Cicely, Alaska
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''Northern Exposure'' is an American
comedy-drama Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau dramedy) is a hybrid genre of works that combine elements of comedy and Drama (film and television), drama. In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic subjects (such as death, il ...
television series about the eccentric residents in the fictitious town of Cicely, Alaska, that originally aired on
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...
from July 12, 1990, to July 26, 1995, with a total of 110 episodes. It received 57 award nominations during its six-season run and won 27, including the 1992
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series is an award presented since 1951 by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). The award goes to the producers of the series. The award is often cited as one of the "main awards" at th ...
, two additional
Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...
s, four
Creative Arts Emmy Award The Creative Arts Emmys are a class of Emmy Awards presented in recognition of technical and other similar achievements in American television programming. They are commonly awarded to behind-the-scenes personnel such as production designers, ...
s, and two
Golden Globes The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Januar ...
.Awards for ''Northern Exposure''
from
IMDb IMDb, historically known as the Internet Movie Database, is an online database of information related to films, television series, podcasts, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and biograp ...
Rob Morrow Robert Alan Morrow (born September 21, 1962) is an American actor. He is known for his portrayal of Dr. Joel Fleischman on '' Northern Exposure'', a role that garnered him three Golden Globe and two Emmy nominations for Best Actor in a Dramati ...
starred as New York City native Dr. Joel Fleischman, whose med school tuition was underwritten by the government of
Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...
in exchange for him practicing medicine for four years in the state. In the first episode, the newly graduated doctor is shocked to learn that instead of being assigned to a modern hospital in
Anchorage Anchorage, officially the Municipality of Anchorage, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Alaska. With a population of 291,247 at the 2020 census, it contains nearly 40 percent of the state's population. The Anchorage metropolita ...
as he'd expected, he is being sent to the remote town of Cicely to serve as the area's only
general practitioner A general practitioner (GP) is a doctor who is a Consultant (medicine), consultant in general practice. GPs have distinct expertise and experience in providing whole person medical care, whilst managing the complexity, uncertainty and risk ass ...
. The first season was centered around Fleischman's fish-out-of-water experiences in rural Alaska and his attempts to get out of his contract. As the series progressed, it developed into more of an ensemble show, with episodes focused on other residents of the town.


History

The series was created by
Joshua Brand Joshua Brand is an American television writer, director, and producer who created ''St. Elsewhere'', '' I'll Fly Away, A Year in the Life,'' and ''Northern Exposure'' with his writing-and-producing partner John Falsey, with whom he worked throu ...
and
John Falsey John Henry Falsey Jr. (November 6, 1951 – January 3, 2019) was an American television writer, director and producer. Biography Falsey was born in New Haven, Connecticut, the son of Patricia Helene (née Sisk) and John Henry Falsey. Falsey grad ...
, who also created the award-winning shows ''
St. Elsewhere ''St. Elsewhere'' is an American medical drama television series created by Joshua Brand and John Falsey that originally ran on NBC from October 26, 1982, to May 25, 1988. The series stars Ed Flanders, Norman Lloyd, and William Daniels as ...
'' and ''
I'll Fly Away "I'll Fly Away"( Roud 18437) is a hymn written in 1929 by Albert E. Brumley and published in 1932 by the Hartford Music company in a collection titled ''Wonderful Message''.Richard Matteson, Jr.''The Bluegrass Picker's Tune Book'' Mel Bay Publi ...
'', in addition to the show ''
A Year in the Life ''A Year in the Life'' is an American television drama series that began as a three-part miniseries which was first broadcast in December 1986 and later ran as a weekly series on NBC from September 16, 1987 to April 13, 1988. It was created by ...
''. It started as a mid-season replacement summer series on CBS in 1990 with eight episodes.Producing Northern Exposure
from the website for the book ''Two Aspirins and a Comedy'' ()
It returned for seven more episodes in spring 1991, then became a regular part of the network's schedule in 1991–92. It ranked among the top 10 viewed by 18- to 49-year-olds, and was part of the network's 1992–93 and 1993–94 schedules. In 1994, writer Sandy Veith won a lawsuit against Universal, alleging that the series was based on an idea he conceived for which he received no credit or compensation. Veith subsequently won $10 million in damages and legal fees on appeal three years later. The ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' reported that Brand and Falsey were not included in the allegations and that jurors seemed to believe the studio brought the basic concept for the show to them rather than that they knowingly stole Veith's idea. Veith's original idea was about an Italian-American doctor who moves to a small town in the South. In 1994, the same year that the lawsuit was filed, Brand and Falsey resigned.
David Chase David Henry Chase (born August 22, 1945) is an American writer, producer, and director. He is best known for being the creator, head writer, and executive producer of the HBO drama ''The Sopranos'', which aired for six seasons between 1999 and 2 ...
was brought in to serve as executive producer. He later went on to say that he took the job purely for the money, stating that he disliked the premise of the show; Brand cited Chase as having run the show into the ground. In January 1995, the show moved from Monday to Wednesday, and in May 1995 there was a gap during
sweeps Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rati ...
when CBS broadcast other programming. At one point,
Barry Corbin Leonard Barrie Corbin (born October 16, 1940) is an American actor. He is best known for his starring role as Maurice Minnifield on the television series ''Northern Exposure'' (1990–1995), which earned him two consecutive Primetime Emmy Award ...
wrote an open letter to TV critics that called the show "an understandably weakened show". On May 24, 1995, CBS announced the cancelation of the show, which had its final episode shown on July 26. "The show had a lot of life in it, and the move (Wednesday at 10pm) killed it," said executive producer
Andrew Schneider Andrew Schneider is an American screenwriter and television producer, whose credits include writing for ''The Sopranos'', ''Northern Exposure'', '' The Incredible Hulk'' and '' Alien Nation''. He frequently co-writes episodes with his wife, Dia ...
. "This piddling out is sad." Morrow and his representatives spent much of seasons 4 and 5 lobbying for an improved contract, and intermittently threatened to leave the show. The producers responded by reducing Fleischman's role in the storylines, and introducing characters such as Mike Monroe (season 4) and Dr. Phil Capra (season 6) to partially compensate for the absence of Morrow, whose last appearance came midway through the show's final season.


Cast and characters

* Joel Fleischman (
Rob Morrow Robert Alan Morrow (born September 21, 1962) is an American actor. He is known for his portrayal of Dr. Joel Fleischman on '' Northern Exposure'', a role that garnered him three Golden Globe and two Emmy nominations for Best Actor in a Dramati ...
) is a neurotic young Jewish physician from New York City. Fresh out of family medicine
residency Residency may refer to: * Artist-in-residence, a program to sponsor the residence and work of visual artists, writers, musicians, etc. * Concert residency, a series of concerts performed at one venue * Domicile (law), the act of establishing or m ...
, he is legally contracted to practice medicine for four years in Alaska according to the terms of a student loan underwritten by the state. Expecting to work in a relatively large, modern hospital in Anchorage, he is unexpectedly reassigned to be a
general practitioner A general practitioner (GP) is a doctor who is a Consultant (medicine), consultant in general practice. GPs have distinct expertise and experience in providing whole person medical care, whilst managing the complexity, uncertainty and risk ass ...
in the small town of Cicely, where he is a proverbial fish out of water. His struggles to adjust to the very unfamiliar environment drive the plot of many episodes, especially in the early seasons. Morrow left the show midway through its final season due to a contract dispute. His character's departure was handled by having him "go native", abandoning Cicely for a remote fishing village and embracing the wilderness in a search for spiritual enlightenment. *
Maurice Minnifield The following are recurring characters who appeared in ''Northern Exposure'', an American television series which originally aired on CBS from July 1990 to July 1995. Main characters ; Joel Fleischman : Joel (Rob Morrow) is the central characte ...
(
Barry Corbin Leonard Barrie Corbin (born October 16, 1940) is an American actor. He is best known for his starring role as Maurice Minnifield on the television series ''Northern Exposure'' (1990–1995), which earned him two consecutive Primetime Emmy Award ...
) is a multi-millionaire businessman,
Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
fighter pilot and astronaut who moved to the area after retiring from the military in the 1970s. Maurice owns Cicely's newspaper and radio station, along with over of land which he hopes to develop into the "Alaskan Riviera". It is Maurice who arranged to bring Joel to the town, which previously did not have a physician. Beneath a thin veneer of gentility, he is pompous, overbearing, and bigoted, leading to conflicts with other residents, such as the gay couple Ron and Eric. Despite his demeanor, Maurice can be generous, and he aids almost every other major character in some way during the show's run. Before the timeline of the series, he had brought the much younger Shelly Tambo to Cicely with the intention of marrying her, but she ended up marrying his best friend Holling Vincoeur instead. *
Maggie O'Connell The following are recurring characters who appeared in ''Northern Exposure'', an American television series which originally aired on CBS from July 1990 to July 1995. Main characters ; Joel Fleischman : Joel (Rob Morrow) is the central characte ...
(
Janine Turner Janine Turner (born Janine Loraine Gauntt; December 6, 1962) is an American actress best known for her roles as Maggie O'Connell in the television series ''Northern Exposure'', as Jessie Deighan in the feature film ''Cliffhanger'', and as Katie ...
) is a tomboyish
Grosse Pointe, Michigan Grosse Pointe is a city in Wayne County, Michigan, Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 5,678. Grosse Pointe is an eastern suburb of Metro Detroit along La ...
-born debutante turned Alaska
bush pilot Bush flying refers to aircraft operations carried out in the bush. Bush flying involves operations in rough terrain where there are often no prepared landing strips or runways, frequently necessitating that bush planes be equipped with abnormal ...
. Maggie and Joel quickly develop a love-hate relationship, with their opposing views on most subjects coupled with unacknowledged attraction resulting in sexual tension in the early seasons. Later in the show's run they become romantically involved and agree (briefly) to marry. It is their breakup that is the impetus for Joel to leave Cicely during the last season. A running theme through the series is that nearly all of Maggie's romantic partners die in bizarre ways (one is struck by a falling satellite), leading others to wonder if she suffers from an "O'Connell curse". Only two boyfriends escape this fate: Joel and Mike Monroe, who is hyperallergic to most things but, in a reversal of the curse, is cured. *
Holling Vincoeur Holling may refer to: * Holling (surname) Holling is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Carl Holling (1896–1962), American baseball player * C. S. Holling (1930 - 2019), Canadian ecologist * Holling C. Holling (1900–1973), A ...
(
John Cullum John Cullum (born March 2, 1930) is an American actor and singer. He has appeared in many stage musicals and dramas, including '' Shenandoah'' (1975) and '' On the Twentieth Century'' (1978), winning the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in ...
) is the Canadian-born sexagenarian owner and operator of The Brick, a popular bar and restaurant, and mayor at the beginning of the show. He and Maurice are old friends, though their relationship was strained at one time by their shared romantic interest in Shelly Tambo, whom Holling married. Though over 40 years older than Shelly, he fears that he will outlive her, as the men in his family tend to live well past 100 and spend their final years as heartbroken widowers. *
Shelly Tambo The following are recurring characters who appeared in ''Northern Exposure'', an American television series which originally aired on CBS from July 1990 to July 1995. Main characters ; Joel Fleischman : Joel (Rob Morrow) is the central characte ...
(
Cynthia Geary Cynthia Geary (born March 21, 1965) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Shelly Tambo on the television series ''Northern Exposure'' (1990–1995), which earned her two Primetime Emmy Award nominations. Early life and care ...
) is another Canadian expatriate and former Miss Northwest Passage, originally from
Saskatoon Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Hig ...
. She was brought to Cicely by Maurice, who had hoped to marry her. Instead, she chose Holling and became a waitress at The Brick. Though seemingly naive and flighty, she regularly shows flashes of unexpected wisdom. It was planned for the character to be a Native American until Geary was cast. * Chris Stevens (
John Corbett John Joseph Corbett Jr. (born May 9, 1961) is an American actor and country music singer. On television, he is best known for his roles as Chris Stevens on ''Northern Exposure'' (1990–1995), Aidan Shaw on ''Sex and the City'' (2000–2003), ...
) is a philosophical free spirit and ex-convict who works as the disc jockey at the radio station. Between songs, Chris comments on events in Cicely and on more intellectual and controversial subjects, often leading to conflict with Maurice, who fires and rehires him several times over the course of the series. The first of these conflicts comes when Chris reads
Walt Whitman Walter Whitman Jr. (; May 31, 1819 – March 26, 1892) was an American poet, essayist, and journalist; he also wrote two novels. He is considered one of the most influential poets in American literature and world literature. Whitman incor ...
's ''
Leaves of Grass ''Leaves of Grass'' is a poetry collection by American poet Walt Whitman. After self-publishing it in 1855, he spent most of his professional life writing, revising, and expanding the collection until his death in 1892. Either six or nine separa ...
'' over the air and mentions that Whitman was gay, causing an infuriated Maurice to storm into the studio to punch and fire him. Chris is also a nondenominational clergyman and occasionally officiates at weddings. * Ed Chigliak (
Darren E. Burrows Darren E. Burrows (born September 12, 1966) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Ed Chigliak in the television series ''Northern Exposure''. He also appeared in the films ''Cry-Baby'', '' Amistad'', ''Sunset Strip'', '' Forty Shade ...
) is a mild-mannered, half-
native Alaskan Native may refer to: People * '' Jus sanguinis'', nationality by blood * '' Jus soli'', nationality by location of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Nat ...
foundling Foundling or The Foundling may refer to: Places * Foundling hospital, an institution where abandoned children were cared for ** Foundling Hospital, Dublin, founded 1704 ** Foundling Hospital, Cork, founded 1737 ** Foundling Hospital, founded 17 ...
raised by local
Tlingit The Tlingit or Lingít ( ) are Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America. , they constitute two of the 231 federally recognized List of Alaska Native tribal entities, Tribes of Alaska. Most Tlingit are Alaska Natives; ...
s. Ed does odd jobs for Maurice and works part-time at the local general store. He is a film buff and aspiring movie director. * Ruth-Anne Miller (
Peg Phillips Margaret May Phillips (née Linton; September 20, 1918 – November 7, 2002) was an American actress best known for playing storekeeper Ruth-Anne Miller on the television series ''Northern Exposure''. Early life Phillips was born Margaret L ...
) is the elderly, level-headed owner of the local general store and a 30-year resident of Cicely. A widow, Ruth-Anne lives alone until late in the series, when she becomes involved with Walt Kupfer, a fur trapper and retired stockbroker. She too is a film buff and, along with Holling, a keen
birder Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device such as binoculars or a telescope, ...
. She has two adult sons, one of whom is a stockbroker. He comes to see her in one episode. *
Marilyn Whirlwind The following are recurring characters who appeared in ''Northern Exposure'', an American television series which originally aired on CBS from July 1990 to July 1995. Main characters ; Joel Fleischman : Joel (Rob Morrow) is the central characte ...
(
Elaine Miles Elaine Miles (born April 7, 1960) is a Native American actress best known for her role as Marilyn Whirlwind in the television series ''Northern Exposure''. She is an enrolled citizen of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservatio ...
) is Joel's Alaska Native (
Tlingit The Tlingit or Lingít ( ) are Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America. , they constitute two of the 231 federally recognized List of Alaska Native tribal entities, Tribes of Alaska. Most Tlingit are Alaska Natives; ...
) receptionist. Her few words and exceptionally placid demeanor are a strong contrast to her employer's loquaciousness and high-strung temperament. In the show's last season, two new characters were introduced to fill the void left by Morrow's departure: * Phil Capra (
Paul Provenza Paul Provenza (born July 31, 1957) is an American television presenter, actor, radio panelist, stand-up comedian, filmmaker, and skeptic based in Los Angeles. He has appeared on several podcasts and in recent years has interviewed other stand-up c ...
), a doctor from Los Angeles who is recruited as Joel's replacement after Joel takes to the wilderness. * Michelle Schowdowski Capra (
Teri Polo Theresa Elizabeth Polo (born June 1, 1969) is an American actress. She starred as Pamela Martha Focker (née Byrnes) in the ''Meet the Parents'' trilogy, Helen Santos in ''The West Wing'', and played the role of police officer Stef Adams Foster ...
), Phil's wife. She also works as a reporter for a newspaper owned by Maurice. Major recurring characters include: * Lester Haines (
Apesanahkwat Apesanahkwat (born January 19, 1949) is a Native American tribal leader, activist, father, and film and television actor. Apesanahkwat served as tribal chairman of the Menominee Indian Reservation eight times. He served in the United States Mar ...
), a native millionaire * Walt Kupfer ( Moultrie Patten), an ex-Wall Street broker turned pelt hunter * Mike Monroe ( Anthony Edwards), an environmental activist with
multiple chemical sensitivity Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) is an unrecognized and controversial diagnosis characterized by chronic symptoms attributed to exposure to low levels of commonly used chemicals. Symptoms are typically vagueness, vague and non-specific sympt ...
* Bernard Stevens (
Richard Cummings Jr. Richard Cummings Jr. is an American actor and film director most recognized for his acting roles in the dramas ''thirtysomething (TV series), thirtysomething'' and ''Northern Exposure''. He is currently working as a film and television directo ...
), Chris's African-American half-brother and "spiritual
doppelgänger A doppelgänger ( ), sometimes spelled doppelgaenger or doppelganger, is a ghostly double of a living person, especially one that haunts its own fleshly counterpart. In fiction and mythology, a doppelgänger is often portrayed as a ghostly or p ...
" * Leonard (
Graham Greene Henry Graham Greene (2 October 1904 – 3 April 1991) was an English writer and journalist regarded by many as one of the leading novelists of the 20th century. Combining literary acclaim with widespread popularity, Greene acquired a re ...
), a local shaman * Barbara Semanski (
Diane Delano Diane Delano (January 29, 1957 – December 13, 2024) was an American character actress. She was known for her numerous roles in films and television, such as Sergeant Barbara Semanski on the CBS television series ''Northern Exposure'' and Rober ...
), Local officer for the
Alaska State Troopers The Alaska State Troopers, officially the Division of Alaska State Troopers (AST), is the state police agency of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is a division of the Alaska Department of Public Safety (DPS). The AST is a full-service law enforcem ...
and Maurice's love interest * Erick Reese Hillman (
Don McManus Don McManus (sometimes credited as Don R. McManus) is an American actor. Born in San Diego, California, he is a graduate of Yale University. Career McManus's film credits include ''Vice'', ''Grand Piano'', '' Under the Silver Lake'', '' The Ma ...
) and Ronald Arthur Bantz (Doug Ballard), a gay couple arrive and set up a business in Cicely. They eventually marry. *
Adam Adam is the name given in Genesis 1–5 to the first human. Adam is the first human-being aware of God, and features as such in various belief systems (including Judaism, Christianity, Gnosticism and Islam). According to Christianity, Adam ...
(
Adam Arkin Adam Arkin (born August 19, 1956) is an American actor and director. He is best known for playing the role of Aaron Shutt on ''Chicago Hope''. He has been nominated for numerous awards, including a Tony Award, Tony (Best Actor, 1991, ''I Hate Ha ...
), an abrasive, belligerent, poorly-groomed master chef who continually tells outrageous stories about himself. The show is deliberately obscure as to when he is lying or his stories are true. * Eve (
Valerie Mahaffey Valerie Mahaffey (June 16, 1953 – May 30, 2025) was an American actress. She began her career starring in the NBC daytime soap opera '' The Doctors'' (1979–81), for which in 1980 she was nominated for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding ...
), Adam's hypochondriac and very wealthy wife. Mahaffey was the only actor from the series to win a
Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...
.


Production

Cicely is widely thought to be based on
Talkeetna, Alaska Talkeetna (Dena'ina language, Dena'ina: ''K'dalkitnu'') is an unincorporated community, unincorporated small village, incorporated by the United States Census Bureau within a larger same-named census-designated place (CDP), in Matanuska-Susitna B ...
. In Season 6, Episode 15, Joel mails a post card to Maggie from
Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
, and the zip code of Cicely is shown to be 99729, which is located north of Talkeetna and east of
Denali National Park Denali National Park and Preserve, formerly known as Mount McKinley National Park, is a United States national park and preserve located in Interior Alaska, centered on Denali (federally designated as Mount McKinley), the highest mountain in Nor ...
, and includes the town of Cantwell. However, most filming locations were in
Roslyn, Washington Roslyn is a city in Kittitas County, Washington, United States. The population was 950 at the 2020 census. Roslyn is located in the Cascade Mountains, about 80 miles east of Seattle. The town was founded in 1886 as a coal mining company town. ...
. "Northern Exposure II" (the main production facility) was in
Redmond, Washington Redmond is a city in King County, Washington, United States, located east of Seattle. The population was 73,256 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Redmond is best known as the home of Microsoft and Nintendo of America. The city h ...
, in what is now the headquarters of
Genie Industries Genie is an American company that manufactures work elevator, lifts and platforms used in construction, maintenance, warehouse stocking, and equipment installation. Founded in 1966 by Bud Bushnell, the company operated independently until acquir ...
, behind a business park. According to ''The Northern Exposure Book'', the moose in the opening titles was named Mort and was provided by
Washington State University Washington State University (WSU, or colloquially Wazzu) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Pullman, Washington, United States. Founded in 1890, WSU is also one of the oldest Land-grant uni ...
, where he was part of a captive herd. To film the opening sequence, the crew fenced off Roslyn, set Mort loose, and lured him around with food.


Episodes

Notable episodes in the series include the pilot (nominated for an
Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award catego ...
for Outstanding Writing), the third season's last episode, " Cicely" (which won a Peabody Award, three
Creative Arts Emmy Award The Creative Arts Emmys are a class of Emmy Awards presented in recognition of technical and other similar achievements in American television programming. They are commonly awarded to behind-the-scenes personnel such as production designers, ...
s, and a
Directors Guild of America Award The Directors Guild of America Awards are issued annually by the Directors Guild of America. The first DGA Award was an "Honorary Life Member" award issued in 1938 to D. W. Griffith. The statues are made by New York firm, Society Awards. Cate ...
), and the fifth-season episode "
I Feel the Earth Move "I Feel the Earth Move" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter Carole King, for her second studio album ''Tapestry'' (1971). Additionally, the song is one half of the double A-sided single, the flip side of which was " It ...
", which featured the second same-sex marriage story arc on U.S. prime-time television. (Fox's '' Roc'' aired the first U.S. prime-time television episode depicting a same-sex marriage, "Can't Help Loving That Man", on October 20, 1991.)


Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season of ''Northern Exposure'' has a score of 100% based on six reviews, with an average rating of 7.0/10. On Metacritic, which uses a weighted score, the first season is rated 80 based on seven reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews," while the second season has an 83 based on nine, indicating "universal acclaim". ''Entertainment Weekly''’s Ken Tucker gave the first episode a B+, writing that the show “may well prove to be summer television’s most likably eccentric series”.


Ratings

* Season 1 (Thursday 10 pm): 12.4 rating (highest-rated episode: " A Kodiak Moment", 10.1 rating) * Season 2 (Monday 10 pm): 15.5 rating (highest-rated episode: " Goodbye to All That", 13.9 rating) * Season 3: 16.3 rating (highest-rated episode: " Wake Up Call", 19.6 rating/26 million viewers) * Season 4: 15.8 rating (highest-rated episode: " Northwest Passages", 18.3 rating) * Season 5: 14.5 rating (highest-rated episode: "
A Bolt from the Blue A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, and others worldwide. Its name in English is '' a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes''. It is similar in shape to the Ancient G ...
", 16.2 rating) * Season 6 (Monday at 10 pm; Wednesday at 9 pm): 11.2 rating (highest-rated episode: " Eye of the Beholder", 13.7 rating)


Accolades


Emmy Awards

The cast and crew won seven
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...
s out of 39 nominations: * Joshua Brand, John Falsey, et al., for Outstanding Drama Series (1992) *
Valerie Mahaffey Valerie Mahaffey (June 16, 1953 – May 30, 2025) was an American actress. She began her career starring in the NBC daytime soap opera '' The Doctors'' (1979–81), for which in 1980 she was nominated for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding ...
, for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (1992) *
Andrew Schneider Andrew Schneider is an American screenwriter and television producer, whose credits include writing for ''The Sopranos'', ''Northern Exposure'', '' The Incredible Hulk'' and '' Alien Nation''. He frequently co-writes episodes with his wife, Dia ...
and
Diane Frolov Diane Frolov is an American television writer and producer. She has written for several television shows, including ''The Sopranos'' and ''Northern Exposure''. She frequently co-writes episodes with her husband, Andrew Schneider. Career Frolov' ...
, for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing for a Drama Series for the episode " Seoul Mates" (1992) * Thomas R. Moore, for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Editing for a Series for the episode " Cicely" (1992) * Woody Crocker, Kenneth Berg and Gene Serdena, for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Art Direction for a Series for "Cicely" (1992) *
Frank Prinzi Frank Prinzi is an American cinematographer and director. He earned his degree from New York University. Selected cinematography credits *'' The Brother from Another Planet'' (1984) *''Stranger Than Paradise'' (1984) *''Day of the Dead'' (198 ...
, for Outstanding Cinematography for a Series for "Cicely" (1992) * William H. Angarola et al., for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Sound Editing for a Series for " Fish Story" (1994)


Golden Globe Awards

The series won two
Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Januar ...
awards for Best Drama series, in 1992 and 1993. In addition, Morrow and Turner were each nominated three times consecutively from 1992 to 1994 for Best Actor and Actress, while Corbett was nominated in 1993 for his supporting role.


Peabody Awards

The series won a pair of consecutive
Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Foster Peabody, George Peabody, honor what are described as the most powerful, enlightening, and in ...
s: in 1991–92 for the show's "depict onin a comedic and often poetic way, fthe cultural clash between a transplanted New York City doctor and the townspeople of fictional Cicely, Alaska" and its stories of "people of different backgrounds and experiences" clashing but who ultimately "strive to accept their differences and co-exist".


Additional awards and nominations

;1995 *
American Cinema Editors Founded in 1950, American Cinema Editors (ACE) is an honorary society of film editing, film editors who are voted in based on the qualities of professional achievements, their education of others, and their dedication to editing. Members use the ...
– Eddie nomination for Best Edited One-Hour Series for Television – Briana London – for episode " Lovers and Madmen" * Environmental Media Awards, USA – Award for Ongoing Commitment – Josh Brand and John Falsey *
Screen Actors Guild Awards Screen Actors Guild Awards (also known as SAG Awards) are accolades given by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). The award was founded in 1995 to recognize outstanding performances in movie an ...
– Nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series ;1994 * BMI TV Music Award: ''Northern Exposure'' – David Schwartz *
Casting Society of America The Casting Society, formerly known as the Casting Society of America (CSA), is a professional association of about 1,200 casting directors and associate casting directors for film, television, theatre, and commercials in Canada, Europe, Austral ...
, USA – Artios nomination for Best Casting for TV, Dramatic Episodic – Megan Branman ;1993 * American Cinema Editors – Eddie nomination for Best Edited One-Hour Series for Television – Thomas R. Moore– for episode " Cicely" *
American Society of Cinematographers The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC), founded in Hollywood in 1919, is a cultural, educational, and professional organization that is neither a labor union nor a guild. The society was organized to advance the science and art of cinem ...
, USA – ASC Award nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Regular Series – Frank Prinzi * BMI TV Music Award: Northern Exposure – David Schwartz * Casting Society of America, USA – Artios nomination for Best Casting for TV, Dramatic Episodic – Megan Branman *
Directors Guild of America Award The Directors Guild of America Awards are issued annually by the Directors Guild of America. The first DGA Award was an "Honorary Life Member" award issued in 1938 to D. W. Griffith. The statues are made by New York firm, Society Awards. Cate ...
– Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Shows – Night – for episode " Cicely" ** Robert Loeser (second assistant director) (plaque) ** Patrick McKee (first assistant director) (plaque) ** Jack Terry (II) (unit production manager) (plaque) ** Robert C. Thompson * Directors Guild Award – Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Shows – Night – for episode " Kaddish for Uncle Manny" ** Michael Lange * Electronic Media Critics Poll – Best Television Series * Environmental Media Awards, USA – EMA Award TV Drama – for episode " Survival of the Species" * Retirement Research Foundation, USA – Wise Owl Award – Honorable Mention Television and Theatrical Film Fiction – Joshua Brand (executive) John Falsey (executive) – for episode "
Three Amigos ''¡Three Amigos!'' is a 1986 American Western comedy film directed by John Landis, written by Lorne Michaels, Steve Martin, and Randy Newman (who also wrote the film's songs), produced by Michaels and George Folsey Jr. (who also served as sec ...
" ;1992 * BMI TV Music Award: ''Northern Exposure'' – David Schwartz * Casting Society of America, USA – Artios for Best Casting for TV, Dramatic Episodic – Megan Branman and Patricia Carnes Kalles * Electronic Media Critics Poll – Best Television Series *
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
nomination: "Theme From Northern Exposure" – David Schwartz *
Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Foster Peabody, George Peabody, honor what are described as the most powerful, enlightening, and in ...
– Presented to Falsey-Austin Street Productions for ''Northern Exposure'', for presenting episodic drama on television with intelligence, sensitivity and humor * PGA Golden Laurel Awards – Television Producer of the Year Award – Joshua Brand and John Falsey * Retirement Research Foundation, USA – Wise Owl Award – Honorable Mention Television and Theatrical Film Fiction – Joshua Brand (executive), John Falsey (executive) – for episode " A Hunting We Will Go" *
Television Critics Association The Television Critics Association (TCA) is a group of approximately 200 American and Canadian television critics, journalists and columnists who cover television programming for newspapers, magazines and web publications. The TCA accepts appli ...
– Program of the Year *
Viewers for Quality Television Viewers for Quality Television (also called "VQT") was an American nonprofit organization (under 501(c)(3)) founded in 1984 to advocate network television series that members of the organization voted to be of the "highest quality." The group's g ...
– John Cullum, Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series * Viewers for Quality Television – Adam Arkin, Best Specialty Player *
Young Artist Award The Young Artist Award (originally known as the Youth in Film Award) is an accolade presented by the Young Artist Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1978 to honor excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young ...
s – nomination for Best Young Actor Guest-Starring or Recurring Role in a TV Series – Grant Gelt, for episode " Goodbye to All That" ;1991 * Casting Society of America, USA – Artios win for Best Casting for TV, Dramatic Pilot – Megan Branman, Patricia Carnes Kalles and Lynn Kressel * Casting Society of America, USA – Artios nomination for Best Casting for TV, Dramatic Episodic – Megan Branman and Patricia Carnes Kalles * Electronic Media Critics Poll – Best Television Series


Soundtracks

* ''Northern Exposure: Music from the Television Series'' (USA, original soundtrack, 1992), MCA Records, Inc. MCAD-10685 * ''More Music from Northern Exposure'' (USA, 1994), MCA Records, Inc. MCAD-11077 * ''Ausgerechnet Alaska'' (German covers, 1992), distributed by IDEAL Vertrieb, Wichmannstr. 4, 2000 Hamburg 52 (out of print)


Home media


DVD releases

Universal Studios Home Entertainment Universal Pictures Home Entertainment LLC (UPHE) is the home video distribution division of Universal Pictures, an American film studio owned by NBCUniversal, the entertainment unit of Comcast. UPHE is the home video distributor for all of the ...
has released all six seasons on DVD in Regions 1, 2 and 4. The Region 1 DVD releases have caused controversy among the show's fans due to their high prices and the changes to the soundtrack introduced in order to lower their costs. The release of Season 1 contained the original music, but retailed for $60 due to the cost of
music licensing Music licensing is the licensed use of copyrighted music. Music licensing is intended to ensure that the owners of copyrights on musical works are compensated for certain uses of their work. A purchaser has limited rights to use the work without a ...
. Subsequent seasons replaced most of the music with generic elevator-style music, resulting in a lower-cost release. The first and second seasons were also rereleased together in packaging that matches the third through sixth seasons. On July 21, 2020, ''Northern Exposure'' was rereleased by
Shout! Factory Shout! Factory, LLC, doing business as Shout! Studios (formerly doing business as Shout! Factory, its current legal name), is an American home video and music distributor founded in 2002 as Retropolis Entertainment. Its video releases, issued i ...
, containing all 110 episodes but not with all original music. The Region 2 editions released in Germany on DVD contain all the original music.


Blu-ray releases

On March 19, 2018, Fabulous Films released the entire series on Blu-ray in the United Kingdom containing all original music. The US release followed on December 5, 2023, by Universe Studios with most original music but select cues replaced.


Streaming

As of January 2024, all six seasons of the series are now available on
Amazon Prime Video Amazon Prime Video, known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming television service owned by Amazon. The service primarily distributes films and television series produced or co-produced by ...
with the majority of its original soundtrack.


Potential revival

In 2016, Darren Burrows and his production company, Film Farms, held a crowdfunding campaign to fund a development project with the goal of creating more episodes. The working title for this project is "Northern Exposure: Home Again". Despite not meeting the original $100,000 goal, Burrows decided to continue with the project. On June 17, 2016, Film Farms announced that writer David Assael had been hired to write for the project. He previously wrote several episodes, including " Russian Flu," "
Spring Break Spring break is a vacation period at universities and schools that includes the Easter holiday, and takes place in early Northern Hemisphere spring. Introduced in the U.S. during the 1930s, spring break has been observed in Europe since t ...
," and " It Happened in Juneau," among others. The revival was originally envisioned as a two-hour "visit to Cicely," but a ten-episode series was reportedly being pitched to various network, cable, and streaming venues. On November 20, 2018, it was reported that a revival series was in the early stages of development at CBS, with Brand, Falsey, and Morrow executive producing and Morrow again playing Fleischman. Corbett was named as producer but his appearance as a performer was not confirmed. Falsey died in January 2019, and on May 19, 2019, Josef Adalian, an editor for the New York City-based magazine ''
Vulture A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to Nort ...
'', tweeted that CBS had canceled development work on the series. Adalian subsequently tweeted that the rights holder, Universal Studios, could pitch the revival elsewhere, but it was unclear whether the studio was planning to move the project to another outlet. Morrow, who was busy with other commitments, found out about Falsey's death on Twitter. On November 15, 2019, Morrow revealed in an interview on radio station WGN 720AM in Chicago that he and Brand were continuing revival efforts despite Falsey's death and CBS's decision.


References and footnotes


External links


Northern Exposure DVDs
at Universal Studios * {{Navboxes , title = Awards for ''Northern Exposure'' , list = {{EmmyAward DramaSeries 1976–2000 {{GoldenGlobeTVDrama 1990–2009 {{Producers Guild of America Award for Best Episodic Drama {{TCA Award for Program of the Year 1990s American comedy-drama television series 1990s American medical drama television series 1990s American surreal comedy television series 1990 American television series debuts 1995 American television series endings Best Drama Series Golden Globe winners American English-language television shows Peabody Award–winning television programs Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series winners Primetime Emmy Award–winning television series Jewish American television series Television series by Universal Television Television series created by John Falsey Television series created by Joshua Brand Television shows filmed in Washington (state) Television shows set in Alaska CBS comedy-dramas