Northern Exposure (1990–1995)

A newly graduated doctor is required to set up his practice in an eccentric Alaskan town.

Creators:

Joshua Brand, John Falsey

Stars:

Barry Corbin, Janine Turner, John Cullum

Won 2 Golden Globes. Another 25 wins & 60 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Barry Corbin	...	Maurice J. Minnifield (110 episodes, 1990-1995)
Janine Turner	...	Maggie O'Connell (110 episodes, 1990-1995)
John Cullum	...	Holling Vincoeur (110 episodes, 1990-1995)
Darren E. Burrows	...	Ed Chigliak (110 episodes, 1990-1995)
John Corbett	...	Chris Stevens (110 episodes, 1990-1995)
Cynthia Geary	...	Shelly Marie Tambo (110 episodes, 1990-1995)
Elaine Miles	...	Marilyn Whirlwind (110 episodes, 1990-1995)
Peg Phillips	...	Ruth-Anne Miller (107 episodes, 1990-1995)
Rob Morrow	...	Dr. Joel Fleischman (102 episodes, 1990-1995)
William J. White	...	Dave the Cook (48 episodes, 1991-1994)

Storyline

Joel Fleishman is fresh out of medical college, and fresh out of luck. Failing to read the fine print in his scholarship conditions, he finds he has no choice but to move to the remote and somewhat eccentric town of Cicely, in the wilds of Alaska. Once there, he is welcomed by the peculiar locals who are not keen to see him go, most especially Maurice Minnifield, the ex-NASA astronaut. Despite Joel's adamant denials, one gets the impression that he enjoys life in Cicely more than he admits.

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Plot Keywords:

alaska | medical | eccentric | doctor | bush pilot | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Russian Yiddish Tlingit Hebrew

Release Date:

12 July 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ausgerechnet Alaska

Filming Locations:

Easton, Washington, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cine-Nevada Productions, Universal TV, Falahey/Austin Street Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min 60 min (110 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

A calendar for "Clicquot Club" ginger ale can be seen hanging in Dr. Fleischman's office in some of the episodes. The calendar features a caricature of a woman with a bundled baby on a bicycle, and the slogan "Refreshment Coming Your Way" appears next to it. The page of the calendar is stuck on January 1942. The ginger ale was sold from the 1920s until the 1960s when it went out of business.

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Quotes

[on a gift from his son]
Maurice Minnifield: That's Kim Chee. That's Korean cabbage. Smells like an old pair of gym shoes.

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Connections

Featured in Celebrity Profile: Janine Turner

User Reviews

Truly, one of the finest TV series ever.

I'm not much of a "TV series" watcher. Most of them are extremely shallow or violent or forced funny. The very few I have really enjoyed over the years are MASH, TAXI, and Northern Exposure. That's not many, in over 40 years of viewing.

All 3 of the series I've enjoyed have common threads - they are set in unique locations, have a broad array of quirky characters, are extremely well-written and acted, are genuinely funny in just the right places, and most of all, leave you with a really genuine "message" about life and relationships. Without fail.

Of the 3 I mention, Northern Exposure is the best, in my opinion. My favorite is the episode where Maggie and Maurice go half-and-half to buy and build a small airplane, have a falling out that ends up just perfect, and the final scene, with the airplane flying during the funeral was so emotional that it brings tears to my eyes every time I see it.

Unfortunately, when Rob Morrow left the show, it was never the same. I suspect the same would have happened if any of the 5 or 6 key characters had departed. But, after 5 years it was probably time anyway. I hope it is in re-runs forever. Which in my case is merely another 20 or 30 years at the most! :-)