{"id":35915,"date":"2018-02-09T11:00:15","date_gmt":"2018-02-09T11:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/25yearslatersite.com\/?p=35915"},"modified":"2023-01-22T23:01:31","modified_gmt":"2023-01-23T04:01:31","slug":"northern-exposure-welcome-to-the-alaskan-riviera","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tvobsessive.com\/2018\/02\/09\/northern-exposure-welcome-to-the-alaskan-riviera\/","title":{"rendered":"Northern Exposure: Welcome to the Alaskan Riviera"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0“So we’ve decided to set you up in Cicely, situated in the area we Alaskans refer to as the Alaskan Riviera…”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Set in Alaska, but actually filmed not far up the road from where Twin Peaks<\/em>‘ exterior locations were shot, Northern Exposure<\/em> was initially often compared to Twin Peaks<\/em>, arriving a mere three months after it aired. Twin Peaks<\/em> may have had the most lasting cultural fame, but at the time Northern Exposure<\/em> was the more traditional network hit. Twin Peaks<\/em> had the hype and made a big splash, but viewers drifted away once they realised that this wasn\u2019t the murder mystery they were expecting, but something rather more disturbing altogether. They found something a little more homely in Northern Exposure<\/em>. It had the same majestic northwestern scenery, was set in a small isolated town, had a cast of quirky characters, and told stories in an unconventional and – for its day – challenging way.<\/span><\/p>\n

While Twin Peaks<\/em> put a lot of viewers off with its bursts of surreality and disturbing darkness, Northern Exposure<\/em> could best be described as charmingly eccentric. The comparisons were addressed directly by the show in a typically self-referential and playful fashion in an early episode when an aside sees the characters take a trip to see a local waterfall which includes slow-motion, scene dissolves, Badalamenti-like synths, Red Room-esque jazz, rhythmic finger-snapping, mention of coffee, donuts, cherry pie, a log lady, and an out-of-the-blue discussion of the importance of the unseen and Sontag. There is no real purpose to this scene in the narrative other than to pay tribute to, and perhaps poke a little fun at the rival show.<\/p>\n

In truth, aside from the small-town Pacific northwest small town setting there isn\u2019t a great deal that the two shows have in common, and in fact the tone and underlying mood couldn\u2019t be more different, except for the more soapy aspects of Season 2 of Twin Peaks<\/em>. Where Twin Peaks<\/em> focused on the Lynch obsession with the darker side of small town folk, and the secrets that lurk under the surface of such tight-knit communities, Northern Exposure<\/em> was undeniably positive and upbeat – championing the slow, deliberate simplicity of the town, and the relationships that are formed within. At its essence, the quirky community is what makes Northern Exposure<\/em> absorbing and is its strongest connection to Twin Peaks<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Aside from Twin Peaks<\/em>, there was nothing like Northern Exposure<\/em> on the air, and not much like it before. Its cast of quirky characters, philosophising, shamanism, odd dialogue, and fantasy sequences paved the way for shows such as Ally McBeal<\/em>\u00a0and, later, Gilmore Girls<\/em>, which re-created a very similar small-town cast of friendly weirdos that drew the viewer in and made them never want to leave. Like Gilmore Girls<\/em>, it also had a scattergun democratic approach to literary and movie references, throwing out quotes from Nietzsche and Woody Allen with equal abandon, assuming the viewer will be equally happy with and recognise both, and even if not, they always sound great coming from the philosopher-crook Chris Stevens. Likewise, Northern Exposure<\/em> owes a debt of gratitude to Moonlighting<\/em>, which ended its four year run the year before, and specialised in screwball dramedy, sharp dialogue, fantasy sequences and episodes. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Joel<\/span><\/p>\n

As the show starts, we follow the recently graduated New York doctor Joel Fleischman (Rob Morrow) to the small town of Cicely, Alaska where he is required to serve out his time as the town doctor for in return for the state having paid his college fees. Expecting to be placed at a hospital in Anchorage, he is further appalled to be told he is being sent to the small town of Cicely to be a local doctor. As a premise it\u2019s a classic fish-out-of-water tale, and you could be forgiven for expecting in those first moments that this is going to a very formulaic show. Big city doc ends up in a hick town – high jinks and stereotypes ensue. This doesn\u2019t happen though, and for an early nineties show the characters and storylines are mostly incredibly thoughtful and progressive. While the focus is very much on Joel initially, gradually though – without us really noticing – we\u2019re drawn into the town of Cicely; its weird mix of characters, and the friendly, slow-paced life where small dramas have a big impact. We start as an outsider, like Joel, but throughout the first few episodes as we get to know the townsfolk, and we slowly start to feel like this is somewhere we could call home. These people could be our friends. Weird friends maybe, but friends. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSomething I’ve been wondering about lately…mirrors, ya know…You hold two of ’em facin’ each other…and what’s on ’em? I don’t know. If you have any ideas, feel free to give me a call\u2026\u201d<\/i><\/b><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Ed<\/span><\/p>\n

The first Cicely resident Joel meets is Ed Chigliak (Darren E. Burrows), a young half-Native American who was abandoned at birth by his mother and raised by a local Tlingit tribe. A budding film-maker and movie buff, Ed appears naive, maybe a little slow, but as we get to know him we recognise that he is just largely lost in his own head, living in a half-fantasy movie world of his own devising. <\/span><\/p>\n

Next he meets Maurice (Barry Corbin); ex-astronaut, local entrepreneur who owns half the town, and dreams of a rich future with Burger Kings and hotels, making Cicely the Alaskan Riviera. Maurice drives Joel into the town centre, to be met with Joel\u2019s astounded \u201cIs this it? Is this the town?\u201d. They walk over to Joel\u2019s future office, a decrepit unfurnished dust-hole where he is greeted by Marilyn (Elaine Miles), a local Tlingit woman who has come to apply for the job. Overwhelmed with horror, Joel flees and ends up in the local drinking hole \u2018The Brick\u2019 where he encounters the cap-wearing plaid-clad denizens. Rushing to the payphone he calls the co-ordinator in Anchorage to demand he is released from his obligations, without any joy. He meets Holling Vincoeur (John Cullum), the owner of \u2018The Brick\u2019 who has a longstanding dispute with Maurice over Shelley, who Maurice brought up to Cicely but who fell for and ended up with Holling.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\t\n\t\t\"Maurice