Northern Exposure

▪ American television series

      American television comedy-drama series that aired on the Columbia Broadcasting System (now CBS Corporation) for six seasons (1990–95). The program won two consecutive Golden Globe Awards for best drama (1993–94) and the 1992 Emmy Award in the same category.

      Northern Exposure was set in the small fictional town of Cicely, located in the Alaskan wilderness. Dispatched there was Joel Fleischman (played by Rob Morrow), a physician who was indentured to the state of Alaska, which had paid his way through medical school at Columbia University. Immediately, Fleischman, an ambitious, cosmopolitan Jewish New Yorker, felt out of his element and isolated by the weather, the wilderness, and the town's dearth of opportunities—both professional and social. Much of the show's humour and conflict came from Fleischman's cultural clash with Cicely's citizenry, made up of a grab bag of cultures, generations, and eccentricities. Series regulars included Maurice Minnifield (Barry Corbin), an ex-astronaut and exploitative businessman; Ruth-Anne Miller (Peg Phillips), proprietor of the general store with a Native American employee, Ed Chigliak (Darren E. Burrows), an aspiring cinematographer and shaman; bush pilot Maggie O'Connell (Janine Turner), Fleischman's hot-cold love interest; radio disc jockey Chris Stevens (John Corbett), whose on-air monologues were both folksy and philosophical; and Fleischman's taciturn Native American receptionist, Marilyn Whirlwind (Elaine Miles). At the heart of the show was Fleischman's increasing warmth for his icy home and his growing appreciation for its residents.

      Northern Exposure pushed the boundaries of sex and gender, featuring the first same-sex wedding in prime-time programming. As the series progressed, its focus strayed from Fleischman (Morrow left in the middle of the last season) and dealt increasingly with the concerns of the town members.

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