Northern Exposure: A Cultural History

Thirty years ago, CBS executives were quickly excited by a pitch for a formulaic hour-long drama about a recent medical school graduate who relocates from New York City to a remote Alaskan village. But that’s not the version of Northern Exposure that eventually debuted on CBS in 1990. This history of Northern Exposure by Samuel (film and television studies, Univ. of Bristol) describes how showrunners Joshua Brand and John Falsey tricked CBS into signing off on bland medical drama, then swapped it for their far more innovative series. Devoid of medical mysteries, the show chronicled the lives of the quirky residents of Cicely, AK (think Twin Peaks at its least sinister) and newcomer Dr. Joel Fleischman, who would reject rural Alaskan life and Indigenous traditions, then come to appreciate them. Samuel also explores how the show went from critically acclaimed to canceled to cult classic; he describes it as a forerunner of modern programming. Finally, he addresses the flaws in a seemingly progressive show: episodes dealt with Indigenous rights, same-sex relationships, and the environment, but there were also Indigenous characters who were played by non-Indigenous actors, homophobia, and stereotypical depictions of women.