New Doctor Adrift in Alaska
Captain Happy
July 12, 1990
LEAD: On a plane to Alaska, Joel Fleischman, fresh out of Columbia
University medical school, is compulsively telling a complete
stranger, ''I'm not kidding myself; Anchorage isn't New York.'' But,
he adds, ''It isn't Cambodia, and it has five Chinese restaurants.''
Then, for no particular reason, he declares, ''Let's face it, Jewish
doctors are not exactly an endangered species.
On a plane to Alaska, Joel Fleischman, fresh out of Columbia
University medical school, is compulsively telling a complete
stranger, ''I'm not kidding myself; Anchorage isn't New York.'' But,
he adds, ''It isn't Cambodia, and it has five Chinese restaurants.''
Then, for no particular reason, he declares, ''Let's face it, Jewish
doctors are not exactly an endangered species.''
Played deftly by Rob Morrow, Joel is the brash, sometimes obnoxious 27-
year-old hero of ''Northern Exposure,'' a new series that begins a
limited run on CBS tonight at 10. It seems that Joel got his medical
degree with the help of a loan from the State of Alaska. Now he must
return the favor by spending at least four years of practice not in
Anchorage, as he thought, but in a small hamlet called Cicely. The
place doesn't have a single takeout restaurant. Joel desperately wants
out, but his contract has no loopholes. Actually the series is being
filmed in Washington State, within range of ''Twin Peaks'' territory,
and the scenery is spectacular. What's to worry? ''Northern Exposure''
is not throwaway summer fare. The series was created by Joshua Brand
and John Falsey, who are also the executive producers. Their past
credits include ''St. Elsewhere'' and ''A Year in the Life.'' They
have carefully explained that ''Northern Exposure'' is ''a fish-out-of-
water show, not a disease-of-the-week show.'' Clearly Joel the city
slicker will end up being softened and perhaps even enlightened by his
new country cousins, who are certainly an appealingly odd lot.
Running Cicely is Maurice Minnifield (Barry Corbin), a former
astronaut who warmly assures Joel that the town is ''delighted to have
a Jew doctor from New York - you guys have an outstanding
reputation.'' Maurice is not speaking to his old friend Holling
Vincoeur (John Cullum), who swiped his young girlfriend Shelly
(Cynthia Geary), the former Miss Northwest Passage.
Maggie O'Connell (Janine Turner) hails from Grosse Pointe, Mich., and
now owns her own plane and a shuttle service. Young Chris Stevens
(John Corbett) is the local disk jockey who lives in a mobil home with
a Boston woman he found wandering around the forest. And young Ed
(Darren E. Burrows) is an American Indian with a keen interest in
rhythm-and-blues and the films of Woody Allen.
Will Joel take readily to eating mooseburgers at the local Summer
Wonderland Festival? Will he get used to the giant rats running around
his log cabin? Can he cope with wholly inadequate plumbing? Well, not
right away. But by the end of next week's episode, he has learned how
to do an Indian dance and is beginning take second and third looks at
Maggie. That's after Maurice fires Chris the disk jockey for some
comments he made over the air about Walt Whitman. But when Maurice
takes over the radio show to play nothing but show tunes, the entire
village rebels.
The show can get overly cute. It's hard to believe that anyone these
days, even in remote Alaska, hasn't heard of a bagel, frozen or
otherwise. And at one point, a passing reference is made to ''St.
Elsewhere.'' Not necessary. But, like Joel, a good many viewers may
discover that the characters kind of grow on you. A first-rate cast
makes it all the more easy. As Ed says to Joel about the gamey
mooseburgers, you'll get used to it.
NORTHERN EXPOSURE
Created by Joshua Brand and John Falsey; premiere directed by Mr.
Brand; premiere written by Mr. Brand and Mr. Falsey; produced by
Robert T. Skodis for Cine-Nevada Inc. in association with Procter and
Gamble Productions Inc.; Mr. Brand and Mr. Falsey, executive
producers. Tonight on CBS at 10 P.M.
Joel Fleischman...Rob Morrow
Maggie O'Connell...Janine Turner
Maurice Minnifield...Barry Corbin
Chris Stevens...John Corbett
Ed...Darren E. Burrows
Holling Vincoeur...John Cullum
Shelly...Cynthia Geary
Nancy2
And this is a relevant post today, because .....
N.
David
It's about "Northern Exposure," though some identification in the
heading when crossposting woulda been nice...
Richard Evans
It was about Northern Exposure SEVENTEEN YEARS ago. The question
remains: Why is it relevant today?
tomcervo
> It was about Northern Exposure SEVENTEEN YEARS ago. The question
> remains: Why is it relevant today?
It was a good show?
I wish there was something on like it today. It had a loopy charm and
a good cast.
remys...@yahoo.com
Men In Trees takes a lot of its cues from Northern Exposure, with the
exception of the main character embracing Alaska. I love the high-def.