lot of credit--to be
able to put as much energy into making
something look awful as to make it look
beautiful has got to be rather difficult.
Possibly the most recent acquisition for the
studio is "Ruth Anne's General Store." Filming
inside Central Sundries in Roslyn had become
somewhat cumbersome, with the increased
tourist activity, so the store's interior had to
be moved to Redmond. But, it doesn't lack for
that familiar, local feeling.
As we left the studio, we said goodbye to
Katharine, Dan Duseck and his co-manager,
Vicky Berglund-Davenport, and the guard at
the gate. Somehow, it felt more like we were
leaving home rather than starting out to
return to it. We pulled off the lot and got back
into traffic. Once more, I was lost. And if that
wasn't bad enough, Charlotte got turned
around looking for one of her favorite places--
the KayMarche department store. As so often
happens in the city, her landmark (her
daughter's former apartment) had been torn
down, too. Nothing ever seems to stay the
same on the west side of Snoqualmie Pass.
You can depend on it! 'Tain't so in Roslyn. And
you can depend on that, too.
Date: November 22, 1992
Publication: The Record
Author: VIRGINIA MANN
As a critic, the thought I hate voicing most is
this: Another great show has gone flat.
101
Nobody likes to venture out on a limb with
such an opinion, especially in the case of a
"critically acclaimed" show. But I'm going to
take a deep breath and say this. "Northern
Exposure" no longer
thrills me.
Most Monday nights, I find myself glancing at
my watch by about 10:25, wondering if it's
worth hanging in there another 35 minutes.
Sometimes, I actually fall asleep five or 10
minutes after that. And, more telling, I usually
don't even bother to ask my husband how it
turned out.
There's just too much: weirdness for the sake
of weirdness; pretentious metaphysical
blabber; Chris in the Morning. There's even
too much Marilyn, a great background player
who lacks the acting skills
needed for showcase scenes, such as those
with her beloved Flying Man.
There's also too little dramatic tension; and
most of all, there's far too little of Joel
Fleischman. He's the one I really tune in to
see.
I realize this could all turn around with this
week's Thanksgiving episode, in which Joel
gets the "devastating" news that he'll have to
serve another year in Alaska. Perhaps this will
return the spotlight to him.
I also realize that the creators, Josh Brand and
John Falsey, who seem to be squandering
their attention on their new "Going to
Extremes," always intended to use Joel as a
guide into Cicely, Alaska, then diminish his
role once everyone got acquainted.
But I can't help suspecting that Rob Morrow,
the fine actor who plays Fleischman, is being
punished for demanding more money this
summer. If that's so, viewers are being
punished, too.
The show began this season on a high, having
won the Best Dramatic Series Emmy in
August. I also had great expectations after
having visited the "Northern Exposure" sets in
Washington State last summer.
The exteriors are shot in the town of Roslyn,
about 90 minutes outside Seattle. It's a poor
little town with a short Main Street, and
visitors wandering up the hill that's plainly
evident in shots for the series see shacklike
houses bearing signs in support of the lumber
industry.

Some of the storefronts have been taken over

by the show, to house radio station KBHR and
such. But most are real restaurants (the
Roslyn Cafe obligingly added a makeshift "'s")
or shops. The general store, for instance, has
roped off one prop-laden center aisle with
yellow "hot-set" tape, but, otherwise, it's
business as usual.

The set designers do a spectacular job of re-

creating these stores, as well as the
characters' homes, inside the studio, which is
nestled in an industrial park in Redmond, a
Seattle suburb. A topiary moose rests outside
the flat-topped building, which used to house
a computer maker. The sets are gorgeous, far
more sophisticated, a visitor is told, than
when the series began.

Sadly, despite all these wondrous upgrades,

"Northern Exposure" has less and less magic.

Monday, November 23, 1992 4-08

Thanksgiving 77611 46
Monday, November 30, 1992 4-09
Do the Right Thing 77608 47

Date: December 2, 1992

Publication: The Washington Post

CBS claimed the No. 1 spot in the TV ratings

contest for the week ending Nov. 29, breaking
ABC's four-week streak. CBS came in with a
13.0 rating and a 20 share; ABC was second
with an 11.7/20, followed by NBC with a
10.7/18 and a 7.0/12 for FOX.

"ABC World News Tonight" won the nightly

news race with an 11.1/20. "CBS Evening
News" was second with a 10.3/19, followed
by "NBC Nightly News" with a 9.4/18. "World
News Tonight" also won its 15th consecutive
sweeps competition, according to a network
spokesman.

The networks agreed not to include

Thanksgiving Day in the weekly ratings for the
nightly news shows because viewership was
down 83 percent from the average.

Cicely News & World Telegram 102

 wrapper, "it gives Vicky and I HBO's "Stalin" led with four nominations each
Rank Rating Share Network
great pleasure to present this ...
1 24.6 60 Minutes 39 CBS to you," and read to the
council: "The Academy of NBC had 24 nominations; CBS, with 11, was
2 20.7 Roseanne 31 ABC
Television Arts & Sciences second. Named, in the major categories,
3 18.9 Deadly Matrimony II 29 NBC 1991-1992 Primetime Emmy were:
4 18.8 Murder, She Wrote 28 CBS Awards . . . honors the City
and Citizens of Roslyn, Series, drama: "Beverly Hills, 90210," Fox;
5 18.6 Home Improvement 29 ABC "Homefront," ABC; "I'll Fly Away," NBC;
Washington for contributing
6 18.2 Barbara Walters Special 29 ABC to the Emmy Winning "Northern Exposure," CBS; and "Sisters," NBC

7 17.7 Coach 28 ABC

Production. . . Northern
Exposure--Outstanding Series, musical or comedy series: "Brooklyn
8 17.2 Murphy Brown (9 p.m.) 25 CBS Drama Series." The Bridge," CBS; "Cheers," NBC; "Evening Shade,"
document was signed by Leo CBS; "Murphy Brown," CBS; and "Roseanne,"
9 16.8 Full House 26 ABC
Chaloukian, president of the ABC
10 16.0 NFL Redskins vs. Saints 26 ABC
Academy.
11 15.7 Northern Exposure 25 CBS
Miniseries or motion picture: "Citizen Cohn,"
"And, there's more," HBO; "Danielle Steel's Jewels," NBC; "Miss
15.7 Lethal Weapon 2 24 CBS
Davenport said, as she pulled Rose White," NBC; "Sinatra" Parts I & II, CBS;
15.7 Murphy Brown (9:30) 23 CBS a gold Emmy statuette from and "Stalin," HBO

14 15.0 Hangin' With Mr. Cooper 23 ABC a satchel she had been
Actress, drama series: Mariel Hemingway,
guarding between her feet.
15 14.6 Evening Shade 22 CBS "Civil Wars"; Angela Lansbury, "Murder, She
"We'd like to leave this here
14.6 Fresh Prince of Bel-Air 22 NBC
Wrote"; Marlee Matlin, "Reasonable Doubts";
with you, too!" Dusek
Regina Taylor, "I'll Fly Away"; and Janine
17 14.3 Blossom 21 NBC explained, "but we promised
Turner, "Northern Exposure"
to return it to California--it's
18 13.9 Bob Hope Special 26 NBC
only here on loan for
Actor, drama series: Scott Bakula, "Quantum
19 13.7 Hearts Afire 20 CBS tonight." Dusek said they
Leap"; Mark Harmon, "Reasonable Doubts";
wanted the council to see the
20 13.6 48 Hours 23 CBS Rob Morrow, "Northern Exposure"; Jason
Emmy first-hand. Roslyn has
Priestley; "Beverly Hills, 90210"; and Sam
13.6 Elizabeth Morgan Story 21 ABC played host to the actors and
Waterston, "I'll Fly Away"
actresses and two production
companies, first Cine-Nevada and then Actress, musical or comedy series: Kirstie
Pipeline Productions, and their employees Alley, "Cheers"; Roseanne Arnold,
since the pilot show was broadcast in July of "Roseanne"; Candice Bergen, "Murphy
Date: December 3, 1992 1990. In parting the council was told by the Brown"; Helen Hunt, "Mad About You"; and
Publication: NKC Tribune pair, "we couldn't have done it without all of Katey Sagal, "Married ... With Children”
Author: M.J. "Squeak" Giaudrone you in Roslyn."
Actor, musical or comedy series: Tim Allen,
Although the television series, Northern The Emmy award has been hung in City Hall. "Home Improvement"; Ted Danson, "Cheers";
Exposure won an Emmy for being the best
John Goodman, "Roseanne"; Craig T. Nelson,
drama in its category, the City of Roslyn and Monday, December 14, 1992 4-10
"Coach"; Ed O'Neill, "Married ... With
its citizens are apparently no less important in Crime and Punishment
Children"; Burt Reynolds, "Evening Shade";
a supporting role--site of the fictitious 77612 48
and Will Smith, "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air"
"Cicely", Alaska where most of the location Monday, January 04, 1993 4-11
scenes are filmed. This fact became evident Survival of the Species Actress, miniseries or motion picture: Drew
during the last meeting of the Roslyn City 77601 49 Barrymore, "Gun Crazy"; Laura Dern,
Council on Tuesday night, November 24. "Afterburn"; Katharine Hepburn, "The Man
Upstairs"; Jessica Lange, "O, Pioneers!"; and
"We've been looking forward to this meeting
Date: January 4, 1993 Kyra Sedgwick, "Miss Rose White"
for the past eight--to-ten weeks," Dan
Publication: The Washington Post
Dusek said of himself and his co-location Actor, miniseries or motion picture: Anthony
Author: John Carmody
manager for Pipeline Productions, Vicky Andrews, "Danielle Steel's Jewels"; Philip
Berglund-Davenport, when they appeared Casnoff, "Sinatra"; Robert Duvall, "Stalin"; Jon
NBC dominated the TV nominations for the
before the council. "On behalf of the Voight, "The Last of His Tribe"; and James
50th annual Golden Globe Awards announced
Television Academy of Arts and Sciences and Woods, "Citizen Cohn"
last week, but among individual shows, CBS's
Pipeline Productions," Dusek began as he
"Northern Exposure," ABC's "Roseanne" and
pulled a large framed certificate from a

Cicely News & World Telegram 103

Supporting actress: Olympia Dukakis,
"Sinatra"; Laurie Metcalf, "Roseanne"; Park
Overall, "Empty Nest"; Joan Plowright,
"Stalin"; Amanda Plummer, "Miss Rose
White"; and Gena Rowlands, "Crazy in Love"
Supporting actor: Jason Alexander, "Seinfeld";
John Corbett, "Northern Exposure"; Hume
Cronyn, "Broadway Bound"; Earl Holliman,
"Delta"; Maximilian Schell, "Stalin"; and Dean
Stockwell, "Quantum Leap"
Monday, January 11, 1993 4-12
Revelations 77613 50
Monday, January 18, 1993 4-13
Duets 77615 51
The on-screen romance may be heating up
between Maggie and Joel, but off-camera, a
delicate balance has settled in among the
stars of the Great Northwest
Date: January 23, 1993
Publication: TV Guide (Vol. 41, No. 4 Issue
#2078)
Author: Deborah Starr Seibel
Turner shrugs off the jacket, freeing her arm
to punch Rob Morrow (Northern's unhappy
New York fish out of water, Dr. Joel
Fleischman) in the nose. A stuntwonnan jabs
her fist out first. Turner follows, hesitantly.
"Like this?" she says Morrow flinches, ducking
his head as the knuckles fly by his face. "Some
people," says an extra, "have been wanting to
do that for a very long time."
It's Monday morning on the set of Northem
Exposure: faked Alaska in a warehouse in
Redmond, Wash, 45 minutes east of Seattle.
For nearly three years now, this has been
manufactunng headquarters for a series that
continues to burn up the Nielsens and attract
massive bouquets from the critics.
Given CBS's unusual move last March to
renew the show for two seasons - along with
a 10-month shooting schedule; rigorous. hard-
to-reach locations; and 12-hour days - we
wondered how the stars had acclimated to
the area. And by all accounts, it hasn't been
easy.
Today, the acting action takes place in the
local tavern, The Brick, where an un-friendly
game of Risk will soon escalate out
of control. But this is
the episode legions
of Northernfans have been waiting
for: when it airs on Feb. 15, that
punch in the nose will lead to a roll
in the hay - literally -and the
consummation of Maggie and
Joel's seemingly endless will-they-
won't-they
mating dance.
willing to play along. When the cameras roll,
his new delivery would send anyone into a
fury. Now she's ready to break his nose.
For the next 10 hours, this quiet spirit of
cooperation will be in evidence everywhere.
Despite the fact that extras, makeup artists,
crew members, and visitors jam the set, there
is a doctor's office hush of intense
concentration.
Arriving on the set, John Corbett (Chris
Stevens) walks by with a hangdog expression.
He is greeted by a crew member with words
of concern "How ya hangin' in there, John?"
There will be no Seattle club-hopping tonight
with his fellow music buff Darren
Burrows (Native American Ed Chigliak). The
set's potent flu has found yet another victim.
Morrow walks by, on a quick break. He smiles,
then apologizes for refusing to be
interviewed. "I'm just feeling...." He struggles
for the right word. Overexposed? "Yeah. I just
can't keep doing all this publicity." This
publicity - much of it negative began last
summer, when Morrow refused to come back
to work unless his salary demands were met.
But his strategy backfired, a lawsuit was
threatened, and Morrow returned to the set
amid stories of his temperamental
tendencies.
Girl in the hood: Janine Turner now prefers
clean air to Times Square; Barry Corbin, a real
life rodeo competitor horses around.

In the
moments
leading up to
the punch,
A view of Roslyn, Wash., which doubles as Morrow stands off-
Cicely, Alaska. camera, running lines for
Turner. His delivery is
The sound stage might as well be Alaska The much too lackluster for
heat has been shut off; too noisy for the Turner's taste. "Can we
mikes. The crew is decked out in a variety cut, please?" Turner asks
layers. Parkas, shearling-lined sweatshirts, the director. She turns to
fingerless gloves. Janine Turner(bush Morrow, skillfully cajoling
pilot Maggie O'Connell), gorgeous even in him. "Could you give me a
lumberjack-like woolens, begs for - then little more on that line?
insists upon - a space heater. A stage hand Could you try to make me
runs over with a parka and drapes it over her madder? Could you feed
shoulders. "She's demanding," he says, "but me? Will you, please?"
she appreciates it." Morrow nods, more than

Cicely News & World Telegram 104


Peg Phillps' greatest passion - after acting- is
her garden.
Over lunch at Redmond's Family Pancake
House, Northwest native Peg
Phillips (shopkeeper Ruth-Anne) shakes her
head. She will not criticize other actors, but
speaks in pointed generalities. "I think it's a
bunch of bull for any actor to say they don't
want to be bothered with the public. What
are we actors for? We're hams, showoffs. We
should be grateful people are interested in us
at all."
After lunch, we head back to the sound stage,
windshield wipers swishing furiously. Catching
up with these actors - given the area's
notorious weather and the cast's lack of free
time - is going to be tough. John
Cullum (Holling Vincoeur) invites us to see his
nearby, rented home, the furniture hand-
picked from the Salvation Army. "You just
take a left, then a left, then another left," he
directs. But as we follow, his van disappears
into the blinding rain - and we are left behind.Turner has a horse up here, too. But
"We'll do it again Wednesday," he promises
later. " It was my fault. It was a right."
Tuesday morning and the rain has changed to babe, Shelly Tambo) have all sunk roots into
snow. It doesn't look dangerous, but a local
weatherman is issuing almost nonstop travel
advisories. The cast and crew have already left of us were in the same apartment complex
for location shooting in the mountains.
The trip, usually an hour, turns into two-and-
a-half. Eighteen-wheelers line up like frozen
sausages along the roadside, their shivering
drivers struggling to put on chains. We have
to go on. The actors, who normally shoot
exteriors at least once a week, will be up in
the mountains for the next two days. Our
destination, Roslyn, population 875, is off the rafters, the stars stand quietly, mindful of the
Cicely News & World Telegram
main drag. The charming coal-mining-
turned-lumber-town is instantly
recognizable as the real-life substitute
for the show's fictional setting of Cicely,
Alaska.
Texas native Barry Corbin (Maurice
Minnifield) joins us on Pennsylvania
Avenue, strolling comfortably in his
custom Mercer cowboy boots. A
serious rodeo contender, he has a shelf
full of ribbons and trophies to prove his
prowess. "l had one horse up here," he
drawls, spinning out the finer points of
cutting and rounding up cattle with
Maurice-like expansiveness. "Now l've
got four."
John Cullum's office sits in the middle of his
shabby-chic living room.
fourlegged animals haven't been the only
investments. Turner, Corbett, Burrows,
and Cynthia Geary (Holling's barroom
local real estate. "In the beginning, we all
lived right by each other," says Geary. "A lot
and we would hang out." And now? "Now,
everyone is finding their own way."
It's Tuesday night, well past sundown, and the
crew has lit up a weathered Roslyn barn. Bales
of hay are stacked floor-to-ceiling to
accommodate the love scene. Halfway to the
105
danger, watching the stunt people
choreograph the particulars of another
argument that turns physical. Like longtime
friends, Turner and Morrow pass little
conversation. In fact, nobody's talking; the
snow, falling steadily all day, is heavier now,
thick, wet, a real blizzard. No problem, we'll
stay in Roslyn. Except that there are no hotel
rooms in Roslyn. Or in the next town. "No
Vacancy" signs there flash at five different
places. Forty-five miles later, a sign for a
Super 8 motel flashes weakly through the
storm.
All is clear on Wednesday morning. Turner sits
down to breakfast. The accessible half of TV's
hottest couple has been captivated by her
new life and the challenges of keeping
relationships with the other actors - especially
Morrow - on an even keel "I think the reason
there is such a strong bond between us is that
we came over on the same plane together
when the show started We were strangers
together, we arrived together, and we knew
we had to make it or break it together."
Later, Cullum echoes that sentiment,
comparing the cast's experience to being in
the Foreign Legion. "In the beginning we were
pretty much at sea. And we're all eccentrics.
But what happens in a small community is
that the eccentrics and weirdos learn to
conform enough to five together - that's what
we've got here."

Date: February 1, 1993
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
Author: Bill Zwecker
OK, all you "Northern Exposure" loyalists. On
Feb. 15, the closest air date to Valentine's
Day, Rob "Joel Fleishmann" Morrow and
Janine "Maggie O'Connell" Turner will FINALLY
have sex!
After a game of Risk, Maggie and Joel get into
a fight . . . she punches him and breaks his
nose . . . Joel threatens to sue, leading to an
even more furious fight, tussling and then
wild sex in Maggie's barn.
Monday, February 01, 1993 4-14
Grosse Point, 48230 77619 52
they just don't understand. They don't like
people coming up for your autograph.
Los Angeles: They don't like that you make
more money than them. Or that you can't
embarrass yourself?
Turner: Yeah. For Example, I'll be flying on a
plane, and I'm so tired that I fall asleep and
my mouth falls open, my head's hanging back
and I'm drooling--and people say, "There's
that girl from Northern Exposure." So, did you
drool over Sylvester Stallone? He was better
than I thought he would be. I found him very
stimulating to work with. Between takes, he
would put his arm around me and whisper in
my ear.
Los Angeles: Well, that beats the string of
death-curse boyfriends like the ones Maggie
has had the last year or so.
to the 26th floor. But when it was time to go,
the elevator cars kept coming up, and I just
couldn't get myself back on. Finally, my
mother just whacked me with her purse.
Los Angeles: Besides the heights and fending
off the Italian Stallion, what were the other
natural hazards?
Turner: Well, the movie was filmed in the
Italian Alps, but I wasn't prepared for the
extreme cold. We filmed one scene at almost
13,000 feet--and I had to have oxygen at
12,000 feet. It was, like, 20 below. We'd hike
about two miles in snow that was up to our
hips just to get to where the camera was.
There were a couple of times I got frostbite.
Los Angeles: The "arctic" wilds of Northern
Exposure must have been a welcome relief for
you after that.

Date: February 1, 1993
Publication: Los Angeles Magazine
Author: Hensley, Dennis
QI SPENT 45 minutes in a parked car with sex
goddess Janine Turner. Okay, so we were in
different states at the time, and she was
talking to me over a car phone from a parking
lot in her hometown of Dallas. But I couldn't
help hoping her windows were as fogged up
as mine. See, Dr. Joel Fleischman's suddenly
superhot would-be squeeze couldn't chat me
up in person because between duties as
Maggie O'Connell on CBS' Twin Peaks--like hit
Northern Exposure, her ubiquitous Lindsay
Wagner--esque spots for Chevrolet and her
upcoming big-screen debut in Cliffhanger,
opposite Sylvester Stallone, the just-turned-30 with whom you're dying to do a
Turner scarcely has time to breathe, much
less breathe heavily with a stranger.
Los Angeles: Since it's our cover theme ...
what's wrong with L.A. men?
Turner: Yes, but there's going to be a nice turn Turner: Yes, a lot of people said there was a
for Maggie at the end of the year. She's going sense of calm about me when I got back. I
to start healing people instead of having them think that came from surviving Cliffhanger.
get hit by falling satellites.
Los Angeles: Do you consider the show a
Los Angeles: Do you find love scenes difficult comedy or a drama?
to do?
Turner: That's a big question, and the actors,
Turner: I just did a scene with Fleischman in a way, are caught in the middle. There are
where we're rolling around in the hay in a times I've tried to go deep with Maggie, and
barn. But you can't completely let go and the editors edit it out. So I don't know what
enjoy it, because there are a lot of people we are.
watching. Still, I don't think a love scene is the
worst thing in the world to have to
do. Of course, it all depends on
who you're with.
Los Angeles: Are there any actors
love scene?
Turner: Lots of people, but let's just
say I'm pleased with the ones I'm
having love scenes with now.

Turner: They're all actors. Los Angeles: Cliffhanger is about a

Los Angeles: But wouldn't you rather date
somebody who could relate to what you do?
Turner: There are pros and cons to
everything. I dated someone recently who's in
the public eye, and in a way it's refreshing
because they understand fame. I've also
dated people who aren't in the business. But
mountain-rescue team. But haven't
you always had a fear of falling?
Turner: I definitely had some things
to overcome as far as heights were
concerned. I used to be afraid of
elevators even--I got stuck in them
six times in New York. I couldn't get
on them for two or three years.
One time I managed to make it up

Cicely News & World Telegram 106

Los Angeles: Why'd you do the Chevrolet night of passion spoil a whole series. Next Meanwhile, we have been promised that in
spots? week, in a stunning example of psychological the March 1 episode, Maggie will throw
amnesia, Maggie will forget every raunchy caution to the winds, indulging her passion for
Turner: I'm kind of all-American, and moment. Joel, appalled by her apparently the bubble man. Joel, most likely, will
Chevrolet is an American car. I'd like to see casual attitude toward sex, will call her "the encounter a medically challenging case of pink
people buy more American products. I have town pump." To everyone's relief, the two will eye or shingles.
an American car--a huge pickup truck. return to their familiar back-biting and name-
calling. So here's to Maggie and Joel. May they never
Los Angeles: Yeah? What other redneck live happily ever after.
activities do you enjoy? As poets, playwrights and rock 'n' roll singers
have noted throughout the ages, nothing is Sunday, February 21, 1993 4-17
Turner: Riding my horse. I love the smell of duller than a happy couple. Without sexual Love's Labour Mislaid
manure. tension, there are no dramatic fireworks. 77620 55
Without repressed desires, there are no Monday, March 01, 1993 4-18
Monday, February 08, 1993 4-15 double entendres. Without opposites, there is Northern Lights
Learning Curve 77616 53 77617 56
no attraction.
Monday, February 15, 1993 4-16 Monday, March 08, 1993 4-19
Ill Wind 77606 54 Maggie seems to realize this. Once she Family Feud 77618 57
remembers grappling in the hay with Joel, she
Monday, March 15, 1993 4-20
admits there's a fine line between love and
Homesick 77621 58
hate.

Date: February 15, 1993

"On one hand, there's this basic annoyance -
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
this repulsion," she tells him. "And yet on the
Author: Ginny Holbert
other hand there is this undeniable, chemical, Date: March 16, 1993
carnal attraction that pulled me into having Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
Maggie and Joel, the rare Alaskan lovebirds of
sex with you - great sex." Author: Ginny Holbert
"Northern Exposure," are at it again. Tonight,
after years of ferocious foreplay, the two take
Annoyance, repulsion and great sex - it was It has been said that living well is the best
a roll in the hay. Literally. Finally.
the same dynamic that made Shelley Long and revenge. But what if you already live well?
Ted Danson such a watchable couple on What if you need a little something more?
As one might expect, love works in mysterious
"Cheers." He was easy-going and down-to-
ways in Cicely. The episode, airing at 9 on
earth - a sports-loving regular Joe. She was If you've got your own TV show, you're in luck.
WBBM-Channel 2, begins when a sinister coho
pretentious and uptight - a ballet-loving prima If you happen to be a producer, star or writer
wind blows through town. Joel calls Maggie a
donna. with clout, you can blow your petty
"power freak with penis envy"; she breaks his
grievances up to larger-than-life proportions.
nose. He sues her; she calls him a chicken and
For Sam and Diane, the relationship was a You can share your sweet revenge with the
serves him with eviction papers. He calls her
disaster. For TV viewers, it was a match made world - or at least with your audience.
spoiled and frigid; she pops him in the nose
in comedy heaven. In fact, one of the series'
again.
all-time best love scenes happened when Sam On the surface, it might seem self-indulgent
and Diane - just like Maggie and Joel - got so to bring backstage disputes up front. But the
Soon, push comes to shove and then to
lathered up during a fight that they couldn't truth is that nearly everyone loves it. The
smooch. In the ripe atmosphere of Maggie's
keep their hands off each other. media gobble it up. Audiences, cued in to
barn, litigation is dropped in favor of
behind-the-scenes gossip by "Entertainment
copulation. It's the moment we've all been
"Are you as turned on as I am?" asks Diane. Tonight," TV Guide and newspaper columns,
waiting for.
like being party to show biz "in jokes." And for
"More," says Sam. celebrities, no PR is bad PR. So when ABC's
While Maggie and Joel spent the past few
"The Jackie Thomas Show" pokes fun at NBC's
years claiming to despise each other, we Wisely, it seems that the producers of "Seinfeld," the peacock isn't likely to
armchair yentas knew better. Although they "Northern Exposure" will put the Maggie and complain.
bicker from one commercial break to the Joel romance into deep freeze for a while
next, the two clearly are ga-ga for each other. after tonight's episode. The series, which Recently, the ever-vigilant entertainment
And it's that delicious sense of knowing the boasts a talented ensemble cast, is unlikely to press got wind of a stellar blowup. Julia Louis-
characters better than they know themselves suffer romance withdrawal, because all the Dreyfus of NBC's "Seinfeld" had parked in Tom
that is one of the many pleasures of other characters are as interesting as Maggie Arnold's studio parking spot, prompting an
"Northern Exposure." and Joel. expletive-undeleted note from Roseanne
Arnold.
But the crack producing team behind
"Northern Exposure" isn't about to let one

Cicely News & World Telegram 107

In a cheeky - or maybe it was tongue-in-cheek
- press conference, Roseanne Arnold said the
affair had put an "ugly, festering sore" on the
image of every decent person in Hollywood
and offered Louis-Dreyfus an olive branch.
"Let's stop now before Time and the New York Siskel and Ebert on the movies, the best
Times get involved," Arnold said.
But from the beginning, Arnold's "The Jackie
Thomas Show" has been taking good-natured
swipes at "Seinfeld." In one episode, Arnold
said he hated the show. In another, the
"Jackie Thomas" writers sat in a cafeteria
trading barbs with "Seinfeld" writers, all of #2086)
whom were dressed in well-pressed jeans and Author: Jeff Jarvis
sneakers like a pod of tidy Jerry clones.
While "Jackie Thomas" is a show about a
show, "Seinfeld" has lately become a show
about a guy trying to get a show. With their
constant jokes about stars and networks, both tavern and announced that they just did it, a
series take the post-modern, self-referential patron
winking at the audience to the extreme.
But even "Northern Exposure" has indulged in
a bit of offstage/ on-screen blurring.
Remember Rob Morrow's contract dispute, in
which he threatened to leave the show if he
didn't get more money? In the parallel
universe of the show, those negotiations
resurfaced in the form of a contract dispute
between the town of Cicely, Alaska, and Joel,
Morrow's character. When the town denied
Joel a vacation, he threatened to break his
contract. After the town sued and literally
locked him out of his office, he sheepishly
gave in.
TV historian, critic and trivia expert Walter just hope they do it behind closed doors and
Podrazik says it's nothing new for real
disputes to turn up on the screen. When
James Garner of "Maverick" and Suzanne
Somers of "Three's Company" pressed for
better contracts, they were simply written out
of their series. And in the case of the Bruce
Willis/Cybill Shepherd vehicle "Moonlighting,"
off-screen shenanigans and media-hip inside
jokes about the stars themselves were
sometimes allowed to bend the plots
completely out of shape.
"At times, Shepherd and Willis totally broke
character, and that did bother me," says
Podrazik, the author of several books about
television. "One season, the next to the last,
they just sort of abandoned the story they
Cicely News & World Telegram
were involved in. It was too much of a break rain, to this lopsided and homely hamlet,
through the wall and there was no payback." eighty miles east of Seattle, where nothing is
not built on a slope and the houses are wood
More often, though, ego-fueled feuding is fun. and are fastened to the sides of a burled,
Whether it's Jack Benny vs. Fred Allen on narrow ravine. The bare ones, as dark as the
radio, Dave Letterman vs. NBC on late night or coal smoke that stained them for decades,
seem as everlasting as caves. Others, patted
revenge is good entertainment. with aluminum siding, look recent, ill-advised.
The yards meld, unfenced, with the streets
and each other, and are spotted with stuff:
gleam-lost pickup trucks sedan hulks,
motorcycle frames, stacks of brush, plywood
Date: March 20, 1993
gone to corduroy, pipe, water heaters,
Publication: TV Guide (Vol 41 No. 12 Issue
bathtubs, bales of hay, the odd horse. The
town exists in a state of gonna-get-to-it-
someday clutter, as if a long-ago foreman had
looked at his watch and said, "Hell, boys,
Lately, with all its giggly prattle
this'll hold. Let's knock off and go pound some
about Joel and Maggie doing it, Northern
Budweiser." This is the town that moonlights
Exposure has taken on the air of a high school
as Cicely, Alaska, in the CBS television series
locker room. When they stood up in the town
"Northern Exposure." Early of a day, it looks
suspended, like Frontier Town between
reasonably asked, "Did what?" "It,"
shoot-'em-up skits. Its Main Street,
Maggie replied. "Sex, y'know," Joel said. "The
Pennsylvania Avenue, is four blocks of stone
deed," she added.
buildings, vacant lots, and tall, narrow
The allure of Northern Exposure used to be wooden buildings with false fronts: a bank, a
that it was sophisticated yet child-like - not hardware store, two taverns, two cafes, a
childish. Well, no more. Exposure treats sex restaurant and bar, a pizza parlor, a museum,
the way an infantile sitcom would: First, like a a drugstore, a post office, a microbrewery, a
peepshow barker, CBS advertised that Joel gift shop, a gift shop, a gift shop. There's
and Maggie would do it. Then a quarrel hardly a car to be seen. At a cafe, men meet
between Maggie and Joel almost turned into a for coffee and breakfast before the young
fist fight, which turned into sex (which ones leave for work and the old ones don't.
associates sex with violence, and that's not The thick newspapers from the coast haven't
cool). Then they decided that some seasonal yet arrived.
wind made them do it and that they'd never
The taverns won't open for hours. A log truck
do it again. Finally, she forgot that they'd ever
blats its engine brake, and its high, shaggy
done it at all. If these guys ever do it again, I
load spills moss and plates of bark along State
Highway 903, which bisects Pennsylvania
keep it to themselves.
Avenue and deadends north of town in a
Monday, March 22, 1993 4-21 national forest.
The Big Feast 77614 59
As far as Christine Lewis--the manager of the
Washington State Film and Video Office--was
concerned, Roslyn was the perfect location for
filming a television series about contemporary
Alaska.
Date: March 22, 1993
Publication: The New Yorker "In the winter of 1990, I took a call from Matt
Author: Bryan Di Salvatore Nodella, a producer for Cine-Nevada
Productions," she says. "They had no script,
"Northern Exposure" may be a hit, but on but they did have a story line for a television
location in Roslyn, Washington(pop. 869), it series that would take place in a remote
usually plays more like a scene out of "Bad Alaskan town. Immediately, I thought of
Day at Black Rock. " Roslyn. I described it to them, pleaded with
them to take a look, but they insisted that any
You might come here on a Thursday in the
108
site in the state had to be no more than forty- agreeing to disagree. They experience mild But, like an isolated post of bored and
five minutes from Greater Seattle—where the epiphanies weekly and become ever worthier, squabbling soldiers, the town is capable of
soundstages would be located--and Roslyn is certainly more self-intimate, souls. Feuds are unanimity if it can turn its attention toward an
an hour and a quarter on a short-lived. Transgressions and flaws are outside world it considers ugly from the front.
good day. We made a trip anyway, but bad routinely forgiven. The dead return regularly It battled strikebreakers in the eighteen-
weather prevented us from topping to communicate with the living. We're all eighties; hippies (the term is still au courant in
Snoqualmie Pass. Not a, great selling point, I strangers here, so Welcome, Stranger. Roslyn) in the nineteen-seventies; the
hardly have to point out! At the time, Cine- Burlington Northern Corporation's lumber
Nevada was scouting all over the West-- Roslyn, on the other hand, has always been subsidiary, which attempted to log Roslyn's
Colorado, British Columbia. Alaska, of course, stoutly tethered to the messier, fiercer actual watershed, in the late nineteen seventies; and
was out of the question: too far, too world. Although individual residents, like then the coastal rich, whose only
expensive. More pleading, and they finally those of Cicely, can be open-minded and contributions to community life, as far as
humored me. We piled into a four-wheel- generous and tolerant--curious and light on most Roslynites are concerned, have been
drive, flew over the pass, turned off the their worldly feet--the place on the whole has traffic, sniffy attitudes, and whorehouse
Interstate, drove up 903, and turned onto the disposition of a jumped rhinoceros and property prices. THOUGH in general the
Pennsylvania Avenue. "Their eyes grew wide. the memory of an elephant. mayor and city council welcomed the film
They jumped out of the car, looked around for people, it took a New York minute
a few seconds. Then Matt turned to me and It was conceived, on purpose, in 1886, a before the dashing CBS newcomers got
said, 'Christine, this is Alaska!' company town for the coal miners who fed crossways with Roslyn. The making of a
the engines of the Northern Pacific Railway. It television show is a clumsy, imperfect
"NORTHERN EXPOSURE" is a tinkling, wafty grew up grimy and clanking on the seam of business. Schedules verge on fiction. When
piece of work (far too delicate to bear the the vast forest to the west and the ranch- and Pipeline Productions--which took over
braying of a laugh track, for example) that farmland to the east; a polyethnic production of the show from Cine-Nevada--
originally centered on a cerebral urban brat municipality of Italians, Slavs of every sort, heads over Snoqualmie Pass, it brings a cast
who, forced to relocate to a dreary blacks, Syrians, and French in a lonely, blue- and crew numbering a hundred, on the
backwater, finds his hard-edged pomposity eyed land of Swedes, Finns, Irish, and average, as well as personal vehicles,
becoming daily more bevelled. The beached Norwegians. It began dying in 1915, the year equipment trucks and trailers, and a catering
fish in "Northern Exposure" is Joel Fleischman, its population peaked at four thousand. By van. A film company at work sets up what
a newly licensed physician from Manhattan. 1963, when the last mine closed, nearly all of amounts to an alfresco factory--its cables,
To pay off medical school loans granted him Roslyn's men had already been working cameras, camera dollies, light stands, and
by the State of Alaska, he must practice for elsewhere for a decade: logging, railroading, risers scattered around like a dog's dinner.
four years in Cicely, five hours by bus from trucking, or building dams and highways for Filming in Roslyn created special problems.
Anchorage. Over time, the "Northern the federal government. For the last twenty Many of the non-human stars of the show--
Exposure" writers have turned their attention years, it has watched the Seattle rich-- the Brick Tavern, Ruth-Anne's General Store,
away from Fleischman's one-note attracted to nearby lakes and forests--pick up radio station KBHR, a prominent totem pole,
predicament--variations on a theme of bagel- properties in town and out, for recreation, for the clapboard storefront office of Dr. Joel
and-culture deprivation--and toward Cicey's retirement, for investment. "You should have Fleischman--are inconveniently located on
mildly eccentric residents. Cicely is an been around here a couple of years ago," Dee Pennsylvania Avenue and just a shout away
assortment of the socially halt and the Tucker, a real-estate agent from the nearby from busy Highway 903. And, of course, there
artistically pensive: a logorrheic exconvict town of Cle Elum, told me. "Seattle was was local traffic--Roslynites driving to the post
incessanty searching for Truth; a grouchy booming, and it was 'Come on in and take a office (Roslyn doesn't have home delivery),
former astronaut searching for new number.' This office was like Sunday morning the cafes or taverns, the bank, the hardware
challenges; a young, not quite dim former at the pancake house." Though its residents store. Early on, people complained that the
beauty queen searching for self-respect, her like to evoke a Cicelian social history colorful crew commandeered too many parking
much older lover, who runs the Brick Tavern, but convivial--Roslyn has in fact never got places; that traffic was continually being
searching for surcease from his worries about along with itself very well. Its twenty-four or stopped or rerouted; that a production
dhe age-and-energy gap between him and the so nationalities distrusted each other. They vehicle pulled onto 903 just as a school bus
beauty queen; a Midwestern Wasp tomboy drank at separate bars, joined separate was unloading children; that people on their
searching for true love and an identity fraternal lodges, and buried their dead in a way downtown were left waiting "for hours"
independent of her stifling, moneyed roots; a dozen or so ethnically defined cemeteries, outside the post office while a scene was shot.
young Alaskan Indian searching for the which today form an intricate necropolis on
inspiration to make the Great American Film; the western edge of town: blacks here; -ichs Before too many months of this kind of thing
and Ruth-Anne, a plainspoken old dame who and -vichs there; -ellis and -bellos and -inis had passed, Roslynites felt that their guest
dispenses bushels of wisdom over the counter here; Masons here; New Knights of Pythias was outstaying its welcome. And not only was
of her general store. These characters flutter here; Old Knights of Pythias there; Red Men the crew crowding the town but, as the show
between benign contumacy and cooperation. here; Cacciatori D'Africa there. snuggled into the hearts of America, the
They expend much energy disagreeing, then numbers of tourists and gawkers increased.

Cicely News & World Telegram 109

 in Roslyn, says that Moore is "the kind of guy code differs from Roslyn's, "206ers"; visitors
ONE afternoon not long ago, because an who says, 'Hey,you're breathing near my from the rest of the known world are
important filmic moment was in the making, I property, those are my molecules.' " "flatlanders."
stood for the better part of an hour waiting to Sometimes filming went on deep into the
cross Pennsylvania Avenue and Highway 903 night. ("That mayhave happened--we don't ON September 24, 1991--eighteen months
to get to the bank. A pickup truck with a large walk on water," Dusek told me.) Crew after "Northern Exposure" adopted Roslyn,
dead wild ruminant tied across its hood drove members supposedly filmed on Bobbie and the day after its debut (in which it
a few dozen yards along Pennsylvania, waited Woodell's property without permission. (Not cracked the Nielsen Top Twenty)--Lea
for another vehicle to pass it going the true, according to Dusek. "Not exactly true," Beardsley, who lives a few blocks from
opposite way, made a wide turn in the street, Woodell says. "I came home one day and downtown Roslyn, presented the city council
and parked in front of KBHR, whereupon the these jokers were taking closeups of my front with a petition of grievance, signed by a
truck's occupants got out and were met by a gate--it was thick with snow. I went by them, hundred and thirty-five of her neighbors. The
pair of passersby. The four men stood around and heard one of them say, 'Oh, great. Now petition read:
and commented on the animal. we've got tracks in the snow.' I walked back
and slammed the gate so hard all the snow We, the undersigned, object to the presence
The action was repeated half a dozen times. dropped off.") A pair of antlers was attached of the Northern Exposure film crew in Roslyn.
Each time everything was in place for another to a building front without permission. ("We We feel that when they are filming, Roslyn is
run-through, a message was relayed to crew had the owner's husband's permission," under siege.... [Roslyn's] residents... have the
members holding walkie-talkie radios, who Dusek says.) A crew member was said to have right to travel unobstructed city streets,
relayed the word to a pair of red-vested traffic told an eighty-four-year-old woman to "kiss perform banking and post office business at
controllers holding stop signs. They stood in my ass." ("None of us hear so good at eighty- their will, and do business along Pennsylvania
the highway and halted traffic. The pickup four," says Dusek.) Avenue unmolested. Roslyn is not a movie
truck made its run-and-turn-and-stop and the set! As residents here we shall have a voice in
four actors convened. The controllers got a Rumors fast-walked around town: The writers conditions and requirements imposed upon
second message, lowered their signs, and "burned" one of the characters' houses out of the film crew to maintain the integrity of
waved traffic through. A crowd of about a the script because the owner wanted more Roslyn.
hundred and fifty tourists clapped and money. (False, says the owner.) The mayor,
chattered. Some of the traffic, when it was the city clerk and her son, certain city Then, speaking from typewritten notes,
allowed to roll, did so at a crawl, with drivers councilmen, and the three-person police force Beardsley amplified her concerns, citing the
and passengers craning right and left, and had all been on Pipeline's payroll as extras, Steve Moore business, the antlers-placed-
pointing at banks of lights and cameras, and guards, or gofers. (True.) Pipeline bought off without-permission business, the school-bus
at the actors themselves. Some drivers kept the authorities after a group of actors, business, the filming-at-night business, and
their eyes straight ahead. One log-truck driver including Rob Morrow, who plays Fleischman, the kiss-my-ass business. She thought that
rolled down his window, yelled at crew ran naked down Pennsylvania Avenue. ("We Roslyn's Special Use Permit, which listed
members, and extended his middle finger. decided not to prosecute," Jack Denning, the Pipeline's responsibilities, was a loophole-
One of the walkie-talkie people watched this mayor, says. "They donated a couple of ridden mockery ("written by the city's liaison
and spoke into his microphones. The answer, thousand dollars to the park fund, and officer who can't even spell 'liaison'")--not
though distorted, included the words "one apologized.") least because it charged Pipeline a pitiful
more redneck jerkoff." Another message sent hundred dollars a day to disrupt an
the stop signs aloft again. Slow-burn resentment gave rise to a flinty entire town. She accused Mayor Denning and
local jargon: The "Northern Exposure" cast members of the council of kowtowing to
STEVE MOORE, a potter with the gaunt, vital and crew are "movie groovies" and Pipeline, and strongly suggested that some of
mien of a long-distance runner, lives in a "mooseheads." (A moose wanders around a these officials had conflicts of interest. She
converted commercial building just off deserted predawn Cicely during the series proposed that the Mayor form a committee
Pennsylvania Avenue. He began to sight crew opening credits.) Thetraffic controllers are to address grievances, rewrite the Special Use
members poking around his yard, wandering "hall monitor"; Roslyn is "Mooseville." Permit, and enforce its provisions--a
through his garage, lifting apples from his (Certain residents, without being asked, will committee consisting of Roslynites who "have
trees, pushing dirt and snow into his lot. put their hands to their temples, with their not and will not in future receive payment
"It wasn't one thing, but a series of small fingers extended, and wave them--the from the film crew." Mayor Denning refused.
violations," he said. "I complained to City Hall "moose salute." Then they will laugh and do it Within a few weeks, the regional and national
and nothing happened. I wrote to the again.) "Northern Exposure" tourists are press checked in: "Too Much Exposure"
production company, and they apologized. "Looky Lous" or "cleans"--the latter term (Chicago Tribune); "Exposure: Roslyn Wrestles
Things were O.K. for a while, the workers distinguishing them from garden-variety with Fame" (Vancouver Sun); "Faked Alaska"
polite and conscientious. Then the alley began campers and off-road-vehicle enthusiasts, (People); and "Overexposed?" (The
getting blocked again. I still find trash left who are "dirts" and "fluorescent armadillos." Oregonian). The climax of this brouhaha was
around." Dan Dusek, who, as Pipeline's Looky Lous from Greater Seattle are Beardsley's appearance on "Entertainment
location manager, is the company's emollient "coasties" or "wets" or, because Seattle's area Tonight," for which she was interviewed

Cicely News & World Telegram 110

standing in front of the Brick Tavern.
"I really wish she hadn't done that interview,"
Dino Enrico told me. Enrico is Lea's brother
and, with Lea and her husband, Roger
Beardsley, a co-owner of Roslyn Brewing, the
microbrewery, which was begun in 1990. One
of its best customers was the Brick. "Jimmy"--
Jimmy Luster, the owner of the Brick--"was
more than a little pissed. He figured Lea made
it look as if the Brick was angry at 'Northern
Exposure'--that he was in on the insurrection.
He said, 'God damn it, Dino.' I said, 'Jimmy,
you ever have a
sister?' He said, 'No, and I don't care.' I said,
'We're old friends, man, let's talk.' He said
'No.' I said 'That's bullshit.' He said 'That's
Roslyn.' Then he threw the tap handle at me.
Two days later, they had Redhook in there."
MAN, Lea Beardsley got brushed off. For
every person that signed her petition, there
were three that wanted to. The old people
here, the constants, tend to be shy about
some things. The Mayor, the downtown
businesses--they got this place locked up. We "Anyway, they finally jump-start that poor
are prisoners, man, in our own town. Crushed dumb animal and manage to get him over by
by the groovies." Four of us were sitting in a
tavern not far from Roslyn.
"I'll tell you what this place is like now in the
summer, but you absolutely no way in hell can "Just like 'Cat Ballou,'" Butch said. "Believe it, cussing into his walkie-talkie, looking at me
use my name. If my boss found out I was
badmouthing the groovies he'd fire my ass
like a Zippo. It was noon and I headed to town Then they recited their autobiographies. Then screams. For about half a second--out of
for beans--"
"We'll name you Bud," I said.
Bud's friend said, "His boss did fifty bucks'
worth of business with 'em once, and he
thinks he's in on the ground floor of the
entertainment business."
"We'll call you Butch," I said. "And he's
Chuck." I motioned to the fourth member of
our party, who was resting his head on the
table.
"His boss doesn't care about the neon," Butch reached for my wallet and dropped it on the
explained. "He just has his heart set on being
taken advantage of on the casting couch."
I bought another round. We lost track of the
conversation, because Bud and Butch made
me shake their hands and swear that I
wouldn't use their names, and then they
Cicely News & World Telegram
made me do it again. "This is wartime and And I said. "About what it's like in the summer
we're the resistance," Bud said. in Roslyn." "It's not that good of a story," Bud
said.
Then Bud remembered the story about the
time they filmed the moose—the animal that "Yeah, it is," Butch said.
opens the show. It was three in the morning,
and everybody was frantic. "You got to "'It was noon and I headed to town for beans .
remember," he said gravely, "this show is . .' " I said.
more important than you can even imagine."
"Right," Bud said. "It was noon and I headed
Crews of kids had been enlisted to hold up to town for beans. I have to drive halfway to
twelve-foot-high temporary fences at Tacoma to find a parking place. I walk down
strategic locations to keep the moose from Second, and a bunch of Lous from Europe, or
wandering. There were scores of spectators, maybe Quebec, ask me to take their picture in
and banks of lights everywhere. "Pennsylvania front of the cafe mural. So I do. Then they ask
Avenue was lit like the bull yard at the state me where the moose is. Then they take my
pen," Bud said. "That moose was high, man," picture. Then I head down Pennsylvania,
Butch said. which is thick with a thousand Lous. I push my
way to the cafe and have to stand and wait
"At first, he was skittish, freaked out," Bud for a table--in Roslyn! I order. I reach for my
said. "Who wouldn't be? So they tranked him. smokes and realize I left 'em in the truck. I
He loves bananas--they use them as lures--but stick my head out the door to see if I can dart
he was so merged on drugs he had lost his out and down to Central Sundries without
appetite." "Been there," Butch said. throwing too many wrenches into the
Hollywood wheel. The groovies are
everywhere--nothing new. And they're just
standing around--nothing new, either. I figure
the cafe," Bud said. "He was so rubbery they the coast is clear. Off I go. I buy
had to prop him up to get their shot. It was my smokes, b.s. a little bit, and walk out.
just like Lee Marvin's horse in 'Cat Ballou.' " About ten steps later I hear 'Cut! Cut! Cut!' I
look over, and this guy is waving his arms,
sport." like I had asked his sister to pose for
Hustler. 'Can't you see we're rolling!' he
we had another round. Then they told me habit, I suppose--I felt small. I mean, I'm a
about a bear used in one episode. workingman and I'm willing to go half out of
my way for another workingman, but—the
"He looked more rug than bear," Butch said. details aren't important, let's just say that I'd
"Only way that animal could kill you was to rolled out that morning on the wrong side of
gum you to death, or maybe fall asleep on the car seat. So instead of apologizing I
your head." Then they made me swear I stopped and yelled back, 'No shit! You sons of
wouldn't repeat their autobiographies. I lost bitches have been rolling around here for a
patience, and suggested that we cut to the year and a half!' Went on and ate my lunch.
chase with a blood vow of silence. Butch took Tell you this, it about made my goddam day.
out a folding knife, and we all looked at it. Oh, yeah, Dusek finds me a few days later."
Then Bud allowed as how he'd trust me,
because I wasn't from Seattle or New York. "Does Suck," Butch said.
Butch wondered how they knew I wasn't. I
"All apologetic. And he offers to buy my
floor. Then I picked it up and took out my lunch."
driver's license and said, "There, damn it. Just
tell me the story." "Does Suck's Brown-Nose Special."
Bud and Butch looked at me and said, 'What LEA ENRICO BEARDSLEY is a high cheekboned
story?" brunette a couple of inches shy of six feet,
and a couple of years shy of forty. Her
111
maternal great-great-grandparents arrived in people alive here. People who were here way
Roslyn in 1889. Lea and her brother "I saw Dusek downtown the other day. I said before the last mine closed, in
grew up in Aberdeen, on the Washington hello; he said hello back. They've cleaned up 1963, people who have lived through this
coast, but spent most of every summer in their act, I admit. I'd like to think the petition town's depression. Then someone walks in
Roslyn. In 1977, she graduated from Mills had something to do with that. I've stepped from California waving a petition, a newcomer
College, in Oakland, California, with a degree back a bit, but that doesn't mean that I'm not like Lea Beardsley, saying, 'Keep it like it was.'
in English literature. She married Roger still irritated--irritated that Pipeline can come Well, I tend to get a little short with that. This
Beardsley in 1979, and the two moved to in and have its way for so cheap; irritated that is a tough town that's gone through tough
Woodinville, near Seattle, in 1981. Roger, an the Mayor and most of the council think that times, and during those tough times some
engineer, and Dino began research into Pipeline can do no wrong and that any critic is people weren't here scraping by, they were in
starting a brewery. Construction of the Roslyn a troublemaker. California going to college.
Brewing Company--Roger and Dino and Lea
were the constructors--began in the spring of "Looking back, I was naive to believe that "I have nothing against petitions. Petitions are
1988, the same year the Beardsleys bought a money didn't talk here; naive to think I could the American way. But, hell, hers was signed
house in Roslyn. crack the old-boy network. There have been by old people who sometimes can't
repercussions. Mary Andler"--who runs the remember yesterday. And it was presented
Beardsley's petition created a furor. Word Roslyn museum--"was like a grandmother to like 'My way or the highway.' They wanted
went out that the petition demanded Dino and me. Now she refuses to speak to us. that special committee--isn't that what the
that"Northern Exposure" leave town; that it I don't regret what I did, but some people city council's for? Maybe the Special Use
had been signed by children and the senile; here will never forget. They'll go to their Permit wasn't perfect. But we're learning.
that Pipeline had formulated plans to build a graves remembering me as the woman with Rome wasn't built in a day."
duplicate Roslyn elsewhere; that the Mayor the petition."
had passed the petition along to Dan Dusek A couple of months after the petition, Roslyn
and Dusek had said, "Don't worry, they'll JACK DENNING has been Roslyn s chief J acquired a used fire truck for the bargain-
never find work with us." (Both Denning and executive since 1983. He likes to point out basement price of twelve thousand dollars--a
Dusek vehemently deny this.) "Did they think I that he has spoken with "at least two fire truck that Denning had found after
held people at gunpoint to sign the petition?" hundred" reporters about "Northern months of searching. With great fanfare,
Beardsley said to me. "I didn't. People were Exposure," and that most of those reporters-- Pipeline Productions donated the truck to the
anxious to sign. We never wanted to kick he apologizes for his frankness--twisted thingscity. "That fire truck is where the petition and
Pipeline out--we were just asking for some all around. A public servant has got to be all the bad publicity maybe helped," Denning
controls, a better deal. Look at this Special careful, and that's why he issued a gag order says. "The film people figured, probably to
Use Permit--the only ones who seem to on all city employees, and that's why Mike smooth oil on the waters, 'Hell, let's get us a
matter are the merchants. They are notified Mullin, Roslyn's chief of police, won't speak to
million dollars of free publicity for twelve
of street closures and disruptive filming, and the press until he gets Jack's O.K. thousand dollars.' Now people say, 'Well, that
they are paid for their inconvenience, as they truck had to be refitted, and you have to build
should be, but the merchants aren't the only I mention that Jack's nickname, in some a new firehouse, because the new truck is too
people in town. I've had to wait the longest circles, is God, and he says, "Look, if being in big.' That's gratitude for you. We needed
times to be allowed into the post office. Therepolitical life teaches you one thing, it's that some new storage space anyway. "Maybe my
are a lot of old people here. Think about beingyou can't please everybody, and if you try to reaction to the petition is something personal,
seventy-five years old and waiting in the sun you'll end up not pleasing but we have the chance to enter a boom time
or the cold to finish an errand while fourteen anybody." here. Used to be we'd have to stretch every
people put makeup on some actress. It isn't dollar seven or eight ways. Maybe next year
fair. But we need to get down to business, because we'll be down to two or three. Look at our
Jack hasn't eaten supper yet after his ten-hour new businesses"--he ticks off the names of
"I remember a town where the kids could go shift with the Washington Department of several gift shops and a bakery--"and our new
downtown without fear. Everybody knew Transportation. Did I know how long and hard jobs." One cafe added eight people last
everybody. Now there's so much traffic, so a man has to work to raise three kids? "This summer, and the pizza parlor added a dozen
many strangers. One day, Pipeline will be mayor's job, it pays three hundred a month, or so. Roslynites are working as extras, at fifty
gone, but the tourists will be coming for but, with all the time I put in, it might as well dollars a day. "Look at the museum--it's gone
years. Think about North Bend and 'Twin be a labor of love," he says. "I eat, breathe, from five thousand visitors in 1990 to over
Peaks'--the've got tour buses of Japanese and sleep Roslyn." thirty thousand in 1992. Busy as hell. I sit here
coming in daily. What is intolerable is the and look you right in the eye and say I don't
sycophancy of the Mayor and his cronies. The Lea Beardsley's petition? care if that boom is caused by 'Northern
Mayor worked for them as a guard; Jim Exposure' or Alcoa Aluminum or the Mustang
Hathaway, on the council--his house is used as He rubs his weathered face (he is fifty-five Ranch."
a location, for pay. Is that going to affect years old), lifts and re-settles his California
his vote?" (Hathaway says no.) Raisins baseball cap. "I look around and see DAN DUSEK is an extremely personable, well-

Cicely News & World Telegram 112

spoken, and organized man. He is forty-five parked in the middle of the street delivering next door. Wariness and hostility reign. "'This
years old, tall, lanky, and sandy-haired, with a supplies. And both of those happen in Roslyn, is a new economy, a boom,' people say. You
thick, clipped mustache, wire-rim glasses, a by the way. tell me if umpteen gift shops is a new
soft North Texas accent that fades in and out economy. Go to the bank with your minimum
like a radio station from the next county, and "What no one understands is that those wage. I lock my door now. To keep all this
the long face of a hound dog: a face that crowds cause us problems. They make extra progress from breaking and entering. I saw a
becomes longer--sorrowfully long, in fact-- work for us. We have to herd these people lady from church the other day, a woman I
when people criticize the job that Pipeline around. But, we can't forget, these are the hadn't seen for a while. She looked so glad to
Productions has done. same people who keep us on the air. So we see me, and so sad at the same time. 'Bobbie,'
work around them. "Look at what we've done: she said. 'Bobbie, what's happened? We've
"I just received a new script, so I've been We bought them a fire truck. We sponsored a lost our town.'
checking in with the places we'll be shooting," 10-k race. We filled up holiday food baskets,
he said. "I have a unique and different and nearly every crew member contributed to "They lost me, too. I'm moving out. Gonna put
relationship with each person in this town. Is the Toys for Tots drive. We bought a light bar my house up for sale. They want new blood?
everything going all right? Any complaints? for the police car. We even contributed to the They got it. I'm not gonna sell my house to
I've made friends here. I think things were auction for the new firehouse, with signed anyone but a hippie or a Rajneeshi."
rocky at first. I've done a lot of repair work, photographs and T-shirts. To drive to Roslyn,
smoothed a lot of feathers. That's part of my shoot, stay overnight, and shoot the next day JOE NEILAND is a handyman. He was born and
job. costs us ten thousand dollars over and above raised in Roslyn (he's forty-four years old) and
what we would spend back at the has been on the city council since 1991. He is
"I don't understand why Lea Beardsley has soundstages. Ten thousand dollars. That's big a polite, good-natured, soft-spoken man with
such a chip on her shoulder. That business money." startlingly blue eyes and the hefty build of a
about Denning and other councilmen who linebacker. He lives with his widowed mother,
have been on our payroll some--I tell you, BOBBIE WOODELL flat out does not care what Victoria—a tall, gray-haired woman with a
those same people have chewed my ass out people think of her. "I'm known as the bitch of handsome, Katharine Hepburn face.
when we've stepped out of line. She thinks a town," she told me, not without pride. "I'm an
hundred dollars a day to the town is chump old, fat, short, ugly manic-depressive with
change? The permit was up for review and we cancer and osteoporosis. I don't trust anyone I love the show," he said. "We watch it every
asked the council if they wanted to change from Ohio or Arkansas. I had a son-in-law who week. We have to tape it—Mom falls asleep
the terms. They voted to leave it the same. If was murdered in Pendleton, Oregon. My son before it's over. But I'm not a downtown
you are selling me a car for a thousand tends bar at the Brick. In the summer, I call businessman. I'm not an extra. They haven't
dollars, I'm not gonna say, 'That's too low, him up and say, 'This is your mother. It's ten used this house for a scene, and I have to
here's fifteen hundred.' And I'm not saying o'clock at night--turn down that music and ask—I did ask--as a city councilman, as a
that a hundred dollars is too low. They set the shut the front door.' citizen, 'What has "Northern Exposure" done
price. People think we have bottomless for the common man?"' Victoria Neiland came
pockets. We don't. Everybody has a budget. "Pipeline's left a bus idling right in front of the into the kitchen from the basement, where
Roslyn. Pipeline. Ross Perot. "Maybe Lea house. Their filming lights hit smack on my she had been washing clothes by hand. "Now,
came here with a vision of a quiet little town, parlor mirror. I gave them a piece of my mind, Joseph," she said. "I think it is thrilling to have
away from all the fuss. She has to remember and Dusek apologized. He's class, but, like I 'Northern Exposure' here. Thrilling. Oh, I'd
that Roslyn was growing, on the map, a told him, 'Dan, all your cowboys don't wear never complain. I look at the television and
recreational hot spot, before we got on the white hats.' say, 'There's our town!' n "Mom," Joe said.
scene. I guarantee you, no one out there "I'm not complaining, just wondering. They
watches the show and says, 'Let's move to "Pipeline's presence has changed this town, pay the town, directly, one hundred dollars a
Roslyn.' whether they wanted it to or not. Motive day. One hundred dollars. That's the wages,
doesn't matter, the end does. I came back to for a day, for two extras. The show has
"My God, the town has come alive. Other Roslyn from Oregon in 1987, for two reasons-- become very popular,
towns spend millions trying to attract people, to bury my man, who grew up here, and to be very profitable. They'll bring up the ten
to gain this sort of publicity. We come here left alone. They won't leave me alone. We got thousand dollars they spend on location, but
and give it to Roslyn on a platter. Our a mayor and a city council and a at least one-third of that gets spent on
influence has been major, I understand that. city clerk who are thick as thieves with these lodging, and Roslyn doesn't have any motels."
My God, there are sometimes two thousand people. I'm watching a person--and I mean "I saw that girl, Maggie, on television selling
people standing around watching us shoot. Roslyn--die. The businesses aren't dead-- Chevrolets," Victoria added. "And I've seen
There used to be maybe three cars parked on Pipeline saw to that--but Roslyn's heart is her right here on our streets." "That's what I
the street, and now it is difficult to park being torn out. The tourists flock to this mean, Mom. Everybody's getting paid but
anywhere. But think of it this way If you build television show like pigeons. They use the Roslyn. One hundred dollars. They take up a
a new water system, you have to dig trenches. town, abuse it, throw it away. They go to the lot of space. We have to put in portable
If you have a hardware store, you have semis bathroom and change baby diapers in the lot latrines. We have crime. They say, 'We gave

Cicely News & World Telegram 113

you a fire truck,' but I say, 'Yes, but and patched. Skin is stained with grease. man blew cigarette smoke toward the
we give you our town.' " Fingers are missing. No one acknowledged me newcomer's face. "Arrogant bastards. Show-
when I walked in. I settled at the bar between biz big shots." The guy stared at his beer,
Victoria returned to her washing, and Joe a thin, worn man who was seriously drunk silent. The newcomer left. A beer and a
walked me to my car. and a wide, red-faced man who was seriously pickled egg later, I did, too.
drunk.
"A lot of people in town think like Mom. A lot A HALF-DOZEN drinkers hunched at the Brick's
of people don't. Lea took a beating. That isn't 'What brings you into town, cowboy? bar, a dozen or so customers sat at nearby
fair--she had the nerve to stand up to people. Hollywood?" the thin man asked. "Is that your tables. The tables were occupied by
Jap truck?" the wide man asked. Canadians, Germans, French, and one
"Did you ever see that movie 'The Blob'? Spaniard. The Canadians docilely took a licking
That's what's happened to Roslyn. Here we "Yes," I said to the thin man. "No," I lied to the on the bartender's impromptu exchange rate.
are, living our lives, and someone runs into wide man. The Germans mocked the size of American
town saying, 'There's a thing heading this beer glasses. The French--two couples in their
way!' And it's a thing no one has ever seen "You work for 'Northern Exposure'? " asked twenties—stared intently at the door, video
before. Once it gets here, no one knows the thin man. cameras ready on the table. Faces appeared
exactly what to do about it. Kill it? Feed it? against the tavern's windows. Once, the door
Tame it?" "I just saw you get out of that rice grinding opened and a large man with
piece of shit," said the wide man. "No," I said Southern accent asked if he could "take a few
TAKING what I could recall of Bud and Butch's to the thin man. "It's the wife's," I lied to the feet" with his video camera. The Spaniard, a
advice, I walked from old Roslyn to new, down wide man. "The Ford's in the shop." young man who said he hailed from Malaga
Pennsylvania Avenue from the locals' bar, the ("That's nice," said the bartender), kept
Pastime Tavern, to what has become the There followed a fifteen minute exchange returning to the bar.
visitors' hangout, the Brick. during which I more or less established my
right to take up space in the Pastime. ("Damn "Do they make here?" He mimed hand-
The Brick, founded in 1889, makes much of its right all politicians are crooked," I crowed at cranking a camera. "In this place?"
claim to being the oldest tavern in one point. "Lying bastards.")
Washington state--or the oldest continuously "No. They shoot interiors in Renton, near
operated tavern in Washington state, or the We got onto real estate. I ventured that the Seattle."
oldest continuously operated tavern in the recent reassessment--it had doubled the
same location in Washington state--and previous rate seemed usurious. "God damn "No film here ever, no?"
occupies a tall, handsome building on the right it's serious," said the wide man.
southwest corner of Pennsylvania and "Yes."
Highway 903. The Pastime, which makes a Then I asked when he had last been
point of claiming nothing about itself, is a reassessed. "They are not filming today tonight?"
detached wooden rectangle--more worn and
utilitarian than the Brick--with a shaded beer "Wait just a minute. You sound like a "That's right."
garden. It sits a long block east of the Brick. politician yourself. Let's just stop right here,
Mister. What's your drill? Why don't you "When is to film?"
Except for the running-water trough spittoon come clean?"
at the base of the Brick's bar, and the fact that "Maybe two, three days every couple of
both places, with their ample displays of I readied to leave, not amused by the general weeks."
"Northern Exposure" action wear, have come drift of things, when in walked a man in his
to resemble clothing stores, neither place is late twenties, with Eddie Bauer clothes and "Does Janine Turner-Maggie--yes?"
readily distinguishable from most taverns in expensive hair. His hands, like mine, were
the state. They smell of cigarettes and pooled pink and soft. He worked, I found out, for "Right."
tap beer, the counters are lined with jars of Pipeline. He sat around the corner of the bar
pickled eggs and packages of chips; the bars and ordered a beer. His smile was bright, and "She is here?"
are long and dark and as worn as cathedral his tone of voice, I feared, a bit flush with
pews. There are dart boards, pool tables, unearned heartiness. "Not right now."
jukeboxes, sports-team
schedules, and signs with ancient waggeries: The barmaid said the seat was taken. He "Is Maggie beautiful in life?"
"Our credit manager is Mrs. Helen Waite. If moved down one. The barmaid said that seat
you want credit go to Helen Waite." The was taken. He moved down one more. My "She is pretty, yeah."
Pastime's clientele dress in flannel shirts and companions were staring at him. They started
Frisco jeans and suspenders and boots. in. "I'm so honored to be drinking with The man from Malaga smiled and nodded and
Clothes are specked with sawdust. Or torn someone in show biz, aren't you?" The wide cupped his hands in front of his chest.

Cicely News & World Telegram 114


The bartender was a wire-muscled banty with
a lined face, a gray beard, a tattoo on one
arm, and a missing tooth. "Do you get many
questions like that guy asked?" I asked.
He looked at me as if it were none of my
business. He pulled a beer. "Forty times a
day."
"Must get old."
"It's working that gets old, man."
You might leave here on a Thursday in the
rain. The newspapers from the coast are in.
The taverns are open. A dog in a vacant lot
barks ceaselessly as one tour bus of senior
citizens unloads near the museum and
another turns onto Pennsylvania Avenue.
Logging trucks brake down Highway 903. Four
people ask if they are filming today, and when
you say they aren't, someone takes your
photograph. A semi is parked in the middle of
Pennsylvania Avenue, unloading at Harper's
Lumber Company. A pair of old men talk in
front of the post office, each holding a thin
bundle of mail. The post-office parking slots
read "10 Minute Parking Only 8 A.M. to 6
P.M." The parking slots next to the semi read
"Parking for Harper's Customers Only." A
sandwich board in front of Central Sundries
announces the store's alter ego: "Ruth-Anne's
General Store in the CBS Television Network
Series Northern Exposure." Nearly every shop
window features "Northern Exposure"
souvenir merchandise. Several have "Rest
rooms for Patrons Only" signs. You walk
toward N.W.I.--Northwest Improvement,
which was the old company store.
The windows are tattooed with neon--green,
red, blue. The place looks cheap, as bright as a
rough-side gin mill. Its new name is Memory
Makers. You try the door. It opens: "Northern
Exposure" T-shirts, baseball caps, singlets,
sweatshirts, long johns, aprons, satin jackets,
Frisbees, postcards, bumper stickers, mugs,
shot glasses, thimbles, sewing kits, Super
Sippers, key chains, pillboxes, foam-rubber
sleeves for soft-drink and beer cans, moose-
shaped refrigerator magnets. You read the
posted signs: "Please No Video Taping Inside
Shop," "$20 Minimum on Credit Card
Purchases," "Notice--Due to Shoplifting, This
Store Is Now Monitored by Cameras."
The owner, Roxy Sherrell--around Roslyn, her
Cicely News & World Telegram
last name is usually pronounced "Shrill"--is a
busy woman, with a busy head of bright-black
hair. You suggest that her signs seem a bit
Date: April 29, 1993
urban in a place like Roslyn.
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
Author: Yereth Rosen
"Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me?
You ever see shoppers with video cameras in
ANCHORAGE, Alaska Nearly three years after
a K mart? You ever see shoppers with video
the hit television series "Northern Exposure"
cameras in Wal-Mart? That sign is there for
first was broadcast, it still leaves many real
security reasons. Lots of stores have twenty-
Alaskans cold.
dollar minimums on credit card purchases. I
don't like checks--I was getting so many hot
Some say "Northern Exposure," a show about
checks you wouldn't believe it. Hot checks and
a New York doctor who practices in a small
shoplifters--that's why it says 'Monitored by
Alaska town to pay off his medical-school
Cameras.' Tons of stuff was flying out of
debts, epitomizes ignorance in the Lower 48
here." A clerk approaches and tries to get
about the nation's "last frontier."
Sherrell's attention. The door opens, and four
customers enter, then quickly split off in "They've been watching `Northern Exposure,'
different directions. but we had to deal with northern reality,"
mocks Gov. Walter Hickel, one of the show's
"This may seem like a one-horse town to you, detractors.
but, believe me, quiet time in Roslyn is long
gone. Any more stupid questions, or can I go But the series, which airs at 9 p.m. Mondays
back to work?" on WBBM-Channel 2, is also a source of pride
and profit here.
"Northern Exposure" T-shirts jam souvenir
Date: April 14, 1993
shops, while the Juneau-based makers of
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
Alaskan Beer and Pale Ale get free advertising
when their products are on the show.
If you like him on TV, you'll love him as a
book.
Tourism officials in at least four small cities
Those rambling monologues on "Northern have promoted their towns as real-life
Exposure" by character Chris Stevens, Cicely, versions of fictional Cicely, Alaska, although
Alaska's, favorite radio jock, have been the series is actually filmed in Roslyn, Wash.,
compiled by Louis Chunovic into Chris-in-the- near Seattle.
Morning: Love, Life, and the Whole Karmic
Alaska's love-hate relationship with
Enchilada, (Contemporary Books, $7.95).
Hollywood's "Northern Exposure" was
"Dr. Joel may be the town doctor, but the real displayed earlier this month when the show's
healer in Cicely is Chris," says Chunovic. writers made their first trip to Alaska,
"Everybody comes to him with their sponsored by the University of Alaska, in
problems." Fairbanks.
Here's a taste of the world according to Chris: "Alaska's big. Really big," said Andrew
"Einstein said God doesn't play dice with the Schneider, who writes "Northern Exposure"
universe, but I don't know - maybe not as a scripts with his wife, Diane Frolov.
whole, but I think he gets a pretty big kick out
The show has inspired calls from medical
of messin' in people's backyards." On the end
professionals seeking jobs in Alaska.
of a relationship: "Rejection is one way to look
at it. But with the yin-yang, man-woman
"They're really looking for a change, and I
thing, it's either balanced or it isn't, all it
guess that Alaska seems like a big enough
means is - it isn't. It's just the eternal ecology
change for them," said Lisa Short,
of the love thing." On whether slam dancing is
spokeswoman for the Alaska Department of
an art: "Insofar as it reflects the slam dancers'
Health and Social Services. But contrary to the
inner conflict with society as expressed
show's storyline, the state has no program
through the beat, sure - why not? - yes."
that allows doctors to recoup medical-school
115
costs in exchange for services here. Short said
she refers job-seekers to agencies and to
Alaska Native organizations.
"When we're trying to recruit people to
Barrow or Bethel, you have to do a lot of
reality checks. They think all of Alaska looks
like Cicely," said Ruth Spees, a nursing
recruiter for the federal Alaska Area Native
Health Service. "They have no idea that we
have tundra here, or we have ice in the
wintertime."
But if it irritated some inhabitants of
America's last frontier, "Northern Exposure"
struck a chord in the Lower 48.
"I think the show is very much responsible for
an increase in the awareness of Alaska as a
place to go see," said Mary Pignalberi, head of
the state tourism division's film office.
Monday, May 03, 1993 4-22
Kaddish, For Uncle Manny
77624 60
Monday, May 10, 1993 4-23
Mud and Blood 77622 61
Date: May 10, 1993
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
Cicely News & World Telegram
Author: Bill Zwecker
"Northern Exposure" star Janine Turner was
turning heads Friday as she sat with the Cubs households; share is the percentage of all TV
wives at Wrigley Field. But it's not that the hot sets in use.
TV star is such a big baseball fan.
She actually slipped into town because she's
seeing Cubs first baseman Mark Grace, and
word has it the talented beauty will, uh, grace of Stephen King's "The Tommyknockers,"
Our Town for a week or so. Maybe Janine was which also aired on ABC.
Mark's inspiration in hitting for the cycle
(single, double, triple, home run) on Sunday.
Date: May 12, 1993
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
Author: Lon Grahnke
With five programs in Nielsen's Top 10, ABC
won the first full week of the spring ratings
sweeps.
For the week ending Sunday, ABC led the
networks with an overall prime-time rating of
11.7 with a 20 share. Close behind were NBC
and CBS, tied with 11.0/19. Fox (7.0/12)
finished last.
After the first 11 nights of the sweeps period,
which began April 29, NBC was ahead of ABC
116
by only three-tenths of a ratings point.
One national ratings point represents 931,000
ABC's "Home Improvement" sitcom was the
week's most popular program. The highest-
rated movie, mini-series or special was Part 1
NBC won Thursday night on the strength of
the soon-to-depart "Cheers," which placed
second last week. ABC captured Tuesday,
Wednesday and Friday; CBS took Monday,
Saturday and Sunday.
Here are last week's most popular programs,
listed with network, rating and share:
1. "Home Improvement," ABC, 21.3 rating, 33
share.
2. "Cheers," NBC, 20.8/32.
3. "Coach," ABC, 16.9/26.
4. "The Tommyknockers," Part 1, ABC,
15.9/26.
5. "Murder, She Wrote," CBS, 15.7/29.
6. "Murphy Brown," CBS, 15.6/24.
7. "Roseanne," ABC, 15.5/25.
8. "60 Minutes," CBS, 14.9/32.
9. "Northern Exposure," CBS, 14.4/24.
10. "PrimeTime Live," ABC, 14.3/24.
Date: May 12, 1993
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
Author: Bill Zwecker
Richard Phelan has just said no. He reportedly
has told potential Cook County Board
president candidates Aurie Pucinski and
Michael Sheahan that he's not running for
Edgar's job in '94, opting for re-election.
Apparently, polls show Phelan faring poorly in
a Democratic primary against expected
candidates Roland Burris, Dawn Clark Netsch
and Pat Quinn.
AMAZIN' GRACE: Our scoop on the Mark
Grace-Janine Turner romance caused many
readers to ask, "Isn't Mark married?" The Cub
star is getting a divorce from his wife,
Michelle, a Hollywood starlet who is now
actor Ray Liotta's significant other.
Grace's good pal, Jim Belushi, reportedly
introduced him to Turner, who stars in TV's
"Northern Exposure." She snapped tons of
pictures of Mark at Wrigley Field on Monday
night. Maybe she's got a thing for jocks. Her
last beau was Dallas Cowboy QB Troy Aikman.
Monday, May 17, 1993 4-24
Sleeping With the Enemy
77623 62
Date: May 18, 1993
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
Author: Karen Thomas; Ann Trebbe
Humor is no joking matter.
Not for politicians, at least. The past 100 or so
days have proven that comedy and politics
aren't mixing.
The latest joke gone amok: Newspapers
reported that Virginia Gov. Doug Wilder
responded to a media question last week with
limp wrist and lisp. Gay activists are outraged.
Wilder denies it.
Is the PC scare that's spooking politicians
spreading to the larger comedic arena?
"When politicians tell a joke, it's like telling a
joke at a girlfriend's parents' house.," Jay Leno Drama -- Tie between "I'll Fly Away" ("superb
says. "You try to be witty, but wonder, `Am I
over the line?' "
"Politicians should stick to politicking," says
comic David Brenner. He'll stick to jokes.
His credo: "Don't make fun of the underdog,
ever."
"Northern Exposure" writers see it differently
- incorporating gays and Jews into humorous
story lines.
"We take a certain pride in not being
politically correct," says Andrew Schneider,
who, with Diane Frolov, wrote an episode
about lesbians founding the town of Cicely.
Cicely News & World Telegram
The key is that it works in the context of the
show.
The whole PC thing can be taken too far, says
comic Yakov Smirnoff. "When you're raising
kids and reading `The Seven Dwarfs,' are you
supposed to call them `vertically challenged?'
They're dwarfs."
Monday, May 24, 1993 4-25
Old Tree 77625 63
Date: May 28, 1993
Publication: Albany Times Union (Albany, NY)
Author: Steve Bornfeld
Talk to me, folks.
That's what I asked you to do, and you came
through.
"The American Television Awards" were
televised earlier this week on ABC. I was one
of the "professional television watchers" (why
do I cringe when I write that?) who was polled
for the results.
In an April column, I listed my choices, along
with brief explanations, and invited you to do
likewise. Now -- with apologies for the delay
(breaking news, you know) -- let's look at
some of the ATA categories through your
eyes:
Pam Villeneuve, Castleton:
talent in this ensemble") and "Picket Fences"
("outrageously refreshing and makes a point
without being preachy.")
Actress, Comedy -- Marion Ross of "Brooklyn
Bridge" ("her humor and warmth shine
through.") Supporting Actor, Comedy -- Sasha
Mitchell ("always keeps me laughing with his
total innocence in 'Step by Step.' ")
Reality Show -- None ("too depressing and
really shoved down our throats lately.")
Variety -- None ("quality of 'The Carol Burnett
Show' is long gone.")
Chris Gerby, Latham:
117
Drama -- "Picket Fences" ("the unparalleled
writing and stellar ensemble cast have
contributed to many transcendent episodes.")
Actor, Drama -- Rob Morrow in "Northern
Exposure" ("he's the soul of this declining
show. His performance, equal parts cynicism
and bewilderment, is remarkably human
compared to the stale attempts at quirkiness
that now surround him.")
Supporting Actor, Drama -- Fyvush Finkel in
"Picket Fences" ("the irresistible courtroom
routines separate him from the pack, but he
has also deftly handled some tender
emotional scenes.") Supporting Actress,
Comedy -- Julia Louis-Dreyfus in "Seinfeld"
("her importance to the show became
embarrassingly obvious during her brief time
off at the start of the fall.")
News, Information or Documentary Series --
"Siskel & Ebert" ("do they count?" Yes.)
Variety -- "Late Night With David Letterman"
("runs circles around the competition. He
doesn't feel the need to be everyone's friend -
- see Jay Leno -- nor does he hide behind a
hip, upbeat facade -- see Arsenio Hall. On top
of everything else, he's still incredibly funny --
see Johnny Carson.")
Date: May 28, 1993
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
Author: Marshall Fine
When Janine Turner talks, she punctuates her
conversation with explosive laughs because
life is amusing and she, just a former Little
Miss Texas who was once engaged to marry
Alec Baldwin, is having a heckuva good time.
It comes through even as she talks about
sitting on a peak 12,000 feet in the Swiss Alps,
freezing her toes off making "Cliffhanger,"
which opens today at local theaters.
"I've never skied, I've never even been in a ski
lift," says Turner, 30, with an amazed laugh.
"And it's so cold and the oxygen is so thin that
I start to feel dizzy, like my eyelids are getting
heavy. They had oxygen to give me, thank
goodness."
Ah, the glamorous life of the movie star:
Working in the big-budget thriller with
Sylvester Stallone, Turner found, was mostly
about "sliding down the ice or being up to my
hips in the snow and saying a line."
Thankfully, she says, she had the background
of several years of television on "Northern
Exposure" to condition her.
"I came to New York to be a serious, method,
sensory actress," she says, with another full-
throated laugh. "And nobody in TV is
interested in that. It's all, `Get it done, don't
be too intense, we've got a schedule to keep.'
Over the years, I've learned how to apply the
two viewpoints and turn them into a
comfortable technique."
Turner, who had a wall full of beauty queen
titles as a Texas tot ("My pageant career was
over at 6"), went to New York as a model at
15. She started acting in high school, winning
a part on "Dallas," then went to Los Angeles
for a year of "General Hospital," small film
roles and commercials. Then along came
"Northern Exposure" and the role of Maggie
O'Connell. As the show enters its fifth season,
Turner is coy about her residency in Cicely,
Alaska.
"I'm very fond of `Northern Exposure,' " she
says diplomatically. "It was my big break. I'll
stay with it as long as the writing maintains
the quality and people like to watch it." As for
making another action film, Turner says, "This
was by far the hardest thing I've ever done. I
wouldn't say no to doing another one - for a
lot of money!"
Date: June 1, 1993
Publication: Information Today
Author: Lunin, Lois F.
Imagine Cicely, Alaska - home of TV's
Northern Exposure - with access to the
Internet. From his office Joel checks on the
latest medical management information for
Maggie's ulcer from NLM (National Library of
Medicine), the pharmacy in any large hospital
center, or one of his former professors. Or
Marilyn keys in for him. Because Maurice
wants truffles for his next big shindig, he's
consulting chefs in France, or some such
culinary metropolis, about the best sources
for that delicacy.
Chris, or his half brother, Bernard, uses Dante
Project BBS, a board for afficionados of 14th
Cicely News & World Telegram
Century poet Dante Alighieri, author of the
Divine Comedy. The Roslyn Cafe is hosting the
Electronic Cafe. And Ed is finding some
historical photos to include in his next video
on the totem-pole-carving practices of his
Native American extended family.
Those images occurred to me as I listened to
talks during "From Townhalls to Local Civic
Networks: Democratic Reform for the 21 st
Century," an invitational meeting held by the
Center for Civic Networking (CCN) in
Washington, DC, April 12 and 13. Sponsors of
the meeting were Apple Computer, Inc. and
National Capital Area Public Access Network
(CapAccess).
Testbeds in the NII
Civic networking highlights local connectivity
to the NII - the National Information
Infrastructure - and applications useful to
communities and institutions. Civic networks,
explained Richard Civille, director of CCN's
Washington office, are grass roots
communications initiatives. They offer new
ways to combine media to improve access to
public information or enhance participation in
government.
The several initiatives described during the
meeting are testbeds for developing new
forms of citizen participation, new ideas for
information services and their delivery, and
new models to help developers of state and
federal policy. Descriptions of a few follow.
(Snipped)
Date: June 17,1993
Publication: NKC Tribune
Author: David Marsh
Most people in the United States, even the
world, would be very fascinated at the
thought of having a much loved television
show filmed in their hometown. However, a
large portion of the residents in Roslyn,
Washington feel quite differently. To them, it
seems as though the show has brought more
grief and inconvenience than it has good.
A certain air of resentment is held toward
those who come here to see the "set" of
Northern Exposure (those innocent people
are referred to by the less tolerant of our
citizens as Coasties, 206ers, wets, looky-lou's,
118
cleans, and flatland- ers.) Perhaps some
people have justification for these kind of
feelings. They could have been held up at the
comer of Pennsylvania and 1st Avenue for a
couple of minutes while silence was needed
to complete a shot. Or maybe they were
unable to find a table at Village Pizza, (a
favorite establishment of fine dining for
locals) due to the fact that business has
skyrocketed along with the sudden influx of
tourists.
Whatever the reason, a widespread attitude
of "Tourists, Go Home!" has been adopted by
a large group of citizens. It is a known fact
that the show has brought about quite a bit of
change. The position people have assumed in
response to this change is something that has
polarized the community ever since shortly
after the show's arrival. Many people are
reminiscent of the time preceding the onset
of the show, and feel that they were much
better off then. "There was a time when I
could get into the post office any time 'a day,
without no hassles," can be heard so often
that it may soon be annexed into the Bible.
Many others simply have a personal dislike for
the cast and crew of Northern Exposure
(usually referred to as the "groovies"). This
can usually be attributed to one of two things:
one, they are simply a very disagreeable
person, or two, once again, they have had
some type of bad experience at one time or
another. Perhaps they had a run-in with an
upset actor or actress after an especially long
and gruesome series of takes. Or maybe they
don't like the show itself. They may think that
it's not a "quality show", and that "It's a waste
to have these people taking up space in our
town."
Nonetheless, they, too, have adopted a
similar attitude. This type of attitude has
driven some citizens as far as petitioning the
mayor and city council to "get things in line
and start considering the rights of the
people". While the protests and outbursts
may grow increasingly severe, and the public's
intolerance nears the boiling point, few have
yet stopped to take an objective look at what
this show really does for us.
Despite all the criticism that the show
receives from locals, there are several good
things that have come about because of it.
The very presence of Pipeline Productions has
directly increased the amount of tourist
dollars the town takes in. All the "Looky-lou's"
have, in truth, given this town a strong
economic base. Business at the Roslyn
Museum is more than 10 times higher than in
years prior to the show's filming here. Other
businesses have seen an equally strong surge
of non-local business. In addition, it puts the
towns of Cle Elum and Roslyn on the map.
I personally don't know of anyone who
doesn't enjoy at least a small amount of
attention. This town does receive quite a bit
of it, but the image created by locals'
attitudes causes opinions to vary. People from
out of town might regard the town as, "A
great place to stay. Nice hotels, great
restaurants, and easy access to go watch the
filming and get a couple of snapshots." But
due to the negativity aimed at basically all
those who don't live in the Upper Kittitas
County, the image may be more like this,
"Okay to watch the filming and stuff, but
really not a great place to stay in.
People there always seem to be so . . .
negative towards people like us who just
come to see the filming." Many--I should say
most--of the people who dislike the presence
of Pipeline Productions and the crowd of
tourists attracted by it are anti-change. They
didn't realize that like most other places, Cle
Elum and Roslyn were going to, at some time,
experience a given amount of population
growth.
Now that it is happening, some welcome it.
Others shun it. No matter what the opinion, it
is going to happen. The towns will get
wealthier and grow. The standard of living will
get higher. People will continue flocking here,
and some big real estate company will
eventually put in a cluster of new
developments. And in about twenty years,
when the two towns, linked together, are
much larger than the nearby city of Ellensburg
is currently, some will look back and thank the
show. The rest will blame it.
Date: June 21, 1993
Publication: Chain Drug Review
MILWAUKEE -- Miller Brewing Co. has come
out with what it claims to be the industry's
first transparent beer. "We are pleased to
offer a breakthrough beer with a new look,"
Cicely News & World Telegram
says Richard Strup, senior vice president of
marketing for Miller, the nation's second-
largest brewer.
The product, Miller Clear, has the same
alcohol content as regular beer. It has 122
calories per 12-ounce serving and, while not a
light beer, has fewer carbohydrates than
other full-calorie brews.
The beer, launched in several markets this
spring, is made with malt barley, water and
Cascade hops. It is traditionally brewed,
fermented and aged, then goes through a
special ultrafiltration process that creates a
distinctive taste and makes the beer
transparent.
Miller is now applying for U.S. patents
covering the beer and the process by which
it's made. Advertising for the brand, which is
being handled by New York City's Cliff
Freeman & Partners, will use the slogan,
"Miller Clear: Great Beer-Drinking Beer."
Miller recently launched Miller Reserve
Amber Ale as well, thus becoming the first
major U.S. brewer to offer a domestically
produced ale in major markets across the
country, according to a company spokesman.
The ale is available in kegs and 12-ounce
bottles in 19 states and Washington, D.C.
"We're confident that Miller Reserve Amber
Ale, with its distinctive flavor and its deep
amber color, will compete successfully in the
growing specialty U.S. beer market," says the
spokesman.
The amber ale joins the family of all-barley
draft products unveiled by the company last
year--Miller Reserve and Miller Reserve Light.
The brewer is also stepping up efforts to
promote Sharp's, its nonalcoholic brew, with
sampling programs in West Palm Beach and
Fort Myers, Fla., and Sacramento, Calif. Free
4-ounce samples of Sharp's will be offered to
consumers of legal drinking age from
sampling booths and trucks shaped like large
six-packs of Sharp's.
The so-called Great Taste Invitational will
expose Sharp's to over 3 million adults. In
addition to samples, consumers will receive
coupons and scratch-off game cards, making
them eligible for various prizes. They will also
be able to enter the Sharp's Great Taste
119
Invitational Sweepstakes for a chance to win a
1994 Chevrolet Corvette.
Miller employees will set up sampling booths
at fairs and festivals, retail outlets, and such
other high-traffic areas as ballparks and
business centers in various markets.
Sharp's is produced using Miller's patented
Ever-Cool process, which allows the beverage
to be brewed at low temperatures, minimizing
the production of alcohol.
Miller will team up with CBS TV's popular
"Northern Exposure" series in July in a unique
marketing promotion for Miller Genuine Draft
and Miller Genuine Draft Light. Called "MGD
Rocks with Northern Exposure," the
promotion will offer viewers discounts on
compact discs and tapes containing songs
played on the TV show and the rock music
that's used in the Miller Genuine Draft
commercials.
"We expect that this promotion will have a
significant impact at retail, particularly with
the great appeal of 'Northern Exposure' and
the added benefit of CBS' on-air support,"
says director of advertising services Robert
Ward.
Point-of-sale materials will include simulated
big-screen television sets showing images of
both the Miller Genuine Draft brands and the
TV show. Displays featuring an inflatable
moose styled after the TV series' Morty and a
jukebox shell similar to the one found in the
show's Brick Bar will also be available.
Miller not only markets beer, it also strives to
ensure that it's consumed safely. The
company offers a popular consumer guide
entitled Responsible Drinking: It's Up To You,
which includes chapters on how to drink
responsibly, understanding alcoholism and
alcohol abuse and talking with children about
beer.
Date: June 27, 1993
Publication: The Washington Post
Author: Martie Zad
That quirky, fish-out-of-water television show,
"Northern Exposure," which has captured the
hearts of viewers and critics as well as a
mantel full of awards since its debut in 1990,
will be available on home video this week.
Five episodes selected and recommended as
favorites of creator/ producers Joshua Brand
and John Falsey are being released by MCA/
Universal Home Video on Wednesday at
$14.95 each.
The show that didn't follow the usual glitzy
urban story line has garnered 19 Emmy
nominations and won six, including one for
best drama series. The more it strayed from
television's beaten path, the more it was
honored with trophies such as the Golden
Globe Award and Electronic Media Critics Poll
for best series, the Peabody Award, The
Television Critics Association Award for
program of the year, and, annually since its
first season, a Viewers for Quality Television
Award.
The warmth and humor of these characters
thrown together in the fictional Alaskan town
of Cicely grabbed viewers from the outset and
never faded as the series became a
centerpole of CBS's Monday night power
package.
The five episodes now on video are:
"The First Episode," about Joel Fleischman's
massive culture- shock when he arrives to
practice medicine in this town of 500 and
meets young bush pilot Maggie O'Connell,
who is also his landlady; an ex-astronaut; a
62-year-old cafe' owner; and an 18-year-old
former Miss Northwest Passage.
"Cicely," an extravagant, bittersweet
flashback to the turn of the century when two
young women arrive in Cicely with plans for a
truly egalitarian society.
"Spring Break," when citizens of Cicely are
overcome with fits of craziness as they
anxiously await the breaking of the ice and
the arrival of spring.
"Aurora Borealis," wherein a full moon adds
to the tantalizing effects of the magical
Northern Lights to produce inevitable strange
encounters.
"Northwest Passage," in which Maggie spends
her 30th birthday camping on the river where,
feverish and hallucinating, she is visited by all
her former (now dead) boyfriends, while
Cicely News & World Telegram
Maurice drives townfolk crazy as he begins to
record his memoirs.
Date: June 29, 1993
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
Author: Mary Houlihan-Skilton
`Northern Exposure," the quirky series that
lights up the CBS Monday night lineup, arrives
on home video tomorrow. Five episodes
selected and recommended as favorites of
creator/producers Joshua Brand and John
Falsey are being released by MCA/Universal
Home Video. The suggested list price is $14.95
each.
Consistently venturing from the beaten path,
the bewitching series focuses on the cultural
adjustment of an elitist young New York
doctor who is assigned to work in a remote
Alaskan town to pay back his medical school
debts. The warmth and humor of these
characters thrown together in the fictional
Alaskan town of Cicely grabbed viewers from
the outset and hasn't faded.
The five episodes on videocassette are: "The
First Episode," about Joel Fleischman's
massive culture shock when he arrives to
practice medicine in this town of 500 and
meets a young female bush pilot, an ex-
astronaut, a 62-year-old cafe owner and an
18-year-old former Miss Northwest Passage.
"Cicely," a bittersweet flashback to the turn of
the century when two young women arrive in
Cicely with plans for a truly egalitarian society.
"Spring Break," when citizens of Cicely are
overcome with fits of craziness as they
anxiously await the breaking of the ice and
the arrival of spring. "Aurora Borealis,"
wherein a full moon adds to the tantalizing
effects of the magical Northern Lights to
produce inevitable strange encounters (Chris
meets his unknown brother Bernard and Joel
meets gourmet chef and resident wildman
Adam). "Northwest Passage," in which Maggie
spends her 30th birthday camping on the river
where, feverish and hallucinating, she is
visited by all her former (now dead)
boyfriends.
120
Date: June 30, 1993
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
Author: Elizabeth Snead
Grunge is, like, completely and totally over.
The Seattle-spawned style of mismatched and
layered clothes, stocking caps, head scarves,
flannel shirts with tails untucked and big black
construction worker boots has been officially
appropriated by the dark side of ready-to-
wear.
This "sloppy chic" - a combo of "Northern
Exposure" and retro '70s styles - has floated
mainstream faster than you can say Nirvana.
In just a few months, it's gone from the street
uniform up to designer runways and all the
way back down to Middle America malls.
Date: July 12, 1993
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
Author: Bill Zwecker
Don't believe the rumors of a John McEnroe-
Tatum O'Neal reconciliation. They're truly
(sadly) splitsville. Another sort of split is
reported about Cubs first baseman Mark
Grace and "Northern Exposure" star Janine
Turner. Their romance (reported first here)
has apparently run its course. The latest on
the Buttafuocos: Mary Jo is now making Joey
wear a beeper and - she calls to check on him
hourly.
Northern Exposure's Golden Girl
Date: 7/19 - 25/93
Publication: Onsat Magazine
Author: Melanie Gettys
Beautiful Cynthia Geary has everything going
for her. She's in a hit TV series and is starring
in her first film. Shelly Tambo would consider
all this "way cool."
TALKING VIA TELEPHONE FROM SAN
ANTONIO Texas, Cynthia Geary displays many
of the distinguishing qualities of Shelly Tambo,
the beautiful, carefree, yet wise, 21-year-old
waitress she portrays in the popular CBS
senes, "Northern Exposure." In an upbeat,
friendly tone, she casually described all the
things going on, and so far, going right, in her
acting career. It was as if she had sat down to
chitchat with one of the locals at The Brick,
the popular bar/hangout in fictional Cicely,
Alaska.
Emmy-nominated Geary was in Texas during
her eight-week hiatus from "Northern
Exposure," shooting what will be her
theatrical film debut with Luke Perry and
Steven Baldwin. "Lane Frost" and "Eight
Seconds" are the two titles being tossed
around for the movie which is directed by
Academy Award winner John Avildsen
("Rocky," "The Karate Kid") and produced by
Michael Shamberg ("The Big Chill"). Perry
plays rodeo icon Lane Frost and Geary
portrays his wife, Kelly.
"The movie is the true story of a world
champion bull rider. Lane Frost led a really
exciting, charismatic life and was tragically
killed at age 25," Geary explained. "It's got all
the elements of a really great film. It's a love
story and it's also exciting with lots of action."
Geary enthusiastically noted that the movie
will feature music by artists McBride & The
Ride, Vince Gill, Brooks and Dunn, Karla
Bonoff, and Garth Brooks. The film is
tentatively scheduled to be released in
February, 1994.
Although she talks in a very relaxed manner
about acting, 28-year-old Geary certainly does
not view her career as trivial. She knew she
wanted to perform at a very early age.
Growing up the youngest of four children in
Jackson, Mississippi, she studied ballet, voice,
and piano. Her mother, a voice and music
teacher, encouraged her daughter's talents
and Geary began, at the age of six, starring in
all the school musicals. It was while attending
college at UCLA that Geary fell in love with the
West Coast and decided to move there after
graduation. She eventually found commercial
work and appeared in national spots for Coke
and General Motors.
Her big break, the role of Shelley on
"Northern Exposure," had a lot to do with
luck, she says. "I was pretty lucky in that it
didn't take me a long time. I had finished
school and was waiting tables and studying
acting and, to make a long story short, I was
discovered waiting tables by a female
manager. She liked me and put me with an
Cicely News & World Telegram
agent. My first pilot season was when I got direction with Shelly, which is great. They are
'Northern Exposure."' finally putting her in situations where she has
to grow up some." Geary laughs, adding,
The Sound of Music "Since I'm nearing my 30s, about time."
This fall will mark the fifth season Geary has
starred in the critically acclaimed series,
playing the role of Shelly, the innocent, totally Date: July 23, 1993
together, totally cool, Lolita-like waitress who Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
is married to 62-year-old Holling (John
Here are the nominees in top categories for
Cullum).
the 45th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards.
"I am different from Shelly as far as my
DRAMA SERIES: "Homefront," ABC; "I'll Fly
background. I had a very sheltered
Away," NBC; "Law & Order," NBC; "Northern
upbringing," Geary said. "I graduated from
Exposure," CBS; "Picket Fences," CBS.
college and grew up in a very stable home. My
parents are still married. Shelly grew up with
COMEDY SERIES: "Cheers," NBC; "Home
no parental supervision whatsoever, and left
Improvement," ABC; "Seinfeld," NBC; "The
home from high school with this old guy. But
Larry Sanders Show," HBO; "Murphy Brown,"
there's definiteIy parts of me in Shelly. I think
CBS.
I'm still hopefully kind of naive." Geary laughs
and then adds, "But after living in L.A. for four MINISERIES: "Alex Haley's Queen," CBS;
years, I don't know. Los Angeles is different
"Family Pictures," ABC; "The Jacksons: An
from any other place I've ever been in the
American Dream," ABC; "Mystery! Prime
world. It's unlike any other place." She now
Suspect 2," PBS; "Sinatra," CBS.
lives in Seattle, Washington, the backdrop for
"Northern Exposure." MADE FOR TELEVISION MOVIE: "Barbarians at
the Gate," HBO; "Citizen Cohn," HBO; "The
When Geary speaks about the future, she sees
Positively True Adventures of the Alleged
lots of changes in store for Shelly and,
Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom," HBO;
hopefully, some new challenges for herself. "Stalin," HBO; "American Playhouse: Tru,"
Music has always been her first love (she
PBS.
majored I' in music at UCLA), and she loves to
perform. As "NE" fans already know, Geary VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY SERIES: "Late
performed through the entire season Night With David Letterman," NBC; "MTV
finale on May 24. Just recently discovering she Unplugged," MTV; "Saturday Night Live," NBC;
was pregnant, she woke up one morning so "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," NBC.
totally happy about her condition that she
wasn't able to speak a word; she could only VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY SPECIAL: "The
sing. "This was my first professional singing 65th Annual Academy Awards," ABC; "Bob
gig," Geary jokes. Hope: The First 90 Years," NBC; "The Search
for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe,"
Geary seriously hopes to do other "gigs," Showtime; "Sondheim: A Celebration at
maybe even a Broadway show, will follow. "I Carnegie Hall (Great Performances)," PBS;
would really like to be in a musical in future. "The 1992 Tony Awards," CBS.
Some of the stuff for the season closer I did
live and some of it I did in a recording studio. INFORMATIONAL SERIES: "Cops," Fox;
After getting a little tiny taste what it's like to "Entertainment Tonight," syndicated; "Healing
be in a record studio, I'm hooked. It was really and the Mind with Bill Moyers," PBS;
fun. My co-star, John Cullum, is a big "Unsolved Mysteries," NBC; "The Wild West,"
Broadway star and has won a couple of syndicated.
Tony’s. He has encouraged me.''
LEAD ACTOR, DRAMA SERIES: Sam Waterston,
As for Shelly Tambo and drastic changes that "I'll Fly Away," NBC; Michael Moriarty, "Law &
await her next season, Geary is looking Order," NBC; Rob Morrow, "Northern
forward to it. "This should be very interesting Exposure," CBS; Tom Skerritt, "Picket Fences,"
for me because I've never been pregnant. I CBS; Scott Bakula, "Quantum Leap," NBC.
think the producers are heading in a new
121
LEAD ACTRESS, DRAMA SERIES: Regina Taylor,
"I'll Fly Away," NBC; Angela Lansbury,
"Murder, She Wrote," CBS; Janine Turner,
"Northern Exposure," CBS; Kathy Baker,
"Picket Fences," CBS; Swoosie Kurtz, "Sisters,"
NBC.
LEAD ACTOR, COMEDY SERIES: Ted Danson,
"Cheers," NBC; Tim Allen, "Home
Improvement," ABC: Garry Shandling, "The
Larry Sanders Show," HBO; John Goodman,
"Roseanne," ABC; Jerry Seinfeld, "Seinfeld,"
NBC.
LEAD ACTRESS, COMEDY SERIES: Marion Ross, 16 nominations today for the 45th annual
"Brooklyn Bridge," CBS; Kirstie Alley, "Cheers," prime-time Emmy Awards.
NBC; Helen Hunt, "Mad About You," NBC;
Candice Bergen, "Murphy Brown," CBS;
Roseanne Arnold, "Roseanne," ABC.
LEAD ACTOR, MINISERIES OR SPECIAL: James
Garner, "Barbarians at the Gate," HBO; James nominations, and Fox had 10.
Woods, "Citizen Cohn," HBO; Robert Blake,
"Judgment Day: The John List Story," CBS;
Robert Duvall, "Stalin," HBO; Robert Morse,
"American Playhouse: Tru," PBS.
LEAD ACTRESS, MINISERIES OR SPECIAL:
Joanne Woodward, "Blindspot," CBS; Holly
Hunter, "The Positively True Adventures of
the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering
Mom," HBO; Helen Mirren, "Mystery! Prime
Suspect 2," PBS; Glenn Close, "Hallmark Hall
of Fame: Skylark," CBS; Maggie Smith, "Great
Performances: Suddenly Last Summer," PBS.
SUPPORTING ACTOR, DRAMA SERIES: Chad
Lowe, "Life Goes On," ABC; John Cullum,
"Northern Exposure," CBS; Barry Corbin,
"Northern Exposure," CBS; Fyvush Finkel,
"Picket Fences," CBS; Dean Stockwell,
"Quantum Leap," NBC.
SUPPORTING ACTRESS, DRAMA SERIES: Mary
Alice, "I'll Fly Away," NBC; Kellie Martin, "Life
Goes On," ABC; Cynthia Geary, "Northern
Exposure," CBS; Peg Phillips, "Northern
Exposure," CBS; Kay Lenz, "Reasonable
Doubts," NBC.
SUPPORTING ACTOR, COMEDY SERIES:
Michael Jeter, "Evening Shade," CBS; Jeffrey
Tambor, "The Larry Sanders Show," HBO; Rip
Torn, "The Larry Sanders Show," HBO; Michael
Richards, "Seinfeld," NBC; Jason Alexander,
"Seinfeld," NBC.
Cicely News & World Telegram
SUPPORTING ACTRESS, COMEDY SERIES: Rhea Other nominated comedy series were ABC's
Perlman, "Cheers," NBC; Shelley Fabares, "Home Improvement," HBO's "Larry Sanders
"Coach," ABC; Laurie Metcalf, "Roseanne," Show," CBS's "Murphy Brown" and "Seinfeld."
ABC; Sara Gilbert, "Roseanne," ABC; Julia
Louis-Dreyfus, "Seinfeld," NBC. Besides Mr. Morrow, the nominees for best
actor in a drama series were Sam Waterston
for "I'll Fly Away," Michael Moriarty for "Law
and Order," Tom Skerritt for "Picket Fences"
and Scott Bakula for NBC's "Quantum Leap."
Date: July 23, 1993
Publication: New York Times Joining Ms. Turner in the category of best
actress in a drama series were Regina Taylor
LOS ANGELES, July 22— "Northern Exposure," for "I'll Fly Away," Angela Lansbury for CBS's
the offbeat comedy-drama series on CBS, took "Murder, She Wrote," Kathy Baker for "Picket
Fences" and Swoosie Kurtz for NBC's "Sisters."
Nominations for lead actor in a comedy series
CBS was the top network, with 92 went to Ted Danson for "Cheers," Tim Allen
nominations. NBC was second, with 80 for "Home Improvement," Garry Shandling for
nominations. ABC and Home Box Office were "The Larry Sanders Show," John Goodman for
tied for third, with 55 each. PBS had 38 ABC's "Roseanne" and Jerry Seinfeld for
"Seinfeld."
Winners, to be selected by panels of directors, In the category for best comedy actress,
actors and writers, will be announced in Roseanne Arnold received her second
September. consecutive bid for "Roseanne." Other
nominees were Marion Ross for CBS's
"Northern Exposure" was nominated for best
"Brooklyn Bridge," Kirstie Alley for "Cheers,"
drama, and two of its stars, Rob Morrow and
Helen Hunt for NBC's "Mad About You" and
Janine Turner, were nominated in the lead
Candice Bergen for "Murphy Brown."
actor and lead actress categories. Last year,
the show won 6 Emmys and 16 nominations.
Among the leading shows, there was a
second-place tie between "Citizen Cohn," a Date: August 8, 1993
movie about the life of the lawyer Roy M. Publication: Albany Times Union
Cohn, and the NBC comedy series "Seinfeld," Author: Jay Bobbin
with 11 nominations each.
Life in the Windy City is virtually a world apart
Joining "Northern Exposure" in the category from life in the island tropics, as the main
for best dramatic series were ABC's "Home characters of a new series are about to
Front," NBC's "I'll Fly Away" and "Law and discover.
Order," and CBS's "Picket Fences."
Premiering Monday (9:30 p.m., WRGB,
Two of the series, "Home Front" and "I'll Fly Channel 6), for a scheduled six-week run, the
Away," were critically acclaimed but were comedy "Big Wave Dave's" features Adam
canceled by their networks because they Arkin (a current Emmy nominee for his
failed to find enough viewers. 'Cheers' Is a recurring role as the reclusive Adam on
Contender "Northern Exposure"), former "St. Elsewhere"
co-star David Morse and Patrick Breen (a
Nominees for best comedy series included "Melrose Place" semi-regular as a magazine
NBC's "Cheers," which wrapped up its 11-year employee last season) as three Chicago
run this season. The eight nominations the friends who decide to embark on a long-
series received put it within striking distance dreamed-of quest ... to pack up and move to
of overtaking "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" Hawaii, where they run a surf shop on Oahu,
as television's most honored series. "Cheers" though they really don't know the first thing
already has 26 Emmys; "The Mary Tyler about catching or riding a wave.
Moore Show" won 29.
122
Nevertheless, they receive support and
encouragement from the Arkin character's
wife, portrayed by Jane Kaczmarek ("Equal
Justice");unfortunately, they also manage to
run afoul of a native islander ("Robocop"
movie villain Kurtwood Smith) who likes to
emulate "Hawaii Five-0" veteran Jack Lord,
going as far as to borrow the actor's name.
The show's executive producers are David
Isaacs and Ken Levine, who worked as a
writing team on "Cheers" and "M*A*S*H,"
and who also have been creative consultants
for NBC's "Wings." Given those latter credits,
it's clear that the principal behind-the-scenes
forces on "Big Wave Dave's" are quite familiar
with ensemble-cast humor, but they
acknowledge that nothing is a sure success in
network television. The son of actor Alan
Arkin, Adam reports that he has visited Hawaii
"a number of times. My wife and I fell in love
with the North Shore of Kauai. I don't know if
I've ever entertained the fantasy of making
that (place) my whole life, but when I think in
terms of getting away from everything, I do
visualize that pretty quickly." Arkin adds he's
not yet sure how much he'll appear on
"Northern Exposure" during its forthcoming
year, but he says, "Every time I go up there (to
the show's Washington State filming site), it's
a great time."
‘ ’
Date: August 9, 1993
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
Author: Scott Williams
NEW YORK As the misanthropic gourmet chef
Adam on CBS' "Northern Exposure," actor
Adam Arkin created a memorable character
who was so hostile and unlovable as to be
lovable.
CBS has given Arkin the chance to be just plain Tony nomination in his Broadway debut in "I
lovable in his own summer series "Big Wave
Dave's" premiering at 8:30 tonight on WBBM-
Channel 2, and Arkin is ready for it.
He plays Marshall Fisher, a kind if hapless
Chicago lawyer who chucks his dead-end
career to run a surf shop in Hawaii with his
wife and two best friends.
His pals are played by Patrick Breen and "St.
Elsewhere" alumnus David Morse; his savvy,
understanding wife by Jane Kaczmarek and
Cicely News & World Telegram
"local color" is provided by Kurtwood Smith
(the psychotic bad guy of "Robocop").
"Big Wave Dave's" is a cleverly written,
character-driven comedy with first-class
actors. CBS is giving it a summer tryout as a
possible midseason replacement - the so-
called "Northern Exposure gambit."
"I was very proud of the pilot," Arkin said. "I
felt the humor was really coming out of the
characters, rather than a group of stand-up
comedians snapping off hostile one-liners."
He paused throughtfully when asked fo the
connection between Marshall and Adam.
"Adam is just a Marshall who took a wrong
turn somewhere, you know? Took one too
many drugs or had one too many traumatic
experiences," he said.
"I actually don't feel they are so different," he
added. If Marshall had the experiences to
make him say whatever he was truly feeling at
any given moment and didn't care how it
affected other people, "I think he'd end up
quite a bit like Adam," Arkin said.
"I think we all would. But that's just me."
Arkin, son of actor Alan Arkin, moved to Los
Angeles after grauating from high school and
established himself as an actor at age 19,
starring in 22 episodes of the CBS series
"Bursting Loose."
He rattled around in movies and episodic
television for the `80s, appearing on shows
like "St. Elsewhere" and "L.A. Law," and
movies like "Personal Foul" and "Chu Chu and
the Philly Flash."
He clicked on "Northern Exposure" as the
bitter chef Adam, husband of the
hypochondriac Eve. Then he moved back East
in 1991 to focus on stage work, winning a
Hate Hamlet."
Last fall he took over the lead as Nathan
Detroit in "Guys and Dolls" on the way, and
he's not shy about telling you he prefers stage
work.
"All things being equal, there's nothing that
can approximate the feeling of being onestage
when things are going relly well," he said. "But
all things aren't equal. . . . .
123
"It's almost impossible to make any kind of a
living for yourself being exclusively a stage
actor; if you could make the living that you
can make on television, I think many actors
would never do anything but stage, he said.
`` All the cliches that you've heard every actor
say are grounded in truth. There are demands
made on you as a craftsperson in the theater
that aren't made anywhere else.
"And it's collaborative. The audience is a true
participant in the event. And inasmuch as it is
collaborative, it's a way of merging with many,
many other people. There's something sort of
magic about it," he said.
"It is one of the last rituals involving
imagination that we have left to us."
Arkin was nonplussed at the suggestion that
"Big Wave Dave's" success would mean the
end of Adam on "Northern Exposure."
"I thought for a minute somebody at CBS had
told you, `That character is dead! A bear ate
him!' " he said. "Even though I don't know for
sure, something in me says that he's not gone
forever."
OK, but when last we saw Adam, he and Eve
had just had their first child and Eve had come
into her inheritance. So where is Adam right
this minute ?
"He's probably in family counseling about
now," Arkin said. "The kid is already showing
sings of dysfunctional behavior that they want
to correct as soon as possible.
"He and Eve are probably just either bickering,
off in the woods somewhere, or staying at
some posh resort on the Riviera," Arkin said.
"Who knows?"
‘ ’
Date: August 15, 1993
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
Author: Janis D. Froelich
If the writers of CBS's cool hit, "Northern
Exposure," ever fleshed out storekeeper Ruth-
Anne Miller's character as near as colorful as
the life of the 75-year-old actress who
portrays her, she'd be the most unusual
inhabitant of the quirky fictional village of
Cicely, Alaska.
Peg Phillips is something else. She's a Virgo, a
former tax accountant, drives a 1990 Toyota
Camry, reads about six books a week, has
lived in the same house for 20 years in
Woodinville (a 20-minute commute from the
Redmond, Wash., sound stage where the CBS
comedy-drama is filmed), had four children
(three are living), and has four grandchildren
and four great-grandchildren.
But that's just the everyday information about
Phillips. The part that amazes about this
actress is that at age 65 she enrolled in the
University of Washington Drama School, has
hired an agent and is about to begin her fifth
season on the show that spins the most
fanciful yarns on television. Recently, she also
landed her first Emmy nomination for best
supporting actress for her "Northern
Exposure" work.
Why such a late-in-life plunge into an acting
career? Phillips answers simply that "life got
in the way." She wanted to be an actress since takes with its plot lines.
the age of 4.
"I was a Depression kid," she explains. "I never her personal life into the audit, and Ruth-
wanted to do anything but act. But I couldn't
go to school. I got out of high school when I
was 15, but there was no money. It was 1935. Phillips said she gets along with everyone in
So anyway, I got a job and got married and
had four kids. You know how it goes.
"So I became an accountant, ultimately a tax
accountant, to make a living, because I
became a single mother when the youngest
was 6. And then the grandchildren came along Phillips is closest to Darren E. Burrows, who
and I helped raise them. And then that all got portrays Ed, the Native
behind me and I was 65. I retired from the
business world and entered the University of
Washington as a freshman in the drama
school."
She said she landed the "Northern Exposure"
role the usual way - by auditioning. But the
part was initially written without much
flourish. As Phillips deadpans, "I stood at the
counter of that store with my hands on the
counter for 16 episodes and played
atmosphere."
"The character didn't have any background,
any history, any relationships with anybody
else in the show. I went back to my acting
coach and asked, `How do you play
atmosphere?' and he said, `I don't know.' "
Cicely News & World Telegram
Things perked up for Phillips though when co- During her break from "Northern Exposure,"
lead Maggie (Janine Turner) got drunk and Phillips had a chance to audition for three
Ruth-Anne put her to bed. "They gave me a films, but instead she went to Australia to see
long monologue that established my husband some of her grandchildren and great-
and an affair during the war and I started grandchildren. Anyway, the roles weren't that
talking about my kids. And then they started challenging. "They ask me to audition for nice
giving me more and more to do and old ladies and I'm tired of it," she said
developing the character." stubbornly. "I want to play a mean old lady."
Now Ruth-Anne is so firmly established as an
acerbic, woman of wisdom in Cicely that
Some Roslyn residents, weary of the ever-
Phillips said she's widely recognized on the
present tourists, wish "Northern Exposure"
street for her "Northern Exposure" work. She
would take its moose and head south in the
likes the attention. "We don't act into a void,"
ratings
she said of the profession she has ached to
have. "We act for accolades. We're hams."
Date: 9/12/93
Publication: Yakima Herald-Republic
She said that she's read the first two scripts
Author: Joseph Rose
for the new season and "boy, they started me
off with a bang." The writers have Ruth-Anne
ROSLYN - He is what the locals call a "Looky
being audited by a female IRS tax agent and
Lou."
"it's funny as a crutch," cracked Phillips about
the convoluted path "Northern Exposure"
Dressed in Eddie Bauer clothes, the thin, well-
tanned tourist strolls out into the middle of
Pennsylvania Avenue. He stops and aims his
"She (the IRS woman) breaks down and brings
camera down Roslyn's main drag - four blocks
of stone buildings, vacant lots and tall, narrow
Anne is absolutely nonplussed."
buildings with false fronts.
The Looky Lou has seen this place before, on
the large ensemble cast, which includes Rob
his TV: Cicely, Alaska, the fictional town on
Morrow as the star who plays the frustrated
"Northern Exposure."
transplanted New Yorker, Dr. Joel Fleischman,
who's been reluctantly working off his medical
He starts to fire off his camera's shutter ...
scholarship from the state of Alaska.
HONK! HONK!
American film buff and
town innocent.
"Darren used to be a
wild turk, my Lord,"
exclaims Phillips as she
puffs on a cigarette.
"(He used to) yell
cusswords and run off
the set and jump on his
Harley and drive away.
He just got married
now, settled down.
He's grown up on this
Roslyn's most famous landmark is a favorite spot for memory-
show. But I've always loved him, even when
seeking tourists.
he was wild as a March hare. He's just like my (Photos by Roy Musitelli)
own grandson. That's funny, he's (Darren) 26
and I'm 75, and we're probably the two As the rattling pickup bears down behind him,
closest, not socially so much, although we go the startled tourist jumps out of the way. The
to each other's houses." vehicle's driver screams obscenities out his
124
open window and extends his middle finger as outside her old two-story house on a forested
he motors down the street. hill overlooking town.
Two men, wearing weathered flannel shirts
and dirty jeans, have been watching from the
nearby stone steps leading into The Brick
Tavern. They giggle.
"That Lou almost got bucked right out of
town," one says.
"Yeah, that'll teach him to stand in the middle
of the street," the other says. "Tourists think
this place is a movie set. The last thing they
expect is real people living here."
The men swagger into The Brick, leaving a hot
summer day outside where some 200 Looky
Lous peer into shop windows, click their
cameras at anything rustic and don "Northern
Exposure" T-shirts along Pennsylvania
Avenue.
Since the former mining town started
moonlighting as Cicely on the hit CBS series in
1990, fame has brought legions of tourists
from all over the world to Roslyn,
creating mixed feelings among its
residents.
Sure, the tourists are putting wads
of cash in the pockets of cash in the
pockets of local merchants. But
many worry that all of this new-
found exposure will permanently
damage the once-relaxed
atmosphere of this tiny town
nestled in the nether woods of
Kittias County.
Traffic. Sniffy attitudes. Looky Lous trudging
across lawns of private homes and treating
the locals like sideshow players. Increased
shoplifting. A lot of Roslynites can't wait until
the movie crews pack up and the tourists stop
taking the Interstate 90 exit to Roslyn.
"Yes, the town has come alive and business is
great, but Roslyn is not the same beautiful
town it used to be - it's a bustling little city
now," said Shirley, who grew up in nearby Cle
Elum and retired to Roslyn from Seattle in
1989.
She asked that her last name be kept
anonymous - "This is, after all, a small town
and people do like to talk." A "No
Trespassing" sign, meant for tourists, stands
Cicely News & World Telegram
beauty queen searching for self-respect, an
ex-convict searching for truth, a Midwestern
tomboy pilot searching for love and self-
"The heart of Roslyn is dying every day, thanks esteem.
to these tourists and movie groovies (local
jargon for "Northern Exposure" film crews),"
she said. “I remember a nice little town where
everybody knew everybody without traffic Dan Dusek, who is the show's location
jams, rudeness and trash. I'm not amused. I manager, said Roslyn tourists are sometimes
retired here hoping for some peace, not more interested in the non-human stars -
Hollywood and big city attitudes in a small KBHR Radio, The Brick, Ruth-Anne's General
town." Store, Roslyn's Cafe - than the human stars of
the show. Dusek and his crew who are now
Retired people and loggers make up most of charged $200 per day by the city, only film
Roslyn's population of 875. According to about 35 days of exteriors over a 10-month
Shirley, most watch "Northern Exposure" just period. During shooting days, tourists stand in
to see their hometown; others refuse to see flocks and watch from a distance. But it
which because they resent the Hollywood doesn't matter if the crew is shooting, Dusek
"facade." said, the tourists come into town for a look.
"This isn't Alaska, this is Washington State," "The number of days we shoot in Roslyn
Shirley said. "But when these tourists come depends on what the scripts call for," Dusek
here, they all call it Cicely. It's weird to see said. "Tourists can only see Maggie or
how Hollywood can create things that aren't Fleischman on certain days. But Cicely is
there." always here."
Dusek said he remembers what
Roslyn used to be like before the
show became a regualar in the
Nielsen Top 20 and the tourists
started driving their Winnebagos
into town.
"It was dead," he said. "But all of
this (crowds of people coming to
Roslyn) was going to take place
sooner or later. This is a wonderful
little mountain town right here on
With "Northern Exposure" gifts to fill a visitor's every wish,
the I-90 corridor. It isn't like people sat
the town has become a hot spot for tourist dollars.
around watching the TV show and said, "Hey
Marge, let's move to Roslyn'"
Back in the winter of 1990, the creators
decided Roslyn was the perfect double for a
Before residents became disenchanted with
remote contemporary Alaskan town. Alaska,
tourists, resentful nicknames and obscenities
of course, was out of the question. It was too
yelled from moving pickup trucks were aimed
far, too cold and too expensive. Roslyn was
at the film crew. People around town grew
available for only $100 per day and only an
hour and a half from Seattle, where interior tired of being captives to a filming schedule:
the main street being blocked to traffic as the
shots for the show are filmed.
cameras rolled, directors barking though
"Northern Exposure" centers on the character bullhorns for silence, totem poles being
of Dr. Joel Fleischman, a graduate of Columbia erected throughout town, and glaring movie
lights being used to film scenes late into the
University who has to repay the state of
Alaska for financing his schooling by spending night.
four years in Cicely as the town's only
Crew members were referred to in the local
physician. The fish-out-of-water doctor is
surrounded by as assortment of eccentric and jargon as "movie groovies" and
free-spirited townspeople - a grouchy former "mooseheads," after the moose that wanders
around a deserted pre-dawn Cicely during the
astronaut searching for adventure, a former
125
show's opening credits. Nearly 200 residents
were so afraid their town was being
commandeered by Holywood that they signed
a petition two years ago asking the mayor and
the City Council to give residents more say in
when and where the crews filmed. The city
government refused.
The wrath against the movie people
eventually died down. Now, tourists are the
popular target. In some circles, Looky Lous are
less liked than the west-side "206ers" - so
named for the Puget Sound area code - who
are making an exodus to the region and are
blamed for a nearly 200 percent increase in
area property taxes and land prices.
"Why should we have to go through all this
brouhaha?" asked Pennsylvania Avenue
resident Bobbie Woodell. "I'm always having
confrontations with tourists. They think they
can do anything, They think they can picnic on
people's lawns. They think they can park
anywhere they want. They treat us like
novelties because we sell earrings made out
of real moose doo doo in gift shops."
people would stop and talk to me. Now
people try to stay away from the downtown,
and when they have to go there, it's a fast in-
and-out."
A plastic No Parking sign now hangs on
Woodell's front gate. She said two cars
belonging to tourists have smashed though
the wood fence around her front yard on
separate occasions.
"Parking is a big problem in town now," she
said. "I'm always chasing away people who
want to park their cars in front of my house.
People who live here have to go halfway to
Seattle to park. I've never known a town this
small to have traffic jams and parking
problems."
Down the street, the local hardware store,
post office and bank have erected makeshift
"Parking for Customers Only" or "10 Minute
Parking" signs. Almost every shop window
features "Northern Exposure" merchandise. A
good share of the businesses have signs
declaring "Restrooms for Patrons Only."
said revenue from sales tax has jumped 300
percent and 11 new businesses have opened.
Local shops and restaurants have also started
hiring," he said.
"This kind of business is great for the
community," Denning said. "I've been here
during the lean times, when mining,
construction and logging jobs have come and
gone, so I know that we need this.
"We'll always have the people here who say,
'I've got my piece of heaven, to hell with you.'
But we have got to shift with the times. I don't
know if I want Roslyn to go back to the way it
was."
Denning conceded that many of the tourists
who come into town have little regard for its
history and its beauty, but he said he can
tolerate a "belly full of rude tourists and
trash" for a healthy economy.

Woodell came back to Roslyn, her birthplace
and childhood home, from Oregon in 1987 to
bury her husband and "to be left alone." She
said she has become so disgruntled with the
current tourist boom that she has considered
selling her house and moving. Woodell added
that she is just one of many frustrated
residents.
"So many people have horror stories to tell
around here," she said. "The tourists and the
show have ruined things here."
"The biggest change is people in this town are
just plain rude to each other now. It used to
be that people living here were kind, gentle,
honest, and helpful. I remember walking
taking an hour to get down the street because
Roslyn Bakery owner Margaret Heide is the
former city clerk who resigned because she
was tired of the city's "out-of-hand
bureaucracy" and decided to capitalize on the
tourism boom by opening a business in July.
Heide said City Hall was receiving about 400
calls from tourists every week.
"They wanted us to act as their chamber of
commerce," she said. "It made us get behind
on work."
Mayor Jack Denning said Roslynites upset
with the tourist boom are as welcome around
City Hall as a freezing Coho wind. Since the
town - plagued with hard times since the last
Visitors to Roslyn flock to the shade of The Brick Tavern while
coal mine closed down in the 1960s - started waiting to catch a glimpse of a filming session.
showing up on Monday-night television, he

Cicely News & World Telegram 126

He is not as forgiving with newspaper
reporters, though. Because of what he calls
"journalistic crucifixion" of Roslyn in the press,
Denning put a gag order on city employees.
No one talks to the press until they get the
mayor's okay.
Cicely News & World Telegram
For more proof that this mountain hamlet
may be developing a big-city attitude, visit the
old mining company store, Northwest
Improvement. Now called memory makers, it
is a gift shop with green, red and blue neon
sighns tattooing the windows. Amid the army
of "Northern Exposure" caps, water bottles,
127
Frisbees, key chains, long johns and shot
glasses inside, there are posted signs with an
urban feel: "Notice - Due to shoplifting, this
store is now monitored by cameras," "Please
no videotaping inside," and "$20 minimum on
credit card purchases."
"It may seem a little unlike a small-
town gift shop, but I hardly know
any of the people who come in here
anymore," said Roxy Sherrell,
Memory Makers owner.
"Everybody in town is caught up in
this boom. It turns revenue which is
good. If there's no industry here,
there's no town. When 'Northern
Exposure' folds up, so goes the
revenue."
A Conversation with Elaine Miles
Date: Fall 1993
Publication: Radiance
Author: Catherine Taylor
When friends heard that I was
going to interview Elaine Miles of
"Northern Exposure," they asked,
"But what if she doesn't say
anything?" I protested that I was
interviewing the actress, not the
quiet character she plays, but
privately I was asking myself the
same question.
Most of us see Elaine Miles on CBS
every Monday evening as the
taciturn Marilyn Whirlwind, Native
American receptionist to Dr. Joel
Fleischman (Rob Morrow) in the
mythical town of Cicely, Alaska.
Contrary to the character's last
name, Marilyn imposes an often
unsettling calm and easy wisdom
into the medical office of the
intensely self-centered and nervous
Fleischman. She is a woman of few,
but often bluntly observant or
gently sage, words.
"Northern Exposure," now in its fifth season,
mixes comedy with pathos in a community
inhabited by unlikely yet sympathetically
human characters:
an egocentric
retired astronaut
who is also
a gourmet cook, a
radio DJ who reads
Thoreau on the air,
and a bush pilot
who keeps shrines
to her dead
boyfriends. When
Marilyn Whirlwind
entered this world, actress Elaine Miles
entered a profession she had never imagined
for herself. Prior to her unexpected stardom,
Miles had worked as a secretary for the YWCA
and for a reservation clinic. But she primarily
devoted her energies to her family and to her
Native American heritage. A prize-winning
traditional dancer, she attended powwows
almost every weekend.
Her life changed the day she drove her
mother, Armenia Miles (also on the show), to conversations, and I work with everybody.
an audition in response to a casting call for
Native Americans. Elaine reluctantly agreed to
try out after someone from casting spotted
her in the waiting room. Today she speaks
with pride (and still some surprise) at her
accomplishments.
The woman I met was lively and refreshingly
forthright. Her sentences were punctuated by preferred to walk?]. Now I work with just
smiles and frequent giggles. She often paused about everyone.
as she considered a response to my questions
and then burst forth with memories of her
grandmother, an anecdote from the set, or
thoughts about her new responsibilities as a
Native American woman on nationwide TV.
What follows is a conversation that took place
over several hours. It began in a back room of E.M.: I think I've been able to put myself into
the interiors location for "Northern Exposure" her. Now I get to smile. There were a few
outside of Seattle. It was completed by
telephone a few weeks later, after Alice
Ansfield and I had enjoyed the privilege of
watching Elaine Miles in one of her "real-life"
roles, as head woman dancer at a powwow at
Stanford University.
C.T.: I've heard you say that acting is easy. It's C.T.: Do you
just reading. Is it really that easy for you?
E.M.: Yeah. I get the script, and maybe that
week I look at it and then I don't really worry
Cicely News & World Telegram
about it until the day I'm actually going to do I dressed in my own traditional outfit, and I
it. I don't really know how I do it, but I get it in was very uncomfortable doing that because
my head. We have to memorize everything. Alaskan natives don't dress like that. The
producers had seen a picture of me in my
C.T.: What about your voice? traditional outfit. They thought it would be
neat if I could dance in it. I had some negative
E.M.: That's me. That's Elaine. But the first feedback from natives because each tribe has
season they made Marilyn more stereotypical. its own tribal dress and traditions. And then I
They [director, producers] made me received other positive letters from Alaskan
pronounce everything. Like the first scene I natives. One woman wrote me a three-page
did I was supposed to go out and tell Rob [Rob letter, not to condemn me, but just to be
Morrow, who plays Dr. Joel Fleischman] that happy because I was a Native American
the patients were still talking. And I said, woman portraying a Native American woman
"Can't I just say, 'They're still talking?'" And on television. She made me feel very good.
they said, "No, say, 'They are still talk-ing.'" So
it was funny when I saw the very first episode C.T.: Do you feel the show's producers are
- my parents taped it and then I watched it - doing a better job now?
because I pronounce everything: talk-ing. But
that changed in time. Now Marilyn talks the E.M.: Yes. They've started researching and
way I talk. doing things more authentically. And they're
listening. They have more input from the
C.T.: You told someone earlier today that Alaskan natives to make it real - well not, real,
Marilyn's character has evolved a bit. you know, because it is TV. And that's what I
write to the people, I tell them, "This is TV, it's
E.M.: Yeah, the first season Marilyn never had make-believe." But at first it was really tough
too much to say. But now I get to carry on for me because I couldn't take the criticism.
Before I just worked with Rob Morrow. They After the second season I started getting
gradually started moving me into working enough nerve to say what I did and didn't like
with Barry Corbin [who plays Maurice: doing. Before, I would tell someone like Barry
remember the episode when he tries to go Corbin, and he would say, "Well, I'll tell them,
into the ostrich-ranching business with but you're gonna have to learn how to tell
Marilyn?] Peg Philips, and John Corbett, [Ruth them you're not comfortable doing that." And
Anne and Chris: remember when they taught then my dad would tell me that too. He used
Marilyn to drive and she finally decided she to say, "You gotta say your piece. You can't
have someone say it for you."
C.T.: So it's been a real process of finding out
C.T.: One of the questions everyone wanted how much more assertive you can be?
me to ask was, How much do you identify
with Marilyn on the show? Have you been E.M.: It has. Because, being a girl, or a
able to infuse the character of Marilyn with woman, you don't really say that much. Or
Elaine? people don't really listen. And now when I say
something, people listen, and I like that.
C.T.: You were surprised in this career.
times when I just kinda slipped a little smile in
there and people started writing in, I love E.M.: Yeah. Yeah. I didn't expect I was going
Marilyn's dimples or Marilyn has a nice smile. to be doing it, even after the first episode.
Why can't she smile more? And I was like, After the first show, I went up to Joshua
Yeah, yeah, right. It worked. Cause those are Brand and John Falsey [the producers] and
my dimples. told them, "Well, thank you. I had a real good
time working." And John Falsey looked at me
think the initial stiffness of your and said, "Elaine, you're not getting away that
character was part of a stereotype? easy. You're in all eight episodes." And I said,
"I'm not either." And he goes, "Yes, you are."
E.M.: Yes. Like in the very first season, when And then I thought, Oh, my God. So I ran to
Marilyn competed in a dance in a talent show. the corner and I called up my mom and dad
128
and told them, "I'm in every episode. I'm
gonna be in all eight of them." I would watch
the show the first season, and I couldn't really
believe that was me on the screen. The first
time I saw it, I said, "I don't sound like that, do
I?" And I looked at myself and said, "I don't
look like that, do I?" And then my dad said,
"Well, you look like your grandma."
C.T.: Do you look more like you to yourself
now?
E.M.: Yeah. And now Rebecca Lynne, the hair
girl, does my hair in ways that I would do
myself. I kinda give her the ideas, like I'd like it
hanging, or it's hot - let's put it up. And she
goes from there. The first season I just had
braids, just braids. That's want they wanted.
Then they asked me one time, "Is there
anything you'd like to tell us, or any
complaints?" And inside I was asking myself,
Should I really tell them? Because I wasn't
really sure if I should say anything. The last
time I remember wearing braids at home was
when I was a little girl, or when I'm in my
traditional dress, I'll braid my hair. And Mom
goes, "Well, tell them that." So I got up
enough nerve to tell them, "Well, I don't like
what you're doing with my hair. Can I have it
hanging, because Native Americans do let
their hair hang down once in a while. And we
don't always wear two braids." And then they
gradually got into letting me do what I would
do with my hair.
C.T.: What about your clothes? Last night I
watched the show again where you go to
Seattle and you're wearing that wonderfully
colorful coat. Alice Ansfield kept calling me
before this interview to say, Be sure to ask her
where she gets her clothes!
E.M.: Well, the majority of my own clothes I
get at western stores. Cowboy boots,
Wranglers, roper shirts. My mom has made
me some clothes, and my sister does some
sewing for me, too. Also my nephew, he puts
Indian designs on my jackets. And I found a
Native American designer, Sherman
Funmaker. I met him at the Tulsa Indian Arts
Powwow. I told him I do appearances, and he
said, "I'd like you to have one of my outfits."
And I was like, Wow! He designs anything.
And if women don't want a Native American
motif, he can design flowers or whatever. He's
gonna make me a denim jacket with fringes
on it, because I like those, and I can't find one
- they're all either too long or too small.
Cicely News & World Telegram
C.T.: And you have the most gorgeous
earrings.
E.M.: Oh, all the jewelry, the earrings, and the
barrettes I wear are mine. Most of them I've
received as gifts, or my sister and my mother
made them. But the majority of them are
from Oklahoma and New Mexico, because
that's where I've spent most of my time at
powwows recently.
C.T.: With your dancing?
E.M.: No, just to be there. Because my father
passed away a little over a year ago -
C.T.: Oh, I'm sorry.
E.M.: And so I was out of the powwow circuit
for that year. I finally went back in October.
C.T.: What about your dancing?
E.M.: I've been dancing since I was a year old.
I started walking when I was ten months, and
the minute I started walking, both my
grandmothers put their heads together to
make me a traditional outfit. And I still have
my little dress. I hold it up and say, "I can't
believe I was that small!." I won my first prize
when I was a year old.
C.T.: Could you give me a brief explanation of
what a powwow is all about?
E.M.: A powwow is a social get-together
where we can sing, dance, they have arts and
crafts and Indian food. Different tribes and
groups from everywhere travel miles to go to
a powwow.
C.T.: At the Stanford powwow, there were
many different tribes present, including an
Alaskan tribe -
E.M.: Yeah, I got to meet them. That was
really nice. They watch the show. They told
me they were so happy that I was a real
Native American portraying Marilyn. In a way,
I was afraid to meet them at first. But I
wanted to share a little part of myself with
them.
C.T.: It looked as though you were sharing a
lot of yourself with a lot of people.
E.M.: A lot of people were congratulating me C.T.: They gave him a non-Native name there?
on my success and how I can come back to my
traditional ways at the same time. I felt these
129
people really did care, and I was like, Wow,
thank you. I felt like I was complete. I guess
because I was so much into powwows - we
used to go to powwows almost every
weekend - that with working, there's a part of
me that's missing. And last weekend I felt like
I was all me, I was all there. So I was very
happy. It was a beautiful weekend, the
weekend was perfect.
C.T.: But you also talked about the
responsibility of being the head woman
dancer, that it was a big deal for you.
E.M.: Yes, it was. Just being asked is an honor.
I was representing all the women, and I had to
carry myself with grace.
C.T.: But you were also a big star. The
announcer introduced you as "probably the
most famous Native American woman in the
world right now."
E.M.: That was something I noticed, because
this is the first time it's really happened to me.
Like there was this Kiowa man who gave me
his family crest - it was given to them by the
government because his father was in the
Navy - and this man's grandfather had started
the gourd dance - a veteran dance, honoring
them. I was really happy to receive that,
because my dad was in the Army. This man is
seventy-two years old and he was talking
about how Monday every week he thanks the
Lord that he can live to watch "Northern
Exposure." I thought that was so sweet.
C.T.: Do you feel special responsibility as a
Native American woman on TV?
E.M.: Yeah, I've found out that I'm not just
myself or my family or my tribe, but I'm
representing all Native Americans. That's a lot
of responsibility to carry, and I do the best I
can.
C.T.: You are a mix of two tribes -
E.M.: Cayuse on my mother's side, and my
father was a Nez Perce. But they are
neighbors, and very similar.
C.T.: Where did the name Miles come from?
E.M.: My grandpa went to a boarding school.
E.M.: Right. That's what happened to a lot of because I'd go home for the summer and then after my grandma passed away, my
people. spend time with my grandma and grandpa, mother's aunt took us under her wing, so I
and they would teach us our traditional ways. called her grandma, but she passed away too.
C.T.: What about the name Whirlwind? So I was brought up traditionally. It's like, I made this, and if Grandma was here,
she'd be so proud of me. And once I start
E.M.: I think that came from the time the C.T.: What does that mean, traditionally? something I've always got to finish it, because
producers heard me say I felt I was stuck in a I'm always wondering what it's gonna look
whirlwind because everything happened so E.M.: I know my Native American heritage. I like, something will emerge.
fast. And it was my great-great grandfather's can speak and understand my language, the
name - his name was Charlie Whirlwind - on Cayuse and the Nez Perce. I know how to One of the neatest pieces that I made was a
my mother's side. He was like a medicine bead. I can weave. I know how to process our pipe bag. My dad saw it after I finished it. I
man. So it was kind of neat that I got to use it. foods. Like we go root digging, and we will be was so proud of it. I told him, "I'm gonna sell
having the root festival. When the salmon it." And he said, "That's one of your best
C.T.: I understand that you lived on a starts coming, I know how to process the pieces you ever did." But I kept looking at it
reservation. salmon. I can dry it, I can it. I can cut it up. and looking at it, and I thought, This is one of
Venison, like deer meat or elk meat - I can my best pieces I ever did. My mom and dad
E.M.: It was Umatilla Reservation. There were butcher that up and dry it. didn't know if I sold it or I kept it. And that
three tribes - Umatilla, Walla Walla, Cayuse. following Christmas I gave it to my Dad, and
We have a nice reservation. It's really pretty. C.T.: And you learned all this from - he cried because he couldn't believe it. He
The location is at the foothills of the Blue said, "I thought you sold this a long time ago."
Mountains and right amongst the wheat E.M.: From my grandmas. And I know how to He was so proud of it. He'd look at it and then
fields. The mountains are timber land; we process the hide, so then we can use the hide. he'd put it away. And once in a while he'd pull
have a lot of timber. Cause we don't waste any part of the animal. it out in front of company and say, "See, she
We use the brain to process the hide. We use can still do this stuff." And when he passed
But I only stayed there for the first three years everything. And the antlers were made into
away he took it. I put it inside with him. So he
of my life; then we moved near Seattle tools. And I go berry picking in the summer, always will have my best piece.
because my father worked for Boeing. My Dad and I know how to process those, to dry them
used to commute to Seattle all week and then or can them. I know how to make jams. My C.T.: In terms of philosophy, I understand
come home for weekends. That's the only mom showed us how to make syrup out of there was also a Catholic influence -
reason we moved up here. huckleberry and chokecherry.
E.M.: Oh, yeah. Catholic school nightmares.
C.T.: What about family, and extended family? C.T.: Do you still do some of this when you
can? C.T.: How did the Catholic get brought into
E.M.: Extended family for a Native American is your family?
like the word for family. I have adopted E.M.: I do. And the root digging - my favorite
parents in Montana, Oklahoma, and Arizona. is the wild carrot. Whenever I'd go dig them, E.M.: Well, my great-grandparents gave a
I'd always end up eating half of them and then piece of land to the priest so he could build a
C.T.: Are these people so close to the family come back with half a bag. And my mom and church and a school on Umatilla Reservation.
that they are considered like family even my grandma would say, "You're not 'sposed to My mom was baptized Catholic, and my
though they aren't blood relatives? eat 'em, you're 'sposed to pick 'em." And I was grandparents were, too. When the priests
like, "Yeah, okay." And the wild celery was were first around and my mom was little, she
E.M.: Yeah. That's what extended family is to good too. I love that. used to hide because that man with the skirt
a Native American. And they're of different
was coming again and he'd go down and dunk
tribes, too. The ones in Montana are Black And I can weave with corn husk - that's what her in the river. Mom laughs because she's
Foot and Cree. And the ones in Oklahoma are the Nez Perce women are known for. It's been baptized three times by three different
Cheyenne. And the ones in Arizona are woven into bags, or into contemporary things priests who came on the reservation -
Navaho. One of my adopted moms, who now. I know how to sew too. I've made coats. because they didn't have records of it.
passed away last year, was Mecaleros I made a jacket out of a Pendleton blanket,
(Apache). And then I have Pawnee and Oto and I gave that to my mom. And the outfit my My great-grandfather's wish was that the
adopted grandparents from Oklahoma, and Mom wore at the powwow, I did the school had to be open to the Indian kids. My
adopted sisters that are Pawnee and Oto. beadwork and put it all together. mother went to school there, my sister went
to school there, but it didn't stay open. I went
Both my parents came from pretty big C.T.: Do you connect making things with your to school here in Seattle. But I went to church
families. My whole family still lives on the hands to particular values? there. My sister and her little boys, and my
reservation, but my one sister lives in Oregon,
aunt still go to church there. And we all go
and my mother lives here in Seattle. E.M.: Maybe I just connect it to my there at Christmas for midnight mass.
grandmothers. Because I was very close to my
Culturally I was brought up Native American, grandmothers - my mother's mother, and
even though I was brought up in the city,

Cicely News & World Telegram 130

C.T.: How did the Native American and the
Catholic approaches work together?
E.M.: Even at the Catholic church they
translated and sang hymns in Native
American. But we also practiced Native
American beliefs. I used to wonder, Why do
we have to go to church and then go to
church at the long house? My sister and I used
to laugh because we were the holiest little
kids around.
My grandpa used to say that we go to church
and sometimes we go down to the long
house, but it doesn't matter because you only
pray to one God. And my grandmother
couldn't read, but when she talked about
Native American beliefs, it was almost the
exact same thing as in the Bible.
C.T.: Did you get a lot of the story telling
tradition from your grandmother?
E.M.: I don't call it story telling. She just told
me things, taught me things, verbally. What I
live by is what my grandma taught me. She
always used to tell me, because I had a rough
time through high school, she goes, "Don't
worry or don't think about what you did
yesterday. That happened yesterday. That's
done and gone with. And don't worry about
what you're gonna do tomorrow, 'cause that's
tomorrow. All you think about is what you're
doing today, and do what you have to do
today." And then her other one was, "Don't
worry about what you're gonna do tomorrow,
because there might not be a tomorrow for
you. We're all here on borrowed time."
When my dad died it was really hard for me,
and I had to think about what she had told
me. I love spring because of flowers, and she
had told me, "When someone dies that is
close to you, it hurts. But it's like picking a
flower. It's like God picks the prettiest one,
just like you do - you go out and you see the
flowers and you pick the prettiest one. But
the following year another one comes up in its
place." When I lost my dad, it hurt, but there's
always someone else who comes into your
life. When she told me things, I don't think I
was actually paying attention, and now she's
gone and I remember, Well, Grandma told me
this or Grandma told me that.
And it's amazing. It's like the minute you ask
me a question, I hear her, what she says. Like
my grandmother used to say that when it
Cicely News & World Telegram
rains, someone has passed away that day, and
it's just washing the tracks away, and
cleansing. I was always afraid of thunder and
lightning. She always used to tell me, "That's
just the people on the other side celebrating."
My grandma also told me, "You have the
memories, but don't worry. You'll be all
jumbled up worried about tomorrow and
yesterday. So all you do is live for today and
what you're doing today."
C.T.: So how do you get the energy and the
focus to do what you have to do, right now,
today? It seems that what you have to do is
pretty demanding.
E.M.: Yes, it is very demanding. I just wake up
and thank God that I'm here one more day.
Then I start thinking, Oh my God, I have to do
that scene. And I'm like a little basket case.
And then when I'm here, that's when I
actually look at my script and get myself into
Marilyn.
C.T.: What's a usual work day like for you?
E.M.: It all depends on how many scenes I'm
actually in, and whether I have any speaking
lines. Today wasn't too bad; it was mostly
waiting. It's always hurry, hurry, and wait.
Hurry and wait.
C.T.: I knew the scene I saw you in today
would be shot over and over, but it wasn't
until I stood there and watched that I realized
what hard work it must be.
E.M.: Yeah, to do it over and over and over
again. They sometimes use parts of one shot
and cut it in with the ending of another shot
or something like that. So we always have to
remember what we're doing, how we open
the door, what hand we're carrying something
in, or which way we turned.
C.T.: I recently saw the episode where you
Cajun dance - and I loved it. I wondered if you
felt, even though it was Cajun dancing, that
you were getting to bring a little of your
unique talent to the part? It looked as though
you were really enjoying yourself.
E.M.: I was. It was a lot of fun, even though
we had to do it almost eight hours! Because I C.T.: What are you going to do with your
love to western dance, and western and Cajun vacation?
dance are similar, except for a little different
beat. To get to do that in front of a camera
131
was a lot of fun. Marilyn can do almost
anything - she Cajun dances, she plays Russian
music on the piano. She's got a basket full of
things she keeps under wraps for a while, but
that she just keeps pulling out. That's how I
see Marilyn.
C.T.: And when Marilyn pulls out a talent like
Cajun dancing, then you have to learn that,
too. So sometimes the character stimulates
you?
E.M.: Right. I even thought about taking piano
lessons because at one point I had to play the
piano - the wedding march when Holling and
Shelly [played by John Cullum and Cynthia
Geary] got married. And I don't know how to
play the piano. When we had to shoot that
scene and I was like, Oh my God, what am I
going to do, what am I going to do? One of
the props guys showed me the basics, where
the fingers should go. And then I shocked
myself and I actually played part of it! They
said that would have been a great shot, but I
was so excited about actually making it sound
like the wedding march that I turned around
with excitement and said, "I did it!"
C.T.: So in the actual show, is that you playing,
or do they dub in?
E.M.: They dub in. And it's a different
woman's hands. They had to go through many
women to find someone with hands like mine.
I was checking everybody, asking, "Do you
have little hands?" Finally they found
someone, and she's not even Native American
- she's Hawaiian, Samoan, Filipino, and
German.
C.T.: So that's what it took to replicate Elaine
Miles's hands! How long does it take to tape a
show?
E.M.: Eight days. In the Cajun episode I
worked six of the eight days. We work
Monday through Friday, and we have
Saturday and Sunday off. Some of the days
can be long, especially when all nine principal
people are in it, because they have to get
individual shots or double shots or close-ups.
Last year we were off May through July. This
year we're off May to the end of June.
E.M.: I spend time with myself. And then like
tomorrow I'm going to go have lunch with my
mom, and I went to visit my cousin yesterday.
I spend a little time with my family and just
relax, because working ten months out of the
year can be hectic. There can be times I don't
see my mom, even though we only live
nineteen miles apart. So that tells you how
much this job keeps me busy.
C.T.: Do you still have energy to go out
dancing for fun?
E.M.: Oh, yeah. Once in a while I do that just
to get out and enjoy myself, with my
boyfriend and my cousins. We'll all meet at a
western bar and kick up our boots.
C.T.: What has changed in your life, from
before you became an actress?
E.M.: I can't really go out and do all our foods,
because the height of the season is while I'm
working. Deer season I'm working, and
salmon season I'm working. I don't get to
travel to powwows as much as I'd like. But
now I have money, I have a checking account,
and I've never had a checking account. I
bought my own truck. I always thought my
dad would buy me a car, but I bought it
myself, and that felt good.
C.T.: Has working on the show changed your
life in terms of your friendships and your
family life?
E.M.: It was really hard the first season
because I used to have a lot of friends, and
they couldn't understand. They'd ask, "Why
weren't you at this powwow?" And I'd say, "I
was working." They'd go, "Well, you were
working before, but you'd always come." It
started getting me down. It was really hard to
try and tell them I can't do what I used to do
because I signed this piece of paper. And then
my dad said, "Well, if they were really good
friends they would understand."
That first season, I was a total basket case. It
got to the point where I couldn't tell if I was
Marilyn or if I was Elaine. It got that bad. But
as time went on, I understood what my dad
was trying to tell me. And I've made good
friends among the actors, the crew, the
extras. They treat me like me. I'm not any
different than I was four years ago. I'm still
me. Only thing different is I have a checking
Cicely News & World Telegram
account and my own truck. Otherwise, I'm still E.M.: Yeah, but now I can relax and spend
the same. money! I buy clothes. I buy shoes, like the
new Air Jordans - they came out and I had to
C.T.: It sounds as though your parents were have the white ones, because I had the black
very supportive. ones and I wanted the white ones.
E.M.: Oh, they were, they were. And my mom
is still very supportive. She works on the
show.
C.T.: How is it acting with your mom?
E.M.: It's fun. Because it's almost like just
being us. It feels natural. My mom and I have
a unique relationship. Because she's my mom,
but at the same time she's my best friend.
Most of the time she's my stand-in, for when
they do the lighting and get the camera set up
while I'm getting dressed. In the first episode
she played Ed's aunt [Ed is played by Darren
Burrows], who is married to Mr. Anku, the
medicine man. But last season and this season
she's played Marilyn's mother.
C.T.: I was recalling the show where you move
out of your mother's home, and a clip I'd read
in which you said, "I used to be this little
homebody." Then today I heard that now you
have your own apartment. Did you live with
your family before, and now you've just made
this independent move?
E.M.: Yeah. That kind of ties in with the show,
because the writers always use something
from everybody's personal life. My mom lives
in south Seattle, and it used to take a long
time to get here, so I moved closer. I like the
independence. I'm an independent woman
now.
C.T.: You still like to do the same things with
your free time?
E.M.: Yeah, I love the mall. I go to Mrs. Field's,
buy those little bags of cookies and a pop, and
just go sit and watch people.
C.T.: Sort of like you did in the show where
Marilyn visits Seattle, where you sat on the
bench?
E.M.: Yeah, and I'd get chicken and jo-jos and
go sit in the park and watch people or feed
the birds, and, like my grandma used to say,
"just enjoy life."
C.T.: So you're good at relaxing when you're
not working?
132
C.T.: And you like boots. I've seen a lot of
different boots on the show, and I assume you
get to wear those home.
E.M.: No. Those are wardrobe's. But I have
some of my own: I have purple ones, green
ones, gray ones, turquoise ones, and I have
lacers, all kinds. My boyfriend bought me
some made out of cowhide, the black-and-
white ones.
C.T.: So is your boyfriend supportive of this
work?
E.M.: Yes, he is. I've known him about two
years. He's from Oklahoma.
C.T.: Does he go with you to powwows and
rodeos? Do you share that?
E.M.: Yes, we do. We met at a powwow,
through his cousin.
C.T.: What about the rodeos - is this a Native
American rodeo circuit?
E.M.: No, it's the PRCA, the Pro Rodeo
Cowboy Association. My grandfather and his
brothers and his cousins were calf ropers and
team ropers. And my mom used to team rope,
and she was a barrel racer - they have three
barrels set up like a cloverleaf and you have to
go around them. It's a timed event. My mom
also used to jockey. She was so insulted, her
and my grandma, when they made that big
megillah about the first woman jockey. They'd
been jockeying for a long time. They would
stick their hair up in their hats and use
nicknames, because women weren't allowed
to ride back then in the rodeo circuit.
C.T.: So what about you? Do you ride?
E.M.: I used to ride in parades and ride
around at home. Barry Corbin is really into
rodeos and into celebrity rodeos. He got
Darren Burrows involved. And he says, "Well,
Elaine, you come from a horse family. Why
don't you barrel race and then you could
come to the rodeos with us?" And I said, "No,
I'm too chubba - too big." And then Mom
goes, "You could go ahead and try it." I started
watching the rodeos on TNN, and there's a
couple girls that were really kind of large and I
thought, "Well, if they can do it, I can do it
too. And then Mom goes, Well, why don't
you?" And she told my grandma, and they
were all excited, "Baby's gonna barrel race
and we're gonna have a barrel racer in the
family again." My mom's cousin was the last
one who barrel raced from our reservation,
and when we go to rodeos there's no more
Indian girls from home.
C.T.: So now they've got one?
E.M.: I'm still getting my nerve up. Mom
keeps talking to me about it, so maybe you'll
see me do it.
C.T.: Have you felt that your weight might
interfere with anything else in your life?
E.M.: No. I've been dancing all this time. I just
have to have strong legs.
C.T.: Do you think your Native American
culture has a different attitude about
women's weight and roundness than the
mainstream culture?
E.M.: Probably.
C.T.: You weren't ever pressured to lose
weight?
E.M.: No.
C.T.: Were you complimented on your full
cheeks?
E.M.: Nooo. Mostly the compliments I got
were for my hair and my dimples. I am large,
and I'm happy with myself and with my inner
self. You have to strive for whatever makes
you happy and not worry about what other
people think. It's the way you feel that counts.
C.T.: Well, I have to tell you that you are very
beautiful.
E.M.: Thank you. All weekend long at the
powwow people were telling me, "You're such you have within you. I don't have any younger
a pretty little thing." And these men would
come up and say, "If you didn't have a
boyfriend,. I'd take you home right now." I
was like, "No." It was a little much. Sometimes themselves and what they'd been going
I wondered, is it really because of what I'm
doing or is it because of the way I look now?
To me, it's what I'm doing, so I'm getting a
little more attention. But Mom, she keeps
Cicely News & World Telegram
saying, "You always did have your own little
look anyway."
But I was always one of the girls in our whole
family that never won the beauty contests -
my sisters and cousins, all of them, at least
placed in the beauty contests, and even my
mom. Every time I tried ,I never won. And
then my grandmother would say, "It doesn't
matter, even if you don't win, you're still my
pretty one." But I used to feel bad because my
cousins would be walking around with all their
little blankets they'd win. My grandma would
tell me, "Well, they don't win in contest
dancing, and that's something that you have,
you have the talent to dance." And I was like,
"Yeah, okay." Because when you're young, a
teenager, it's not the same. Another thing
she'd tell me was that I was like the little
flower that hadn't come to full bloom. When I
got older and started trying for powwow
princess, my grandma would say, "It's not all
looks, they pick you for your talent, your style
of outfit, and how you carry yourself. Just
don't be discouraged." She said, "No matter
how much people put you down" - like my PE
teacher who did that to me - "you just always
strive for the best you can be. Just keep
trying. Someday you'll be the princess for the
tribe." As I grew up, I understood more. My
grandma was right. I had the talent to dance,
and I had the talent to bead and weave. I had
this stuff inside of me. My grandma died in
198l. She always used to tell me that someday
I would be something.
C.T.: I've heard that you're becoming more
involved with Native American groups and
causes.
E.M.: I went to the Youth Suicide Conference
a few years ago, because there's a high rate
on reservations. I got to talk about myself and
the difficulties I found going between the two
worlds of the reservation and life in the non-
Indian society of the city.
My message was to learn to appreciate
yourself and try and look at the inner beauty
brothers or sisters, but I love kids. Some kids
came up after and talked to me, and it was
really hard when they told me about
through. I know why they want to think that
ending their life might be better, but I
thought, You can't do that because there's so
much to look forward to in this world. A lot of
133
those kids haven't been off the reservation.
There's so much else to see. So I told them
things that they could look forward to and not
to listen to peer pressures.
Also, now they're starting more after-school
activities on the reservations. There's one
program where if you keep your grades up,
you get to go camping for one or two weeks -
and that means something to kids. In the last
few years I think more kids are finishing high
school. When I graduated, there were eight of
us in our family graduating that year. That was
important to our family. All my aunts and
uncles graduated from high school.
C.T.: It sounds as though your family has been
very united and supportive.
E.M.: That's another thing. Today a lot of
families aren't as close. Families should be
there to give us the little shove when we
aren't really sure of ourselves. And a lot of
kids weren't into their culture, and now
they're starting to get involved in their Native
American culture ,and that helps.
C.T.: What about the child abuse prevention
public service announcement you did?
E.M.: That was for the Bureau of Indian
Affairs, on the radio. That was for child abuse,
neglect, and fetal alcohol syndrome. A lot of
these kids, their mothers are just kids, too,
and they're growing up together. What I want
is to help kids see that there is a better
tomorrow.
C.T.: And there's an entirely different thing
you're getting involved with, the more
commercial appearances with Macy's.
E.M.: Macy's is opening up a "Northern
Exposure" line of clothing. The employees
took a vote, and they want Marilyn to open it,
in New York.
C.T.: Are you looking forward to that?
E.M.: Oh, yeah. Because I've never been to
New York. So I'm excited.
C.T.: So you do like an adventure?
E.M.: I do. I WANT an adventure. When I was
doing that Seattle vacation episode, I was
always saying, "I WANT an adventure."
C.T.: I wonder if you have favorite "Northern
Exposure" shows, where parts of Marilyn
come out that you really like. For example, in
the show with the family totem pole being
carved, when it turns into a family argument -
E.M.: That was the first time I ever got to play
mad.
C.T.: Did it feel good to play mad?
E.M.: It seemed funny to be mad. Like the
time Dave the cook [played by William J.
White] won't serve me and I jump off my stool
and walk off - when I walked off camera, I
started giggling.
C.T.: So, that really felt like acting?
E.M.: Yeah, it did. Because we weren't doing
the scene right, and the director got us
together and told us, "You guys are really
supposed to be mad at each other."
C.T.: So you really had to get up for doing it?
E.M.: Yeah, yeah. The other show I liked best
was the second time Enrico Bellati [the mime
from a traveling carnival played by Bill Irwin
with whom Marilyn has a romance] came to
town. I had to turn him down, and I had to be
touching. I was never like that on the show
before, and I had to psych myself up for that.
C.T.: Someone in an article I read called
"Northern Exposure" "a benign world in a
nonjudgmental universe." That made me
think of a place with nice people where
people could discover themselves. I wonder
what you think the show says?
E.M.: Right now I like it because it focuses on
everybody, on all cultures. Joel is Jewish, Ed
and Marilyn and Dave are Native Americans.
They have the gay guys who own the bed and
breakfast. And then Maurice is like this
redneck. There's comedy, like when the guys
ran naked through the street [as part of
Cicely's celebration of spring] And then they
have special moments like when Ed [Darren]
was looking for his father and he actually
found him. I cried when Ed told him, "I'm your
son." When I came to work the next day, I told
Darren, "You made me cry." That was a
touching moment, and that was the first time
the show ever did that to me. So the show
kind of deals with everything. I like it the way
it is.
Cicely News & World Telegram
C.T.: You weren't an actress, weren't
expecting to be an actress -
E.M.: I never in my whole life dreamt I would
be doing this.
C.T.: So, do you feel like an actress now?
E.M.: No. I feel just like me, like I said before,
me with a checking account and a truck.
C.T.: Are you thinking of other acting
possibilities?
E.M.: I'd love to, now that I have the taste of
it, and after doing the Bellati show, where I
had to be serious, and the totem one, where I
had to be angry. Now that they're letting me
deal with more emotions - I feel like I could do
anything.
CATHERINE TAYLOR is the senior editor
of Radiance and a freelance writer and editor
living in Berkeley, California.
‘ ’
Date: 10/6/93
Publication: Yakima Herald-Republic
Author: Judith Blake, Seattle Times
In the make-believe world of TV's "Northern
Exposure," an everyday reality - eating - often
preoccupies the people of fictional Cicely,
Alaska.
Or sometimes not eating. The season
premiere [5.1 Three Doctors] recently saw
town doctor Joel Fleischman (played by Rob
Morrow) suffering from an aversion to shrimp
- the symptom of a strange but temporary
malady.
Food plays a frequent role in the popular
show, which is filmed in Redmond, and in
Roslyn, east of Snoqualmie Pass, and airs at 10 Burrows also catered meals several times for
pm Mondays on CBS and KIMA-TV.
In the Brick Tavern, a favorite town haunt,
characters eat simple, down-home grub -
burgers, scrambled eggs, hash, chili.
"We love to play with the food of The Brick.
It's a whole genre of American cooling -
heartland of America. It's very colorful to talk Collins would eat just about anything, and the
about," Robin Green, a former restaurant
reviewer who's now a regular writer for
"Northern Exposure."
134
When Cicely's ex-astronaut-turned-
capitalist Maurice Minnifield (Barry Corbin)
throws one of his feasts, the food takes on the
high tone of classical French cuisine,
especially if irascible chef Adam (Adam Arkin)
does the cooking [4.21 The Big Feast].
Maurice gave a dinner party in a recent
episode [5.3 Jaws of Life], and a segment
airing on Oct. 25 has characters picking up
cooking pointers by watching a TV chef [5.6
Birds of a Feather].
"Northern Exposure" is not "about" food. It's
about a tiny Alaskan town whose inhabitants'
eccentricities are exceeded only by their
mutual tolerance and respect. But as in real
life, food and the fiddling that goes with it
help reveal characters' personality quirks -
besides giving them something to do as story
lines unfold.
Occasionally a food scene takes on a true
taste of authenticity. Remember the spring
fete scene last season[4.23 Mud and Blood]
(recently rerun) in which Maurice serves
elegant truffles brioche after his giant pig
sniffs out a trove of precious wild truffles?
"That was my brioche," says Seattle caterer
Melinda Burrows, who made the real thing for
the scene, using genuine, and costly, truffles.
Burrows prepared the foods featured in
several episodes, also made a real rack of
lamb for a scene. In fact, she prepared four or
five of them, and all were used as the actors
sliced into the meat during take after take of
filming.
As the filming started, the actors "were going
crazy" over the lamb, Burrows said, "but how
long can you eat lamb, or anything?" After a
couple of hours of shooting, "they were sick
of it." At any rate, the scene ended up on the
cutting room floor.
the show's cast and crew. Nor was this her
first foray into show-business cooking. For
about a year, she worked as a traveling chef
for such big-name rock singers as Paul
McCartney, Phil Collins and INXS, setting up
her portable kitchen in the performance
venues - in one case, a bull-fight ring in Spain.
She says McCartney required vegetarian fare,
INXS guys insisted only their beer be cold.
Burrow's "Northern Exposure" involvement
took a more personal turn last June when she
married Darren E. Burrows, who plays
Cicely's Ed Chigliak, the dreamy-eyed Indian
youth who loves movies. They met when she
catered a filming session. She says he likes
whatever she cooks.
Although Burrows made real brioche and rack
of lamb for some scenes, that's not the rule,
says "Northern Exposure's" prop master, Paul
Byers. Food has to be edible so actors can eat
it on camera, and it has to look like whatever
the script calls for. But it doesn't have to be
the exact item - especially if a stand-in food
would work together.
Potluck picnics happen a lot in Cicely, and the
food's authentic look is no accident. The
"Northern Exposure" producers sometimes
contract with a Roslyn church to have
members make potluck dishes.
The Redmond set, where the interiors are
filmed, hints at food's role in the show. The
tiny kitchen behind the bar of The Brick is
outfitted with an ancient range and an old
refrigerator topped with a big bottle of
ketchup, pots and pans and other supplies.
The camera seldom dwells on these details
but they lend credibility to the scene.
"Northern Exposure's" award-winning writers
are responsible for the show's feast of food
moments.
"I think it really just came out of our
personalities. Everybody (among the writers)
loves food," says Diane Frolov. She and her
husband, Andrew Schneider, are head writers
and executive producers for the show.
Green, the former restaurant critic, co-wrote,
with Mitchell Burgess, one of last season's
most talked about episodes, "The Big Feast."
In it, Maurice throws an elaborate banquet
with the fanciest possible cuisine and many
funny complications.
"I know from experience that the giving of a
dinner party is a complete journey, with a
beginning, a middle and an end," Green
explains by phone from Los Angeles. She
wanted the story to convey that sense of
journey.
Cicely News & World Telegram
Ellis Weiner, author of "The Northern
Exposure Cookbook," doesn't write for the
show but has a theory about food's place in it.
"The show is about individualism. It makes the
point to capture and reveal the quirkiness
that everyone has ..." Whether it's the fancy
cuisine Maurice serves to prove his
sophistication, or the simple eats that others
order at The Brick, food is one way to show
how individuals look at the world.
Monday, September 20, 1993 5-01
Three Doctors 77704 64
Monday, September 27, 1993 5-02
The Mystery of the Old Curio Shop
77705 65
Monday, October 04, 1993 5-03
Jaws of Life 77707 66
Monday, October 11, 1993 5-04
Altered Egos 77702 67
‘ was one of Broadway's brightest musical-
’ comedy lights. He received Tony Awards for
Date: October 11, 1993
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
Author: Susan King
HOLLYWOOD John Cullum is uncomfortable.
Real uncomfortable.
"What do you want to talk about?" he asks,
leaning across a conference table at CBS. He
stares at his inquisitor. "You know I'm real
nervous about this interview. It's because I
really ought to be doing something serious,
but I really don't know what the hell I'm doing
135
anymore. I don't know what it's all about. But
I'm having a good time doing TV."
For the past four seasons, fans of CBS' quirky,
Emmy Award-winning "Northern Exposure"
have had a good time watching Cullum. The
Tennessee native won an Emmy nomination
this year for his performance as the
vulnerable, charming Holling Vincoeur, the 64-
year-old proprietor of the Brick tavern, who is
married to 20-year-old Shelly (Cynthia Geary),
a former Miss Northwest Passage. This
season, Holling and Shelly will become
parents.
"I think they are going to tuck me away and
I'm going to be a very dull daddy," Cullum says
of Holling's fate. "I don't know what's going to
happen this season. They will figure
something out."
The world of television is a relatively new one
for Cullum, 63. For nearly three decades, he
"Shenandoah" and "On the 20th Century" and
received a nomination for "On a Clear Day You
Can See Forever."
Sports fans in Seattle, where "Northern
Exposure" is filmed, are familiar with
Cullum's vocal prowess because, "I sing the
`Star Spangled Banner,' so I can get into
football, basketball and baseball games for
free."
Though Cullum got to sing on the final
episode last season, his musical-comedy
side, he says, is basically unknown to the
"Northern Exposure" stars and creative
team.
"I was doing the second episode of
`Northern Exposure,' " Cullum recalls. "I
was reading the script. It said that Maurice
gets angry at Chris and takes over the radio
station because Chris is playing the wrong
kind of music and he's going to play what
he went up into space with - Broadway
hits."
Ironically, the song Maurice (Barry Corbin)
was to have rocketed into the stratosphere
with was "On a Clear Day." "I said, `These guys
don't realize that if they play the record, it has
to be me because I sang the title song,' "
Cullum says. "They didn't know." And the song
wasn't used.
Though Cullum and his wife now
have a home in Malibu, for most of
his professional life Cullum refused
to leave New York. "I was married to
a dancer who had a dance company
in New York City and she toured," he
explains. Cullum, though, wouldn't
tour with his shows and was
reluctant to try Hollywood.
Hollywood left a bad taste after
Cullum met a high-powered agent
early in his Broadway career. "He
turned me off so badly I literally
could have killed him," Cullum says.
"I spent a lot of time talking to him.
He was probing me. He asked me
simplistic questions. Afterward, he
told my (New York) agent, `He is very
exciting. He's wonderful. But his
values are wrong. He should not be
married to his wife. He should have a
nose job. He would be perfect.' That made
such a strong impression on me, I thought,
`That's not my world. That's not for me.' "
But his feelings changed when Broadway
changed. "If I had a hit show I would end up
playing the same thing for anywhere from 400
to 800 performances," he explains. "That
particular discipline was one I could get into. I
could force myself to do it. Then, musicals
took a change because the whole English
faction came in. They weren't doing musicals
the way I remember them being done."
Cullum exposed more than his acting talents
last year at the Williamstown Theatre Festival
in "Man in His Underwear," a play by Jay ("The
Days and Nights of Molly Dodd") Tarses.
Megan Gallagher played Cullum's love
interest.
A sheepish expression creeps across Cullum's
face. "I was always taking off my pants and
jumping in bed with her," he confesses. "I
never thought I would ever do anything like
this. I did some explicit sex scenes. I was very
self-conscious. It turns out the director
expected us to both be stark naked. We finally by the time I turned 10, something changed,
ended up wearing skin tights."
Cicely News & World Telegram
Date: October 25, 1993
Publication: Knight Ridder/Tribune News
Service (Originated from Orange County
Register)
Author: Koltnow, Barry
When most 10-year-old boys sit in a darkened
movie theater and let their imaginations run
wild, they dream of exchanging places with
the larger-than-life heroes on the screen.
They want to be Arnold or Sly or Bruce. Well,
OK, maybe not Bruce.
But Barry Corbin, who plays former astronaut
Maurice Minnifield on the hit CBS series
``Northern Exposure,'' never harbored such
grandiose dreams. While growing up in tiny
Lubbock, Texas, Corbin never dreamed of
being the hero. He liked the guy standing next
to the hero. The sidekick. The character actor
with all the good lines. The guy who never got
the girl.
``I originally wanted to be the hero, but then,
and I can't really explain it,'' said Corbin, a
veteran of more than 100 television programs
and 35 movies, including ``Urban Cowboy''
and ``WarGames.''
``I watched those `B' movie Westerns and
realized that Fuzzy Jones, Smiley Burnett and
Gabby Hayes had more fun than the heroes. I
136
wanted to be them. I wanted to be Walter
Brennan and Ben Johnson. Those guys were
my heroes.''
Corbin had other dreams when he was
younger, the kind of dreams kids from small
towns have about escaping to the big city.
``I had a map on my wall that had a circle
around Lubbock and then giant arrows
pointing toward New York City and Los
Angeles,'' the actor said. ``Written across both
arrows were the words `Toward Civilization.'
``Of course, by the time I got to New York, I
realized there really isn't any civilization.''
It took a few side trips before Corbin got to
the Big Apple.
He studied acting at Texas Tech, did a two-
year stint in the Marines and returned home
to earn his first acting paycheck in a Lubbock
community theater.
He later performed in the Colorado
Shakespeare Festival and then moved to
Chicago, where he worked at odd jobs during
the day to support an acting habit at night.
After Chicago, and before New York, he
relocated to Boone, N.C., to work as a
narrator at an outdoor theater.
``I think the chief criterion for getting the job
was my voice,'' said Corbin, whose
distinctively deep voice has become familiar
from his many commercials in recent years.
``The director walked to the back row and
screamed at me to say my lines. I screamed
my lines back at him and he hired me on the
spot.''
In 1966, he arrived in New York and was hit
smack in the face with the realization that
roles in off-Broadway plays paid $48 a week
and unemployment benefits amounted to $90
a week. In other words, it didn't pay to work
in New York theater.
Instead, Corbin used New York as a home
base and traveled the country to perform in
regional theater, dinner theater and with
touring theater companies. He did manage to
stay in town long enough to appear in one
Broadway play, but then, in 1977, Hollywood
beckoned and he moved west.
He wrote plays for National Public Radio for at a high level most of the time. I'm not "Northern Exposure," hereafter "NE," is an
two years and then won the part of Uncle Bob unhappy I signed this seven-year contract. hour-long soap/sitcom/melodrama set in the
in ``Urban Cowboy.'' When the movie came mythically remote town of Cicely, Alaska.
out in 1980, it put several actors on the map, ``Anyway, it's nice to have a regular job for a Cicely's remarkable inhabitants include
including Corbin, who hasn't stop working change,'' he added. ``That's the upside. The Maurice, the mayor, a war vet and NASA
since. downside is that there is no time to do astronaut who is an unreconstructed Reagan-
anything else. I wish I had some time to do Bush cold warrior; Ruth Ann, the wisely ironic
He has mixed feature films with television other work, but for the most part, I'm having (ironically wise?) older woman who runs the
work, including top-rated miniseries such as a good time.'' General Store, in continual conflict with
``Lonesome Dove'' and ``The Thorn Birds'' and Maurice; Ed, a young Native American who
three forgettable TV series that were canceled Corbin said he does get noticed a lot when he works for Ruth Ann - or Maurice - and who
after 13 weeks. walks down the street in Los Angeles or dreams of being a filmmaker like his hero,
Seattle, where he resides most of the year Fellini; Holling, the long-in-the-tooth owner of
Good character actors such as Corbin are while ``Northern Exposure'' is filming. Roslyn's Cafe (where everybody in Cicely
most in demand by producers shooting pilots meets), who comes from a violent family and
for prospective series. Nothing impresses But only half the people who recognize him has a shady past; Shelly, a wide-eyed young
network brass more than a well-spoken line of do so from the new series, he said. The other mix of innocence and experience who speaks
dialogue. And maybe a bikini. half is usually divided between ``Lonesome fluent Californian, would make Dostoevsky
Dove'' fans and people who have seen the TV weep, and lives with Holling; and O'Connell, a
At the time he was called by the producers of airings of ``WarGames,'' in which he played a self-possessed young woman bush pilot who
``Northern Exposure,'' Corbin had completed heroic Air Force general. is Cicely's main link with the outside world but
work on three pilots. For a time, he said he whose boyfriends have an inexplicable habit
was making a living from pilots, and that was ``Most people still don't know the name,'' he
of dying on her (one of them, in the first
fine with him. He didn't care about a series. said, ``but they definitely know the face.
season, killed by falling satellite debris). And a
young moose, that wanders through the main
``I love doing pilots, but frankly, I'm not that ``But I don't care if they know the name as
street during the opening credits of each
crazy about signing up for series work,'' he long as they appreciate the work. We actors
episode. I'll get back to the moose.
said. are nothing more than servants of the public.
The public tells us what to do and what not to
Cicely is a self-contained but odd little
``What usually happens is that the series ends do.
heterocosm - as what community is not? But
up repeating what you did in the pilot. That's
the hook, the gimmick that kicks off "NE" as a
not only boring but it's artistic suicide. You do ``I'm playing Maurice Minnifield because the
series, is that an outsider comes to town. Joel
the same character over and over again and public let it be known to the producers of
Fleishman is a nice Jewish boy from New York
the perception becomes that's all you can do. `Northern Exposure' that they approve of the
who has just gotten his M.D. and has
casting. If they didn't approve, I would have
contracted - with Maurice, of course - to
``Before long, the perception becomes the been out of there in 13 weeks.''
spend some years (two? three? as long as the
truth. That's all you can do. To prevent that,
Monday, October 25, 1993 5-05 show runs, maybe) as general practitioner in
you'd better be very careful about what
A River Doesn't Run Through It town to pay off his med school. Hip,
seven-year contracts you sign.''
77708 68 hypertense, and used to having his salmon
scaled, smoked, and on a bagel, Fleishman
The seven-year contract accompanying the Monday, November 01, 1993 5-06
chafes at the hyperborean eccentricities of his
offer on ``Northern Exposure'' was different, Birds of a Feather 77701 69
Corbin said, because the writing was so neighbors and, naturally, carries on a
superior to most pilots. Besides, what bantering-to-hostile semicourtship with the
character actor could resist playing Maurice charming O'Connell.
Date: November 5, 1993
Minnifield?
Publication: Commonweal And aha! you say. One more City Mouse
He is an acerbic, pompous, humorless piece of Author: McConnell, Frank meets Country Mouse gag machine, one of
work who owns most of the town and feels the oldest schlockmeister tricks in the
I've been trying for some time now to schlockmeister trade, from "The Andy Griffith
superior to everyone in it. He is unloved and
understand why "Northern Exposure" is my Show" to "Gomer Pyle" to "Beverly Hillbillies"
acts as if he doesn't care. He lost his bride-to-
cherished favorite of everything on the Tube to "Green Acres" to the most, nobody-will-
be to an older man (and his best friend at
these days. And, as it begins its new season, admit-they-liked-it show of all time, "Gilligan's
that) and is desperately jealous of his test-
I've decided that it's because of Shakespeare, Island."
pilot brother.
Marshall McLuhan and the blessed
``He's a fascinating character,'' Corbin said, irrepressibility of cheerfulness. And I wouldn't be at all surprised if the show
``and so far the writing has managed to stay were originally pitched that way to the
Let me elaborate. producers. It would also be the pitch (with
variations) for any of the earlier shows I have

Cicely News & World Telegram 137

mentioned, most beautifully "Gilligan's somewhere else (i.e., from the complicated Moore," etc.). It isn't the realization in the so-
Island." It would also be the pitch for world of the city and the quotidian), and are called "real world" of a return to the Garden,
Shakespeare, selling to his fellow Globe playing at being simple smalltowners, just as but it is a brilliant imagination of that return,
stockholders any of his great romances from A Joel Fleishman is playing at being a hipster which is all - all? - art, drama or novel or TV,
Midsummer Night's Dream to As You Like It to amongst yokels: the delicious difference is can really do. "NE" reminds us that we dream
The Tempest. that Maurice, et. al., know what they're doing, of Eden, and makes the dream worthwhile.
and Joel doesn't. Even Ed - the Caliban of the Cicely, like the Forest of Arden, is really
The Tempest and "Gilligan"? Think about it. tale - is a sensitive, cinematically literate guy wherever you are when you watch its tale
How did the Gilligan bunch get to that island who sees life as a series of situations from unfold.
in the first place? (And remember that the classic films, Bergman to Coppola and beyond:
Bard, as a writer, was strictly a money player: not a Noble Savage but an Innocent And can a mere TV series bear this weight of
were he alive today, do you think he'd be Sophisticate. And at the opposite end of the interpretation? I can imagine an Elizabethan
writing for the stage?) scale - the character I haven't yet told you nerd asking the same thing, in 1592, about a
about - is Chris, the deejay for the town's one piece of fluff like Much Ado. Art and saints
The great name for the kind of story we're radio station, whose voiceover commentaries have this in common, that they don't wait for
talking about is "pastoral." And what all often conclude and obliquely summarize each official canonization to do the good stuff they
pastorals have in common - since the form episode, a freelance rock-and-roll philosopher do.
was invented by the Alexandrian poet who is also an ex-con and whose quirky
Theocritus in the third century B.C. - is the humanism has all the bitter, ironic charity that Ah, yes: the moose. As the only really
myth of the Special Place - the Secret Garden, maybe only ex-cons are fully capable of. "natural" thing in the whole show, that hairy
if you will - where you can take all your and charming fellow reminds us at the
everyday cares and, by playing at a simpler, Cicely, in other words, like all great pastoral, is beginning of every installment how fictional,
more natural life, have them clarified and a myth that knows it's a myth and invites us, constructed, and human is all that follows his
healed. That place can be anywhere: the every week, to share the secret that the lies of initial stroll through town. A real moose in a
Forest of Arden, the dance floor in Astaire- our innocence are our innocence. It's a made-up town: wasn't it Mary Anne Moore
Rogers films, the bar in "Cheers," or of course consensual hallucination of the primal who defined poetry as imaginary gardens with
Cicely. It becomes the holy place, the Garden, and without the skeptical Fleishman real toads in them?
greenwood, when you believe it is, or better, it would fall apart just because Joel's
when you make believe it is. The glory of skepticism, like that of Shakespeare's fools, Monday, November 08, 1993 5-07
pastoral is that it recognizes play as a keeps reminding us that this ideal little place Rosebud 77703 70
profoundly religious act; the Special Place is can't be real: and, by the same token, must be Monday, November 15, 1993 5-08
not |just "where everybody knows your real, because we all dream it so desperately. Heal Thyself 77711 71
name" - but where, stunningly, you do, too. Monday, November 22, 1993 5-09
Just remember your eighth-grade class picnic, How metaphysical of me: sorry. It just A Cup of Joe 77712 72
and you'll be able to read The Tempest. happens to be true. "NE" is also, to be sure, a
Monday, December 13, 1993 5-10
TV show: a TV show that, on numerous
First Snow 77709 73
Of course, pastoral as high playfulness can occasions, makes reference to the fact that it
turn into mere silliness and infantilism, just as is a TV show. And that, for me, is maybe the
tragedy as high seriousness can turn into pitch of its intelligence. For, like all of the
brutality and cynicism. That's why "Gilligan" really heartbreaking pastoral places in
actually isn't The Tempest. The wonderful literature, Cicely exists only as a fiction: the
thing about "NE," though, is that from episode consensual hallucination not just of its
to episode this decline keeps not happening. inhabitants, but of its inhabitants and the
There's a certain quality about works of art - folks who watch its story unfold. Marshall
you know it when it's there, but it's hard as McLuhan, more than thirty years ago,
hell to name - whereby the work lets you suggested that TV, with its unprecedented
know that it knows what it's doing, and invites powers of instantaneous intimacy, would
you to join in the daydream. I don't mean just ultimately turn the whole world into a "global
"self-consciousness" - an overused critical village," where the sheer flux of information
term - but something more like "self-sharing." would annihilate our differences and make us
Whatever it is, it's a standard that "NE" all, finally, brothers and sisters.
consistently meets.
That itself was a pastoral myth, and a
For openers - as in Shakespeare's pastorals - it poignant one. And the years since Vietnam
turns out that all the rustics in this pastoral have only underscored its poignancy. But, in a
center aren't really rustics at all. Maurice, funny and lesser way, Cicely is the global
Ruth Ann, Holling, Shelly, O'Connell - and one village McLuhan dreamed of (as was the bar in
I haven't told you about yet - are all from "Cheers" and the newsroom in "Mary Tyler

Cicely News & World Telegram 138

Local News: Sunday, December 19, 1993 Ford, prissy newswoman Corky Sherwood-
Pacific Northwest Forrest on "Murphy Brown," wants to master
Seattle Times Staff: the motorcycle.
Seattle Times News Services
"Why not?" she said. "The fun thing would be
SEATTLE - "Northern Exposure" star Barry to zoom through canyons, but the real reason
Corbin was in satisfactory condition at it appeals to me is that it's the last thing you'd
Harborview Medical Center after he fell off his expect me to do."
horse and broke his left leg and left foot
Friday near his home in Arlington, Snohomish
County. (medieval trebuchet used to stimulate
creativity in engineering students)
Nursing supervisor Mary Pilgrim said surgery
Date: January 1, 1994
would be required.
Publication: Mechanical Engineering-CIME
Author: O'Leary, Jay
Corbin plays retired astronaut Maurice
Minnifield on the television show, which is
When confronted with an unfamiliar word,
filmed in Roslyn and Redmond. He has a home
my first line of defense is to haul out the
in Arlington.
Compact Edition of the Oxford English
Dictionary. Compact is something of a
Copyright (c) 1993 Seattle Times Company, All
misnomer in the labeling of this two-volume
Rights Reserved.
hulk. But I do appreciate the historical light it
casts on word origins and shifts in meaning.
[Note: His accident opened the door for
Moultrie Patten's character, Walt. In 5.16
According to the OED, the word trebuchet
Hello I Love You, originally Maurice was
was defined in 1611 as "an old-fashioned
supposed to go to Cantwell with Ruth-Anne.
Engine of wood, from which great, and
Since Barry was unable to film, the stroyline of
battering stones were most violently
Walt courting Ruth-Anne was written in.
throwne." One can almost hear a sigh of relief
Maurice then appears later on crutches
in that definition. Indeed, who wouldn't be
in 5.19 The Gift of the Maggie.]
relieved by the extinction of a machine that
could hurl a boulder into the fortress wall, or
the plague-ridden carcass of a horse over the
parapet, as suggested in the drawing by da
Date: December 27, 1993 Vinci. Each generation seems to pride itself on
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times making warfare appear to be more civilized--if
no less lethal--than in earlier, "barbaric"
What does 1994 have in store for three hot TV times.
stars? Faith Ford of "Murphy Brown" dreams
of a solo motorcycle ride,and two long-in-the- Although smart bombs have replaced wooden
tooth "Northern Exposure" co-stars want to siege engines in our arsenal, the trebuchet is
go bungee jumping. making a comeback of sorts, as associate
editor Leo O'Connor reports in "Building a
Actors Barry Corbin and John Cullum told TV Better Trebuchet," which begins on page 66.
Guide they can't decide who has to take the The trajectory of this story stretches back to a
plunge first. front-page article in the Wa 11 Street journal
two and a half years ago on Hew Kennedy,
"I saw news stories about some really old guy who had built a four-story-tall 30-ton
who went bungee jumping, and I figure if he trebuchet in England.
can do it, I can, too," said Corbin, who plays
retired astronaut Maurice Minnifield on Ours were not the only eyes which caught
"Northern Exposure." that story. The producers of the popular U.S.
television series "Northern Exposure" read it
Cullum portrays Minnifield's pal, Holling too. They hired Kennedy to build a trebuchet
Vincoeur. that would fling pianos through the clear
wilderness air in one episode of their series.
Cicely News & World Telegram 139
Kennedy's exploits also drew the attention of
the engineering faculty at the U.S. Military
Academy in West Point, N.Y. "We realized this
problem [of building a trebuchet] might have
considerable value as a teaching vehicle in
engineering mechanics classes, particularly at
West Point Where military history is an
indispensable part of the core curriculum,"
said Major Stephen Ressler, a professor in the
department of civil and mechanical
engineering at West Point. Thus, faculty and
students set to work on mathematical and
working models, as well as on a FORTRAN
program to analyze their work.
From a pasture in rural England to American
television screens and the classrooms of West
Point, the trebuchet obviously still sends the
minds of engineers and other enthusiasts into
creative flights. Indeed, the trebuchet is a
fitting symbol for our imagination, which is
supposed to help us break through the thick
walls of conventionality. The counterweight in
this symbolic siege engine is our knowledge
and experience, along with the
accomplishments (and failures) of those who
have come before us.
Monday, January 03, 1994 5-11
Baby Blues 77710 74
Date: January 5, 1994
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
A broken foot won't keep Barry Corbin off the
set of "Northern Exposure."
Corbin, who plays ex-astronaut Maurice
Minnifield in the CBS television series, plans
to return to work next week.
He was injured two weeks ago when a horse
fell on him and is still recovering from surgery.
With the actor's leg in a cast, Minnifield is
"going to be a little bit hampered, a little bit
physically challenged," Corbin said in an
interview Monday with KIRO-TV in Seattle.
But producers haven't been specific about
changes in his role, he said.
The series about life in the fictitious town of
Cicely, Alaska, is filmed in Roslyn, Wash.
 ‘ ’
Date: January 8, 1994
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
HOLLYWOOD A producer's $2 million suit
against MCA over the hit CBS series "Northern
Exposure" has been allowed to go forward,
with a trial date set for Jan. 24.
Last month, Superior Court Judge David A.
Workman denied the studio's motion to
dismiss the suit, filed a year ago by producer
Sandy Veith, who maintains that the show is
based on a pilot he developed while under an
overall deal at Universal from 1981-87.
ending Jan. 9. ABC won Week 16 with a 14.1
rating and a 22 share, followed by CBS at
13.4/21 and NBC with a 12.0/19. Fox had a
Date: January 23, 1994
7.5/11. ABC and CBS have each won eight
Publication: Albany Times Union
weeks of the household ratings race this
Author: Paul Geitner - Associated Press
season.
When it comes to homosexuality, the movie
TV RATINGZZZZ
industry is:
Following are the top 20 network prime-time
A. Open-minded, progressive, supportive.
shows last week, ranked according to the
percentage of the nation's 94.2 million TV
B. bigoted, unsympathetic, hostile.
households that watched, as measured by the
A.C. Nielsen Co. A share represents the C. Nervous, uptight, worried about the
percentage of actual sets-in-use tuned to a bottom line.
particular program when it aired.
D. All of the above.

The answer, of course, is

Rank Rating Share Network
D, depending on who
Television Moose Dies 1 23.1 Home Improvement 34 ABC you talk to -- actor,
Date: January 9, 1994 writer, agent, producer --
2 22.5 Seinfeld 33 NBC
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times and where that person
3 20.9 60 Minutes 32 CBS stands in the Hollywood
Morty, the moose that ambles through the 4 20.5 Roseanne 30 ABC hierarchy.
opening credits of the television program 5 20.0 Frasier 30 NBC
The dichotomy is
"Northern Exposure," died of an illness
6 19.7 Coach 29 ABC especially evident, critics
linked to a mineral deficiency. The 1,000-
say, when comparing the
pound moose, brought from Alaska as an 7 19.4 Grace Under Fire 29 ABC
money and vocal support
orphan yearling five years ago, was a
8 19.1 Murder, She Wrote 27 CBS Hollywood usually gives
subject of behavior and nutrition studies
9 18.2 Jim & Jennifer Stolpa Story 27 CBS to the gay rights cause
headed by Charles Robbins, a Washington
and the movies it
State University professor of natural 10 17.3 Homicide: Life on the Street 28 NBC
produces, which usually
resource sciences. Researchers found that a
17.3 Murphy Brown 25 CBS present stereotyped gay
cobalt and copper deficiency in the diets of
12 16.9 Wings 25 NBC
images -- when gays are
Morty and Minnie, another research
presented at all.
moose, led to their deaths, Robbins said. 13 16.7 20/20 29 ABC
The problem was discovered after Minnie's
16.7 NFL Eagles vs. 49ers 27 ABC "I think the way we live
death this month, but it was too late to
our lives is more liberal,
save Morty, who died Thursday, Robbins 15 16.0 Secret Sins of the Father 24 NBC
but we're always trying
said. One objective of the research was to
16 15.8 Full House 23 ABC to second-guess what
learn why captive moose rarely live past
17 15.4 Family Matters 25 ABC
the public wants," says
the age of 6 or 7. Moose live as long as 16
Lauren Lloyd, a gay vice
years in the wild, Robbins said. 18 15.2 Rescue 911 22 CBS president of production
19 14.9 Armed & Innocent 23 CBS at Hollywood Pictures.
Monday, January 10, 1994 5-12
What they usually end
Mr. Sandman 77706 75 20 14.7 Northern Exposure 23 CBS
up with, she says, are
14.7 Love & War 21 CBS conservative, unoriginal
‘ ’ movies with stock
14.7 Phenom 21 ABC
characters.
Date: January 12, 1994
Publication: The Washington Post In recent years, gay rights groups have
Author: John F. Maynard Monday, January 17, 1994 5-13 become more vocal in protesting movies they
Mite Makes Right 77715 76 find offensive, from the serial killers in "Basic
After CBS broke its three-week string last Instinct" and "Silence of the Lambs" to the
week, ABC reclaimed the No. 1 one spot in the evil, gay cabal in "JFK."
network primetime ratings race for the week

Cicely News & World Telegram 140

Meanwhile, they charge, stories with positive
gay and lesbian characters, such as "Fried
Green Tomatoes" and "The Man Without a
Face," get "de-sexed" when they make it to
the silver screen.
entertainment. They point to the crossover
success of such recent independent films as
"The Crying Game" and "The Wedding
Banquet," both of which won praise for
portraying gay life more honestly.
Spelling also blames worries about finding
sponsors -- and a little homophobia -- for the
decision by ABC and NBC to pass on filming
"And the Band Played On," Randy Shilts' 1987
best seller on the AIDS crisis.

Because movies are such a large part of "Hollywood always pays attention to a film The movie finally made it to television this
American culture, many activists claim that comes out of nowhere, that they know year -- on HBO -- with Spelling as executive
Hollywood homophobia contributes to anti- nothing about, and starts earning enormous producer, and ended up being one of the
gay prejudice, discrimination and even amounts of money," says "Wedding Banquet" cable network's biggest-ever ratings winners.
violence. producer James Schamus. HBO now is working with Oliver Stone to film
Shilts' new book, "Conduct Unbecoming," on
After the uproar over "Silence of the Lambs," In addition, industry people say, television has gays in the military.
(which included threats to disrupt last year's been winning plaudits and ratings with such
Academy Awards telecast), the film's Oscar- stories and characters for years. "The concept of Hollywood being a business,
winning director, Jonathan Demme, was that's true," says Lee Werbel, executive
quoted as saying he agreed with the critics on From prime-time dramas such as the director of the Los Angeles chapter of the Gay
one point: "There is a terrible void of positive groundbreaking "That Certain Summer" and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. But
gay characters in American movies." in1972, "An Early Frost" in 1985 and last the TV experience shows that including
year's "Doing Time on Maple Drive," to after- "images of gays and lesbians does not mean
Demme -- and Hollywood -- have taken a step school specials and soap operas, the networks that you don't make money."
toward filling that gap with "Philadelphia," the have shown more of a willingness to address
first big-budget, big-star Hollywood gay issues. GLAAD made it onto Entertainment Weekly's
production to tackle AIDS and homophobia list of the 100 most powerful players in
head on. The 1989 AIDS feature, "Longtime Hollywood this year. Werbel says the group
Companion," was funded mainly by PBS after has fought hard over the past five years to
Tom Hanks plays a gay attorney fired from a the studios turned it down. gain access to the studios.
prestigious firm after he develops AIDS.
Denzel Washington is the lawyer he hires to And top-rated series like "Roseanne" and "In the first year, we couldn't get our foot in
sue for discrimination. "Northern Exposure" have integrated gay the door," she says. "And now, if we need to
characters without losing their audiences. have a meeting with someone, yes, we can
"Philadelphia," currently No. 1 at the box have a meeting. It doesn't mean that they're
office, could encourage Hollywood to produce "It's not a question of being outrageous or going to do what we say, but yes."
more gay theme projects. shock value," says Barry Kroft, an openly gay
producer of both movies ("What's Love Got to GLAAD's goal, she says, is both to counter
"What will happen if it fails is that people will Do With It") and TV ("Dave's World"). "What negative and stereotypical portrayals of gays
say, 'Oh this subject matter kills a movie, they're bringing is gay life into the and lesbians, and to encourage more positive
because this is a really fine movie, with a good mainstream." images.
cast and a really good director,'" says David
Geffen, the recording and movie mogul who Such topics, however, still draw fire from the Howard Rosenman, whose producing credits
has been called Hollywood's most powerful religious right, and the networks must deal range from "Father of the Bride" to the Oscar-
openly gay player. with pressure from wary sponsors and winning AIDS documentary "Common
affiliates. Threads: Stories From the Quilt," says he
Hollywood heavyweights such as Steven believes groups such as GLAAD have had an
Spielberg or Kevin Costner probably could still TV producer Aaron Spelling remembers the impact.
get a gay-themed movie made, no matter problems he had with ABC over the gay son,
what happens to "Philadelphia," Geffen says. Steven Carrington, on "Dynasty," and says he "People in Hollywood generally are
"On the other hand, if it's a big hit, it's easier." has gotten similar flak from Fox over the gay sympathetic to more liberal issues," he says.
character on "Melrose Place." "A lot of the artists -- not the businessmen --
The question is whether heterosexual but the artists push for their agenda."
audiences are willing to go out and buy tickets But Spelling says his company is committed to
for such a story. TriStar Pictures is planning a developing such characters and eventually The tremendous impact of AIDS on the
careful marketing campaign to attract as wide gets to portray them the way he wants -- Hollywood community also has galvanized
an audience as possible. realistically -- even if it takes several seasons. many people.

Yet many insiders and industry watchers say "And if you have to give a little to get a lot, I But in the final analysis, "the movie business is
the public already has shown it is willing to think it's worth it," he says. a business," Rosenman insists. "It's not an art
accept gays and lesbians in mass-market form, nor an educational form, nor is its

Cicely News & World Telegram 141

purpose to convey political messages of 3. "Home Improvement," ABC,
groups. Its purpose is to create a product that 23.3/33.
sells and makes money."
4. "Murder, She Wrote," CBS,
Monday, January 24, 1994 5-14 21.0/30.
A Bolt From the Blue 77713 77
5. "Seinfeld," NBC, 20.1/29.
6. "Grace Under Fire," ABC, 19.2/28.
Date: January 26, 1994 7. "Incident in a Small Town," CBS
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times movie, 18.7/31.
Author: Lon Grahnke
8. "Roseanne," ABC, 18.7/27.
Seven CBS series, two of its TV movies and the
network's final National Football Conference 9. "Coach," ABC, 18.6/27.
game (for at least four years) dominated the
Top 20 slots in last week's prime-time ratings. 10. "Frasier," NBC, 18.3/27.
Joan Collins' Alexis Colby on the 1980s series
"Dynasty" stands as the textbook example.
The nighttime soap's wealthy, glamorous
queen bee bedded and wedded younger Dex
Dexter (Michael Nader).
This year, there are romantic sparks on
"Murphy Brown" between famed TV
journalist-single mom Murphy (Candice
Bergen) and stud-reporter Peter (Scott
Bakula).
But older TV men who woo young partners
can be regular Joes, with more wrinkles, less
hair and maybe a paunch. They're not even
sugar daddies, bankrolling their way to
romance with a sweet young thing.

Exhibit No. 1: The veteran relationship of the

Sunday's NFC Championship telecast provided Monday, January 31, 1994 5-15
pack, and probably the most extreme
a huge lead-in audience for "60 Minutes" and Hello, I Love You 77714 78
example, continues to bubble on CBS'
"Murder, She Wrote." Both series scored their
"Northern Exposure."
highest Nielsen numbers of the season. The
loss of NFC games to Fox through 1998 will
In the land of the midnight sun, sixtyish
make it harder for CBS to match Sunday's
Date: February 6, 1994 barkeep Holling Vincoeur (John Cullum) keeps
peak performance in the weekly popularity
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times warm snuggling with comely wife Shelly
rankings.
Author: Lynn Elber Tambo (Cynthia Geary), who is only a few
years out of her high school cheerleader gear.
The network also posted its highest Friday
LOS ANGELES This season, TV series are
ratings of the season with its new lineup of
downright infatuated with May-December Exhibit No. 2: "NYPD Blue's" Detective Andy
"Diagnosis Murder," "Burke's Law" and
romances. But it's a one-way street named Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) and his budding
"Picket Fences."
desire: The lovebirds tend to be older men romance with prosecutor Sylvia Costas
and younger women. (Sharon Lawrence). Tough cop Sipowicz, a
Other CBS series with season-high numbers
nearly 50-year-old man trying to put his
were "Northern Exposure" (competing against
Older women usually get a cold - or equally problems behind him, is the attractive,
an ABC movie instead of "Monday Night
mature - shoulder. No cradle-robbing for thirtyish lawyer's object of desire.
Football"), "Rescue 911," "48 Hours," "Hearts
them.
Afire" and the Tuesday movie (Part 2 of the
Exhibit No. 3: Tough psychiatrist Dr. Brian
miniseries "In the Best of Families").
Actor Brian Dennehy, 55, who plays a McKenzie (Dennehy), a middle-aged man
psychiatrist involved with a thirtysomething trying to put his problems behind him, frolics
After ABC won Weeks 16 and 17 of the 1993-
woman on the new ABC series "Birdland," on "Birdland" with attractive young Dr. Jesse
94 season, CBS roared back with an overall
offers a little perspective. Lane (Lindsay Frost).
15.0 prime-time rating and a 23 share for the
week ending Sunday.
"Most of the guys who put on television these Exhibit No. 4: "Seinfeld's" Elaine (Julia Louis-
days are 26," says Dennehy. "There is this Dreyfus) dates a 66-year-old. (It ends badly,
Following were ABC (12.8/20), NBC (10.2/16)
fantasy, `Yeah, when I get to 50 I'll still be sexy however. He has a stroke, she reluctantly
and Fox (7.5/11). One national ratings point
and attractive to younger women.' " nurses him back to health, he tells her he was
represents 942,000 households; share is the
only in it for the sex).
percentage of all TV sets in use.
"Yeah, right, in your dreams," the blunt-
spoken actor adds cheerily. There's more. In his long reign as a sitcom
Here are last week's most popular programs,
king, Bob Newhart has had a supportive TV
listed with network, rating and share:
When TV's older women enjoy a rare fling wife by his side. In the 1970s series "The Bob
with a younger man, the requirements are Newhart Show," he and costar Suzanne
1. "60 Minutes," CBS, 26.9 rating, 40
strict. The woman tends to be a nicely Pleshette appeared to be contemporaries.
share.
preserved beauty, often wealthy and with
power and influence to spare (and share). But in his new entry for CBS, "Bob," Newhart
2. NFC Championship (Dallas vs. San
is paired with the clearly younger actress
Francisco), CBS, 26.6/42.

Cicely News & World Telegram 142

Carlene Watkins as husband-and-wife. Love
that Bob.
And things have been cooking across series
boundaries between characters played by 47-
year-old Loni Anderson of "Nurses" and
Richard Mulligan, 61, of "Empty Nest."
Granted, such relationships seem to mirror
society. There are more older men paired
with younger women, and fewer of the
reverse.
But TV, trust its hidebound soul, is once again
behind the curve. The role of women in
society continues to change, and part of that
is the increasing number who end up with
younger mates.
In the 1980s, according to the National Center
for Health Statistics, 22 percent of the
weddings performed each year were between
older women and younger men - up from 16
percent in 1970.
Think of the celebrity role models: Elizabeth
Taylor, 61, and Larry Fortensky, 41; Linda
Evans, 50, and musician Yanni, in his late 30s;
Cher and, well, various and sundry.
Why TV's bias then? Psychiatrist Carole
Lieberman, who surveys the Hollywood scene
as a script consultant, thinks Dennehy is on
target.
"These television shows are reflecting the
fantasies and wishes of the male producer,"
said Dr. Lieberman. "Some men live it out
through real life, and others live it out in their
shows."
So does it matter if America plays voyeur to
the sexual reveries of TV creators? The doctor
thinks so.
"The impact is to reinforce the myth that it's
not only acceptable but even desirable for an
older man to be with a younger woman - and
that older women are not as desirable."
"It wouldn't be so bad if there were couples of
all different ages being with each," Lieberman
said. "The problem is showing a distaste for
(older) women."
Dennehy, for his part, is empathetic.
"Life is unfair," he says. "A 55-year-old woman
is grandma, and Cary Grant when he was 55,
Cicely News & World Telegram
or Clint Eastwood, is still a sex object for Achievement was awarded to Canyon Records
millions and millions of women. recording artist Joanne Shenandoah (Oneida
Nation).
"I think it's bull, too, but what can I tell you?"
"This has been the busiest year in memory for
Native American performers," said Bob Hicks,
chairperson of First Americans in the Arts.
Date: February 10, 1994
"The First American Awards is a much-needed
Publication: Indian Country Today (Lakota
recognition of the contributions of Native
Times)
Americans.
Author: Terry Johnson
"We feel the awards will serve as a reminder
First American Awards again picks its best.
to the entertainment industry of the well-
crafted performances and gifted artistry
LOS ANGELES -- The second annual First
Native Americans bring the world of show
American Awards have been announced by
business, in addition to acknowledging the
First Americans in the Arts, and an awards
continuing perseverance of these artists to
ceremony to honor the winners will be held
follow their dreams," Mr. Hicks said.
Feb. 12, in Culver City, Calif.
Award recipients are as follows:
The First American Awards will be presented
to the nation's finest Native American
Outstanding Achievement in Producing,
performers in film, television and the
Hanay Geiogamah (Kiowa), "Geronimo, TNT;
recording industry. Wes Studi, star of
Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a
"Geronimo, An American Legend" and "Last of
Motion Picture, Wes Studi (Cherokee),
the Mohicans" will serve as the evening's
"Geronimo, an American Legend," Columbia
host.
Pictures;
Leading the winners is Turner Network
Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a
Television's "Geronimo," which captured
Motion Picture, Karina Lombard (Lakota),
awards for best producer, actor, actress and
"Wide Sargasso Sea," Fine Line Features;
new performer, in addition to a special
Outstanding Performance in a Supporting
Humanitarian Award.
Role in a Motion Picture, Steve Reevis
(Blackfeet), "Geronimo, an American Legend,"
CBS's "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman,"
Columbia Pictures;
Twentieth Television's "Picket Fences,"
Universal's "Northern Exposure," and the
Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a
telefilm "Liar, Liar" were also winners.
Television Movie, Joseph Runningfox (Santo
"Northern Exposure" was also bestowed with
Domingo Pueblo), "Geronimo," TNT;
the prestigious Trustee Award for its
Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a
continuing excellence in the portrayal of
Television Movie, Tailihn Forest Flower
contemporary Native Americans.
(Blackfeet/Narragansett), "Geronimo," TNT;
Outstanding New Performer in a Television
On the big screen, Columbia Pictures'
Movie, Lusheia Lenaburg (Cherokee/Creek),
"Geronimo, An American Legend" was
"Geronimo," TNT;
awarded the best actor and supporting actor.
Outstanding Performance by an actor in a
Fine Line Features' "Wide Sargasso Sea"
Television Series, Larry Sellars
received the award for best actress.
(Osage/Cherokee), "Dr. Quinn, Medicine
Woman," CBS; and "Outstanding Performance
San Francisco's American Indian Film Institute
by an Actress in a Television Series, Tantoo
was presented the Will Sampson Award for
Cardinal (Cree), "Dr. Quinn, Medicine
recognition of their annual film festival, which
Woman," CBS.
has served as a showcase for Native American
talent in front of and behind the cameras.
Other awards will be awarded for:
The award for Outstanding Musical
143
Outstanding Guest Performance by an Actress San Francisco; and the Trustee Award to
in a Television Series, Kimberly Norris "Northern Exposure".
(Colville/Salish), "Northern Exposure," CBS;
Outstanding Guest Performance by an actor in First Americans in the Arts is a non-profit
a Television Series, Frank Salsedo organization dedicated to improving the Date: March 9, 1994
(Wappo/Klamath), "Picket Fences," Twentieth image of Native Americans in the Publication: Knight Ridder/Tribune News
Television/CBS; entertainment industry. Service (Originated from Colorado Springs
Gazette Telegraph)
Outstanding Performance in a Non-Traditional Monday, February 28, 1994 5-16 Author: Turnis, Jane
Role, Michelle St. John (Mohawk), "Liar, Liar," Northern Hospitality 77716 79
DENVER A travel-weary Elaine Miles strolls
CBS Movie for Television; First Americans in Monday, March 07, 1994 5-17
through Denver's Currigan Hall, wearing her
the Arts Humanitarian Award, Turner Network Una Volta in L'Inverno
trademark faint smile.
Television; Will Sampson Memorial Award, 77718 80
American Indian Film Institute, Michael Smith,
``Marilyn! Marilyn!'' a middle-age man calls as
he approaches. ``I owe you an apology for
bumping into you earlier.''

``Now you owe me two,'' Miles teases. ``It's

Elaine.''

Miles, who plays the quietly wise office

assistant Marilyn on the CBS-TV drama,
``Northern Exposure,'' isn't like other stars
who can escape recognition by letting their
hair down or forgoing makeup. In real life, she
looks just like Marilyn, short and round with a
face to match, her long, straight hair
untouched by expensive Hollywood stylists.

She sounds just like Marilyn, too, with a calm,

thin voice that rides the long notes and poetic
cadence of the American Indians of the Pacific
Northwest.

But beyond appearances, forget the

similarities.

``I am not like Marilyn at all,'' she says during

an interview at the recent Colorado Indian
Market, where she was a special guest.
``Marilyn doesn't talk; I talk all the time. She's
patient; I'm not.''

Four years ago, Miles, part Nez Perce and part

Cayuse Indian, attended events like this to
perform native dances and work on beading
and cornhusk-weaving projects. ``I used to like
to be the lookie-loo; now the lookie-loos are
looking at me,'' she says, with a big,
contagious smile. Two impossibly deep
dimples divide her round cheeks.

Back then, ``Entertainment Tonight,'' CBS

affiliates and total strangers weren't tugging
for her time _ and she never dreamed that
one day they would. ``It was all by accident,''
she says. ``I was a little couch potato; I always

Cicely News & World Telegram 144

watched all the soaps _ `All My Children,'
`General Hospital,' `One Life to Live.' ''
Then in 1990 she drove her mother from their
Seattle-area home to a ``Northern Exposure''
casting call in Bellevue, Wash., and was
spotted by a casting agent. Without any acting
experience, she won the part of Marilyn. (Her
mother, Armenia Miles, landed a recurring
role as Mrs. Anku, the medicine man's wife;
now she plays Marilyn's mother and works as
a stand-in for her daughter on the set.)
The show debuted in 1990, with Miles as a
guest star. The second year she became a
regular, as the stoic receptionist at the office
of Dr. Joel Fleischman (Rob Morrow).
Her fresh, unschooled performance was just
what ``Northern Exposure'' creators were
looking for. In fact, when they heard Miles
was considering taking acting lessons after the
first season, ``they called and threatened to
fly right up and stop me,'' she says. In return overbearing persnickety Dr. Fleischman has
for her promise to stay out of class, they gave evolved.
her a raise.
Cast buddies Morrow, Darren Burrows (who
plays Ed Chigliak), Barry Corbin (retired
astronaut Maurice) and Peg Phillips
(storekeeper Ruth Ann) helped her along at
first. ``Now they say, `You can't expect us to
Cicely News & World Telegram
help you now!' '' she laughs. ``Peg told me,
`You're not new at this anymore; you're an
actress.' '' Miles is proud to have earned the
title.
She admits her straight-faced character is a
Hollywood stereotype. ``They think all Native
Americans are like that; we're not. We all
have personalities just like anyone else.''
But Marilyn's personality has grown, along
with her presence on the show.
``She's changed,'' Miles says. ``At first, she
really didn't say much, but her presence was
there. Now she's mysterious, she knows
everything. She's very quiet but wise, a
knowledgeable person, a basketful of
surprises. She carries conversations. She even
gets to smile now _ now I get to show off my
dimples,'' she says, grinning.
Even Marilyn's relationship with the
``The first season he spent yelling at Marilyn.
Now he has a special tie to her. It's not
romantic, but a special bond.''
Miles, who gives her age only as ``30-
something,'' but quickly adds, ``my birthday is
145
April 7, and I like presents,'' is thrilled that
Marilyn's still waters will make some waves
this season.
``Unless I'm mad, I can't throw my voice very
well. But there's an episode this season where
Marilyn gets to yell, and I did it very well.''
Boyfriend Carlton Hoahwah, a real estate
student who accompanied her on her trip,
can't resist: ``You weren't acting then.''
She giggles.
Her Seattle-based agent, Tish Lopez, says
fame hasn't changed Miles. She doesn't have
a fan club, but ``she has lots of people who
follow her wherever she goes.''
Businesses are pursuing Miles' mystical
character for their commercials: She appeared
in 1994 Winter Olympics ads, on the cover of
the 1993 Macy's Christmas catalog, and Lopez
says, ``something big is on the way.'' She
won't reveal what, but it's not car ads, like co-
stars Janine Turner (Maggie) and John Corbett
(Chris) have done.
``She does a lot of public service things. She's
very involved in projects close to her _
children's aid, kids at risk. She's very
community minded, and into helping the
underpriveleged,'' Lopez says.
After ``Northern Exposure,'' Miles says she'd
like to explore more of her rebellious side.
``I'd like to do Westerns, only I want to be the
one who shoots,'' she says. ``Or robs banks or
something. You know, a real Calamity Jane
kind of character.''
And the dimples appear again.
Monday, March 14, 1994 5-18
Fish Story 77722 81
Monday, March 28, 1994 5-19
The Gift of the Maggie
77717 82
Date: March 30, 1994
Publication: The Washington Post
Author: Kathleen Day
A Bethesda company got some free publicity
from an unusual source this month when its
product was featured on the hit television
show "Northern Exposure."
Bio-Brite Inc.makes an electric visor that emits
a constant stream of light on a wearer's eyes.
It is designed to combat winter depression
caused by reduced sunlight, and the company
hopes to market it as a cure for jet lag and
possibly insomnia too.
In "Northern Exposure's" March 7 episode,
the visor was worn by a number of characters
trying to battle the blues brought on by long
winter nights in Alaska, where the show is set.
Such depression, known as seasonal affected
disorder, afflicts an estimated 25 million
Americans.
Founded in 1989, Bio-Brite is one of many
local companies created through the transfer
of technology from theNational Institutes of
Health. NIH had spent millions of dollars
researching the effect of light on emotion
when Bio-Brite bought the right to develop
the research into consumer products. It has
sold about 1,000 of the visors, which are
available directly from the company for $300
each.
Most purchasers have been referred by
doctors - though the visor's use on the TV
Cicely News & World Telegram
show generated dozens of calls from viewers
who tracked down the company through CBS.
One character, Walt, an elderly curmudgeon,
used the product reluctantly at first. But he
became so buoyed emotionally that his
friends worried the "visor high" was addictive
like alcohol or drugs.
"That was poetic license" and unlikely in real
life, said Bio-Brite Chief Executive Kirk
Renaud. In addition to winter blues, Bio-Brite
says the visor combats jet lag, and the firm is
exploring its power to help adjust people's
sleep cycles.
` show at prevailing rates." The network has
Date: April 6, 1994
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
Cicely, Alaska's, gay innkeepers, Ron and
Erick, are going to get married on the May 2
"Northern Exposure," according to a wedding
announcement in this week's TV Guide.
The report says the two men will not kiss at
the ceremony's end.
Andrew Schneider, the show's executive
producer, says CBS "has never even voiced
concern" over any story lines involving Ron
and Erick, played on the show by Doug Ballard
and Don McManus.
Monday, April 11, 1994 5-20
A Wing and a Prayer 77720 83
Date: April 28, 1994
Publication: New York Times
Author: Stuart Elliott
The Rev. Donald E. Wildmon, whose crusade
against television programming he considers
unsuitable has led some advertisers to shun
episodes of various series, is protesting an
episode of the CBS hit "Northern Exposure" in
which two male characters get married.
"It is tragic that CBS will give the homosexual
life style such warm approval," Mr. Wildmon,
the president of the American Family
Association in Tupelo, Miss., wrote in a letter
to advertisers. "It is regrettable that CBS and
the other networks have caved in to pressure
from the radical wing of the homosexual
146
movement and agreed to promote the life
style."
The episode of "Northern Exposure" in
question, scheduled to run on Monday,
features two semi regular characters on the
series, gay men who run a bed-and-breakfast
inn, being married in a ceremony performed
by Chris, the disk jockey, a heterosexual
character. The producers of the series, in
interviews they have given to promote the
episode, said the gay couple would not kiss at
the end of the wedding ceremony.
Jim Byrne, a spokesman for CBS in New York,
said, "We are 100 percent sold out on the
not had problems selling commercials in
previous episodes of the series in which the
gay characters were featured.
Mr. Wildmon is known for his attacks against
"N.Y.P.D. Blue," the adult police drama on
ABC, which has had problems in attracting
mainstream national marketers as advertisers
because of its frank language and occasional
nudity.
‘ ’
Date: April 30, 1994
Publication: Albany Times Union (Albany, NY)
Two television stations have pulled Monday's
episode of ``Northern Exposure'' because it
depicts a gay wedding.
KNOE-TV of Monroe, La., and WTVY-TV of
Dothan, Ala., were the only CBS affiliates
known to have pre-empted the quirky, hour-
long series about the eccentric residents of
Cicely, Alaska.
For the past two seasons, the show has
featured companions Erick and Ron (Don R.
McManus and Doug Ballard), who operate a
posh bed-and-breakfast. On Monday's
episode, they marry and dance together, but
do not kiss.
On Friday, KNOE released a statement from
general manager Dick French, in which he
denied that advertiser pressure or letter-
writing campaigns had prompted the pre-
emption.
``The theme had nothing to do with the
change of programming,'' French said. ``KNOE
doesn't duck any subject matter. We simply
program our station in a way in which we feel
we best serve the public.''
Instead of ``Northern Exposure,'' KNOE will air
``Success through Education: A Salute to Black
Achievement.''
``This is a program for family viewing and
more in line with KNOE's ideals,'' said French,
who was traveling Friday and not available for
further comment. ``Our effort is always to
inform, educate and entertain the public.''
At Dothan's WTVY, station executive Donald
Tomlin said he would not comment on the
decision. ``It's purely a community matter, not "NYPD Blue."
related to any pro or con interests
whatsoever,'' he said.
Date: April 30, 1994
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
HOLLYWOOD A prominent gay anti-
defamation group is up in arms because
upcoming episodes of "Melrose Place" and
"Northern Exposure" won't be sealed with a
kiss.
To the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against
Defamation/Los Angeles, the kisses are all the during its sixth CBS season.
more conspicuous because of their omission.
"The censoring of a realistic part of an
individual's life is ridiculous," GLAAD/LA
executive director Lee Werbel said in a
statement.
Fox Broadcasting Co. has opted not to air part
of a scene on the May 18 episode of
"Melrose" that includes the show's gay
character Matt (Doug Savant) kissing another
man.
Werbel also criticized producers of "Northern
Exposure" as insensitive for "stripping such an
important aspect of any person's life" from
Monday's episode.
That show's gay innkeepers, played by Doug
Ballard and Don McManus, will exchange
wedding vows in a ceremony that excludes
the traditional kiss.
An "Exposure" spokesman said the producers
never planned to include a kiss in the scene.
Cicely News & World Telegram
` "Hearts" back to Mondays for a four-week
Date: May 2, 1994
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
Author: Lon Grahnke
Monday's CBS lineup, once regarded as
television's strongest three-hour block, has
suffered cracks in its programming pillars this
season.
Ratings are going down. "Murphy Brown" and
"Northern Exposure" have lost their buzz to
new morning-after favorites "Seinfeld" and
The CBS problem starts with "Evening Shade,"
leading off Monday night from 7 to 7:30 on
WBBM-Channel 2. The Burt Reynolds sitcom
ranked 19th among 139 prime-time series
during the 1992-93 TV season. Now in its
fourth year on CBS, "Shade" dropped to 29th
among 128 weekly series in the Nielsen Media
Research ratings. The average weekly
audience for Reynolds and his rural Arkansas
characters dropped by 1.2 million viewers.
"Murphy Brown" (8 to 8:30 p.m.) fell from
fourth place last season to 11th this year.
Candice Bergen's sitcom saw its average
weekly audience drop by 1.4 million viewers
"Northern Exposure" (9 to 10 p.m.) slipped
from 11th during its fourth season to 16th this
year, but the ensemble drama retained more
than 98 percent of its average weekly
audience from '92-93.
"Murphy Brown" and "Northern Exposure"
are virtually certain to be renewed for 1994-
95 when CBS announces its new fall schedule
later this month. But Peter Tortorici, the new
president of CBS Entertainment and the
network's chief programmer, is likely to
remove "Evening Shade" from its 7 p.m. slot
as he tries to fortify the Monday lineup.
"Shade" could be canceled or moved to
another night.
Leaving Monday has been the kiss of death for
CBS sitcoms. The network canceled "Major
Dad" and "Designing Women" within a year
after bumping them to Fridays. "Hearts Afire"
sputtered this season after CBS moved the
revamped John Ritter/Markie Post sitcom to
147
Wednesdays. When the network transplanted
test this spring, the series returned to the Top
10.
Now "Hearts Afire" will compete with Harry
Anderson's first-year sitcom "Dave's World"
and the second-year comedy "Love & War"
for a spot in the Monday lineup. Airing at 7:30
p.m. Mondays last season, "Hearts Afire"
ranked 20th. It fell to 78th on Wednesdays
this year. "Dave's World" replaced "Hearts"
this season and also finished 20th, but with a
slightly lower rating. "Love & War" placed
15th in both of its seasons at 8:30 Monday.
Tortorici probably will slot his best new '94-95
sitcom at 7:30 or 8:30 Monday, assuring at
least two changes in his "Murphy" night
lineup.
Tonight on Channel 2, "Evening Shade" is
conspicuously absent for the first Monday of
the spring sweeps. "Dave's World" is airing at
7, with the short-run "704 Hauser" sitcom
airing in "Dave's" slot at 7:30.
"Murphy Brown," "Love & War" and
"Northern Exposure" will present high-profile
sweeps episodes tonight. Scott Bakula returns
as Peter Hunt, hoping to get even closer with
Murphy as they spend a night together. On
"Love & War," Blue Shamrock chef Dana
Palladino (Annie Potts) finally agrees to a date
with garbageman Ray Litvak (Joel Murray).
And "Northern Exposure" features the
wedding of Ron (Doug Ballard) and Erick (Don
McManus).
CBS still has the best Monday programs.
During the May sweeps, ABC, NBC and Fox
have no Monday series to match the quality
of "Northern Exposure," "Murphy Brown" and
"Love & War." But if ABC finds a hit or two to
air before "Monday Night Football" in the fall,
and NBC continues to improve its Monday
movies, "Murphy" and company will be in for
a tough fight next season.
Monday, May 02, 1994 5-21
I Feel the Earth Move
77721 84
Monday, May 09, 1994 5-22
Grand Prix 77723 85
Monday, May 16, 1994 5-23
Blood Ties 77725 86
Monday, May 23, 1994 5-24
Lovers and Madmen 77724 87

‘ ’
Date: July 3, 1994
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
Author: Bill Zwecker
"Northern Exposure" stars Rob Morrow and
John Corbett aren't hesitant about spending
their big-bucks salaries from the hit CBS
series.
Morrow recently invested in Josie's, a New
York eatery run by pal Louis Lanza. "When we
were kids," says Morrow, "Louis used to sell
illegal fireworks the week before the Fourth
of July. He'd make $2,000 - which to us kids
was like $200,000 or $2 million. That's what
convinced me he knew about money."
And Corbett is one kind of Elvis fan. People
magazine reports he plunked down $68,500
for Presley's birth certificate and $41,400 for
"the King's" American Express card at an
auction of Elvis artifacts. Think this guy makes
too much money?
Cicely News & World Telegram
`
Date: July 25, 1994
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
Author: Bill Zwecker
Diego Serrano, who plays heartthrob Tomas
Rivera on the NBC-TV soap "Another World,"
is being considered for the title role in the
"Zorro" movie being produced by Steven
Spielberg's company.
The 21-year-old, Ecuadorian-born actor has
also been offered several recording deals.
Serrano is so busy he even turned down a
one-day shoot for the hottest TV show
around: "NYPD Blue." Rob Morrow may be
cutting back on his own exposure on
"Northern Exposure." Though his
spokeswoman denies it, rumor has it Morrow
will appear in only 13 of the 22 shows this
coming season as he gears up for an
expanded film career. Word has it he's boffo
in "Quiz Show," the Robert Redford-directed
flick due out this fall. "SHE TV", dubbed a
"feminist Saturday Night Live," debuts in mid-
August on ABC-TV. Among the first-night
148
guests are "SNL" alum Al Franken, George
Hamilton and Wilt Chamberlain, who'll satirize
his own claim of having slept with 20,000
women. B.Z.
Date: August 10, 1994
Publication: The Washington Post
Author: John F. Maynard
Boosted by premiere episodes of "One West
Waikiki" and "Hotel Malibu" amid a week of
repeats, CBS won the network primetime
ratings race for the week ending Aug. 7. It
averaged a 9.7 rating and an 18 percent share
of the audience.
ABC was second for the week with an 8.8/16,
followed by NBC with a 7.9/15. Fox had a
5.5/10.
Thursday night's two-hour debut of "One
West Waikiki" ranked 14th, and the premiere
of "Hotel Malibu," which followed, placed
21st out of 97 programs. Both late-summer
series will end their runs before the fall
season begins Sept. 19.
Newsmagazines made up most of the first-run
programming for the week, including ABC's
"PrimeTime Live," which finished 38th, NBC's
"Now With Tom Brokaw & Katie Couric,"
placing 45th, and CBS's "America Tonight,"
which tied for 86th.
Other first-run programs included the
network debut of "Ernest Goes to Jail" on
NBC, which tied for 31st; Fox's "Models Inc.,"
tied for 56th; NBC's "TV Nation," tied for 61st;
CBS's "Muddling Through," tied for 72nd;
Saturday night baseball on ABC at 76th; Fox's
"America's Most Wanted," tied for 77th; Fox's
"Cops" and NBC's "Best Sellers," tied for 80th;
NBC's "Made in the USA" and Fox's "X-Men,"
tied for 82nd; and Fox's "Mighty Morphin
Power Rangers," 84th.
A repeat of ABC's "Coach," airing in its new
timeslot on Monday, tied for 47th, one week
after finishing seventh in its former Tuesday
night slot.
TV RATINGZZZZ
Following are the top 20 network prime-time
shows last week, ranked according to the
percentage of the nation's 94.2 million TV
 households that watched, as measured by the 88 shows with a 9.8/18. The debut of the NFL
A.C. Nielsen Co. A share represents the on Fox Friday night, featuring an exhibition
Date: August 20, 1994
percentage of actual sets-in-use tuned to a game between the Denver Broncos and the
Publication: The Boston Globe
particular program when it aired. San Francisco 49ers, tied for 66th with a
Author: Matthew Gilbert, Globe Staff
6.5/13.
This summer, Keanu Reeves arrived on the
The honeymoon is over for midsummer
Rank Rating Share Network
Hollywood fast track when "Speed" became
replacement shows "One West Waikiki" and
box-office gold. This winter, the 29-year-old
1 15.0 Grace Under Fire 26 ABC "Hotel Malibu" on CBS. Last week "Waikiki"
Toronto-born actor will get serious and
placed 14th and "Hotel Malibu" finished 21st.
2 14.7 Frasier 25 NBC attempt the lead role in a stage production of
This week the series placed 42nd and 49th,
"Hamlet" at a Winnipeg regional theater.
3 14.0 Home Improvement 25 ABC respectively.
Since Reeves signed on, reports the Manitoba
4 13.9 Seinfeld 24 NBC Theatre Centre, devoted fans from as far
The baseball strike proved to be a ratings
5 13.3 Roseanne 23 ABC away as Argentina and Australia have called
fiasco for ABC, which was forced to preempt
for tickets.
6 12.7 20/20 25 ABC its Saturday night baseball schedule. A repeat
of the 1991 movie "Earth Angel" finished 80th
7 12.6 Jane's House 22 CBS Drummer casts off Pearls before time
and viewers answered a resounding "Who
8 12.5 60 Minutes 27 CBS cares!" to the documentary "What Really Drummer Dave Abbruzzese has left Pearl Jam,
9 11.9 Dateline NBC (Thurs.) 21 NBC
Happened to Adolf Hitler?," which tied for sources close to the band report. This poorly
78th. timed departure could jeopardize Pearl Jam's
10 11.8 Murder, She Wrote 22 CBS
expected appearance at the Sept. 18 Farm Aid
11 11.5 Ellen 19 ABC And "Queen Latifah & Friends" on Fox
concert in New Orleans with Neil Young,
finished 86th.
12 11.4 Dateline NBC (Tues.) 20 NBC Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp, as well as
any touring connected to their new album,
11.4 Murphy Brown 20 CBS
tentatively due out Oct. 1.
14 11.1 One West Waikiki 20 CBS
`Northern Exposure'
15 11.0 Full House 21 ABC
actor frozen out of
16 10.7 Wings 20 NBC Rank Rating Share Network
show
17 10.6 Northern Exposure 19 CBS 1 17.4 Home Improvement 30 ABC
Dr. Joel Fleischman will
18 10.5 Love & War 18 CBS 2 16.2 Grace Under Fire 27 ABC
no longer reside in
19 10.4 Sister, Sister 19 ABC 3 16.1 Seinfeld 27 NBC Cicely, Alaska. Sources
4 15.8 Frasier 26 NBC told the New York Post
10.4 River of Rage 18 CBS
that actor Rob Morrow
5 14.0 60 Minutes 30 CBS
is being written out of
. 14.0 Roseanne 24 ABC the TV series
"Northern Exposure,"
7 13.2 Murder, She Wrote 24 CBS
about to enter its fifth
Date: August 17, 1994 8 12.5 Ellen 21 ABC season. Two years ago,
Publication: The Washington Post
9 11.8 20/20 22 ABC Morrow refused to
Author: John F. Maynard
report to the set until
11.8 Wings 21 NBC
the producers hiked up
In a week chock-full of repeats, ABC won the
11 11.6 Ghostbusters II 20 ABC his price per episode.
primetime ratings race with a 9.5 rating and
12 11.4 I Can Make You Love Me 19 CBS "The producers have
an 18 share. CBS was second with a 9.2/17,
bitter memories of
followed by NBC with an 8.6/16 and Fox with 11.4 Murphy Brown 19 CBS
Rob's holdout," a
a 5.9/11 for the week ending Aug. 14.
14 11.1 Dateline NBC (Thurs.) 20 NBC source told the Post.
"You could say they are
Sixteen of the top 20 programs were repeats. 15 10.9 The Secret 19 CBS
The four exceptions were ABC's "Ellen," finally getting their
16 10.8 Love & War 18 CBS revenge." Once the
"20/20" and "Turning Point" and NBC's
Thursday edition of "Dateline NBC." 17 10.7 Mad About You 21 NBC focus of the show,
Morrow's role has
18 10.6 Turning Point 19 ABC
ABC's Monday night telecast of the preseason been increasingly
football game between the Washington 19 10.3 Hangin' With Mr. Cooper 19 ABC downsized. Maybe
Redskins and Buffalo Bills finished 28th out of Morrow and "NYPD
10.3 Northern Exposure 18 CBS

Cicely News & World Telegram 149

Blue's" departing actor David Caruso should
make a movie together.
Date: August 22, 1994
Publication: The Boston Globe
Author: Susan Bickelhaupt, Globe Staff
David Caruso, who's leaving the TV police
drama "NYPD Blue," is losing no time making
the switch to movies. He reportedly has
signed a $2 million deal to star in the movie
"Jade." Caruso will begin working on the film
after finishing a four-episode run as co-star of
ABC's police drama, according to yesterday's
New York Daily News. Not venturing far from
the police front, Causo will play a San
Francisco district attorney who investigates
the murder of a prominent socialite. But he's
the former lover of the suspect, a psychiatrist.
Morrow exposes report
"Northern Exposure" actor Rob Morrow is
pooh-poohing published reports that his Dr.
Joel Fleischman character was being written
out of the coming season of "Northern
Exposure" as retribution for his demanding a
raise two seasons ago. "Don't believe
everything you hear," Morrow said in a
statement issued by a spokeswoman. "If I
believed everything I heard, I couldn't get out
of bed in the morning." Universal, which
produces the series, said that Morrow
continues "under contract."
` Morrow's departure will come later. Like
Date: August 23, 1994
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
Rob Morrow, who got into a nasty salary
dispute with producers at "Northern
Exposure" two years ago, will be written out
of the CBS drama this year.
His contract ends in July, but Morrow and
producers want him out earlier. There's talk
he could leave as early as the seventh episode
of the new season.
Morrow, who plays a New York physician
dispatched to a rural Alaskan town, made few
friends during his last contract dispute.
Producers MCA Universal sued him but later
dropped it after both sides reached an
agreement.
Cicely News & World Telegram
Monday, September 19, 1994 6-01
Dinner at Seven-Thirty
77805 88
‘ ’
Date: September 19, 1994
Publication: Albany Times Union
Author: Dusty Saunders Scripps Howard
``Northern Exposure'' kicks off its sixth year
tonight with a storyline dealing with Joel
Fleischman (Rob Morrow) unknowingly taking
an ancient Indian herb that sends him on a
journey that shows him what his life might
have been like in New York if he'd never gone
to Cicely.
Joel's ``experience'' as a New York doctor
includes many of his friends from Cicely. Joel
is trying to convince his chief of staff (Ruth-
Anne) to make him a partner, while his lawyer
wife (Shelly) is hosting a party to make a good
impression. Meanwhile, their governess
(Maggie) looks after their two children. Also
on hand are Chris, a famous photographer
who is incapable of expressing himself;
Holling, a well-known singer with acute
agoraphobia; Ed, a cold corporate raider; and
Maurice as Joel's struggling doorman.
Such a storyline might have been a good time
to write Morrow, who's leaving the series, out
of ``Northern Exposure.'' Writers could have
kept him on his ``trip'' forever.
David Caruso of ``NYPD Blue,'' he'll pursue a
movie career, now that he's seemingly found
success in Robert Redford's upcoming film
``Quiz Show.''
Morrow didn't win a lot of friends on the
series two years ago when he got involved in
a nasty salary dispute with producers. He'll be
replaced by another ``doctor.''
Date: September 19, 1994
Publication: The Boston Globe
Author: Susan Bickelaupt, Staff
Another star says goodbye to TV. Rob Morrow
will definitely leave "Northern Exposure" in
the middle of this season, TV Guide reports.
Producers of the Emmy-winning CBS show
have denied reports of Morrow's departure,
150
but the magazine said this week that
according to a source close to the show,
Universal will let him out of the rest of his
contract without a fight. Morrow plays Dr.
Joel Fleischman and co-stars in the new movie
"Quiz Show." He apparently wants to pursue
more film work. David Caruso, the star of
"NYPD Blue," also is leaving TV this season to
pursue film work.
Date: September 22, 1994
Publication: Albany Times Union
Author: Ray Mark Rinaldi Staff writer
It's Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish
calendar, and Rob Morrow the guy who
regularly makes Judaism an issue on prime-
time television is working away like this is any
old Thursday. A full day of interviews are on
the schedule and, holiday or not, it'll be one
push with the press after another.
That's how it is for Morrow these days. He's
got a film to promote, a film that could be a
career maker, and he's leaving little to chance.
If this product hits, he can waltz away from his
regular gig on television and be a real movie
star.
This is something Rob Morrow wants very
badly.
``I'd like to spend my life making movies. I like
everything about them,'' said Morrow.
``Movies, for me, were what literature was for
a lot of people. I dropped out of school. I
didn't pass a test. Movies gave me a sense of
the larger world and the conceit to imagine,
`What if?' ''
It's not that television is so bad, he is careful
to stress. His five years on TV's ``Northern
Exposure'' did, after all, make him rich and
famous. It's just that series acting isn't a
whole lot of fun.
``I knew early on I'd never be happy sitting in
one place doing the same thing all day long,''
said Morrow, 31. ``A series, ultimately, has an
amorphous quality to it; you're just trying to
come up with something to do. It's
frustrating.''
Morrow, known best to the masses for his
Emmy-nominated Dr. Joel Fleischman
character, seems to have a decent chance of
getting his way. The film ``Quiz Show'' looks
like a winner, and Morrow, along with co-
stars John Turturro and Ralph Fiennes, is
getting raves.
The film revisits the story of television's great
game show scandal, in which producers of the
question-and-answer program ``21'' were
caught leaking answers to certain contestants
before the program aired.
As the movie plays it, this was a monumental
event. The quiz shows were amazingly
popular. They made regular folks an actual
part of a growing phenomenon, and the
masses tuned in to watch their own kind win
the big money. The scandal was a turning
point in postwar history, a time when
innocence was lost.
Turturro plays Herbie Stempel, the working-
class guy who is made a star and then forced
off the program by the producers. Fiennes is
Charles Van Doren, the mannered society
genius who, with the same insider help,
succeeds him.
Morrow is cast as Richard Goodwin, a low-
level federal investigator who smells trouble
and knows this is the type of case that could
make his career.
This is no simple cops-and-criminals film. The
story never really focuses on heroics; instead,
it centers on how the scandal changes each
character. It's the kind of part actor’s love.
``Quiz Show'' is actually loosely based on the
real Goodwin's book ``Remembering America:
A Voice from the Sixties.'' Morrow spent time
with the author, getting his version of what
actually happened and working on some of
Goodwin's mannerisms and speech. He
viewed Goodwin's home movies, which
captured the former investigator back when
he was a young college graduate working in
Washington.
The research gave him a sense of what the
man he transformed into a movie character
was really like.
``Yes, he was motivated by ambition, but he
has a clear sense of right and wrong and
patriotism,'' said Morrow, who adds, ``But he
was not a saint.''
Morrow sensed the richness of the part from
the start. A deadly serious actor with a
Cicely News & World Telegram
background that
spans from Broadway
theater to
commercials, Morrow
saw it as the big
screen role he was
waiting for. He
lobbied to win it, did
screen tests and went
through several call-
back meetings.
The part was worth it,
he says now. So was
the opportunity to
work with Academy
Award-winning
director Robert
Redford, whose
expertise has been
proven through such
acclaimed films as ``Ordinary People'' and ``A
River Runs Through It.'' Best of all, Redford is Monday, September 26, 1994 6-02
an actor and and in a business where few Eye of the Beholder 77801 89
people are known as nice guys he has a
reputation for taking care of his own on the
set.
Date: September 27, 1994
``He would stop by our trailer, come in and Publication: The Washington Post
hang out. He's a sensitive guy,'' said Morrow. Author: John Carmody
``An actor can get lost in the shuffle, and he
knows that.'' The concept for "Northern Exposure" was
lifted from a screenwriter, a Los Angeles jury
That kind of coaching is important to Morrow. agreed yesterday, awarding Sandy Veith $7.3
Nothing, he insists, comes easy for him. million in damages ...
Getting through each scene is trying.
The jury found that MCA Inc. and its Universal
``The work itself is hard for me. Paul Scofield City Studios unfairly helped develop Veith's
(who plays poet Mark Van Doren) skated 1981 script "Coletta" into what eventually
through the movie like a Zen master,'' said became the CBS hit drama series "Northern
Morrow. ``For me it's hard, but I enjoy it.'' Exposure," which debuted in July 1990 ...
Morrow said that on one occasion Redford Veith's lawyers contended that the story line
reset a whole shot because the actor was of their client's screenplay, written while
unhappy with the work he did the day before Veith was under contract at Universal, was
and wanted to try again. "virtually identical" to the story line of
"Northern Exposure" ...
Morrow may not have to be so patient
himself when it comes to his own career. The jury was convinced that Universal
News reports this week have him leaving executives familiar with the concept conveyed
``Northern Exposure'' in the middle of the its ideas to Joshua Brand and John Falsey
current television season so he can pursue his around 1988 while the Emmy Award-winning
big screen ambitions. With his performance in writing pair were under contract at Universal,
``Quiz Show'' a sure bet for attention, TV's Dr. an attorney for Veith said, according to the
Fleischman may finally be getting his wish Associated Press ...
escaping alaska for something much, much
better. But Louis Petrich, an attorney for MCA and
Universal, said Brand and Falsey developed
151

"Northern Exposure" independently, and
based it in part on experiences of a friend of
theirs ...
He said the similarities between the stories
were "sheer coincidence."
An appeal is being considered ...
Date: September 28, 1994
Publication: PR Newswire
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., Sept. 28
/PRNewswire/ -- Versatile actor and comedian the character development and is scheduled
Paul Provenza has signed on to play the role
of Dr. Phillip Cooper on "Northern Exposure," appearance as a series regular will be in the
announced today by series executive
producers, David Chase, Andrew Schneider
and Diane Frolov. Provenza will join the long-
running series as Cicely, Alaska's new health The new character will feature Provenza as
care professional in the episode, "Sons of the Dr. Phillip Cooper who relocates from Los
Tundra," set to film in October and scheduled Angeles with his journalist wife Michelle, yet
to air on Nov. 21 on CBS.
Cicely News & World Telegram
Rob Morrow will depart the series this
January on good terms to pursue other
projects. Chase, Schneider and Frolov explain, and newcomer Provenza.
"We felt that Rob's desire to move on with his
career presented us with an exciting
opportunity to change the dynamics on the
show after 100 episodes. Fortunately, we
were also able to use his departure to write
some wonderful shows before his final
episode."
The show at inception focused on the cultural
adjustment of Dr. Joel Fleischman, played by
Morrow, an inveterate New York doctor who
had a struggle relating to the inhabitants of a
small Alaskan town. Ironically enough, in an
upcoming episode entitled "Up River," Joel
truly finds himself. While this episode will not
be Morrow's last, it is a defining moment in
to air Nov. 14. At this time, his last scheduled
episode entitled "Horns," which is set to air on
Jan. 9 and will be the series' 100th episode.
to be cast, to find paradise and a life that is
152
lived. Phil Cooper is an energetic, tightly
wound man in his late thirties seeking an
adventure and most assuredly gets one.
Classically trained at the renowned Royal
Academy of Dramatic Arts, Provenza brings to
the role a decade of experience in both
acclaimed comedic and dramatic works. His
vast range has landed him roles as the writer,
producer and star of Comedy Central's
innovative comedy/talk show, "Comics Only,"
and starring with Keanu Reeves and Andy
Griffith in the highly acclaimed CBS movie-of-
the-week, "Under the Influence." As a stand-
up comedian, Provenza has graced stages in
virtually every major comedy venue in North
America.
Since its summer debut on CBS in July of 1990,
"Northern Exposure" has garnered 39 Emmy
Award nominations, receiving the award for
Outstanding Drama Series in the 1991-92
season. With its fourth consecutive
nomination for Outstanding Drama Series this
year, "Northern Exposure" is bestowed with
the honor of having been nominated in this
category in every eligible year. Created by
Joshua Brand and John Falsey, series stars
include Morrow, Janine Turner, Barry Corbin,
Darren E. Burrows, John Cullum, Cynthia
Geary, John Corbett, Elaine Miles, Peg Phillips
Date: September 29, 1994
Publication: The Washington Post
Author: John Carmody
CBS Entertainment confirms that actor-
comedian Paul Provenza will join "Northern
Exposure" as Cicely's new "health care
professional" as of the Nov. 21 episode of the
Monday night series ...
Provenza will play Dr. Phillip Cooper. Dr. Joel
Fleischman (Rob Morrow), whose failure to
grow up has been getting on our nerves for
some time now, won't leave the show until
January. But the producers, apparently
anticipating Captain Airwaves's criticism,
promised yesterday that scheduled for the
Nov. 14 episode is a "defining moment in the
character development" of Dr. Joel, in which,
they say, he "truly finds himself" ...
The producers said they "were able to use his
departure to write some wonderful shows
 knows about Maggie the bush pilot who
Airwaves thinks "is a real babe" ...

Provenza starred with Keanu Reeves and Andy

Griffith in the CBS movie "Under the
Influence" and was the writer, producer and
star of Comedy Central's talk show "Comics
Only" ...

Date: October 3, 1994

Publication: Broadcasting & Cable
Author: Coe, Steve

before his final episode." David Chase, While Dr. Joel hailed from New York, Dr. Phil
Andrew Schneider and Diane Frolov, the comes from Los Angeles with his journalist
Monday, October 03, 1994 6-03
series's executive producers, all agree that wife (oh-oh!) Michelle "to find paradise and a Shofar, So Good 77804 90
Morrow is "leaving on good terms" to pursue life that is lived."
Monday, October 10, 1994 6-04
other projects and that "Rob's desire to move
The Letter 77803 91
on with his career presented us with an Phil's described as "an energetic, tightly-
opportunity to change the dynamics on the wound man in his late-thirties seeking an Monday, October 17, 1994 6-05
show after 100 episodes" ... adventure." We don't like him already. And The Robe 77802 92
Airwaves says he wonders if Ms. Cooper

Cicely News & World Telegram 153

 "(Chris Stevens {the deejay on the show}
speaking to Holling and Shelly):

"Marriage ... it's a hard term to define. Still,

there's no denying the fact that marriage
ranks right up there with birth and death as
one of the three biggies in the human safari.
It's the only one though that we'll celebrate
with a conscious awareness. Very few of you
remember your arrival and even fewer will
attend your own funeral.

"When you pick a society, any society - Zuni,

Ndembo, Pennsylvania Dutch - what's the one
thing that they all have in common? Marriage.

"It's like a cultural handrail. It links folks to the

past and guides them to the future. That's not
all, though. Marriage is the union of disparate
elements, male and female, yin and yang,
proton and electron. What are we talking
about here? Nothing less than the very
tension that binds the universe. You see,
when we look at marriage, we're looking at
creation itself.

"I am the sky, says the Hindu bridegroom to

the bride, you are the Earth. We are the Sky
and Earth united."

Ken goes on to describe the magic of the

ceremony in tones that could have come from
the writers of the show itself. He closes:

"Thanks to all those who have wished us well,

and to all the people with whom we have
shared a love for a little town on the cusp of
the Alaskan Riviera."

Monday, October 31, 1994 6-06

Zarya 77719 93
Monday, November 07, 1994 6-07
ceremony from the marriage of Holling and Full Upright Position 77806 94
‘ ’
Shelly - the two characters on the show who
Date: October 20, 1994
run the pub.
Publication: The Washington Post
Here's a portion of the Oct. 5 posting to fellow
Perturbations, pleasures and predicaments on
"Mooseketeers":
the information superhighway:
"The mayor, who had never watched Date: November 10, 1994
Teri Murphy of Arlington flagged a delightful
`Northern Exposure' (can you imagine!), was Publication: PR Newswire
CompuServe forum dedicated to the TV show
nonetheless a real trouper when it came to
"Northern Exposure." So impassioned are the
adding the following passage from Holling and
show's followers that when Ken Holuta and
Shelly's wedding to the traditional wedding
Lori Jensen married in a small Michigan town LOS ANGELES, Nov. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- "E!
vows. Since we hadn't told anyone we had
last month (they met online two years ago), News Daily," anchored by Steve Kmetko and
added this to the ceremony, it came as quite a
they not only posted an account of the event, Bianca Ferrare, (airing Monday through
surprise.
they incorporated language into their Thursday at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT), offers the most

Cicely News & World Telegram 154

in-depth coverage of timely topics and
provides up-to-the-minute accounts of
breaking news, industry trends, controversies
and personalities in entertainment. The
special reports for this week include:
Monday, Nov. 14
"Bob Seger Profile"
"E! News Daily" talks with Bob Seger about his
new album that features the legendary
rocker's greatest hits as well as some new
tunes. Seger also talks about how his music
has influenced the sounds of today.
Tuesday, Nov. 15
"Rob Morrow Profile"
"E! News Daily" interviews the former star of
the popular television series, "Northern
Exposure," Rob Morrow. Morrow talks about
his book, his upcoming projects and how he
feels about his departure from the show.
Date: November 11, 1994
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
Author: James Endrst
NEW YORK Rob Morrow is in the middle of his
great leap.
And he's smiling that familiar, self-satisfied
smile of his - all crinkles around the eyes.
And why not? After four years on CBS'
"Northern Exposure" as the ever-irritable Joel
Fleischman - the New York physician who
found himself indentured to a tiny town in
Alaska called Cicely - Morrow is preparing for
his happy escape, a farewell episode for the
character scheduled for February.
"It's beautiful," Morrow says during an
interview at the hotel where he's promoting
his book of behind-the-scenes snapshots
called "Northern Exposures" (Hyperion, $9.95,
paperback).
"I can't think of another instance in television
where they've done it so beautifully," he says.
"Usually, if a character is going to go, either
he doesn't show up at the beginning of the
season, or they kill him off - something
abrupt. But because we've had enough time
Cicely News & World Telegram
to plan it, they're doing what I call `the
greening of Joel.' He kind of goes up river a la
Joseph Conrad's `Heart of Darkness' and goes
native for a period of five or six episodes."
What's most satisfying, he says, is a sense of
evolution. "It would have been so
disappointing to me to have him get on a
plane and go back to New York," he says.
Morrow, of course, is in the midst of his own
professional evolution. Having received rave
reviews for his starring role as Richard
Goodwin in the critically acclaimed "Quiz
Show," he's making feature films his full-time
job.
He admits to some healthy fears about
leaving television, even though making
movies always has been his dream.
Though Morrow doesn't apologize for his
well-publicized squabbles with the producers
of "Northern Exposure" - sometimes over
money, sometimes over creative choices - he
steps away, he says, "with sadness."
And indeed, his affection for the show and
his fellow cast members is evident in the
family photo-album motif that holds his book
together.
For years, the New York-born actor has spent
time in between acting jobs taking
photographs - a hobby he picked up from his
father.
"I think I picked it up, consciously anyway,
because there's so much downtime as an
actor," he says. "And the idea of having
something that I could do without having to
get anyone's permission, approval or "I think it was preparing me to learn how to
finances was just something I wanted to frame a world," says Morrow. He also wrote,
explore aesthetically." produced and directed a short film called "The
Silent Alarm," which had its premiere last
Morrow says he used to give the photos he spring at the Seattle Film Festival. (Morrow
took of his colleagues as gifts. lives in Seattle, not far from Roslyn, Wash.,
where "Northern Exposure" is filmed.)
"The thing about `Northern Exposure' was
that I'd been here for 4 1/2 years, and so the If he were to take a photograph of his life
book was thicker than anything I'd ever had, right now, a psychological self-portrait, "it
and I thought people who watched the show would be a blur," he laughs. "It would be
would like it. It's basically just a utterly soft focus and look like I had Tourette
commercialized version of my own personal syndrome."
moments."
But Morrow would be smiling, even through
But there was something else going on. the separation pains.
155
"The reason I'm leaving is because I feel I have
nothing else to offer," he explains. "I'll have
done 100 shows when I finish, and the joy of
acting for me is playing different characters
and creating different characters. I feel that
the only reason I'm hanging around is to make
a lot of money - not that I don't want to make
a lot of money - but if that becomes my
priority, I think the creative edge that I need
will disappear, and I'll lose what I cherish,
which is the work."
So Dr. Fleischman will leave. But before that
happens, Dr. Phillip Capra (Paul Provenza) will
move in (on Nov. 28).
Capra will be an older, married (to actress Teri
Polo) and more upbeat character than
Fleischman - which executive producers David
Chase, Andrew Schneider and Diane Frolov
say will give the show a shot in the arm.
"We wanted a very optimistic character," says
Frolov by telephone, "a character that would
bring that kind of energy to the show."
Had Morrow been happy to stay, however,
the producers say they would have been
happy to have him. Though Schneider admits,
"There were some stressful times last year
because Rob was not happy and wanted to
move on."
"It's scary," says Morrow, who is working on
his next movie deal. "It's frightening because
it's a comfortable situation. But I've got to
take that risk."
‘ ’
Date: November 14, 1994
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
Author: Lon Grahnke
Tonight's (STAR) (STAR) (STAR) 1/2 episode of Exposure" slot (9 p.m. Mondays) in December. Such contentment makes for a snug fit with
"Northern Exposure" begins the story line that
will ease Rob Morrow and his character, Dr.
Joel Fleischman, off the CBS series.
Morrow, currently starring in Robert
Redford's film "Quiz Show," is leaving the
whimsical weekly drama to pursue movie
roles.
Last week, Fleischman proposed to pilot
Maggie O'Connell (Janine Turner). In tonight's Hope." During a July press conference, Kelley stomp on it.
"Up River" program (9 to 10, Channel 2), Joel
has fled Cicely and his medical practice to live
Cicely News & World Telegram
with Native Americans in a remote Alaskan producers: one guest appearance by Arkin in
village. exchange for the "Northern" slot.
The self-exiled doctor tells Ed Chigliak (Darren In other predicted moves: "Under Suspicion,"
E. Burrows) why he left O'Connell. Maggie and a new police drama, would shift from 8 p.m.
Joel clashed over shotgun safety and Fridays to 8 p.m. Thursdays. Gene Barry's
bathroom etiquette when they tried living revival of "Burke's Law" would return at 8
together. p.m. Fridays. The Hollywood Reporter's
sources did not say when "Northern
"You exhaust me," Maggie tells Joel in a Exposure" would air. But one scenario has CBS
flashback. "There's just too much of you, and canceling Connie Chung's "Eye to Eye" news
it's always working so hard. . . . I need magazine; Dan Rather's "48 Hours" taking the
somebody who can let go a little." "Eye" slot at 9 p.m. Thursdays, and "Exposure"
replacing Rather's news magazine at 9 p.m.
Back in Cicely, Ruth-Anne Miller (Peg Phillips) Wednesdays.
realizes that she has fallen in love with
trapper Walt. As of Friday, CBS was declining to comment
on any unannounced schedule revisions.
The Nov. 28 "Sons of the Tundra" episode will
introduce Dr. Phillip Capra, played by
‘ ’
comedian Paul Provenza, and wife Michelle
(Teri Polo) as new members of the "Northern
Exposure" ensemble. Capra will replace
Fleischman as Cicely's doctor. Date: November 28, 1994
Publication: Albany Times Union
Monday, November 14, 1994 6-08 Author: Associated Press
Up River
77807
LOS ANGELES Paul Provenza isn't coy about
95
his delight at taking over as ``Northern
Exposure's'' new doctor. Or at fleeing traffic-
bound, smog-shellacked Los Angeles.
Date: November 19, 1994 The actor made the nearly 1,200-mile car trip
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times from L.A. to Washington state, where the CBS
Author: Lon Grahnke series is filmed, in a nonstop 16 hours, picking
up a $200 speeding ticket along the way.
At least three CBS series will fill new weekly
slots after the fall sweeps end Nov. 30, ``I called a friend of mine on my cellular
according to the current buzz in the television phone as I was crossing the California
industry. border,'' Provenza says. ``I held it up and went
`Hear that? that's the sound of me leaving
Citing unnamed sources, the Hollywood California.'
Reporter predicted that "Chicago Hope"
would leave its current niche (8 p.m. ``He said he never heard me happier.''
Thursdays, Channel 2) and take the "Northern
the character of Dr. Phillip Capra, a fed-up
Executive producer David E. Kelley, creator of Angeleno who picks remote Cicely, Alaska, as
"Chicago Hope" and "Picket Fences," has his new home.
campaigned vigorously to get the Monday
mooring for his new hospital drama. He and wife Michelle (Teri Polo) arrive tonight
at 10 on WRGB TV (Channel 6).
Adam Arkin, who played the recurring
character of cranky chef Adam in "Northern Capra is as ready to embrace the tiny hamlet
Exposure," left that series last spring to co- as indentured physician Joel Fleischman
star as neurosurgeon Aaron Shutt in "Chicago (departing series star Rob Morrow) was to
offered to make a trade with the "Exposure"
156
Fleischman was repaying the state of Alaska
for financing his medical education, and
begrudged nearly every moment even with
lovely Maggie O'Connell (Janine Turner)
around for romantic tussles.
Morrow himself increasingly seemed a
reluctant Cicelian, and the actor is off to
pursue a movie career (watch you don't bump
into the red-haired cop on your way out.) His
last appearance on ``Exposure'' comes in
February.
Dr. Capra, on the other hand, is ``somebody
who's venturing into the unknown willingly . .
. so it's a whole different set of attitudes,''
Provenza says.
``I'm at a point in my life where I don't know
what's next, but I want to challenge myself to
do things I haven't done before,'' he said. ``So
it's really easy to get a handle on this
material.''
Even better, ``Northern Exposure'' has a wily
blend of drama and comedy that meshes with
Provenza's background as a stand-up
comedian and actor.
The Bronx native ``I grew up in a scene from
`Raging Bull.' Just kidding. I grew up in a real
New York Italian-American family'' started at
the Improv comedy club in New York at age
16 and performed in off-Broadway plays.
He was last on stage as '60s activist Abbie
Hoffman in ``The Chicago Conspiracy Trial'' in
Los Angeles.
His TV credits include ``Empty Nest,'' in which
he played ``the boyfriend of the girl. I played
the boyfriend of the girl in a lot of sitcoms.''
As difficult as joining a six-season-old
ensemble series can be, Provenza believes
he's made the right decision.
``I can't think of a better written show. It's just Sons of the Tundra 77808
so layered and so rich . . . I read scripts and I
think this is so funny, so off the wall. But
there's not a joke anywhere in the script; it's
really funny played.''
He and Morrow, who overlap for several
episodes, got along just fine on the set,
Provenza said.
``The crew were kind of funny,'' he said.
``There was this feeling of `Thunderdome'
Cicely News & World Telegram
what would happen? Is Rob going to be all of
a sudden proprietary? Is he going to be
magnanimous . . . Am I going to feel
intimidated?''
``So nobody knew what to expect, but we hit
it off great. I found him to be really
professional and very giving,'' he said.
The friendly, quick-witted Provenza says he
didn't slide into the series quietly. He
introduced himself to the crew, made jokes
and lunch dates: ``It's kind of like being at
camp and you want to get to know
everybody.''
And how did he prepare for his doctor's role?
``I have been practicing colorectal surgery for
many years, so I felt real comfortable with the
part.''
Let's face it, the man is downright giddy with
joy. Even a fire in his Los Angeles
condominium which forced him back to the
city for a quick damage assessment couldn't
dash his spirits.
``I wasn't devastated by the fact that all my
stuff is ruined. I didn't really care. My cats are
the only things I cared about,'' said Provenza,
37, chatting in a Los Angeles deli before flying
back to Washington.
Two days later, with Provenza and uninjured
Siamese pals Romeo and Molecule now
tucked into a Seattle apartment, he describes
the view.
``I'm looking at the Space Needle and I guess
that would be Elliott Bay. And I don't know
what mountains those are, but they're pretty
damn impressive.''
And they don't remind him one bit of Los
Angeles.
Monday, November 28, 1994 6-09
96
Monday, December 12, 1994 6-10
Realpolitik 77809 97
‘ ’
Date: December 15, 1994
Publication: Albany Times Union
Author: Daniel Cerone Los Angeles Times
157
HOLLYWOOD ``Northern Exposure'' has
always been the story of a fish out of water.
For five hit seasons on CBS, the eccentricities
of Cicely, Alaska, have been refracted through
the eyes of Joel Fleischman, a confirmed New
Yorker reluctantly stuck in the isolated
Alaskan town to repay the state for his
medical scholarship.
Rob Morrow, the actor who plays Fleischman,
was similarly bound to his TV contract. But
over the summer he successfully fought to get
out in order to pursue film roles. When last
seen, Fleischman had abandoned his
obsessive ways and moved up river to hang
loose with natives in a primitive village.
So what do you do when the fish gets away?
You haul out a couple more from the drink. In
the Nov. 28 episode, comedian Paul Provenza
and actress Teri Polo are introduced as Dr.
Phillip Capra and his wife, Michelle, an urban
couple who are sick of city life. Capra gives up
his flourishing practice in Los Angeles to
search for paradise lost on the frozen tundra.
Rather than lament the departure of Morrow,
the producers and cast of ``Northern
Exposure'' seem downright effusive over the
rare opportunity in episodic television to
change course.
``Ironically, now that Rob's leaving, it's helped
the show,'' said Janine Turner, who plays
Maggie O'Connell, Fleischman's off-and-on-
again romantic interest. ``Before, the show
almost seemed to be written episode to
episode. This year, they're having to give
some thought to character arcs, and they had
to really think about how to get Fleischman
off the show. So the scripts are more zany and
exciting and full of life.''
Fleischman isn't gone yet. The character will
appear in every episode of the series until his
final farewell during the February ratings
sweeps. For the next several weeks, he will
remain in the small fishing village as different
characters take pilgrimages to visit him and
say goodbye.
``The trouble with television is that characters
can't change and don't change,'' said
executive producer David Chase. ``This is a
good opportunity for us to have Joel change,
so all this hasn't been for nothing. And in the
same way, the show can possibly change.''
``Northern Exposure,'' while still quite
successful, could nonetheless use a slight
transfusion. Its ratings are down about 11
percent this season, and fans have been
complaining for more than a year that the
characters have stopped developing. The
writing had its moments, many said, but the
episodes became darker and moodier, with
less of the eclectic music that was the show's
trademark (two record albums have been
released with songs used on the series).
``They still pull an ace out of their hat on
occasion. But those occasions are getting
further and further apart,'' one fan, Gerry
Ashley, wrote on a ``Northern Exposure''
computer bulletin board recently. ``This is
precisely why I feel that the end of the Joel
and Maggie plot line (as sad as it is for some
of us) offers a chance for the show's rebirth.
Sure it won't be the same show. But the way
it's been lately, that's good news.''
In the past, O'Connell was mostly a
counterpoint to Fleischman, as well as a
periodic romantic entanglement. With
Morrow leaving the show, the producers
finally had a chance this season to bring them
together they got engaged only to realize that
they were simply too different to cohabitate.
O'Connell's spurning of Fleischman sent him
off on his journey of self-discovery.
``I have an episode with him right out of
`Heart of Darkness,' where I travel the river to
find him and have an encounter with him that
is really profound on me,'' said Provenza, who
was last seen hosting ``Comics Only'' on
Comedy Central. ``His departure is really
integral to the show not just serviceable.''
In Morrow's wake, Turner lobbied the
producers, the studio and the network for a
return to her old, quirky, headstrong
character, and she got it. (One fan on the
Prodigy computer service referred to the
character of the last few seasons as ``Maggie
Lite.'')
In coming weeks, O'Connell will become
mayor of the town and a major player to rival
Maurice, thanks to a financial inheritance she
receives. There are also plans for a romance
with the philosophical disc jockey Chris
Stevens, played by John Corbett, who grows
Cicely News & World Telegram
suddenly attracted to her upon seeing a gavel shuffling by ABC and CBS failed to produce
in her hand. any Top 20 finishes for the 13 series involved.
Turner said she now feels ``refreshed and Cybill Shepherd's "Cybill" led all series debuts
inspired'' going to work, compared with last in last week's prime-time Nielsen ratings. Her
season, when she felt ``repressed and adult comedy, following "Murphy Brown" in
trapped.'' In the past, most of Turner's scenes the revised CBS Monday lineup, placed 21st
were with Morrow, who reportedly gained a among 96 programs for the seven-night
difficult reputation on the set. period ending Sunday.
``Before this, I haven't had much of a chance The week's most popular entertainment
to work with (Corbett),'' Turner said. ``I've program was "Seinfeld," in which Kramer's
never had more fun on the set. It's kind of like first name (Cosmo) was revealed.
getting out of a bad marriage you don't know
how good it can be till you leave.'' Moving from Thursdays to Wednesdays, ABC's
"PrimeTime Live" finished 22nd and won its
Turner was angry at first when she learned time period, beating NBC's "Law & Order" and
that Morrow was quitting without having told "Northern Exposure."
her. He is in negotiations to play a public
defender representing Sharon Stone on death Moving from Thursdays to Mondays on CBS,
row in ``The Last Dance,'' to be directed by "Chicago Hope" rose in the weekly rankings
Bruce Beresford. Like Morrow, who has been from 51st to 27th.
fielding film offers since appearing in director
Robert Redford's ``Quiz Show,'' Turner Fox's new Sunday comedy-sketch series
became a movie commodity after starring "House of Buggin' " ranked 60th.
opposite Sylvester Stallone in ``Cliffhanger.''
But, out of loyalty, she decided to remain with Banished from Mondays to the CBS
the series until her contract runs out after Wednesday wasteland, "Northern Exposure"
next season, provided that her role was plunged to 66th.
beefed up.
Pushed by CBS from Wednesdays to
In the meantime, the town of Cicely will now Thursdays, Dan Rather's "48 Hours" sunk to
be treated by a new doctor, whose wife is a 70th.
travel writer for in-flight magazines. The
producers regularly explored Fleischman's
Jewishness; now they will delve into Capra's
Catholicism.
Date: January 13, 1995
And, while the characters of ``Northern
Publication: PR Newswire
Exposure'' are no longer fresh to viewers, they
will be fresh to the two newcomers, who can
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., Jan. 13 /PRNewswire/
provide perspective and commentary, the
-- "Northern Exposure," which premiered on
producers say.
CBS in the summer of 1990, is celebrating the
broadcast of its 100th episode on Wednesday,
Wednesday, January 04, 1995 6-11
Jan. 18, 1995, at 10 p.m./ET on CBS.
The Great Mushroom 77810 98
Wednesday, January 11, 1995 6-12 The 100th show, entitled "Horns," finds Joel
Mi Casa, Su Casa 77811 99 (Rob Morrow) still living in a remote village
when he learns that the extra year added to
his contract with the State of Alaska was a
bureaucratic goof. Yet, he realizes that
Date: January 11, 1995 although he is free to leave, he still has more
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times work to find his inner self. Meanwhile, back in
Author: Lon Grahnke Cicely, Maurice (Barry Corbin) is bottling 70-
million-year-old water which causes some
Three CBS sitcom premieres, two new Fox unusual behavior when residents take on the
comedies and major January schedule characteristics typical of the opposite sex.
Since the very first episode that brought
158
inveterate New Yorker Joel Fleischman to
rugged Cicely, Alaska, "Northern Exposure"
has garnered 39 Emmy Award nominations
with the honor of having been nominated for
Outstanding Drama Series in every eligible
year. Still frequently landing in the top 25 of
the Nielsen's in its sixth season, the show
added two new characters this fall, Dr. Phillip
Capra and his wife Michelle, played by Paul
Provenza and Teri Polo.
Created by Joshua Brand and John Falsey,
"Northern Exposure" is executive produced by
David Chase, Diane Frolov and Andrew
Schneider. Series stars, include Rob Morrow,
Janine Turner, Barry Corbin, Darren E.
Burrows, John Cullum, Cynthia Geary, John
Corbett, Elaine Miles, Peg Phillips and
newcomers Paul Provenza and Teri Polo.
"Northern Exposure," broadcast on a new
night in 1995, Wednesdays, at 10 p.m./ET on
CBS-TV, is produced by the Finnegan-Pinchuk
Co. and Brand/Falsey in association with
Universal Television, distributed by MCA-TV.
Wednesday, January 18, 1995 6-13
Horns 77812 100
` ago, ABC's "PrimeTime Live" has been winning
Date: January 22, 1995
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
Author: Lon Grahnke
Network executives are trying to think young
with the same old ideas.
In today's broadcast-television business,
advertisers don't care if CBS wins every
Sunday night in Nielsen's household ratings.
Media buyers who spend $300,000 for 30
seconds of commercial time don't want to
know how many people are watching a
weekly sitcom, drama or newsmagazine. They
want to know who is watching.
Companies that pitch their products in prime
time want to reach the 18-49 audience and
the 25-54 market. Advertisers figure that
young adults haven't set their buying habits,
so they are more likely to be swayed by a TV
commercial during one of their favorite
shows.
Cicely News & World Telegram
Unless you're selling medicine or luxury cars
(so the prevailing logic goes), you don't need
viewers 50 or older - even when they're
wealthy and well-educated. So most
advertisers would prefer NBC's "Frasier"
sitcom, a young-adult favorite, to Angela
Lansbury's hit mystery "Murder, She Wrote" -
even though her CBS series has a higher
season-to-date average in Nielsen's
household ratings.
ABC replaced David Caruso with Jimmy Smits
and "NYPD Blue" rose in the ratings. NBC
replaced Michael Moriarty with Sam
Waterston and "Law & Order" drew more
viewers, especially among women 18-49.
CBS is phasing in actor-comedian Paul
Provenza as Rob Morrow's replacement as the ``ER'' and ``Seinfeld.''
new doctor in Cicely, Alaska, but "Northern
Exposure" is losing viewers at an alarming
rate. Why? Because the casting change wasn't was No. 1 in ratings two weeks ago, and not
radical or controversial.
‘ ’
Date: January 25, 1995
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
Author: Lon Grahnke
After moving to Wednesdays three weeks
its 9-to-10 time period vs. NBC's "Law &
Order" and "Northern Exposure" on CBS.
Wednesday, February 01, 1995 6-14
The Mommy's Curse 77814 101
Date: February 1, 1995
Publication: Albany Times Union
Author: Rick Du Brom Los Angeles Times
HOLLYWOOD Underdog NBC, pumped up by
its new blockbuster ``ER'' and no longer an
industry joke, is making a further bid for re-
emergence with an aggressive lineup in the
February ratings sweeps that begin this week.
Top-ranked ABC is pretty much standing pat,
confident in its lineup of hits led by ``Home
Improvement.'' And CBS, hoping that viewers
will become more aware of its move of the
slumping ``Northern Exposure'' from Mondays
to Wednesdays and will keep the series alive
159
is still desperately seeking other shows to
attract younger viewers favored by
advertisers.
The sweeps, which begin Thursday and run
through March 1 one of four months during
the year that help set ad rates also indicate a
growing network belief in figure skating as a
major attraction. Last year, the rivalry
between Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding
at the Winter Olympics in Norway helped
liftsagging CBS to its third consecutive victory
in the season's ratings.
At least on paper, NBC looks to have the most
eye-catching sweeps programming, much of it
centered around its constantly expanding
base of power on Thursday nights, led by
The freshman medical drama ``ER'' not only
only pulled an astounding 38 percent of
viewers out of about 60 percent for all of the
Big Three networks but also is averaging the
highest share of the audience per episode
among all series, 31 percent, since the season
began.
Tonight, for instance, NBC is sure to get off to
a big sweeps lead, beginning with an hour
special of ``Mad About You'' that flashes back
to the start of the marriage of the principals
(Helen Hunt and Paul Reiser) and guest stars
Lyle Lovett, followed by an hour of ``Seinfeld''
that recalls highlights of the show's first 100
episodes, and then of course ``ER.''
The regular lineup now preceding ``Northern
Exposure'' on Wednesdays is near dead in the
ratings. CBS Entertainment President Peter
Tortorici says he's concerned about the
ratings of two shows, ``Hearts Afire'' and
``Love & War,'' but, at this point anyway, he
has hopes for the two new comedy entries,
``Women of the House,'' starring Delta Burke,
and ``Double Rush.''
Tortorici, defending his ``Northern Exposure''
switch which saw the new medical series
``Chicago Hope'' taking its place on Mondays
says, ``When you move a show like
(``Northern Exposure'') to a night where
you're not strong,it takes time for the
audience to find it.''
CBS and NBC are neck-and-neck behind ABC in
the ratings. But CBS is last among all four
networks, including Fox, in the competition
for viewers 18 to 49 years old. Despite the
dependency of ``Northern Exposure'' on this
group, is CBS thinking of dumping the series?
``We're trying to build a schedule,'' says
Tortorici. ``One of our priorities was to rebuild jackasses seem to have taken over the
Mondays, which was slipping.'' CBS once had
a top Monday lineup, anchored by ``Murphy
Brown'' and ``Northern Exposure.''
` horned
Date: February 2, 1995
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
The CBS series "Northern Exposure" will
receive an award for its "outstanding
portrayal of the American scene" at the
annual Screen Actors Guild Awards ceremony than a throwaway summer replacement were only make sense if it were a spinoff attempt.
Feb. 25.
The show won the honor for its portrayal of
American life "with particular emphasis on
seniors, women, people with disabilities and
ethnic minorities."
The SAG awards ceremony, which will hand
out 12 trophies for outstanding television and
film performances, will be broadcast live on
NBC.
– Exposure" was something like a fine house
Date: February 5, 1995
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
An open letter to anyone interested or
involved in the projected demise of "Northern did not always agree where each staircase,
Exposure."
On Wednesday, Jan. 18, "Northern Exposure" the same direction.
aired its 100th episode. The only things I could
find in the press concerning this milestone
were: an article by Rick DuBrow in the Jan.
14th edition of the Los Angeles Times talking
about how difficult it will be for this gentle
show to survive, and a positive review in the
Daily Variety by John McCarthy in which he
refers to "audience erosion." I had intended
to stay (publicly) silent on this subject, but
these articles and many letters to the Internet Confrontation has too often replaced conflict, Date: February 6, 1995
in which the writers ask plaintively: "What
have they done to my "Northern Exposure?"
have convinced me that I owe it, not only to
myself, but to a lot of people who still have
affection for the town of Cicely and its
Cicely News & World Telegram
residents, at least an attempt to do something two wonderful actors: Paul Provenza and Teri
to save it from oblivion. Polo, who, also in my opinion, have been
given no help in the scripts) and we have an
As Sam Rayburn was fond of saying: "Any understandably weakened show.
jackass can kick down the barn. It takes a
carpenter to build one. Unfortunately, the Into this gap of vulnerability steps CBS. What
do they do to rescue us from oblivion? They
barnyard. I have spoken to practically air the first episode of Dr. Fleischman's
everybody I can think of about our dilemma interminable exit from the show on the first
and, as is the custom in `90's America, there's Monday night in December and then proceed
no shortage of blame-making and finger- to preempt us for the next three weeks. As if
pointing, but you'd be more likely to find a this weren't enough, when we finally do come
toad in the middle of Puget Sound back in January, we're on Wednesday nights
than you would be to find anybody who with no promotion! Call me paranoid, but this
would take any responsibility for anything. don't smell like a bunch of people with our
best interests at heart.
Please indulge me while I put my (biased)
perspective on it. When "Northern Exposure" I have been told that the "Network" (how's
premiered in the summer of 1990, the only that for anonymity?) insisted that Dr.
people who thought it was anything other Fleischman be written out in a way that would
the critics and the audiences. CBS held us in I've been told that CBS must concentrate its
such low esteem that they not only didn't pick promotion budget on it new shows and not to
us up for the fall, when they finally did pick us worry because "Northern Exposure" is
up, it was not for 13 episodes (as was established. I've been told the moon is made
required by contract) but for eight. Because of green cheese! What I have observed is:
we all believed in the show, we agreed to when a long-running show hits an inevitable
come back in spite of this breach. It was not slump, the "Network," the studio, the writers,
until the first 16 shows were rerun in the and the producers all get behind it, rework it,
summer of 1991 that CBS got behind us and revitalize it, refresh it, and try to win back the
actually picked up a full season. audience. Look at "MASH," look at "Cheers,"
look at "Dallas," and dozens of others. In our
For the first three seasons, "Northern case, we've been dumped in the metaphorical
desert without food or water and told to
being constructed, brick by brick and board by survive. Why? I have no idea. What's the
board, by careful and loving craftsmen. When prognosis? Without help, we can't survive.
the building was done, these same craftsmen
began the job of landscaping and filling in. We If you feel as I do, that it is worth saving,
please write to Peter Tortoricci and Howard
bathroom, or rosebush belonged, but we had Stringer at CBS and ask them to either put us
a common vision and we all were pulling in back in our Monday night slot, or, at the very
least, publicize us so the audience knows
where we are.
Sometime last season or the season before (I
can't put my finger on exactly when it started) Barry Corbin, who portrays Maurice
the deconstruction process began. We started Minnifield on "Northern Exposure"
by removing a brick here and a brick there,
eroding the foundation slightly. Instead of
plots springing from these wonderfully
complex people, the characters have become
more stereotypical tools of the plots.
and what was once an organic zaniness has Publication: PR Newswire
now become, more often than not,
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., Feb. 6 /PRNewswire/ -
eccentricity for the sake of oddity. Add to this
- After more than 100 wondrous episodes and
the problem of Rob's leaving (handled, in my
five acclaimed seasons as Dr. Joel Fleischman,
opinion, in the worst possible way) and the
Rob Morrow's departing episode of "Northern
integration of two new characters (played by
160
Exposure" will air on Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 10 Co. and Brand/Falsey in association with creative, eclectic use of music - from Cajun
p.m./ET on CBS. Universal Television, distributed by MCA-TV. tunes to rock 'n' roll standards, was enough to
make it stand out.
"The Quest," written by executive producers Wednesday, February 08, 1995 6-15
Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider, follows The Quest 77813 102 But now, after a slip in quality, ratings and a
Joel and Maggie (Janine Turner) on a magical, near-fatal time change, the series is on the
Arthurian search for the mythical Jeweled City ‘ ’ endangered list. (The dramatic blow came
of the North. Trudging through the snow earlier this season when CBS moved
following a cryptic map from the 1700s "Northern Exposure" to Wednesdays, where it
sketched on animal hide, they metaphorically now loses to NBC's streamlined legal drama
slay a dragon in the form of a Japanese soldier Date: February 8, 1995 "Law & Order.")
and are granted a boon of sushi. In the end of Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
the quest, the final bridge to cross is guarded Author: Ginny Holbert Recently, Corbin risked the ire of his bosses
by a belligerent gatekeeper, portrayed by when he sent an open letter to television
recurring guest star Adam Arkin ("Chicago Tonight, Joel and Maggie lace up their critics blaming CBS for moving "Northern
Hope"). The episode is a brilliant and touching mukluks and venture into the snow-swept Exposure" and for failing to promote the
exit for Morrow who left the series on good Aleutian Islands in search of Keewaa Aani, the series in its new time slot. But Corbin also
terms in November to pursue other projects. mythical Jeweled City of the North. It's the admits that the series is no longer the gentle
long-awaited "Northern Exposure" episode in miracle that it once was. He concedes that the
Since the very first episode that brought which the bagel-loving, spear-fishing physician writers seem to be running out of ideas, the
inveterate New Yorker Joel Fleischman to finally bids adieu to Cicely, the mythical city of fantasy sequences often run amok and the
rugged Cicely, Alaska, "Northern Exposure" prime time. characters are sometimes forced into unlikely
has garnered 39 Emmy Award nominations actions.
with the honor of having been nominated for But after one of the longest and most
Outstanding Drama Series in every eligible elaborate goodbyes in the history of "The deconstruction process started to
year. The show added two new characters this television, there's at least one Cicelian who happen about a year and a half ago," Corbin
fall, Dr. Phillip Capra and his wife Michelle, has had it with the spiritual quest of Dr. Joel said in an interview. "Any show hits a slump at
played by Paul Provenza and Teri Polo. Fleischman. That would be Barry Corbin, who some point. It happened to `Cheers,' `MASH.'
has played the ornery and independent It happens to all the good shows. And
Relocating to Cicely, Alaska from the fast- Maurice Minnifield since "Northern Exposure" `Northern Exposure' is the hardest kind of
paced Los Angeles is not exactly a smooth (9 to 10 tonight on WBBM-Channel 2) show on television to write consistently,
transition for the couple even though the debuted to critical acclaim almost five years because we don't have a fight to cut to or a
move was by choice. In a future episode, Phil ago. murder to go to. We're a character-driven
and Michelle invest in land and have the show, and we rise or fall on the strength of
sudden, horrible realization that they have "That was the biggest blunder ever," said that."
signed their lives away to live in the desolate Corbin of the way the "Northern Exposure"
wilderness. Likewise, the townsfolk of Cicely producers turned the departure of actor Rob Yet Corbin believes that the show can survive
who had learned to love Dr. Fleischman over Morrow into an extended inner journey for its mid-life crisis. "Northern Exposure" needs
the years must learn to appreciate a different Dr. Fleischman. "While the `Kung Fu' spiritual creative re-tooling, he says, but first it needs
style of health care as well as friendship. Chris quest might be interesting to some people, I support from the network.
especially doesn't take to Phil immediately don't see any point in it. To me, what they've
and sues him for malpractice, but soon done is take this character who is leaving and And I, for one, would hate to see Mr. Corbin
realizes that he truly misses Joel and is taking spent fully one-third of each show on his out looking for work.
out his hurt on Phil. preparing to leave. And now the audience
doesn't fully believe that he's leaving." Since its debut, "Northern Exposure" has been
Created by Joshua Brand and John Falsey, a cool oasis in the overheated landscape of
"Northern Exposure" is executive produced by Corbin's complaint might sound like the sour prime time. While excellent dramas, such as
David Chase, Diane Frolov and Andrew gripes of a guy who's not getting enough good "E.R.," "NYPD Blue," "Homicide" and "Law and
Schneider. Series stars include Rob Morrow, scenes, but the truth is that the veteran Order," probe the stress and violence of big
Janine Turner, Barry Corbin, Darren E. character actor has every reason to fret about city life, "Northern Exposure" creates a kinder,
Burrows, John Cullum, Cynthia Geary, John the future of the show. gentler alternative.
Corbett, Elaine Miles, Peg Phillips and
"Northern Exposure" had a few seasons as Cicely, unlike any place on earth, is a modern,
newcomers Paul Provenza and Teri Polo.
one of the best dramas on television. Despite multicultural village where you can still run a
"Northern Exposure," broadcast on a new its remarkable lightness of being, the series tab at the general store, where civic
night in 1995, Wednesdays at 10 p.m./ET on was charming, fresh and often profound in its controversies are handled at real town
CBS-TV, is produced by the Finnegan-Pinchuk clever treatment of cosmic topics such as life, meetings and where yuppie refugees mingle
death, love, religion, history and art. Even its with witch doctors, old ladies, beauty queens,

Cicely News & World Telegram 161

former astronauts and aspiring Native
American filmmakers. It may not look much
like reality, but every society needs a few
good myths.
Date: February 8, 1995
Publication: The Record
Author: VIRGINIA MANN
Biographical: ROB MORROW
Five years ago this July, "Northern Exposure"
began as a summer series, with quintessential
New Yorker Dr. Joel Fleischman on a plane
bound for Alaska. He thought he was heading
to a big-city hospital.
Ha!
The destination, of course, turned out to be
dramatically, deliciously different.
In the tiny, surrealistic town of Cicely,
Fleischman encountered the kind of
eccentrics who could make Manhattan's
weirdest weirdos look normal. With no way to
run -- he was, after all, contractually obligated
to the state of Alaska for financing his medical
education -- Fleischman
made the best of things.
Quite often -- especially in the earlier seasons
-- his fish-out-of-water struggles made for
marvelous television.
Tonight, the annoying, endearing Fleischman -
- played by Rob Morrow -- leaves Cicely for
good. Like David Caruso of "NYPD Blue,"
Morrow wants to move on to movie roles.
Last fall, he did a fine job in Robert Redford's
"Quiz Show." (There seems to be a fleeting
reference to that movie in tonight's episode.)
No doubt Morrow has also sensed what many
"Exposure" fans have felt: that the once-great
series is no longer consistently great. For a
long time, I had to see it every week. But that
hasn't been true for a
couple of seasons now. And since its move to
Wednesday nights this fall, the ratings have
plummeted.
But tonight's episode seems like old times,
and not only because Adam Arkin -- now
starring in CBS' "Chicago Hope" -- makes a
brief reappearance. It's classy, sometimes
Cicely News & World Telegram
touching, and most of all it's a
fitting send-off to a character, and an actor,
who has always been the main reason I
watched.
The show's producers have asked critics not
to reveal too many details about Fleischman's
departure, and that seems only right.
Briefly, Fleischman is determined to find a
lost, probably mythical city of the north, and
Maggie O'Connell (Janine Turner)
accompanies him on the journey. Meanwhile,
back in Cicely, Chris-in-the-Morning (DJ Chris
Stevens, played by John Corbett) files a
malpractice suit against Dr. Capra (Paul
Provenza), Fleischman's replacement, which
initially seems silly. Even that subplot,
however, becomes part of a Fleischman
tribute.
In a way, Fleischman's been living on
borrowed time in Cicely. Early on, Morrow
came very close to leaving "Northern
Exposure" over a contract dispute. But unlike
Caruso and the "NYPD Blue" producers,
Morrow and his bosses were able to reach an
agreement. For a while, the writers seemed to
be punishing Fleischman for Morrow's
impudence, but eventually, or at least
sporadically, they came to their senses and
started writing good stuff for this fine actor.
Along the way, Morrow was nominated for
several Emmys. And "Northern Exposure" was
richer for his presence.
Tonight's "Northern Exposure" is so very
different from the abrupt, rather cold and
anticlimactic swan-song episode that "NYPD
Blue" writers fashioned for Caruso. As if
articulating the feelings of devoted viewers,
"Northern Exposure's" writers essentially wish
Fleischman -- and Morrow -- god speed.
Date: February 12, 1995
Publication: The Record
Author: VIRGINIA MANN
"Seinfeld" rides high in the ratings, but is
something going wrong with the show about
nothing?
Has "Northern Exposure" become overbaked
Alaska? And should "Murphy Brown," CBS'
venerable comedy, consider retirement?
162
And what about ABC's "Roseanne?" Has the
loud-mouthed comedian of the same name
said everything she has to say?
A number of readers raised those questions in
our recent prime-time poll, after we asked,
"Have you noticed a serious decline in quality
in a hit series, or a series you once loved?"
Over and over, the same four series --
"Seinfeld," "Murphy Brown," "Northern
Exposure," and "Roseanne" -- kept popping
up.
We waited a couple of months to see if the
plots had improved or reader sentiments had
shifted.
For the most part, neither changed.
The networks were reluctant to address those
gripes, and in some cases, they pointed to
ratings that are still high.
The Feb. 2 episode of "Seinfeld," for example,
finished second in the Nielsens that week, yet
it was cited by dozens of disappointed
readers, who described the series in terms
like "dull," "cartoonish," "repetitive,"
"predictable," and, as Terry Schuster of Fair
Lawn said, "not consistently funny" anymore.
"Seinfeld is becoming bland," said Hortense
Keilson of Tenafly, who especially didn't like
the last hour-long show honoring the 100th
episode.
In our poll, Matthew Samra of Fair Lawn cast
votes for "Seinfeld" as best entertainment
series and best comedy (new or old) -- and
said it was the one show he'd watch if he
could only watch one -- however, he said he
sensed a serious decline, explaining, "Kramer
should be a supporting character, not the
focus." (He did, however, like the 100th
episode show.)
Carol Saam of Upper Montclair wrote, "The
characters have become boring caricatures
instead of just quirky people." Last week, she
said she was still watching and enjoying the
series, "but not as much as
before."
Judith Yachechak of Bergenfield said
"Seinfeld" has gotten too "whiney...especially
with the character of George."
And Joanie Turner of Westwood feels the
topics on "Seinfeld" lately are "a little too
strange."
And what do the folks at "Seinfeld" have to
say for themselves?
NBC referred the query to the series' outside
publicist, who could not be reached for
comment by deadline. However, in the Feb. 4
TV Guide, a profile of Jerry Seinfeld made
lengthy reference to the many harsh
assessments that "Seinfeld" fans are
exchanging on the Internet this season.
In that article, Seinfeld shrugged off the
criticism and maintained that his sitcom is as
funny as ever. However, he added that "any
TV series has a rise, a peak, and a fall. And
that's why I'm probably not
gonna do the show that much longer. Because
it's inevitable. You can't change the basic
situation or the basic characters. And after a
while, you've seen it."
At least one reader, by the way, has amended
her negative review. Initially, Jo Anne Green
of Paterson wrote, "Over the past four or five
years, this was my favorite show. However,
this season has been a total disappointment."
On Thursday, however, Green said, "I thought
the first couple of shows this season were
horrible, and then they went into repeats, and
I was very disappointed. But the last three or
four shows have been a lot better."
According to many readers, "Murphy Brown"
is another trouble spot. The topics, some said,
are getting "strange," "monotonous," or
"silly." Other assessments: The show -- which
finished in 50th place in last
week's Nielsens -- feels old, they said, and
Murphy's character is wearing out her
welcome.
Rich Appel of Wayne has grown tired of the
sarcasm and name-dropping.
"Her character has become so cliched, sort of
a self-parody," Appel said last week. "I know
she [Candice Bergen] wins the Emmy every
year, but I don't know how or why. There's so
much overacting on the show.
"And I think back to when it first came on the
Cicely News & World Telegram
air, it was the freshest, hippest thing. I still go Holling and Shelly's attempts to woo a
back and watch the pilot every now and then, restaurant critic (Teri Polo's new character).
and it was so great. Now, the plots are thin
and just don't hold my interest. I think the Susan Brauer of Palisades Park expressed a
show went downhill after the whole Dan similar view.
Quayle thing."
"It seems like the writers go off on tangents
Recently, there has been a new round of news and can't tie into a story line," she originally
stories about Candice Bergen's decision to wrote. Last week, she said she has since
leave the series after the 1995-96 season (an stopped watching the show. "I've completely
announcement Bergen actually made almost lost interest," she said.
two years ago).
In the opinion of Lorraine L. Davidson of
Appel notes, "I've been thinking, could the Ringwood, "What was once endearing and
show even have a spinoff? I'm not even sure if magical is now forced and heavy-handed ...
anybody else on the show could get by with There's a fantasy or dream sequence in every
their current characters." episode, and the show is becoming a parody
of itself."
Marcella Stiefel of Englewood bemoans the
fact that there are "fewer references to The fourth problem area, readers said, is
politics and current events." Last week, she "Roseanne" -- which is still a top 10 series. (It
added, "It was my favorite show, but it has was No. 8 in the most recent Nielsens.) Here,
gone downhill." the words, "shrill" and "heavy-handed" came
up a lot.
Barbara Mack of Fort Lee, wrote, `Murphy's
motherhood offered some interesting story "The show has lost a lot of the spark that it
lines, but her child is almost completely had in previous seasons. Everything seems to
ignored, and it's a big loss losing Eldin." revolve around Roseanne this season, and
frankly, it's boring," said Karen Chappell of
She hasn't changed her mind. Saddle Brook.
"I do think the show has lost a lot over the last " `Rosannne' is just not as funny as it was,"
year or two because of various changes, and said Jean Van Handel of Matawan.
indeed, I do think the show misses Eldin," she
said. "It used to have more real-life, down-to-earth
jokes. Now, it's just stupid, not even funny,
Lynn and John Bruggemann of Wyckoff one-liners. I'm very upset. It used to be my
agreed that that the departure of Eldin the favorite show," Tammy Moore of Haledon
house painter -- played by Robert Pastorelli, wrote a few months back. Her
who is now starring in "Double Rush" -- was a opinion has not changed. "I used to run home
serious blow. "It has lost its comical edge," to see it, but I'm starting to not even care,"
they said. "It's a little predictable and running she said, adding, "I still do watch the reruns."
out of original story lines."
Like Jerry Seinfeld, Stiefel, our Englewood
Yet another problem area spotted by readers: reader, was philosophical about such things.
"Northern Exposure," which has, in fact, also The downward trend of a hit show, she said, is
plummeted in the ratings (to 61st place in the almost "inevitable."
week ending last Sunday) since its recent
move to 10 p.m. Wednesdays from its Wednesday, February 15, 1995 6-16
longtime Monday berth. Lucky People 77817 103
"They've gotten off the track of a central ‘ ’
theme, and are too way out now," said Peggy
Carlson of North Brunswick. And while she
mostly liked last week's episode, in which Dr.
Date: February 16, 1995
Joel Fleischman left for good,
Publication: Albany Times Union
Carlson detested one of the subplots -- about
Author: Mitchell Diggs Scripps Howard
163
The way Barry Corbin sees it, his turf is
threatened by the processes of a corporate
giant. And much like Maurice Minnifield, the
high roller and former astronaut Corbin plays
on ``Northern Exposure,'' he has vowed not to
go down without a good fight.
``Northern Exposure,'' the quirky CBS drama
about the residents of a fictional Alaska town,
has struggled in the ratings since it moved to
Wednesdays last month. The acclaimed series
moved from its longtime spot at 9 p.m.
Mondays to make way for ``Chicago Hope,''
which got pummeled earlier in the season by
NBC's ``ER.''
Since the move, ``Northern Exposure'' has lost
about a quarter of its audience and has
ranked third in its time slot, behind ABC's
``PrimeTime Live'' and NBC's ``Law & Order.''
Corbin figures the show has only a 50-50 shot
at being renewed for another season.
The biggest problem is that the network has
not properly promoted the show's move, he
said in a recent telephone interview.
``They've got a right to put us where they
want to, but they ought to publicize us when
they do it,'' Corbin said in his familiar Texas
drawl. ``A lot of the people I talked to
assumed we were canceled because of the
way it was handled when we went to
Wednesday nights. They pre-empted us three
Mondays in a row in December and then put
us on Wednesdays at the first of January
without much on-air promotion or press
promotion.''
Frustrated with the situation, Corbin recently
faxed copies of a two-page letter to CBS, the
show's production company and television
critics across the country. In the letter, he
blasted CBS for not supporting the series and
also voiced displeasure with the show's
direction this season.
Corbin doesn't fault the network for the
schedule shuffle. He simply thinks the move
was handled badly, leaving ``Northern
Exposure'' out in the cold.
``I think they're being proven right in their
decision in that `Chicago Hope' seems to be
doing well there. But all I'm saying is that if
you decided to plant part of your field in
soybeans, you don't let your corn go to weed.
Cicely News & World Telegram
``To be quite honest about it, if we can't cut it
where we are, then we probably don't have a
strong enough base to be on the air. I don't
know whether we do or not, but I'd like for
the public to know that we're still there in
case they do want to watch.''
His complaints have ruffled feathers at the
network, which remains firm in its support of
the show, said Terri Corigliano, director of
series publicity.
``Everyone at CBS, from publicity to on-air
promotions to programming, has been 100
percent committed to that show from the day
it premiered, and that has not changed,'' she
said. ``First of all, the expectations for
`Northern' on a Wednesday are quite
different from the expectations for `Northern'
on a Monday. It has performed beautifully,
improving 50 percent over its lead-in.''
The show remains a contender for a slot on
the 1995-96 schedule, and network
promotion of the show has increased, she
said.
``We're very proud of this show and
everything it has accomplished. We love
`Northern Exposure.' ''
Another concern of Corbin's is that the show's
quality has slumped this season. Critics have
complained that the show has become too
bland and forced, lacking the freshness and
intelligence that characterized previous
seasons.
``It's a lack of direction,'' Corbin said. ``The
characters in the show have tended to
become a little less, uh, forgiving. They've
become a little more mean-spirited, a little
small in their thinking.
``But also, there's a coherence (missing) to the series might be canceled, he decided to speak
scripts. The scripts used to have a great arc to out.
them, but now the arc tends to be artifically
put in them. The characters seem to be
shoehorned into situations that they don't
naturally fit in. In other words, the drama and only show on television that's a thoughtful,
the comedy springs from the situation rather
than from character, and our show has always primarily or tangentially, by violence. I can't
been a character-based show.''
One cause for the script problems is that the
characters have become familiar, making it
difficult for them to surprise viewers. But the
164
solution is not to make the characters petty or
to add contrived plotlines, he said.
``Speaking on behalf of the writers, this is the
hardest kind of thing to write. We can't cut to
a fistfight or a rape or a shooting. We can't cut
to the chase. If our ratings drop off a little bit,
we can't say `Who shot J.R.?' or `Who killed
Laura Palmer?' What we're doing is telling
human stories once a week, and that's very
difficult to do.''
Corbin has debated the issue with producers
for most of the current season, and he thinks
the upcoming episodes show improvement.
Given time, the show can regain its legs, he
said.
``If you look at any other show well, let's take
`Murphy Brown.' A couple of seasons ago, it
kind of hit a slump, and they brainstormed
and brought in some new people and got the
thing going again, and it's better than ever.
The same thing happened with `Cheers' years
ago. `MASH' went through several crises that
they weathered very well, and it proved to be
even better.''
The producers sent Corbin a letter taking him
to task for airing the show's dirty laundry in
public.
``What they don't mention in their letter is
that I've been trying to do it in-house this
whole season and met with resistance, so this
is the only way I could think of to do it.
Sometimes you've got to make some noise,
and maybe you've got to make statements
that are a little bit incendiary to get
somebody's attention.''
When the show's ratings fell, Corbin at first
considered looking for new projects. But
when fans began voicing concern that the
``This show really means something to a lot of
people. My own theory for that is that it's the
hourlong show that is not fueled, either
think of another show that is not at least
partially violence-run. Even `Picket Fences' has
the occasional murder. There's not another
gentle show like this on television.''
Concerned viewers can show support for
``Northern Exposure''by writing to CBS
Audience Services, 51 West 52nd St., New
York, NY 10019. Or, send e-mail messages to
CBS on the Prodigy computer network.
Date: February 19, 1995
Publication: The Washington Post
NBC will carry the Screen Actors Guild Awards
live from Universal Studios in Hollywood on
Saturday at 9.
George Burns will receive the 31st Screen
Actors Guild Life Achievement Award. Edward
James Olmos will present "Northern
Exposure" with the first award for
Outstanding Portrayal of the American Scene.
Other awards will go to winners in four film
categories and eight television categories for
work during 1994.
Outstanding Ensemble Performance in a
Comedy Series
+ "Frasier"
+ "Mad About You"
+ "Murphy Brown"
+ "Northern Exposure"
+ "Seinfeld"
Date: March 6, 1995
Publication: Broadcasting & Cable
The first Screen Actors Guild awards were
given out in Hollywood on Saturday, Feb. 25.
TV winners: male actor, TV movie or
miniseries--Raul Julia, The Burning Season;
female actor, TV movie or miniseries--Joanne
Woodward, Breathing Lessons; male actor,
drama series--Dennis Franz, NYPD Blue;
female actor, drama series--Kathy Baker,
Picket Fences; male actor, comedy series--
Jason Alexander, Seinfeld; female actor,
comedy series--Helen Hunt, Mad About You;
outstanding ensemble drama--NYPD Blue;
outstanding ensemble comedy--Seinfeld. SAG
also gave its first award for "outstanding
portrayal of the American scene," recognizing
Cicely News & World Telegram
a film or TV show that "best depicts the
diversity of life in America." The winner was
CBS's Northern Exposure.
Wednesday, March 08, 1995 6-17
The Graduate 77815 104
Date: March 8, 1995
Publication: The New York Times
Author: Stuart Elliott
IT'S certainly not news when a television star
is signed by an advertiser to pitch a product.
But in an unusual twist to celebrity
endorsements, three popular series are
contributing what seems a disproportionate
number of cast members to the ranks of
spokes-stars.
The actors appearing in "Murphy Brown" and
"Northern Exposure" on CBS, and "Seinfeld"
on NBC, are seemingly omnipresent, whether
appearing in broadcast commercials and print
advertisements or serving as voice-over
announcers. But unlike other series, including
"Ellen" or "Beverly Hills 90210," in which one
or two cast members engage in ad work,
almost all the regular performers on these
three series are doubling as product peddlers.
Every regular from "Murphy Brown" is
hawking something -- from long-distance
services to upset-stomach remedies. Five
principal cast members of "Northern
Exposure" are promoting products as varied
as automobiles and iced tea. And all but one
regular cast member of "Seinfeld" is also a
pitch-star, for products as disparate as salty
snacks and hair coloring.
David Letterman recently mocked this with a
fake book, "The Guide to the TV Commercials
Made by the Cast of 'Seinfeld.' "
It was 600 pages long.
"Every consumer tells you celebrities are paid
shills," said F. Stone Roberts, chief executive
of the Gotham Group in New York, which
introduced commercials last month for the O-
Cel-O Stay Fresh sponge with voice-overs by
165
Grant Shaud, the nervous Miles on "Murphy
Brown."
"But when you have the right celebrity," Mr.
Roberts added, "it produces results."
And the cast members from these three
shows have been deemed the right
celebrities.
"These guys are fabulous awareness vehicles,"
said Bill Gray, senior vice president and head
of client service at Ogilvy & Mather New York,
which uses Jerry Seinfeld to advertise the
American Express Company's green charge
card.
"You ask anyone what Jerry Seinfeld
advertises and they'll tell you 'the American
Express card,' " added Mr. Gray, who is
executive group director on the American
Express account. "And you ask anyone what
Jason Alexander advertises, and they'll tell
you 'Rold Gold pretzels.' " His reference was
to the actor playing George on "Seinfeld,"
who appears in a campaign by DDB Needham
Chicago.
Mr. Gray said that "the group we want to
soften the ground with" -- that is, consumers
being sought to carry the green charge card --
"says that Jerry Seinfeld and the card are a
perfect fit."
That was a quality that recommended Candice
Bergen, Murphy Brown on "Murphy Brown,"
to the Sprint Corporation and its agency, J.
Walter Thompson San Francisco.
"We tend to have a technologically
sophisticated, somewhat younger audience
with somewhat of a female skew," said Tim
Kelly, assistant vice president for corporate
advertising, media and sponsorship at Sprint
in Kansas City. "That synched nicely with the
audience that follows 'Murphy Brown.' "
Indeed, that kind of demographic profile --
generally better-educated, higher-income
viewers -- also matches the demographic
profiles of many ardent fans of the three
series.
"These stars speak to the baby-boom
generation, the economic base of the
population," said George F. Schweitzer,
executive vice president for marketing and
communications at CBS in New York.
And the characters they portray "are so
identifiable, so engaging," he added. "They
work on television, so they work in
advertising."
For instance, "Northern Exposure" served as a
showcase for the "communicative skills" of
Janine Turner, who portrays the peppery pilot
Maggie, said Jeff Hurlbert, general marketing
manager of the Chevrolet division of the
General Motors Corporation in Warren, Mich.
Chevrolet and its agency, Lintas Campbell-
Ewald in Warren, have used her in an
important annual year-end ad campaign since
1992.
"Of all the individuals we looked at," Mr.
Hurlbert added, "we were very impressed
with Janine, because she did a good job in
conveying the sincerity, honesty and
believability we want."
Other similarly prized perceived attributes
attracted the Clairol unit of the Bristol-Myers
Squibb Company and its agency, J. Walter
Thompson New York, to Julia Louis-Dreyfus,
who portrays Elaine, the male-dominated
cast's female foil, on "Seinfeld." The next in
her series of commercials for Clairol's Nice 'n
Easy line of hair-coloring products is due in
April.
"Because of who she is, a celebrity on a
sitcom, you're buying someone the consumer
already likes and laughs along with," said
Laurie Garnier, senior partner and group
creative director at Thompson New York.
"That's the value."
"The minute you see Julia," she added, "it
immediately signals it's a humorous
commercial."
Which other series might join this trio in
appealing so powerfully to marketers in
search of pitch-stars? Advertising executives
cite as likely prospects "E.R.," "Friends" and
"Mad About You," all on NBC. They have
attractive young casts and are finding favor
with the demographically desirable viewers
who watch "Murphy Brown," "Northern
Exposure" and "Seinfeld."
Date: March 9, 1995
Publication: Indian Country Today (Lakota
Cicely News & World Telegram
Times)
Author: Sonny Skyhawk
On Saturday, Feb. 11, the third annual First
Americans in the Arts Awards Show was held
at the Doubletree Hotel in Marina Del Rey,
Calif. The long overdue recognition of
performances by Native Americans has finally
come to fruition.
Native Americans, representing most nations,
were present in what has become a hot-ticket
event in Hollywood, and many non-Indians in
the industry also attended. Representatives of
studios whose projects were being recognized
were there as was the president of the Screen
Actors Guild.
Leta Rector and I attended the ceremonies on
behalf of Indian Country Today (see related
story above). President Bill Clinton sent a
letter of congratulations as did the Mayor of
Los Angeles Richard Riordan.
"The performing arts enjoy a long and proud
history in this land, informing and entertaining
us, stirring our imaginations, stimulating
thought and reflection, and changing the way
we see our world. Native American artists
have been a vital force in shaping this great
tradition and these exceptional performers
have added immeasurably to the rich tapestry
of our common American culture. Best wishes
to all for a memorable event," said President
Clinton in his letter.
First Americans in the Arts, its Chairman Bob
Hicks and all the dedicated people who
contributed to a wonderful evening are to be
congratulated for their fine efforts as they
continue to refine this very important venue
for our people.
Award ceremony highlights: Joanne
Shenandoah presented and then accepted an
award on behalf of R. Carlos Nakai for Lifetime
Musical Achievement. Mr. Nakai was unable
to attend because he was in Saskatoon for a
recording session. Arlie Neskahi and the band
Songcatchers provided the musical
entertainment in an excellent presentation.
Lois Red Elk, in accepting her award, was very
humble and moving, thanking our people and
those who came before us.
Tim Sampson and Elaine Miles, an item on
166
"Northern Exposure," accepted their awards
together and were very funny, joking
throughout their acceptance speech. Tim is
6'3" and Elaine is only about 4'1" which
contributed to the humor.
I met Adam Beach, the Indian heartthrob from
Canada, for the first time. I was very
impressed by this nice, talented young man.
The Award for New Performer went to an
equally talented and beautiful young actress,
Sekwan Auger.
All in all, a very good time was had by
everyone attending. Most were dressed in
tuxedos or beautiful long dresses, and they
arrived in those long limousines. Before I go
any further, I would also like to mention Miss
Indian USA, Lisa Trice, another outstanding
representative of Indian people and a very
beautiful young lady. There was also a very
important presentation of a scholarship to
Dean Bearclaw, a young member of the Crow
Nation. He has a great future ahead of him.
His relatives must be very proud as are we.
That is essentially what this event is all about,
not only to recognize the achievements in
performing of our Indian people, but also to
help others through education and example
and simply by saying, "You can do it too if you
want it bad enough and have the initiative to
go for it."
The performing arts is only one vehicle that
can allow us, as Indian people, to
communicate to others about who and what
we are as a people. The pride and
perseverance of our past, the tenacity and
insight of the present, and the hope and
future of tomorrow is what and who we are.
In today's mainstream society, we are
doctors, lawyers, truck drivers, business
people and members of countless other
professions. Yet, with some rare exceptions,
we are an invisible people, and unless we're
wearing our regalia, we cease to exist in the
eyes of the world.
Millions of people can be reached through the
performing arts, and our people should
acknowledge and support them. Yes, the
messages of the past have been inaccurate,
but let's not do away with the messenger.
Let's replace him with one of our own. We as
Indian people need to become more involved
in what that message consists of, and I believe
that the performing arts can go a long way in
determining how that message is delivered.
Wednesday, March 15, 1995 6-18
Little Italy 77820 105
Date: March 23, 1995
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
Author: Ginny Holbert
Resisting the lures of voice mail, apathy and
talk radio, many viewers still take the time to
write. We can't publish all the letters, but
here are a few excerpts, in which readers
sound off about the uncertain future of
"Northern Exposure," the increase in gutter
language on TV, government funding for
public television and other topics.
Janet Bozidarevic, West Chicago: I'm so mad!!
When I read your column about "Northern
Exposure" being in trouble, I had such a
feeling of outrage, disappointment and
betrayal.
Mr. and Mrs. L. Wenzelman, Homewood:
Thank God Rob Morrow finally departed from
Cicely! His long departure has almost ruined
"Northern Exposure!" . . . The new doctor and
his wife should fit in very well if the producers
will just give them some publicity and a
chance to perform. "Exposure" is literate,
whimsical, offbeat and charming. Hope it can
continue for some time.
Although "Northern Exposure" suffered from
its move to Wednesday nights, it will be back
with new episodes for May sweeps. CBS will
look at the ratings then and decide whether it
will be renewed or not. Viewers concerned
about the fate of any show should write to
the network presidents; we'll print their
addresses on Monday's TV & Radio page.
Thursday, April 06, 1995 6-19
Balls 77816 106
Monday, April 24, 1995 6-20
Buss Stop 77818 107
Cicely News & World Telegram
California. Corbin himself had just read a story
predicting CBS would announce Wednesday it
had canceled the show, some of which is
Date: May 14, 1995
filmed in downtown Roslyn and the
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
surrounding area. The show was a surprise hit
Author: Christopher Reynolds
when it first aired in December 1990.
HOMER, Alaska For such a small place, Homer,
The news was hardly a surprise to cast
Alaska, looms large in popular culture. Or at
members such as Corbin or to the production
least facsimiles of it do.
crew, Pipeline Productions in
Redmond. Phone calls from reporters were
Cicely, a tiny, quirky and fictional Alaskan
received with a certain expectation. "Oh, the
town not entirely unlike Homer, has been the
bad news?" said a production company
setting of the television series "Northern
employee who identified herself as Sara.
Exposure" for more than four years. And there
are the folksy books and Motel 6 radio
"It wasn't a big surprise," she said. "It's the
commercials ("We'll leave the light on for ya")
nature of the business. The main feeling is
of Tom Bodett, a Michigan-bred, 12-year
that we know one way or another." Melissa
resident of Homer who has set many of his
Harold, a publicist in Los Angeles, said the
fictional stories in a tiny Alaskan community
network offered Pipeline little information. "It
he calls "The End of the Road."
didn't fit in with their new fall schedule," I she
said.
Before I left for Homer, I called Bodett to get
an insider's take on his town.
Corbin said many on the show have "mixed
emotions" and felt "burned by the network"
Homer is like most small towns, Bodett said,
this past spring when the show often was pre-
in that "people know each other's business,
empted in the spring. The show's considerable
and people tend to care about each other a
cross-section of fans have syndication to get
little more because they know each other a
them through the transition, but Corbin said
little better than they do in bigger cities." But
he had hoped the show would go on.
he also pointed out a compound distinction
that does make Homer different: "The people
Steve Moore, a Roslyn resident, didn't share
who settled this land are still around," but
that sentiment. "I'm just kind of glad to get rid
now they've been joined by well-educated,
of those guys," he said Wednesday. "Good
simplicity-seeking immigrants from the Lower
riddance." Moore said production crews,
48.
particularly early on, often were arrogant and
disrespectful.
"There are more unused college degrees in
Homer, than I've seen anywhere," Bodett
"When they first came here they were really
said.
obnoxious," he said. "It was kind of like they
just owned the place." Moore who lives off
Pennsylvania Avenue in the downtown area,
said he spent considerable time chasing
bodies off his property, protecting his apple
Date: May 25, 1995
trees and getting cars removed from his
Publication: Yakima Herald-Republic
driveway.
Author: Wes Nelson
"After five years of that crap, my God," he
On an airline flight Wednesday, Barry
said with a bitter tone. Letters to the
Corbin turned away from his newspaper to a
man who tapped him on one shoulder. "He production company and city officials largely
were ignored, he said.
said, 'I just love your show,'' said Corbin, who
plays Maurice, a retired astronaut in the CBS
show "Northern Exposure." Roger Beardsley, whose wife Lea, led a
petition drive in 1991 demanding - that
Make that played a retired astronaut. crewmembers behave themselves, said
matters improved when Pipeline Productions
"I stopped him and said, 'Here, read this,' " took over for CineNevada, the show's first
Corbin said Wednesday from Southern production company. Spared of disruptions
167
from filming, many residents are certain to be
happy over the show's cancellation, Beardsley
said.
Others, however, feel a loss. "That's a bunch
of jobs down the drain for several people," he
said.
Mayor Jack Denning said Roslyn will survive,
just as it did when the last coal mines closed
in 1963 and when logging waned in the early
1990s. "We didn't rely on Northern Exposure
to feed a town of 1,000," he said. "The
community's been here 108 years. It's not
going to die on the vine."
Tourism undoubtedly will remain strong,
Denning said. The show put Roslyn "on
the map, nationally and
internationally." Film and television
production companies remain
interested, he said. Warner Brothers,
which visited Roslyn last year,
"promised me they will be back,"
Denning said.
Moore said he doesn't mind the
presence of television or film crews -
just arrogant ones. "If the attitude of
the people was friendly ... one could
enjoy something like that," he said. "It
would depend on whether they didn't
run their generator until 3 in the
morning when people have to get up
at 6 to go to work."
Denning said many of the town's
businesses, such as the Roslyn Cafe
and Brick Tavern, are sure to miss the show.
"All of them have reaped benefits," he said.
Corbin said he'll take a bundle of good
memories with him - and then some. He'll
miss his character, Maurice, but "I'll take a lot
of him with me," Corbin said with a certain
glee in his Texan accent. "When I left the set -
I probably shouldn't admit this but ... I
brought his jacket with me," Corbin said. "I'm
wearing his boots right now.”
Quirky treatment of 'Exposure' an ironic end
to a graceful series
Date: May 25, 1995
Publication: Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Author: John Engstrom
Cicely News & World Telegram
ROSLYN, Wash. - For most of its five seasons,
"Northern Exposure" thrived on quirk, but in
the end it was quirky stuff that killed it.
Not the softly bent characters or gently
twisted story lines, but the unbelievably
quirky way CBS abused and then blew away a
perfectly good series at a time when the
troubled network was desperate for any show
with a pulse.
After the TV version of folding, mutilating and
spindling, CBS finally put "Northern Exposure"
out of its misery last week, canceling the
series when the network amounced its fall
schedule.
The end had been expected by everyone
involved with the show, which was shot
mostly in the Cascades foothills town of
Roslyn and at a sound stage tucked away in a
Redmond industrial park.
In an interview earlier this month, before she
suffered a near-fatal rupture of her aorta,
actress Peg Phillips described her parting
when the series finished shooting what
everyone suspected was the last episode.
"It was so sad," said Phillips, 77, who
played Ruth-Anne Miller, feisty owner of
Cicely's general store. "I had to leave in a
hurry. I said, 'Goodbye, darlings, I've got to
get out of here before I cry.'
168
"A series just takes up your whole life. You
form these attachments. And then it's gone. It
was very, very difficult emotionally."
Three original episodes remain to air and CBS
will show them sometime this summer.
The first two are not great, Phillips said, but
the finale is better, shot much like a series
farewell. Cicely's several couples each find a
note of closure or a new beginning, and the
final scene is a last look at Cicely/Roslyn as an
old pickup truck drives down a deserted
street.
It's a leave-taking as gentle as the show's
arrival.
"Northern Exposure" slipped quietly as a
moccasin tread onto the CBS schedule in
July 1990 for a two-month summer tryout.
No industry buzz preceded it, not even a
whisper about this funny, feeling little show
about the human condition as revealed
when a Jewish New York doctor is forced
into a fish-out-of-water relationship with
the unusual residents of Cicely, Alaska.
Viewers gave it a few sniffs; some found
themselves delighted.
CBS finally brought "Northern Exposure"
back as a mid-season replacement the
following April and it soon became a ratings-
winner in the powerful Monday night lineup
that helped CBS climb to No. 1.
For the next few years, the lives of cast
members became entwined in the Seattle
area.
Like any family, they had their ups and downs.
There were marriages (Darren E.
Burrows and Cynthia Geary, not to each
other), a broken leg (Barry Corbin), gall
bladder surgery (Janine Turner), connections
to the local club scene (John Corbett), and
work with local theaters (John Cullum).
Several got national ads and commercial
voiceovers.
Work on the set swirled around two of the
most temperamental actors in the
business. Rob Morrow (Dr. Joel Fleischman)
leveled ego-centered demands for acting
perfection. Turner (Maggie O'Connell) threw a
stream of fits over things like her toy white
poodle, or a gray hair found (and unwisely
mentioned) by a stylist.
"Northern Exposure'' never cracked the top
10 in ratings for a full season, ranking No. 11
once and No. 16 twice, but it had a loyal
following of the deeply devoted.
Memories of special episodes or scenes were
treated like family jewels:
• When chris catapulted a piano across the
countryside in search of the perfect moment.
[3.14 Burning Down the House]
• Ed's 75th birthday gift to Ruth-Anne - a
beautiful, isolated gravesite, where they
danced to celebrate life.[3.8 A-Hunting We
Will Go]
• Maurice's bottled 70-million-year-old water
that flipped townfolk into a sexual role
reversal. [6.12 Horns]
• And especially the wonderfully realized tale
of the town's founding by lesbians Roslyn and
Cicely. [3.23 Cicely]
The show's ratings began to slip in the 1993-
94 season, when new writers and producers
couldn't keep the scripts up to standard.
Then came this past season, when CBS tossed
"Northern Exposure" to the wolves.
Throughout, there was almost no promotion
by the network. And the season began with
the drawn-out departure of Fleischman over
13 increasingly boring episodes, ending with a
disappointing resolution.
In the midst of this came The Move. CBS
needed to save "Chicago Hope" from the
bashing it was taking by NBC's "ER" on
Thursdays. Suddenly in early January, with a
wham-bam and not so much as a thank you,
"Northern Exposure" was dumped onto
Wednesdays, where CBS was horribly weak,
while "Chicago Hope" inherited the cozy
Monday time slot.
After Fleischman's dissapearance in February,
a new doctor and his wife were added to the
show, but they never became more than
shallow irritants.
It was the move to Wednesdays that
ultimately doomed the show which might
Cicely News & World Telegram
have been dead anyway because of the
callous CBS treatment and Morrow's farewell.
"Northern Exposure" ranked 25th when it was
moved. It finished this season tied for 40th,
down 3 million viewers a week from the
previous year, a 22 percent drop.
While no new episodes will be made, the
series remains available in syndication.
Nationally, reruns air on 190 stations covering
96 of the top 100 markets.
Though the official cancellation came
Wednesday, the network and production
studio had already called the cast and thanked
them for their work. Goodbye gifts had been
sent out to publicists who worked on the
show. And an unofficial wake had begun.
''After the shooting was all done, I still would than in a relationship. Chris (John Corbett) is
wake up in the morning and want to get up
and drive through the gate and visit with my
friends in the production office," said Phillips. the town's tiny radio station. Maurice (Barry
"I loved that, because, you know, we had the
only completely nonviolent drama show on
TV. How can they let it just end like this?"
How, indeed.
Date: June 25, 1995
Publication: The Boston Globe (Boston, MA)
Astronaut Maurice Minnifield on CBS'
"Northern Exposure," will receive the Christa
McAuliffe Planetarium Foundation Award July
8.
`
Date: July 5, 1995
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
Author: Ginny Holbert
When "Northern Exposure" premiered in the
summer of 1990, it was a breath of clean
arctic air in a smog-alert world. The setting
was appealing, the characters were endearing
and the stories were an artful blend of drama
and comedy. The moose was cool, too.
But the Alaska town has fallen on hard times.
Not only did CBS cancel the once-hot show,
169
but the population of little Cicely is declining.
As Dr. Phillip Capra (Paul Provenza) laments in
an upcoming episode: "I mortgaged my future
for a ghost town!" (The irony is intended, I'm
sure, since Provenza had the bad luck of
joining the series just as it began its
downward spiral.)
Fortunately, there's still a bit of good news for
"Northern Exposure" fans. After a rerun of
Rob Morrow's final show at 8 tonight, CBS will
use the 8 p.m. Wednesday time slot to air
three never-before-seen episodes. And in the
muggy doldrums of summer TV, they're a
refreshing reminder of why Cicely has always
been such a nice place to visit.
From the beginning, the strength of "Northern
Exposure" was its charming, stereotype-
defying characters. Maggie (Janine Turner) is
the intrepid pilot who is more secure in the air
the sensitive, poetry-quoting ex-con who
presides over a world-class music collection at
Corbin) is the macho, gun-loving ex-astronaut
who dotes on opera, fine antiques and a burly
policewoman named Barbara. Young Ed
(Darren Burrows) is a naive, Native American
cross between Francois Truffaut and Gilligan.
But the best "Northern Exposure" character of
all is not Maggie or Ed or even Dr. Joel
Fleishman (Morrow). It is Cicely itself.
With its pristine setting, cosmopolitan
citizenry and manageable size, Cicely is the
large-scale version of the "Cheers" bar - a
place where everyone knows your name. For
stressed-out city dwellers or isolated
suburbanites, the rugged pioneer town is the
perfect civic fantasy - clean air, small-town
friendliness and plenty of places to park.
Moreover, Cicely is a place where individual
differences thrive, where nature is respected,
where art and literature are integral parts of
daily life and where people get along.
Often, Cicely serves as a kinder, gentler
microcosm of the lower 48. One upcoming
episode - which tackles nothing less than
conflict, multiculturalism and the meaning of
civility, features an etiquette class given by
the taciturn Native American secretary
Marilyn. While Chris simply wants to learn
how to waltz, Dr. Capra finds that he has
committed several faux pas de deux in his
ignorance of Indian culture.
In his own inimitable way, bar owner Holling
Vincoeur explains that when you ignore the
small details of life, civilization falls apart.
"Good manners are a tradition in Cicely," says
Holling. "Living on the frontier, in a cultural
mix like this . . . you don't make it a priority,
etiquette goes right out the window. The next
thing you know, people splitting each other's
skulls with hatchets."
It's a good point - whether you live in Cicely or
Chicago.
On July 26, in an episode emphasizing
romance and reconciliation, "Northern
Exposure" ends with a poignant tribute to the
magical, mythical Cicely. Appropriately, since
music has always been such a distinctive part
of the show, the episode ends with a perfect,
bittersweet song called "Our Town."
"Just like they say nothing good ever lasts,"
sings IIris DeMent. "Go on now and say
goodbye to our town. Good night."
Wednesday, July 12, 1995 6-21
Ursa Minor 77819 108
Wednesday, July 19, 1995 6-22
Let's Dance 77822 109
Wednesday, July 26, 1995 6-23
Tranquility Base 77821 110
And ya know the sun's settin' fast
And just like they say, nothing good ever lasts
Go on now and kiss it goodbye
But hold on to your lover 'cause your heart's
bound to die
Go on now and say goodbye to our town, to
our town
Can't you see the sun's settin' down on our
town, on our town
Goodnight.
Up the street beside the red neon light
That's where I met my baby one hot summer
night
He was the tender and I ordered a beer
It's been twenty years and I'm still sittin' here.
And ya know the sun's settin' fast
And just like they say, nothing good ever lasts
Go on now and kiss it goodbye
But hold on to your lover 'cause your heart's
bound to die.
Go on now and say goodbye to our town, to
Cicely News & World Telegram
our town
Can't you see the sun's settin' down on our
town, on our town
Goodnight.
It's here I had my babies and I had my first kiss Steven Spielberg or maybe even Fellini. Chris
I've walked down Main street in the cold
morning mist
Over there is where I bought my first car
It turned over once but then it never went far. each week, wandered a monumentally
And ya know the sun's settin' fast
And just like they say, nothing good ever lasts was founded by two lesbian lovers. This was
Go on now and kiss it goodbye
But hold on to your lover 'cause your heart's
bound to die
Go on now and say goodbye to our town, to
our town
Can't you see the sun's settin' down on our
town, on our town
Goodnight.
-Iris DeMent
Date: July 26, 1995
Publication: The New York Times
Author: John J. O'Connor
After five seasons on CBS, "Northern
Exposure" comes to a close this evening. It's
time. The show's distinctive whimsy began to
grow perilously thin a year or two ago. Cast
changes, most notably the departure of Rob
Morrow, who played the central and
somewhat irritating character of whiny Joel
Fleischman, proved fatal. In tonight's wrap-
up, several major players like John Cullum's
Holling, Janine Turner's Maggie and John
Corbett's Chris barely muster enough energy
to put in brief appearances.
All of which shouldn't detract from the
inventiveness and accomplishments of
"Northern Exposure" at its best. When Joel, a
New Yorker and recent medical-school
graduate, arrived in the outpost town of
Cicely, Alaska, to pay off scholarship
obligations, a wonderfully offbeat community
sprouted up in prime time. The barmy
residents were the brainchildren of Joshua
Brand and John Falsey, the creative team
whose other credits include "St. Elsewhere."
170
Among the more prominent townfolk was
Maurice (Barry Corbin), former astronaut,
who practically owned the town but never
could quite control it. Ed Chigliak (Darren E.
Burrows), a local movie nut, dreamed of being
(John Corbett), a former convict, was the host
of a radio program, playing hip music and
reciting beautiful poetry. And through it all,
unimpressed moose. One memorable episode
recounted in imaginative flashback how Cicely
never, obviously, "The Brady Bunch."
The final episode does manage to capture the
fey charm of the series in its heyday. Maurice,
planning to propose to the formidable
Barbara Semanski (Diane Delano), has invited
the entire gang to his place. Maurice yearns
for a family compound, "kinda like what Jack
Kennedy had." Nothing, of course, goes
smoothly. Old Holling, said to be rutting,
retreats to a bedroom with his young wife.
Chris, bemoaning his Teflon wheel of life to
which nothing sticks, gets drunk.
Into the midst of this pervasive unhappiness
comes parachuting, like some figure in a
Chagall painting, Rabbi Shulman (Jerry Adler),
making yet another appearance on the series.
Explaining that he hasn't used a parachute
since D-Day in World War II, the rabbi is tired
of weddings and bar mitzvahs and now wants
to devote his life to pondering "the meaning
of the burning bush." Consoling a young
woman who has been told she must begin
thinking for herself, the rabbi quotes an old
Yiddish proverb: "When you don't know
where you're going, every road will take you
there."
Meanwhile, back at the house, an intense
game of charades ends up with the answer:
"The Bridges of Madison County."
Relationships are adjusted, friendship
renewed. A full moon hangs lovingly over the
quiet town of Cicely. A sign in the store
window says "Closed." A very special series
departs gracefully.
Miscellany Hereafter
Date: August 1, 1995
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
Author: Bill Zwecker

Will Sylvester Stallone be headed to Chicago

for longer than just a quick stop at his Planet
Hollywood here? Could be. Stallone is very
interested in snaring the title role in a movie
about the young Al Capone being put
together by mega-producer David Brown.
The film will be based on Laurence
Bergreen's book Capone: The Man and the
Era.

CASTING CALL: Once Rob Morrow left

"Northern Exposure," the popular TV show
seemed to lose steam and, of course, it's
been canceled. Morrow, however, is on a
roll, carving out a broader career as a movie
actor. He got good reviews for "Quiz Show,"
and he just finished "Last Dance" with
Sharon Stone. Now he's Down Under filming
"The Island of Dr. Moreau" with Val Kilmer
and, eventually, Marlon Brando.

Date: August 15, 1995

Publication: News From Indian Country
Author: Kathy "K.G." Guillen

Special to News From Indian Country

On the weekend of June 23-25 the Cultural

Heritage concert kicked off. As we arrived at
the Henry J. Kaiser arena, we immediately
spotted Lawrence Martin. He came all the
way from Sioux Lookout, Ontario Canada.
Casually, he sat outside the front steps
wearing a pair of shorts, Nike's, and a cotton
shirt. The afternoon had been a sweltering
96 degrees, and little did we know then that
the evening heat was about to intensify.
the shows' line-up was altered, and up next
The Pomo Dancers came on stage, eleven in was Lawrence Martin.
Our friend Chante, also an accomplished
all with seven dancers, and the rest singers.
musician/vocalist who's newest release is
The youngest dancer was introduced as the He came on stage now wearing an elegant
entitled Nightbird, had previously met
Spirit Dancer because we were told that he black ribbon shirt and jeans accompanied only
Lawrence so introductions were made and the
was totally deaf and danced by feel, and from with his guitar. His first number was the
usual casual conversation followed. As people
the heart. His dancing touched many of our popular 'Elders' from his CD 'Wapistan' on
began entering the arena, before long it was
hearts that evening. It was a special and First Nation Music label. Although many in the
time for us to head indoors to find the good
sacred feeling that these dancers from Round crowd were unfamiliar with his music, his
seat (somewhere around row 11) and the
Valley, California were dancing on their own songs were well-received. A number of new
show began shortly after.
turf. Because of a few technical difficulties, songs were in his set that will be in his

Cicely News & World Telegram 171

upcoming CD due out August on EMI records.
A song called 'Anishinabe Child' was promptly
dedicated to Chante, a song of recovery and
strength. On a whole other level he went from
that lyrically serious number to a lighthearted
tongue-in-cheek one called 'Born Again Pagan'
where the audience was encouraged to
participate in shouting out those very words!
Other songs included 'Turtle Island'
'Wawatey', 'Mushkeego' 'Wacheay' and my
personal favorite 'Dance
Elaine Miles of Northern Exposure, came on
stage and said a few words. She was the Head
Woman Dancer for the Pow Wow. She spoke
softly as she always does, about her feeling on
the show's cancellation. "Don't feel sorry for
me, I'm happy now. I will be able to go to a lot
more pow wows, I can spend time with my
new baby, I can be with my mom and I no
longer have to be 'Marilyn', I can be myself
'Elaine' !!" All good wishes for her and her
family.
Keith Secola and The Wild Band Of Indians
started their set with a progressive number
entitled 'For Our Ancestors.' Following that
was a song from the Hopi and Choctaw nation
called 'Rabbit Dance.' Sung entirely in his
Native tongue, was a melodical number
called, 'Ojibwe Song,' followed by 'Fry Bread
Song' where again we in the audience were
asked to participate. Secola had us all doing
fry bread making motions with our hands
during the chorus. (I guess you're never too
old to play pattycake!!) By this time the night
was getting on, and it was time for that much
promised dinner we offered Lawrence Martin
earlier. I'm sure Keith Secola and the Wild
Band of Indians continued entertaining with
their strong set, and it's a shame that I had to
leave without hearing the rest of their
material.
But the howl of the late night called us, or
maybe it was the growl of our stomachs. At
any rate, we left in hot pursuit of a restaurant
still open at this late hour. Driving all over the
East Bay, we ended up in Alameda where we
found a restaurant serving 'authentic Mexican
cuisine' nearing 1 a.m. We sat, we ordered,
we ate, and we laughed and got to know
Lawrence. What I found was a highly talented
musician, a dedicated father and husband, a
humble and spiritual man who wants to share
how he feels for Native people through his
music... and for a Canadian/Cree, a very funny
person. (HA!)
Cicely News & World Telegram
All in all, the weekend was a lot of fun filled confusion they experience once expected to
with music and memories. I can bet Lawrence analyze the information they have collected.
smiled occassionally to himself while on that Ely (1991) refers to the researcher's
long flight back home to Sioux Lookout, discomfort sitting amongst mounds and
Ontario. mounds of data, contemplating, "What do I
do with all of this?" (p. 140). So too, the family
therapist toils over what to do with the
wealth of information which evolves out of a
family therapy session. Unfortunately, it is
quite easy as therapists and as researchers to
by Kristin Wright and Julio Vigil get lost in the content of information: unable
to find or create an overarching theme or
The Qualitative Report, Volume 2, Number 2,
pattern that connects the data. And yet, it is
October, 1995
this "chunking" of information into
(http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR2-
meaningful constructions that we believe is
2/wright.html)
one of the most important skills for both
researchers and therapists alike. The goal
then for both professionals is to "find some
way or ways to tease out what they consider
In qualitative research literature, several
to be the essential meaning" (Ely, 1991, p.
recent articles have been written which
140) of the gathered information.
explore the relationship between clinical
practice and qualitative research (Chenail,
This "essential meaning" (Ely, 1990, p. 140) is
1994; Gale, 1993; Moon, Dillon, & Sprenkle,
what we understand to be a theme or
1990). In a similar vein, Talley, Strupp, and
pattern. Although we are cognizant of
Butler (1994) also recently edited a book in
Leininger's (1985) distinctions regarding
which they question why research has
patterns and themes, for the purposes of this
previously failed to inform clinical practice.
paper, we simply conceptualize the two terms
These authors attempt to bridge the
as interchangeable. When referring to themes
communication between the research and
and/or patterns we are referring to the
therapeutic communities by presenting
significant segments of interviewee/client
thought-provoking articles in which
stories which emerge over and over again.
researchers and clinicians utilize the ideas of
both professions (Chenail, 1994; Gale, 1993;
We propose that the ability to create themes
Moon, Dillon, & Sprenkle, 1990; Talley,
or patterns out of information does not come
Strupp, & Butler, 1994). The consensus seems
naturally and instead we suggest that this skill
to suggest that the skills which researchers
is one which requires constant nurturing and
find helpful in their work may also be useful
refining. It is through our own struggles and
for therapists and vice versa.
attempts to further develop this skill that we
set out to find a fun way of practicing this
As both family therapists and beginning
ability. We especially wanted a way to
researchers, we discovered that many of the
practice our theme creating efforts without
skills which inform our therapeutic
committing to the formal process of
conversations with clients also serve us well in
identifying a researchable question,
our work as researchers. Upon completing our
performing interviews, generating data,
first qualitative research project, we identified
taping interviews, transcribing interviews, etc.
the ability to "hear," "find," or "create"
Therefore, we decided to create a playful way
themes out of the information which evolved
to practice the skill of categorizing
in our work as a paramount skill. We, rather
information by analyzing a popular North
surprisingly, agreed that this skill is also
American television series: Northern
primary in our work as family therapists.
Exposure.
Both family therapists and qualitative
Northern Exposure provides an interesting
researchers generate a great deal of
challenge for researchers and therapists who
information in their work and are therefore
want to enhance their ability to categorize
faced with the arduous task of "doing
information. Similar to an interviewee (or
something with it." We identify with
client) providing a story for researchers (or
colleagues who speak of the overwhelming
therapist), the writers of Northern
172
Exposure provide a story for viewers to make
sense of. Unique to this series, is that in each
episode the writers connect three stories
under a more encompassing central theme.
Therefore, the information we as an audience
receive has already been processed, and our
task is simply to try to identify the theme
which the writers have suggested.
Typically, in each episode of Northern
Exposure there are three vignettes or stories
being carried out by the various characters of
the series. By the shows end, there is an
evolved overarching theme that supports a
central meaning or theme which connects all
three vignettes.
Northern Exposure
Northern Exposure takes place in the small
town (population 839) of Cicely, Alaska
(Nance, 1992). The weekly series began with
the story of Dr. Joel Fleishman, a recent
graduate of medical school who was recruited
to provide medical care for the townspeople
of Cicely in repayment for his student loans.
Dr. Fleishman is a native New Yorker who
finds himself trying to cope with life in the
remote outdoors of "the last frontier."
The episode we analyzed began with Dr.
Fleishman narrating a story to Ed, a young
Native American who befriended Dr.
Fleishman when he first arrived in Cicely. Ed
has gone up-river to find Dr. Fleishman who
previously left Cicely on a house-call. After
providing medical attention to a baby in a
remote village, Joel (Dr. Fleishman) decides to
stay. Wanting Dr. Fleishman to return,
Maurice (the town patriarch) sends Ed to
bring Dr. Fleishman back to Cicely. In his
narration of the episode, Joel tells three
stories that help to explain why Joel has
decided to stay in the remote village. What
follows is our construction of Joel's narration
and the three stories or vignettes.
Vignette One - Fireworks
This story begins with Joel moving into
Maggie's home. Maggie is a young
independent pilot who has shared a long-time
love/hate relationship with Dr. Fleishman. In
this vignette, the two of them are attempting
to negotiate the nuances of living together
and getting to know one another on a more
intimate basis. The history of their
relationship is marked by frequent arguing
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concerning Joel's desire to control his external
world versus Maggie's desire to accept things
as they come. In this particular story, anytime
Joel and Maggie become intimate with one
another, a shotgun discharges. These
incidents become problematic for Joel since
he cannot explain why this is happening. In
contrast, Maggie is not concerned with the
"why," but simply relishes in the bizarre
nature of these occurences.
MAGGIE: Well, if there is a connection
between you and me and the gun, I think
that's kind of fun.
JOEL: Fun?
MAGGIE: Yeah.
JOEL: That's a turn on for you?
MAGGIE: Well, (laughs) yeah.
JOEL: Oh, that's great. Putting our lives at
danger is an aphrodisiac for you. I'm living
with a risk junky.
MAGGIE: I wouldn't paint it so negatively. You
know, I just like surprises.
JOEL: Well, sorry. I don't. Having my car start
in the morning and watching a good movie on
cable is about as much surprise as I like.
MAGGIE: God. This is so like you. Everything
has to be so controlled and safe. What is the
point in living life like that?
Vignette Two - Falling in Love Again
In this story, Ruth-Ann, an elderly
independent woman who owns the town
general store experiences a great deal of
confusion when confronted with the
knowledge that she is in love with Walt, a
local trapper. When Walt leaves to work his
winter trap line, Ruth-Ann begins
experiencing feelings that are reminiscent of
teen-age love. Ruth-Ann becomes quite
distressed when she perceives herself loosing
control of her independent life as she knows
it. Ruth-Ann visits Dr. Fleishman for a physical
examination:
RUTH-ANN: I keep forgetting things, my mind
wonders, sometimes I find myself standing in
a room, and I have no idea how I got there.
JOEL: Well, your B.P. is good. It's 144 over 86.
173
RUTH-ANN: The mood swings. One minute I'm
on top of the world and the next minute I'm
sunk in despair. It's so oppressive I can hardly
breathe... You know Joel I am 77. Now I can't
expect to be as sharp as I was when I was 65.
Maybe, I'm just losing my marbles.
JOEL: Oh, Ruth-Ann you're not senile.
RUTH-ANN: Who am I kidding? I'm not sick. I
know what's wrong with me. And I never
should have come here in the first place. I'm
sorry I bothered you.
JOEL: Oh, Ruth-Ann.
RUTH-ANN: It's not a medical problem and it's
not your concern. What difference does it
make if you know. I'm in love Joel. I'm
desperately in love with Walter. . . . I don't
need this. I don't want this. The heart
palpitations, the mindless daydreams, the
horrible stirring in the pit of my stomach. Yuk.
JOEL: Can't you think of it as something
positive.
RUTH-ANN: Positive, look at me. I'm a grown
woman and I've been reduced to a needy,
vulnerable, school-girl. Well, I'm going to
fight. I'm not going to let it get the better of
me. I'll be just fine without him.
Vignette Three - "Mi Vida Loca" (My Crazy
Life)
The final story introduces Chris, the town
philosopher and radio disc-jockey. Chris is
having renovations done to his trailer in an
attempt to organize "mi vida loca" (my crazy
life). He hires a local contractor to complete
the work; however, problems soon arise.
When Chris attempts to control the
contractor, the plans of remodeling quickly go
awry leaving Chris in the pits of chaos and his
trailer near ruin. At the episode's mid-point,
viewers are left with the scene of Chris exiting
his damaged trailer, looking around the
outdoors, and screaming from the depths of
his soul.
Theme Development - Part One
The excerpts presented above took us to the
episode's mid-session. In an attempt to get
more familiar with each of the character's
stories, we continued to re-play each of the
vignettes. At the time, we were not interested
in comparing the different vignettes, but
simply wanted to note re-occurring ideas or
words in each story. Individually, we noted
our initial ideas regarding what we thought
each character was experiencing. We then
assigned one word headings or categories
which seemed to encompass the story of each
character. To see if there were any similarities
and/or differences in what we had each come
up with individually, we then discussed our
thoughts with one another. At the mid-
session of the episode, we had developed
themes concerning "loss of control" and "life's
transitions."
In vignette one, we agreed that Joel was
struggling with the transition of living with
someone after years of living alone and was
feeling overwhelmed due to his life being
unpredictable. His fears of the unknown were
reinforced by the unexplainable gun-shots
each time he and Maggie became intimate
with one another. In vignette two, we noticed
Ruth-Ann's frustration in realizing that she
was in love with Walt and the loss of control
she perceived this brought to her life. Lastly,
vignette three illustrated Chris' failed attempt
to achieve some level of stability and
structure to what he perceived was an
unorganized life. The common theme we
constructed from the stories thus far revolved
around each characters desire to maintain a
feeling of control when their respective lives
were in a state of transition. The words that
we created to encompass these stories were
struggle and transition.
At the episode's mid-session, we had some
difficulty attempting to make a connection
with the opening scene of the episode which
involved Joel's telling of the story to Ed. This it down like a house of cards you know. Ruins own culture. In their conversation with one
meta-perspective which Joel narrated evaded everything. Next thing you know I'm
us. From our previous knowledge of how an
episode typically evolves, we were hopeful
that a connection would resonate for us later. but a metaphor for the mind. Isn't that what
Therefore, we returned to the data: the
second half of the episode.
Vignette One - Re-visited
This story re-opens with Joel and Maggie
talking about their differences. Joel apologizes
for his previous "up-tightness" and explains
that he knows he must change his ways:
JOEL: I know I gotta relax and be more open
to what comes down the pike. I gotta be a
more accepting and less controlling person...
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MAGGIE: Living with you is something I really These people stopped struggling. They've
wanted, but it just isn't working. You exhaust given up the reins and basically opened
me. There's just so much of you and it's themselves to whatever life handed them. . . .
always working so hard.... You have to move I never experienced such a sense of loss.
out. Working so many years for something.
Actually, kicking me out was probably the
JOEL: What? most loving thing she could have done for me
although I didn't realize it until I came up here
MAGGIE: ...Look, you hold on to everything so on a house-call.... At that moment, the
tightly that your knuckles are white, and I experiences of the last week coalesced. To
need somebody who can let go a little. find myself I had to throw off the external
trappings of my life.
Vignette Two - Re-visited
Theme Development - Part Two
After spending her time writing poetry and
listening to love songs while attempting to The excerpts presented above further
fight her feelings for Walt, Ruth-Ann illustrate a common theme which seemed to
announces: evolve in each story. The characters faced an
epistemological crisis of sorts when they each
RUTH-ANN: I tried. Lord knows, I've tried. I'm acknowledged their own inability to control
just no good without him. I give up. I the turmoil they were experiencing in their
surrender. Let fate do what it will. lives. Ruth-Ann gave up control by accepting
and acknowledging her feelings for Walt. Chris
She later goes to the radio-station and has a
relinquished his need to control the
message sent across the air-waves to Walt
renovations to his trailer, which he equated
telling him, "There's no dignity in love. Come
with his need to control his mind. By letting
home."
go of these feelings, Chris was able to accept
the chaos in his life. Joel's way of giving up
Vignette Three - Re-visited
control was to leave Cicely. Unlike Chris, Joel's
Following the scene of Chris' primal scream, life was too stable. He was imprisoned within
Joel visits Chris to provide some Xanex to help his own existence. Therefore, he chose to
Chris with his insomnia. Chris announces he is physically disconnect from everything that
no longer having difficulties sleeping and is was controlling him: his job, his relationships,
over his previous feelings of anxiety. Chris and his life in Cicely.
then explains his "ah-ha" experience:
We suspected that the narration Joel provided
CHRIS: . . . Great lesson. Real watershed. throughout the episode contained an
Though, you know, a guy like me tries to get embedded message for Ed. Witnessing Joel
his space together. Put a three piece suit on it. living and learning the ways of the Native
The universe with its big ursine paw just slaps Americans, left Ed feeling alienated from his
another, Ed questions if he too should stay
homeless, cast out like some sap, kneeling in with Joel and learn the ways of "his" people.
the mud.... Well, thing is Joel, what is a house, The stories which Joel narrates to Ed seem to
illustrate that, like the other characters, Ed
it's all about. You gotta tear down the old also is being controlled by his beliefs or
before you build the new. You gotta lose your expectations of how he "should" be. Because
mind before you find it. The universe whacked Ed strongly identifies himself as a Native
my house, it was really whacking my mind. . . . American and witnesses Joel, a New York Jew,
Give up man. Throw out all those old plans living the stereotypical "Native American"
existence, Ed is trapped into believing that he
and sink your face in the here and now.
also should be living a life more consistent
Whether it works out or not I'm a free man.
with his heritage. For us, Joel's stories
As the episode came to an end, the viewers exemplify that each person must pick his or
were left again with Joel's narration to Ed: her own path in life and that the path one
chooses may not be appropriate or fitting for
JOEL: See, it struck me. There is something for another.
me to learn from Chris and Ruth-Ann, right?
174
In retrospect, we attempted to look at how
we developed the themes which evolved. We
followed a conceptual template which our
professor, Ron Chenail (personal
communication, November, 1994) shared
with us. To help look at how the ideas are
connected, he suggested:
vignette ------------- meta perspective
vignette ------------- meta perspective
vignette ------------- meta perspective
This simple template proved most useful
when we picked an episode to analyze. With
each story or vignette, we attempted to think
about what message the writers were
attempting to evoke. Once we came up with
an idea for each story, we then attempted to
connect the three. Of course, what we
constructed as our theme was simply our
construction. Similarly, when analyzing any
data, either from a client or in an
ethnographic interview, the themes that the
researcher or the therapist develops speak
only to that researcher. Another researcher
may offer another description, another
theme.
To many readers this exercise may seem a bit
silly and even trite; however, we suggest it is
these very type of playful exercises which
encourage therapists and researchers alike to
truly hone their craft. Thankfully, our
colleagues have encouraged our attempts to
be playful with theoretical ideas. Through this
playfulness, we suspect our theoretical
learning will become more than a remote
discussion in a textbook and instead, will
become integrated into useful and pragmatc
ideas informing our work as researchers and
therapists. This paper is our attempt to simply
play at categorizing information and allow the
readers to follow our process.
References
Chenail, R. (1994). Qualitative research and
clinical work: "private-ization" and "public-
action." The Qualitative Report, 2, 1-12.
Ely, M. (1991). Doing qualitative research:
Circles within circles. New York: The Falmer
Press.
Gale, J. (1993). A field guide to qualitative
inquiry and its clinical
relevance. Contemporary Family Therapy,
15 (1), 73-91.
Cicely News & World Telegram
Moon, S. M., Dillon, D. R., & Sprenkle, D. H.
(1990). Family therapy and qualitative
research. Journal of Marital and Family
Therapy,16, 355-371.
Nance, S. (1992). Exposing Northern
Exposure. Las Vegas: Pioneer Books.
Talley, P. F. , Strupp, H. H., Butler, S. F. (Eds.)
(1994). Psychotherapy research and practice:
Bridging the gap. New York: Basic Books.
Guys have resurrected a medieval technology.
Why? Because it is a challenge. Because it is a
timeless marvel of engineering. Because you
can hurl a gol-durned piano the length of a
football field.
By Richard E. Meyer, Los Angeles
Times (Reprinted from the Washington Post,
6/30/96)
The big arm began to move. The sling
tightened. The coffin, gunmetal gray with
gold-painted handles, shot straight up, so fast
that John Wayne could hardly see it. The arm
and the sling tugged the coffin into an arc,
then flung it into the blinding blue sky over
Rattlesnake Lake, there in North Bend, Wash.
It climbed 200 feet, end over end, tumbling
and flashing like quicksilver. John Wayne
heard the hint of a whistle. Otherwise there
was no sound. The coffin traced a graceful
curve against hemlocks and firs that march up
the side of Rattlesnake Ledge. In a haunting
frieze, it lingered for a moment at an
outcropping of volcanic rock near the top.
Then slowly it began to fall. Plastic flowers
and an American flag tore from the coffin and
hung in the air like a rainbow. The coffin hit
the lake with a crystal splash. It sank. John
Wayne could see it on the bottom, among the
ruins of a village called Cedar Falls, flooded by
a water project after the turn of the century.
"Awesome," he muttered to himself.
Finally, however, the lunacy overwhelmed
him. "A force of 20 G's," he chuckled. Then he
laughed. When that coffin came out of that
catapult, any dearly departed would have
been squashed like a comma. The coffin was,
in fact, empty, the event staged for television.
175
John Wayne Cyra, or John Wayne, as he
prefers to be called in honor of his hero, is a
"catapulteer." Less vaingloriously, he is a
flinger. His is a world of people who throw
things, and not just dishes. It is a world of war
weapons, of siege machines, of catapults of all
sorts, the most popular being a seesaw kind
called the trebuchet. John Wayne and his
peers use them to fling bowling balls,
commodes, pianos, even small cars. "I get
choked up," he says, "thinking about it."
It is a world where the deadly and the daffy
dance. Early flingers hurled horses into enemy
castles, especially dead ones infected with
plague. They also hurled the heads of
prisoners, corpses, even negotiators, whole
and alive, with their rejected terms hanging
around their necks an early form of shuttle
diplomacy. It is a world crowded with inspiring
people. One is John Quincy, a Texas dentist
whose fond hope is to build the biggest
trebuchet in history. Still another is Hew
Kennedy, a British landowner who uses a
trebuchet to hurl dead pigs, because they are
"nice and aerodynamic." And still another is
Ron Toms, a New York computer engineer
who constructed a trebuchet with a chair on
it. He flung himself into a river three times.
"Every once in a while," says Quincy, you
really want to do something that is really out
of the norm, something really stupid - and, by
damn, we have found it."
TAKING FLIGHT
John Wayne Cyra, 49, comes to flinging
naturally. "My whole life," he says, "has been
like a Woody Allen movie." Nuns banished
him from class for chewing gum, for writing X-
rated limericks and for putting thumbtacks on
their chairs. He finally got thrown out of
school altogether. He joined the Air Force,
trained as a paramedic, went to Navy diving
school and volunteered for a top-secret 16-
man spy satellite recovery team in the
northern Pacific. He was a dead-on mimic,
and he could imitate Walter Cronkite. After
his Navy hitch, he got a job reading the news
on a Honolulu radio station. He specialized in
wacky stories. Finally he came home to
Washington state. He drove trucks and
bulldozers and built log houses, including one
for himself.
One day four years ago, he heard gunshots. It
was Skip, his neighbor, who had a bigger log
house and, unlike John Wayne, a telephone. up. It was like the Fourth of July, man. It was Kennedy and his trebuchet in Britain. On an
That was where John Wayne got his calls. great!" impulse, they flew over to visit. Kennedy flung
Whenever the phone rang for him, Skip would a piano for them. Quincy and Clifford came
fire a few rounds into the air, and John Wayne Finally, with actors in place and cameras home hooked. They founded Projectile
would hike over. rolling, John Wayne flung a piano. "To see Throwing Engines, Texas Division, whose
that piano go whoosh like a little pebble! It motto was: "Hurling Into the 21st Century."
This time, however, there was a visitor gets smaller in the distance, and the keys are They built a trebuchet with a 24-foot throwing
waiting. He was a location scout for a flying off, dark keys and white keys.... The way arm. It was powered by 2,000 pounds of scrap
television show about Alaska called "Northern they sprinkled through the air: Oh, it was iron, and it flung things 100 yards, sometimes
Exposure," and he wanted to shoot some beautiful! Then there was a humming, like a farther.
scenes at Skip's place. On John Wayne's harmonica sound. Air was blowing through
advice, Skip agreed, for a hefty sum, and John the piano... The best sound of all was when it They cocked it with a hand winch, but to fire
Wayne got to know the TV people well. The hit: a piano just smashing to pieces all over it, they did something special. They set in
writers of "Northern Exposure" had created a the frozen ground... It's not a crash. It's a motion a mechanical man that kicked a
quirky show. One character was a disc jockey tinkly, air chime kind of taking!' sound. And support that disengaged a blade that cut a
who was partial to rock-and-roll, Walt then there's a little after-tinkle . . . a metallic rope that fired a battering ram that hit a lever
Whitman and performance art. After reading clink-- clink. Then just dead silence." that dumped some cat litter that turned a
about Hew Kennedy and his pig-flinging wheel that wound another rope that tugged a
trebuchet in Great Britain, the writers decided John Wayne flung nine pianos in all; it took lever that triggered a crossbow that shot a
that their disc jockey ought to hurl a piano. that many to satisfy the director's enthusiasm. pipe that set off a tiny catapult that threw a
The production office told John Wayne it All were uprights. Each weighed 450 pounds ball at a garbage can lid that tripped a
needed a catapult. It wanted one that would and sailed about 120 yards. From the nine guillotine that sliced another rope that
fling an upright piano 150 yards, and it flings, the director edited together a single dropped a weight.
wanted the catapult up and operating in 10 flight. To Johann Strauss's "The Blue Danube,"
days. That sounded about as possible as it aired in an episode that ran Feb. 3, 1992. Sometimes the weight fired the trebuchet.
tattooing a bubble, but John Wayne was Other times it rang a bell "alerting," Quincy
game. Next the writers decided that a good friend of says, "another idiot" to fire it. They called it
their disc jockey would die and that his body Baby Thor. Like kids with a new puppy, Quincy
An important element was the weight ratio: would be sent to Alaska to he enshrined in a and Clifford started the International Hurling
With 10,000 pounds of counterweight, he Volkswagen Beetle and flung into a glacial Society. They published a journal,
decided on a foot of flinging arm for every 10 lake. So it was that the location scouts chose called Heave.
pounds of piano. For the trebuchet frame, his Rattlesnake Lake; it was pristine, the essence
men cut 12 logs. They tied them together with of Alaska. But it supplied Seattle with drinking What Quincy wanted most, however, was to
steel straps. For the flinging arm, they built a water, and the city ruled out the greasy car. have the biggest trebuchet in existence. So he
45-foot beam. On top of the frame, they The writers had to settle for a coffin. John and Clifford set about engineering it. This
installed a chromium-steel axle, and they Wayne flung five coffins in all, until the trebuchet is still on the drawing board. Their
placed the arm across it. On the short end of director had plenty of film. The drama aired basic plan calls for a 110-foot throwing arm
the arm, they filled a metal box with five tons on Oct. 19 1992, to "A Whiter Shade of Pale," on an axle 40 feet above the ground. The arm
of lead ingots. On the long end, they tied a by Procol Harum. will be powered by a weight box of no less
sling. With a cable and a bulldozer, they than 15 tons. The frame will be steel, covered
pulled down the long end of the arm. Like a THE REAL FLING with wood and vines to make it look medieval.
teeter-totter, the short end, weighted with They call it Thor. The cost is projected at
the ingots, went up. With time to spare, the John Quincy is a Texan: He wants the biggest $50,000, and money is scarce.
flinger was cocked and ready. The director flinger in the world. Quincy, 47, is a graduate
wanted to film the first fling, but John Wayne of the Air Force Academy, where he majored Undaunted, Quincy looks forward to seeing
reserved it for himself and for his crew. in physics. He left the Air Force and went to Thor throw "something the size of a cow
Besides, if his trebuchet flew apart, he did not dental school. At the same time, he got a about a quarter of a mile." Such talk has
want a lot of people to be hurt. master's degree in literature. Today he has a gotten him reported to animal rights
dental practice. He lives in the country, near advocates. It has not helped that he plans a
He selected a 450-pound log. He topped off a the town of Aledo, 12 miles west of Fort scientific experiment: He wants to smear a
jug with gasoline, and he strapped the jug to Worth. cow with peanut butter and jelly, fling it 10
the log with duct tape. He soaked a rag and times and record how often it lands jelly-side
jammed it into the mouth of the jug. One of One day Quincy and a friend Richard Clifford, down.
his men lit the rag. "And we shot that baby. I an engineer and an artist, watched a
saw 10,000 pounds of lead come down, and film, "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." What THE ARC OF TRIUMPH
that log took off like the space shuttle. It impressed them was a scene in which a
pulled so many G's that the force ripped the catapult flings a Holstein over a castle wall. In Britain, at Acton Round, 150 miles north of
jug off the log. A gallon of gas went straight Not long afterward, they, too, read about London, lives Hew Kennedy, the proud

Cicely News & World Telegram 176

godfather of all this. He is in his late fifties, a
landowner with a considerable estate, nearly
700 acres, most of it in woods and rolling hills.
Kennedy went to Sandhurst, the West Point of
Great Britain, where he learned that
Napoleon III had built a trebuchet and that it
had not worked very well. "The French had
done something wrong." He adds: "Of
course."
In time, he talked a neighbor, Richard Barr,
into building a trebuchet that would be the
envy of the French and everyone else. After
some false starts, they built one 60 feet high,
on two A-frames fashioned out of the logs
from 24 trees. Between the A-frames was an
axle. On the axle pivoted a three-ton beam
powered by a six-ton counterweight. It was in
a field where Kennedy grazed sheep. He and
Barr invited other neighbors, properly tweedy.
The sheep grew understandably nervous.
"None have been killed," Kennedy says, "but
we have had some near misses."
To date, Kennedy and Barr have flung:
- Sixty pianos, most of them uprights but
several grand pianos as well. "They accelerate
up to about 90 miles per hour in about 2 1/2
seconds," Barr says, "which is about 14 to 20
G's." Each was tuned and concert-ready.
- A half dozen motorcars: Morris Minors,
Hillmans, Austin Minis, even an Italian Lancia.
"We like to throw the whole car," Barr says.
"It's got to have the engine in it and the
wheels on it." If the car will not run, they will
not throw it. "Otherwise, there doesn't seem
to be any point."
Cicely News & World Telegram
- Several dead cows, a dead horse and a lot of
dead pigs. "A pig makes a good missile,"
Kennedy says, "because it is nice and
aerodynamic, you know." Barr adds: "It's very
amusing seeing a pig in a parachute."
The parachute was part of an experiment
conducted by the Royal Air Force in Kennedy's
sheep pasture to see if it was possible to hurl
a man. "Fascinating," Kennedy says. "They
spent three days at it, but it wasn't any good.
"It did establish that the man would have
been dead when he landed."
THROWING HIS WEIGHT AROUND
A computer engineer, Ron Toms was, perhaps
significantly, still a Texan when he decided to
build a trebuchet in a friend's back yard in the
town of Kyle.
Instead of a sling, he and the friend, whose
name is Chris, attached a chair to one end of
the throwing arm. The chair rotated and had a
stabilizer to keep it upright. To the other end,
they tied three 55 gallon drums of water,
weighing 1,600 pounds altogether. Then he,
Chris and another friend hauled the trebuchet
down to the Blanco River.
After flinging some boulders into the water,
Toms, 35, climbed into the chair. Chris fired
the trebuchet. Toms flew 30 feet into the air.
He arced out over the river. "The thing about
being thrown is that it takes you twice as long,
because you have to go up and then come
down," he says.
"Once I left the catapult, I was decelerating. It
sounds obvious, but at the top of the arc,
when my acceleration went to zero, the
experience was something I didn't expect. It
lasted for an instant, but hanging there in
midair, 30 feet up, looking down at
everything, with nothing but air everywhere,
was an ethereal experience. It's a mysterious
feeling. You are hovering, weightless and
motionless. You actually have a forward
component to your motion, but you're not
going either up or down."
Oddly, it was comforting to start falling. That
was a feeling he knew. So was splashing into
the water. He came up laughing.
177
`
Date: December 4, 1996
Publication: Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The owner of a pizza parlor seen on the TV
show ``Northern Exposure'' collapsed and
died Monday as fire destroyed the business.
Village Pizza was on Main Street in Roslyn, the
town where the show was filmed. Roslyn,
about 80 miles east of Seattle, was the setting
for the fictional town of Cicely, Alaska.
The owner, Harry Balmer, collapsed while
running about a half block from the business,
fire Chief Gerald Tritt said. Balmer apparently
suffered a heart attack. He was about 60 and
lived in Roslyn.
The fire broke out about 6:15 p.m. Monday in
the two-story, wood-frame building, which
was about 100 years old. The roof and upper
floor collapsed, and the building was a total
loss.
Date: March 16, 1997
Publication: The Washington Post
Author: Harriet Winslow
You remember Janine Turner. She played
feisty bush pilot Maggie O'Connell on CBS's
"Northern Exposure" from 1990 to 1995.
"That will always be special in my heart," she
said in her peppy Texas accent. "It will be a
rare project that will top Maggie O'Connell --
she had such intelligence and such charm."
Nevertheless, from the moment the show
wrapped, Turner was offered too many similar
roles and wanted to avoid typecasting.
Making the action film "Cliffhanger," released
in 1993 and starring Sylvester Stallone, only
made it worse. Aside from televised Chevrolet
ads she made at the end of "Northern
Exposure's" run, Turner opted for a lower
profile. She decided to be selective, took six
months off at her Texas ranch, then went
back to work in 1996. Sunday at 9, she
appears in the romance-western she hand-
picked, "Stolen Women: Captured Hearts" on
CBS. "All my offers were action-adventures
and I ended up passing up on most of those. I
wanted something different," she said. "I
wanted to avoid movie-of-the-weeks, so when
they asked me what I wanted, I said a
western." In "Stolen Women," Turner plays a
religious pioneer named Anna who moves to
the Kansas plains for an arranged marriage.
There she and bratty friend Sara (Jean Louisa
Kelly) are kidnapped by Lakota warriors, bent
on revenge a year after Gen. Custer
massacred their village. The abduction from a
log cabin comes only one day after Anna's
marriage to Daniel, a shy homesteader played
by Irish actor Patrick Bergin. The cavalry is
brought in, then Custer himself. A year goes
by and Sara still loathes her captivity, but
Anna is smitten with Chief Tokalah, played by
Michael Greyeyes. The year is 1868. "Stolen
Women" is a romance on the range. Turner
said that the end of the script made her tear
up, yet despite the love story, this movie also
has the old-time Western premise of fighting
men, played by William Shockley (Hank in "Dr.
Quinn, Medicine Woman") as Custer, Dennis
Weaver as a cavalry captain, Bergin as the
lonely husband and Ted Shackelford as a
preacher and Anna's brother. "Stolen
Women" was filmed over 21 days last summer
in rural Kansas. The movie has a lot of
horseback riding, for which Turner is quite
skilled. Born in Texas, she grew up on a ranch
filled with cows and horses and now owns her
own spread, "right at the spot where I
started." Still, she had to brush up on riding
bareback, which she hadn't tried since she
was 8. And she learned to speak the Lakota
language, she said. "I worked with a coach. It's
pretty much the first time I spoke another
language in character." Turner may be
avoiding action-adventures, but she still picks
strong women to play. "Stolen Women" is one
of several current projects. Upcoming
productions include TV movies "Curse of the
Inferno" on Showtime, "Circle of Deceit" (as a
fragile trophy wife) on ABC and "Pascagoula,"
a telefilm that William H. Macy -- up for an
Academy Award for his supporting role in
"Fargo" -- wrote and will star in for cable's
USA Network. Turner will play "a con artist
with a heart," she said. There is also a feature:
Turner plays June Cleaver in "Leave It to
Beaver" due out in August. "All the work I did
in '96 won't come out until '97. And I look
different in every single one of them," she
said. "Which is what I wanted, so people
would see no signs of Maggie O'Connell." She
said she used to get so many comments about
the length of her hair -- unusually short by
Cicely News & World Telegram
prime-time TV standards -- and in "Stolen
Women" she wears long red extensions. With
"Northern Exposure," she said, "People used
to get very upset when I'd let my hair grow."
Yet she'd get positive and negative comments
from viewers, and once had a golfer yell his
opinions on the green. (He wanted it long.)
"You can never win," she added, "but it was
fun to have a hair cut that was indicative of
Maggie." Turner said she wanted to do a
western partly because she relates to that
period of the opening West. "My family came
across on a covered wagon, through
Tennessee to Texas," she said. "I'm intrigued
with the strength and the will power to do
that." And when she was young, she loved to
read biographies of Americans including
Pocahontas and Betsy Ross. So it fits that
Turner got a big bonus from filming in Kansas: made at the end of "Northern Exposure's"
"I got to buy my horse in the movie!" She
described excitedly how she bonded with the
animal and recalled a scene in which she
dismounts to pick up a Bible. "I'd walk two
steps at a time and pause, then he'd take two
steps and pause. Then when I looked left, he
looked left. I looked at the wranglers and said,she said. "I wanted to avoid movie-of-the-
`Did you see that?' " She begged the horse's
owner to sell him, and now Coalie lives in
Texas. Lately, Turner has added a human
companion as well. "I'm single but I finally
have a boyfriend now in Texas. I was working
so much in Seattle {for `Northern Exposure'} it (Jean Louisa Kelly) are kidnapped by Lakota
was hard to settle down. I'm very happy."
` only one day after Anna's marriage to Daniel,
Date: March 16, 1997
Publication: Chicago Sun-Times
Author: HARRIET WINSLOW
You remember Janine Turner. She played
feisty bush pilot Maggie O'Connell on CBS's
"Northern Exposure" from 1990 to 1995.
"That will always be special in my heart," she
said in her peppy Texas accent. "It will be a
rare project that will top Maggie O'Connell.
She had such intelligence and such charm."
Nevertheless, from the moment the show
wrapped, Turner was offered too many similar
roles - she wanted to avoid typecasting. "All
the work I did in '96 won't come out until '97.
And I look different in every single one of
them," she said. "Which is what I wanted, so
people would see no signs of Maggie
178
O'Connell." Upcoming productions include TV
movies "Curse of the Inferno" on Showtime,
"Circle of Deceit" (as a fragile trophy wife) on
ABC and "Pascagoula," a telefilm that William
H. Macy - up for an Academy Award for his
supporting role in "Fargo" - wrote and will star
in for cable's USA Network. Turner will play "a
con artist with a heart," she said. There is also
a feature: Turner plays June Cleaver in "Leave
It to Beaver," due out in August. And she'll
reappear on television Sunday in the
romance-Western she handpicked, "Stolen
Women: Captured Hearts" on CBS. When
"Northern Exposure" ended, Turner wanted
to avoid type-casting. But making the action
film "Cliffhanger," released in 1993 and
starring Sylvester Stallone, only made things
worse. Aside from televised Chevrolet ads she
run, Turner opted for a lower profile. She
decided to be selective. After taking six
months off at her Texas ranch, she went back
to work in 1996. "All my offers were action-
adventures, and I ended up passing up on
most of those. I wanted something different,"
weeks, so when they asked me what I wanted,
I said a Western." In "Stolen Women," Turner
plays a religious pioneer named Anna who
moves to the Kansas plains for an arranged
marriage. There she and bratty friend Sara
warriors, bent on revenge a year after Gen.
George A. Custer's troops massacred their
village. The abduction from a log cabin comes
a shy homesteader played by Irish actor
Patrick Bergin. The cavalry is brought in, then
Custer himself. A year goes by, and Sara still
loathes her captivity, but Anna is smitten by
Chief Tokalah, played by Michael Greyeyes.
The year is 1868. "Stolen Women" is a
romance on the range. Turner said that the
end of the script made her tear up, yet
despite the love story, this movie also has the
old-time Western premise of fighting men,
played by William Shockley (Hank in "Dr.
Quinn, Medicine Woman") as Custer, Dennis
Weaver as a cavalry captain, Bergin as the
lonely husband and Ted Shackelford as a
preacher and Anna's brother. "Stolen
Women" was filmed over 21 days last summer
in rural Kansas. The movie has a lot of
horseback riding, in which Turner is quite
skilled. Born in Texas, she grew up on a ranch
filled with cows and horses and now owns her
own spread, "right at the spot where I
started." Still, she had to brush up on riding
bareback, which she hadn't tried since she
was 8. And she learned to speak the Lakota
language, she said. "I worked with a coach. It's
pretty much the first time I spoke another
language in character." She said she used to
get many comments about the length of her
hair while in "Northern Exposure" - unusually
short by prime-time TV standards - and in
"Stolen Women" she wears long red
extensions. With `Northern Exposure," she
said, "People used to get very upset when I'd
let my hair grow." Yet she'd get positive and
negative comments from viewers, and once
had a golfer yell his opinions on the green. (He
wanted it long.) "You can never win," she
added, "but it was fun to have a haircut that
was indicative of Maggie."
Date: March 28, 1997
Publication: The Seattle Times
Author: Lisa Pemberton-Butler
ROSLYN, Kittitas County - Two years ago, this
Cascade mountain town was riding an
economic boom. Tour buses lined the streets.
Hundreds of visitors shopped for T-shirts,
hats, magnets, postcards and just about
anything else that had a moose or "Northern
Exposure" logo on it.
From 1990 to 1995, Roslyn's historical
storefronts were the setting for the television
show "Northern Exposure." Landmark
businesses flourished, and new specialty gift
shops opened.
Then the show was canceled and everything
changed. Last summer, far fewer tour buses
stopped. The businesses that survived are
struggling. Some of the shops are open only
once or twice a week.
Dennis Sandage, co-owner of Central
Sundries, which was filmed as Ruth Ann's
General Store in "Northern Exposure," shakes
his head and describes what many believe:
"You look at Roslyn, and Roslyn is dying. It's
hard to make a business here." Sandage and
many others say a $350 million destination
resort proposed by Trendwest Resorts, a
Bellevue development company, could turn
things around, not just for a few years but
forever. Supporters say it will strengthen the
economy of Roslyn and nearby Cle Elum and
Cicely News & World Telegram
Ronald, former coal-mining and logging
boomtowns nestled in the foothills about 85
miles east of Seattle along Interstate 90.
But others fear a large resort would destroy
the area's small-town atmosphere.
Trendwest's main opponents, members of a
Roslyn-based environmental group called the
Ridge Committee, want the site to be kept as
commercial forest land, with limited
harvesting. Trendwest's plans call for 550
hotel rooms, 800 condominiums, more than
3,000 homes, several golf courses, public
parks, hiking, bike and horse trails,
campgrounds, a recreational-vehicle park, a
restaurant and a conference center to be built
over the next 15 to 20 years. The Ridge
Committee said it accepts that some
development will occur in the area and that
some people will benefit economically.
But it wants to protect natural resources and
the quality of life. "We think it would be
irresponsible to write Trendwest a blank
check and support whatever development
they have in mind," the group said in a recent
letter to residents. "We can't afford the taxes,
the housing inflation and the mess that such
an unrestricted romp would create."
Once complete, the resort could bring
300,000 to 400,000 additional visitors a year
to the area, Trendwest says. Although
opponents see that as a problem, many
others see it as the last economic hope for an
area devastated by the decline in coal mining
and logging.
When its last coal mine closed in 1963, Roslyn
was on the verge of becoming a ghost town,
said longtime resident Mary Andler. Andler,
77, moved to northern Kittitas County in the
1920s, where her father, a Yugoslav
immigrant, worked as a miner. She
remembers Roslyn's heyday, during the World
Wars, when more than 5,000 people lived
there and worked in its coal mines. After
World War II, demand for coal fell and several
mines were closed. Now, the city's population
is 936.
In Cle Elum and Roslyn, business is down 12
percent to 20 percent this year for hardware
stores, grocery stores and specialty shops,
said Ida Knutson, president of the Cle
Elum/Roslyn Chamber of Commerce. A
clothing store, real-estate office, arcade, gift
shop and restaurant have closed in the past
179
two years, she said. Owners of a Cle Elum
bowling alley, which collapsed under heavy
snow last December, said they will not
rebuild. The entire area needs more
permanent jobs.
In February, the Kittitas County
unemployment rate was 8.9 percent,
compared with 6.2 percent for the state. The
major employers are Kittitas County, the U.S.
Forest Service, the state Department of
Transportation, Plum Creek Timber and two
manufacturing companies. Many people
commute 30 minutes to Ellensburg or about
an hour to Yakima. About 600 reportedly
drive or carpool to the Seattle area daily;
dozens more stay "on the coast" (a local term
for anything west of Snoqualmie Pass) during
the workweek and come home on weekends.
"We're shipping all the young people off, so
you know, it's kind of sad,' said Roslyn Mayor
C. Dave Divelbiss. Divelbiss, 62, said any
potential problems the town might face
because of the resort - such as water, public-
safety and traffic concerns - will likely be
worked out during the environmental-impact
study. As for the rest of Kittitas County, he
said, "It's going to be a terrific boom to the
county, and the schools will benefit
tremendously." "Northern Exposure" didn't
just bring in tourists. Its executives also paid
for half the downtown garbage pickup,
bought the town a new fire truck, hired
Roslyn Police officers for security work and
spent thousands of dollars on daily permits to
film there, Divelbiss said.
Although business owners miss the television
fame, they look forward to catering to resort
visitors. "I think that Trendwest is going to
bring a lot of life to our little town," said
Andler, who manages the town's museum.
The resort proposal already has ignited a
commercial revitalization in Cle Elum, Knutson
said. A gas station has added a convenience
store. A carwash and an office-supply store
have opened. Others are planning to build,
expand, remodel or just clean up. For a town
with 1,800 residents and only one traffic
signal, these are big changes.
"People are thinking about it and starting to
make the moves now, so that they're ready
when, in fact, Trendwest starts operating,"
Knutson said. The company's track record is
good. Trendwest has already built 19 smaller
vacation resorts, marketed under the
Worldmark Resort name, at Lake Chelan, #65 - NORTHERN EXPOSURE
Leavenworth, Discovery Bay, Ocean Shores,
Long Beach, Birch Bay, Whistler and Lake August 30, 1990
Tahoe, and in Hawaii and Mexico. It
developed the Eagle Crest and the Running Y
resorts in Oregon. Worldmark resorts run on a
time-share format, where members purchase
renewable credits to spend at any of the
locations.
In 1996, Trendwest's annual sales hit $100
million, said Mike Moyer, Trendwest
spokesman. Moyer said the proposed resort
could bring more jobs to the area than the
Eagle Crest Resort, near Redmond, Ore.,
which is almost complete. Eagle Crest
provides 380 full-time jobs, with a total
annual payroll of more than $11 million.
Deschutes, Ore., County Commissioner Linda
Swearingen credits the resort, owned by
Trendwest's parent company, Jeld-Wen, for
bringing a huge boost to the area's sagging
economy. Jeld-Wen, the wood and window-
manufacturing giant in Klamath Falls, Ore.,
purchased 7,400 acres along the Cle Elum
River last October from Plum Creek Timber.
Kittitas County commissioners are expected to he and Chris, the DJ (John Corbett), discover
take about a year to review Trendwest's inch- they share more than a few genes.
thick book of applications. Meanwhile, the
company is in the preliminary stages of its
environmental-impact statement. Most
people eventually expect the project to be
approved in some form. People such as
Knutson, Andler and Sandage speak of "when" dumplings.
the resort is built, not "if." County
commissioners have described community
support as overwhelming, saying about 95
percent of the letters they have received
favor Trendwest's proposal.
Andler said she has always known Roslyn
would become a destination town. About 30
years ago, she and her husband, Joe, opened
The Freezer Shop, which was later sold and
renamed the Roslyn Cafe. When they started
it, most people told her the landmark
business would never survive. Leaning over
and lowering her voice as if to tell a secret,
Andler recalled the conversations. "They says,
'You are crazy for investing in this town - it's
going to be a ghost town.' "I says, `No, it isn't.'
" National Conference of American Indians,
June 28 - July 4, 1997 Issue
Cicely News & World Telegram
Who wouldn't want to live in Cicely, Alaska,
the most mystical oasis in TV history?
Something unusual is always happening in this
border town that brims with imagination, but
never more than in "The Aurora Borealis."
When Bernard(Richard Cummings Jr.), a
befuddled accountant, motorcycles into town,
Meanwhile, Dr. Fleischman (Rob Morrow),
stranded in the wild, comes face to face with
the region's feared and mythical
"bigfoot," Adam -- who ends up grudgingly
teaching the doctor how to cook Chinese
Date: August 19, 1997
Publication: The Seattle Times, [Also
appeared as Northern lights, camera and
action: Roslyn rolling out the red carpet for
"Northern Exposure" reunion - Yakima Herald-
Republic, 8/21/97]
Author: Sherry Grindeland, Seattle Times
Eastside bureau
Joel Fleischman's name graces the office
window in Roslyn, but the doctor hasn't been
in for more than five years. Today, Marianne
Ojurovich operates Cicely's Gift Shop under
the physician's shingle. That doesn't matter to
fans of the defunct television series "Northern
Exposure." They still visit the Eastern
Washington set, seeking glimpses of the
imaginary Alaska community of Cicely, not
180
medical advice. They come to the right place.
Not only can they see a few props, but they
find another diehard fan in Ojurovich. "It was
a nonviolent program, a cerebral program,"
she says. "People liked the peaceful town of
Cicely."
Back in 1995, Ojurovich and other town
residents got fans to sign petitions urging TV
executives to reinstate the canceled show.
That didn't work. But the fans still come.
Ojurovich has concocted another medicine to
cure the "Northern Exposure" bug: a reunion.
With the help of Larry Green of Bellingham,
another fan and former show-business exec,
she's producing Moose Fest, a "Northern
Exposure" fan festival, this weekend. It will
give fans a chance to mingle with a few of the
cast members. Barry Corbin, Cynthia
Geary, Elaine Miles and Moultrie Patten are
scheduled for appearances.
Iris DeMent, who sang the haunting farewell
"Our Town" on the final episode, will give a
concert. It will also, says co-producer Green,
be a chance for fans to celebrate some good
"Northern Exposure" news: "The show has
been picked up by A&E for reruns this fall," he
says. In the two years years since "Northern
Exposure" died, the actors have continued
their careers. Fans, however, still love-stricken
for the series, call the actors by their
"Northern Exposure" names. Miles even
wears a jacket that reads, "My name is Elaine,
I am not Marilyn," a futile effort to let people
know she has her own life, separate from
mythical Cicely, Alaska.
"I just tell people Marilyn has moved away,"
says Miles, who played Marilyn Whirlwind for
five years. She lives on the Eastside with her
3-year-old son. "Tell people I'm a happy single
mother," she says with a quiet giggle. Miles'
voice changes from its famous soft tones to
enthusiastic laughter as she describes her son.
He's a "wild man," she says - into things and
commanding her attention even when she's
on the telephone. Miles does commercial
work, appears on Canadian television and has
parts in two films that haven't been released.
Last summer, before the national elections,
Miles traveled around the country for the
encouraging Native Americans to register to
vote. "If my dad were still alive, he would
have been proud of me for getting involved,"
says Miles.
Another local actor, Grant Goodeve of
Redmond, was Rick Peterson, one of Janine
Turner's boyfriends on the show. When
Goodeve visited a Bellevue automobile
dealership last week, everyone joked with him
about his statue and about being killed off the
series by a falling satellite. (On the
show, Maggie O'Connell memorialized the
boyfriend with a life-size statue.) After the
auction of "Northern Exposure" props, the
statue ended up in the Bellevue car dealer
showroom. It recently was moved to the
Hollywood Schoolhouse in Woodinville.
"I even heard the statue went to Japan,"
Goodeve says. "It's a never-ending giggle over
what has happened to the fake bronze
statue." Professionally, Goodeve has been
doing numerous things, particularly narration
work. "I just came back from Israel, where I
did a documentary, `Love Stories of the Holy
Land,' " he says.
Harry Pringle often is hailed as "Chief." He was year's ABC-TV miniseries "Innocent Victims."
Chief Henry Morningstar on the series, the
president of the council elders. Today he lives show that will debut this fall. The plot sounds
in the Everett area and has two major projects as if it were lifted from tabloid newspapers:
pending. The pilot for one television series,
"Dreamcatcher," has been shot and is making aliens, and he has returned to Earth with new
the rounds in Hollywood. It includes Native
American spiritual teachings and legends. The remains a partner in the Fenix nightclub in
other also draws on Pringle's Native American Pioneer Square.
roots and is tentatively called "The
Plainsmen." Like many actors, Pringle has a
backup career. He installs carpeting between
acting assignments.
Here's a rundown on some of the cast
members: Barry Corbin played ex-
astronaut Maurice Minnifield on the show.
When "Northern Exposure" was being filmed -
first in Bellevue, then in Redmond - Corbin
lived in the Seattle area. He rented a house on
the Eastside and then purchased a small horse
ranch near Stanwood. Since the show ended,
Corbin has moved back to his native Texas
and has been making entertainment headlines
for his one-act play, "Charlie Goodnight's Last
Night" - which he will perform at Moose Fest -
and for his role as C.D. LeBlanc in the New
Orleans-based television crime show "The Big
Easy."
Janine Turner was bush pilot Maggie
O'Connell. She plays June Cleaver in the
upcoming film version of "Leave It to Beaver."
She, too, lives in Texas and is expecting her
first child this fall. "Janine can't travel right
Cicely News & World Telegram
now because of the pregnancy," says Moose
Fest producer Green. "She promised if we do
this again next year, she will do her best to
come."
Rob Morrow played Joel Fleischman, the New
York doctor working off his medical school
debt by caring for the residents of Cicely.
These days he is directing and producing.
John Cullum portrayed Holling Vincoeur, the
barkeeper who ran The Brick. Cullum has
been doing stage productions. One, "Man of
La Mancha," came to Seattle's 5th Avenue
Theatre, where he received acclaim from both
reviewers and fans for his Miguel de
Cervantes/Don Quixote. He is now starring in
a one-man show in New York.
John Corbett was Chris-in-The-Morning
Stevens, the KBHR radio personality who
rambled on-air about the meaning of life. He
wore a mustache and had blond hair for last
Currently he's in "The Visitor," a Fox Network
50 years ago his character was abducted by
powers. Corbett still has Seattle ties. He
Cynthia Geary was the beautiful but
sometimes daffy blonde Shelly Vincoeur. On
the show she was Miss Northwest Passage
and visited Cicely, where she fell in love with
the much older Holling Vincoeur. Geary still
lives on the Eastside with her husband. She's
been in the CBS-TV movie "The Awakening."
Peg Phillips played storekeeper Ruth Anne
Miller. A longtime Eastside resident, Phillips of at least 100 fans of the show from July 30
has a role in Steven Spielberg's upcoming film, to Aug. 1.
"Dreamworks," and a guest spot on
television's "Seventh Heaven," one of several
TV appearances she's made recently. In her
spare time, Phillips volunteers for the drama
program at the Echo Glen youth rehabilitation
center near North Bend. She has taught there
and helps raise money for the 10-year-old
program. Phillips was scheduled to be at
Moose Fest, but has to be in California this
weekend because of a family illness.
Adam Arkin was the wild and neurotic chef
who had a breakdown on the show. He plays
181
Dr. Aaron Shutt on television's "Chicago
Hope."
Darren E. Burrows won many hearts as Ed
Chigliak, who combined the Native American
past with the modern world. He and his wife
live in the Los Angeles area and recently had a
baby. He can often be seen on television in
small parts.
Sandra Doyle didn't have a starring role on-
camera but was well-known off-camera. She
became famous as the show's resident
caterer, and, along with caterer Rob Gray, was
seen on television and in feature stories.
Today Doyle runs Lucy's Taqueria at 5602 First
Ave. S. in Seattle.
Morty the Moose ambled through downtown
Roslyn during the opening credits and rapidly
became the show's symbol. Morty died at
Washington State University in January 1994.
‘ ’
Date: July 23, 1999
Publication: Yakima Herald-Republic
Author: Mike Rock
ROSLYN - This town's alter ego - Cicely, Alaska
- comes out of the shadows again next week
with its annual Moose Days celebration.
And this year the celebration will benefit the
area arts community as well as bring throngs
of loyal fans of the old "Northern Exposure"
television show to town.
The town where the offbeat CBS comedy was
filmed will play host to an expected gathering
"These are very adamant fans and they come
from all over the world," said Susie Weis, the
local coordinator of Moose Days. Indeed,
people have signed up from Atlanta, Florida,
Minnesota, California - even Great Britain - to
make the pilgrimage to Roslyn.
"It's just amazing," Weis said. "Our little town
is known all over the world, and the interest
seems to be getting bigger and bigger."
Weekend activities include discussions of
various episodes of the show; a site tour led
by Dan Dusak, who was the location
coordinator for the show; a "Running of the
Moose" run/walk, with proper moose attire
encouraged; and the "Day of the Dead"
parade. The Sunday afternoon picnic also will
feature a trebuchet.
"The catapult will be there; we'll fling some
things," said Patricia Blankenship, another
organizer.
Moultrie Patten, who played Walt in the
show, is expected to attend Moose Days, as is
James Dunn, who played Hayden Keys.
Weis said the main attraction of the show,
which ran from 1990- 95, is that the
characters were realistic.
"They weren't the typical Hollywood-type
characters," she said. "They were people you
would see every day. Some people in the
show I could pick out in Roslyn right now."
Proceeds from Moose Days will help support
community arts in Roslyn. A nonprofit
corporation, Friends of Roslyn, was started by
a group of people online who enjoyed
"Northern Exposure" and who wanted to do
something for the community.
"The town is the focus of a lot of our
attention," Blankenship said of the leaders of
the corporation. "We love the town and
would like to see it thrive, and keeping the
arts projects in the town would be a
wonderful thing." Among the projects up for
funding through the corporation is a
community theater and band, as well as the
library.
Most of the organizing for Moose Days has
been done online, and information on the
festival is available at moosefest.com or by
calling the Roslyn/Cle Elum Chamber of
Commerce at (509) 674-5958.
‘
’ "Sandy was a young writer/producer who had
Date: September 2, 1999
Publication: The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Author: Tim Cuprisin
Darren E. Burrows is not Ed Chigliak.
It's hard to remember that when you see the
lanky, dark-haired veteran of five seasons on
"Northern Exposure" -- a show that still airs in
Cicely News & World Telegram
reruns twice a day on A&E. It's even harder
when you hear his distinctive twang, which
doesn't come from a native Alaskan, but from
a Kansas boy.
Burrows is in Milwaukee filming "Lady in the
Box," a suspense movie being filmed in and
around town. It's part of a post-"Northern
Exposure" career that has included guest
shots in "NYPD Blue" and "The X-Files" and a
role in Steven Spielberg's big-screen
"Amistad."
Still, you can't forget Ed.
"I was blessed to work on that show," says
Burrows, who turns 33 this year.
"One of the big things that made that show so
special was we never did a pilot. The big
selling point was that we're gonna do eight
episodes, it's gonna be the only original series
on TV, so they sent us up there and didn't pay
much attention to what we did."
The show debuted in the heart of rerun
season, July 1990. The initial short run
allowed the actors to develop their characters
on their own.
"They definitely wrote all the words, but we
were a long way from home. We just said
them the way we wanted to say them," says
Burrows. "By the time the pressure came on, I
think sometimes it drove them kinda crazy,
about them not understanding why it worked.
"One of the reasons I really enjoyed playing
Ed was because I was forced on a daily basis
to get in touch with the child inside of myself,
and I think it's a child that we all have within
ourselves."
He says he'd consider another regular
television role, but working on "Northern
Exposure" set the bar pretty high for TV
series.
"I do have a family, so work is a good thing,"
he says. "But, boy, I kind of feel like I've done
the best. Not to put it on a pedestal, but
things like that don't come around very
often."
Burrows' current role in the independent film
project of Milwaukee native Christian Otjen is
as a bartender at Barnacle Bud's who gets
wrapped up in a mystery. Although other
182
movies have been shot in Milwaukee, this
one's a rarity: It's set in Milwaukee.
"He's just a regular guy who has been born
with a big heart and likes to see the good in
everyone," says Burrows of his character.
"I think he's very disappointed when he's
forced to also see the yuckiness in the world. I
don't want to get into it too much because it's
a mystery, and I don't want to give the
mystery away."
For the record, "Northern Exposure" reruns
bring Burrows about $25 a day.
"There was a point when residuals were a big
deal," he says. "But that's when there were
three channels: CBS, NBC and ABC. Now,
cable's taken over."
Coincidentally, one of his "Lady in the Box" co-
stars is Apesanahkwat, the Menominee tribal
chairman who had a recurring role on
"Northern Exposure" as a wheeler-dealer
building his dream house outside Cicely.
by Jennie Louise Frankel Published in the Motion
Picture and Television Industry Magazine
(January 2000)
Last year, the California Supreme Court upheld
a 7.3 million dollar award in entertainment
attorney Glen L. Kulik's "Northern Exposure"
case. With interest, the case brought Kulik's
client close to ten million dollars.
LANDMARK CASE: NORTHERN EXPOSURE
"The Northern Exposure case went to trial,
and my client, Sandy Veith, won. The jury
returned a verdict for 7.3 million dollars. The
verdict was appealed all the way to the
California Supreme Court. By the time the
case was resolved, with interest, the payment
was close to 10 million dollars.
worked on several Norman Lear hits in the
1970s, such as All in the Family and The
Jeffersons. He entered into a development
deal with Universal in 1981 and wrote a pilot
for a series called Colletta. Universal optioned
Colletta in succession to NBC and ABC, both of
whom ultimately passed on the project. At
Universal's request, Veith signed a series of
letter agreements extending Universal's right
to sell the series through the end of 1987. At
that point, when the series had not sold, we
argued the rights reverted to Veith. About a
year later, Universal sold the Northern
Exposure series to CBS.
"Both Colletta and Northern Exposure were
about a young New Yorker, fresh out of
medical school, whose education had been
financed by a small rural community that
needed a doctor. He young man was
contractually bound to repay the debt by
working in this small community for five
years. Both projects began with the young
doctor en route to his new life, only to
discover the setting and conditions were not
as anticipated, and he would be surrounded
by quirky characters whom he could not
escape. The same Universal executives who
had championed Colletta were the persons
who sold Northern Exposure to CBS.
"Veith prevailed against long odds. At the hearing
on the post-trial motions, Universal was
represented by four sets of lawyers, including
labor law specialists, appellate specialists, and
Writers Guild lawyers, who were arguing for and
supporting Universal rather than for WGA
member, Veith. The appeals, including a petition
to the California Supreme Court, lasted longer
than the original trial court proceedings. The
opinion of the Court of Appeal was 65 pages long
and upheld, among other forms of damage, 4.5
million dollars as the value of the lost screen
credit on Veith's future career.
"Including appeals, the case lasted five years,
and until the very end, Universal had never even
made a settlement offer. Universal made me go
to the studio to pick up the check - I didn't mind
one bit."
Date: March 4, 2000 Publication: Yakima
Herald-Republic
PORT ANGELES, Wash. (AP) - Stereotyping and
prejudice remain a factor in American life,
says actress Elaine Miles, who played serene
and inscrutable Marilyn Whirlwind on TV's
"Northern Exposure."
"You'd think it would be gone by now - this
stereotyping - but I don't think it ever will be,"
Miles told more than 300 people Thursday
night at the fourth annual potlatch sponsored
by the Lower Elwha Klallam tribe and the Port
Angeles School District.
Miles, whose film credits include a role in
Sherman Alexie's "Smoke Signals," said she
Cicely News & World Telegram
still carries the sting of racial comments made A fire department open house is scheduled for Sunday
from noon to 4 p.m. to give the public an opportunity to
by other kids as she was growing up. view the department’s facility and equipment.
"It's still in my heart, the things that kids have
‘ ’
said about me," said Miles, an Oregon
resident of Cayuse and Nez Perce descent
who grew up in Seattle. "It was hard for me in
high school with all the non-Indian students." Friday, July 19, 2002 10:00 PM PDT
By MICHAEL GALLAGHER
Even now, Miles said she is sometimes asked Somewhere Joel continues to fluster, Maurice bluster and
Maggie to mourn the many boyfriends who passed away.
if she lives in a teepee. Some people still
believe all Native Americans are uneducated
“Northern Exposure” not only captured the interest of the
and poor, she said. viewing public from 1990 to 1995 while broadcast on CBS
but also laid claim to the hearts of a legion of fans who
remain faithful to the show, if only on video.
After years of being repeated on the Arts & Entertainment
channel, “Northern Exposure” is now shown at 2 a.m. on
Thursday, November 1, 2001 10:00 PM PST the Hallmark Channel. But videotapes of the program are
By MICHAEL GALLAGHER available.
ROSLYN — Voters will be asked to approve a general
obligation bond to finance the purchase of a $190,000 fire Many “Exposure” fans from across the world will travel
truck on the Nov. 6 general ballot. Friday to Roslyn for the annual MooseFest, which
continues with activities on next Saturday and Sunday.
“This is the first time Roslyn residents have ever been
The actors have gone on to other projects, but the scenic
presented with a bond issue for a fire truck,” said Larry
setting of Roslyn remains, changed little from its days as a
Spear, Roslyn fire chief.
television star.
The Roslyn Fire Department is currently equipped with a
The Roslyn Cafe mural remains a photo destination as
1981 Ford pumper truck and a secondary truck, a 1951
people pose with big smiles in front of the distinctive
Howe. The Ford was donated to the department by the
“Northern Exposure” production company in the mid-
camel. The name on the mural was altered to Roslyn’s
Cafe during filming. The apostrophe and s have been
1990s. Spear said the Howe was purchased through
removed.
donations in the 1950s.
“It’s still loved by people from all over the world. You
The new vehicle would replace the Howe.
should see our guest book,” said Karen Hembree, co-
owner of the cafe.
Taxpayers would be assessed an estimated 41 cents per
$1,000 of taxable property value for 10 years to finance
Down Pennsylvania Avenue, the fans flock to what was
the purchase. Using that figure, the owner of a home with
once Ruth-Anne’s General Store — Central Sundries.
a $100,000 taxable valuation would pay $41 a year. The
levy would be taken off the tax rolls at the end of the 10
years.
“I’d say about 70 percent of our traffic is connected to
‘Northern Exposure’,” said Erik Mathes, co-owner of
Central Sundries.
Spear said the new truck would upgrade the Roslyn Fire
Department’s ability to respond to fires.
During the holiday season, Mathes said, nearly half of the
merchandise sold on the store’s Web site is “Northern
“Firemen are no longer allowed to ride on the back of fire
Exposure”-related.
trucks. We can fit two firefighters in the Ford and two in
the Howe, three if we squeeze,” Spear said. “The new fire
truck can seat five.”
Down the block from Central Sundries, the front window
of Cicely’s Gift Shop still carries the painted sign — “Dr.
Joel Fleishman’s office.”
Spear said the new truck would have air packs attached to
the back seats.
A photo journey through the downtown core is not
complete without a stop in front of another Roslyn icon —
“When the firefighter gets out of the truck, he’ll have the
The Brick Tavern sign on the corner of Pennsylvania
air pack on and be ready to go into the fire,” Spear said.
Avenue and First Street. The Brick, in the show, was
owned by the rugged Holling Vincoeur and was the
community watering hole.
If voters approve the bond, Spear said the department
would be reviewed in the spring in order to obtain a better
fire rating for insurance purposes.
Across First Street is the spot where Chris Stevens, during
“Chris in the Morning,” watched over the comings and
The new fire truck, combined with the city’s upgraded goings in Cicely, the KBHR radio station in the N.W.I.
building. The set for the radio station remains, and the
water system, could lead to a lowering of fire insurance
door still says “Minnefield Communications Network.”
rates for homeowners. Spear said the rate is dependent
on individual homeowners’ insurance programs. Maurice Minnefield, a former astronaut, owned KBHR.
Another block down East Pennsylvania Avenue is the
church constructed specifically for the show, which was
183
purchased by Marianne Ojurovich and moved to its
present location on East Pennsylvania Avenue.
Scattered throughout the town are the private homes
where scenes were filmed, Marilyn’s little blue house on
Fifth Street and Maurice’s log palace on Brookside hill.
While businesses still report benefiting from the influx of
fans, City Hall is seeing fewer people stop by asking for
directions.
“We still see a few people, but not the large groups,” said
Maria Fischer, city clerk.
Fischer said more people now ask for information on
historic structures in town and the city cemeteries.
Started with four
High-level negotiations were not needed to bring
“Northern Exposure” to Roslyn.
“(Councilman) Jim Hathaway and I talked to them. Jim
said to me, ‘What do you think?’ and I said I had no
problem with it,” said Jack Denning, who was Roslyn’s
mayor at the time.
The deal was for four episodes.
“I had no idea of the magnitude of what we were getting
into,” Denning said.
The show caught the fancy of Universal Studios.
During the course of filming, the show sparked
controversy in the town. Many were excited about being
the set for a TV show, but others complained about the
disruption filming caused in the life of the town.
“It was a very vocal minority,” Denning said of those who
complained about show filming in town.
As mayor, Denning saw the benefits of having the show’s
crew in town.
“I was able to budget about $50,000 of their money, and
then there was the indirect money,” Denning said. “The
extras were able to buy used cars, take their kids out to
dinner. The indirect money was fantastic.”
One of “Northern Exposure’s” most lasting legacy is
parked in the Roslyn Fire Hall. Denning said he had been
negotiating with a West Side fire department to purchase
a used fire truck and had bargained the price down from
about $48,000 to $12,000.
“I talked to Sean Grayson, who was the location manager
at the time, if they would be willing to kick in about
$2,000,” Denning said.
Grayson took the proposed to Universal Studios in
California.
“He came back and said they couldn’t do the $2,000, but
that they would buy it for us,” Denning said. “The
Universal people said it was the only place they could buy
a million dollars worth of publicity for $12,000.”
Gathering of the tribe
Cicely News & World Telegram
Crystal Plesha, organizer of this year’s MooseFest, said
pre-sales of tickets have been the largest to date.
“We’ve sold about 90, and it always snowballs toward the
end,” Plesha said.
The festival is organized by a combination of local people
and fans scattered about the country who coordinate
efforts over the Internet.
Festival goers purchase a weekend package that includes
dinners, tours and a film festival. An actor or two typically
attends the festival, the most prominent being Barry
Corbin, who played Maurice.
“We have the largest number of cast members coming
ever,” Plesha said. “We were lucky to catch Barry between
gigs.”
New to the festival this year is a small street fair. Plesha
said one of her goals is to create more activities for local
residents.
For the fans, the marquee event may be Sunday night’s
Big Feast II. Fans will be able to bid on the opportunity to
interview, via speakerphone, cast members including
John Cullom and Rob Morrow.
Proceeds from the dinner will go toward an effort to
acquire the N.W.I. building which houses Minnifield
Communications and the KBHR office.
What it means to town
Susie Weis of the Roslyn, a member of the Northern
Kittitas County Chamber of Commerce, has helped
organize festivals over the years. The program may no
longer be prime time, but she thinks the festival has yet to
reach its peak.
“It’s an untapped cash cow,” Weis said.
Weis said for Roslyn to benefit from it’s “Northern
Exposure” connection the city administration must
become more supportive of developing tourism.
“Communities that have really successful events, like the
rodeo in Ellensburg, work together,” Weis said. “That
hasn’t developed in Roslyn.”
Roslyn Mayor David Gerth said city administration is
supportive of festivals, but did adopt a festival and event
ordinance more than a year ago because of the costs to
the city. Festival organizers must give the city 90 days
notice and pay a negotiate fee to cover such things as
police services needed for parade route closures.
Weis said “Northern Exposure” fans are the near
equivalent of Trekkies — “Star Trek” fans kept interest in
that program strong decades after the final original
program aired.
Weis said Roslyn lives up to the fans’ expectations.
“To them it’s absolutely perfect,” Weis said. “They love
walking through the streets.”
Weis said the Internet has kept the far-flung fans
connected and the spirit of the show alive.
184
´
Wed Sep 4, 2002 5:33 pm
Message #12575 of 34081 Re: [My-Cicely]
"Nikita Davidovich." <nikita_davidovich_@...>
Dear Cicely,
It´s an honour to share
with you what has told me
Josh about that point. I
was brave and I asked about
it to him... It wasn´t easy
to take that decission
because I understand it´s a
difficult and uncomfortable
question for him. I´ve been
lucky, he accepted to
answer and he did it with
details.
Here you have his words:
Sandy Veith sued Universal television saying
that "unbeknownst" to John Falsey and myself
Universal suggested the idea for Northern
Exposure based on a half-hour, unproduced
script he wrote called "Colletta." John Falsey
and I testified in court that we had never met
Sandy Veith, we had never read the script
"Colletta," and Universal television did not
suggest the idea of the show to us. Our
relationship with Universal was somewhat rocky,
and anyone who knows us knows that their
creative input was appreciated. (At one point I
quit the show over the issue of Universal's
creative involvment. They, fortunately for me,
backed down.)To this day, I have never seen the
"Colletta" script. John Falsey and I were not
sued by Sandy Veith and he never claimed that
we saw his script (probably because he knew
we did not). Nevertheless, a jury believed him
and thought that Universal did "whisper" in our
ear things that came from his script. Universal
is/was a big studio and Veith was a "little" guy. I
don't know what his background as a writer is.
You can check that out yourself if you're so
inclined. John Falsey and I created five shows
that ran on network television. "St. Elsewhere,"
"A Year in the Life," "Going to Extremes," "I'll Fly
Away," and "Northern Exposure." Northern
Exposure was, for me, the most personal of all
the shows. It was very painful to have people
think that somehow Sandy Veith had something
to do with our show. As a point of information,
Sandy Veith submitted his script to the Writers
Guild of America for arbitration a year after the
show came on the air. The Writers Guild
determined that his "Colletta" script did not bear
any resemblance to the Northern Exposure
script and that he was not entitled to any credit.
He submitted it again (you are allowed two
arbitrations) with the same result. Unfortunately,
the Writers Guild's determination was not
admissable in court. That information was never
presented to the jury. I don't know why. John
and I didn't know about this until we were
 informed about the results of the arbitration,
years later, by the lawyer for Universal. I hope
this addresses some of your questions. As for
my friend, his name is Lance Luria, and I've
known him since I was ten. We were and remain
best friends. He had at that time a small practice
in New York state. He was, as an aside, the guy
who gave me the idea for St. Elsewhere. Best of
luck with your dissertation.
Josh Brand
Date: Tuesday, November 12, 2002
Publication: SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER
TELEVISION CRITIC
Author: JOHN LEVESQUE
Fame would seem an appropriate reward for
anyone who had lived through Pearl Harbor,
polio, peritonitis, a ruptured aorta, several
broken bones and the death of two children.
For Peg Phillips, it was probably inevitable,
too.
Ms. Phillips, who died Nov. 7 at age 84, loved
the spotlight. She knew when she was 4 that
Peg Phillips in many ways mirrored Ruth-Anne Miller, the character she
played for six seasons on television, said Hal Ryder, a Cornish College of
the Arts professor. "She was forthright, funny and direct."
she wanted to act.
Waiting 60 years to realize the dream only
made the recognition more special.
Best known for playing crusty shopkeeper
Ruth-Anne Miller on the CBS-TV series
"Northern Exposure," Ms. Phillips died of
pulmonary disease.
She is survived by two daughters, eight
grandchildren, one great-grandchild and a
legacy of using her celebrity to make a
Cicely News & World Telegram
difference. A son and a daughter preceded
her in death.
The founder of a professional theater
company and an organization that introduces
the dramatic arts to incarcerated juvenile
offenders, Ms. Phillips was remembered
yesterday by friends and family as a spirited,
plain-spoken woman who in many ways
mirrored the feisty character "Northern
Exposure" fans grew to love over six seasons.
"She was forthright, funny and direct," said
Hal Ryder, a Cornish College of the Arts
professor who directed Ms. Phillips in "Bell,
Book and Candle" at the Woodinville
Repertory Theatre in 1999, a year after Ms.
Phillips created it on a shoestring and a
dream. "She had a vision for a theater
company, she had a vision for humanity and
she conducted herself in that vision," Ryder
said. "She wanted to treat people fairly, and
she did."
Ms. Phillips' oldest daughter, the Rev.
Elizabeth Greene of Boise, Idaho, said her
mother, whose given name was Margaret,
was born Sept. 20, 1918, in Everett.
One of three children of Charles and Myrtle
Linton, she moved to California at 18 "to seek
her fame and fortune," her daughter said.
That wouldn't occur until much later.
Before that, she was married and divorced
twice. When her first husband, Daniel Greene,
was stationed in Hawaii in 1941, she heard
Japanese planes attacking Pearl Harbor.
During her marriage to Chester Phillips in the
1950s, Ms. Phillips survived a bout with polio
and a serious abdominal infection.
"The doctors said there was no question she
was going to die," Greene recalled yesterday,
"but she always said, 'It never occurred to
me.' "
Instead, Ms. Phillips reared four children and
worked for many years as a bookkeeper and
accountant. She moved back to the Seattle
area in the 1980s, enrolled in drama school at
the University of Washington and settled in
Woodinville.
Not long afterward, she was cast as Ruth-
Anne in a new television series about quirky
people in the small town of Cicely, Alaska.
185
Filmed on a sound stage in Redmond and in
the Central Washington community of Roslyn,
"Northern Exposure" lasted six seasons --
three of them in the top 20 -- and still can be
seen in reruns on the Hallmark Channel.
Originally, Ruth-Anne was to be a recurring
character, but viewer reaction to Ms. Phillips'
energetic reading of the role was so positive
that the producers made her a regular
member of the cast. In a statement, CBS said:
"Peg Phillips' memorable portrayal of Ruth-
Anne Miller on 'Northern Exposure' left an
indelible imprint with the millions of loyal fans
of this groundbreaking series, as well as with
everyone at the network who had the
opportunity to know and work with her."
Ms. Phillips once told the Seattle Post-
Intelligencer that she treasured the "Northern
Exposure" experience. "The show was ahead
of its time because it was simple," she said.
"We had the best writers in the business, and
that was the crux of the whole thing. Actors
can only say what writers put in their
mouths."
Shortly after wrapping the fifth season of
"Northern Exposure" in 1995, Ms. Phillips was
undergoing surgery on the sac around her
heart when an aortic aneurysm ruptured. Had
she not been on the operating table and
under anesthesia, one family member said,
she probably would have died. At
Christmastime in 1999, she suffered a broken
hip and a broken wrist when a car knocked
her down in a shopping-center parking lot.
Having recently completed a guest
appearance on "ER" at the time, Ms. Phillips
said: "I like playing a patient much better than
being one."
A memorial service is scheduled at 1 p.m.
Saturday in the East Shore Unitarian Church,
12700 S.E. 32nd St., Bellevue.
In addition to Greene, Ms. Phillips is survived
by daughter Virginia Phillips of Everett.
The family suggests memorial contributions
be made to Woodinville Repertory Theatre,
P.O. Box 2003, Woodinville, WA, 98072.
Marsha Stueckle, children's program
coordinator at the theater, said Ms. Phillips
would be thrilled to see the theater receiving
widespread support.
"She knew the value of bringing theater to
young kids and getting them hooked on the
arts early," Stueckle said.
Stueckle described Ms. Phillips as a woman
totally without pretense who treated
everyone as an equal, including the many
young offenders she worked with at Theatre
Inside, a program she founded at the Echo
Glen juvenile correctional facility near
Snoqualmie. Intent on stimulating
imaginations, Ms. Phillips saw drama as a way
to teach cooperation and image building.
"There's nothing better for a person's
damaged self-esteem," she said in 1994, "than
to get up in front of people and have them
applaud."
For a summer break, get some 'Northern
Exposure'.(Suburban Living)(TV & Radio)
Date: May 20, 2004
Publication: Daily Herald (Arlington Heights,
IL)
Author: Ted Cox
Remember when summer was a time not for
rotten reality series on TV, but for quirky,
whimsical programs, shows that didn't seem
to have a prayer of succeeding, but that
sometimes surprised with their staying
power?
If you do - and even if you don't - it's possible in the role of the ex-astronaut. Notice the
in the digital age to relive those days by acting boastful understatement in his voice when
as your own network programmer. Which
brings me to the release of the first season of Maurice answers, "I took my ride."
"Northern Exposure," coming out Tuesday in a
four-sided two-DVD set.
"Northern Exposure" just might be the
ultimate summer replacement series.
When it debuted, on July 12, 1990, it had
every appearance of a show CBS was simply
burning off, just to get some sort of use out of introducing themselves to him. To a person,
the eight episodes that had been filmed. It
was thrown into the fire of Thursday night,
which even then was dominated by NBC, up
against reruns of "L.A. Law," which was just
about to win its second of three straight
Emmy Awards as best drama series.
The show that would end that streak, one
season later, proved to be none other than
"Northern Exposure."
Cicely News & World Telegram
It was not just a great, but an influential Darren E. Burrows' Ed is a film nerd with
series. Its fish- out-of-water premise - starring surprising pop-culture acumen - sort of an
Rob Morrow as a New York City doctor living Alaskan Quentin Tarantino before there was
out a four-year term as an indentured servant even a Quentin Tarantino.
in Alaska to fulfill the terms of his $125,000
college scholarship - has been aped by Elaine Miles is Marilyn, Joel's placid native
countless series since. assistant.
Its cast of lovable oddballs and its flair for Peg Phillips is Ruth-Anne, the local store
music - dig Richard Berry's original "Louie owner. Asked by Joel for a bagel and cream
Louie" in the pilot, "Aware One" - are traits cheese, she replies, "What's a bagel?"
that live on today most evidently in "Gilmore
Girls." Of course, there's also Janine Turner's
Maggie, the romantic interest, who
Yet that's the critic in me writing, looking for immediately strikes up a conflict relationship
influences. The TV fan in me - and in you - is with Joel.
sure to be charmed anew by the program
itself. As my wife said after we sat through the In the show's one nod to TV convention,
first episode, "This really was a great show." Maggie and Joel would have a teasing on-
again, off-again relationship for years. Yet
In the pilot, Dr. Joel Fleischman arrives, golf their conflicts were remarkably real and
clubs in tow, in Anchorage, prepared to serve ferocious - again, see the knock-down, drag-
his time in a relatively urban setting, at least out fights between Lorelai and her mother in
by the standards of the wildest state in the "Gilmore Girls" as the closest current
union. Yet he finds himself reassigned to comparison - and there was also the matter of
Cicely, a coastal village on the "Alaskan Maggie's "curse," that every one of her lovers
Riviera." was doomed to die. (Rick, who appears in the
pilot, is not long for this TV world; he'll soon
That is the regional label applied by Maurice expire in a mishap with a falling satellite.)
Minnifield, the self-satisfied developer who,
of course, turns out to be forever less than The show was shot in the same area of
satisfied. Washington state as "Twin Peaks," and it
reminds a viewer of that with a lampoon
Character actor Barry Corbin found his calling episode in the first season.
Yet, where "Twin Peaks" used small-town
Joel asks if he ever went into outer space and oddballs, more often than not, to create a
sense of dread, "Northern Exposure" did just
the opposite.
Morrow too strikes the perfect tone - halfway
between Woody Allen and a young Dustin It saw the world as a wonderful place full of
Hoffman - as Dr. Fleischman. Endearing unique characters, and to this day it has a
himself to one and all with a blistering tirade wonderfully humane feel to it. It respects its
about how he can't live in this backwater characters - and its audience.
hamlet, delivered on a pay phone at the local
bar, he nevertheless finds the townspeople The show wasn't an immediate hit in that first
summer, but it generated such strong word-
they're not what he expects. of-mouth and critical buzz that CBS brought it
back the following spring, inserting it into the
The bar, later known as The Brick, is owned by 9 p.m. slot locally on WBBM Channel 2 on its
John Cullum's Holling, a dried-up old native strongest night of the week, Monday. There, it
Alaskan who has deceptive strengths - for was a top-20 hit for the next three years,
instance, in stealing Cynthia Geary's Shelly, a winning the Emmy as best drama in 1992.
former Miss Northwest Passage, away from
Maurice. Created by Joshua Brand and John Falsey,
"Northern Exposure" seemed effortlessly easy
John Corbett's Chris is the philosophical local to write, yet the show's magic proved hard to
disc jockey on KHBR (pronounced "Kay-Bear"). bottle. Morrow was as difficult to please in
186
real life as he was in character, and left the
show as soon as he could for the greener
pastures of film, where he enjoyed one hit,
"Quiz Show," before hitting a career drought.
Turner too had one hit, Sylvester Stallone's
"Cliffhanger."
Oddly enough, Corbett has enjoyed the most
success, as a heartthrob in "My Big Fat Greek
Wedding," among others.
Without Morrow, the show faded quickly and
disappeared after its sixth season. Yet those
first eight episodes live on, as vital and
disarming as ever, on DVD, where they're sure
to be soon joined by the show's later, mature
work.
So, when reality TV starts getting you down
this summer - as it inevitably will - seek
sanctuary in the DVD player and the town of
Cicely, Alaska, in "Northern Exposure." Unlike mangled scenes missing critical music.
cruel makeover shows and can-you-top-this
gross-out competitions, it will make you feel
good to be human.
Date: March 1, 2005
Publication: Wired.com
Author: Katie Dean
WKRP in Cincinnati was one of the most
popular television shows of the late '70s and
early '80s, but it is unlikely ever to be released With Children -- "Love and Marriage" sung by regularly dance on American Bandstand, and
on DVD because of high music-licensing costs. Frank Sinatra -- was replaced on the third-
The show, which centered on a fledging radio
station with a nerdy news director and wild
disc jockeys, had a lively soundtrack, playing
tunes from rock 'n' rollers like Ted Nugent,
Foreigner, Elton John and the Eagles.
For many TV shows, costs to license the
original music for DVD are prohibitively high,
so rights owners replace the music with
cheaper tunes, much to the irritation of avid
fans. And some shows, like WKRP, which is full
of music, will probably never make it to DVD
because of high licensing costs.
"The indication from the studios is that we
may never see (WKRP in Cincinnati) because
of all the music that would have to be
licensed," said David Lambert, news director
of TVShowsOnDVD.com, a clearinghouse of
information on TV shows released on DVD.
Cicely News & World Telegram
"As the DJ spins the record as he's talking to understood the situation -- would gladly wait
Loni Anderson, if there is music playing even a little longer and pay a little more to get the
for a couple of seconds, then the people complete, original version."
producing the DVDs would have to license it."
However, there are exceptions. Moonlighting
Fox Home Entertainment wouldn't provide an is one of the success stories. After more than
official release date for DVDs of the show. two years of lobbying by fans, the first two
seasons of the show are scheduled for release
"It's not totally dead in the water, but there is this May with the music intact.
a huge obstacle of music licensing," said
spokeswoman Shari Rosenblum. "It's being "I was unwilling to replace the music," said
looked at and it's on the radar." Moonlighting creator and executive producer
Glenn Gordon Caron, who now produces
DVD sales are credited with driving studio Medium. "I felt that was integral to the show.
growth, and TV shows on DVD have been a That really stymied its video and DVD release
surprise -- and lucrative -- market, according for years."
to a September 2004 Merrill Lynch report. The
report estimates that consumer spending on At one point, Anchor Bay Entertainment, one
TV DVDs will grow from $2.3 billion in 2004 to of the DVD distributors that held the rights,
$3.9 billion in 2008. suggested cherry-picking the episodes,
releasing only those that didn't contain music.
But serious fans want the whole show, not
"I said, 'That's absurd. I have no interest in
you doing this,'" Caron said.
"The fans don't want syndicated cuts. They
don't want the songs replaced. They don't Navigating music licensing issues can be more
want anything censored for political difficult for shows where the music
correctness. They want to see it in the way experience is central. The producers of one
they originally saw it broadcast, enjoyed it current show, American Dreams, went to
and fell in love with it," Lambert said. "You extraordinary lengths to prepare the show for
can almost always count on some music DVD.
replacement. We've got entire theme songs
being replaced." American Dreams centers on a family in
Philadelphia in the tumultuous 1960s.
There are plenty of examples, he said. The Motown tunes and folk songs play
original theme song for the show Married ... throughout. Two of the teenage characters
the show includes some classic footage from
season DVD. Fans also complained when the the '60s show. It also re-creates the
song "Nights in White Satin" by the Moody Bandstand experience, with modern stars like
Blues was missing from a critical scene in the Usher playing Marvin Gaye and Hilary and
Wiseguy DVD set. The second-season DVD Haylie Duff playing the Shangri-Las, among
sets of Quantum Leap and Northern Exposure others.
both contain noticeable music replacements.
And DVD distributors don't always reveal on For the release of the first-season DVD last
the box cover that music has been replaced, fall, executive producer Jonathan Prince
either. watched every episode again and rated the
importance of every song in each episode. A
Only selected episodes from the first season "1" meant the song could not be replaced; a
of Ally McBeal have been released in the "5" was unimportant to the story.
United States because of the high cost of
Prince kept music he deemed critical to
music licensing. But in the United Kingdom,
where different licensing deals have been particular scenes, as well as performances of
struck, viewers can order all five seasons of guest stars and music for the Bandstand
the show. dancers. But some background songs -- when
the kids get ready for the prom, for instance --
"I think the studios are a bit shortsighted," were replaced with "cheaper needle-drops"
Lambert said. "A lot of fans -- if they
187
from the '60s. Prince said he doubted even Dubbed the “John Corbett Band” because As Corbett looked back on the trip, he recalled
hard-core fans would notice the difference. Corbett “likes the ring to it,” his new group that one person would sleep on a bean bag
has opened for big names such as ZZ Top, The chair in the back of the pickup truck while the
"I'm a music freak. This matters to me," Prince Charlie Daniels Band, David Allen Coe and others would navigate and drive. Every six
said. "We probably kept 80 percent of our others. The John Corbett Band plays country hours they rotated, and they stayed in a hotel
music." rock, and the members are excited to have only once while visiting the Grand Canyon.
completed recording of their first album,
"If they can't promise that the music is part of “John Corbett.” “It was a long, strange trip,” said Corbett. “I’ll
the DVD, you're going to have pissed-off tell you what, I got to California and I fell in
fans," Prince added. Music is so critical to Corbett noted that he does not have a love with it. I stayed in California and I had
shows, it would be like "watching 90210 favorite song on the 12-track CD because they never been outside of Wheeling, except for
without Luke," he said. all are favorites. Pittsburgh once.”

“I am hoping that if people like the types of Corbett said God must have put California at
movies I am in and like me on some level, the western edge of the continent for some
Date: January 15, 2006
they will be interested in my music,” he said. reason.
Publication: The Intelligencer Wheeling News-
“We headline, too. We just got back from a
Register
Vegas run, and we are playing at Country in “God laid it out right,” Corbett said. “You can
Author: By BETHANY A. ROMANEK Staff
the Rockies in Nashville.” go swimming and one hour later be skiing. I
Writer
made it my home since 1980.”
While music is currently the focus of Corbett’s
Wheeling native John Corbett gets a chance to While Corbett may have fallen in love with
life, his list of previous accomplishments is
kick back and relax a little this weekend while California at first sight, he didn’t head west
endless. In the 1990s, his role on “Northern
in town for a visit with family and friends at a with the intention of acting. Instead, he got a
Exposure” netted him both Emmy and Golden
farm he co-owns in rural Ohio County with his job in a steel factory and devoted six years of
Globe nominations. From there his career
good friend Greg George of Wheeling. his life to it. His career on screen started
took off, landing him roles on the TV series
“Sex In The City” and in hit films like “My Big slowly following an injury at work.
WHEELING — Starring in popular TV shows
Fat Greek Wedding” and “Raising Helen.”
and box office hits may have changed his life, “I went to a community college and
but crossing the West Virginia state line still discovered acting,” said Corbett. “In high
Corbett, who grew up in Wheeling, was back
gives John Corbett goose bumps whenever he school I had no inclination of acting. I always
in town recently to visit friends, family and his
approaches Wheeling — the place he will thought I’d be in a band. In high school, I
300-acre farm, located in rural Ohio County.
always call home. played in a band in the Wheeling area. I don’t
“My favorite part about Wheeling was even know if we had a name. I don’t even
“When the (Sago) coal mining disaster was
growing up in the city,” said Corbett. “In the remember.”
going down, I took that ride with everyone
1970s, Wheeling was a pretty jumping town
else,” said Corbett, who played disc jockey At the community college, Corbett took an
with an awesome nightlife. ... There was a lot
Chris Stevens on the TV series “Northern improvisation class. He was living on disability
of roaming around to do.”
Exposure.” checks from his accident and said he had no
Corbett recalls climbing on rooftops, playing idea what he was going to do with the rest of
“I knew I was coming here and I really missed
jail break and a version of hide-and-go-seek his life.
it. When I crossed the line and saw the sign
with greater stakes. He noted that at the time,
you are now entering West Virginia, it was a “I was taking acting classes and I got signed up
13th and 14th streets in Wheeling had more
little ‘goose-bumpy’ for me. I saw West for a cosmetology class and studied hair
trees and that the area today looks more like
Virginia so much on the news, I got a little dressing for a year,” said Corbett. “I went to
a parking lot.
homesick. It feels good to be here.” hair school by day and studied theatre at
A 1979 graduate of Wheeling Central High night.”
Corbett stopped by his rural Ohio County farm
School, Corbett first worked in a small carry-
this week seeking a dose of that “home sweet Then Corbett received his chance at stardom,
out store in East Wheeling.
home” feeling before entering into another a Samsung Electronics commercial. By the
realm of the entertainment business — music. “Everyone else was going to college,” he said. time he was out of cosmetology school, the
“I had an opportunity. Some friends of mine, commercial was running on the air. A hair
“Music is something I have a passion for, but
Gill and Moose and another guy, were going salon was Corbett’s last regular place of
it is definitely not hidden,” said Corbett. “I
to California. They were going to drive out employment.
have been doing it for a long time. I would like
there and one dude bailed out and there was
to say I am a singer who has done some “I had 50 national commercials in four years,”
one space left in the Datsun pickup.”
acting.” said Corbett. “Some actors are lucky to get
one one or two, but the commercials were

Cicely News & World Telegram 188

not fulfilling enough to put yourself on the
line with no rewards. I was about to say this
life is not for me when Universal saw me in a
Jack In The Box (food chain) commercial and
called me for a meeting.”
A week later, Corbett was on a plane to
Seattle, Wash. He credits the Jack In The Box
commercial for changing his life because it
gained him a spot on “Northern Exposure,”
the 1990s hit TV show.
“I wanted to act and have lines and scenes,”
he said. “Northern Exposure ran five years
and I was living in Seattle, Washington. I lived
there for 15 years.”
The popularity of “Northern Exposure” helped
land Corbett in big screen hits such as “My Big
Fat Greek Wedding.” This love story holds the
title of No. 1 most successful romantic
comedy ever made. The movie was produced
by Tom Hanks and his wife, with whom
Corbett said he is close friends.
“I think how lucky I am because of all of the
movies I have gotten to do,” said Corbett.
“Doors just open up. I am like a friend to the
world. I can go any place in the world and
have a friend. It is a constant and unique
thing.”
Corbett now resides in Santa Barbara, Calif.,
and spends some time throughout the year at
the “Corbett-George Ranch” in rural Ohio
County.
“I just don’t get back here as much as I would
like to,” he said. “There are some knolls here I
would like to build a log cabin on and spend
more time. It is different living in California.
There is no connection to people and your
neighbors.”
He said he can come back to Wheeling and
see people he has known his whole life, while
in California he does not know who lives next
door to him.
But when he returns to the Golden State,
Corbett hopes to have as much success in the
music business as he has had in television and
films.
According to his Web site, Corbett’s new CD
blends Nashville songcraft with tight,
combustive Southern rock arrangements. His
material was written by top songwriters like
Hal Ketchum, Jon Randall, Darrell Scott, Tim
Cicely News & World Telegram
Nicoles, Rivers Rutheford, Bernie Taupin and
Mark Selby.
The album was recorded in Nashville with
producer D. Scott Miller and Corbett’s
longtime musical partner, Tara Novick. The
musicians come from a mix of country and
rock backgrounds, with Black Crowes’
drummer Steve Gorman and Music City
bassist Mike Brignardello laying down a steel-
belted rhythm behind guitarists Kenny
Vaughan and Pat Buchanan, keyboardist Mike
Rojas and steel guitarist Mike Johnson.
Harmony vocalists include Sara Buxton and
veteran soul-shouter Jimmy Hall, former lead
singer of Southern rock ‘n’ soul greats Wet
Willie.
Corbett’s CD will be available in stores
beginning Tuesday, April 4.
Date: October 9, 2006
Publication: New York
Author: Leonard, John
ALTHOUGH NOT QUITE Northern Exposure for
morons, Men in Trees makes you want to
climb one, just to get out of the way of the
smirks. Anne Heche, channeling the ditz that
made her so exasperating to Harrison Ford in
Six Days Seven Nights, plays a big-city
"relationship expert" and self-help author
who ends up frazzled in a small town in Alaska
after her fiance cheats on her. In this hamlet,
there are many men, mostly strong and silent
like tranquilized caribou, and few women,
though they talk more. Plus, a bar, a radio
station, a biplane, a fish-and-game biologist,
and a skunk. The skunk explains a bathtub full
of Anne and tomato soup. There is, however,
no excuse for the charity bachelor auction.
You won't get up from Men in Trees dumber
than when you sat down. But it is worth
remembering that on Northern Exposure,
between gay weddings and wheelchair
Olympics, a marathon of hairy naked men ran
through the dawn-stricken streets as if they
were Pamplona bulls, and references were
made to Nietzsche, Trotsky, Jung, and the
Albigensian heresy. None of this will happen
on Men in Trees. It's not just that TV is about
TV, recycling whatever seemed to work
189
before. It's also that sitcoms worsen by the
season. Imitation is a form of battery,
brutalizing the original. Still, networks seek a
boffo hit across the demographic spectrum,
lowering their brows to do so. But suppose
there isn't a mass audience anymore. It's been
balkanized by cable.
IF MEN IN TREES is Northern Exposure for
slow readers, Help Me Help You is Bob
Newhart for psychobabblers. Recycled Ted
Danson plays a shrink whose estranged wife,
Jane Kaczmarek, is sleeping with a car
salesman, whose daughter, Lindsay Sloane,
dates a psychology professor old enough to
be, ahem, her father, and whose group-
therapy patients are the saddest sacks in the
grocery store (antisocial, suicidal, closeted,
furious). While therapists and psychiatrists are
usually reviled in novels and films, they're
often valorized on the small screen--from
M*A*S*H to Monk, from Law & Order to The
Sopranos--maybe because an intimate
medium is predisposed to believe, like
Freudians, that most of our ogres live at
home, under the bed, instead of outside in
the lousy weather of politics and history. But
if you bring back Newhart, he'd better come
with Suzanne Pleshette.
Date: February 13, 2008
Publication: Business Wire
The Log Home Builders Association is offering
a two-day class on building log homes from
scratch coming up April 5(th) and 6(th) near
Monroe, WA, at the infamous log home used
in the filming of the television show
"Northern Exposure."
SEATTLE -- The nearly 7,000-square-foot log
home used in the filming of the television
series "Northern Exposure" as the home of
retired astronaut Maurice Minnifield (played
by actor Barry Corbin) serves as the backdrop
for a two-day class on building log homes,
offered by the Log Home Builders Association
(http://www.loghomebuilders.org/). The next
class is scheduled for April 5th and 6th, 2008,
at the world-famous location near Monroe,
Washington.
In addition to teaching the craft of log home
building, the Log Home Builders Association
shows students how to use pioneering
techniques to build their home from scratch
without a log home kit. Many of the
association's students have built their log
home without a mortgage.
The two-day class is offered periodically
throughout the year to students who fly in
from around the world to learn the craft of
building their own log home. The cost of the
class is included in the association's lifetime
Cicely News & World Telegram
membership fee of $795 ($695 each for
groups of two or more).
To sign up for a class or to get more
information about log home building, visit the
association's web site at
www.loghomebuilders.org or call the
association at 360-794-4469.
About the Log Home Builders Association
190
The Log Home Builders Association has been
teaching students to build their own log
homes and log cabins from scratch since 1965
and currently has over 45,000 members
throughout the world. The association was
founded by Skip Ellsworth, a fifth-generation
log home builder who is considered the
world's foremost authority on log home
construction.
 Twenty years ago Monday, the world was Roslyn became a tourist mecca for the fans
introduced to the quirky fictional town of back in 1990 and is still in the Northern
Cicely, Alaska and it looks like quite a few fans Exposure business. At Moosefest people talk
Published: Wed, April 23, 2008, 9:04 AM
have never left. to the stars of the series, recreate some
By: Variety
favorite scenes, and visit some of the filming
"Northern Exposure" debuted in 1990 as a sites, including the KBEAR radio studio- which
-- When one fan stood up and told Chase how
summer replacement for CBS. After a slow hasn't been touched since the show was
much "Northern Exposure" had meant to him
start, the story of New York doctor Joel cancelled in 1995. It's the last intact piece of
as a TV viewer and writer -- Chase was a
Fleishman trapped in a remote town filled the set in the town.
scribe and exec producer on the seminal CBS
with unusual people took off.
show -- and asked to offer some insight about
But for fans like Letterman, the vision of
his experiences working on the series, Chase Over the next five years, the show picked up Cicely and it's residents is something that will
shot back, "I hated that show. I only did it for
57 awards and nominations during its run, last. As Chris the DJ said, "If there is no reality,
the money." Ouch. including 3 Emmy's, 2 Golden Globes, and 2 what do we have to hang our hats on?
Peabodies for its "depiction in a comedic and Magic."
often poetic way, of stories of people of
different backgrounds and experiences Moosefest will be held the weekend of July
clashing" but that ultimately "strive to accept 23rd.
their differences and co-exist."
Posted: Mon., Jan. 26, 2009, 2:06pm PT
By VARIETY STAFF Kurt Letterman says that's the reason he's
kept the fan fires burning all this time. "It's an
ideal small town life," he says. "Different Date: Jul 13, 2010
Scribe penned 'Jeffersons,' 'Maude'
people who all pull together for the common Author: Tanner Stransky
Sandy Veith, who wrote for shows including good."
"The Jeffersons" and "Maude" and won a
court judgement for his creation of "Northern Canceled in 1995,
Exposure," died Jan. 4 in Miami, Fla, after a the show's fans just
brief hospitalization for kidney and liver couldn't leave it
problems. He was 60. alone. So they
organized
Veith had a long career as a comedy producer "Moosefest," an
and writer, serving as co-exec producer on annual event held in
"Starting Now," exec producer on "He's the the western
Mayor," exec producer on "Never Again" and Washington town of
producer/writer on "Love, Sidney." He also Rosyln, where the
wrote epsiodes of "Diff'rent Strokes," "One in show was shot.
a Million" and "A Year at the Top." Letterman is the
organizer of
A 1990s court judgment found that he was Moosefest 2010 and
entitled to credit and compensation from says he's expecting
Universal as the creator of "Northern people" from all
Exposure," which was based on a treatment over the world,
and script he wrote for a series called England, Australia,
"Colletta." Croatia, and from all
over the US." He
He is survived by his wife Kathy, a stepson says over the years,
and a stepdaughter. the hardcore have
become friends,
almost family, and
while they might
disagree on politics
and religion and
Updated Jul 12, 2010 - 7:59 am
other issues, their
By DAN RESTIONE
love of the show is what brings them together
KIRO Radio
year after year.
Image Credit: CBS/Landov

Cicely News & World Telegram 191

Expectations were low when CBS
launched Northern Exposure in the middle of
July, traditionally a TV dead zone. “I don’t
know whose idea it was to launch in the
summer,” says Rob Morrow, who starred as
Joel Fleischman, a New York City doctor
forced to relocate to tiny Cicely, Alaska, where
he discovers a bevy of wacky townspeople,
including love interest Maggie O’Connell
(Janine Turner). “I don’t think anyone had any
idea what they had on their hands.”
Critics took to the show’s sweet, quirky
sensibility, and the program quickly
developed a cult following. Entertainment
Weekly’s Ken Tucker gave the first episode a
B+, writing that Exposure “may well prove to
be summer television’s most likably eccentric
series.” CBS stuck with the show despite so-so
ratings, eventually moving it from Thursday to
Monday. Suddenly, the network found itself
with a bona fide hit — something that became
obvious, Morrow says, when engineers
showed up one day to reinforce the flimsy set.
”We were thinking, They made us work like
that?” he recalls with a laugh. “Now they have
an interest in us!”
The surging rating — and infusion of cash —
allowed Exposure‘s writers to take risks with
story lines, which included prime time’s first
gay wedding. The show went on to win the
Outstanding Drama Series Emmy in 1992, as
well as two Golden Globes and two Peabody
awards. “As a series, it has benevolence about
it, and an intelligence,” says Morrow, who will
star on ABC’s legal drama The Whole
Truth this fall. “It spoke to the heart in a way
that was refreshing. That is refreshing still.”
Posted: Tuesday, July 27, 2010 4:00 pm
| Updated: 11:45 am, Tue Jul 27, 2010.
By Lura Treiber
ROSLYN—Linda Tye of Ashland, Ore., sold her
living room furniture to go to Moosefest in
Roslyn over the weekend.
Her friends chipped in for a $165 ticket so she
could attend the three-day fan festival for the
television show "Northern Exposure." Tye
came up with the money for travel expenses
and lodging. Now, her living room is furnished
Cicely News & World Telegram
with a plastic lawn chair, Tye said with a
laugh.
The show, which ran from 1990 to 1995, was
set in the fictional town of Cicely, Alaska. For
most of its run, outdoor scenes were shot in
Roslyn, and many local buildings and places
received time in the spotlight. Quirky
characters were part of the program's draw -
at the end of most programs, DJ Chris
Stevens, played by John Corbett, would recap
the theme of the episode on his KBHR radio
show.
"It would sum up what you were feeling," Tye
said.
Selling one's furniture to attend a small
festival may seem extreme, but "Northern
Exposure" means a lot to many people.
"There are messages in the show," Tye said.
She started watching it during its initial
broadcast.
Viewing the show was a healing experience
for Tye. In 1998, her husband, Rick, was
crushed by a tractor while at work. She
identified with the character of Maggie
O'Connell, played by Janine Turner. Maggie is
said to have a curse in the show - all the men
she dates end up dying in freak accidents. Tye
said at that point she felt like she was Maggie.
It helped her get through the time after her
husband's death, she said.
"The audience takes what they need from the
messages," said festival attendee Renee
Campbell of Philadelphia.
About Moosefest
Moosefest began in 1997 by a group of avid
"Northern Exposure" fans. It was held
annually until 2005. Less formal gatherings
were held in 2006 and 2007 while organizers
planned the 2008 fest. Moosefest is organized
by a committee of 11 people from all over the
country.
"It's a casual gathering of fans whom the
show has touched them in a special way," said Sense of community
Kurt Lutterman, director of the Moosefest
committee and longtime fan of the show.
Activities included several walking and bus
tours of filming sites in and around Roslyn,
show trivia, phone interviews with actors
192
from the show, an auction to raise money for
local nonprofits including the Roslyn
Downtown Association and a dinner catered
by the Roslyn Café.
Attending the dinner were several actors from
the show including Darren Burrows, who
played Ed Chigliak, William J. White, who
played Dave the Cook, Grant Goodeve, who
played Rick Pedersen, and Harry Pringle, who
played Henry Morningstar in the "Our Tribe"
episode.
Moosefest participants came from all over the
U.S. including New York, Florida, Illinois, Texas
and Minnesota. There were even attendees
from the United Kingdom, Croatia and
Australia.
The festival has been getting more popular
each year, Lutterman said. This year 100
people preregistered for the event.
"I've been wanting to do this since I was
little," Campbell said. She was 11 when the
show first aired. She often watched it with her
mother. This was her first Moosefest.
During the walking and bus tours on Saturday,
Campbell eagerly snapped photos of The
Brick, Ruth-Anne Miller's store, the beach
where Chris Stevens' trailer was located and a
multitude of other filming sites.
She chuckled at the horses being ridden down
the streets and the random black dog dodging
traffic. They are things she rarely gets to see
in Philadelphia.
Her eyes teared up after participating in a
Moosefest tradition, dancing on Ruth-Anne's
grave. So did Tye's.
Being able to attend the festival and tour
filming locations was a dream come true for
Campbell.
"It's wonderful," Campbell said. "It's like being
at a ‘Star Trek' convention while on the
Enterprise. You can feel the presence of the
show and the characters."
Candy Casey of Bangor, Maine, said being able
to tour the filming locations was ecstasy for a
devoted fan.
It was Casey's third Moosefest. Her first year
was 2005 and she also came to the event in
2008. She plans on coming to many more in
the future.
"When I found out that this is where they
filmed it, I couldn't wait to come down here,"
Casey said. "I had to put my hands on The
Brick. I was ready for it four months ahead of
time."
She, along with Campbell, Tye and Lutterman
fell in love with the uplifting feeling and sense
of community present in the show.
"When you're down, when you're bummed
and you watch the show, you feel like
everything is going to be all right," Casey said.
A Site for Hegemonic Struggle?
Popular Culture can be defined in any number
of ways, but is generally thought to consist of
cultural texts and cultural practices that are
consumed on a large scale. These texts and
practices are creations and reflections of the
western industrial societies that produce
them. The analysis of popular culture is a
worthy endeavor because of what it can
reveal about our society. Popular culture says
something about who we are and who we’d
like to be, and as with any artifact of culture,
there are many theoretical approaches that
may be utilized in its analysis.
One of these many approaches to the analysis
of popular culture is the Gramscian concept of
hegemony, based on the theory of Marxism.
This approach treats pop culture as a site of
exchange between dominant and subordinate
ideologies; a struggle between the forces of
resistance by subordinate groups and the
forces of incorporation by dominant groups
(Storey, 1998). Gramscian theory suggests
that texts move within a ‘compromise
equilibrium’ of resistance and incorporation. I
propose that the television program Northern
Exposure is a cultural text that demonstrates
this compromise equilibrium; it moves
between resistance and incorporation. The
fictional community of ‘Cicely, Alaska’ is the
site of this struggle.
‘Cicely’ is a small remote town in Alaska that
was founded in the early 1900’s. What began
as a frontier trading post was transformed
through a re-birth of the human spirit, under
Cicely News & World Telegram
the guidance of Roslyn and Cicely. These two this one: the revival of Earth Day and the
lesbian women had traveled from Billings MT Environmental Movement (post Exxon
on a quest to create a place for people to live Valdez), the eruption of New Age Spirituality,
in freedom and harmony, to live how they unprecedented ‘political correctness’ and
chose and to explore their human potential. global awareness, the collapse of
They inspired the depressed and the communism: Berlin Wall, Tiananmen Square,
oppressed of the outpost to reach within etc. It was a time in America’s history for
themselves and to tap their inner strength, reevaluation, and social change seemed
civic pride and humanity. Through the hard possible. A Republican administration, with
work of a diverse group of people from all George Bush Sr. as President of the United
walks of life, Cicely became a ‘Paris of the States, was in office when the show was
North’, an artist colony of freethinkers that formulated. The global events combined with
attracted the likes of Kafka, Lenin and the political framework for its historical
Anastasia Romanov. The town was unofficially production indicates a possible need for a
founded on the day of a ‘wild west’ competing ideology. Evidence of this need for
showdown of words –when the townsfolk shift in political power was the election of
defended their new Utopia from the bullying Democratic President Bill Clinton in 1992,
wealthy cowboy who would continue to ‘own’ mid-series forNorthern Exposure. Regardless
and dominate them, keeping them in fear and of whether or not this was an attempt to
subjugation. Cicely lost her life to a stray satisfy the masses by providing a cultural
bullet of ignorance and social reform was placebo for conflicting ideology, or whether
born, forever stamped on the town. The the demise of the show several years later
television show is an hour long weekly drama was evidence of the Democratic
that features a storyline based on the Administration providing a sense that our
experiences of a New York City doctor who liberal welfare was being safeguarded, the
gets stationed in Cicely in 1990 to work off his television industry recognized that the
medical school debt to the state of Alaska. American audience was becoming more
Says Rob Morrow, the actor who played Dr. diversified and saw an opportunity to target a
Joel Fleischman on the show, “I can’t think of fragmented population. Building off the
another mirror world more emotionally, popularity of quirky shows, such as Twin
spiritually, and intellectually right than the Peaks, the producers of Northern
one that we created in Cicely”(Will, 1999). Exposure used political fads as character traits
While operating within a completely and challenged political correctness and
identifiable physical world,Northern stereotypes.
Exposure challenges our perceptions and our
assumptions about the society we’ve created. I’ve addressed the possible appeal of a show
like Northern Exposure in the early 1990’s, but
The television series Northern Exposure, what is it about Northern Exposure that
currently airing as re-runs on the Hallmark continues to be so appealing today? The text
Channel on weekdays 2-3:00 pm, was has become integrated into a cultural practice
produced from 1990–1995 and aired during for some fans. The show influenced the
primetime on CBS. It enjoyed amazing critical economy of the real-life town as ‘outsiders’
and commercial success, winning an Emmy for began buying property in Roslyn, WA,
Outstanding Drama in its first season and presumably to feel closer to the fictional
launching its cast into commercial stardom. paradise. Some has been written on the
The text, which amasses to 110 episodes, was mythological content of the show and its
originally intended to be a quirky medical value as such, but I believe there might be
drama created by the producers of St. more to it than a much needed and inclusive
Elsewhere, John Falsey and Joshua Brand. global mythology. Taylor and Upchurch (1996)
There is a strong following of the series even reported that Northern Exposure quite
today with active fan clubs on the internet as possibly provides the needed global
well as in ‘real’ space. There are several mythology spoken of by Joseph Campbell in
annual gatherings of fans in the town of his PBS interview with Bill Moyers called ‘The
Roslyn WA, where many of the outdoor Power of Myth’. Campbell, a sorely missed
scenes for the show were filmed. There were leading scholar of world mythology and oft-
many changes in the world in 1989-1990 that quoted source on the ‘Chris in the morning’
likely contributed to the success of a show like radio show on Northern Exposure,asserted
193
that the social problems faced by industrial
societies are partly a result of a failure to
embrace a powerful mythology that guides
individuals in finding their place in society
(Taylor and Upchurch, 1996). Taylor and
Upchurch say that, in a Hegelian dialectic of
thesis, antithesis, and synthesis, Northern
Exposure combines elements from many
traditional myths to create a modern
functional myth. They point to the episode
where Chris flings the piano from Maggie’s
fire ravaged house to demonstrate “that we
need myths to help put aside the ‘things’ of
our lives”. By ‘things’ they mean anything that
prevents us from finding inner freedom and
meaningful relationships with other people;
mental and physical obstacles including
“childhood fantasies, desire for possessions,
fame or power” (Taylor and Upchurch, 1996).
This analysis indicates an appropriate link
between mythology and political and
economic ideology because they infer that the
mythology is needed to alleviate the
distracting baggage of our political and
economic existence, our everyday ‘reality’.
The degree to which Northern
Exposure succeeds in providing such a
mythology depends on how it is read.
Northern Exposure is an intellectual show and
can be read on many levels. The structuralist
approach says meaning is the result of
interplay of the relationship of selection and
combination made possible by the underlying
structure, in this case the theme of myth, and
is analogous to language (Storey, 1998). There
are very obvious themes for each episode and
an eclectic cast of characters that might
appeal to almost any segment of the viewing
audience. It is possible that Northern
Exposure is a site for the disenfranchised in
today’s world to find expression, a site for the
ideological struggle in America to be played
out.
The series begins with a Jewish New York
doctor coming to Alaska to work off a
contractual debt to the state for his medical
education. He imagines that he is to be
stationed in Anchorage or Fairbanks and is
horrified when he finds himself instead
marooned in the backwoods town of Cicely,
population 800. The first several episodes
feature him struggling with this incarceration
(control issues) and trying to think of an
escape plan. The townsfolk he encounters are
entirely alien and ‘weird’ to his highly
‘cultured’ urban worldview. He is a man of
Cicely News & World Telegram
concrete and skepticism, ‘alone’ in a placing much merit on financial gain. And
wilderness of ‘freaks’. The series develops as while they all participate in the capitalist
Joel and his community learn life lessons in system without contestation, as a whole they
dealing with humanity. Joel’s only ‘kindred place more value on intangibles, a counter
spirit’ is his captor, Maurice Minnifield, the hegemonic ideology that minimizes
benefactor and patriarch of the town; a man consumption. Their residence choice denotes
who held Joel at gunpoint when he’d heard of their placement of value. Besides the Indians,
his plans to welch on the repayment deal. many of the residents are transplants from
other states, dreamers and gypsies who
Maurice is an extremely wealthy ex-marine, settled in Alaska to enjoy more freedom and a
ex-astronaut and frontier developer with higher quality of life. They certainly were not
western notions of law and dreams of his own lured with economic incentive, and their
legacy. He is a man comfortable and self- access to market goods is limited by location.
identified with his status as an elite in a nation The only characters that did come to Alaska
of economic, cultural and political hierarchy, with a business venture were Ron and Eric,
although he continues to be unaware of the two homosexual innkeepers looking for a
fact that his prominence as leader is dream life where they could still maintain
unrecognized in the rural town. His their financial quality of life. While Maurice
prominence is indeed a figment of his initially revels in their overwhelming
imagination when it is placed out of context similarities in taste (culinary and music, ‘high
with the outside world. There is a peripheral culture’) and ethics (fiscal and as fellow
rival of Maurice’s in town, Edna Hancock, a marines), he struggles with his homophobic
woman who also owns timber and mining disgust with their lifestyle. But with Maurice,
companies and plans of fiscal dreams come tolerance can be bought, and he sells them
true in the wilderness. Interestingly enough, property for their ‘bed and breakfast’. In
the only other regular character who buys episodes that follow, Maurice continually
into the status quo of the standard economic confronts his homophobia as he learns to
‘American Dream’ is Lester Haines, the Native accept these newest additions to his growing
American millionaire who’s “lost touch with enterprise, the town itself. While Cicely was
the old ways”, according to our Native originally founded by a homosexual couple,
spiritual guide, Marilyn Whirlwind. Lester Maurice is uncomfortable with the direction it
employs Phillipino servants and contracts out may now take under his ‘command’, and with
to other Native Americans, but expects special how it would reflect upon him and his legacy
discounts for his nepotism. In effect, he’s as benefactor.
assimilated and become the ‘white man’.
There are some supporting characters when it Maurice and Joel are offended by any lack of
becomes necessary to set an exclusive respect for elitism. Maurice holds tightly to his
capitalist environment. One such event was position as king of the lonely castle and his
the episode where Holling, the endearing imaginary reign over the kingdom of Cicely,
tavern owner and long time friend of Maurice, while Joel holds tightly to his inflated self-
wants to become a member of the Sons of the image as glorified ‘healer of man’ and
Tundra Club. This exclusive club of automatic leader in his forced community.
businessmen, which admitted a scraggly old Both cling to illusions of control and illusions
trapper and recovering Wall Street junky of their role of power and influence, none of
named Walt, would not initiate Holling due to which are recognized in this wilderness. What
Lester’s prejudice against his Huguenot is power in this fictional world? Who has it in
heritage. Holling found himself questioning Cicely? Just as money is worthless in the
the exclusive nature of current society. wilderness, Maurice’s restrictive agenda and
Besides this peripheral brotherhood of brazen display of authority is worthless in a
capitalists, Joel and Maurice generally find setting of freethinkers with relatively nothing
themselves in the minority, sharing a common material to lose. In a world where political
set of values when it comes to politics and correctness is not expected and most take
goals. little offense to the insulting opinions of
others, Cicelians are free to speak their minds
In contrast to the capitalist ideology without repercussion. Just as the stereotypical
expounded by Joel and Maurice, the rest of old west, Cicelians don’t seem to need a
Cicely’s residents tend to fall into the leader. In fact they had gone without an
alternative category of diverse values, none
194
election in town since its founding days, up
until Edna Hancock needed a stop sign in front
of her house and realized she was not going
to get one unless she became mayor. Power
displays itself as self-expression and self-
realization.
The true revelations of power come through
as recognition of individual human nature and
self-determination. An example of this is
when Maggie O’Connell, the young
antagonistic bush pilot from Gross Point
Michigan, finds an archaeological site in her
front yard and is suddenly overrun with
Maurice and his band of hired excavators.
Maggie is never consulted on the project and
is told to use her back door so as not to
disturb such an important operation. When
she realizes that the artifacts are largely
comprised of women’s paraphernalia, she
takes back the power and kicks them all off of
her property in a bulldog display of
empowerment, promptly eating the written
contract and reburying the artifacts in an all
female ritual. Other episodes end in glory
when characters simply reject the oppressive
feel of “should” and “have to”. For example,
Maurice suffers a minor heart attack and feels
like the world is trying to bury him and his
ambition by sending him away for a series of
medical tests. He takes matters into his own
hands and risks his health by canceling his trip
to the hospital, choosing instead to high dive
into a waterhole of icy stream water,
resurfacing triumphant with adrenalin and
self-determination. Another episode features
Maggie coming to the realization that she
doesn’t have to let Fleischman’s abrasive
character affect her, because she is inherently
nice and he is not. She proceeds to try
desperately to be nice, something she has
always believed to be part of her nature, and
she struggles and is unhappy. When her
patience is finally tested with someone
treating her like a doormat, she breaks the
politeness, screams and threatens the
offender. She turns to face the camera with
an exuberant face of found identity and
empowerment. These episodes featuring
agency as victorious over structure propose a
challenge to the dominant ideology of
American culture. These characters feel the
pressure of dominant forces in patriarchy,
gender metanarratives, and a youthful culture
that negates the elderly. In response to these
forces is a brief period of habitual
acquiescence before an eventual realization
Cicely News & World Telegram
of discomfort and ultimately self- connected to their class status and are self-
determination. These characters have identified by them.
essentially rebelled against the structure; a
very subtle and private rebellion, but that is Another dichotomy of class struggle is seen in
how revolution begins. Individual self- the characters of Joel and Maggie. While Joel
determination may ultimately lead to a re- and Maggie act out an obvious struggle with
evaluation of the system by which we define gender roles and competition, they also act
ourselves as a group. In this way agency may out their struggles to break free from the
challenge structure in a hegemonic struggle classes they were born into. Joel was born to
over ideology. a blue-collar family and strives for the
republican American Dream of success, while
As a base feature of the dominant ideology of Maggie was born to a Country Club executive
capitalism, class structure is represented in and socialite, and strives to live out the
this text, but what’s questionable is the extent reverse, an idealized democratic vision of
to which the hierarchy functions. Two very equality. Maggie and Joel are living their
clear examples of this class struggle are the version of the American Dream by challenging
dichotomies of Maurice and Chris, and Maggie the roles and classes they were born into.
and Joel. Maurice’s polar opposite is Chris Maggie was raised to be a successful and
Stevens, ex-con DJ, artist and employee who professional socialite and reacted dramatically
contently resides in a trailer. Maurice and by following her own desires to be a
Chris are opposites on every scale, but they combative mechanic and bush pilot. She is an
share common cultural texts. The excellent example of an individual who
interpretations of those texts are quite challenges the dominant gender
different, but the appreciation is ‘equal’. metanarrative, who is quick to rebellion, and
While Maurice and Chris are both from very who makes attempts to understand and
humble backgrounds, both are practice liberal social responsibility. Joel is
quintessentially ‘American’ by very different living the quintessential American Dream by
definitions. Maurice’s childhood was based on being born to a middle class family and
conservative mid-western American morals, working his way up to the elite upper class of
and Chris’ childhood was based on liberal, low medical professionals. Having been a child
class criminal delinquency. Each archetype prodigy, he is not exactly challenging the role
has a different value for money, and different he was born into but he is shifting class status,
motivations. They represent the upper class by choice and through effort. In this way he is
and the lowest class, and each is very buying into the dominant ideology with all of
comfortable with their class status. In fact its high culture and emphasis on prestige and
each identifies himself heavily by that status. privilege. Throughout the show we watch him
Maurice worked hard to move from the lower wrestle with his black and white worldview
to the upper class, and can’t possibly and in his last season he relinquishes the
comprehend the idea that everyone wouldn’t illusion of control he’s been clinging to and
trade shoes with him in a minute for the fame decides to live with a remote Indian village
and fortune he’s acquired. But, he is lonely. during his inner search for ‘enlightenment’.
Chris is proud of his class and sees no division Joel completely morphs through a spiritual
separating him from an intellectual life of rebirth following a vision quest, and returns to
both great literary culture and beer. He is an New York with an alternative and ‘eastern’ (as
artist and a philosopher, and wants nothing opposed to ‘western’) worldview. We see that
more than to explore every dimension of both Maggie and Joel have challenged the
existence. In an episode where Maurice dominant ideology in very different patterns,
wanted an heir to pass on the Minnifield revealing that there are as many paths to
fortune, he tried to adopt Chris, his employee choose as there are individuals, and that
and friend. Chris hesitantly agreed because ideologies are not only notnecessarily
he’ll try anything once. It was an incredibly imposed, but also not static. We have agency.
awkward experience as Maurice tried to We can decide what success means to us
‘father’ and mold Chris into someone worthy individually regardless of what dominant
of such prestige. In a typical father-son duel of ideology is telling us.
egos, Chris finally ‘quit’, as all Stevens do.
Both men have vastly different identities Northern Exposure subverts the American
Ideal of success and power to include those
who resist competitive capitalist oppression.
195
As a hegemonic site of resistance, the show episode the character comes to the probably targeted an increasingly fragmented
empowers those who don’t personally realization that, while conditioned to want a audience. While the fan base is both male and
legitimize the system by reversing the house, it is not going to make them any female, I’ve never seen an official
definition of ‘success’. In Cicely, more value is happier than they already are. And who needs survey. According to a marketing project by
generally placed on art and free spirit than on to be isolated in organized personal space Diet 7-UP, it may have been largely women.
a sizeable financial portfolio. In one episode anyway? Community is the lesson of Cicely. The target audience for their taste test
Ed invites Ruth Ann Miller, general store sweepstakes, featuring the moose
owner and his new boss, to dinner and she Community is a recurrent theme on the show. blindfolded, were women from 18-49 (Flynn,
tells him of her children. She proudly The increasing isolation of the individual due 1994). Of course this may have simply been
describes her son Rudy who is a truck driver in to technological advances is lamented in the target audience because it was a diet
Portland and writes pastoral poetry in his Cicely, where town meetings are the forum to product, typically thought to be more
spare time. And with an air of regret and debate moral dilemmas, and potlatches and appealing to the ever self-conscious female.
disappointment she describes her son picnics abound. One particular episode And what of the marketing? Is this the
Matthew by saying. “and well ….Matthew, features Maggie getting fed up with the poor dominant ideology still winning with all of this
that boy had such potential…..he’s in quality of the machines in the Laundromat focus on products and consumer activity? The
Chicago… he’s an investment banker.” (Ed (itself an indicator of class distinction), owned program became quite a windfall for
offers his condolences). “Life’s full of surprises and operated by Maurice Minnifield, and marketing, with T-shirts available everywhere
Ed, some good and some bad.” Northern buying her own personal machines like those in stores and the stars becoming regular
Exposure offers an environment where the she had when growing up. Five minutes into commercial salesmen for car manufacturers
alternative lifestyle and values are not only her first load of wash she realizes she is bored like Ford Motor Company. Perhaps fans
appreciated and nurtured, but constitute the and lonely, sitting at home with her laundry. wanted to buy into the concept of this
majority. The minority is the capitalist She makes phone calls to idly chatter and northern paradise where material goods are
ideology of materialism, and that is OK too, so starts to invite people over to do their laundry appreciated but not seen as the ticket to
long as it does not impose on the rights of the at her house, just so she’ll have company. happiness. In a society where everything is for
others. I believe that this idyllic village, where Following a conversation with Chris about sale, perhaps they wanted to buy into the
art and individuality are revered, may America’s technological “blitzkrieg toward concepts of community, spirituality and
alleviate the pain of failure felt by many in the isolation”, Maggie realizes that the alternative ideologies. ‘Cityfolk’ began buying
‘lower 48’; ‘failure’ of choosing not to Laundromat was more than a place to wash property in Roslyn WA not long after the
conform to the capitalist standard. Cicelians her clothes, it was an informal bonding ritual program began. Were they buying into the
have chosen instead to ‘follow their bliss’ that regularly reinforced her social ties with prestige of the show or were they buying the
(Campbell, 1988). friends in the community, her ‘family’. When concept of an alternative reality? The former
she experiences a kink in the new machine’s would indicate a support for the dominant
Failure is embraced in Cicely. Failure is function, she seizes the opportunity to return ideology whereas the latter would indicate a
inevitable if life is truly lived and risks taken. it to the factory. She is welcomed back to the choice for an alternative ideology, albeit
Perhaps this can be seen as embracing the laundry circle by those who’ve missed her ‘consumed’ via the mechanisms of capitalism.
American ideal, the myth of the American company. I believe that this sense of If Cicely is a state of mind, why would people
west and the pledge of the pursuit of community, largely lost in an expanding relocate to find it? According to one reviewer,
individual happiness. Risk taking is industrial nation, is a key component to the Cicely is a pastoral myth of the secret garden,
encouraged in capitalism. It may also be a appeal of the show. It’s not simply a group of and this garden of Eden is “wherever you are
new definition of an America painfully aware friends, but a village of different souls when you watch its tale unfold” (McConnel,
of its sins and in need of redemption. In muddling together along individual paths of 1993).
the episode where Chris is struggling with the life. In an industrial capitalist system that
logistics of remodeling his trailer in a timely glorifies financial success, consumption and ‘Cicely’ does not exist in a vacuum and the
efficient manner, he remarks to Joel on the mobility of the nuclear family, ‘community’ is outside world of marketing is still an influence
lesson he learned from the universe in his a concept that has become distanced and in their fictional lives. One episode features
failure to do so. “What is a house, but a quaint. Community is now a matter of choice Marilyn Whirlwind, the stoic spiritual guide
metaphor for the mind….You gotta tear down that one must seek and create. But we are and conscience of Dr. Fleischman, struggling
the old before you can build the new. You conditioned to purchase what we need with a mysteriously sore leg. Ed Chigliak,
gotta lose your mind before you can find instead of creating it. I believe that a certain the budding film-maker and Shaman in
it….Give up man. Throw out all those old plans percentage of the audience ofNorthern training, films her telling her ancestor’s story.
and sink your face in the here and now. Exposure, particularly those who later By the end of the story she realizes her
Whether it works out or not, I’m a free man.” purchased Northern Exposuremerchandise, problem was that she’d been working too
Failure is relative. All is relative in Cicely; all is may have been, in part, trying to ‘buy’ this old many hours and neglecting her stories,
a state of mind…..even freedom. There are concept of community. putting her desire for a compact disc player
several episodes that challenge the value of a before her cultural needs. While we expect
house in our society and its use as a status Who was the audience of Northern Exposure? the transplanted Cicelians to struggle with the
symbol, a benchmark of our ‘success’. In each By featuring characters with diverse remnants of their past, their enculturation, it
personalities and backgrounds, the text

Cicely News & World Telegram 196

is always refreshing and powerful to witness
the spiritual center dealing with human
frailties. While Marilyn seems oblivious to the
maelstrom of Joel’s antics, she quietly harbors
her own mixed feelings about forgiveness and
leniency, casting doubt into stereotypes. This
is a subversion of ethnic metanarratives, our
idea of the Native American. Who is the
Native American and what role do they play in
our society? Are they fully assimilated? The
characters on Northern Exposure display an
array of answers. While Marilyn rejects the
lure to consume in this episode due to the
immediate cultural and health cost, Ed
Chigliak struggles with a similar dilemma in
the episode where he housesits for Maurice.
At first he is terribly lonely and uneasy in the
mansion, so he invites friends over to share in
Maurice’s wealth. Before long he has assumed
Maurice’s arrogant personality. The house
had taken control of him like the aliens in
‘Invasion of the Body Snatchers’. I believe this
was intended to be commentary on the
consuming nature of material possessions.
This would serve to further support my
contention that Northern Exposure, as a text,
acts as a site for hegemonic struggle.
As Marx said, “The philosophers have only
interpreted the world, in various ways; the
point is to change it”(Storey, 1998). I assert
that the moral of the storyline of Northern
Exposure is that we all have the power to do
just that in our own lives everyday, simply by
challenging the norms, by becoming more
tolerant of one another and by not imposing
ideology. Individual empowerment can lead
to a critical mass of people who think alike
and feel able to change society. Tolerance
leads to community and community can lead
to social action. In this way individual power
can support a grassroots counter hegemonic
struggle. One may also read that self-
empowerment of the individual may serve to
support the dominant ideology by flattening
out the sense of conflict, but I don’t
necessarily agree. Self-empowerment could
make us feel more in control over things than
we really are, and that might be the position
of critical theorists from the Frankfurt School
of thought. They believe that the culture
industry uses pop culture to prematurely
deliver on the promises of a capitalist success
(equality and justice), thus preventing the
demand for true democracy, and flattening
out the distinction between high culture
(belonging to the realm of religion) and
Cicely News & World Telegram
popular culture (Storey, 1998). Marshall situations. Having been raised in this media
McLuhan, predicted that the power and range culture, I’m sure I’m not alone in experiencing
of television would one day iron out our flashes of recognition when finding myself in
differences and turn us into a ‘global village’ situations that are reminiscent of television
(McConnel, 1993). Does this mean that scenarios. In a given situation, most people
if Northern Exposure does represent this my age understand what I mean when I say
bridge between popular culture and religion I’m having a ‘Brady moment’. Television
(high culture), thus ironing out the affects us in ways that carry into our daily
differences, that it prevents the demand for lives, ways that are often unrecognized but
true democracy? It remains to be seen, but I are quite readily recalled. It’s even a standard
think that democracy is taking place at the storyline on the show. Ed Chigliak, the film
level of the individual consumer, reflected in buff, sees events in his life as they remind him
their choices and attitudes. of movies. His shaman mentor, Leonard,
refers to movies as ‘White Man’s medicine’.
Northern Exposure provides the new “global He says it is the folklore we carry with us
village” myth that embraces cultural diversity, throughout our lives, our healing stories. In
community spirit, and individual freedom of this subtle way we can play out counter
expression while providing a framework for hegemonic ideas and explore different
life’s journey (Taylor and Upchurch, 1996). It personalities. It may not be a typical
provides dialogue that includes nearly every revolution, but it may be a subtle one. The
point of view, and most often features liberal individual focused ideology of meaning and
stances and humanity victorious. And, in the power, of ‘following your bliss’, counters
last decade of the 20th century, these dominant ideology because it tells us to do
priorities were predominant in the media. what we want to do with our lives, instead of
Does that then mean that liberal alternative what the media tells us we want to do. Joseph
lifestyle was the dominant ideology? I believe Campbell, has this to say on the subject; “It’s
not so. I believe it was a fad and an idea that characteristic of democracy that majority rule
was capitalized on by the consumer market of is understood as being effective not only in
America, and in turn consumed by Americans politics but also in thinking. In thinking, of
perhaps looking for alternatives and a clear course, the majority is always wrong……the
conscience regarding their petitioned role in a majority’s function in relation to the spirit is
world of growing responsibilities. By to try to listen and to open up to someone
challenging its viewers to question their very who’s had an experience beyond that of food,
beliefs about success and existential shelter, progeny, and wealth” (Campbell,
meaning, Northern Exposureasked us to 1988). This he says in response to the
reevaluate our society and its dominant question of what has undercut the experience
ideology. I would contend that the writers of following your bliss and deeply communing
were somewhat successful in this challenge by with ‘God’ in today’s world. ‘Finding your
reaching a portion of the audience that was bliss’ is essentially becoming one with ‘God’,
reading the text as I’ve suggested. I’ve spoken tapping into universal energy and humanity,
with many people who’ve read the text (or through finding true happiness with yourself.
haven’t read the text) in many different ways. And as I’ve stated and shown, the characters
Many who read deeply into the text come on the show largely favor individual growth
away feeling better, with a sense of and lack of formal government and law.
satisfaction. In this way they may view the Campbell says, “The best part of the Western
conflict as already having been resolved. I’m tradition has included a recognition of and
not purporting that those who’ve become the respect for the individual as a living entity.
biggest fans of the show lead alternative The function of the society is to cultivate the
lifestyles and counter dominant ideology in individual. It is not the function of the
their daily lives. The fans I met seemed to be, individual to support society.” Northern
for the most part, very average middle class Exposure repeatedly supports this philosophy,
Americans with typical occupations. This is exhibited in the two following examples, one
just what I surmised; no survey was episode featuring Lenin, and another
conducted. What I would like to propose is featuring a more formal government evolving
that it is difficult to say how they were subtly in Cicely.
affected. Perhaps the experience has affected
the way they make decisions and perceive
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In a period episode early in the town’s history,
Lenin travels to Cicely to meet secretly with
the outcast Anastasia Romano, to see if they
might reach an agreement where she could
be reinstated as a token monarch of the
people. In a discussion at her general store,
Ruth Ann Miller says she’s been reading about
his Soviet Union and she believes they will
always have a problem with it because of
their neglect for individuality. Lenin is
enchanted with the strength and vitality of
the Alaskan settlers and returns to the newly
established Soviet Union with a slightly
different take on his interpretation of
Marxism in practice. He begins to question
the role of the individual spirit in capitalist
versus communist systems. Perhaps a system
that forsakes the individual for the community
is not the ‘right’ answer either. This is clear
evidence of the text moving within a
‘compromise equilibrium’; moving between
forces of incorporation and resistance.
Another episode featuring this hegemonic
struggle is one with ambitious Maggie
O’Connell as newly elected mayor. She wants
to show Cicelians that government can
accomplish things that are ‘good’ sometimes,
so she proposes a number of civic
enhancement and public works projects.
Maggie finds that very few people, except
Holling who would personally profit and who
was of Canadian heritage (socialized benefits),
favor the precedent of a ‘big’ government
machine. They democratically choose to vote
‘no’ on ‘progress’ and ‘red tape’. The majority
vote in Cicely is for individual sovereignty.
Cicely News & World Telegram
Campbell says that “each incarnation has a level. I contend that at least a portion of the
potentiality…….the mission of life is to live audience who chose to read deeply into the
that potentiality. How do you do it? My text were those who, on some level were
answer is, ‘Follow your bliss’. There’s seeking liberation. Liberation from what?
something inside you that knows when you’re Liberation from the ‘rat race’ of the capitalist
in the center, that knows when you’re on the American Dream, from the gender
beam or off the beam. And if you get off the metanarrative, from the Judeo-Christian
beam to earn money, you’ve lost your life. concepts of spirituality, from the fear of
And if you stay in the center and don’t get any
political incorrectness and/or from the fear of
money, you still have your bliss.” I believe exercising true democracy by freely speaking
these words are the driving inspiration for the
their minds. A Neo-Gramscian analysis of
writers of Northern Exposure. These concepts competing ideologies is just one of many
are featured in many themes of the show and possible ways to examine this rich cultural
Campbell is often paraphrased. His ideas are text, but it is one with merit as television
challenging to the dominant ideology because ‘fiction’ is an ideal media for such dialogue to
it places true inner happiness above financialoccur in a non-threatening atmosphere. In
value. And as much as we all agree to this Neo-Gramscian analysis, popular culture is
hierarchal placement in theory, it is rarely what people actively make from the products
used in daily decision-making. We live in a of the culture industry; it is a social
society where we are bombarded with images production (Storey, 1998). The concept of
of money buying true happiness. And hegemony is used to explain the absence of
therefore, if we want either money or socialist revolutions in capitalist systems, and
happiness we must realistically make choices this cultural text is a good example of how
to ensure a sound financial future through a those in this society who want to be heard
capitalist system. Northern Exposure, as a and be appreciated, can be appeased through
text, tells us that this may not be necessary. I
dialogue that highlights their particular
contend that Northern Exposure shows that ideology. While we may not be left with
there are other options in the way we think, concrete answers to the myriad of political
view the world, and react within it. and philosophical questions posed in each
episode, we are left with a sense that the
In these ways I believe Northern Exposure was intellectual struggle has been worthwhile. The
an anthropological analysis of, and an characters exhibit signs of growth as they
experiment with, the American culture. I realize that there are many valid perspectives
believe it appealed to a wide and fragmented and that the world may not be as ‘black and
audience through the array of characters white’ as we may like to think.
represented. But, I do not contend that it
appealed to everyone or even on the same
198