NORTHERN EXPOSURE
There are a few shows that sit on my short list of all-time favorites: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Happy Valley, M*A*S*H, among others, and of course, Northern Exposure.
A six-season television show that ran from 1990 to 1995, Northern Exposure arrived during an incredible time in the United States, a decade that began with a long run of Republican presidents and conservative policy, but gave way to significant social change by the time the series ended. The show was ahead of its time, to say the least, yet is was also a clear reflection of it.
A lot has been written about the Jungian themes present in the series, and it’s true, the early seasons practically beat you over the head with them. But that’s part of its charm. Northern Exposure came at a moment when television was evolving out of the simple, studio-bound formats of The Brady Bunch and Full House era and into more thoughtful, risk-taking storytelling. The series made real strides in representing the underrepresented in respectful and dignified ways.
It was one of the earliest shows I can recall that even approached the notion of the harm perpetrated against Indigenous people, and how that harm feels especially pointed around Thanksgiving. It also featured two openly gay couples: the first, a lesbian couple presented as the founders of the fictional town of Cicely, Alaska; the second, a pair of gay entrepreneurs who move to Cicely as series regulars.
Crucially, Northern Exposure portrayed them not as comic foils or stereotypes, but as people. One couple appeared as free-thinking frontier visionaries, while the other were intellectuals and outdoorsmen. The latter were even featured in an episode that presented one of the earliest same-sex marriages on U.S. television. (The first, done equally respectfully, was in the show Roc, an excellent sitcom that ran from 1991 to 1994.) Ellen wouldn’t come out of the closet for another two years after Northern Exposure ended.
Across its six seasons, the show explored themes that remain relevant today: interconnectedness, mindfulness, the relationship between mental and physical health, and what it means to live meaningfully in community.
Troubled Beginnings
The original idea for Northern Exposure came from Sandy Veith and was presented to Universal Television. Universal then brought the concept to Joshua Brand and John Falsey, the duo behind acclaimed series like St. Elsewhere and the impeccable and near perfect limited series I’ll Fly Away. Brand and Falsey, unaware that Universal had taken Veith’s idea without credit or compensation, were tasked with developing the show as a midseason replacement for CBS. It ran for 2 Summers before being picked up to regular series.
When the time the truth about the origins came out in a lawsuit in 1994, Brand and Falsey left the show. David Chase (later of The Sopranos fame) stepped in as executive producer and is often blamed for running the show into the ground. I don’t think that’s fair. I think the show was doomed from the start, although it might have faired better had Chase not seen as anything more than just a paycheck.
It was plagued early on by conflict between the producers and lead actor Rob Morrow, who fought over salary and creative direction. His eventual departure led to one of the show’s better-written character exits, but it was probably too jarring a shift for audiences of the time.
A good deal of the first three seasons are wildly lofty and philosophical. The show also dabbled in magical realism, not as a central gimmick, but as a quiet undercurrent to the world of Cicely. Despite rave reviews and multiple awards, including an Emmy for the pilot episode, the ratings never quite met CBS’s expectations.
The early seasons were short, just eight and seven episodes respectively, airing as summer fillers. That wasn’t enough to build momentum, and by the time Northern Exposure became a regular series, it struggled to rake in new viewers. It was also an hour-long comedy with no studio audience and no laugh track (thankfully), airing in an era dominated by 30-minute-live-studio-audience and Audience Response Duplicator filled sitcoms.
After executives grew tired of negotiating with Morrow, they wrote him off the show. Meanwhile, David Chase, who admitted he only took the job for, in his words, “the paycheck,” had little creative interest in the project. It’s too bad. Chase is capable of great television, and I often wonder what might have happened if he had given Northern Exposure a real chance.
Music
Many shows claim to have great music. Northern Exposure actually did.
There were over 200 original pieces composed for the series, and the producers clearly saw music as integral to the show’s atmosphere. They filled the quiet, dreamlike spaces of Cicely with an eclectic mix of classical, folk, indie rock, and great 90s hip-hop. The music was never trite or manipulative; it was another character in the story, and fans rightly consider it one of the show’s brightest stars. Finding the series with the original music intact is a holy grail among fans. There are two options available for that, first is the entire series UK Blu Ray release from 2018, second is in the German DVD entire series release from 2017.
An Extraordinary Cast
The cast was spectacular, though I’d argue the two “main stars,” Rob Morrow and Janine Turner, were actually among the weaker actors. (I can feel the heat from the Northern Exposure community already.)
Darren E. Burrows was absolutely stunning as Ed Chigliak, a half-Indigenous young man found abandoned as a baby and raised by the local Tlingit people. Episodes focusing on his character are some of the show’s best, especially Duets.
Elaine Miles established herself as a significant social icon of the day through her time on Norther Exposure. Fiercely representing indigenous people, pushing the show’s producers to correct missteps and inaccuracies while walking a thin line between comedic punchline with out sacrificing the dignity of her character. There are episodes in the show where the bottom falls out of what sometimes appears as a 2 dimensional comedic moment. She fills her scenes with a full range of emotions all while maintaining a stern presence and poise. It is wonderfully subtle and magically impactful whenever she is on screen.
Northern Exposure also launched John Corbett’s career, though I’d argue he was never better than here. Peg Phillips was another standout. She began her acting career at age 60 and was initially hired as an extra until she arrived on set with a self-created fully developed character and back story. She earned an Emmy nomination for her performance, survived a near-death surgery between seasons five and six, and continued acting for years afterward.
Barry Corbin was pitch-perfect as Maurice Minnifield, a too-rich-to-see-his-own-faults colonizer and foil. Throughout the show, white male privilege is treated not as invisible background but as a theme to interrogate. Joel Fleischman’s journey, from a self-centered New York doctor to someone aware of his small place in the world, is a gratifying payoff to that recurring idea. Though, like in real life, that awareness takes far too long to arrive.
Recurring guest stars included Graham Greene, Anthony Edwards, Moultrie Patten, Valerie Mahaffey, and Adam Arkin, among others, all adding texture and warmth to Cicely’s world.
The Death of a Main Character?
Joel Fleischman’s character arc has long been debated by fans. While the show never explicitly says so, there’s strong evidence, and plenty of fan theory, that he dies in the end. Watching his final episode through that lens gives it a sense of metaphysical closure that I never fully appreciated before. What once felt abrupt now feels profound, a spiritual death and rebirth befitting the show’s themes.
A Show That Still Blooms
It’s rare that a show this old holds up so well. While a few moments reflect their time, Northern Exposure remains disarmingly progressive, curious, and humane.
If it aired today, it would be labeled “prestige television” and compared to Ted Lasso or Only Murders in the Building. But in the early 1990s, it stood alone, funny, strange, philosophical, and deeply kind. The closest modern parallel might be Bridget Christie’s brilliant The Change, though that feels like an echo (in the best possible way) more than a continuation.Northern Exposure presented lofty premises and original ideas, earning 57 award nominations and 27 wins across just 110 episodes. It should have been a massive hit, but despite its network missteps and uncertain beginnings, it still managed to bloom beautifully, a rare, vivid flower that continues to unfold decades later.